Adam Amin and Greg Olsen are such a great NFL Sunday duo Credit: NFL on Fox
FoxNFLBy Sam Neumann on

Time and again, Greg Olsen has proven to be an antidote to what football fans crave the most— a modern analyst who knows what viewers at home want to hear. Olsen is Olsen, and the only reason he isn’t a No. 1 analyst is that Fox made a $375 million commitment to Tom Brady.

It seems like Olsen finds himself on the call for the Game of the Week every week, even if that assignment is supposed to belong to Brady and Kevin Burkhardt. No longer Fox Sports’ top analyst, the big games seem drawn to Olsen — and it was again with another NFC North instant classic in Minnesota.

In the Detroit Lions’ 31-29 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, which handed the Vikings their first loss of the season, Olsen answered the call again. And he did so with his third different partner in as many weeks. Last week, it was Jason Benetti; this week, it was Adam Amin.

Olsen and Joe Davis are Fox’s usual tandem in the No. 2 booth, but the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers is also the voice of Major League Baseball on Fox and will be on the call for Game 6 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday night, as well as the World Series, whatever that matchup may be.

But you’d never be able to tell that Olsen and Amin aren’t the usual tandem in the broadcast booth or that they aren’t Fox’s No. 1 team. They were that good on Sunday. Olsen, in particular, stood out, with Josh Norris of Underdog Fantasy labeling him “consistently excellent.”

That consistency and excellence were on full display as he broke down what transpired for the Lions’ defense on an Aaron Jones 34-yard touchdown run.

But the focus wasn’t just on Olsen but also on him and Amin as a tandem.

And in the game’s biggest moments, Amin rose to the occasion.

He was particularly impressive on Ivan Pace Jr.’s scoop and score, which looked like it had iced Sunday’s game for the Vikings.

But the Lions and their kicker, Jake Bates, had other ideas. Amin delivered on the call what Bates’ biggest kick as a field goal kicker in the NFL was, allowing the Lions to secure first place in the NFC North — for the moment. And it was the second game-winning field goal for an NFC North in mere minutes — see Brandon McManus for the Green Bay Packers.

Amin stepped up to the plate ahead of the moment, akin to a batter taking a deep breath before seeing the first pitch with the bases loaded. He did more than a proper job lifting Bates to tell his story and why the would-be game-winning kick would be so meaningful. So much so that Olsen implored him to “stop,” in a playful manner, obviously, but he talked about how Bates doesn’t miss, and probably so much so that Lions fans were fearing the ultimate announcer jinx.

But there was no jinxing what Olsen and Amin accomplished in the broadcast booth Sunday, even if Lions fans took issue on social media with how he called the team’s final drive. Bates’ field goal ended up being the difference, but the Vikings did get the football back. Olsen didn’t appear to be a fan of the urgency — or lack thereof — and received some flak over it, even though it proved to be the right call for Dan Campbell and Co.

Had Minnesota been left more time on the clock, they might’ve walked away undefeated. But it didn’t, and criticism for five minutes across a three-hour program aside, Olsen’s analysis throughout was on point, offering viewers the kind of insight they tune in for.

Regardless, it’s not about nitpicking the small stuff; it’s about recognizing the dynamic work that Olsen and Amin brought to another thrilling NFL showdown. Whether it’s the No. 1 booth or not, Olsen continues to prove that he belongs in the conversation as one of football’s best analysts. The big games will keep finding him, and he’ll be ready.

And so will Amin.

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.

View all posts by Sam Neumann