Tristan Wirfs' Competition Results
This year's reimagined Pro Bowl Skills Challenge has concluded. At Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, eight different skills contests and three seven-on-seven flag football games took place over a two-day period. Eli Manning's NFC beat Peyton Manning's AFC team, 35-33, in the inaugural revamped Pro Bowl games. Bucs' standout right tackle, Tristan Wirfs was the team's lone representative in the exhibition, making an impact for the NFC. He took part in two events, the Gridiron Gauntlet and the Lightning Round, which was a three-part elimination challenge. Most notably, Wirfs' performance alongside Saints' Cam Jordan in the Gridiron Gauntlet spearheaded the team's victory in the event.
The AFC took an early lead with Joel Bitonio outgaining Penei Sewell in the opening leg prior to Brian Burns outperforming Myles Garrett in the second. Following a do-over in the tire portion, Wirfs and Cam Jordan sparked the win with an effective sled push to tie the games 12-12 with four competitions left.
Senior Bowl Overview
The Senior Bowl took place on Saturday afternoon at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama as collegiate athletes looked to impress NFL scouts and executives. For seniors and college graduates, Saturday marked the culmination of three practice days as the group put on pads for the last time seeking to make a mark. The exhibition was predominately a lop-sided outing as the National Team dominated the American Team by a final score of 27-10, with Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener winning the game's MVP honors after playing most of the game for the National Team due to injuries at the position. Haener finished 12-of-19 for 139 yards and a passing touchdown.
The National Team dominated the show, scoring two offensive touchdowns and four field goals on their offensive drives, while the American Team mustered three points on offense - their lone touchdown of the day coming off a pick-six thrown by quarterback Malik Cunningham into the hands of Virginia defensive back Anthony Johnson Jr. Johnson undercut the route and took it to the house, making it a 20-10 score with the National Team holding the point advantage. The National Team extended their lead late in the fourth quarter as Haener connected with receiver Michael Wilson on a 44-yard strike, out-leveraging 27-10 with just over four minutes to play.
