SI

5 Great NFL Announcing Moments From Week 8: Jim Nantz's Hail Mary Call Was Epic

A packed Week 8 slate produced some tremendous moments in the booth.

Liam McKeone

Jim Nantz executed a Hail Mary call to perfection this week
Jim Nantz executed a Hail Mary call to perfection this week / NFL on CB
In this story:

There's nothing like the NFL. And there's especially nothing like the NFL when something exciting happens. The best broadcasters in the world are tasked with bringing America's new favorite pastime to life. Usually they go viral for flubbing something. But more often than not they do great work as well.

For instance, here are a few awesome moments from Week 8.

Jim Nantz Freaking Nailed It

A successful Hail Mary For The Win is an extremely rare occurrence. For every time a team pulls off the unlikely last-second touchdown on a throw north of 50 yards, there are dozens of failed attempts. By and large the average NFL broadcaster has seen more flops than he can count. But to be a truly great play-by-play announcer, one must be prepared for the possibility that the next play is the greatest play in football history.

The Jayden Daniels Hail Mary wasn't quite that. But it was the best moment of the season and one of the most exciting Hail Marys ever. To further cement its place in history, Jim Nantz absolutely knocked it out of the park calling the epic finale. "CAUGHT! CAUGHT! IT'S A MIRACLE" is the sort of call that lives on in the minds of Commanders fans forever.

No notes. It was perfect.

Jay Feely Says The Bank Is Open

Among all the former quarterbacks littering the NFL broadcasting ranks, Jay Feely stands alone as a kicker-turned analyst for CBS. Even better, the CBS team really leans into his expertise and has him provide insight to the audience on basically any kick. It is a legitimately interesting change-up from the standard broadcast team and makes for an engaging viewing experience.

On Sunday he got his moment in the sun by pulling out a quick one-liner on a Dustin Hopkins kick during the Browns' upset of the Ravens. Kickers rarely get their love, so let's make sure Feely gets his in the booth.

Scott Hanson Ascends

Every regular NFL viewer knows of the "witching hour," the stretch of time that starts around 3 p.m. ET when all the 1 p.m. kickoff games are entering the fourth quarter. Many weeks the witching hour features one, maybe two close games to give credence to the moniker; otherwise the audience is largely waiting for the clock to run so the 4 p.m. slate can begin.

But once or twice a season the witching hour delivers multiple exciting conclusions happening all at once. This is when Scott Hanson really earns his money on NFL Red Zone. This Sunday gave viewers the most exciting witching hour of the season, and Hanson ascended to another plane of existence calling all the craziness in the triple-box.

Sit back and admire the master at work.

An Emotional Day for Cleveland

Jim Donovan, a longtime voice of the Cleveland Browns, passed away on Saturday at the age of 68. The team's current radio booth of Andrew Siciliano and and Nathan Zegura were working Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens with heavy hearts. An emotional day culminated in one final play as the Browns clung to a five-point lead and Lamar Jackson desperately trying to find someone in the end zone and video of those moments is pretty incredible.

Scenes like this are a reminder that the local broadcasts are such a big part of the local community and the voices become part of an extended community. The Browns are still a long way away from being a playoff team but that didn't matter because this win meant everything.

Jason Benetti Talks It Off

The Arizona Cardinals have played their way back into contention in the NFC West, getting a walk-off win against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday thanks to the foot of Chad Ryland. Jason Benetti was great on the deciding call, delivering one word at a time for maximum impact. Field goals present a different challenge because they aren't as exciting as touchdowns but this was a great way to hammer home the moment.

More of the Latest Around the NFL

feed

Published
Liam McKeone
LIAM MCKEONE

Liam McKeone is a senior writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry as a content creator since 2017, and prior to joining SI in May 2024, McKeone worked for NBC Sports Boston and The Big Lead. In addition to his work as a writer, he has hosted the Press Pass Podcast covering sports media and The Big Stream covering pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University, he is always up for a good debate and enjoys loudly arguing about sports, rap music, books and video games. McKeone has been a member of the National Sports Media Association since 2020.

Home/Media