Being an announcer on NFL games is not an easy job, and Troy Aikman knows that well. Once you get into sharing opinions on strategy, things can backfire as they did for Aikman.
Aikman and Joe Buck were on the call for the Monday night NFC Wild Card Playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dallas was leading 6-0 and had a 4th-and-goal at the Tampa Bay 1 with over six minutes left in the second quarter.
Right as the Cowboys were lined up to go for it, Aikman said that he would attempt a field goal.
“Boy, I think I’d take the three,” Aikman said.
Just a second after Aikman said that, Dak Prescott faked a handoff and bootlegged into the end zone untouched on a perfect play call.
Troy Aikman also said he'd take the field goal before the Dak Prescott one-yard touchdown run.
"Boy, I think I'd take the three."
Some risk-averse analysts tonight.
(Also, Cowboys kicker Brett Maher is now 0-for-2 on extra points in the game.) #ManningCast pic.twitter.com/y8eoQvvG8J
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 17, 2023
Dallas’ call and how easily they scored made Aikman look pretty bad.
It’s not easy to be on the spot and share your opinion with 20-plus million people watching. But it makes you look even worse when you’re wrong like that.
That was the right decision and a perfect call by Mike McCarthy, and it was perfectly timed with Aikman’s commentary.
