Jonas feels a long way away from Hawaii.
The Pro Bowl is back on America's sunbathed island, and Ravens punter Sam Koch, right guard Marshal Yanda, outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil and long snapper Morgan Cox are on hand.
This is the point where they'll likely be split up. The Pro Bowl is no longer divided by AFC and NFC, but rather teams are picked by respective Hall of Fame captain wide receivers Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin.
The events kick off with a Tuesday press conference with Rice, Irvin and some star players. The Pro Bowl draft will take place Wednesday evening. Yanda, Koch and Cox will be automatically assigned to teams, but it will be interesting to see where Dumervil is picked.
Team Rice and Team Irvin will practice Thursday through Saturday. Don't expect too much intensity in those practices, which will be coached by Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs staff and Mike McCarthy and the Green Bay Packers staff.
We will have daily coverage throughout Pro Bowl week, including photos, news, Wired segments, off-field video features and interviews with the Ravens representatives, as well as with some of the NFL's biggest stars that don't suit up in purple and black.
3 Storylines To Watch
Long-Deserved Trip For KochKoch has been one of the game's best punters over the past decade, and yet this is his first trip to the NFL's annual all-star game. Koch was credited by an ESPN article for changing the way the game is played on special teams. Now it's finally time for him to get the praise he deserves. Unfortunately a player that has had to deal with many of Koch's unique punts, Steelers receiver/returner Antonio Brown, opted to stay home.
Yanda Chills With His CompetitionWhile it's Koch's first trip to the Pro Bowl, this trip is becoming a tradition for Yanda. It's the mauling guard's fifth straight Pro Bowl appearance. He'll be hanging out, and perhaps teamed up with, several players he faced in the trenches this season: Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell, Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins, Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack and Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett. It'll be fun to see what they have to say about Yanda.
Dumervil's Intensity Level
John Harbaugh was one of the team's head coaches last year, and even he complained about how hard Dumervil was playing during the game, which isn't known for intensity. Dumervil broke the game's rules by blitzing and came up with a pair of sacks, showing that defense can still thrive in the typically offensive-geared game. It's Dumervil's fifth Pro Bowl appearance. We'll see if he's willing to adjust to how it works by now. Last year, the winners got $53,000 and the losers took home $26,000, providing more motivation down the game's final stretch.
Full Schedule (all time ET)
Tuesday @ 5 p.m.: Pro Bowl Kickoff Press Conference at The Turtle Bay Resort
Wednesday @ 7:30 p.m.: Pro Bowl Draft at Wheeler Army Airfield
Thursday @ 1:45 p.m.: Team Rice practice at The Turtle Bay Resort
Thursday @ 3:45 p.m.: Team Irvin practice at The Turtle Bay Resort
Friday @ 2:45 p.m.: Team Rice practice at The Turtle Bay Resort
Friday @ 4:45 p.m.: Team Irvin practice at The Turtle Bay Resort
Saturday @ 1:45 p.m.: Team Rice practice at The Turtle Bay Resort
Saturday @ 3:45 p.m.: Team Irvin practice at The Turtle Bay Resort
Sunday @ 7:15 p.m.: Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium, televised by ESPN
