Detroit quarterback Jared Goff had an almost flawless performance in “passing the test,” helping the NFC team take a 14-7 lead over the AFC during the opening night of the Pro Bowl Games on Thursday.
With some help from Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs in an NFL trivia contest, Goff showed off his passing skills by hitting every target and more in just one minute and 30 seconds. He earned 44 points for the NFC, five points more than his teammate Sam Darnold from Minnesota.
Goff, Darnold, and Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield easily beat the AFC quarterbacks, which included Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, New England’s Drake Maye, and Pittsburgh’s Russell Wilson.
The passing game was the highlight of the six events on the opening night. The NFC also won two out of three relay races, a skills contest called “satisfying catches,” and a game show for NFL teammates called “helmet harmony,” which resembled “The Newlywed Game.”
The two teams split the two dodgeball games. Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets gave the AFC a win in “the big spike” with his powerful throwdown of a football.
Some other fun moments: the Bosa brothers, Joey and Nick, turned their leg of a relay race into speed walking, and Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase made one-handed catches on the first three balls thrown to him in the “satisfying catches” contest.
Four more skills events will be shown on Sunday, each worth three points, before the Pro Bowl Games wrap up with a flag football game.
“We’ve got the lead, and that’s good,” NFC coach Eli Manning said. “It just shows the heart, the preparation, everything, the commitment of these guys. They’ve been grinding. They’re looking forward to this. They want the three-peat. (Everyone) has been talking about Kansas City next week with a three-peat. Really, all eyes are on the Pro Bowl for the three-peat (for the) NFC right now.”
