In the absence of the legendary Al Michaels, we heard a relatively new voice call the Houston Texans’ resounding 45-14 win over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday afternoon. It was young play-by-play commentator Noah Eagle — son of Ian, CBS’s No. 2 NFL announcer — who got the booth with partner Todd Blackledge.
And in the aftermath, the general consensus seems to be that Eagle did quite well while setting up a fantastic moment for the city of Houston.
For one, there was this excellent call after a second Texans’ pick-six to ice the victory:
"Houston, you have no problem with this defense!" – Noah Eagle 🏈🎙️ pic.twitter.com/8HVGPpSaIJ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 13, 2024
There was also this reference to Houston offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik as a “young man.” Note: Eagle is 26.
26-year-old Noah Eagle, speaking about 36-year-old Bobby Slowik: "He's an impressive young man.” 😄 pic.twitter.com/WBXXdlVW3W
— Funhouse (@BackAftaThis) January 13, 2024
Eagle will be NBC’s No. 2 playoff announcer this postseason. Judging by the early returns, the network made a smart decision to give the mic to the rising announcer.