Cris Collinsworth acknowledges that the Falcons winning on "Monday Night Football" makes a better product for NBC and "SNF." Credit: ‘The Dan Patrick Show’

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Cris Collinsworth would be a company man; of course, NBC’s Sunday Night Football analyst should want the utmost product every week. And his answer to that inquiry shouldn’t ruffle any feathers. There’s a difference between being on the call for a team staring 0-3 in the face with an upcoming date with the Kansas City Chiefs in the face and a team coming off the unlikeliest of primetime victories.

Just a few seconds into Thursday’s appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Collinsworth was put on the hot seat by the legendary radio host, who implored the ex-Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver if perhaps he finds himself rooting for one of the teams to win the previous week, if they’re going to be on SNF.

Suffice it to say, Collinsworth wasn’t doing the ‘Dirty Bird’ while he watched Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons able to snatch a 22-21 victory out of the jaws of defeat on Monday night in Philadelphia. But at the same time, a 0-2 Falcons team does Collinsworth, NBC, and viewers at home no good.

So, you can fill in the dots on what Collinsworth might say, but he actually gave a pretty genuine and honest response to Patrick’s line of questioning. Though, he did acknowledge that it was a “dirty question” right off the bat. It was, but that’s why Patrick’s interviewing skills are among the best in the industry.

“The answer is yes,” Collinsworth replied. “I do have to say, in life, we all kind of cheer for what’s best for our company and our product. An 0-2 Falcons team going home and nobody really too excited, and playing the Chiefs.

“But now, after that thing the other night, that was really something. That was some comeback. Those two teams running the ball so well up and down the field. And then, all of a sudden, Cousins just went crazy. I mean, it looked so hard to throw the ball on several occasions during the course of the game, and then you just exploded in four or five plays.

“That was really exciting. They’re an interesting team because they can run it so well. Bijan Robinson is just so good. I mean, this sucker can — not only does he have those one-step cuts and speed to get the outside zone, they run outside zone about as well as teams that I’ve seen this season. And Philadelphia had a good running game, too, but, yeah, that was fun.”

Collinsworth gave the expected “company line” response and hyped up the Falcons, which, to be fair, Patrick had explicitly asked about. However, he did share a little insider insight, even though it’s something most viewers could probably guess: announcers don’t openly root for or against teams, but Collinsworth understands that a 1-1 Falcons team makes for a much better product for everyone involved in the Sunday night broadcast.

We can likely expect the same approach with the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, as they host the Dallas Cowboys before their Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 4 against the Buffalo Bills. Collinsworth, along with Mike Tirico and Melissa Stark, already covered the Ravens in the 2024 NFL season opener.

Still, the prospect of featuring a 0-3 Ravens team is a bit more daunting when it comes to keeping the audience excited for what should be a potential AFC playoff preview.

[The Dan Patrick Show]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.