Timing is everything when it comes to play-by-play, and Ian Eagle has it.
The veteran broadcaster was on the call Saturday for Patriots-Bengals, and for most of the afternoon, New England’s offense was completely inept. But that changed for a few fleeting moments in the second half when Mac Jones uncorked a couple of deep passes on consecutive drives. The first one was a 32-yard completion to Kendrick Bourne that set up the Patriots’ first touchdown.
what would happen to sports media if twitter implodes?
The second was a 48-yard bomb to the end zone that tight end Scotty Williams deflected right into the outstretched arms of Jakobi Meyers. Eagle’s call was perfect.
“Jones uncorks …. touchdown! On the ricochet! Jakobi Meyers!,” he shouted.
Perfectly executing a call like that is harder than it seems. Countless broadcasters get lost during the action and can’t keep up with the pace of play even when there are ordinary happenings on the field. But Eagle never hesitated. He followed the ball the whole way, and didn't get tripped up when Washington pushed it over to Meyers.
For the second straight season, Eagle and Charles Davis have been the best CBS team most commonly assigned to Patriots games — though Davis seemed a bit tentative about criticizing Bill Belichick Saturday. At one point, Davis blamed a lack of talent for the Patriots’ ineptitude on offense, which excuses the coaching staff for this moribund operation.
But when the Patriots did show some life, Eagle was ready.