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          'Nice call, Romo': Five things we learned from Peyton & Eli Manning's Monday Night Football Week 2 telecast

          • Tory Barron, ESPN EditorSep 21, 2021, 03:30 AM
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              Tory Barron is a Bristol-based writer and editor for ESPN.com. After retiring from playing lacrosse at UConn, the DC native decided to try her hand at writing about people playing sports.
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          No, it wasn't a fluke. Monday has, in fact, met its match in the Manning brothers. Peyton and Eli Manning returned for the second installment of their Monday Night Football telecast during the Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers game and picked up right where they left off a week ago.

          After a much ballyhooed performance in Week 1, the Mannings kicked things off by reviewing pertinent feedback from their debut broadcast (note: Eli's jokes about Peyton's forehead get the people going). Then, they seamlessly transitioned into some good, old-fashioned New England Patriots trash talk before welcoming one Rob Gronkowski onto the call.

          The story time that ensued with guests Gronk, Brett Favre, Patrick Willis and Pat McAfee was as enthralling as Peyton's undeniable adoration for well-executed offensive football -- and the brothers' disdain for the Lions' failure to play Cover 2.

          From Gronk's admission that he outsources his film watching to Tom Brady, to Eli's confession that he once tried to sneak into a bar to meet Favre, here are five things we gleaned from Week 2 of the Manning bros' broadcast:

          Peyton's got Spygate jokes ...

          "I think our conversation was bugged, kind of like what the Patriots used to do back in the day." -- Peyton to Eli on the Packers deciding to run the ball

          "Every time I played against New England I used to go and talk to my receivers in the showers. Don't talk about a play next to my locker because I know it's bugged. I know it's got a hot mic in there. ... Very strange to see seven guys hanging out back there in the shower." -- Peyton referencing the bugged Patriots locker room rumors

          Gronk doesn't watch film, he just runs by guys ...

          Eli can't help but troll Peyton ...

          "A little play-action shot here for a touchdown." -- Peyton predicting the first-and-goal call

          *Lions run it*

          "Nice call, Romo." -- Eli alluding that his big bro can't predict plays like Tony Romo can

          McAfee needs to join the show every week ...

          Jay Cutler is bought in ...

          The former Chicago Bears QB was locked in (and live tweeting) throughout the broadcast. When Cutler called attention to Peyton's solo cup, the older Manning bro had the perfect enigmatic reply:

          "It's not TB12 water." -- Peyton replying to Cutler's inquiring tweet

          What did we do on Monday nights before this? We, too, need more Peyton (and Eli).