NFL Pro Bowl 2023 features dodgeball, water balloons, golf, flag football, more

Welcome to the first NFL Pro Bowl games.

The 2023 NFL Pro Bowl will be much different from the one fans have grown accustomed to in recent years.

Instead of featuring the one, high-scoring exhibition game between NFC and AFC Pro Bowlers on Sunday, the NFL is switching it up this year with two days of events.

On Thursday, NFL players will compete in several events that will be televised, but not open to the public.

Among them? Dodgeball, Lightning Round, Longest Drive, Precising Passing and Best Catch.

Sunday will feature the finale of Best Catch, Gridiron Gauntlet, Move the Chains, Kick Tac Toe, and live AFC vs. NFC flag football games at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in front of fans.

Yeah, that will definitely be different from previous Pro Bowls.

Here's a quick rundown of all of this year's Pro Bowl events, with participants and television information.

Super Bowl 57 prediction: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs game to be a thriller

Thursday, Feb. 2 - Pro Bowl Skills Show, 5 p.m. MST, ESPN

Dodgeball - A tournament between four teams with five players each that opens with AFC offensive players facing AFC defensive players and NFC offensive players facing NFC defensive players with the winners from each conference facing off in the final. No, it is not on ESPN8 (the Ocho). The AFC offense team will include Nick Chubb (Browns), Tyreek Hill (Dolphins), Ja'Marr Chase (Bengals), Josh Jacobs (Raiders), Mark Andrews (Ravens) and Dawson Knox (Bills). The NFC offense team consists of Dalvin Cook (Vikings), CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys), Saquon Barkley (Giants), George Kittle (49ers), Kyle Juszczyk (49ers) and Christian McCaffrey (49ers). The team representing the AFC defense features Myles Garrett (Browns), Maxx Crosby (Raiders), Sauce Gardner (Jets), Minkah Fitzpatrick (Steelers), Roquan Smith (Ravens) and Marlon Humphrey (Ravens). As for the NFC defense, that team has Demario Davis (Saints), Jaire Alexander (Packers), Trevon Diggs (Cowboys), Micah Parsons (Cowboys), Jalen Ramsey (Rams) and Tariq Woolen (Seahawks).

Lightning Round - Each conference will pick 16 players to compete in a 3-part elimination challenge. The first will be Splash Catch, where teammates will toss water balloons back and forth from increasing distances. The second is High Stakes, where players try to catch punts from a JUGS machine. The third is Thrill of the Spill, where players aim at targets attached to a bucket hanging above the head of an opposing coach's heard, trying to dump the water in the bucket on the coach. Not sure it will be thrilling for the losing coach. The AFC representatives: Quinnen Williams (Jets), Mitch Morse (Bills), Joel Bitonio (Browns), Pat Surtain II (Broncos), Laremy Tunsel (Texans), Ben Jones (Titans), Jamal Agnew (Jaguars), Justin Hardee (Jets), Bradley Chubb (Dolphins, Rodger Saffold (Bills), Matt Milano (Bills), Jeffrey Simmons (Titans), Wyatt Teller (Browns), Derrick Henry (Titans), Dion Dawkins (Bills), Patrick Ricard (Ravens), Cameron Heyward (Steelers), Trey Hendrickson (Bengals), Terron Armstead (Dolphins) and Xavien Howard (Dolphins). The NFC representatives: Frank Ragnow (Lions), Budda Baker (Cardinals), Chris Lindstrom (Falcons), Brian Burns (Panthers), KaVontae Turpin (Cowboys), Jeremy Raves (Commanders), Penei Sewell (Lions), Cameron Jordan (Saints), Terry McLaurin (Commanders), Fred Warner (49ers), Tristan Wirfs (Buccaneers), Demarcus Lawrence (Cowboys), Talanoa Hufanga (49ers), Quandre Diggs (Seahawkw), Dexter Lawrence (Giants), Zack Martin (Cowboys), Tyler Biadasz (Cowboys), Danielle Hunter (Vikings), Trent Williams (49ers) and Elgton Jenkins (Packers).

Longest Drive - If you've been waiting to see Pro Bowlers attempt to hit the longest drive on a golf course, the wait is almost over. Four players from each conference gets three swings each with the longest drive winning the event. Perhaps the winner will have a future in golf after his NFL career? The AFC will be represented by Justin Tucker (Ravens), Jordan Poyer (Bills), C.J. Mosley (Jets), Marlon Humphrey (Ravens) and Matthew Judon (Patriots). The NFC will be represented by Jonathan Allen (Commanders), Tress Way (Commanders), Daron Payne (Commanders), T.J. Hockenson (Vikings) and Za'Darius Smith (Vikings).

Precision Passing - The three quarterbacks from each conference compete in a one-minute accuracy competition, trying to hit targets. Who will be the most accurate? Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Tyler Huntley (Ravens) and Derek Carr (Raiders) will represent the AFC and Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Geno Smith (Seahawks) and Jared Goff (Lions) will represent the NFC.

Best Catch - In the first round, players will show pre-recorded videos of them catching the ball at iconic venues around Las Vegas, with fan voting determining which players advance to the Sunday finals.  We admit we're intrigued by what venues they could use for their catches. The Bills' Stefon Diggs and the Broncos' Pat Surtain II will represent the AFC and the Vikings' Justin Jefferson and the Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown will represent the NFC.

Who wins Super Bowl 57?:Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles picks, predictions

Sunday, Feb. 5 - Pro Bowl Skills Challenges, AFC vs. NFC Flag football games, 1 p.m. MST, ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, Disney XD

Best Catch - The top vote getters from the first round compete in front of a panel of celebrity judges with the highest score determining the winner. Just like the NBA dunk contest, but without dunks and while catching a football, right?

Gridiron Gauntlet - NFL Pro Bowlers will compete in a relay race that includes six players from each conference. There are four parts: breakaway walls, climbing over walls and under tables, a tire run and a blocking sled carrying a coach across the finish line. Sounds fast. For the AFC, competitors include Joel Bitonio (Browns), Myles Garrett (Browns), Nick Chubb (Browns), Cameron Hayward (Steelers) and Dion Dawkins (Bills). The NFC participants will include Penei Sewell (Lions), Brian Burns (Panthers), Saquon Barkley (Giants), Tristan Wirfs (Buccaneers) and Cameron Jordan (Saints).

Move the Chains - Two teams from each conference will compete in this event, which involves pulling a wall loaded up with heavy weights 10-yards as quickly as possible using first-down chains. Sounds like some work. AFC Team 1 participants: Quinnen Williams (Jets), Trey Hendrickson (Bengals), Laremy Tunsil (Texans), Terron Armstead (Dolphins), Jeffrey Simmons (Titans). AFC Team 2: Maxx Crosby (Raiders), Rodger Saffold (Bills), Ben Jones (Titans), Mitch Morse (Bills), Wyatt Teller( Browns. NFC Team 1: Jonathan Allen (Commanders), Frank Ragnow (Lions), Chris Lindstrom (Falcons), Trent Williams (49ers), Demarcus Lawrence (Cowboys). NFC Team 2: Dexter Lawrence (Giants), Daron Payne (Commanders), Zack Martin (Cowboys), Elgton Jenkins (Packers), Tyler Biadasz (Cowboys).

Kick Tac Toe - Each conference's punter, kicker and long snapper compete in a giant Tic-Tac-Toe competition with the winner being determined by hitting three in a row or five squares total. The kickers and long snappers finally get their due. The AFC participants will be Justin Tucker (Ravens), AJ Cole (Raiders) and Morgan Cox (Titans). The NFC will be represented by Jason Myers (Seahawks), Tress Way (Commanders) and Andrew DePaola (Vikings).

Flag Football - These will include seven skill players from each conference facing off in three games in a 7-on-7 format on 50-yard fields with 10-yard end zones in two 10-minute halves. Touchdowns are worth six points and teams can go for one point or two points after the touchdown based on where they take the ball. NFL players have been hesitant to tackle in the Pro Bowl for years. Now, they don't have to.

AFC Flag Football roster: | NFC Flag Football roster:

Super Bowl 57 point spread, moneyline:Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles odds

Who will win the Pro Bowl?

The league is going to use a scoring system to determine whether the AFC or NFC wins the Pro Bowl this season with the winning conference of each skill competition earning three points toward their conference's score. The winning conference from each of the first two Flag football games on Sunday will earn six points for their team. Then, points from the skills competitions and first two flag football games will be added together to provide the score at the beginning of the third and final flag football game on Sunday, which will determine the winning conference for the Pro Bowl.

The NFL is hoping the new format will bring in viewers this year after many grew tired of the old, perhaps stale, format.

Will it work? You have to at least give the league credit for revamping the format and trying something new this year. It definitely shouldn't be stale and it just might be a lot of fun.

How to watch:Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles game schedule, TV, announcers for Super Bowl 57

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: NFL Pro Bowl 2023 guide: Schedule, TV, explanation of events, scoring