The Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers faced off on Sunday for what was one of the least anticipated games of the NFL Week 5 slate, but play-by-play announcer Eric Collins made Fox viewers feel like they were watching the game of the year.
The game marked the NFL debut for Collins, who is also the television play-by-play announcer for the Charlotte Hornets and does college football and college basketball games for Fox Sports, as well as MLB broadcasts. He’ll also be part of Prime Video’s upcoming NBA coverage. But his last Fox NFL-related experience was for NFL Europe games in 2002.
Collins is known for having as much enthusiasm and crazy calls as any play-by-play announcer in sports, and that remained the case for his NFL debut, which was fittingly in Charlotte.
Carolina trailed Miami 17-0 in the second quarter before the Panthers scored a touchdown that might have led viewers to believe it was a game-winning play with the intensity Collins brought to the call alongside color commentator Mark Schlereth.
Eric Collins makes Dolphins-Panthers feel like the Super Bowl. 🏈🔥🎙️ #NFL pic.twitter.com/bGcZBHarnp https://t.co/kbxSaRQJCW
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 5, 2025
Panthers running back Rico Dowdle had Collins going wild all day. Dowdle steamrolled the Miami defense for 206 yards over 23 carries and a touchdown, while adding three catches for 28 yards.
Rico showing off the wheels
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/9cu9gMpSiD
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 5, 2025
Rico Dowdle has Eric Collins going absolutely bonkers on the Dolphins-Panthers broadcast. 🏈🔥🎙️ #NFL pic.twitter.com/md7ukSxYQs
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 5, 2025
Collins brought the enthusiasm for the Miami big plays too, like on this Tua Tagovailoa 46-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle in the fourth quarter.
Eric Collins on the call for the Tua to Waddle big Dolphins TD. 🏈🔥🎙️ #NFL pic.twitter.com/kwYWN51ARv
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 5, 2025
On the ensuing drive, the Panthers scored what would serve as the game-winning touchdown on a four-yard pass from Bryce Young to Mitchell Evans.
“Bryce Young, GOT HIS MAAAAAAN! TOUCHDOOOWN! MITCHELL EVANS!”
Eric Collins on what would serve as the Panthers’ game-winning touchdown vs the Dolphins. 🏈🎙️ #NFL pic.twitter.com/qMtcLX3jb4
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 5, 2025
Miami got the ball back trailing 27-24, but Carolina’s Patrick Jones II brought down Tagovailoa for a sack to to force a punt, and the Panthers would proceed to run out the clock.
“Third-and-TENNNN! DOWN GOES TAGOVAILOA! PATRICK JONES GOT HIM!”
Pat Jones takes him down
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/hOScXNoAMR
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 5, 2025
Many Dolphins-Panthers viewers took to social media to note the enthusiasm Collins brought to the Fox broadcast.
This game has been wild and the announcer Eric Collins has been killing it. pic.twitter.com/lcl6Z7vaDx
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 5, 2025
Eric Collins is electric in the booth pic.twitter.com/uMdqJLir2n
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) October 5, 2025
I don’t care what anyone says. Eric Collins is crushing it in Carolina-Miami. He is making an expired ham sandwich feel like a Michelin star experience.
— Conor Orr (@ConorOrr) October 5, 2025
Eric Collins, the Charlotte Hornets announcer, is on the Panthers call today..
NATIONAL TREASURE.pic.twitter.com/vI45YV3BmV
— Brett Hanfling (@Brett_Hanfling) October 5, 2025
Eric Collins is Gus Johnson 2.0. Love the energy.
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) October 5, 2025
Watching people discover Eric Collins in real time has been a joy today https://t.co/DDrlnFaqbT
— Owen O’Connor (@OwenOConnorNBA) October 5, 2025
Collins got the opportunity to do an NFL broadcast with Joe Davis and Adam Amin calling MLB postseason games for Fox. Perhaps the positive reviews and buzz Collins created will lead to more NFL opportunities in the future.