ManningCast features two 'Monday Night Football' games at once: What went right and wrong

It felt like the ManningCast was careening out of control.

Peyton and Eli Manning were providing analysis for two games taking place once — a first for their alternate telecast on "Monday Night Football" — and their producers seemed to be having diabolical fun.

In the first quarter, as the Green Bay Packers battled the New York Giants and the Tennessee Titans tangled with the Miami Dolphins, the ManningCast switch back and forth between the two games 15 times (by my count).

It was enough to induce nausea and test the retired quarterbacks.

They were up for the challenge.

The brothers admirably juggled two competitive games, four solid guests and offered up some insight.

From Peyton: If the backup center is in the game, he’d prefer to be in the shotgun formation, "because if it’s a bad snap, at least you can recover it." This came after TuaTagovailoa was under center when he fumbled a snap from the team’s backup center, rushed into action when the starter suffered a knee injury.

Both games finished in dramatic fashion. Both Manning had caught their breath. The switching from one game to the other slowed down, allowing the viewer to enjoy the unfolding of the final moments and the Mannings’ take on it all.

“That was fun,’’ they told each other when it ended.

It’d be hard to disagree.

Peyton Manning made a promise

The most befuddling moment of the ManningCast came during the second quarter, near the end of a guest appearance by comedian Nate Bargatze.

With two exciting games underway, the ManningCast cameras focused Bargatze’s father, Stephen, a magician who has opened on the road for his son. The elder Bargatze attempted a card trick that lasted longer than the game-winning touchdown drives by the Titans and the Giants combined. (Those thrilling drives consumed one minute and 59 seconds. The card trick consumed more than two minutes and the patience of viewers.)

Finally and abruptly, the ManningCast returned to game action — a split second before viewers could see Stephen Bargatze apparently complete the successful card trick.

As the first half came to an end, Eli Manning said, “We’ll be back after halftime, Peyt.’’

Replied Peyton Manning, “No more magic tricks, we promise you.’’

That wasn’t the only unfortunate moment. Well, depending on how you feel about the Mannings’ habit of butt-cheek talk. In this case, talk focused on a quarterback’s familiarity with his starting center’s butt cheeks.

“Could you (be blindfolded) and just have your hands under and tell who it is?’’ Nate Bargatze asked.

“Yep,’’ Peyton Manning replied. “A hundred percent. ... I knew Jeff Saturday’s butt cheeks as well anybody.’’

Kirk Cousins compares self to turtle

The accelerated recovery of New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has surprised members of the medical community. No telling how those same people would feel about Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins crawling across beach sand while recovering from the same injury suffered Oct. 29.

Cousins made a guest appearance in the fourth quarter of the ManningCast, and the telecast showed video of Cousins crawling across beach sand. He explained he had told the Vikings’ trainers that he wanted to get in the ocean not long after.

"And they just shook their head and said, 'No way,'" said Cousins, who had surgery for his torn Achilles tendon Nov. 1. "And I said, ‘Oh, yeah, we’re going to find a way.

"So I said to my wife, 'I’m going to crawl and just slowly work my way in.' I was going to get in the ocean one way or another. Slow and steady wins the race. I’m like a sea turtle making his way out."

Or as slow as a card trick being performed by Nate Bargatze’s dad.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ManningCast: Peyton and Eli admirably juggle two competitive MNF games