Viewers of Thursday night’s game between the Broncos and Colts weren’t treated to quality football, and the announcers weren’t going to try to spoil it and make it seem like it was anything but a bad game.
When the dust settled at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, the Colts had posted a 12-9 victory over the Broncos, with four Chase McLaughlin field goals enough to give Indianapolis the victory over three goals from Chase McLaughlin. Brandon McManus field.
As the broadcast progressed, the voice of “Thursday Night Football” Al Michaels rang out several times about the quality, or lack thereof, of the game.
“This is the kind of game you’d have as the fifth regional on CBS on Sunday.” –Al Michaels
—Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) October 7, 2022
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Michaels was especially on his A game in the third quarter. The Broncos had marched down the field to the Colts 9-yard line, setting up a first-and-goal with just over six minutes left in the quarter. It was the third time in the entire game that a team had reached the red zone and the first time that a team was within 10 yards of scoring.
“It’s 1st and Goal. Words I thought I’d never say tonight. — Al Michaels
—Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) October 7, 2022
How did that trip end? McManus couldn’t get a field goal attempt high enough over the defensive line to prevent himself from being blocked.
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“Of all things, that one gets blocked,” Michaels said on the call.
Well, who had blocked FG on his bingo card? ?#INDvsDEN on Prime Video
Also available on NFL+ https://t.co/qcjXnKpLn7 pic.twitter.com/HtJ8ncaE0A— NFL (@NFL) October 7, 2022
But Michaels wasn’t done there. On the next drive, as the Colts started at their own 24-yard line, Michaels tried to make the game sound a little more entertaining, telling analyst Kirk Herbstreit that “sometimes a game can be, at least up to this point, as bad that’s almost good. You know what I’m saying?
Herbstreit, like many watching at home, didn’t know what he was saying.
“No,” Herbstreit said. “I’m not feeling that here yet.”
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Michaels then explained that the game was pretty bad and not good, hoping that maybe it would blow up soon. The next play was a completion for a five-yard loss to bring up a third-and-15. Matt Ryan then threw an interception.
Al Michaels: “Sometimes a game can be…so bad it’s almost good. You know what I’m saying?”
Kirk Herbstreit: “No! I don’t feel that here yet!”
This was followed by a Colts pass for -5 yards and then another interception by Matt Ryan. ?? #TNF pic.twitter.com/PBROC4yF3G
— Horrible announcing (@awfulanounce) October 7, 2022
As if that were not enough, the Broncos, from the Colts’ 27-yard line, had three incomplete passes in a row and had to settle for a field goal.
There really wasn’t much of anything all night. Twelve times during the night, teams faced a third down with more than 10 yards to go to get their first. The Colts and Broncos combined for 37 first downs and 681 yards. Quarterbacks combined to complete 58.8 percent of their passes. The teams were 0 for 6 in the red zone. There were 15 penalties for 113 yards.
The local Denver television station didn’t mince words either. ABC 7 sports analyst Nick Rothschild apologized to viewers after the game and said that he felt bad because the game aired on ABC 7 and that he was at the game and didn’t want to watch it. Troy Renck piled on even more.
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“It burns the retinas. It was that horrible,” Renck said.
The local Broncos station apologizes to the audience for the terrible football game and throws out wonderful reviews. pic.twitter.com/kqT6mREWwt
—Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) October 7, 2022
If that matchup was considered one of the best of the week, maybe Tom Brady was right about the state of the league.