The NFL announced today a new broadcaster pairing on NFL Network's Thursday Night Football. Brad Nessler will be the new play by play man. Mike Mayock will provide color.
I am a bit sad to see Bob Papa go as play by play man. He is very well informed and unbiased. Perhaps his huge work load, which also includes doing play by play for the Giants on radio along with other shows he does during the week were too much. I have also enjoyed Nessler's work on college football on ABC and ESPN so I cannot get too upset.
Mayock is the big change. I have yet to find anybody who has anything but good things to say about Mayock. He does more homework than anybody. He replaces Matt Millen and Joe Theismann. I think Millen got a bit of a bad rap because of how brutal he was as an executive with the Lions. People forget before that run he was turning himself into the next John Madden. Had he declined the Lions job, he would probably be FOX's number one game analyst today. Getting the insufferable Theismann out of the booth is the real coup here. He was loud and opinionated without being particularly insightful. He never changes his mind on anything and takes cheap shots at players.
The Jets play once on Thursday night in 2011, Week 11 at Denver.