NFL Pro Bowl Skills Challenge Reaction
As a part of the yearly Pro Bowl festivities, some of the NFL’s best and brightest clashed in a variety of challenges as both conferences looked to obtain the skills challenge trophy and bragging rights.
We kicked off with the precision passing challenge. This challenge has gone on for years with legends of the game participating in years past.
This year the AFC struggled to get going with Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow and New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones putting together a lackluster performance.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson took his best shot at it, to no avail, scoring zero points. Then, Seattle Seahawk quarterback Russell Wilson put together a fantastic performance racking up 29 points en route to the NFC’s first overall points.
Amidst speculation of what’s next for Wilson, he was dialed in and proved he’s still one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the game.
With the NFC leading, we went to the “Fastest Man” competition between Kansas City Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill, Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb and two rookie Dallas Cowboys in cornerback Trevon Diggs and linebacker Micah Parsons.
After the favorite to win in Hill had a poor start, he strode out to leave the race between the three other men. From there it was between the former Nittany Lion in Parsons and the former Georgia Bulldog in Chubb, with Parsons winning to give the NFC a larger overall lead.
Next, we went to the thread the needle competition as Jones and Kirk Cousins looked to score points by hitting their targets that were being covered by some of the league’s best defensive backs.
Cousins took an early 11 point lead, but Jones beat him by one, etching out the AFC’s first win of the evening. The highlight however was Diggs running full speed into the wall, while securing the interception.
The event everyone was talking about was up next, the best catch event was heavily anticipated and did not disappoint. With Marvel Star Anthony Mackie and Super Bowl champions Santonio Holmes and David Tyree judging, the contestants tried their best to wow the judges.
Hill tried his best attempt at a helmet catch, Jefferson had one of the most acrobatic catches you will ever see, but the story of the night was the fantastic catch by Stefon Diggs.
In a tribute to the Bills Mafia, Stefon Diggs climbed onto a truck, caught the ball in the air and slammed through an outstretched table that also had his younger brother’s jersey draped over it.
The younger Diggs got the last laugh though, as Trevon proved defensive backs CAN catch with a win in the competition.
With the NFC in a commanding lead, the dodgeball game proved to be the icing on the cake. After an intense battle, Chubb and Jefferson were left as the last two men standing.
Chubb winded up and whistled the ball over the line trying to hit Jefferson, but there is a reason Jefferson is one of the best young wideouts in the game. Jefferson reacted swiftly and caught the ball with one hand to win the game for the NFC.
The NFC won the evening 6-1 on a night that produced one of the more entertaining Skills Challenges in recent memory. Now, the Pro Bowl will be for all the marbles, as both conferences had their fun in the challenges and now get set to duke it out on the gridiron.
Dylan Price is a first-year majoring in journalism. To contact him, email dvp5625@psu.edu.
