2024 Pro Bowl Games results: NFC takes lead over AFC after Thursday Skills Showdown

The NFC took a six-point lead on the AFC after the opening night of the two-day Pro Bowl Games competition — which pits AFC players against those from the NFC in various skills challenges — in Orlando, Florida.

A total of six skills challenges took place Thursday, one of which will see the winner announced Sunday. The Olympics-like event concludes Sunday with five more skills challenges — Madden NFL head-to-head, Gridiron Gauntlet, Kick-Tac-Toe, Tug-of-War and Move the Chains — before the highly anticipated 7-on-7 flag football game.

Peyton Manning and Eli Manning are serving as coaches for the Pro Bowl Games.

Sunday's Pro Bowl Games starts airing at 3 p.m. ET. ABC, ESPN and Disney XD will televise the event, with live streams available on ESPN+ and fubo.

Here are the results from Thursday's events:

Precision Passing: Baker Mayfield wins for NFC

The challenge: Each of the conference's three quarterbacks will battle it out in a one-minute accuracy competition, as they attempt to accumulate points by hitting as many targets as possible. Targets range from either static or those attached to robotic dummies or drones.

Result: Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield edged the Houston Texans' C.J. Stroud to win the competition for the NFC. Mayfield and Stroud advanced to the final after the opening round, which featured all six Pro Bowl quarterbacks. Mayfield earned three points for the NFC.

Best Catch: Winner to be revealed Sunday

The challenge: This event will be pre-taped at landmarks around Orlando. One player from each conference will compete in a best catch competition, showing off their creativity, inventiveness and talent. Fans will vote online to determine their favorite catch by a player in each conference, and the player with the highest number of votes will earn three points for his conference.

Result: The Cleveland Browns' David Njoku and Los Angeles Rams' Puka Nacua went head-to-head for their respective conferences. The event was pre-taped, with the challenge airing Thursday night. Fans have a chance to vote on the winner at probowl.com/bestcatch or on X, formerly Twitter. The winner of the vote will be announced during Sunday's Pro Bowl Games broadcast.

Closest to the Pin: Bryan Anger wins for NFC

The challenge: This golf accuracy competition features six players from each conference attempting to hit a ball as close to the hole as possible.

Result: In another pre-taped event, Dallas Cowboys punter Bryan Anger earned three points for the NFC with a tee shot on a par-3 that was two feet from the hole.

High Stakes: Miles Killebrew wins for AFC

The challenge: Starting off with a football in hand, each player will attempt to catch punts from a JUGS machine. The players that succeed in catching the football without dropping others will advance to the next round and attempt to catch an additional football. The most sure-handed player who catches the most footballs wins.

Result: The Pittsburgh Steelers' Miles Killebrew, who was named to the Pro Bowl as a special teams player, earned three points for the AFC. Killebrew was able to catch a punt from a JUGS machine while holding five footballs.

Snap Shots: Andrew DePaola, Jason Kelce put NFC on top

The challenge: A new event this year will allow long snappers and centers to showcase their skills by snapping balls at targets of various sizes and point values.

Result: The NFC defeated the AFC, 14-11. Minnesota Vikings long snapper Andrew DePaola scored nine points during his round to win it for the NFC. The Philadelphia Eagles' Jason Kelce scored the NFC's other five points.

Dodgeball: AFC, NFC split the points

The challenge: A multi-round tournament featuring four teams of five players. In the first match, the AFC offense will face the NFC defense, and in the second game the NFC offense squares off against the AFC defense.

Result: Both offenses prevailed over the defenses in dodgeball. The AFC offense defeated the NFC defense in the first game, earning three points for their conference. The NFC offense won against the AFC defense to win Game 2, earning three points and putting the NFC ahead 12-6 going into Sunday's competition.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL Pro Bowl Games 2024: NFC takes lead over AFC in skills challenge