How is Jason Witten doing his first year on ESPN? 'You’re always looking to improve'

·NFL writer

15 November 2018 at 9:58 am

Jason Witten, left, and play-by-play commentator Joe Tessitore are in their first season together on — Jason Witten (L) and play-by-play commentator Joe Tessitore are in their first season together on “Monday Night Football.” (AP)

Not every broadcaster is going to be Tony Romo.

Like the players he’s commenting on, Jason Witten is still developing at his brand-new job, as the color analyst on “Monday Night Football.” It’s as high of a profile job as any in sports broadcasting. As such, all of his rookie mistakes are dissected in a way that he wouldn’t get if he were, say, part of the No. 4 team on Fox’s Sunday coverage.

Romo was an instant superstar in the booth last season, right after retirement from the Dallas Cowboys. Witten’s reviews have been mixed at best. Romo is an overpowering force at times on CBS’ telecasts, a combination of knowledge, humor and raw excitement. Witten just kind of blends in. Booger McFarland, the third announcer who is stationed by the field, feels like a bigger part of most of the “MNF” broadcasts.

Witten is learning as he goes, just on an enormous platform.

Jason Witten still looking to get better

Witten, who did a conference call to preview a colossal Kansas City Chiefs-Los Angeles Rams game on Monday night, wasn’t shy about saying he’s still learning.

“I mean I’m 10 games into it, of course you’re never going to feel like you’re where you want to be and it’s a unique challenge,” Witten said on a conference call, according to ESPN’s transcripts, “something that I’m invigorated by this process of going through it, it’s a unique team, so there’s a lot to learn from and every opportunity is a chance to get better at it and so over time I hope that it will be a good listen from an analyst standpoint of what we’re offering, but, yeah, you’re always looking to improve and get better at it and certainly that’s the case for me.”

“Monday Night Football” underwent a total overhaul. Jon Gruden left, Sean McDonough was replaced as the play-by-play man with Joe Tessitore. ESPN tried something different with McFarland, not as a sideline analyst but as the third man in the broadcast team, just from the field while Tessitore and Witten are up in the booth. Tessitore said he thinks the unique three-man crew is finding a rhythm in recent weeks.

And the key to the whole booth, Witten, was playing tight end last season. He was always good with the media but not in the media. This is a brand new profession for him. It doesn’t help that his former teammate and friend Romo was an instant success just a year before, and the comparisons were so easy. Witten has always owned up to his mistakes in the booth.

“Yeah, there’s been some flubs. I mean I made mistakes,” Witten said. “You try to own it, you embrace it. Hell, I’m not perfect, I’ve certainly had my fair share of mistakes on live television and more than anything else you try to embrace it, you laugh at it, you smile at it, I had the remark on Twitter that you don’t try to deny it.
“So it’s a transition, I try not to take it too serious, I really try to embrace it, and focus on improving. I understood when I took this job that it was going to be hard, it was going to be a transition. Certainly with Tony and the success that he had, I really try not to live in that world and fully embrace it and continue to get better and evaluate it.”

Witten and the ESPN crew has a big game on Monday

There are moments on Monday nights when Witten comes through with solid analysis. He knows the game very well, having played it at a Hall-of-Fame level for 15 seasons. If ESPN stays patient with him and its current Monday night setup, Witten should get better at the other parts of the job he gets criticized for.

For now, Witten is learning as he goes. Chiefs-Rams should draw enormous ratings as a matchup between two great offenses and legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Everyone will be watching the action, but also listening to Witten and offering an opinion.

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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