Fox Announcer Sounds Incredibly Excited To Be Calling Dolphins-Panthers

A sleepy Week 5 tilt gets a jolt from Eric Collins’ trademark excitement

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Objectively speaking, the Miami Dolphins visiting the Carolina Panthers represents one of the worst games on the NFL Week 5 schedule. Both teams are 1-3 and neither is particularly good nor particularly fun to watch. But don't tell that to FOX play-by-play broadcaster Eric Collins. 

Collins, who is making his Fox debut on Sunday afternoon, showed incredible excitement throughout the first half. In fairness, the game started out with some big plays. Miami turned the Panthers over on each of Carolina's first two drives and turned those into a 17-0 lead. 

But the Panthers battled back to score a touchdown of their own on their third drive to cut the deficit to 10 points. Bryce Young hit Xavier Legette in the back of the end zone for the score and Collins was fired up. 

One of the hardest things for play-by-play guys is to make a game that's not particularly interesting or exciting and make it sound like it is both of those things. Eric Collins represents the complete opposite of someone like, say, Al Michaels. 

Michaels isn't shy about hiding his boredom when he calls bad Thursday Night Football games for Prime Video. But Collins sounds pumped just to be calling an NFL game, even if it's the Dolphins and Panthers in a matchup that had the early makings of a blowout. 

Eric Collins makes his FOX NFL debut with an electric call of Dolphins-Panthers in Week 5.

Eric Collins makes his FOX NFL debut with an electric call of Dolphins-Panthers in Week 5.

(Getty Images)

And good for Collins. How many Americans would rather be a TV play-by-play announcer calling NFL games (no matter how bad the game) than the job they have? Kudos to Collins for having some fun on a Sunday afternoon in Carolina. 

In case you're wondering how it sounds when Collins is calling an exciting game, look no further than back in 2023. Listen to Collins react live to an incredible play late in the UCF-Baylor college football matchup. 

This is where I need to insert the Shaquille O'Neal meme: "I owe you an apology, Eric Collins, I wasn't really familiar with your game." 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.