ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield beat Houston’s C.J. Stroud in the Precision Passing skills challenge, helping the NFC build a 12-6 lead over the AFC on the opening night of the 2024 Pro Bowl Games.
The made-for-TV Pro Bowl Skills Show, aired Thursday night from a fieldhouse on the campus of the University of Central Florida, kicked off two days of competition that culminates Sunday with a seven-on-seven flag football game at Camping World Stadium.
It’s the second year for a revamped format that replaced the traditional Pro Bowl tackle football game last winter in Las Vegas.
Opening night skills winners each earned three points that count toward their team’s overall score.
Mayfield, a finalist for AP Comeback Player of the Year after leading the Buccaneers to their third consecutive NFC South division title, edged Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts and Geno Smith of the Seattle Seahawks for the right to face Stroud in the precision passing final.