Tom Brady played it safe but showed upside in $375 million Fox NFL debut

Tom Brady had ups and downs in his highly anticipated Fox Sports announcing debut.Fox signed Brady to a 10-year deal worth a total of $375 million more than two years ago, and the sports world has been waiting with bated breath to see how he’d perform in the booth.The game wound up being a dud as the Cowboys won 33-17 in a contest that was effectively over at halftime, so we will have to wait at least a week longer to assess how Brady handles truly big moments.TV networks covet the aura of former players and coaches who had Hall of Fame careers and won titles.Fox in particular places an emphasis on this for NFL analysts, with past color commentators including John Madden and Troy Aikman, plus active studio talents Terry Bradshaw, Jimmy Johnson, Howie Long, Rob Gronkowski and Michael Strahan.Brady brings that in spades as the most accomplished quarterback in NFL history, having won seven Super Bowl championships with the Patriots and Buccaneers.When Fox cut to him and play-by-play partner Kevin Burkhardt for the pregame introduction, it immediately felt like a big game.Brady appeared to be cognizant of letting the game breathe, heeding the advice of Phil Simms, the former top CBS analyst and Giants great, who told The Post last week that nobody has ever complained about an announcer who talks too little.In key moments, Brady paused to let the viewer hear the crowd reaction at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland before weighing in.Crucially, he finished his thoughts concisely, passing the proverbial baton back to Burkhardt before it was time to call new plays.Brady came across as warm — he had a graceful tone, striking a balance between showing enthusiasm for the action on the field while remaining relaxed and at ease.He had a sense of humor, chiding Browns star pass rusher Myles Garrett for jumping offsides in the second quarter.“You don’t need to go that far — you already beat everybody off the line on that little burst move you’ve got,” Brady said wit...