Kirk Herbstreit’s Thursday night analysis got an unflattering review.
As the Chicago Bears hosted the New England Patriots, several viewers took aim at the Prime Video broadcast. Their complaints ranged from Herbstreit’s explanations between plays to the overall experience of listening to him alongside Al Michaels.
NFL Fans Question Kirk Herbstreit’s Analysis During Patriots-Bears
One viewer gave Herbstreit credit for the mechanics of broadcasting before questioning what he offered as an analyst.
“He’s a perfectly fine broadcaster, has good tone and decent timing, but his ‘analysis’ is so underwhelming. Just adds nothing of substance,”the fan wrote.
That criticism gets at a demanding part of the job. An analyst has a short window between snaps to explain a coverage, identify a missed assignment, or show why a play worked. A polished delivery only goes so far when viewers are waiting to learn something about what just happened.
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Another fan delivered a considerably shorter verdict.
“It’s a terrible listen,”the viewer wrote.
The dissatisfaction also extended to the pairing. “They are by far my least favorite commentators,”another fan added.
Herbstreit and Michaels have worked together on Prime Video’s Thursday package since 2022. Their partnership puts two familiar football voices on the same broadcast, with Michaels handling play-by-play and Herbstreit providing analysis.
Thursday’s responses showed how those assignments can draw different complaints. One viewer specifically acknowledged Herbstreit’s tone and timing. Others had already reached the point where the entire broadcast was wearing on them.
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A College Football Aside Draws Another Complaint
One fan also questioned Herbstreit’s college football knowledge, describing an exchange involving Northwestern’s ranking.
“And he’s out of touch with CFB too… ‘man. Northwestern, if they win this week, they could even crack the top 25.’ Al had to tell him they’re already ranked 24,”the fan wrote.
That was the viewer’s account of the exchange. The complaint carried an extra jab because college football has long been central to Herbstreit’s broadcasting career, including his work on ESPN’s “College GameDay.”
The criticism comes weeks after news ofHerbstreit’s reported Amazon extension. According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, the agreement allows Amazon flexibility to make a change if a preferred candidate becomes available.
An unhappy reaction thread offers no indication that Amazon plans to exercise that option. It does, however, capture what these viewers want from the analyst’s chair.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.