2022 NFL Pro Bowl Skills Challenge: Cowboys stars Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs lead NFC to victory over AFC

Some of the NFL’s best and biggest stars took part in the 2022 NFL Pro Bowl Skills Challenge on Thursday night at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders. AFC representatives Mac Jones, Nick Chubb, Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, Hunter Renfrow, Mark Andrews, Denzel Ward, and Derwin James faced an NFC team comprised of Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, Alvin Kamara, Justin Jefferson, Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs and Darius Slay. 

The two teams competed in five different competitions that included a 40-yard dash, precision passing and a best-of-three dodgeball tournament. Here’s a recap of what transpired ahead of the 2022 NFL Pro Bowl, which will take place on Sunday. 

Precision passing 

• Teams: Mac Jones and Hunter Renfrow vs. Russell Wilson and Justin Jefferson 
• Score: NFC 29-9 
• Best player: Wilson: 29 points 

Renfrow and Jefferson scored just one point between the two non-quarterbacks, with Jefferson failing to score a point. Throwing against a steady wind, the Patriots rookie quarterback picked up eight points for the AFC. 

“That wind hit different,” said Jones, who famously threw just three passes in New England’s Week 13 win in wintry Buffalo. 

Wilson quickly scored the nine points needed to win the event for the NFC, as the nine-time Pro Bowler hit on his first four throws. Wilson scored 10 more points than he did in a winning effort two years earlier. 

Fastest man 

• Competitors: Tyreek Hill, Nick Chubb, Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs 
• Winner: Parsons 

A slow start cost Hill, who was upset by the Cowboys rookie inside linebacker. Parsons was just able to beat out Chubb, with his Cowboys teammate coming in third. 

“I know he didn’t come out to give his best. He just played a couple of days ago,” Parsons told ESPN’s Lisa Salters when asked about beating Hill. “He’s the fastest man in the league. I just happen to be somewhere in the middle. I do want a Madden 95 speed, though.” 

Thread the needle 

• Score: AFC 12, NFC 11 
• Kirk Cousins vs. Denzel Ward and Derwin James/Mac Jones vs. Trevon Diggs and Darius Slay 

Cousins started hot before finishing with 11 points. The Vikings quarterback scored five points on a throw that was just above James. Cousins also avoided throwing a pick. Jones, who did throw an interception to Diggs, shook off a slow start to edge Cousins’ score by a point. 

“I hit a few, but I could have hit more,” said Jones. “We won, so it’s all good.”

Best catch 

• Judges: Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes, Super Bowl XLII hero David Tyree, actor Anthony Mackie 
• Competitors: Stefon Diggs, Trevon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson 
• Winner: Trevon Diggs — 198.7 

Stefon Diggs got things started with an impressive, one-handed grab that generated a score of 86.7. His brother, Trevon, countered with an under-the-leg catch that registered a 98.7 score. Tyree, who authored one of the craziest catches in Super Bowl history, was the only judge that did not give the Cowboys cornerback a perfect score. Wearing a Tyree jersey, Hill tried to mimic his famous Super Bowl catch. Jefferson came down with a diving catch while holding another ball in his arm. 

Drawing inspiration from “Bills mafia,” Stefon Diggs caught a pass while jumping off of a truck and smashing a table. Diggs’ second catch earned him a perfect score. Jefferson matched Diggs’ perfect score by catching a pass after jumping off of a trampoline while holding another ball. Wearing a cheetah coat, Hill’s second catch was unable to keep pace with the first two Round 2 scores. Trevon Diggs’ flip-catch gave him a walk-off victory. 

Epic Pro Bowl dodgeball 

A huge catch by Trevon Diggs against Stefon Diggs was key to the NFC’s victory. Diggs was knocked out moments later by Chubb, however, who faced Jefferson in a one-on-one showdown. Jefferson’s one-handed grab of Chubb’s knockout attempt lifted the NFC to victory.