Al Michaels Gets “Bye Week” & Returns on Dec. 1 for Cowboys-Vikings on NBC’s Thursday Night Football
Tirico & Cris Collinsworth Will Call Three Thanksgiving Week Games & Dec. 22 Giants-Eagles TNF Game on NBC
Michaels & Collinsworth Call Saints-Panthers Tomorrow in Debut of Thursday Night Football on NBC
STAMFORD, Conn. – November 16, 2016 - NBC Sports Group’s Mike Tirico will handle play-by-play for four NFL games on NBC this fall, beginning with this week’s Green Bay-Washington game on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
The assignments will mark Tirico’s regular-season play-by-play debut on NBC’s NFL coverage, and will provide Al Michaels with a midseason break.
“With the additional games on our schedule this season, it’s nice to have a bye week,” Michaels said. “We’re lucky to have someone of Mike’s caliber to step in with Cris, Michele and the rest of the team.”
“Once we added TNF, we always planned to give Al a chance to recharge to help him maintain his standard as one of the all-time greats. This week was the ideal time due to travel,” said Fred Gaudelli, Executive Producer of NBC’s Sunday Night Football and Thursday Night Football. “With Mike the voice of Monday Night Football for the last 10 years, we are fortunate to have two exceptional NFL play-by-play voices.”
Following Green Bay-Washington, Tirico will join Cris Collinsworth in the booth for NBC’s Pittsburgh-Indianapolis Thanksgiving night game, and the Kansas City-Denver Sunday Night Football game on Nov. 27. In addition, Tirico and Collinsworth will call the N.Y. Giants-Philadelphia NBC Thursday Night Football game on Dec. 22. Tirico joins Doug Flutie in the booth for the Dec. 17 Miami-N.Y. Jets and Dec. 25 Baltimore-Pittsburgh games, which will be televised on NFL Network.
Michaels will be in the booth with Collinsworth for tomorrow’s NBC debut of Thursday Night Football, as the Carolina Panthers host the New Orleans Saints (coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET with Football Night in Carolina). He will then return on Dec. 1, as the Dallas Cowboys visit the Minnesota Vikings on NBC’s Thursday Night Football. From Dec. 1 through the end of the season, Michaels will call all five remaining Sunday Night Football games, three Thursday Night Football games, and two NFL playoff games.
2016 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL & THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL | ||
| Thurs., Nov. 17 | Week 11 | New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers** |
| *Sun. Nov. 20 | Week 11 | Green Bay Packers at Washington Redskins |
| ***Thurs. Nov. 24 | Week 12 | Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts |
| *Sun. Nov. 27 | Week 12 | Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos |
| Thurs., Dec. 1 | Week 13 | Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings** |
| *Sun. Dec. 4 | Week 13 | Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks |
| Thurs., Dec. 8 | Week 14 | Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs** |
| *Sun. Dec. 11 | Week 14 | Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants |
| Thurs., Dec. 15 | Week 15 | Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks** |
| *Sun. Dec. 18 | Week 15 | Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals |
| Thurs., Dec. 22 | Week 16 | New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles** |
| Sun. Dec. 25 | Week 16 | Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs |
| *Sun. Jan. 1 | Week 17 | TBD |
*Flex Week
** Also on NFL Network and live streamed on Twitter, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app
*** Thanksgiving Night Game
--NBC SPORTS GROUP--