Pro Bowl 2015: Complete Schedule and Preview for NFL's All-Star Showcase
This year marks the second Pro Bowl that will feature the unconferenced format. When the NFL revealed this new look in 2014, it was met with some scrutiny, as it would pit teammates against each other; however, it ended up delivering a dramatic 22-21 game.
Alumni captains for the 2015 edition of this All-Star showcase will be Hall of Fame wide receivers Cris Carter and Michael Irvin. During an interview with Kevin Patra of NFL.com, Carter shared his thoughts on the game and his role.
Said Carter, "Being voted to the Pro Bowl was always a tremendous honor for me. Last year, players really seemed to be excited about the new rules and the Pro Bowl Draft format. I'm excited to be a part of it this year."
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As we await the final reveal of Pro Bowl-eligible players, the draft and, ultimately, the compelling game, let's take a look at the complete schedule of events and preview this year's contest.
Pro Bowl Schedule
| Tue., Dec. 23, 2014 | 8 p.m. | Pro Bowl Ballot Reveal | NFLN |
| Tue., Jan. 20, 2015 | 12 p.m. | Coin Toss/Press Conference | NFL.com |
| Wed., Jan. 21, 2015 | 8 p.m. | Pro Bowl Draft | NFLN |
| Sun., Jan. 25, 2015 | 8 p.m. | Pro Bowl Game | ESPN |
Pro Bowl Draft
Before we delve into the game's rules and what to expect, a refresher on the Pro Bowl draft process is in order.
The coin toss will decide which alumni captain will obtain the first pick in the draft. From there, the alumni captains alternate picks between 82 draft-eligible players; however, not all players will be selected during the draft's prime-time showcase on Jan. 21.
There will first be a predraft selection that will award each team a total of three interior defensive linemen, three guards, two centers, one fullback, one punter, one kicker, one returner and one special teams player. The remaining positions will be drafted during the live show on NFL Network.
Here's a breakdown of the number of players at each position that will be drafted or assigned to each team:
| Wide Receiver | 4 | Outside Linebacker | 3 |
| Offensive Tackle | 3 | Inside Linebacker | 2 |
| Tight End | 2 | Cornerback | 4 |
| Quarterback | 3 | Safety | 3 |
| Running Back | 3 | Defensive End | 3 |
Once all of the available players are drafted or assigned, the alumni captain who picked second overall will have his first choice of a coaching staff.
Pro Bowl Game
This year's Pro Bowl will be played in the same location as the Super Bowl—University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The game's new format brought about a change in the way teams are comprised, which led to an increased level of intensity during the game; however, it also came with some new rules.
A two-minute warning will be added to the first and third quarters of the game, creating a stoppage of time in every quarter. This is because possession will change hands every time the game clock runs down to zero. At the start of a new quarter, the team that was awarded possession will begin a drive at its own 25-yard line due to a change that took kickoffs out of the game.
One thing that will favor offenses during two-minute drills is a new rule that stops the clock after every play that gains positive yards. Only sacks and tackles for a loss will allow the clock to continue running. That rule added some nice late-quarter drama in 2014, and it should do the same this year.
Expect players to give their all in an effort to generate a win. After all, a victory comes with an extra $27,000, according to tax consultant Robert Raiola:
That's a pretty nice chunk of change to take into the offseason.
Pro Bowl Matchups
We may not yet know exactly which players will be participating in this year's Pro Bowl—or what teams they will wind up on—but it's always fun to speculate. Luckily, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe was kind enough to tweet the leading vote-getters at each position following the fan portion of the voting:
"And here are the top Pro Bowl vote-getters by position, featuring Gronk and Gostkowski. No love for Revis or Slater pic.twitter.com/vBCzQ9STgF
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) December 17, 2014"
Of course, there's one glaring matchup that practically every NFL fan would love to see in the Pro Bowl. That would be Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers against Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. These two players have been the center of ongoing debates regarding this year's race for MVP honors.
Here's a look at how they stack up through Week 16:
| Aaron Rodgers | 65.1 | 4,155 | 36 | 5 | 111.0 |
| J.J. Watt | 72 | 17.5 | 10 | 1 | 3 |
No matter which of these players actually takes the league's MVP honors, we can expect the argument regarding who is more deserving to rage on. Perhaps the only way to settle things will be to see them go head to head in the Pro Bowl.
One matchup that would be extremely alluring would be Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown against Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. These teams last faced off in 2011—Sherman's second-career game and well before Brown came into his own.
This season, Brown has been one of the league's most prolific wide receivers, racking up 1,570 yards and 12 touchdowns on 122 receptions. He's been virtually unstoppable, and if Sherman is to continue proclaiming his unrivaled dominance at the cornerback position, shutting this wide receiver down should be on his bucket list.
The intriguing matchups continue: DeMarco Murray against Marcell Dareus. Rob Gronkowski against Kam Chancellor. How about Peyton Manning against teammates Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware? They're all enticing, and that's what makes this year's Pro Bowl highly anticipated.
Pro Bowl draft rules courtesy of NFL.com.
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