LAS VEGAS — The NFL finally stopped pretending its all-star event was an actual game, and the league is trying to breath life into the exhibition with the Pro Bowl Games that culminate Sunday.
There will be no tackle football played for the first time — not that there was much tackling in recent years, with the game having become more like two-hand touch. Flag football is now the marquee event.
Will the dramatically different format work? The league desperately hopes so.
Rather than a winner-take-all game, a series of events — each of which accumulates three points — lead up to three flag football contests to determine the winning conference.
Two AFC players from the hometown Las Vegas Raiders weren’t completely sold on the format. Running back Josh Jacobs even called it “stupid.”