Phil Mickelson was the star of Peyton and Eli Manning’s “Monday Night Football” ESPN2 broadcast of the 49ers’ win over the Rams.
Mickelson grilled the Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks and impressed fans (and Pat McAfee) with his football knowledge.
“So OBJ just came to the Rams. Eli, you spent a lot of time with him in New York,” Mickelson said about their five seasons together with the Giants.
“What does [Beckham Jr.] bring to the Rams? Maybe not tonight because they haven’t had a chance to work with their chemistry? Why did he struggle or not play his best in Cleveland, and why is that going to be different for him here with the Rams?”
Last Thursday, the Rams signed Beckham Jr. amid some free agency drama following his breakup with the Browns.
In his Rams debut, Beckham Jr. had two catches for 18 yards.
Later on, Mickelson admitted he believes in the rumored “Manningcast Curse,” which the brothers attempted to debunk.
“No, I believe that it is a thing, and that’s why I’m not playing next week,” Mickelson said. “I didn’t know if it would carry over to golf or not. I think it’s real.”
The “curse” derived after six active NFL players lost their game the week after appearing as a guest on the Manningcast: Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Rob Gronkowski (Buccaneers), Matthew Stafford (Rams), Tom Brady (Buccaneers) and Josh Allen (Bills) all were defeated after their appearances with the quarterback brothers.
After Mickelson’s football analysis, Peyton asked the 45-time PGA Tour winner to analyze Eli’s golf swing.
“One word to describe it is ‘cute,’” Mickelson said about Eli’s swing. The pro golfer previously played against Peyton during the second and third editions of The Match.
“The club is a little behind him and low going back, so his arms aren’t out in front of him — they get a little bit too flat,” Mickelson said. “So he has to use all of his athleticism to square the face. Like I said, ‘it’s cute,’ but it could be better.”
Mickelson has won four of his last six appearances on the PGA Champions Tour and will likely make his next appearance at the Tournament of Champions in January following his PGA Championship conquest.