The Pro Bowl skills competition that is held the night before the pro bowl is one of the most heavily anticipated events during all of the super bowl week; it has been around since 1970, but only started to include former players since 2012 after it was criticized for including an excess amount of flag football-like activities in previous years. The format changed this year to feature six teams, with each team consisting of two active quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers. This format change allowed fans to see more competitive plays between these players who are usually not on the field at the same time during a regular football game.
The captains were Jerry Rice (winning 2014-2015) and Michael Irvin (losing 2013-2014), both known as some of the best NFL wide receivers in history. It was Michael Irvin who won the 2015 Pro Bowl Skills Challenge with help from Joe Thomas, Jack Youngblood, and Patrick Peterson.
The Pro Bowl Skills Competition is held the day before the actual pro bowl game
The Pro Bowl Skills Competition starts at 7:00 pm EST on Saturday, January 30th. Where can I watch the pro bowl skills competition? The NFL Network will be broadcasting it.
Who are some players that will be in the Pro Bowl Skills Competition?
Several players have already confirmed their availability for the Skills Competition, including Jordy Nelson, Casey Hayward, Joe Haden, and Travis Kelce.
The Pro Bowl Skills Competition will consist of:
- 3-minute knockout
- best hands
- longest drive
- precision passing
All players involved will line up behind the first position, where they will receive one football. They will run 5 yards and hand off to another player who is lined up about 20 yards away. This process is repeated until each player has had a turn. The last player standing wins.
Best hands: Each pair of teammates will stand opposite one another behind the goalposts where they will be presented with 3 balls at once on their side of the field. Their goal is to come down with as many balls as possible after the 40 second time limit ends.
Longest drive: All players are given 3 chances to make it through the obstacle course consisting of 5 tires, 2 hurdles, and 1 stop sign which represents 25 yards.
Precision passing: All players will be involved in three different competitions of throwing or rolling a football through a target.
Who is the most likely candidate to win the skills competition?
It was Michael Irvin who won last year, so he will probably win again this year. Here’s a look at some of the skills that might give him an edge :
The best hands competition requires speed and agility as well as the ability to understand route-running. This skill set makes Jordy Nelson an excellent competitor for the best hands title. Jordy Nelson leads all NFL wide receivers with 13 touchdown receptions, tied with A.J. Green and Alshon Jeffrey for first place among his position group within the NFC.
Who won last year’s skills competition?
This year, Jordy Nelson will try to defend his title. He is going up against Jameis Winston, Thomas Davis, LeSean McCoy, Antonio Brown, and Demaryius Thomas in a 3-minute knockout.
In addition to that, there will be a 40-yard dash speed challenge between Byron Jones and Patrick Peterson. In addition to that Joe Haden from the Browns vs Casey Hayward from the Chargers in a match race on an obstacle course. The winner gets $25,000 for the United Way of Greater Cleveland!
Watch the NFL’s best rookies face off on an obstacle course!
A few notable rookies that will be competing this year are Jameis Winston and Thomas Davis who both have a history with this event as they competed last year. Jameis also broke a record for getting a touchdown pass through tires, but if he competes again it might not turn out well since Jordy Nelson is going to compete as well. In addition to those players, there will be a match race between Joe Haden from the Browns and Casey Hayward from the Chargers on an obstacle course as well as a 40-yard dash speed challenge between Byron Jones from the Cowboys and Patrick Peterson from the Cardinals.
Where is it being held?
The 2016 Pro Bowl Skills Competition was held in Hawaii at Aloha Stadium, where they have been holding this event every year with 2015 being an exception due to having no stadium available after renovations were taking place.
Conclusion
The Pro Bowl Skills Competition is one of the most anticipated pre-game events for the game itself. Every year it consists of different challenges that are designed to show off some athleticism and talent. Depending on what players participate in this year, it should be a fun event to watch!
