Many expected fireworks with the Eagles facing the Green Bat Packers on Monday Night Football. The clash between the NFC’s best turned into a defensive standoff, but the Birds put the game to bed with a 10-7 win to maintain their grip on the top spot in the NFC.
As the punters on both teams made their case for MVP, retired NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning found plenty of excitement dissecting the game with some Philly celebrities on the ManningCast. Here’s everything you may have missed from the broadcast:
What is there to talk about?
With little going on in the game, the Mannings found plenty of jabs to throw at the Birds — first taking aim at everyone’s favorite punching bag in the Tush Push.
“It looks like guys are leaving early,” Peyton said. “… The left guard is early, the Packers are doing it, so if you’re not going to call it, than don’t call it either way.”
“I feel like they’ve done that all season,” Eli responded. “You think the refs would be looking for that.”
» READ MORE: Grading the Eagles’ win over the Green Bay Packers
Positive yards didn’t help cheer up the brothers, as Jalen Hurts choosing to scramble instead of pass late in the second was met with more negativity.
Perfecting the job of the armchair analyst, Peyton was quick to assume how A.J. Brown was reacting to his quarterback’s performance.
“I don’t think he saw him,” Peyton said. “You think [Brown] is going to bring that up? Say ‘I was open; I was open.’”
» READ MORE: Jason Kelce ice skates, more Tush Push controversy, and other nuggets from the Eagles-Packers broadcast
In the fourth, Peyton refused to lighten up on Brown, despite crediting him with drawing two defenders on DeVonta Smith’s fourth-quarter touchdown, which gave the Eagles a two-score lead with 10 minutes, 35 seconds to go.
After Josh Jacobs’ responded with a touchdown of his own later in the fourth quarter to bring the game back within three, the Colts and Broncos legend found a way to drag Brown again despite the team converting a big third-and-12.
“Shane [Gillis, one of the Mannings’ guests on the show], I’m going to tell [Brown] that you wanted the ball to go to him,” Peyton said following a catch from Smith. “I know there’s tension in the locker room right now. I’m going to be on the record saying he wanted to go to Brown, but he went to Smith, though.”
All about Abbott (Elementary)
Quinta Brunson, the star of the hit Philly-based sitcom Abbott Elementary, brought some much needed life to a difficult-to-watch broadcast. The West Philly native came out firing with her first moments of screen time.
“I’ve had to train myself to have patience to be able to talk with you today,” Brunson said to Eli Manning.
“Why, because you’re an Eagles fan?” Eli responded. “… Jeez Louise, I can’t escape y’all.”
The insults didn’t stop there as Brunson repeatedly slighted Eli by complimenting Payton while acting as a voice for frustrated fans who had to sit through a scoreless first half.
“This has been kind of a wild game,” Brunson said. “I think Eli said it earlier; it would be nice to see some more points on the board.”
In between her quips, though, Brunson may have let it slip that she’s maybe not as big of an Eagles fan as she has led us to believe — she claims she became a fan when they “won the 2011 Super Bowl.”
What?
Nothing Shady
Comedian Shane Gillis also made an appearance on the broadcast — chopping it up with the Mannings for a majority of the third and fourth quarter.
A Mechanicsburg, Pa., native and former offensive tackle at Trinity High School in Cumberland County, Gillis had to play against Eagles legend LeSean McCoy multiple times growing up.
“I went to the Catholic school across the river,” Gillis said. “I had to play him my entire life in every sport. And he just destroyed us every single year.”
Still an Eagles fan despite the embarrassment McCoy gave him, Gillis went on to perfectly predict the Eagles victory. After calling Reed Blankenship’s forced fumble and the ensuing blocked field goal, Gillis was placed high up on Manning’s predictions tracker.
What did he just say!?
Gillis, predictably, is all for the Tush Push, but it’s not something his Trinity squads were executing in the mid-2000s.
But now after his latest Peyton’s Places episode, the elder Manning brother has some lived experience with the play. And he had a bit of advice to offer.
“Better listen, Shane,” Peyton said. “Head down a— up, remember that advice.”
“Are you allowed to say that on TV?” Eli Manning responded.
“It’s ESPN2.” Peyton finished.