Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has had a banner year, and even the most devoted Birds fans couldn’t predict what unfolded on their team’s first offensive play from scrimmage.
What started as a standard toss play to Barkley quickly transformed into one of his trademark explosive touchdown runs, with Fox announcers Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady barely containing their excitement during the exhilarating 60-yard dash.
SAQUON BARKLEY TO THE HOUSE!
Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady with the Commanders-Eagles NFC Championship Game call for Fox. 🏈⚡️🎙️ #NFL pic.twitter.com/Os8bxJpt5p
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 26, 2025
“Here’s Barkley, a little shovel,” Burkhardt began. “Looking for an edge, gets it. Saquon Barkley, first down! Barkley! OHHHH! Saquooooon! Touchdown!!” The call perfectly captured the moment. At first, it seemed like a standard first down run, but Barkley’s bounce off a would-be tackler and cut back inside turned the play into something special. Brady’s simultaneous “OHHHH!” as Barkley broke the tackle elevated the excitement even further.
Brady then broke down the play: “They fake the jet sweep and run a toss crack. And Saquon in space, 13 yards downfield, Chinn can’t get him on the ground, Martin can’t get him on the ground.”
This thrilling start for Burkhardt and Brady marked their first NFC Championship game together, and with the Super Bowl on the horizon, Brady seems to be hitting his stride. Exciting plays like Barkley’s certainly make their calls a lot easier.
