Sunday Night Football viewers have grown accustomed to Cris Collinsworth’s booth commentary, but his most recent habit had viewers practically grabbing their remotes and phones to switch streaming platforms. Meanwhile, an ex-NFL player who was fired for his political stance slammed Charlie Kirk after the conservative commentator was assassinated earlier this week.
Throughout NBC and Peacock’s coverage of the Minnesota Vikings‘ meeting with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Collinsworth fixated on a particular term to characterize Brian Flores’ defense. Flores took over as defensive coordinator in Minnesota in 2023 and transformed the squad into one of the NFL’s premier defensive units.
The term was “exotic,” and he deployed it so frequently that it became a talking point on social media. Collinsworth — who has said he’s not going to retire anytime soon – echoed the phrase five times during the broadcast, including once in quick succession.
He characterized Flores’ defensive schemes as “exotic” on consecutive plays. However, the redundancy shifted attention away from the genuine analysis, prompting fans to concentrate more on his choice of words than the Vikings’ tactical approach.
The online community quickly grew weary and felt compelled to react to his commentary.
One viewer commented, “If you’re playing the Cris Collinsworth says ‘exotic’ drinking game, you’re now getting your stomach pumped at the hospital.”
Another chimed in with a quip, “Did Cris Collinsworth just discover the word ‘exotic’ today or something?”
The critiques continued as another NFL enthusiast remarked, “Matching exotic for exotic? What does that even mean? Mike Tirico deserves better than Cris Collinsworth.” Yet another viewer expressed annoyance: “Cris Collinsworth keeps using the term ‘exotic’ and it’s really bugging tf outta me.”
A fifth fan humorously suggested, “I should have taken the over for how many times Cris Collinsworth would use the word ‘exotic’ during this Falcons/Vikings game tonight.”
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Flores’ defense was a blend of pressures, disguised coverages, and innovative elements that the Falcons eventually deciphered. The Atlanta team dominated the Vikings’ defense with over 300 yards, while the Vikings struggled to amass 200 over four quarters.
Bijan Robinson rushed for over 100 yards, while Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy threw two interceptions and no touchdowns. Three different Vikings rushers got their chance during the game, but none managed to rush for over 40 yards. In the final moments of Sunday night’s game, Vikings return man Myles Price fumbled the catch of a punt return, which Atlanta recovered.
Michael Penix Jr. took a knee for a one-yard loss at the Minnesota 45-yard line with just 20 seconds remaining in regulation to secure the 22-6 victory.