Behind the scenes with FOX's NFL crew: The Philly special

By Richie Zyontz
FOX NFL Lead Producer

Editor's Note: Richie Zyontz has been an NFL producer for FOX since 1994 and the lead producer for the last 20 seasons. He has more than 40 years of experience covering the league and has produced six Super Bowls. Throughout the 2022 NFL season, he will provide an inside look as FOX's new No. 1 NFL team makes its journey toward Super Bowl LVII.

When the NFL schedule came out in May, our crew made certain assumptions.

Of course, the Rams, Packers and Buccaneers would continue to be the gold standards of the NFC. Games involving those teams were circled on our calendars — sure blockbusters. That Rams-Chiefs game after Thanksgiving could be a Super Bowl preview.

But in the words of the great Scottish poet Robert Burns, "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry."

This pearl of wisdom applies to the defending Super Bowl champion Rams (3-9), who have been decimated by injuries and are now mere spectators as a new power has emerged in the NFC.

That juggernaut is the Philadelphia Eagles, a team our crew laid eyes on for the first time Sunday in The City of Brotherly Love.

The Hungry Z's had the No. 1 pick in the A-Team fantasy football league, but this season has not gone according to plan. (Photo courtesy of Richie Zyontz)

Surprise teams and players are a yearly occurrence.

They not only wreak havoc on NFL schedule-makers, but perhaps most importantly (selfishly), on our A-Team fantasy football league.

The league dates back 15 years and is a source of joy and anguish for all involved.

Take, for example, the Hungry Z's, a team aggressively co-owned by associate producer Rich Gross and myself. We felt good on draft night about assembling a team to be proud of. Then our plans went awry, as the aforementioned Scottish bard foretold.

Did we know that drafting Colts running back Jonathan Taylor with the first overall pick would be a total bust for our team?

Or that dynamic Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray would suddenly lose his dynamism ?

Hell no!

The standings for the A-Team fantasy football league tell the story of a rough season for the Hungry Z's. (Photo courtesy of Richie Zyontz)

While the Z's flounder, The Squirts thrive. An original franchise now run by crew rookie Kevin Burkhardt and broadcast associate Casey Garland, they have deftly maneuvered through six different quarterbacks to first place atop the standings.

It's a strategy our team might emulate when pondering next year's draft.

On a positive note for the Z's, we picked up Cleveland's defense this week and saw them put up 30 points against the woeful Texans. Our matchup against Zecca Sanitation is still too close to call as of Sunday night.

Pastificio is a frequent stop for the crew when it hits Philadelphia. (Photo courtesy of Richie Zyontz)

When The Hungry Z's actually get hungry, as they often do, there's no better place to be than Philadelphia.

That's because Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Eagles, is only a stone's throw from Pastificio in South Philly.

Pastificio is the quintessential Italian deli, with perhaps the best hoagie bread found anywhere in the country. Meatball parm on Saturday, chicken parm on Sunday. Heaven!

When covering an Eagles game, the first topic among our crew isn't always related to football.

It usually centers around what we want to order from Pastificio.

The glue of the operation

While Pastificio sustains us, Lucas Males and our team of truck engineers help maintain us. These are the invaluable members of the crew who remain way behind the scenes and deserve our lasting appreciation.

They all work for Game Creek Video, a family-owned business based in New Hampshire, operated by Pat Sullivan and his sons. This is the same Sullivan family that once owned the Boston/New England Patriots from 1960-1988. Now, they own a fleet of mobile television trucks serving multiple networks.

And they have assembled a crack staff of engineers.

Lucas, handy by nature, went straight from high school in the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh into a job at 20 years of age working maintenance in a television truck. Twenty-two years later, he helps build and design these trucks, presiding over $40 million worth of state-of-the-art equipment. Along with co-engineers Charles Babir, Shane Gibbons and Drake Meinard, Lucas makes problems disappear.

He also travels with a panini press and slips me a grilled-cheese sandwich every now and then. Lucas is versatile like that.

Back to the game

To be blunt, the game between the Titans and Eagles was awful. Philadelphia played sloppily but good enough to beat a shockingly inept Tennessee team. The game officials felt the need to throw a flag on virtually every play, destroying the rhythm for players, broadcasters and fans alike.

There was one storyline that played out in a narratively compelling way. Eagles receiver AJ Brown was facing his old Tennessee teammates and had a huge day.

At this point, it's clear the Eagles are the class of the NFC. Philadelphia rolled to a 35-10 victory and is now 11-1 on the season.

Our truck drivers now head west for a cross-country journey to Santa Clara, Caifornia. where next Sunday the Bucs face the San Francisco 49ers.