Trevor Noah's backing up Taylor Swift ... saying the Grammys wouldn't focus lenses on her like the NFL -- they'd go after a former player.
The comedian just took to the Grammys stage to perform his opening monologue -- during which he stayed real positive and complimentary -- before mentioning the world's biggest pop star and chastising NFL fans for blaming Taylor for the amount football broadcasts cut to her.
Noah said she doesn't control the cameras, so people need to chill out ... before insisting that every time someone mentioned Swift, he'd make sure the cameras cut to an ex-NFL player.
The camera then jumped ... to actor and "America's Got Talent" host Terry Crews, who looked totally surprised by the attention.
If you don't know, TC wasn't always an actor -- he played 32 NFL games for three teams between 1991 and 1995 ... the perfect person for TN to use in his revenge plan.
Terry cracked up ... with Noah continuing to yel; funny/harassing things at the absolutely ripped 55-year-old.
It's all in good fun and an especially topical joke ... 'cause Taylor's probably heading to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas next week -- so NFL fans can expect more Swift on their screen soon enough
BTW ... Taylor looked stunning in a flowing white dress on the red carpet -- which she was left to walk alone because of her man Travis Kelce's practice schedule.
Better keep smiling, Terry ... don't want a candid moment turning into a meme!