Cris Collinsworth has handed Howard Cosell for the longest steady prime-time run for an NFL analyst, however he is aware of the sport isn’t about him

Patriots

Collinsworth is a 17-time Emmy winner over the course of his broadcasting profession.

By Chad Finn

September 16, 2023 | 2:19 PM

As a large receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals within the Eighties, Cris Collinsworth had 4 1,000-yard seasons, made three Professional Bowls, performed in a pair of Tremendous Bowls, and was runner-up to the Saints’ George Rogers for 1981 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Yr.

His was an achieved enjoying profession by just about each non-Jerry Rice measure of the time. And but, for comprehensible causes, there may be at the very least one era of followers, and doubtless extra, that acknowledges him first as a broadcaster, presuming consciousness of his enjoying days in any respect.

Collinsworth, who will probably be in his acquainted position as colour analyst alongside play-by-play voice Mike Tirico on the Patriots’ “Sunday Night time Soccer” matchup with the Dolphins, has been on prime-time tv now for almost twice so long as he performed within the league.

He has been with “Sunday Night time Soccer,” which in 2022 was the most-watched prime-time program on tv for the twelfth straight 12 months, since 2009, when he slid in subsequent to Al Michaels after John Madden’s retirement.

Collinsworth’s 15 seasons is the longest steady prime-time run on broadcast tv of any NFL colour analyst ever, surpassing Howard Cosell’s 14-year stretch on “Monday Night time Soccer” from its creation in 1970 to his departure after the 1983 season.

(Cosell usually gave the impression of he was doing play-by-play, often as a result of he was blustering whereas Frank Gifford was making an attempt to name the sport.)

A 17-time Emmy winner over the course of his broadcasting profession, Collinsworth demurred when the report run in prime time was talked about.

“There’s two issues that followers don’t care something about,” he stated. “One is how a lot cash a participant is making, so I attempt to by no means deliver that up. And two, who the announcer is.”

My inbox would strongly disagree with that latter sentiment — I believe I’m nonetheless getting emails concerning the mistake-filled Greg Gumbel-Adam Archuleta pairing for the Patriots-Dolphins opener final season — however Collinsworth’s level is known. He’s the antithesis of Cosell, in philosophy if not solely verbosity. He by no means needs the sport to be about him.

“I by no means take my very own position on this complete factor critically in any respect,” he stated. “I believe the truth that I’ve carried out 15 years implies that I’m getting up there in years, that’s all which means. However l love what I do. I really, actually like it.”

Michaels, who labored with Cosell on ABC baseball broadcasts within the Nineteen Seventies and ‘80s and was partnered with Collinsworth on “Sunday Night time Soccer” for 13 years, stated in an e mail Friday that the 2 couldn’t be extra dissimilar.

“Cosell performed the position of provocateur greater than analyst. He was additionally moody, particularly towards the top of his run,” stated Michaels, who’s in his second season of calling Amazon Prime’s Thursday evening bundle and has an emeritus position at NBC. “Working with him might be enjoyable or might be painful. On his darker nights, it was traversing an impediment course.

“Cris was a pleasure to work with. He was at all times in an excellent temper and nobody ever got here extra ready. Working with Cris might be described in a single phrase — seamless. And I do know of no yet one more loyal. When a 13-year partnership feels prefer it glided by in 20 minutes, it couldn’t get any higher.”

Collinsworth stated he tries to strategy his preparation like coaches do.

“As Tom Brady [who is supposed to join Fox’s No. 1 team next year] will discover out, somewhat than preparing on one facet of the ball for one group, you’ve acquired to prepare on six sides of the ball — offense, protection, and particular groups — for 2 groups. I simply attempt to get to some extent the place I can have a good dialog with the coaches and gamers and attempt to study one thing I didn’t know earlier than to move alongside to the followers and viewers. If I can try this, I’m pleased.”

Upon watching some Patriots tape of their 25-20 season-opening loss to the Eagles, Collinsworth stated he thought coordinator Invoice O’Brien has carried out a wonderful job placing collectively an offense that performs to quarterback Mac Jones’s strengths. However Collinsworth aimed nearly all of his reward on the Patriots’ protection.

“I assumed the protection performed nice. Not simply good, I assumed they performed nice,” he stated. “The Eagles are a very laborious group to deal with in so many alternative methods. The Patriots coaches got here up with some intelligent schemes. They performed numerous DBs and discovered the best way to neutralize a quarterback who is a superb runner and will be actually robust to deal with.

“In all probability the important thing for me was that the 2 corners held up. In opposition to these guys, that was actually, actually spectacular. I walked out on that facet of the ball going, ‘They are often pretty much as good as anyone.’”