Al Michaels' voice was front and center Thursday night. The reaction to it was not kind.
Videos by FanBuzz
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images
As the Seahawks stormed back to beat the Rams 38-37 in an overtime thriller, much of the postgame conversation focused less on Seattle's stunning rally and more on what many viewers felt was a lack of enthusiasm from Michaels on Amazon Prime's broadcast.
For a game that featured a massive comeback, overtime drama and a gutsy game-winning decision, fans expected a call that matched the moment.
They did not think they got it.
Social media lit up during and after the game, with particular criticism aimed at Michaels' delivery on the decisive sequence. Many felt the tone never rose to match the stakes, even as the Seahawks erased a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit and closed it out in overtime.
Al Michaels it might be time to hang it up
Least enthusiastic touchdown call you’ll ever hear pic.twitter.com/hN9MWc3g8e
— Barstool Gambling (@stoolgambling) December 19, 2025
This is familiar territory for Michaels, now 81, who has faced similar critiques in recent seasons. He has largely brushed them aside, leaning on a résumé that includes decades of iconic calls and a place among the greatest broadcasters in sports history. That legacy is not in question.
The timing, however, is awkward.
Amazon continues to push itself as a major NFL broadcast partner, and expectations are high for marquee moments to feel, well, marquee. When the sound does not match the spectacle, it becomes noticeable, especially in games this good.
50 yard TD in overtime to decide the 1 seed and Al Michaels just called it like a random touchdown in a second quarter pic.twitter.com/grjCEVCWtc
— ` (@merctial) December 19, 2025
Michaels operates on a year-to-year basis at this stage of his career, and the decision about what comes next remains his. Thursday's game was unforgettable. The call, in the eyes of many, was not.
