The Best Commentator Pairings in the NFL

1 - Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth - NBC

These two are undoubtedly the best pairing of commenters right now. Al Michaels clearly has the best understanding of football for a play-by-play commentator, unlike some of the others. The same is true with Collinsworth, as his knowledge of football is obviously incredible, but what is most appealing about the duo, is the way they talk together. With some other pairings, it's sometimes a one-man show, or even worse, just stating what is going on during the game. With these two, they make it so much more than just what is occurring during the game, and that is why they are number 1 on my list, for greatest commentator pairings in the NFL.

2 - Sean McDonough and Jon Gruden - ESPN

This may be more of a subjective opinion, but Jon Gruden to me is one of the best announcers and here's why: One, he has the clear intellectual knowledge as a former coach, so he knows what each formation and what each defense is called every single play. Sometimes you will even hear him say " Sean, this is a running play to the right, which will work because the defense is in a Tampa 2 Zone". Something along the lines of this is definitely something you will hear him say. But of course, there will be people saying " Wait, there's a bunch of announcers that used to play, so he isn't really that special". Well he absolutely is special, and not just another one of those analysts... You can feel it when he speaks, just how much he loves the game and commentating. The way he describes every play and every small little detail is incredible, to just see how much he actually knows. Even if the Browns and 49ers are playing, I would still tune in to watch just to hear at least 10 minutes of Gruden, which is why these two are my second favorite commentator pairing for the NFL. McDonough pairs nicely with Gruden's over the top stance.

3 - Jim Nantz and Tony Romo

CBS has always been a great national station, but they have never been the best or in the top tier in terms of football. Jim Nantz has always been a great play by play commentator, but Phil Simms brought him down a little bit in the last few years. The addition of Tony Romo has been wonderful this year, listening to the ex-Cowboys Quarterback in his first year as a commentator has been quite the experience for the audience. Much like Gruden, he has become known for taking a look at the formations of the offense and defense, and predicting what will occur on the following play. Overall, these two are a great pairing when it comes to the quality of the broadcast, and a great improvement from what we have seen from CBS in the past.