1. Look out for these rule changes in the 2020 Pro Bowl on Sunday
The Buffalo Bills are represented in this year's Pro Bowl by three players — Tre'Davious White, Tremaine Edmunds and Andre Roberts. The main event is set to kick off on Sunday, January 26 at 3:00 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN/ABC.
It's the fourth straight Pro Bowl in Orlando, but this season there are some new rules.
The 2020 Pro Bowl will feature two new rule changes for this game only. Following a successful field goal or try attempt, the scoring team (Team A), has the following options:
1. Team A may elect to give Team B the ball at Team B's 25-yard line (1st-and-10), beginning a new series of downs.
2. Team A may elect to take the ball at their own 25-yard line (4th-and-15).
If Team A is successful in making a first down, Team A will maintain possession and a new series of downs will continue as normal.
If Team A is unsuccessful in making a first down, the result will be a turnover on downs and Team B will take possession at the dead ball spot.
There will also be a change relating to pre-snap penalties.
It is not a false start if a flexed, eligible receiver in a two-point stance who flinches or picks up one foot, as long as his other foot remains partially on the ground, and he resets for one second prior to the snap. A receiver who fits this exception is not considered to be "in motion" for purposes of the "illegal shift" rules.
It is a false start if all 11 offensive players have been set for at least one full second, and any flexed, eligible receiver breaks his stance by picking up both feet.
The two teams are made up of 44 players — 21 offensive, 18 defensive, plus five specialists. The AFC Pro Bowl team will be coached by John Harbaugh and Baltimore Ravens coaches, while the NFC Pro Bowl team will be coached by Pete Caroll and Seattle Seahawks coaches.
One former Bill will be a captain for the AFC team.
Pro Football Hall of Famer and three-time Pro Bowler TERRELL DAVIS and Pro Football Hall of Famer and 11-time Pro Bowler BRUCE SMITH will serve as the 2020 Pro Bowl Legends Captains for the AFC, while Pro Football Hall of Famer and seven-time Pro Bowler DARRELL GREEN and NFL Legend and four-time Pro Bowler MICHAEL VICK will serve as 2020 Pro Bowl Legends Captains for the NFC.
Tickets to the Pro Bowl begin at $45 and can be purchased at NFL.com/ProBowlOnSale. There are also several events fans can attend ahead of the game.
2. ESPN's Field Yates on the importance of Senior Bowl for coaches and execs
The NFL announced it is reducing combine interviews from 60 to 45 for this year's upcoming NFL Scouting Combine beginning February 23. With the drop in combine interview numbers, Senior Bowl interviews become much more important to general managers, head coaches and scouts. ESPN’s Field Yates joined One Bills Live this week to discuss the importance of the Senior Bowl from a coaches scouting perspective.
"Coaches in a lot of cases are just picking up the scouting trail for the year right now," Yates explained. "This is their first exposure to a lot of these guys and it's one thing to see a guy on film, but there is something to be gleaned from seeing a player in person or group of players in person. Seeing them perform, seeing what they move like, how they look against competition, how they interact with teammates, how coachable they are, how quickly they learn new concepts. Not that they are throwing every angle of the playbook up against these players this week, but there is something to be said to installing a playbook for Saturday."
Yates added that almost every team is "incredibly well represented" at the Senior Bowl for good reason. This year, the Senior Bowl now becomes a chance to interview players that may go in the middle rounds of the draft who could grow into being pivotal players. The 60 15-minute interviews from previous combines are now reduced to 45 18-minute interviews.
3. Bills legend Jim Kelly to attend Friday's Amerks game in Rochester
Former Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly will make an appearance at the Rochester Americans game on Friday, January 24 for the Seneca Legends night. The Amerks host the Laval Rocket at 7:05 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena.
Kelly is scheduled to sign autographs from 5:45 to 7:00 p.m. before the game in the upper concourse of the arena.
For more information and tickets, visit amerks.com or call 1-855-GO-AMERKS.
