The NFC prevailed in the annual Pro Bowl flag football game on Tuesday night, capping the event with a 66-52 victory over the AFC. The NFC trailed by 18 points at one point, but a 30-8 scoring advantage in the second half completed the comeback.
The Dallas Cowboys led the way offensively for the NFC, with each of CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Jake Ferguson finding the end zone while Dak Prescott and division rival Jalen Hurts paced the passing attack. Pickens was named the game’s Offensive MVP after helping lead the team back from its double-digit deficit.
The NFC also came away with multiple interceptions on the other side of the ball, including two off dropped passes by Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase. Antoine Winfield Jr., who came away with the second of those tipped interceptions, was named the Defensive MVP of the game.
Chase did secure an impressive one-handed pick-six of Jared Goff while playing defense earlier in the game, while the AFC also managed to get Denver Broncos offensive lineman Garrett Bolles involved in the offense as he caught both a touchdown and a two-point conversion. But the AFC stalled out offensively in the second half, allowing the NFC to creep back into it and ultimately prevail.
One of the differences in the game came at the end of the first half, when Courtland Sutton nearly scored a touchdown for the AFC but had his flag snagged off his hip by Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean just short of the goal line on a diving attempt. That limited the AFC’s halftime lead to just eight points rather than pushing it to 16, setting the stage for the NFC’s second-half comeback.