The news of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson‘s 11-game suspension was the story of the day in sports talk radio on Thursday, and for good reason.
Watson will be eligible to return to the Browns in Week 13 following the team’s bye week. It just so happens that Cleveland is scheduled to play at Watson’s former team, the Houston Texans, in Week 13.
Call it fate, or call it a calculated move by the NFL. ESPN Houston host Brad Kellner said on The Wheelhouse on Thursday that the league knew what they were doing when they landed on an 11-game suspension for Watson.
“This is the umpteenth time that the NFL has made a decision for money and ratings,” Kellner said. “This is what they do. It’s why they’re king. Of course they’re opening themselves up to criticism. But oh my god, that game, the ticket sales and the TV ratings? It’s gonna be maybe the most-watched NFL game the entire year.”
With it being an AFC matchup, CBS will likely carry coverage of the much anticipated contest. Host Cody Stoots said those tuning in to watch everything unfold on television shouldn’t expect the network to shuffle the assignment deck and have its top broadcast team on the call.
“From a TV perspective, you’re not gonna get Nantz and Romo and Tracy Wolfson,” Stoots said. “They’re gonna do the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals that week, just looking at the schedule. But you gotta get the number two team to the Texans/Browns, though. Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn? I don’t want Spero Dedes and Jay Feely. I don’t want Tom McCarthy and Tiki Barber.”
Stoots, Kellner and Jake Asman both tossed around the idea of the game being flexed to NBC for Sunday night, but Kellner said the game will likely stay where it is on the schedule.
“They might just leave it at noon to try to minimize the headlines, even though they could’ve done that a lot better by giving him a full season suspension,” Kellner said.
Stoots added that having the game kick off at noon local time would probably be the smartest thing for the league to do in an effort to downplay Watson’s return. But the broadcast crew calling the game won’t be the bottom of the barrel either.
“They’re gonna act like it’s not a big deal, and you shouldn’t be focusing on this game, and then all of a sudden Ian Eagle is going to call his first Texans game all season, because they don’t want Spero Dedes and Jay Feely breaking it down,” Stoots said.