NFL week #2: Fox’ Buck team off on Sunday; Manning siblings were good but the production incompatible

Time generally flies during the NFL season.

I saw a chunk of the Mannings ESPN2 performance. The siblings did a wonderful job. But it felt more like a split-screen production, two non-complementary broadcasts. Are you focusing on the game or are you waiting for quips from the two quarterbacks? It’s hard to do both. ESPN will have to be a bit more clever to merge the productions so that game and the siblings have a better audio and video connection. The network might want to begin by dropping the insert of their faces so that the game itself is paramount. But I did love it when the alarm went off in Eli’s place.

Love Spero Dedes but his pairing with Jay Feely is not a marriage made in heaven. Feely yacks incessantly and generally says nothing. What’s more troubling is, there were at least 25 times in one half alone where Jay steps all over Dedes. He has to let Dedes lead. He did the same with Tom McCarthy last season. Otherwise, this could be disastrous.

This will be the last season that the Joe Buck and Troy Aikman team will do Thursday nights. Next season Amazon’s Prime channel will have exclusive rights.

Brandon Gaudin gets his first game Sunday for Fox. Odd situation. This might be the first time ever that a Buffalo-Miami game will be on Fox. And a warm welcome back to the NFL to Matt Millen. He’s struggled through medical issues, including a heart replacement. In Fox’ early years, Matt was #2 on the analyst depth chart.

New England-New York Jets could be a dandy with Kevin Harlan and Trent Green presiding.

Adam Amin, the one time ESPNer is moving comfortably along. He’s now #3 on Fox’ depth chart. On the other hand, his boothmate, Mark Schlereth lags. His comments are shallow.

Anyone need an NFL alarm clock? Gus Johnson is back with Minnesota-Arizona. The few times I heard him last season, I like his partner, Aqib Talib.

With Buck’s team off on Sunday, the trio of Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver get Fox’ number one game, Atlanta-Tampa Bay.

WEEK 2

Thursday, Sept. 16

New York Giants at Washington Football Team, 8:20 p.m. (NFLN) 

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, Kristina Pink

63 Million subscribers through 100% of the country

Sunday, Sept. 19

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. (FOX)

Chris Myers, Daryl Johnstone, Jen Hale

12%/40 stations -Much of Southeast and Carolinas

Cincinnati Bengals at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. (FOX)

Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez, Laura Okmin

10%/27 stations Chicago, Cincinnati and a mix of the Midwest

Houston Texans at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. (CBS)

11%/28 stations Greg Gumbel  Adam Archuleta, AJ Ross

Texas and Ohio

Los Angeles Rams at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. (FOX)

Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

17%/31 stations SoCal, Pacific NW, pieced Midwest

Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. (CBS)

Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

9%/41 stations Mountain Time area, North Florida  and southern Georgia

Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. (FOX)

Brandon Gaudin, Matt Millen, Sarah Kustok

4%/14 stations – Upstate NY, South Fl

New England Patriots at New York Jets, 1 p.m. (CBS)

Kevin Harlan, Trent Green, Melanie Collins

15%/9 stations – Northeast, New England and Southeast

San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. (FOX)

 Adam Amin, Mark  Schlereth, Shannon Spake

23%/41 stations –North Cal, Oregon, Philly and Dallas areas

Las Vegas Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m. (CBS)

Ian Eagle, Charles Davis, Evan Washburn

Strong mix through country, except MT, Texas and Ohio

Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. (FOX)

Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib, Megan Olivi

65%/41 stations  – Upper Midwest, Arizona

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4:05 p.m. (FOX)

Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Pam Oliver

17%/35 stations – Florida, Georgia, NY, Mountain time, more

Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson

92%/207 stations – Entire country – except Pacific NW and Tenn areas

Tennessee Titans at Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)

Andrew Catalon, James Lofton, Sherree Burruss

8%// 33 stations Pac NW, Tenn area

Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens, 8:20 p.m. (NBC) 

Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya

100% of US

Monday, Sept. 20

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN) 

Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, Lisa Salters

75 million subscribers across US

PREPARED – 9.15.21 AT 4PM ET