The 2020 Pro Bowl was the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
's
all-star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...
for the
2019 NFL season. It was played on January 26, 2020, at
Camping World Stadium
Camping World Stadium is an outdoor stadium in Orlando, Florida, Orlando, Florida, United States located in the West Lakes neighborhood of Downtown Orlando, west of new sports and entertainment facilities including the Kia Center, the Dr. Phil ...
in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
, and was televised nationally by
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
, while being simulcast on
ABC and
Disney XD
Disney XD is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Entertainment units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven years old ...
.
Fan voting began on November 12, 2019, and ended on December 12, 2019.
The initial roster was released on December 17, 2019. The
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
tied an NFL record (set by the
2007 Dallas Cowboys) by having 13 players selected to the game. The coaching staff for the AFC was led by
John Harbaugh of the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
, and for the NFC by
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as head coach for the NCAA's ...
of the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
. The AFC won the game, 38–33.
This was the first occasion since the
1995 season that
the New York Giants had no player make the Pro Bowl.
The game was largely overshadowed by the news of
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
legend
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...
's death in
a helicopter crash on the day the game was held, which also claimed the lives of his 13-year-old daughter
Gianna, and 7 other victims. The tragedy prompted the NFL to conduct a moment of silence during the game for Bryant and the other victims of the crash, with various on-field tributes occurring throughout the game.
Background
The NFL's three-year contract with
Camping World Stadium
Camping World Stadium is an outdoor stadium in Orlando, Florida, Orlando, Florida, United States located in the West Lakes neighborhood of Downtown Orlando, west of new sports and entertainment facilities including the Kia Center, the Dr. Phil ...
in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
, expired after the 2019 game. The league explored alternative sites, including hosting the game in Miami a week after the Super Bowl. In August 2019, the NFL decided to keep the game in Orlando for an additional year.
Rule changes
As in previous years, some rules for the Pro Bowl were different from the regular season. Some of the rules used in this game were:
* After a score, there was no kickoff, as in previous years' Pro Bowls. The scoring team had two options:
** Give the opposing team the ball at the opposing team's own 25-yard line (equivalent to a
touchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling that is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead on or behind a team's own goal line (i.e., in their end zone) and the opposing team gave the ball the momentum, or impetus, to travel ...
), or
** Run one play from the scoring team's 25-yard line, in lieu of an
onside kick. If the scoring team gains at least 15 yards it retains possession and is awarded a first down; otherwise, the other team takes over at the dead ball spot. In essence, it is a 4th-and-15 play from a team's own 25-yard line.
***The "onside kick" option was exercised by the NFC in the 4th quarter, resulting in QB Kirk Cousins throwing an interception to Earl Thomas.
*
False start
In sports, a false start is a disallowed start, usually due to a movement by a participant before (or in some cases after) being signaled or otherwise permitted by the rules to start. Depending on the sport and the event, a false start can resu ...
penalties on receivers flexed to the line of scrimmage were relaxed. A receiver could flinch or lift one foot off the ground without penalty.
Summary
Box score
Statistics
Starting lineups
AFC roster
The following players were selected as the AFC Pro Bowl Team:
Offense
Defense
Special teams
NFC roster
The following players were selected as the NFC Pro Bowl Team:
Offense
Defense
Special teams
Notes:
Players must have accepted their invitations as alternates to be listed; those who declined are not considered Pro Bowlers.
:bold player who participated in game
: signifies the player has been selected as a captain
: Replacement player selection due to injury or vacancy
: Injured/suspended player; selected but did not participate
: Replacement starter; selected as reserve
: Selected but did not play because his team advanced to
Super Bowl LIV
Super Bowl LIV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2019 NFL season, 2019 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2019 Kansas City Chiefs season, Kansas City ...
''(see
Pro Bowl "Player Selection" section)''
: Selected but chose not to participate
: Selected as starter, but relinquished that role
Number of selections per team
Broadcasting
The game was televised nationally by
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
, while being simulcast on
ABC and
Disney XD
Disney XD is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Entertainment units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven years old ...
, and in Spanish by
ESPN Deportes
ESPN Deportes (, ) is an American multinational Spanish-language pay television sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the ...
.
Early in the first quarter, an
ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to:
* ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
* ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company
ABC News may a ...
special report
Breaking news, also called late-breaking news, a special report, special coverage, or a news flash, is a current issue that warrants the interruption of a scheduled broadcast in order to report its details. News broadcasters also use the term ...
(simulcast on ESPN, with Disney XD continuing on with game coverage) interrupted the game to announce the death of
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
legend
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...
in a
helicopter crash earlier in the day; before the game, NFC players who learned of his death conducted a prayer led by Wilson, while various on-field tributes were made during the game. With coverage of Bryant's death becoming a certain and continuing theme of the game coverage, it was decided to end the Disney XD simulcast with nine minutes remaining in the second quarter and switch that network to an impromptu
marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...
of ''
Big City Greens''.
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pro Bowl
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
2019 NFL season
2020 in American football
January 2020 sports events in the United States
American football competitions in Orlando, Florida
2020 in sports in Florida
2020 in Orlando, Florida