The Denver Broncos are set to host the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Round, with the game scheduled to air on CBS. But ahead of kickoff, NBC’s Saturday Night Live jumped into the conversation with a skit. And the odd part is that instead of leaning into CBS branding with Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, and Tracy Wolfson, the sketch was framed around ESPN’s Monday Night Football setup, complete with impressions of Troy Aikman, Joe Buck, and Lisa Salters.

And in a nearly four-and-a-half-minute sketch, one moment clearly didn’t land for ESPN’s Jenna Laine. Taking to her official ‘X’ account, Laine called out the skit, especially the Salters’ bit, for missing the mark entirely. “It was like she’d never actually watched Lisa…ever. Usually in skits, they get the voice, they get the mannerisms…it had none of that,” she wrote, criticizing.

The sketch itself featured multiple bits, including heavy-handed promos for Disney’s spoof segment. But Laine’s issue centered on one specific moment, when the fake Aikman and Buck tossed it to Salters for a Broncos update, factoring in Bo Nix being out and Jarrett Stidham stepping in to run the offense. Instead of a standard sideline report, the skit’s version of Salters essentially wrote off Denver’s season before the game even began.

“The Broncos have nothing to be ashamed of,” she said. “They had a great season and shouldn’t hold back their heads, just hold their heads high. I’m sure they’ll be the team to watch next year.”

That framing is exactly what didn’t sit right with Laine, especially given that both she and Salters work for ESPN. On top of that, the Broncos–Patriots matchup had nothing to do with ESPN in the first place, which only made the creative choice feel more disconnected.

When you zoom out, though, the skit was clearly leaning into satire. It exaggerated Disney’s self-promotion, included a fake show called “Quefs,” and repeatedly circled back to the joke of Salters prematurely declaring Denver’s season over. The entire segment runs about four and a half minutes and feels more focused on mocking modern NFL broadcasts, including Aikman and Buck, than actually saying anything about football, using the Broncos’ situation as the punchline.

This is exactly why it’s safe to assume that Laine wasn’t alone in that reaction. The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand also weighed in on social media, writing, “I didn’t find this funny. Wanted to but didn’t think it was good,” while also adding, “I know it’s comedy but I particularly didn’t like or get the Salters part,” a few moments later.

Taken together, it suggested the sketch missed its target for more than a few industry voices. That said, the actual Broncos–Patriots AFC Championship coverage will unfold on CBS. And while the SNL skit has drawn criticism, Aikman himself was in a different headspace altogether, recently revisiting memories from his own NFC Championship run during the 1992 season.

Troy Aikman relived the Cowboys’ NFC Championship Round from 1993

While Troy Aikman won’t be on the call for Sunday’s Championship matchups, that didn’t stop him from revisiting one of the most defining days of his career: The 1993 NFC Championship Game. Taking to Instagram, the Dallas Cowboys legend shared a photo alongside Jimmy Johnson from that afternoon, pairing it with a simple, nostalgic caption: “January 17, 1993. NFC Championship Game. Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA.”

And it’s easy to see why that game still carries so much meaning for both Aikman and Johnson. Facing the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick, the Cowboys stayed efficient on both sides of the ball from start to finish. Aikman, in particular, delivered a near-flawless outing. He completed 24 of 34 passes for 322 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 120.0.

Emmitt Smith matched that impact on the ground and through the air, rushing for 114 yards on 24 carries while adding seven receptions for 59 yards, finishing with one rushing and one receiving touchdown. When it was all said and done, Dallas secured a composed 30–20 victory. But beyond the performance, though, the game also carried special weight for Johnson, marking the first time he uttered what would become the most famous phrase in Cowboys history: “How ’bout them Cowboys?”

Top Stories

NFL Announces Punishment Decision for Josh Allen’s Bills Following Divisional Round Loss

When 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan Got Arrested Defending Raheem Morris at 2005 NFL Combine

Donald Trump Announces Super Bowl Decision, Slams Halftime Performer Bad Bunny & Green Day

Mike McDaniel Quits on Cleveland Browns as Shedeur Sanders Receives Worrying QB Update

“Please Pray”: Bills Legend Jim Kelly Announces Concerning Health Update on Ailing Grandson After 38 Days of Hospitalization

“I don’t mean to put a damper on anything. No, no, no, but you do understand we do have one game left to play,” the CBS cameras captured Johnson inside the locker room telling his players after the win. “Hey, fantastic, fantastic, fantastic. Every single one of you. And I’m not just talking about these last 60 minutes. I’m talking about the quarterback schools, the minicamps, the offseason, the training camp down in Austin when it was hot and you were tired. The whole bit. Everybody, you did one helluva job. And only thing else I got to say is, ‘How ’bout them Cowboys?”

That moment ultimately preceded Johnson’s first Super Bowl title as Dallas’ head coach, effectively kickstarting the Cowboys dynasty with a championship win over the Buffalo Bills. Fast forward to over three decades, and the memory is still fresh in Troy Aikman’s heart and head.