Did the NFL call to correct Al Michaels on Will Reichard FG stat?

The Minnesota Vikings lost for the second time in five days after the team’s no-show on Thursday Night Football. And hit Carson Wentz started but struggled against a stout Los Angeles Chargers defense. Vikings fans hope to forget the 37-10 Week 8 drubbing. And apparently they are not alone.

The NFL would like viewers to forget the comment Al Michaels made in the first half of the TNF game. The veteran announcer explained that Vikings kicker Will Reichard has only had one missed field goal this season. And that miss came after a shot that hit a camera wire when Minnesota played in London in Week 5.

That statement appears to have struck a chord with the league office. Because when Reichard lined up for a 32-yard field goal in the third quarter, Michaels issued a correction species.

“The league wants to take away my lunch because I said earlier that Reichardt’s only miss was hitting the wire in London. The league says, ‘No, no. It was an optical illusion.’ Not what Reichard thinks. Anyway, here it is. We cleaned it up,” Michaels said, per 33 Team’s Ari Meirov.

Al Michaels makes Vareygate with a weird correction on a Vikings FG miss

The hit in question occurred in the fourth quarter of the Vikings’ Week 5 matchup with the Cleveland Browns. Reichardt was a perfect 4-4 with 50+ yards at that point in the season. His 51-yard field goal against the Browns appeared to be on net until it suddenly veered right.

If the ball had hit the string it would have resulted in a re-hit. But the umpires either missed the interference or didn’t think there was contact. In the end, Reichardt’s attempt was officially ruled a miss, wide to the right.

Interestingly, the NFL’s stance right after the Vikings’ Week 5 win overseas was that there is no clear view of balls hitting the wire, per PFF. It seems pretty obvious that the league reached out to Michaels during Thursday Night Football in Week 8 and asked for a correction. But did the officials ask the announcer to call the incident an “optical illusion” or was it a Michaels commercial?

Either way, the controversial hit is no longer the only blemish on Reichardt’s record this season. He missed a 53-yard field goal late in the first half with the Vikings trailing 21-3.