SI

Bengals ‘Butt Tackle’ Gives Joe Buck a Reason to Break Out Cris Collinsworth Impression

"Collinsworth's smiling somewhere."

Mike Kadlick

The butt tackle, as seen on Monday Night Football
The butt tackle, as seen on Monday Night Football / Screenshot via @awfulannouncing on X.
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First there was the butt fumble. Now? We have the butt tackle.

During Monday night's contest between Bengals and Cowboys, Cincinnati running back Khalil Herbert ran directly into the backside of tackle Cody Ford—causing him to fall to the ground.

The sequence made way for a classic exchange between ESPN's Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, while also sparking a fun jab toward their colleague Cris Collinsworth.

"No gain on the play as Kendricks and Linval Joseph combine to make the tackle," Buck said with some hesitation while trying to figure out who made the play.

"Well watch Cody Ford," Troy Aikman interjected. "I mean he makes the tackle. Cody Ford is starting at left tackle and—boom! There's the butt fumble, that was the butt tackle. Collinsworth's smiling somewhere."

NBC's lead color commentator since 2009, Collinsworth was famously on the call for Jets vs. Patriots on Thanksgiving night, 2012—when the butt fumble between Mark Sanchez and Brandon Moore was born.

"Oh man, cmon!" Buck laughed, while mimicking Collinsworth. "C'mon Aikman!"

To add to the fun? Collinsworth played eight seasons with the Bengals from 1981-1988, leading the ESPN team to assume that he was tuning in live.

"You know he's watching, said Aikman. "His Bengals are on TV. He's having a house party."

Responded Buck: "He's got his little Bengals PJs on ready to watch."

Classic.

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Mike Kadlick
MIKE KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He has a master's in public relations from Boston University. Kadlick is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.

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