Al Michaels Addresses NFL’s Correction During Vikings vs. Chargers Game

During the Thursday night matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Chargers, play-by-play announcer Al Michaels revealed that he was approached by the NFL while on air. He found himself needing to correct a “mess” related to a comment he made.

In the third quarter, as the Vikings surged ahead 24-3, Michaels discussed a missed field goal by Vikings kicker Will Reichard. He mentioned that Reichard’s only miss this season happened in Week 5 against the Browns in London, where the ball allegedly struck the Skycam wire. The NFL, however, wanted Michaels to clarify that this incident was an “optical illusion,” contrary to Reichard’s claim.

In that earlier game, the Vikings managed to clinch a 21-17 victory over the Browns.

“I mentioned that Reichard’s only mistake was hitting a power line in London, but the league insisted that it was just an optical illusion,” Michaels stated. “It’s quite different from what Reichard suggested.”

“In any case, it’s been sorted out. I tend to clean up after these things. That’s just how it is,” he added.

Before Week 5, Reichard had a flawless record, making all eight of his field goal attempts.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz shared that both Reichard and the Vikings requested that the league nullify the missed field goal from the official stats, citing interference. Although the NFL acknowledged it was a miscall, they decided against making any statistical adjustments.

After Reichard missed a second kick—a 53-yard attempt to end the first half of Thursday’s game—Michaels made the necessary corrections per the NFL’s request.

Ultimately, the Vikings fell to the Chargers with a final score of 37-10.

Next up, Minnesota (3-4) will go head-to-head against NFC North rival Detroit Lions (5-2) on Sunday, November 2.