Monday Night Football (MNF) on ESPN/ABC has always been one of the glamour attractions on the NFL schedule. The brand remains as strong as ever thanks to the talent in the booth and on the field. Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters, and Laura Rutledge are a powerhouse on-air team, combining experience, enthusiasm, and energy.
This quartet hardly needs an audition; however, the team will call next year’s Super Bowl 61, February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium.
Given their collective work in the Wild Card round game this past Monday pitting Houston vs. Pittsburgh, we can definitely count on a command performance worthy of next year’s glitzy Hollywood backdrop.
After the game’s opening intro and the usual musical prelude and fanfare, Buck and Aikman got down to business with a booth two-shot. When I see this pair on screen, I think of two words: presence and excellence.
Let’s start with presence. Whether it is a win-or-go-home playoff matchup or a blowout September tilt, Buck and Aikman bring a powerful demeanor and drama to the game. When you see these two square-jawed, proven, and professional dudes, you feel like it is going to be a big game.
Both men come from good stock in their own unique ways.
Joe Buck is the son of the late and legendary play-by-play announcer Jack Buck. He has followed in his father‘s iconic footsteps and created his own, damn-near unparalleled legacy. There is a lineage here—a torch that has been passed on, one lit by professionalism, preparation, and poise.
Aikman is part of his own broadcasting tradition. One of the true pioneers of Monday Night Football was the late Don Meredith. ‘Dandy Don’ joined Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford in creating the aura of MNF. Meredith made his name as a fine quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, and Aikman, a fellow ex-Big D signal caller, has followed in his footsteps, paving the way for other Dallas QBs on TV like Steve Beuerlein, Tony Romo, and Jason Garrett.
Must be something in the Gatorade in that Dallas quarterback room.
In their pregame chit-chat, Buck and Aikman set the tone for the game in the Steel City. They always exercise the right amount of emotion and anticipation, never gushing or taking it over the top. Neither of them is afraid to push the envelope. Aikman offers strong takes, and Buck often uses humor to bring color and variety to the broadcast.
What I like most about Buck and Aikman is that they do not use a lot of inane superlatives. These are seasoned football guys—men who know and, in many cases, have been a part of the history of the game.
Buck has called some of the most memorable sports moments ever in both football and baseball, and Aikman won three Super Bowls as a Cowboys quarterback. They know the difference between good players, great players, and Hall of Fame players. This depth of knowledge comes out in every play call.
While many feel that a Monday Night Football game should not take place in the playoffs due to scheduling and competitive advantages, if Buck and Aikman are calling the action, count me in for sure.
This past Monday’s Wild Card contest was not only superlative due to Buck and Aikman, but also because of the aforementioned professionals working the sidelines. Salters is one of the best sideline reporters in the business. She has become as synonymous with MNF as Buck, Aikman, and the opening theme music. No one is better at offering relevant content before and during a game. Salters’ pregame appearances and live shots on other ESPN shows are also top-notch and quite effective in setting the scene for the game to come.
Laura Rutledge is an ESPN superstar—one of the new era’s foundation talents at the network. She could easily stay comfortably in her chair as the host of NFL Live and SEC Nation, but she has shown her versatility and toughness as a field reporter on the sidelines. Rutledge always has a bright and welcoming attitude, but do not mistake this for fluff.
She is a worker, looking for stories, angles, and updated injury reports to add real thickness to a game broadcast.
Speaking of thickness, it is a perfect word to describe the knowledge base of Buck. During the first quarter, he narrated a video montage of the Steelers’ first championship in Super Bowl IX vs. the Vikings in 1975. You could tell in his voice that Buck loved this look back at the nostalgia of the game.
After the video, MNF cameras caught a shot of Steelers president Arthur J. Rooney II up in the booth. The Steelers are known for the Rooney family legacy in establishing one of the most respected, steady, and successful organizations in sports, with six Super Bowl titles—tied with the Patriots for the most ever.
The talents of Buck and Aikman were clearly visible on a first-quarter play. Buck perfectly called a rollout pass from Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers to wide receiver DK Metcalf. On the replay, Aikman was adept at explaining the play design. He isolated the offensive line using the telestrator, noting that the goal was to secure the edge so Rodgers could get out of the pocket and find Metcalf open downfield.
In the second quarter, as the Texans were driving, Buck kept the focus on the field while simultaneously reporting that Houston running back Woody Marks was heading to the sideline medical tent. He then threw out some interesting stats on the Houston offense this season. This is one of Buck’s unique strengths—mixing in just the right amount of information with his play calls. He has an uncanny inner clock for the frequency and pacing of these tidbits.
Buck turned up the excitement as Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud rolled out and hit wide receiver Christian Kirk with the first touchdown of the game. In commenting on the replay, Aikman mentioned that the throw was actually a little behind Kirk, which made getting into the end zone more difficult. Once again, he ran through the play design, giving viewers a brief Football 101 lesson.
As always, the production crew on MNF was top-notch, with various angles on replays and a constant flow of pertinent graphics to combine information with the video.
With less than two minutes left in the first half, Rutledge had a nice recap of the Texans’ poor ball security early in the game. She revealed that Stroud and center Jake Andrews were practicing snaps on the sidelines, trying to fix the issues. This is the ultimate job of a sideline reporter—telling us something that we were not able to see ourselves.
Deep into the third quarter of what was, at that time, a pretty ugly game, credit the Monday Night Football production crew for getting some candid sideline shots, including one of Aaron Rodgers completely frustrated with the Steelers’ offensive showing.
With about 11 and a half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Rodgers was sacked and fumbled the ball. The pigskin was scooped up by Houston’s Sheldon Rankins and rumbled in for a touchdown. Buck had a seamless call on the huge play and cautioned viewers that Rankins may have been tackled before reaching the end zone. The touchdown was upheld, and as the game wound down to a 30-6 Houston rout, Buck wondered if this might be Mike Tomlin’s last game as the Steelers’ head coach.
As it turns out, he was prophetic, as Tomlin stepped down this past Tuesday.
The entire MNF team was spectacular and whet viewers’ appetites for the Texans at Patriots divisional matchup this Sunday at 3:00 p.m. EST on ESPN/ABC and for next season’s Super Bowl telecast. With games now on Sunday night, Thursdays, and even select Fridays and Saturdays, you can argue whether Monday Night Football is still the king of NFL game broadcasts.
What you cannot argue is that Buck, Aikman, Salters, Rutledge, and crew are truly the crown jewels.
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John Molori is a weekly columnist for Barrett Sports Media. He has previously contributed to ESPNW, Patriots Football Weekly, Golf Content Network, Methuen Life Magazine, and wrote a syndicated Media Blitz column in the New England region, which was published by numerous outlets including The Boston Metro, Providence Journal, Lowell Sun, and the Eagle-Tribune. His career also includes fourteen years in television as a News and Sports Reporter, Host, Producer working for Continental Cablevision, MediaOne, and AT&T. He can be reached on Twitter @MoloriMedia.
