Your NFL Network game team: Papa 'n' Millen

Matt Millen's charmed life without being connected to the Detroit Lions continues, as the NFL Network has hired him to be the game analyst on its eight telecasts this fall between Nov. 12 and Dec. 25.

He replaces Cris Collinsworth, and will work with play-by-play man Bob Papa.

Millen, fired by the Lions as their team president last September before they went on to an 0-16 season, has since worked for NBC during its Super Bowl coverage last February and been hired by ESPN as a studio analyst for the NFL and do college games.

Although Millen had a decent career with CBS as a game analyst following his NFL career -- much of it as a linebacker with the Raiders -- his run with the Lions is what many will remember him for.

"My tenure was not good; it was very poor," Millen said on a conference call. "So it's been said that you learn a lot from failures, and I learned a ton. So I can bring that to the table. I think I view my experience in Detroit as a positive just in terms of -- not in terms of winning and losing, obviously -- but having gone through it and having been exposed to every level of the National Football League.

"Yeah, I think that's something that could help with the telecast."

There are no Detroit appearances scheduled on the NFL Network slate of games.

"To have Matt available and not having him do NFL games this year would just cheat the fan," NFL Network executive producer Eric Weinberger said.