Boomer Esiason dissed the CFL and people aren’t having it.
Chris Streveler took over from Kyler Murray early in Sunday’s game between the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams. The former CFL quarterback threw a touchdown on his second pass attempt, but struggled to move the football for the rest of the first half.
Streveler threw a pick-six in the final minute of the second quarter to Troy Hill, who returned it 84 yards for the score. One of the game’s commentators was extremely unimpressed with the play.
Déjà vu ????@thrilll_32 with the pick-6! pic.twitter.com/1C3c75Z0an
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 3, 2021
“What a horrific mistake by ‘Reveler,'” said CBS announcer Boomer Esiason, who mispronounced Streveler’s name. “He throws it in between three Ram defenders as he is getting hit in the pocket. This isn’t the Grey Cup. This isn’t the CFL. You can’t just take chances and throw the ball down the middle of the field and expect somebody not to come down with it. There’s just no reason to throw the ball there.”
Streveler’s throw may not have been great, but many people took issue with Esiason using it as an opportunity to criticize the CFL.
Boomer knows that doesn’t work in the @cfl either, right? https://t.co/GfP2OMUUL7
— Travis Lulay (@TravisLulay) January 3, 2021
Romo with the Grey Cup slander ????
— DT on Sports Cage???? (@DTonSC) January 3, 2021
Man cmon with the @cfl shots!! We don’t just throw it up for grabs!! ????
— Chad Owens (@ChadOwens2) January 3, 2021
You can’t do this in the CFL either. https://t.co/SMc1IRGiwm
— ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????????? (@DarrinBauming) January 3, 2021
Just for clarity’s sake, this is a pass also not recommended in the CFL. https://t.co/stT5IJP1nu
— Brian Wilde (@BWildeMTL) January 3, 2021
The CFL slander has got to stop
— Kayla Grey (@Kayla_Grey) January 3, 2021
Boomer Esaison should know if a quarterback throws off his back foot it has the potential to be a bad throw in any league.
— Dave Campbell (@Dave_CHED) January 3, 2021
OK, Boomer (Esiason). https://t.co/rWflM6BUdQ
— Chris O'Leary (@olearychris) January 3, 2021
Guy throws a pick and they just slander the CFL jeez
— Adam Krueger (@damkrueger) January 3, 2021
Love Boomer, but cmon that CFL a comment wasn’t it. Do research first. Streveler wasn’t even a starter in the CFL, he was average. He’s acting like it’s the leagues best talent. Talking about throwing the ball in the middle of the field? That don’t work up north either
— joe horne (@joehorne81) January 3, 2021
Don’t know who the announcer is in Arizona… but man… he laid out the CFL after that Streveler pick 6
“This isn’t he Grey Cup, this isn’t the CFL, you just can’t do that…”
it was a bad throw but that was an unfair & unnecessary jab at the CFL
— Douglas Gelevan (@DGelevan) January 3, 2021
Boomer just hating now
— Derek Dennis (@6BONECRUSHER3) January 3, 2021
Also, Boomer knows he’s only calling this game because the starter is out too, right? Ok now I’m done. https://t.co/K0RjC6DSye
— Travis Lulay (@TravisLulay) January 3, 2021
Streveler finished the game completing 11-of-16 pass attempts for 105 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. His passer rating (81.5) ranked 26th of the 39 quarterbacks who attempted a pass on Sunday as the Cardinals fell to the Rams by a score of 18-7.
Anyone who follows the CFL knows that Streveler wasn’t an elite passer north of the border, throwing for eight touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2019. It’s his legs that set him apart, though the Cardinals have done little to take advantage of his rushing ability thus far.
Esiason was filling in for Tony Romo on Sunday, who missed the broadcast due to COVID-19 protocols. The 59-year-old played quarterback in the NFL for 14 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include Streveler’s final statistics and the final score of Sunday’s game between Arizona and Los Angeles.
