If you had zero score context, you would’ve thought that Al Michaels — in a special return appearance to NBC — and Tony Dungy were calling a random, run-of-the-mill October game. But no, they actually had the call of the Jacksonville Jaguars shocking the Los Angeles Chargers in the third-largest playoff comeback in NFL playoff history.
Did the announcing pair sell the moment, adding relevant excitement or thrills to one of the more remarkable outcomes in the sport’s century-plus lore? Did they noticeably change their tone or have viewers on the edge of their seats as the Jaguars slowly inched their way back to drive a stake into the Chargers and continue that franchise’s curse? Perhaps they even discussed what might be on the line for Brandon Staley and his future in L.A. as the drama built in Jacksonville?
Dearest Readers, if they did, I must have missed it! And so did nearly everyone else watching the chaos unfold on Saturday night. It’s almost difficult to describe just how badly Michaels and Dungy whiffed on the dramatic moment. Their call of the game was that bad.
The football world wasn’t remotely happy with the guys in the booth.