[Nov. 15 Sunday Night Football broadcast]

 

Al Michaels: The view above Indianapolis. And there’s Lucas Oil Stadium, getting set for what NFL fans have come to expect to be one of the premier games on the football calendar: The Patriots and the Colts.

Cris Collinsworth: Is it really necessary to show the outlying buildings? I mean, what bearing does that have on the game? It’s not like we’re playing this game in the streets.

Michaels: I think it adds something to the overall presentation of the broadcast.

Collinsworth: If you say so. [Chuckles]

[Shot of Colts player intros]

Michaels: This has got to be a little bit of deja vu for us here, Cris. This is the third time we’ve had the Colts on Sunday night and it’s only Week 10.

Collinsworth: Oh, absolutely. It’s almost as though they’re a playoff caliber team that consistently draws viewers.

Michaels: Can’t argue with that. All right then. Let’s go to Andrea with the Colts.

Kremer: Thanks Al. During pregame warm-ups, I was able to speak with Colts coach Jim Caldwell regarding injured tight end Dallas Clark. Apparently Clark tried to make a go of it earlier today, but it looks as though he’s going to be held out for tonight’s game, leaving the Colts to have to make do with Tom Santi. The Colts have showed a lot of success this season passing out of two tight end packages and will have to deviate from that tonight.

Michaels: Unfortunate news for Indianapolis, who are coming into this game still looking to keep pace with Tennessee at 7-2. The Patriots, meanwhile, just getting their legs back after some early season jitters with the return of quarterback Tom Brady, enter this game tied atop the AFC East also at 6-2. Would I be out of place in saying this is a pivotal, almost a must-win for both these clubs?

Collinsworth: I think it is, insofar as any game in Week 10 can be a must-win game for two teams that are almost certainly playoff bound anyway.

Michaels: A fair point. What does the departure of Tony Dungy mean to what has been one of the biggest rivalries in football this decade?

Collinsworth: I think it’s clear, even to the most casual observer, that Jim Caldwell has been a continuation of the Tony Dungy era in Indy. Part of that is out of necessity, of course. You can’t upset the apple cart of a largely successful coaching regime and expect to be winning. Eventually Jim Caldwell will put his imprint on this team, but in the meantime, it’s almost naive to ask if there are any differences between the overall strategy between this team and the Colts team from a year ago.

Michaels: Not to mention Caldwell was an integral part of that former regime.

Collinsworth: Well, yeah, obviously.

Michaels: Excuse me then.

Collinsworth: [Chuckles] Hey, it’s only a matter of trying not to talk down to the viewers at home.

Michaels: If you think you’re capable of running this broadcast yourself, then by all means.

Collinsworth: Sure, I can do that. But I’m sure the suits at NBC have you under contract from a reason.

Michaels: Reasons? Huh. It could be the three-plus decades I’ve been in the business. It could be that I called a little something called the Miracle on Ice.

Collinsworth: Miracle on Ice, huh? I remember watching that. I think it happened a year before I got drafted into something called the National Football League.

[A tussle of wrist fighting and short hair pulling extends off camera, leading to...]

 

Enberg: Looks like it’s just you and me, Gus Johnson, as the Patriots ready themselves to send off the opening kickoff. Gostkowski kicks it deep.

Johnson: Pierre Garcon takes it at the five and OH HE BREAKS IT! HE GOT LANES! AND OOOOOHHHH BROUGHT DOWN JUST AS HE CROSSES MIDFIELD!

Enberg: A fine return setting the Colts up with good early field position. By the way, what we’re doing here could never happen in reality, could it, Gus?

Johnson: AB-SO-LUTELY NOT! WE’RE BOTH STILL UNDER CONTRACT BEING UNDERUTILIZED AT CBS! IT’S AN ENTIRELY IMPLAUSIBLE SCENARIO! BUT THAT’S WHAT MAKES IT ALL THE MORE TANTALIZING! YES!