2023 Pro Bowl

to gamble, So that's one of those things. They have shows. Yeah, they have shows, but you gotta walk through a lot of stuff before you get to the shows. Man. You know what I'm saying, that is true. What if I told you that there's some football related things going down again? Okay, I'll be there, just double checking. Here we go. We got the explanation of the Pro Bowl games, and I say a little new format here. We're gonna get to all of those details in just a bit. You want

a Super Bowl, you're also a Pro Bowler. That is a hell of an honor, Yams. It's crazy, bro. When I found out I was going to the Pro Bowl, I remember I was in a hotel room. My house was had got flooded. So my family and I we were in a hotel room that night for a couple of days, and so I found out I'm going to the Pro Bowl. Literally fifteen minutes later, Joe Paternal calls me and I'm one of the last people that he spoke to before he passed. That day. Wow, it was crazy.

It was surreal because as I'm talking to him and I'm like, what's up, Joe, what's up? Coach? I know you know you're struggling, and you know his son Jay Paternal told me to get on the phone and just kind of, you know, say something to him. He wasn't gonna respond. You can hear him breathing and all those things. And the crazy part it was, I don't know, seven eight years previous to that, Joe Paterno was the guy was while I'm sitting in his office all upset, cussing

him out, like he allowed. We had that type of relationship. He said, you know what, Robinson, I know you want to play quarterback right now, but we need you other places. You're probably gonna be a Pro Bowl fullback or tailback in the National Football League. I gave him the middle finger and walked out of this office. I was eighteen years old, and literally the day that I come to Crazy the data, I found out I'm going to a

Pro Bowl. This whole thing is happening, and you know, obviously they asked me to speak at his memorial service. Crazy couple of hours from me finding it out, So that time by me because I was gonna say, you found out and as you were taking the phone call, you had like fifteen inches of water like around your your knees, and then here you go, give me this heartfelt story, which is like the full circle football twist to it, and this is where we end up the

jerk that was me. All right. So last year on this podcast, we actually took everyone into a deep dip of the history of the Pro Bowl. It's s brand new. So on this season's episode, we're gonna be discussing the three Pro Bowl games, by the way, presented by Verizon, the events actually taking place over two days in Vegas.

M Rob definitely a Vegas guy. The fan favorite the skills competition that we broadcast live for the first time Thursday, February twod on ESPN seven to eight thirty Eastern time. You got basically a huge event the petitions they're gonna be continue Sunday, February five, Allegiance Stadium. I was there last year for the East West Shrine Game, and they

were getting ready for all the Pro Bowl stuff. I'm telling you that whole city, man, they just become all about what's going to happen on the football field at Allegiance for the Pro Bowl. What we're going to see here is a little flag football. When I think flag football, you're already smiling, man, flag football. You're the first dude

that I think that. Why that because I was doing total access, you were doing hits in Alabama and I'm telling you, m Rob was drenched so high humid, but smiling ear to ear because you actually legitimately love flag football. Yeah it's fun, man, And you know what Yams people have to understand. And flag football not like your neighborhood youth football organizations have flag football. That's like eleven on eleven. You still have lineman. You're just playing football without equipment.

This is a different game, so to speak, right, like different body types. You can you know, you can't go, you can't flag guards. You gotta come up with certain players. It's just a whole different looking as fast pacing. The windows are small, and so the reason why my face lit up is because being out there at the World Games Man to see the enthusiasm that flag football injected into not just men playing this game, but young women

as well, and in entire countries. Hopefully, hopefully yams as we you know, as this flag football thing grows in the Pro Bowl weekend grows with flag football, hopefully we get that Olympics for flag football. That's what the goal is. So I know a lot of people have been a little hesitant about embracing this. I think once we get the game and we see the guys having fun, it's gonna be like, oh, yeah, we should have done this

a long time ago. We'll go into some of the rosters, some of the details around the game coming up in just a bit here. You told me about the experience when you got the call that you were going to be a Pro Bowler, and obviously that was a really special moment for you in your life. What about the actual event itself, what's it like for a player to

head to the Pro Bowl? Because this Hawaii a time correct, Yeah, it was Hawaii, And you talk about the state of Nevada in Las Vegas, embracing everything about football and everything about the game. So the Hawaii I mean the minute you got off the plane, I mean out of the airport, there's thousands of fans and you know, I was a fullback. I'm like, there's no way anybody knows who I am, right, And there's a whole section of m ROB supporters with twenty six jerseys on. They're just giving me all of

these you know, what are these things? I didn't like? Don't be immature, not the immature. So yeah, yeah, man, And you know it's just a it's a it's a great atmosphere. I love playing in the game. Um, Matt Forte, Shady McCoy, Beast Mode, they were my tailbacks in that game. None of them wanted to play. They were all in contract disputes and nobody wanted to get hurt. So I ended up playing a large majority of the game. I

didn't get any passes or anything like that. But um, what I enjoyed the most about my Pro Bowl experience was the pool chats. And what I mean by if you've ever been to the Pro Bowl, especially when it was at Hawaii, there's one hotel that central focus point for all the players, all the you know, the National Football League's officers are there and all of that lot

of security. But at the end of the day at night, when the pool, you know, everybody's hotel rooms were around the pool and the music is playing and you've got hall of famers, your past and president current, everybody's together. I learned. I learned so much just listening to older guys talk around the pool. They've had a couple of cold ones, you know what I'm saying, And that's where the true brotherhood comes. And I enjoyed that more than

anything else. Game talk, life talk, financial, tal the above, man, all the above, like because as a as a again, we're gladiators. I'm gonna say football players, but we're gladiators. And to understand that you're not the only one in the world going through some of your personal issues. You know, there's guys that went through it before you, that understand what's going on at the home, that understands you traveling

and having a family and all that. And sometimes it just feels good to talk to some people that's been through it, you know, especially before you. And that's that's kind of what that pro Bowl did, especially in Hawaii, and I haven't been to the one here in Vegas yet. I'll be coming to it this this year for the Flat Football Championships. But at the end of the day

that that pool chat was was where was that? You look, all those conversations, they just they're better when you have an umbrella hang like, it's just everything just it was a little different and loosened everybody up. People started singing it's karaoke, and I mean, it's just it's those things. And what I can say is all athletes like to be coached. We all like the challenge. We wouldn't be, you know, at the highest level of sport if we weren't.

But to see guys challenge each other, I would have beat you with my prime Why I would have did the most hilarious thing I've ever seen in my life. I mean, you've got old dudes. That's really saying. Man, I'll take my clicker, I'll put my clicks on right now. And I'm like, no, you won't know, you won't. But it's just good to hear and and have a great time. And I think the National Football does a great job of kind of setting the mood and allowing us to

do our things. The m v P of karaoke singers is oh, m v P A. I guess there's someone that really stood out to you. But we'll say this, um, ray Lewis is a character with the microphone in his hands. Let's just say that, and I'm gonna leave it there. Everybody who's ever been over there with him knows what I'm talking about, all right. So ray Lewis is the guy that I would have to imagine got a ton of fan votes not to mention player and coaching votes to go his way. And that's how those rosters are

made up. Fan vote pretty obvious, right, But take me through the locker room what you're hearing from coaches, Like, how does that section that two thirds of the vote, How does that come about? Yeah? So, like you said, you have the fans, you know what I mean? You know the fan vote, You got a coach of voting. But we vote as players too, and oftentimes I was always in a running back meeting room in the National

Football League, So we vote. We would always vote for the linebackers, sure, right, because that's those are the guys we primarily faced. The offensive lineman vote for defensive lineman. Where I received was vote defensive backs and vice versa. And so you had to vote for somebody in your conference, but not on your team. That was kind of how I was. And they would have like, you gotta as a group, You guys gotta come up with let's say

we were talking middle linebacker. As a group, you gotta come up with your top five, you know what I'm saying, and then they take the votes from there. But it's funny the games we used to play to try to get our guys in. Like I remember being on the San Francisco forty and Honors team, and you know, obviously we had Patrick Willis. I didn't play with Navarro Bowman.

He was coming in on my way out, and I remember like we were thinking, like, man, Patrick gotta get in, and I'm sitting there talking to Frank Bold like man, but you know they're gonna vote for Patrick. He was like, man, I don't know. And so you try to vote for guys nobody in the NFL is sorry, but you try to vote for guys who maybe wouldn't get a Pro Bowl vote at all. So your vote is exhausted there and the votes that are left go to your guy.

You know what I'm saying, that's kind of strategics. It's strategic, man, That's what we tried to do. I would imagine guys hav incentives in their contracts four Pro Bowls, because there is a difference, by the way, between being an All Pro and a pro bowler. I would imagine there's incentives both ways. Any guy ever come out to and go like, yo, man, there's some extra coin coming my way. Give me a vote. Absolutely, well,

you knew all the big money guys had it. You know, when I played in San Francisco, you had the Vernon Davis and the Alex Smith guys like that. Your framegoers, you knew those were the big money guys, be Smode, Bobby Wagner. I mean, you knew where the money guys were, and you knew a lot of their money was tied to their success. I tell you mine. When I got voted in mind, I got me a nice check. So I was happy about that. I've been nice, not nice bonus,

probably not a bonus like the quarterback. So the past Rush play fullback guys. Fullback we don't make that much money, but it felt good bus act. Actually we did. We did win because you get another kicker. We do get it. We did get it. Actually, check for winning. I forgot about that. I bought my wife a car with that. Sure did it got h oh? Did the name dropping and yeah? Yeah, and it helped out a whole lot. Man, Absolutely, I forgot about that. Yeah, we did. We go. Was

it a boxer, No, it was. It was, yeah, but with a little kick though that thing kick on. You don't make and go. You know what I'm saying. We just gave it up a couple of years ago. May don't don't get me started on that. It's memories. Man. It was one of the first major purchases of my wife. And it was like she was at work one day. I pulled up in it, but she thought I rented it, right and I'm like, yeah, but you know what I'm saying,

go and check the car right there. You know what I'm saying, it's yours and everybody and it's along with crazy. It was awesome. That's awesome, What a cool story. We don't hear about that type of I just I had heard that when you get to the Pro Bowl and in previous years and white like you were winning because that paid for your crew that you brought with you. Yeah, that that's part of it too. I didn't bring the entire crew, Yams. I've always had some rules rolling with

me as my entourage in the National Football League. If you did not help me move into my freshman dorm at Penn State, sean call okay in East polite commons. If you did not help me move in there, don't expect anything from me. Don't And it was only four people there, my stepfather, my mother, my cousin Bids the Soul, and my brother. Everybody else can understand it because they know the role. You don't get to go. I bought my best friend of my wife out to I like that.

I like that. I like that role. For me, it's just mom and dad. We ain't getting any portions. So all right, let's go through. I'm not gonna list every guy on the roster just because there's so many dudes. So I'm just gonna highlight a couple of these names. I'll start with the A f C. Not a huge surprise, Tyree Stefon, Digg, Davante, Adams, Strom, Mar Chase like that.

That seems about right to me. We'll get to some snubs by the way, coming up in just a bit, Travis Kelsey kind of a no brainer at the tight end spot. Mark Andrews actually had a hell of a year. He had a great year. Man, did you imagine if Lamar was healthy the whole time? If Lamarm was healthy this season, we might be talking about him being one of the the backs instead. Although maybe not right. It's Mahomes, Alan and Burrow like that is those dudes it but

that they they they're pretty special man. The running back spots Dick Chubb, Josh Jacob speaking of dudes, shout out Josh contract year. Team needed to lean on him. What I do know where to pick up his option? He said, you know what, all good, I'll show you. I'll make

you pay. And there's I know there's people and guys on that offense who wanted to ball a little bit more and wanted to but Josh McDaniels understood that this office had to run through the running back, had to move the line of scrimmage for the passing game to work. I'm glad to see Josh Jacobs on this. Yeah, I'll throw Derrick Henry's name out into the mix as well. On the defensive side. Myles Garrett. Not a surprise. Max Crosby. You know Trey Hendrickson for Cincinnati bawler right, I just

saw him the other week against Buffalo. Yeah, why you got to mention that? Sorry, we just saw him other week. And if our listeners who can't see us right now, oh my goodness, Jam said it, and then any smirked right after he said it. Didn't do what he was doing, right, man? Dominated my guy Dion Dawkins that left tackle and Trey Hendrickson gives this defense, this Bengals defense, an opportunity to just rush three and he can win rushing three. Great job.

A couple of other names that stand out. Matthew Judon absolutely monster. I'll give some love to Sauce Gardener as a rookie making the team. I thought that was kind of cool to see make it. Fitzpatrick not a surprise. They were missed some games earlier the season. Sauce Gardner might have been the best corner in football. Forget just a Pro Bowl, and he might have been the best corner in football on it. Just to see a guy at young play that patient. He's long, he understands coaching,

he can tackle, he's not a faid of contact. Man. It's just weird to see a guy that young play that well. Derwin James, I think is the most versatile safety in the NFL. Who also, and I've said this on air a few times and it bears repeating. I would not want to go down to dark Alley and see Derwin James on the other side because I might not come out. Yeah, you might not. He intimidates the hell out And I told and I told him this on there. If I'm going down the dog haul, I

need you with me. Okay, he's started laughing. That dude is legit. Glad to see him. If you see Jordan Poyer as one of the safeties there, even though you talk about my bills against Jordan's. Oh they picked on him in that Cincinnati game. But that's not the nature this podcast. We're not talking. Although I'll throw Justin Tucker's name into the mix. The most dominant player at his position, in the most dominant player in the NFL considering what he does. His mental health is on a thousand Oh

my goodness, big kicker, it's all mental. Uh. The NFC squad wide receivers just Jefferson a J. Brown. Ceedee, lamb term McLaurin. I like squad me too. I'm so happy to see Terry scary Terry on this list as well. You got you got a J. Brown? Who again? Mahwe roseman, Oh my goodness man, he should be executive at the year. I mean, he put this team together then got a J. Brown. It's pretty dope. No, I'm with you there. Best left tackle in the NFL is Trent Williams, so he obviously

made the list as well. Tight End George Kittle doesn't surprise anyone. T J. Hockenson who you know? I mean, hell, if he was still in Detroit, he probably has got a great chance to make rocking that. Don't skip over that center. You know I'm I'm I'm a moving guard. As a former fullback, that means the middle three of the offensive line of very important to me to guard. Center guard Jason Kelsey is the best center in all of football. I thought you're gonna get some love to

to your boy, Frank. He's a big guy that can move to Kelsey's He's a little undersized, but did you see what he did to that Giants defender with one arm? Oh? My tip of the spear. You know, offensive lineman, know what I'm talking about. Just oh my goodness, this offense in Philly don't work, can't work, This running game cannot work without Jason Kelsey. You'll bring up that Giants. Let's say it back. That's all good. I didn't realize that said. Yeah, okay, uh,

quarterbacks here. I don't want to hate, I really don't. I mentioned who the a f C squad was and like, this is just the nature of the beast and this is no distress. Oh god, that's exactly what you're about to do. This Jalen Hurd, she know Smith and Kirk Cousins. So it's good. But if I said to you, which do you want the a f C trio? You want the NFC trio? Well, I mean I want the a C trio exactly, no disrespect. Yeah, you're right, but but I may want the NFC teams though. You see what

I'm saying. From a team standpoint, they got a better quarterback probably, but the team standpoint, I feel like the NFC physicality. Man, I'm trying to talk about. You're right, right, let me out you right, Okay, Okay, running backs here, sakemon Barkley. I'll throw his name out there. Miles Sanders also having a great season from yeah staters on that list,

It's pretty dope. It's crazy to see Dallas backup running back on the started Zeke Elli and Zeke may have played his last down with the Cowboys and for that play to be the last down, don't get me started now. Remember Tony Poard actually got banged up in that last game, didn't He wasn't even able to finish it against San Francisco. Delvin Cook getting the nod. Yeah, man, he's a pretty good back as well. Man, your defensive player of the year, at least in my mind to announce. Just yepa. Nick

Bosa also on the NFC. Okay, I like that, Nick Boss. I mean we call that a protection dictator. Every offensive line in the National Football League is gonna slide his way. Dude, I'm tired. I'm looking at some of these defensive players. Holy smokes, man, I mean, look at the interior lineman uh, Aaron Donald, Jonathan Allen, dextra Las. Yes it is. You can't run on none of them. You can't pass the tech on none of you. See what I'm saying. That's

just pretty dope, man. Yeah, I mean, and look Michael Parsons on that defensive son Reddick. What he's able to do is Darius Smith. I'll throw Fred Warner's name out into the mix. The corner is also pretty good. I gave love to Sauce Gardner. So did you how about three Will and another rook? Oh? Yeah, I forgot about to Will and I'll gain a late round pick. Dude can literally fly. He's long, you can't really beat him over the top, and he's not afraid to tackle. That's

very important. Okay. Any look, generally speaking, that's the roster NFL dot com. You can see the complete list made this safety for the Niners. Man, nobody knows who who Fungo was until he got that pick Arizona early in the season weekfore or something like that. Wow, I'm happy for that kid as well. You don't want to be on the receiving and of one of his No, no, dude just has an instinct for the football. Any anyone stand out that I didn't make reference to a snub

or two guys that have a case. I think, Um, how about I'll throw Austin Neckler's name into the mix. You know, what I feel like Austin Neckler gets disrespected every year, not by fantasy owners, well, because the guy's a touchdown machine. He catches the football, he runs the football. But I mean, can you put him ahead at any of the AFC side of running backs. I mean, I don't know. But there's also Christian McCaffrey on the NFC side. Dude has of a twelve scrimin yards from since Week seven,

since he made the trade. I mean, that's a tough one, but it's tough for me. I can't. I can't put off some Ekeler head of Nick Chubb, Josh Jacobs or Derrick Henry, all of those guys. I could on Derrick Henry this season, really, I think you don't think he was as impactful as he was before. I think there's you don't think it was hard because the level it was harder on him this year. The bar was set

so damn high. But I'd say I make the same exact case on the flip side from a charger's perspective, Like I think about Slater being out of that lineup, I think about Keenan Allen and Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler here we go over a hundred reception at the running back spot. Like I think it's gotten into the playoffs too. You make a point, you make a valid point. Maybe I'm just looking at it as the individual runners.

I look at Derrick Henry that he still got his stats in his yards and all of those things, and with the load of carries that he got with the quarterback um, that is not one of the more that dynamic quarterbacks in the National Football League. With a guy like A J. Brown getting traded away before the season, pulling it actually defender out of the box. No, I'm I know it's tough. It is tough, and look it's like, all right, you take Henry, I'll take Austin. I'm not

gonna be all that upset Geckler or McCafe. You know, it's these are the best of the best. You know, one guy. I'm a little disappointed. I'm gonnros st Brown not making making it only because he was fun to watch. I know what he meant to that offense. The offense was absolutely prolific, and there's an edge about him where it's like, all right, you want to disrespect me. I think back to that Hard Knocks episode where you can name every single wide receiver taken before him. I just

like that. I like that about him too, But again, I just look at the guys that were chosen. I just can't pick him over Scary Terry McLaren, the Cede Lamb, A J. Brown, or Justin Jefferson. Who Justin Jefferson is really in the mixed ram V Pete. You know what I'm saying, like one of the greatest wilde receiver seasons

of all time. No, I'm with you. I'm just throwing some names out there, just guys that there are gonna make the team, but who we like and I want to love them up just a little bit now, m Rod, there's some differences to when we talk about each of these rosters. The a f C in the NFC, they're gonna have a team of coaches to help guide them through these competitions to go to goats. According to em Rob,

we found that down in our last episode. Peyton Manning will be the a f C head coach, Ray Lewis knows something about defense, He'll be the a f C defensive coordinator, and Diana Flores will be the a f C offensive coordinator. The NFC a little brotherly love. Eli Manning the NFC head coach, to Marcus Ware will be the d C and Vanita Crouch will be the NFC offensive coordinator. Vania and Diana, by the way, elite flag football players. Oh, they were on display at the World Games.

I was there. They called Vanita Crouch the Tom Brady or flag football. I mean, this is a woman wins everything and wins almost every time she steps on except when she matched up against Diana Floyd. Yeah. I mean, by the way, was so much fun. She is super talented. She is man. She got a little viral video which she was just moving her hips all around and and getting away from all the people pulling her flags, and

then she scored. Man. I really think everybody who's a true football fans should watch these competitions and learn what flag football is all about. Well, the skills competitions are actually getting little bit bigger the Pro Bowl Games. The skill competitions are going to be brought to you by a Smith and Company productions. You're like, what who I got you? They produced shows like American Ninja Warrior, which I love. That's one of those you don't have something

to watch and that comes down. You got me Hell's kitchen. I boil water pretty well. Outside of that, I don't do that. Yeah, the health kitchen deal is not you know, it's it's cool. I know it's really popular. The Titan Games also really cool. So before we dive into these skill competitions and how the weekend will work, what do you want to see, like, what will we learn from the skills competition With regard to NFL guys, Well, you can see kind of like their competitive nature. That's really

what I like about it. You know, you get some people who deem some of these skill challenges as whatever, but no NFL guys, it's a mentality. You can't just cut off being a competitor. That's just who you are. It's crazy to see some of these guys and I when I go to you know, P A O and some of the other things that a bunch of football players go to, a lot of these eyes are competitive with their own kids, like not let their kids when

my son has never beat me in basketball. So I just want to see the competitive nature and conceded competitive juices on display. I can see you plan hoops with your son and he's going off for a layoff and it's not just like the small swat away like I mean just like the m rob jump up in the air and just monster block like sending the ball like twenty yards away, and we got a bunch of acres we sit on. Also it goes into the woods and then you go, yo, go get get it, so young,

you go get it. Yeah, I ain't do it. You got fresh legs exactly, you got fresh legs. Uh. Pro Bowl Games skills competitions will have cumulative scoring leading up to the flag football games on Sunday, so the scoring for the Pro Bowl games. This is how it's gonna work. The winning conference of each skills competition earns three points towards their team's overall score, with twenty four total points

available across the eight skills events. Now, the winning conference for each of the first two flag football games on Sunday will earn six points for their team. So there's a total of twelve points availament points from the skills competitions and the first two flag games. They're gonna be added together, and the score at the beginning of the third and final flag game will determine the winning conference

the Pro Bowl Games. So the skills competition actually has some pretty good weight here heading into the flag football games. You mentioned the competition, Like, to me, that's what this is all about. Because in other sports, and maybe this is like how it was for you in the NFL with the Pro Bowl games previously, it's kind of like, oh, it's funny games and then all of a sudden, you know, late in an NBA All Star game, it ratches its game.

Late inning games for baseball, you know, like guys stopped talking, you know, a little chatter here and there, like you kind of get ready for it. Like I would imagine that this gets the competition going over the course of a few days. Absolutely, and Yams to your point, I remember being in my Pro Bowl in the first three and a half quarters, I mean pass Pro was like, I mean we're basically just talking. Hey guys, someone, let's dance.

Don't hurt nobody. Don't hurt about that last to three or four minutes, man, I mean we were serious people. Gotten the three wins things. Tony Gonzalez was screaming for the ball at Drew Brees, I need the ball. I mean it was like, guys, this is not real, like this is whatever. Um, But they did a good job, and I can't wait again to see the guys have the pride in it um again. Seeing that it's gonna be over a couple of days, my first thought is, man, am I gonna get my my asthma pump. They're gonna

be running around out there. These are big top baskets and I think gonna have fun with and I think the NFL does a good job of making it fun. All right, Well, look, you and I have gone through the roster and how the games are gonna work. Still to come here on the NFL Explaining podcast will dive into how the skills competitions are going to be played. Welcome back to the NFL Explaining podcasts, and Rob like, yeah, I'm with you are We laid out the three Pro

Bowl games, how it's gonna work. I keep mentioning the skills competitions. Day one, Thursday, February second. I love this. I freaking love this. Pro Bowl Dodgeball multi round tournament Classic dodgeball. Four teams of five players got offense defense, both conferences squaring off. It's an a f C NFC showdown, but in the first match, the A f C offense will face the A f C defense to determine the a f C winner. Second game, NFC offense against the

NFC defense, that's the NFC winner. The finale a f C winner versus the NFC winner, and whichever conference wins gets the three points. Have you ever played dodgeball? No? Not competitively, charity charity dodgeball league, and I was thrown out of one of the matches. Um, So I don't even know if you're the person to ask about strategy since you know play. Yeah, I was about to say, what would they say on dodgeball? The movie Dodge, Duck, Deep Dodge. That's just strategy. If you could dodge, you

could dodge the ball. So that's that's that's that is, That's all that is. Um. There's also a Lightning Round, so new this year. Each conference will select six team players to compete in a three part elimination channel that will leave one player left at the end to earn three points for the conference. The first event of the Lightning Round splash catch teammate pairings for each conference. They tossed water balloons back and forth from increasing distances. We

all did this when we were kids, all right. Each tandem that completes all of their tosses advances to the second phase Part two. It's Lightning Round. High stakes. Advancing players will attempt to catch punts from jugs machines. We've already chronicled. I've done that too. As easy as it looks, um, you'll earn a place representing their conference in the final round of competition, and then the final part lightning round

Thrill of the Spill. The remaining players of each conference will aim at targets attached to a bucket hanging over the head of an imposing conferences coach. It seemed to dump the bucket on the opposing coach wins and gets three points for the conference. Any I'll do splash cash because I think that's more familiar to a lot of fans, because we all did the bloon toss. Who's your parents? Anyone come to mind that you think like the soft hands, like I think, I think the wide receivers have to be.

It has to be wide receivers. Maybe if you've got some backs so tight ends who have really soft hands that could catch. But isn't it like got to be like cousins Jefferson, Like, isn't that automatically the favorite? Well but Kurt has to catch two. You know what I'm saying, This is not just the one direction thing. I would pare you know, justin Jefferson up with scary terriers something just two receivers together because their hands team, their hands team,

they damn that. Look. If I'm paid on whoever who's on the NFCY side, I forgot hands team, I would say hands team and have those guys run out for that Hands teams read defining hands team. Okay, I love this because a lot of guys actually do this longest drive. Four players each conference compete in a challenge to drive a golf ball the furthest I can't imagine it's one

of those big boys. Well no, I don't know. We used to have a driving competition when I was in Seattle, and you would think guys like Russell Ocon the big offensive lineman who know how to play golf. And you know what bad job may be. It's gotta be a quarterback because all those like charity events, that's all that's all they do. Or like one of those hot Price Wilde receivers, and it's one of those guys. It is not a big guy that trust me. Golden Tate used

to win ours every year, Golden Tat and Russell. I'm telling shocking, shocking. All right, how about this one, because we're talking about some of these other ones quarterbacks, they're gonna get their chance to shine. Here Precision Passing presented by E a sports Man in NFL twenty three mobile each conference, three quarterbacks battling it out one minute accuracy competition. You basically gotta hit targets, you accumulate points. I see

you perking up. I think Emerald wants to actually compete. I would try that. Uh ten targets, either static or robotic, dummies and drones. How about we're throwing drones out there here we go, they range and value one to five points. And then there's also a long toss bucket sixty yards away worth ten points? What is your guy? Who's my guy?

At the quarterback position? And we started thinking about the accuracy, you know, and obviously in the a f C with Mahomes and Alan and Burrow like Burrow to me, Yeah, but um, you gotta think about Geno Smith. I know people are saying, what he led the National Football League, but was one of the top two or three guys in the National Football League and completion percentage. Dude knows how to throw darts, so yeah, I would go with Joe Burrow or Geno Smith. Okay, final event that day,

I already know the winner. Best Catch, presented by Uber eats two players each conference. Best Catch competition creativity of the whole deal right first round On Thursday, players will showcase their best reception in highlight reels shot at iconic venues around Las Vegas. Fans will vote online for their favorite catch from each conference, and the player with the highest votes will compete in the finals on Sunday. Jefferson and Diggs or Justin Jefferson and Davante Adams. I think

he had a few one handed ones this year. It'll be Justin Jefferson and the play that they're gonna show us against my Bills, well, the play they might show for Diggs is in that game. And that's what I'm saying, like, oh my goodness, man, wow, I don't know if you know what. I don't know if I would have have me I had great hands, but I don't know if I would have wanted to be in this particular competition. I would have wanted to be in the throw and one. Yeah, no,

I'm with you on that one. Just start throwing some targets there. Day one in the books, what's happening on day two? We'll explain that coming up next. All right, So day one of the skills competition in the books. In terms of our explanation, they continues on Best Cats presented by Uber Eats. The finale on Sunday, the top vote getters from each conference will compete head to head as they perform in front of a panel of celebrity judges.

The past catcher accumulates the highest score from the judges determine the winner. Would you ever maybe think of a guy that's not a wide receiver in this competition? Yeah, Travis Kelsey, Oh great, Travis Kelsey. I would think about him, and this. I would also thinking about a I like a Darren Waller, a bigger, longer guy who can run and do you know, contorted his body and do some pretty What about the guy Kyle Pitts from Atlanta? Like I would think about those guys who are really extremely

large wilde receivers. That's really what they are. So the player who's going to move on, they basically get the Gridiron Gauntlet a side by side relay race showcasing strength, speed and agility. Six players from each conference compete to see who finishes first and wins three points for the team. The four part gauntlet. Each segment forty yards in length, includes a series of breakaway walls, a section of climbing over walls and under tables, a tire run, and a

blocking sled. Carrying on this, Gladiators, the show that we used to watch we were young. The guys like Laser Storm. It was I forget him. Now that I said it, I forgot it. But yes, man, it seems like a Gladiator episode. It does, It does, or American Ninja Warrior because the producers are parked going through some of that stuff. How about this one kick a tack to Each team's kicker, punter, and long snapper compete in a giant tic tac toe competition, but you gotta kick in it lands like in a

square or something. So basically, the first team to complete a connecting line of three squares or hit five squares total will be declared the winner and are in three points for his conference. How many chances do you get? If it's three, then it's just justin Tucker three kicks and you're own. That's true, that's true. But I mean, I guess the punter would have to be involved too. So are they alternating kicks? How are these dudes so they'll be able to get this right, They'll be able

to do whatever whatever is asked of them. I mean, it's crazy, the accuracy of the of these kickers. Ridiculous. Final skills competition, move the chains. That's what we like to see a single Sunday, especially on the offensive side. Only the offensive side. Four teams, two from each conference will compete side by side in a weighted wallpole that

will showcase their strength and speed. Each team of five players just responsible for pulling a wall loaded up with heavy weights ten yards a quickly as possible using first down chains. The winner of the best of three playoff will earn three points for their conference. I like, what, like that's it really is? I mean, that's kind of like an offseason condition anything. That's exactly what it is. And actually in college we would call that the finisher.

That's like what you do after the workout to kind of reinforce what you did through the workout. Um, I'm gonna pick any the a f C team that's got Derrick Henry just because he's a big guy. I just think about those workout videos that you post. This is where Austin Neckler comes into play. So it's a pool, so you gotta be in front of it. Then that's what I'm saying. I'm assuming and you gotta be pulling

that way. And they're talking about ingenuity, so I wonder where they have any props or anything they can use to kind of help them out or whatever. Are they just saying five guys get in front and pull and I'm just gonna get the biggest strongest guys. I that's I'm going in that direction. Um, all right, the actual flag football game itself, you know, you know the rules analyze the game. Flag football game too. Is today your NFC. I'm gonna go NFC just because I think some of

those AFC quarterbacks won't be playing. I think it will be the NFC. I don't think it matters who the quarterback is. How about this take. You've seen this before, and I'm going off as something that you told me about flag football and how the body types are a little bit different. I think if whatever team has Tyreeke wins,

like I think Tyreek Hill. We see it on Sundays, but I actually I think he's going for as good as he is on Sundays, I think he's going to be a better than flag football and the speed will scare people because you do have to slow down to pull the flag like you gotta kind of whatever. That's interesting, man, He's gonna be a problem for the NFC side. Yeah, that's a good jobs, next level analysis. I'm ready to

be the analyst on this show. I hope everyone enjoyed the breakdown of the Pro Bowl games and more importantly, enjoys the entire week and how it all plays out. Remember it's day one Thursday, February Ray two, espm seven to eight thirty pm Eastern time, day to Sunday, Febtruary from three to six Eastern on ESPN and ABC. He's the real Microp. I'm Mike Yam. Thank you so much for listening.