Al Michaels’ Latest Call Sparks Fan Frustration After Falcons-Bucs Thriller
Thursday night’s NFC South showdown between the Falcons and Buccaneers delivered one of the most surprising finishes of the 2025 NFL season. Atlanta stormed back with 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, capping it off with a walk-off field goal from Zane Gonzalez that stunned Tampa Bay and kept the Falcons very much alive in the playoff race.
But while the game itself brought late-game drama and playoff implications, the postgame conversation quickly shifted away from the field - and into the broadcast booth.
Al Michaels, a legendary voice in NFL history, was on the call alongside Kirk Herbstreit for Amazon’s Thursday Night Football. And when Gonzalez’s game-winning kick sailed through the uprights, fans were expecting a call to match the moment. What they got instead was... well, let’s just say it didn’t exactly echo the energy of the moment.
Michaels, never known for over-the-top theatrics, delivered the call with a tone some fans felt was more suited to a second-quarter field goal than a game-winner in a divisional clash. And social media didn’t hold back.
Fans flooded timelines with reactions, many expressing disappointment with what they saw as a lack of enthusiasm. Some called it “the most boring call of all-time,” while others said it sounded like Michaels was “half asleep.” Another fan joked that the kick “felt like it happened in the second quarter,” not as the clock hit zero.
To be fair, Michaels has earned the benefit of the doubt over a storied career that includes some of the most iconic moments in sports broadcasting - from “Do you believe in miracles?” to countless prime-time NFL classics. But this isn’t the first time this season that fans have raised concerns about his energy level or accuracy in the booth.
Earlier in the year, Michaels was criticized for his performance during the Commanders-Packers game in Week 2. And during the Giants-Eagles matchup in Week 6, he mistakenly said Saquon Barkley had been traded to Philadelphia - a slip-up he quickly corrected, noting Barkley had actually signed there as a free agent.
At 81 years old, Michaels has acknowledged that the future of his broadcasting career is still up in the air. In a recent interview, he said he hopes to return in 2026, but he also recognized that the decision isn’t entirely in his hands.
Michaels’ legacy in sports broadcasting is secure. He’s called Super Bowls, World Series, and Olympic moments that are etched in American sports history. But this latest moment - a thrilling finish that deserved a call to match - has reignited the conversation about whether it’s time for the next voice to step in on Thursday Night Football.
For now, Atlanta walks away with a huge win, and the NFC South race gets even tighter. But in the aftermath, the buzz isn’t just about the Falcons’ comeback - it’s about whether one of the game’s most iconic voices still has the juice to match the moment.