Some broadcasting notes from the NFL’s Week 1:
1. So who had Invoice Belichick having extra broadcasting jobs than Ryan Seacrest? However there was Belichick on ESPN2 Monday evening, taking part in the position of Charles Grodin to Peyton and Eli Manning’s David Letterman. His first-half spot throughout the New York Jets–San Francisco 49ers sport was his debut as a everlasting visitor on ESPN’s “Monday Evening Soccer with Peyton and Eli” — and it was glorious. The previous Patriots head coach additionally has gigs with ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Present,” the CW’s “Contained in the NFL,” a 30-minute present with Peyton Manning on ESPN+, SiriusXM’s “Let’s Go!” present and a lead spot on “Coach with Invoice Belichick,” a weekly soccer evaluation present for Underdog Fantasy.
What was evident on Monday and what has been evident since Mr. “We’re On to Cincinnati” moved into the sports activities media house is that Belichick is excellent at this. (That’s no shock to the readers of this column.) An instance: Peyton Manning requested Belichick a query concerning Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, about defending a quarterback who was comfy and efficient utilizing audibles.
“That is similar to taking part in you, somebody who modified performs on the line of scrimmage lots,” Belichick mentioned. “Or a coach Joe Gibbs, who was all a number of formations, a number of motions. So the motions, shifting and all that forces the protection to regulate and talk. I might say the quarterbacks that audible lots put extra of a premium on disguise, so that you wish to ensure you don’t give the quarterback a clear take a look at perimeter stress or man or zone. It’s only a completely different mentality for the protection. It’s a must to perceive who you’re taking part in collectively. However these a number of formation groups like (49ers head coach) Kyle Shanahan, it’s loads of stress in your defensive changes.”
Belichick was additionally forward of the play by way of the effectiveness of Jets wideout Garrett Wilson, who had 4 catches for 46 yards within the first quarter.
“I’d double him,” Belichick mentioned. “In third-down vital conditions, I might completely double this man. If he’s singled, Rodgers is totally going to him.”
The one draw back was the slight delay (no less than there was for me watching on a laptop computer) between the Mannings and Belichick. That’s a difficulty that hopefully will get mounted subsequent week. (Belichick would say, “Clear that up, guys.”)
I’m informed that Belichick doesn’t have a tough out in the case of his Manningcast segments. You may even see him go deep into the second quarter — he left with 4 seconds left within the first half on Monday — however different occasions, the schedule could dictate his section ending earlier. It’s an ideal addition to the “Manningcast.”
“I’m not certain I like this pattern proper right here. Eli and Belichick digging up performs from the late 90s.”
—Peyton Manning 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Tn3sHYfIgC
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 10, 2024
2. ESPN’s Troy Aikman mentioned one of many advantages Tom Brady could have as a rookie broadcaster is working with longtime producer Richie Zyontz, who has produced seven Tremendous Bowls and has been within the enterprise for 40 years. Zyontz was Aikman’s producer when he labored with Dick Stockton and Daryl Johnston in 2001, and each moved as much as Fox’s No. 1 NFL group, the place they spent 20 years collectively alongside Joe Buck. Zyontz was Greg Olsen’s producer final yr and likewise produced video games known as by John Madden. He understands the way to produce analysts who see the sport in a different way. This may assist Brady over the course of the season.
“What they have been capable of do within the truck is alter their protection and alter what they have been doing with a purpose to observe what I needed to see,” Aikman mentioned. “That was an adjustment for them as a result of many of the analysts on the time I began have been actually geared for the trenches. Madden at all times sort of talked concerning the trenches. Matt Millen did. Then I are available as a quarterback. I see the sport a lot in a different way. Then take into consideration once I left and (they) had Greg Olsen, in order that they needed to alter some issues for him. I might suppose that Tom views it extra alongside the traces of the best way I do, however they’ll alter to no matter it’s that he sees and the way he desires a shot. He’ll be in good palms.”
If you would like a long-form hear with Aikman, he’s the visitor this week on my Sports activities Media Podcast.
3. Talking of Brady, right here’s my assessment of his debut broadcast. And right here’s a assessment from Andrew Marchand.
Brady’s opener drew 23.8 million viewers on Fox. The dearth of a aggressive sport within the second half — the Dallas Cowboys beat the Cleveland Browns 33-17 and led by 23 early within the fourth quarter — actually took down the viewership quantity as a result of Fox and the NFL arrange little or no competitors towards that late afternoon window.
4. ESPN’s Alex Smith fronted a extremely ingenious and terrific characteristic for “Sunday NFL Countdown,” produced by affiliate producer Vincent Coladonato, known as “The Quarterback Room.” Smith took the position of each QB1 and QB2 with present gamers who’ve skilled each (Justin Fields, Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, Kurt Warner and Aaron Rodgers), providing ideas. It additionally produced a really memorable quote from Drew Bledsoe evaluating Tom Brady to Tony Romo upon dropping beginning jobs with New England and Dallas.
“The minute (Romo) turned the starter, he turned fairly huge in his personal thoughts, and he was not the curious, inquisitive man,” Bledsoe mentioned. “That was the distinction between him and Tommy. (When) Tommy turned the starter, he nonetheless was asking all of the questions, the place swiftly Romo was the man that had all of the solutions.”
5. Peacock’s presentation of the Philadelphia Eagles’ 34-29 victory over the Packers on Friday evening — the NFL’s first-ever sport in Brazil — averaged a complete viewers supply of 14.2 million viewers between Peacock and NBC associates in Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Inexperienced Bay. That’s a win for the streaming service (and naturally the NFL) given earlier Peacock numbers. Final December’s Buffalo Payments–Los Angeles Chargers sport on Peacock averaged 7.3 million viewers.
This was the second most-watched dwell occasion on Peacock behind final yr’s AFC wild-card sport between the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and Miami Dolphins in January (23 million). Sports activities Media Watch mentioned that amongst streaming-exclusive NFL video games, it ranked fourth all-time behind two of final season’s “Thursday Evening Soccer” video games on Amazon Prime (Cowboys-Seattle Seahawks: 15.26 million; Vikings–Philadelphia Eagles: 15.05 million) and that Dolphins–Chiefs sport.
The Packers and Eagles have at all times been stable nationwide attracts, and that clearly was an element within the quantity. However the viewership will definitely be a part of the promote for the NFL to networks on what is going to undoubtedly be a future rights bundle for worldwide video games.
6. Mike Greenberg made his internet hosting debut on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” and did what Mike Greenberg does: He offered competent internet hosting. Most significantly, he concerned his analysts greater than he concerned himself, particularly as a nationwide information story broke involving Dolphins wideout Tyreek Hill, who was cited for a driving violation previous to the sport and was seen on video being positioned in handcuffs face down on the bottom.
I’ll preserve contending Laura Rutledge ought to have gotten the host position, given she works within the sport every day, however Greenberg was stable on Sunday. The massive credit score goes to reporter Jeff Darlington, who reported from Miami and had a noteworthy interview with Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus. Darlington, as you may bear in mind, performed a significant position in ESPN’s reporting of Scottie Scheffler being arrested and handcuffed in Louisville throughout the PGA Championship. These fees have been later dropped.
“I used to be much less occupied with Drew’s opinion of what occurred and extra occupied with what Tyreek Hill informed him occurred,” Darlington mentioned, in an e mail. “The 2 questions that have been most vital to the interview have been, ‘What did Tyreek Hill let you know occurred?’ and ‘What did police let you know and/or Tyreek occurred?’ Within the fast aftermath of the state of affairs, I personally imagine each query must be a fact-finding effort, even with anyone as charismatic or opinionated as Drew.”
Unsurprisingly, Darlington was interested by his protection of the Scheffler story as he reported on Hill.
“I discovered within the wake of the Scheffler state of affairs that in moments of chaos, viewers are nonetheless appreciative in 2024 of down-the-middle information reporting,” Darlington mentioned. “I do know which may appear apparent, however narratives may be formed so quick if we aren’t cautious with the best way we current the information, particularly when it includes police remedy. In Louisville, I witnessed Scheffler’s arrest. In Miami, I didn’t witness Hill’s detention. However what I witnessed with Scheffler served as a relentless reminder on Sunday that nothing must be assumed, not even when it includes probably the most surreal of conditions.”
7. The NFL has at all times been a momentum play in the case of viewership, and the league obtained off to an excellent opening two days together with the Chiefs-Baltimore Ravens sport averaging 28.9 million viewers on NBC and Peacock. The sport topped viewership for final yr’s season opener (27.5 million for Chiefs-Detroit Lions) by 5 % and was the most-watched NFL Kickoff Sport of all time.
NFL regular-season video games averaged 17.9 million viewers in 2023, up seven % over 2022. They have been aided by 113 video games determined by six or fewer factors, the second-most in league historical past. This yr, the issues to look at are how the U.S. Presidential election impacts the numbers over the primary two months and ESPN’s “Monday Evening Soccer” not being simulcast on ABC almost as a lot as final yr.
8. Good work by CBS guidelines analyst Gene Steratore to be trustworthy with viewers when an official misses a name. Right here’s an instance:
Participant-safety guidelines can put defenders in a troublesome place the place they’ve to regulate in nanoseconds. This play in #ARIvsBUF is an effective instance of a defender adjusting to not hit a defenseless participant and shouldn’t have been flagged. pic.twitter.com/GJGesLANT3
— Gene Steratore (@GeneSteratore) September 8, 2024
It was additionally good to see Mike Pereira again within the Fox sales space with Brady and Kevin Burkhardt in Cleveland after lacking final season with a extreme again harm.
(Picture of Invoice Belichick at his retirement press convention in January: Joseph Prezioso / AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
