Report: NBC catches Al Michaels ‘off guard’ with surprising playoff decision

Aug 26, 2018; Arlington, TX, USA; Network television commentator Al Michaels before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Al Michaels still had a key role with NBC’s NFL coverage last season even when he left “Sunday Night Football” to work for Amazon, but that will not be the case again this year.

Michaels will not call a game for NBC during the NFL Playoffs this year, according to a report from Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.

NBC has three playoff games next month, including a doubleheader during Wild Card weekend. Their top “Sunday Night Football” team of Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth will call one game of the doubleheader, and many assumed Michaels would be the play-by-play announcer for the other. Michaels even said during a November interview with the New York Post that he believed that was the plan.

Apparently not, as NBC Sports VP Greg Hughes confirmed to Marchand that the network’s No. 1 college broadcast team of Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge will handle the second game of NBC’s doubleheader.

Michaels called last year’s NBC playoff game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars alongside Tony Dungy. The duo was criticized for some of their low-energy calls in what was what of the greatest comebacks of all time. Michaels dismissed the criticism, but perhaps NBC executives felt the same as some fans.

Michaels, 79, currently calls “Thursday Night Football” with Kirk Herbstreit on Amazon. Some believe the legendary play-by-play announcer is starting to lose his fastball.