CBS is an American Football Conference-specific broadcasting football network.

So it’s somewhat understandable when the network has a Sunday game that features one AFC team and one NFC team the broadcasters would focus on the AFC team and not the NFC team.

However, Sunday’s 3 p.m. game between the NFC’s New Orleans Saints and the AFC’s New York Jets was a true example of a broadcasting network’s inability to break from its normal plan.

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CBS’ top two broadcasting teams consist of Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf and Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. Gumbel and Dierdorf were assigned in the Jets/Saints game and the duo came in fully prepared to tell television viewers everything that was wonderful under the sun about the Jets.

The broadcast happened to be the third Jets game Gumbel and Dierdorf worked this season despite the year being only four weeks old. The result was one-sided game calling in which viewers were constantly informed about how special a defensive coach the Jets’ Rex Ryan is and how poised Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is so early in his football career.

When the game reached halftime with the Saints sporting a commanding 17-3 lead, Dierdorf was quick to point out how happy Ryan must be that the almighty Jets were trailing by only 14 points and just a touchdown short of making the game a close contest.

It seemed Dierdorf was especially proud when the Jets did score a touchdown in the second half, making the score 17-10, so much so that he exclaimed fans finally had “a game.” The contest on the field did not last long as the Saints scored again and won by a comfortable 14 points. The final was 24-10.

In fact, the Saints did not find themselves trailing at any point in the game. In truth, the Saints have not trailed their opponents at any point this season. These were points simply glossed over by the broadcasting duo of Gumbel and Dierdorf.

For the better part of three hours, almost all football fans heard about was the defensive genius of Ryan and the moxie of Sanchez.

New Saints defensive coordinator Greg Williams, whose defense scored two touchdowns, forced four turnovers and sacked Sanchez four times, was barely mentioned.

Part of the problem stems from Dierdorf, whose role in the booth as color analyst is to provide viewers with a former player’s perspective of the game. Dierdorf, a three-time Emmy nominee in his field, was once great at this. Those days are gone.

Dierdorf retired after 13 years in the NFL in 1983. It’s been 26 years since he played.

In the years after his retirement, his fresh perspective of the game was insightful, but he has not been nominated for an Emmy since 1989, 20 years ago.

No one he played with still plays. None of the head coaches in the NFL when he played still coaches. So instead of fresh, player-oriented commentary, all he offers now is cliché.

It was obvious throughout the game both Dierdorf and Gumbel were prepared for a Jets-themed show. When the game proved to be a New Orleans whitewashing, they were ill-prepared to change course.

Luckily for New Orleans fans, the Saints’ next game against the New York Giants Oct. 18 features two NFC teams and will be broadcast on FOX, the NFC network. No matter who wins, the broadcast team should be prepared to speak about both clubs.

STEPHEN HEMELT is city editor of The Daily Iberian. He can be reached at stephen.hemelt@daily-iberian.com.