Super Bowl 2012: NBC Duo of Michaels and Collinsworth Provide a Perfect Telecast

The NBC crew had a brilliant Super Bowl telecast with Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth once again proving that they are the best football broadcasting duo in the business.

Their call of the New York Giants' 21-17 win over the New England Patriots is an instant classic. 

For Michaels, it was his eighth Super Bowl play-by-play assignment to go along with the same number of World Series broadcasts as well as three NBA Finals. He is clearly this generation's top play-by-play man, bar none.

Also, credit goes to the production team, led by producer Fred Gaudelli and director Drew Esocoff, who did not miss a shot and had every angle covered. From an overall production standpoint, it was a perfect game telecast from start to classic finish.

Here a few highlights from Sunday night's game as well as some of the post-game comments.  

Cris Collinsworth on Mario Manningham's catch: “Absolutely unbelievable. Will go down as one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history. And it reminds you just a bit of David Tyree and the last time Eli Manning had the unbelievable drive. The Velcro on the helmet as Al Michaels described it." Collinsworth on Eli Manning: “How brilliant can Easy-Eli be? And he will never again have to answer questions, ‘Do you consider yourself an elite quarterback and in Tom Brady’s class?’” Al Michaels on Manning: “And he wins it in the house that his brother built.” Michaels on New England: “The New England Patriots will have another Super Bowl tape that they won’t want to look at.”    Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison Post-Game Comments Harrison: “We knew this game was going to come down to the fourth quarter, and everyone thought I was crazy a week ago when I said I trust Eli Manning more in the fourth quarter than I did Tom Brady. I think you saw tonight why I said that. Tom Brady had a couple opportunities, missed some opportunities down the field. Eli didn’t. He won this football game.” Dungy: “I was in New York with the Giants last week and every defensive player told me how much confidence they had in Eli Manning. Justin Tuck said, ‘We know if we can just get that stop in the fourth quarter Eli will win it for us.’ And he proved them right tonight.”   Bob Costas' Final Thoughts on the Game “Had it turned out the other way, with a victory tonight Belichick and Brady would have put themselves at or near the top of the discussion of the greatest coach and quarterback of the Super Bowl era. Instead it turns out that it’s Coughlin and Eli Manning who put themselves in the discussion for the Hall of Fame. Because quite simply, in dramatic fashion they have now twice bested the team considered to be the best of its era in the game that matters most.”