NFL games never waste opportunities to throw to a TV timeout. That’s the entire business model that helps prop up both the league and the networks that televise the sport, and it leads to a choreographed dance with a rep on the field giving the okay to resume play when the network is back from a break.
Today, that process failed during the main Fox late afternoon game between the Giants and the Cowboys, leading to a missed Giants touchdown.
Viewers were probably surprised to come back from a commercial break with the Giants having already punched a short score into the end zone, and not just because Mike Glennon was playing QB.
How does FOX miss a touchdown coming back from commercial?
— Jake Asman (@JakeAsman) October 10, 2021
FOX missed a goddamn touchdown in the Giants game because they were too busy showing commercials.
You had one job, boys. One fucking job.
— Schlasser (@UrinatingTree) October 10, 2021
Joe Buck seemed somewhat surprised, too, noting that the play happened quickly and seemed to catch everyone by surprise, including the broadcast and the Cowboys.
Skip Bayless or whoever tweets for him on Sunday afternoon suggested the play shouldn’t have counted:
Jabril Cox makes his first play as a Cowboy, stopping Daniel Jones just short of the goal line. Jones' bell gets rung, gone to the locker room. But Giants jump the gun on the 4th down play before the commercial is over. Play should've been stopped. TD. Tie.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) October 10, 2021
It’s been kind of a tough day for Fox, which drew criticism earlier for taking viewers away from the end of the Packers-Bengals overtime contest in order to show…commercials ahead of the Cowboys-Giants game.
Not great!
