Mark Andrews, Marlon Humphrey and Roquan Smith are elite at football, but how good are they at dodgeball?
Get ready to find out, because the NFL has given the Pro Bowl experience a major facelift.
Gone is the traditional football game between the AFC and NFC. Instead, players will compete in Las Vegas at the new Pro Bowl Games, a series of skills competitions starting Thursday, followed by Sunday's climax that features more skills competitions and three flag football games to determine the winning conference.
The Ravens will have six Pro Bowlers in Las Vegas – Smith, Andrews, Humphrey, Patrick Ricard, Justin Tucker and Tyler Huntley. Hall of Famer Ray Lewis will also be at the festivities, serving as the AFC's defensive coordinator for flag football on Sunday.
It's going to be a different vibe, with players doing things that have never been part of the Pro Bowl experience. Here's what each Ravens player will be participating in:
Smith – Dodgeball
Andrews – Dodgeball
Humphrey – Dodgeball, Longest Drive
Huntley – Precision Passing
Ricard – Lightning Round
Tucker – Kick Tac Toe, Longest Drive
Here's a rundown of the Pro Bowl Games schedule for Thursday and Sunday:
Thursday (Feb. 2), 7 p.m., ESPN, ESPN+, fuboTV
Dodgeball (Andrews, Humphrey, Smith) – Four teams, featuring five players from each conference, will compete in a three-round tournament. The first two rounds will feature AFC Offense vs. AFC Defense, and NFC Offense vs. NFC Defense. The final round will feature the winning team from each conference.
Lightning Round (Ricard) – Sixteen players from each conference will compete in this three-round event. Part 1 is called "Splash Catch," where pairs of teammates will toss water balloons back and forth from increasing distances. Part 2 is called "High Stakes," where players who survived the first round will attempt to catch punts from a JUGS machine at varying heights and distances. Part 3 is called "Thrill of the Spill," where players who survived the first two rounds will aim at targets attached to a bucket hanging above the head of an opposing coach. The first team to dump the bucket on the opposing coach wins.
Longest Drive (Humphrey, Tucker) – This event was pre-recorded but will air Thursday. Eight Pro Bowlers, four from each conference, will take part in a traditional golf competition to hit the longest drive. Competitors will get three attempts to drive the ball between boundaries. The longest drive that's inbounds wins.
Precision Passing (Huntley) – Two quarterbacks and one non-quarterback will throw for one minute, aiming at targets assigned different point values. Targets will be attached to moving robotic dummies. When time expires, contestants will be given one long-distance throw for a chance to earn additional points. The player who earns the most points over the entire passing competition wins.
Best Catch – Two players from each conference will compete, making catches from various spots around Las Vegas. This will be pre-recorded to air on Thursday. Fans will vote on these catches, to determine the two finalists who will compete on Sunday in front of judges.
Sunday (Feb. 5), 3 p.m., ESPN, ABC, Disney XD, fuboTV, ESPN+
Best Catch Finals
Gridiron Gauntlet – Six players from each conference will compete in a relay race consisting of breakaway walls, climbing walls, tables to crawl under, tire runs, and a blocking sled that will have a coach on it.
Move the Chains – A pair of four-man teams from each conference will compete. Contestants will race while pulling a weighted wall.
Kick Tack Toe (Tucker) – Punters, kickers and long-snappers will compete in a game of tic-tac-toe using their respective disciplines.
Pro Bowl Flag Football Games (Huntley, Smith, Humphrey, Andrews, Ricard) – Three 7-on-7 games between AFC and NFC Teams. The score from the previous competitions will be the starting score for the final flag football game.
