Cris Collinsworth was on one on Sunday night.
Between Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, Week 11’s Sunday Night Football was one of the better-quarterbacked games on primetime this season. The first two quarterbacks selected in the 2020 NFL Draft combined for five total touchdowns in an eventual Chargers 34-27 win over the Bengals.
And a highlight of Herbert’s performance was his footwork.
And a highlight of NBC’s broadcast was how Collinsworth waxed poetic over Herbert’s footwork.
“Here’s a guy…”
He might’ve been better off starting what he was about to say with that signature phrase. Instead, he compared Herbert’s footwork to that of Muhammad Ali. For Herbert’s sake, at least he didn’t compare his footwork to that of a 58-year-old Mike Tyson.
“First of all, Justin Herbert looks like Muhammad Ali with his footwork,” Collinsworth said at the beginning of the second half of Sunday night’s game.
That was only after an ill-timed announcer’s jinx.
“You just watch [Justin Herbert], everything is under control [for the Chargers] out there right now… except that one. Nobody can do that like I do that. That is unbelievable.” – Cris Collinsworth
“You are undefeated.” – Mike Tirico 🏈🎙️ #NFL #SNF pic.twitter.com/uLECciQq8D
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 18, 2024
Whether you buy the Ali comparison or not — and based on the reactions on social media, the majority of people did not — Collinsworth knows how to stir the pot. There’s no analyst like him in the game in terms of hyperbole and comparison, and for what it’s worth, Herbert was playing like a champion up until that point.
Maybe not Muhammad Ali, but he was dialed in.
And then he finished Sunday’s win with an under 50% completion percentage.
“First of all, Herbert looks like Muhammad Ali out there with his footwork..”
Collinsworth is on one tonight 😂😂😂
— The Degenerates (@degen_betting) November 18, 2024
Collinsworth comparing Herbert to Muhammad Ali: pic.twitter.com/CHQbQ8YOMp
— serge daney mcbride (@abs_sweetmarie) November 18, 2024
Did Collinsworth just compare Justin Herbert to Mohammed Ali? pic.twitter.com/HUIObpxlmA
— Josh (Not Joshy) (@jbh2175) November 18, 2024
Cris Collinsworth just compared Justin Herbert to Muhammad Ali. Twice 😂
— Dylan Rush (@rushmma11) November 18, 2024
“Justin Herbert looks like Muhammad Ali with his footwork” – elite quote by CC there
— tOSU State of Mind (@bucks3317) November 18, 2024
I know that’s not Cris Collinsworth comparing Justin Herbert to Muhammad Ali
— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) November 18, 2024
Leave it to Cris Collinsworth to compare Herbert’s footwork to Ali’s.
Nobody is doing it like him. And no one that ever will.
[SNF on NBC]
