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Michael DiRocco
ORLANDO — Former LSU receivers dominated the NFL in 2024, so it wasn’t surprising they made a big impact at the Pro Bowl Games, too.
The Jacksonville Jaguars‘ Brian Thomas Jr. and New York Giants‘ Malik Nabers each had two touchdown receptions while the Minnesota Vikings‘ Justin Jefferson had one in the NFC’s 56-50 flag football victory over the AFC at Camping World Stadium. That helped propel the NFC to an overall 76-63 victory in the Pro Bowl Games. The Cincinnati Bengals‘ Ja’Marr Chase caught three TD passes in a losing cause.
“We’re on top for sure,” Jefferson said of the former LSU players. “It is definitely great to see the guys having fun out here, scoring touchdowns, just making big plays. That’s what we normally do, so it’s good to see us coming out here and doing the same thing.”
Those four receivers finished in the top seven in receiving yards in the NFL in 2024. Chase led the league with 1,708 yards, followed by Jefferson with 1,533 and Thomas with 1,282 yards. Nabers was seventh with 1,204 yards. Thomas and Nabers are rookies. Chase actually won the receiving triple crown, leading in yards, receptions (172) and receiving TDs (17).
“Every time I saw them score I was like, ‘Oh no, I got to go out there and score again,'” Nabers said. “So it’s just a competition that we all have with each other.”
While those former Tigers were impressive on Sunday, here are some other winners from the game:
The MVPs: Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who threw three TD passes, and Vikings CB Byron Murphy Jr., who had a pick-six, were named offensive and defensive MVPs.
Eli Manning: The NFC has never lost to the AFC since the NFL changed to its current format for the 2023 Games, which means Eli has pulled off a three-peat against his older brother Peyton.
The NFC big men: The NFC swept the tug-o-war competition … and rather easily. The NFC offensive linemen needed little time to pull the AFC offensive linemen into the foam pit, and the NFC defensive linemen took just a tad longer.
The NFC takes home three more points with the tug of war victory!
📺: #ProBowlGames on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/HUzFleua3q— NFL (@NFL) February 2, 2025
Not to be out-done, the NFC mascots also beat the AFC mascots.
Jaguars P Logan Cooke: The first-time Pro Bowler won the Punt Perfect competition with a clutch punt in what was essentially quadruple overtime against the Lions’ Jack Fox.
The game featured each punter, accompanied by a non-punter, trying to land short punts into one of six giant tubes to score points. After Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey and San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk tied in the first round, Cooke and Fox were deadlocked after regulation. Cooke forced double overtime on his final attempt and won it in the fourth overtime when his attempt was successful and Fox’s bounced off the rim.
The AFC rules-benders: Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs intercepted a two-point conversion pass from Pittsburgh Steelers’ QB Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos’ Marvin Mims Jr., weaved his way past midfield, and was headed for the end zone to score two points for the NFC.
Except several AFC players on the sideline ran onto the field and pulled his flag before he could score. The AFC was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, but the rules violation did save two points and kept the NFC from taking an eight-point lead with 1:25 remaining.
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Malik Nabers scores and flips into the foam pit during the Pro Bowl
Jared Goff finds Malik Nabers for a touchdown, who then flips into a foam pit in celebration in the Pro Bowl vs. the AFC.
The rookies: The chance to spend a week with some of the NFL’s best was a great opportunity for the five rookies who participated: Thomas, Nabers, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, New England Patriots QB Drake Maye and Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse.
It was a chance to not only get to know the veterans but also a chance to pick their brains on the subtleties of life in the NFL, which Thomas said was invaluable.
“It has been super cool, super fun,” Thomas said. “Just being able to talk to them, to connect with them. I mean, you see them on the field and stuff, but you don’t really get a chance to really sit down and talk to them.”
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