Al Michaels has been calling NFL football for a long time, so when he says an upcoming game stands out to him as unique, it is worth paying attention. That is the case for the game this coming Sunday. He and Cris Collinsworth will be on NBC’s call of Tom Brady’s return to New England as quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I can’t think of any game that’s been more anticipated than this one in the 36 years I’ve covered the NFL in primetime,” he said on a media conference call on Thursday.
Tom Brady is 44 years old and has been an NFL starting quarterback for more than 20 seasons. That means he has been on in primetime a lot. In fact, on Sunday, Al Michaels will call his 44th game featuring Tom Brady.
The Brady vs. Belichick storyline is one that is dominating media conversations this week. The excitement has been building ever since the matchup was announced in the spring. NBC made the game its top priority for Sunday Night Football in 2021.
Cris Collinsworth doesn’t blame his bosses. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won six championships together. What happens when they face each other for the first time is something he thinks every fan wants to see.
“In my lifetime, the greatest run that we have ever seen out of a coach and a quarterback is standing right in front of us for this game, and they’re on opposite sides of the field. Football’s been my lifetime anyway, but how do you get more passionate and more interesting and more theatrical than that? I mean, it’s just going to be a great, fun watch.”
As Collinsworth said, his whole life is football. In addition to being an analyst on Sunday Night Football, he is also the owner of Pro Football Focus. But make no mistake. He isn’t looking for anything more complex than the rest of us when it comes to Brady vs Belichick.
“They know each other inside out. And which path are they choosing to attack the other? I can’t imagine there’s a better story, if you just love football, than simply that. I can’t wait to watch it.”
