The Puppy Bowl if it Were Fictional Dogs Playing Football: Which Pack Would Come Out Victorious?

The Puppy Bowl is one of the best non-football football event of the year. Airing annually on Animal Planet, this three-hour televised alternative to Super Bowl pregame shows features adoptable puppies playing in a model stadium. Designed to promote pet adoption, the event showcases teams of shelter puppies from across the United States as they compete for the coveted “Lombarky" Trophy.

I have created a fun alternative twist on the game I will be breaking down: The Puppy Bowl - if it were fictional dogs playing football. I will be drafting two teams, each with five players (fictional dogs). Let’s have some fun and dive right in. Our Andrew Reid has the viewing guide to the real Puppy Bowl.

👻 Team Scooby-Does

• Captain: Scooby-Doo
• Colors: Brown and White
• Head Coach: Air Bud

Roster breakdown: 

• Scooby-Doo (Scooby-Doo) - Size, speed, and an appetite like no other, but with questionable courage
• Snoopy (Snoopy) - Calm under pressure, has the brains to orchestrate the offense, and a clutch performer. Just lacks the desirable size
• Astro (The Jetsons) Futuristic speed, has the wits to outsmart his opponents, but has a weird cadence
• Beethoven (Beethoven) - Size to control the middle of the field, strength, but lacks an attention span
• Brian Griffin (Family Guy) - Brian has the brains to dominate his opponents, great field vision, but lacks size

🔴 Team Clifford the Big Red Dogs

• Captain: Clifford
• Colors: Red and gold
• Head Coach: Lassie

Roster breakdown:

• Clifford (Clifford the Big Red Dog) - Size would be an understatement, Clifford would dominate the middle of the field, but lacks speed.
• Blue (Blue’s Clues) - Blue can read any defense, and has a great motor, his only issue would be size. He will be sticking with Snoopy on defense
• Pluto (Mickey Mouse) - Pluto is extremely athletic, with great hands. His only fault would be his lack of attention to detail
• Goofy (Mickey Mouse) - Goofy has the size to compete in this game, and has the hands, he just does not have the desired speed
• Lady (Lady and the Tramp) - Precise route running, soft hands, but lacks aggression

🆚 Key matchup to watch

The biggest matchup to keep an eye on is Clifford vs. Beethoven. Whoever performs their job better will likely decide the outcome of this game.

Both competitors represent the size and strength of their respective teams. If Clifford cannot contain the middle of the field, Team Scooby-Does will have a massive advantage. The same goes for Beethoven, who will be anchoring the middle of the defense for Team Scooby-Does.

If Beethoven can’t make open-field tackles, the speed of Team Clifford the Big Red Dogs will have an easy day at the office. 

Team Clifford the Big Red Dogs has the speed advantage in this matchup, which makes it crucial for Beethoven to have the defensive game of his life, as he will need to handle the bulk of tackling for his squad.

On the other side, Team Scooby-Does is scrappy and plays extremely hard. This game could really go either way, but it will likely be decided by the key matchup between Beethoven and Clifford.

🐶 Puppy Bowl official rules

🐾 Game summary

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, as Team Scooby-Does got off to an early lead, but this was quickly negated by a long passing touchdown from Team Clifford the Big Red Dogs to close out the first quarter. There did not seem to be a clearly better team early in the game.

The second quarter was slightly different, as Team Clifford the Big Red Dogs forced a turnover deep in Team Scooby-Doo territory, which led to another passing touchdown thrown to Blue. Team Scooby-Doo tried to score before halftime, but kicker Brian Griffin missed a chip-shot field goal, leaving the score 14–7 in favor of Team Clifford the Big Red Dogs.

The third quarter was a defensive battle, as neither team was able to put points on the board. Team Scooby-Does was starting to feel the pressure being down by seven as we entered the fourth quarter. Can Scooby-Doo rally his team for the biggest comeback in fictitious Puppy Bowl history?

The fourth quarter saw an early touchdown by Brian Griffin on a fake field goal, tying the game at 14–14. Coach Air Bud decided against letting Griffin attempt another field goal, since he had missed his only attempt earlier in the game. With the score tied and the clock winding down, Captain Scooby-Doo hauled in a highlight-reel interception, setting his team up inside the 20-yard line with just minutes to play.

Scooby-Doo threw a back-shoulder fade to Snoopy, who made his way into the end zone. Team Scooby-Doo held a 21–14 lead in the final minute, when Clifford fumbled the snap, which was recovered by Snoopy. Team Scooby-Does ran out the clock and claimed victory in the biggest football game of the year.