NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football is back with its fifth announcing crew in its six years of existence. Here’s hoping we’ll finally some consistency with Thursday Night Football now that the Matt Millen and Joe Theismann experience is over. This year, we’ll have Brad Nessler and Mike Mayock. I’ve felt Mayock should have been in the booth when Cris Collinsworth left after the 2008 season.
Alex Flanagan returns for her second year on the sidelines. For the pregame shows, NFL Network has assembled a slew of hosts, analysts and reporters. Rich Eisen will be the main host for Thursday Night Kickoff and he’ll be joined by Steve Mariucci, Marshall Faulk, Deion Sanders and incessant yeller Michael Irvin. Stacey Dales joins the cast of reporters who will be setting the scene live from the game sites.
NFL Network adds Kara Henderson to the Thursday Night Kickoff crew by having her host segments from the Los Angeles studio with Sterling Sharpe, Kurt Warner and Jay Glazer. Is there enough time to get everyone in?
It’s an 8 game schedule that begins in Week 10 with a pretty good AFC West Division matchup between the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers. On Thanksgiving Night, NFL Network also has a good game between San Francisco and Baltimore and in Week 15 on a Saturday night, NFL Network will air Dallas at Tampa Bay. But in Week 16, NFL Network has a potential #SuckforLuck game as the Indianapolis Colts could be very well in the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes as they host the Houston Texans.
We have another long NFL Network press release and you can see it below.
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL KICKS OFF NOVEMBER 10 WITH NEW ANNOUNCING TEAM OF MIKE MAYOCK & BRAD NESSLER
Veteran Broadcast Duo Makes Debut with Raiders vs. Chargers
Thanksgiving Matchup Features Harbaugh Brothers in First-Ever Meeting as Head Coaches with 49ers vs. Ravens
Rich Eisen, Steve Mariucci, Marshall Faulk, Deion Sanders and ‘Thursday Night Football’ Newcomer Michael Irvin Hit the Road for ‘Thursday Night Kickoff’ Pregame Show from all Eight Stadiums
‘NFL.com/LIVE: Thursday Night Football’ Coverage Returns with Coast-to-Coast In-Game Look-Ins & Analysis from Kurt Warner, Jamie Dukes and Bucky BrooksFor the sixth season, the ‘Run to the Playoffs’ starts on NFL Network with the 2011 debut of Thursday Night Football November 10 at 8:00 PM ET featuring the Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers. In all, fans get an additional eight nights of primetime NFL action over seven weeks (Weeks 10-16) featuring five division leaders and on Thanksgiving, a historic matchup in Baltimore pitting head coaching brothers Jim and John Harbaugh against each other as the San Francisco 49ers face the Ravens.
This season, Thursday Night Football is headlined by new booth announcing team Brad Nessler and Mike Mayock. Both are currently also calling college football games with Nessler lending his voice to primetime matchups on ESPN and ABC, while Mayock provides analysis of Notre Dame contests for NBC. Despite their college expertise, they are no strangers to the NFL broadcast booth as Nessler called the Raiders-Broncos Monday Night Football opening weekend game this season, while Mayock provided analysis on Seattle’s Wild Card playoff upset over the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints last year. As the third member of the broadcast team, Alex Flanagan returns for her second season reporting from the sideline.
NFL Network and NFL.com’s 17-person coverage team on Thursday Night Football features analysts with more than 85 years of NFL coaching, front office and playing experience, 7 Super Bowl rings, 29 Pro Bowls and 3 Pro Football Hall of Famers.
The Thursday Night Kickoff pregame show brings those credentials together at 6:00 PM ET before each game. Host Rich Eisen is joined by Steve Mariucci and a trio of Hall of Famers — Marshall Faulk, Deion Sanders and Thursday Night Football newcomer Michael Irvin — live on the ground at the stadium with news, analysis and interviews leading up to kickoff. Thursday Night Kickoff also includes analysts Kurt Warner, Jay Glazer, Sterling Sharpe and host Kara Henderson weighing in from Los Angeles and on-site reporters Alex Flanagan and Stacey Dales setting the stage with pregame interviews from the locker room.
In addition to extensive NFL Network coverage, NFL.com delivers fans more analysis of Thursday Night Football via NFL.com/LIVE which presents a live show throughout the game featuring:
- “Live look-ins” at key moments of the game, plus highlights from earlier action
- Live reports from the stadium from NFL Network reporters Stacey Dales and Steve Wyche
- Expert analysis and commentary after each and every series of the game from Paul Burmeister, Kurt Warner and Jamie Dukes from NFL Network’s Los Angeles studios
- An ‘Instant Playbook’ of key plays right after they happen from NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks.
NFL.com will also provide post-game video from each contest, including highlights, analysis, locker-room access and press conferences.
THE NEWCOMERS:
Mike Mayock, Thursday Night Football Game Analyst
- First season providing NFL game analysis for NFL Network
- Second season as game analyst for NBC broadcasts of Notre Dame football
- Provided analysis for Seattle Seahawks’ 2010 Wild Card playoff win over defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints
- Highly regarded for expert draft analysis during NFL Network Scouting Combine and Draft coverage
- Previously provided ‘Instant Playbook’ on NFL.com during Thursday Night Football in 2009 and 2010
Brad Nessler, Thursday Night Football Play-by-Play Voice
- First season as voice of NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football live, primetime game slate
- Veteran broadcaster of major college football games for nearly 20 years on ESPN and ABC
- Has more than 50 college bowl games calls under his belt including the Bowl Championship Series title game in 2001 and 2005 and the 2011 BCS Sugar Bowl game (Ohio State vs. Arkansas)
- Called second game of Monday Night Football doubleheader on opening weekend this season featuring Raiders vs. Broncos
Michael Irvin, Thursday Night Kickoff, Halftime Show and Postgame Show Analyst
- 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee
- Three-time Super Bowl winner
- Five-time Pro Bowl selection
- 12-year NFL veteran wide receiver joins Thursday Night Football pregame, halftime and postgame show on location team
Stacey Dales, Thursday Night Kickoff & Thursday Night Football Reporter for NFL Network and NFL.com/LIVE
- Third season with NFL Network providing reports from team facilities across the league
- Contributes pregame and postgame interviews and reports for NFL Network and NFL.com from the stadium
THE VETERANS:
Rich Eisen, Thursday Night Kickoff, Halftime Show and Postgame Show Host
- First on-air talent signed to NFL Network roster in June 2003
- Host of The Rich Eisen Podcast on NFL Network
- Two-time Sports Emmy nominee
- Sixth season as Thursday Night Football host
Steve Mariucci, Thursday Night Kickoff, Halftime Show and Postgame Show Analyst
- 2009 Sports Emmy nominee
- Six years of NFL head coaching experience, including four playoff trips and 1997 NFC Championship Game appearance
- Sixth season as NFL Network and Thursday Night Football analyst
Deion Sanders, Thursday Night Kickoff, Halftime Show and Postgame Show Analyst
- 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee
- Two-time Super Bowl champion and eight-time Pro Bowl selection
- Former NFL Defensive Player of the Year
- Ranked No. 34 on NFL Network’s The Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players
- Eight years of NFL broadcasting experience, sixth season as NFL Network and Thursday Night Football analyst
Marshall Faulk, Thursday Night Kickoff, Halftime Show and Postgame Show Analyst
- 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee
- Super Bowl champion and seven-time Pro Bowl selection
- Winner of numerous NFL awards including NFL MVP (2000), Offensive Player of the Year (1999-2001), Pro Bowl MVP (1995) and Rookie of the Year (1994).
- Sixth season as NFL Network and Thursday Night Football analyst
Alex Flanagan, Thursday Night Football Sideline Reporter
- Multi-dimensional reporter and host for NFL Network
- Reporter for NBC telecasts of Notre Dame football and network’s Olympic coverage
- Second season as Thursday Night Football sideline reporter
Kurt Warner, Thursday Night Kickoff Analyst
- Super Bowl MVP and four-time Pro Bowl selection
- Two-time NFL MVP
- Second season as NFL Network and Thursday Night Football analyst and first season contributing to NFL.com/LIVE coverage
Sterling Sharpe, Thursday Night Kickoff Analyst
- Five-time Pro Bowl selection
- 16-year veteran NFL broadcaster and one of first analysts to join NFL Network’s roster at the Network launch in 2003
- Second season as Thursday Night Football analyst
Jay Glazer, Thursday Night Kickoff Analyst
- Second season as Thursday Night Football analyst
- NFL insider on FOX NFL Sunday since 2004
- Senior writer for FOXSports.com
Kara Henderson, Thursday Night Kickoff host
- Anchors pregame analyst team from Los Angeles prior to all eight games
- Co-host of NFL Total Access Monday through Thursday
- Ninth season as a host and reporter with NFL Network
Jamie Dukes, Thursday Night Football In-Game and NFL Total Access Postgame Analyst for NFL Network and NFL.com/LIVE
- 10-year veteran NFL offensive lineman
- Sixth season as NFL Network analyst for NFL Total Access and Thursday Night Football
Bucky Brooks, Thursday Night Football Instant In-Game Analyst for NFL.com/LIVE
- Third season providing in-game Thursday Night Football analysis for NFL.com, first season ‘Instant Playbook’
- Played five years in the NFL
- Pro scout for seven years in the NFL
Paul Burmeister, Thursday Night Football In-Game Host for NFL.com/LIVE
- Eighth season with NFL Network as a host of NFL Total Access, Around the League and other daily Network programming
- Fifth season as host of NFL.com/LIVE: Thursday Night Football coverage team
- Served as play-by-play voice of NFL Network’s telecast of Arena Bowl XXIV alongside NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner
Steve Wyche, Thursday Night Football Reporter for NFL.com/LIVE
- Fourth season with NFL.com as senior writer and NFL Network insider
- Third season as in-game reporter for NFL.com/LIVE: Thursday Night Football from the stadium
Thursday Night Football Programming Schedule on NFL Network:
6:00 PM ET Thursday Night Kickoff
(Game site: Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders, Stacey Dales, Alex Flanagan; In-studio: Kara Henderson, Kurt Warner, Sterling Sharpe, Jay Glazer)8:00 PM ET Pre-kick Show
(Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, Alex Flanagan, Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders, Kurt Warner, Sterling Sharpe, Jay Glazer, Stacey Dales)Thursday Night Football
(Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, Alex Flanagan)Halftime Show
(Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders, Stacey Dales, Alex Flanagan)11:30 PM ET Postgame Show
(Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders, Stacey Dales, Alex Flanagan)12:00 AM ET NFL Total Access Postgame
***NFL.com/Live begins at 8:00 PM, continues until the end of the game***
(In-studio: Paul Burmeister, Kurt Warner, Bucky Brooks, Jamie Dukes; Game site: Stacey Dales, Steve Wyche)NFL Network 2011 Thursday Night Football Schedule
Week 10: Thursday, November 10 at 8:00 PM ET
Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers
Week 11: Thursday, November 17 at 8:00 PM ET
New York Jets at Denver Broncos
Week 12: Thursday, November 24 at 8:00 PM ET
San Francisco 49ers at Baltimore Ravens (Thanksgiving)
Week 13: Thursday, December 1 at 8:00 PM ET
Philadelphia Eagles at Seattle Seahawks
Week 14: Thursday, December 8 at 8:00 PM ET
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 15: Thursday, December 15 at 8:00 PM ET
Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons
Week 15: Saturday, December 17 at 8:00 PM ET
Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay BuccaneersWeek 16: Thursday, December 22 at 8:00 PM ET
Houston Texans at Indianapolis ColtsIn accordance to the NFL’s long-standing policy dating back to 1987, all NFL Network games will be carried on over-the-air television in the city of the visiting team and in the city where the game is played if it is sold out 72 hours in advance of kickoff.
Fans with NFL Mobile on Verizon Wireless will also be able to watch all eight NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football games live on their phones, giving them the ability to watch NFL Network wherever they are. NFL Mobile is available on most Verizon handsets at no additional cost to subscribers with a data plan.
I told you this was long. Another press release post is coming up.
