Views from an opening NFL weekend on the couch:

• Among the positives: Dan Patrick's flawless and witty narration of highlights on NBC and Michael Strahan's promising debut in Fox's studio.

• Less encouraging: the performance of Warren Sapp, who offered too much simplistic, superficial analysis on NFL Network's new pregame show but seems capable of more. His Inside the NFL debut was better, though his opportunities to offer commentary were more limited.

• I'll start with NBC. Keith Olbermann, trying to outdo ''tag-team partner'' Patrick, forced too many puns and was inappropriately whimsical discussing Tom Brady's injury on Football Night in America (7 p.m. Sundays).

But the polished, understated Patrick -- who worked with Olbermann on ESPN's SportsCenter in the 1990s -- handled his new gig splendidly, interjecting measured doses of humor. He had the perfect caption for Joe Flacco's less-than-blazing TD run against Cincinnati: ``Flacco fools the Bengals by appearing to be deceptively slow.''

Olbermann and Patrick should be able to recapture the magic of their halcyon years on SportsCenter, but Olbermann -- who is usually very funny -- must stop overswinging for jokes. Michael Weisman, the program's executive producer, wisely split his seven announcers into groups, with no more than four appearing on set at any time.

• Strahan displayed strong TV presence, though he could be more concise. The former Giants star amused at times, joking that he's ''renting out'' space in the gap between his front teeth.

He was honest, admitting he felt that if he had returned to the Giants last month that he would be ''stealing money.'' And he offered meaningful insight, asserting Tampa Bay was ''the only team we weren't afraid of'' in last year's NFC playoffs.

• Sapp has a knack for one-liners: On Showtime, he gave this advice to Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel, filling in for injured Brady: ``Just don't wreck the Rolls-Royce.''

But too much of Sapp's commentary, especially on NFL Network, consisted of saying teams were ''in trouble.'' The Panthers were ''in trouble'' in Week 1. The Bears were ''in trouble.'' The Packers were ''in trouble.'' Why? Sapp couldn't be troubled to get into details. (And all three of those teams won, incidentally). Sapp incorrectly picked Tampa against New Orleans simply because ``you never go against [Buccaneers coach] Johnny Gruden.''

Before Brady's injury, Sapp said New England would be just as formidable partly because '' Randy Moss wants a championship.'' So that's the reason?

Sapp, who is animated and willing to give strong opinions, needs to offer more depth in his analysis, which he did once Sunday when he correctly explained why Baltimore would be able to run on Cincinnati. Let's have more of that, Warren, and fewer throwaway lines that require little thought.

• In terms of formatting and approach, Inside the NFL on Showtime closely resembled the HBO version, aside from the show's cast members. (Only Cris Collinsworth migrated to Showtime.) Collinsworth expressed more concern about Cassel than Phil Simms did, and their exchanges figure to be lively.

But this viewer would prefer more time spent on analysis and a bit less time replaying three-day-old highlights (though NFL Films does first-rate work presenting those highlights).

• Dolphins-Jets produced a strong 23.1 rating on Channel 4 (meaning 23.4 percent of homes in Miami-Fort Lauderdale with TV sets were tuned to the game). That compares with a 21.2 for last year's Dolphins-Redskins opener and a 15.5 and 16.4 for last year's Dolphins-Jets games. Dolphins games on WFOR averaged a 17.1 in 2007.

• If only we had a dollar for every time ESPN's Michele Tafoya asks an athlete what was ''going through your mind'' during a key play (or some variation of that). . . . CBS' halftime stats included a new category of how many players caught passes, which seems far less interesting than who caught those passes (which, of course, CBS didn't identify). . . . Fox made a sound hire in Brian Billick, who was dead-on with strategy and correctly predicted what play Tampa Bay would run on the goal line (quick sprint to the right) for a TD against the Saints.

AROUND THE DIAL

NBA TV will allow people to vote online for which NBA game it should televise on Tuesdays this season. . . . Orlando Alzugaray is working both the 5-7 a.m. and

2-4 p.m. shifts on WQAM until January, when he will drop the morning show. WQAM originally planned to have Joe Rose begin an hour earlier at 6 a.m. but will not start that until January. . . . Jason Jackson, who left WQAM last month, rejoined 790 The Ticket as a fill-in host. . . . Jeff Conine will appear on FSN's Marlins telecast Friday as he prepares to fill in for Tommy Hutton, who will miss games Sept. 19-21 to attend hisnephew's wedding.

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