FOX analyst Greg Olsen drew criticism from viewers during the Detroit Lions’ Week 10 international game against the New England Patriots after appearing to identify Lions center Juice Scruggs as a Patriots player.
The matchup took place at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, with Olsen working alongside play-by-play announcer Joe Davis. The apparent mix-up quickly became a talking point on social media, where fans questioned how a player from one team could be mistaken for a member of the other.
“Juice Scruggs has been traded to the Pats, according to Greg Olsen,” one fan wrote on X. Another viewer objected to the apparent description, posting, “Greg Olsen just called the Pats #70 Juice Scruggs. The disrespect.”
Other fans expressed disbelief. “Did Greg Olsen just say our center was Juice Scruggs?” one viewer asked.
Scruggs was playing for Detroit and wearing No. 70. He had stepped into the starting lineup because center Cade Mays was ruled out with a low ankle sprain. Mays did not travel with the Lions to Germany, leaving Scruggs to continue filling in after starting at center in the team’s previous game against Miami.
The incident also brought renewed attention to criticism of Olsen’s commentary earlier in the season. During FOX’s broadcast of a San Francisco 49ers game against the Atlanta Falcons, viewers criticized him for appearing to confuse a hook-and-ladder play with a flea-flicker.
The two plays use different sequences. On a flea-flicker, the offense begins with a handoff to a running back, who then tosses the ball back to the quarterback. The quarterback can then attempt a pass. A hook-and-ladder starts with a completed pass to a receiver, who laterals the ball to a teammate in an effort to gain additional yardage.
That earlier terminology mix-up also prompted comments from viewers. “If Greg Olsen calls that hook and ladder a flea flicker one more time, I’m going to lose it,” one fan wrote. Another joked, “Or ‘flea flicker’ as Greg Olsen likes to call it.”
Olsen’s background as a player has contributed to the attention surrounding the mistakes. He played in the NFL for 14 seasons before moving into broadcasting, appearing for the Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks. His playing career included a notable run in Carolina: from 2014 through 2016, he became the first tight end in league history to record at least 1,000 receiving yards in three consecutive seasons.
Since entering broadcasting, Olsen has become one of FOX’s prominent NFL analysts. He regularly explains formations, personnel choices and offensive decisions to viewers. That role brings expectations that he will accurately identify players and describe football concepts, particularly when those details are central to a broadcast.
The Lions-Patriots incident therefore landed in the context of earlier criticism. A mistaken player identification can stand out during a live game, especially when the player’s team and position are clear to fans watching. The reaction was amplified by the fact that Scruggs was filling in for an injured teammate and had also started the previous week.
For viewers, the apparent identification of Scruggs as a Patriots player became more than an isolated broadcast moment. Fans connected it to the earlier discussion about Olsen’s use of football terminology, adding to the scrutiny of his work in the booth.
The social media response does not change Olsen’s extensive playing experience or his standing as a prominent analyst, but it shows how closely fans follow live commentary. For now, the Scruggs mix-up has become another talking point from the broadcast, with viewers revisiting previous moments as they assess Olsen’s calls throughout the season.
