There is a new NFL broadcasting star. Greg Olsen was on the call Saturday for Patriots-Colts, and upstaged every other analyst we’ve heard this season. Rather than resort to cliches, the three-time All-Pro stayed on top of the action and specifically explained why certain plays turned out the way they did. In other words, he analyzed the game.
What a concept.
Olsen displayed his football prowess early during the Colts’ 27-17 win, when he explained how their unorthodox blocking scheme opened up space for Jonathan Taylor at the line of scrimmage. When the Patriots were flagged for a false start in the first half, Olsen pointed out how Indianapolis’ defensive linemen were shifting before the snap, causing confusion on the Patriots’ o-line. Viewers walked away with much more respect for Colts head coach Frank Reich and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. These Colts are a different bunch than the group that lined up for the saddest trick play in history. They tricked up Mac Jones numerous times.
On Jones’ first pick, he didn’t see linebacker Darius Leonard, who jumped in front of Huner Henry for the INT. While Jones made the right read, Olsen pointed out that he threw the ball in the wrong spot. The ball should’ve been lofted over Leonard’s head. Instead, it landed right in his hands.
“N’Keal [Harry] is going to run a slow-go, then Hunter Henry, they’re gonna try to get this ball here, but he does not see Darius Leonard drop right under it,” Olsen said. “He comes off the slow-go quick, he relocates his eyes. It’s just the wrong spot.”
Olsen was equally incisive when Carson Wentz threw his interception early in the fourth quarter, which provided the Patriots room to try and mount a comeback.
“He’s not seeing nothing. There’s no one there,” Olsen said. “This window is where he’s trying to throw it, Jamie Collins is dead in front of his face. Just throw it out of bounds. It’s 1st-and-10, they don’t fall for the bootleg play-action type. It’s first down. Live to play another down.”
But when plays went awry, Olsen didn’t just focus on the quarterback. He correctly pinned a failed Patriots’ fourth down conversion on Henry’s poor route running.
“They’re just going to run a slight roll-out to the right. They bring Hunter Henry over, he’s the first read. He’s just gotta get his eyes around,” Olsen said. “[Jones] is trying to throw [Henry] the ball, but doesn’t look until it’s too late. He tries to come off the throw and throw it over the top to the deep player, [Nelson] Agholor, but he got kind of twisted up. I don’t think Hunter Henry was expecting the ball.
Olsen is the latest example of why networks should more actively court recently retired players and stop providing boomers unlimited airtime. Since Olsen just retired last year, he’s intimately familiar with nearly every player and coach in the league. It’s apparent he studies, and doesn’t just rely on inclination. His performance Saturday was similar to Tony Romo’s early days in the booth, without the yelping and over-the-top schtick.
The lone weak spot for Olsen came when he defended Bill Belichick’s decision to kick a field goal with 8:57 left in the fourth quarter, rather than go for it on 4th-and-goal. Olsen harped that the successful field goal made it a two-possession game, even though the Patriots were trailing by two possessions before Nick Folk attempted his chip shot.
But that’s nitpicking. Olsen augmented viewers’ experience and understanding during the three-hour telecast. That’s all one can ask for.
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