Collinsworth’s On-Air Call Preceded Smith-Njigba’s Game-Changing Score in Seahawks’ Opener Win

NBC’s Cris Collinsworth delivered one of the more remarkable broadcast moments of the young NFL season on Wednesday night, calling out the exact play Seattle was about to run seconds before it unfolded at Lumen Field.

Facing fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter of the season opener against New England, the Seahawks bypassed a short conversion attempt and instead attacked downfield. Collinsworth, working the Sunday Night Football booth, flagged the matchup before the snap.

“This is one of the few times you’re going to probably get JSN or one of these guys, one-on-one,” Collinsworth said on the broadcast. “Do you want to take a shot here?”

Seattle took that shot. Quarterback Drew Lock found Jaxon Smith-Njigba behind the Patriots’ secondary for a 45-yard touchdown, and Jason Myers’ extra point knotted the score at 10-10 early in the final period. The play ignited a comeback that ended with a 13-10 Seattle victory in the Super Bowl 60 rematch.

The sequence carried extra weight given the quarterback situation. Starter Sam Darnold exited with an injury on the game’s opening drive, forcing Lock into action. The backup responded with the decisive deep strike to his star receiver on the game’s biggest down.

The broadcast moment arrives during a strong stretch for NBC’s football franchise, which remains a cornerstone of the network’s sports programming. Parent company Comcast saw shares trade at $24.90 in recent action, up roughly 1% from the prior close of $24.65, valuing the media and telecom conglomerate at approximately $92.5 billion. NBC’s live sports rights — including Sunday Night Football — continue to anchor the company’s Media segment as live events remain among the few reliably appointment-viewing properties in television.

For the Seahawks, the win pairs a prime-time stage result with an early statement from Smith-Njigba, whose downfield production on the decisive drive underscored his status as Seattle’s top target. For New England, the loss came despite holding a fourth-quarter lead in a defensive-minded contest.

As for Collinsworth, the analysts’ prescient read — identifying the one-on-one coverage and urging the deep shot — quickly circulated on social media, with the network’s SNF account highlighting the call moments after the score.

What to watch

• Seattle’s updates on Sam Darnold’s injury status and whether Lock starts in Week 2.
• NBC/Comcast’s next quarterly earnings, which will detail advertising trends around NFL broadcasts.
• Smith-Njigba’s usage in the Seahawks’ upcoming game plans following his season-opening touchdown.

Source: original release