NFC Turns a Late Deficit Into Pro Bowl Victory

SAN FRANCISCO — The NFC erased a 16-point third-quarter deficit and beat the AFC 66–52 in the Pro Bowl Games on February 3, extending its unbeaten record in the current format to 4–0.

George Pickens earned Offensive MVP honors, while Antoine Winfield Jr. received the defensive award after intercepting Joe Burrow in the end zone to stop the AFC's last major threat. The result came from the flag-football showcase at the Moscone Center during Super Bowl week.

The NFC trailed 52–36 before completing its comeback. Cowboys receivers supplied the final three touchdowns, with KaVontae Turpin, Pickens and CeeDee Lamb each contributing to the closing scoring run. Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott shared quarterback work in an arrangement that allowed the NFC to vary who delivered the ball.

The format created opportunities that would look unusual in a regular-season game. Denver tackle Garett Bolles caught a touchdown pass and a two-point conversion. Cincinnati receiver Ja'Marr Chase made a defensive play, intercepting Jared Goff and returning it for a touchdown.

Those moments are part of the event's purpose: placing familiar players in a different competitive setting without pretending the exhibition carries the same tactical or physical demands as an NFL game. The final score records a conference win, while the positional experiments explain much of the spectacle around it.

Winfield's interception gave the ending a clear defensive turning point. Even in a high-scoring flag game, the AFC needed one more successful possession to keep its challenge alive. The NFC removed that opportunity and completed the comeback.

The evening also provided another prominent stage for flag football ahead of its planned Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028. That future event remains separate from this result. In San Francisco, the immediate honors belonged to Pickens, Winfield and an NFC team that finished much stronger than it began.