I think really all you need to know about the Pro Bowl is that yesterday it took me five minutes of searching before I could find out what day it's being played on. Here's a link to the Pro Bowl Gameday Guide at NFL.com, which has pretty much everything you can think of regarding the game including a full schedule of when everything starts -- except of course the actual date.
I now know it's on Sunday night at 6:15 p.m. EST, but it's not as if playing the game on a Saturday would be terribly unreasonable. Whatever, it's on tomorrow. Here are 5 things that I'll be watching for.
If you're a fan of a certain team or a dynasty owner, you're watching this game primarily out of fear. Jamaal Charles, C.J. Anderson and DeMarco Murray are all out there running around and may at some point be tackled. Injuries are terrible in NFL games, so they're doubly so in a meaningless exhibition that benefits actual teams and dynasty owners not a whit. There may be some dismay over the stars who beg out of the game due to a minor injury or whatever, but if you ask me, they're the smart ones and I don't blame them. Murray and Mark Ingram are among the players headed for free agency, and an injury in this game would literally cost them millions. It's not worth it. Eventually some major star is going to blow out his knee in this game, and that will be the end of the Pro Bowl. So yeah, I'm a dynasty owner, and I'm watching this game scared to death that somebody on my roster is going to get hurt.
On the other hand, as Michael Murillo pointed out in his column last week, there's some cool aspects to the game this year. Most notably, the goal posts will be narrower, making field goals more of a challenge, and there will be no kickoffs. Get ready to see both of these in actual NFL games a year or two down the road. There are other minor tweaks, like the clock not stopping after quarterback sacks. and stopping in the last two minutes if the offense doesn't gain any yardage. No taking a knee; that would be an interesting development to actual NFL games, strengthening the "never over 'til it's over" idea.
There are also some really exciting players in this game. I know, it's the Pro Bowl, it always has the league's best players in it. Unless they're hurt or asking out for some reason, or playing in the Super Bowl. But look at the receivers: Odell Beckham Jr., Randall Cobb, Emmanuel Sanders and Golden Tate on Team Irvin. Antonio Brown, A.J. Green, Jordy Nelson and T.Y. Hilton on Team Carter. How many of those players will/should be selected in the top dozen picks in 2015 drafts? We know they're not going to be covered too securely or tackled too aggressively, so get ready for some long touchdown receptions by these players.
Team Irvin has Jimmy Graham and Jason Witten at tight end, and it's got to be tempting to put both those guys out there at the same time. Fun! Plus I want to see how healthy Graham looks after a fairly disappointing season. Lot of great quarterbacks who won't be blitzed -- Luck, Brees, Ryan, Romo, Stafford, and uh Andy Dalton. It's always kind of fun to see what these guys are capable of without really being pressured too much. You know, kind of.
And the winner is.... I decided to consult my son, since he's analyzed both rosters, and plus since he's 10 years old, he actually cares who wins this game and thinks it's for real. "Team Irvin," he said, without hesitation. "Better wide receivers." I"m not sure I agree, they both look really good. I think Irvin might win because he's an ultra-competitive, stubborn type of dude who might take this game a little more seriously than the seemingly laid-back Cris Carter. But we'll see.
Are you in any fantasy leagues surrounding this game? If so, my advice is to focus on the second- and third-string players, who will probably play more. I think Stafford, Ryan and Dalton will get more snaps than Romo, Luck and Brees. Charles and Murray, I doubt they'll play much. At least, I hope they don't. Look for the backups to get more snaps and thus more chances to get hurt. And cross your fingers that no one does.
Enjoy the game.
