Al Michaels Faces Criticism After Flat Call on Falcons’ Game-Winning Kick vs. Bucs
It was a dramatic finish in Tampa Bay on Thursday night - the kind of ending that usually lights up living rooms and sends announcers into a frenzy. The Atlanta Falcons edged out the Buccaneers 29-28 on a last-second field goal by Zane Gonzalez, a kick that curled just inside the left upright and sealed a crucial win in the NFC South race. But while the Falcons celebrated on the field, many fans were left scratching their heads at what they heard - or didn’t hear - in the broadcast booth.
Al Michaels, the legendary play-by-play voice with more than five decades behind the mic, delivered the final call with a tone that some viewers found surprisingly muted. “The kick is just inside the left upright, and there’s a little celebrating going on in Charlotte, North Carolina right now,” Michaels said, his voice calm and measured as Gonzalez’s kick sailed through.
The call quickly sparked a wave of reactions online, with fans questioning whether the 81-year-old broadcaster still brings the energy expected for primetime moments. Social media lit up with criticism, with some suggesting it may be time for Michaels to step away from the booth.
“Al Michaels needs to retire,” one fan posted. “That’s the most emotion you can give on a game winner on primetime? Nahhh, his time is up.”
Others echoed the sentiment, with comments ranging from “Get Al Michaels out of the booth” to “Al Michaels just announced a game-winning field goal like it was a 30-yarder with 3 minutes left in the first.”
One fan acknowledged Michaels’ storied career but still didn’t hold back: “Al Michaels is a legend. He’s had a Hall of Fame broadcasting career.
But he has completely lost it. His enthusiasm on that game-winning FG was as if it was a preseason game.
It’s embarrassing for the NFL to have him calling games on Prime.”
There was even a bit of humor mixed in with the criticism, with one user joking, “Sounds like he had a bet on the Bucs.”
To be clear, Michaels has long been one of the most respected voices in American sports. His resume is the stuff of broadcast legend - from his iconic “Do you believe in miracles?” call during the 1980 Winter Olympics to decades of NFL primetime coverage with ABC, NBC, and now Amazon Prime.
He first took the reins of Thursday Night Football back in 2016 with NBC, and when Amazon Prime secured exclusive rights in 2022, Michaels became the full-time play-by-play voice alongside analyst Kirk Herbstreit. But in recent years, his more subdued style - particularly in high-stakes moments - has drawn increasing scrutiny.
Michaels has addressed the criticism before. In 2023, he spoke candidly about his approach to broadcasting and the feedback he’s received.
“Look, sometimes I’ll take some s***,” Michaels said at the time. “People say, ‘He didn’t get excited enough.’
What do you want me to do? Scream, holler, yell the game?
That ain’t me. That ain’t [Joe] Buck, that ain’t [Jim] Nantz.”
He also made it clear that social media noise doesn’t rattle him. “I can’t pay attention to anti-social media,” he said.
“We live in a country with 330 million people. And if eight people rip you on social media, I’m going, ‘huh?’
Now anybody sitting in a basement has a platform.”
For Michaels, the focus has always been on consistency, not theatrics. “You can’t let things like that distress you,” he added.
“I’ve been doing this for so long. And I wouldn’t be here at this point still doing a major package if I was doing it the wrong way.”
Still, Thursday night’s flat finish left many fans wondering whether Michaels’ understated delivery still fits the moment - especially in a league that thrives on spectacle and emotion. Gonzalez’s kick was a game-winner, a season-shifter, the kind of play that usually gets the full treatment from the booth.
Instead, it got a quiet nod.
And in today’s NFL, where every moment is magnified and every call becomes part of the experience, fans are asking whether one of the game's most iconic voices is still the right one for primetime.