Monday night’s NFL Wild Card playoff game between the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams is a big one for ESPN.
It’s the first time a playoff game has been broadcast on Monday night, providing a showcase for the network’s Monday Night Football crew of Steve Levy, Brian Griese, and Louis Riddick. Additionally, ESPN’s alternate “ManningCast” with Peyton and Eli Manning will also cover the Cardinals-Rams game, putting arguably the biggest sports media story of the 2021 NFL season under the spotlight.
But Monday Night Football director Jimmy Platt is uncomfortable about covering the Rams for reasons other than the increased national spotlight. As he explained to Sport Video Group’s Brandon Costa, the varying styles and tempos of head coach Sean McVay’s offense is what has Platt unsettled going into the game.
“[The Rams] mix tempo well and do a lot of interesting things,” Platt told Costa. “Sometimes, when they break the huddle, they sprint to the line and snap it; [other times,] they’ll sprint to the line and check into another play. With them, you have to be really diligent when you are doing replays, how many replays you are doing, and trying to get out of those replays and not miss a snap. The Rams make me very uncomfortable.”
So Platt, who’s been the MNF director since 2019, and his production team might have an idea of how opposing defenses feel when they face the Rams.
As Platt puts it, the crew has to emphasize being smart and doing less while keeping up with the Rams’ offense. Most of the time, the production might try to get another replay in before the next play starts. But if they’re back to live coverage by the time quarterback Matthew Stafford breaks the huddle, that’s considered a victory.
Costa has more on the MNF production’s plans for the telecast, including how many cameras will be used and which players will get isolated coverage throughout the game. It’s something to keep in mind while watching the broadcast.
ESPN’s Monday Night Football coverage of the Cardinals-Rams NFL Wild Card playoff game begins at 6 p.m. ET with Monday Night Countdown. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET. The ManningCast will be on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
Ian Casselberry is a sports media columnist for BSM. He has previously written and edited for Awful Announcing, The Comeback, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation. You can find him on Twitter @iancass or reach him by email at iancass@gmail.com.
