This time last year, I was cautiously optimistic, yet mostly skeptical of the new Pro Bowl format. The one thing I knew then was the game as an institution previous to 2013 was bland and ready to be put to pasture. As Jerry Rice and Deon Sanders drafted their teams regardless of conference affiliation, I was curious to see the product. It proved wildly excited in the level of competition compared to seasons past. And no, not just because of a Chiefs defender getting penalized on a helmet to helmet contact on one of his offensive teammates during the match. Now while it didn’t change my thoughts on the meaning of life and how to achieve world peace, it did show me that the Pro Bowl, as the stand alone football product that it is during the week before the Super Bowl, can indeed be entertaining.
As this year’s teams, under Hall of Famers Chris Carter and Michael Irvin, approach this second edition of the NFL’s All-Star game in the draft format, the challenge now is can it sustain now that the novelty has worn off? Some of the player battles that may help achieve this are listed here in this Pro Bowl episode Student of the Game’s Match-Up Mania.
WR Antonio Brown (Carter) vs. CB Joe Haden (Irvin)
You got to respect the scenario where two captains of a team can face off against one other. Team Carter defensive captain and best player in the NFL at his position, JJ Watt, might cross paths with Team Irvin offensive captain, DeMarco Murray, as the D-line will try to stop Murray’s efforts to run. But Antonio Brown and Joe Haden is the close encounter fans hope for in these kinds of pairings.
Also, while I prefer teammates facing one another on the field of play in the Pro Bowl, the Steelers’ Brown and the Browns’ Haden as division rivals in the AFC North seeing each other for the third time in this season here adds some bitter to the spice of the match-up. Once bragging rights are earned and levied, it may not just be “I picked a better team than you” in this instance — it could come down to “I [caught or I stopped you from catching] the game winner”.
OT Ryan Clady (Carter) and RB CJ Anderson (Carter) vs. DE Demarcus Ware (Irvin) and LB Von Miller (Irvin)
As teams within teams go, this is something that could be a running theme in the Denver Locker Room throughout the offseason. Obviously Ryan Clady’s goal is not only to stop Demarcus Ware from sacking the quarterback, but to clear a path for CJ Anderson to zap his way forward only as one can in a grey and electric neon yellow uniform. However, it falls on Ware to keep Clady from blocking linebacker Von Miller who will then battle Anderson directly to make the tackle.
Teammates trying to show just who is a more proficient performer via the Pro Bowl stage is the aspect of this format I enjoy the most. It have a feeling that this won’t just be a practice drill to these guys and that means more awesome for the fans.
QB Andrew Luck (Carter) and WR TY Hilton (Carter) vs. DB Mike Adams (Irvin) and CB Vontae Davis (Irvin)
Andrew Luck and Mike Adams as the quarterback and safety respectively represent on field chess players leading their pieces on the board while wide receiver TY Hilton and cornerback Vontae Davis represent their best pieces on the sides of the Colts’ chess board. Luck, as the back-to-back 1st overall Pro Bowl draft pick and “neck beard with an arm”, now finds himself playing with a significantly upgraded set just like his counterpart Adams. This battle isn’t just physical, but mental as well.
TE Greg Olsen (Carter) vs. LB Luke Kuechly (Irvin)
The veteran leadership of the Carolina Panthers not named Cam Newton are represented by these two players. Before the Ravens CJ Mosley did it in the 2014 season, linebacker Luke Kuechly impressed people with his ability to cover tight ends such as Jimmy Graham in his rookie year. But in a game situation Kuechly has never faced Greg Olsen in a coverage situation. . . until now. Watching these two battle it out will show why Carolina made the Playoffs despite their losing record.
Kickers Cody Parkey (Carter) and Adam Vinatieri vs. Narrowed Goal Posts.
The NFL has been toying with ways for the extra point to not be so automatic as to make scoring a touchdown an assumed 7 points. In the preseason, they experimented with moving the kick back to 33 yards rather than the standard 10 and will be doing that on Saturday as well.
But the featured challenge to the NFL kicker that will effect fields goals and point after efforts alike is narrowing the goal posts from 18 to 14 feet apart. With the cream of the kicker crop in the game, the league office will have an opportunity to evaluate this practice while also bringing some sort of attention to the special teams. This is definitely a good thing to support the NFL Network movement to remind fans everywhere that kickers are people, too.
