Well, at least something entertaining came from Thursday night’s snooze-fest between the Patriots and Falcons in a rematch of Super Bowl LI. Veteran kicker Nick Folk padded New England’s lead with a season-long 53-yard field goal with 6:39 to go in the fourth quarter, drilling an unwitting camera operator in the process. That camera man happened to be Fox veteran Don Cornelli, who was recently inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
Now that will leave a mark. You know you’ve chosen an unusual career path when taking a shot to the noggin is just another day at the office, but remember, this isn’t Cornelli’s first rodeo. A consummate professional, Cornelli barely flinched, miraculously keeping the camera steady even as the ball hit his face. That was one of four makes on the night for Folk, who has been automatic this year, finding the uprights on 26 of his 28 field goal attempts (92.9 percent).
Is there a concussion protocol for cameramen? Maybe there should be. Cornelli’s brush with danger provided a rare moment of levity in a game that was largely unwatchable with New England dominating the hapless Falcons in all facets en route to a 25-0 victory at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Don’t look now, but the surging Patriots have quietly won five straight, outscoring their opponents by a lopsided 175-50 margin in that span. Remarkably, the Patriots, led by Rookie of the Year hopeful Mac Jones, are a perfect 5-0 away from Gillette Stadium in 2021.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram