Mike Tirico Crushed Season-Defining Missed Kick at End of Steelers-Ravens Classic

NBC's play-by-play voice had a memorable call of Tyler Loop's missed kick.
Ravens kicker Tyler Loop reacts after missing late field goal against the Steelers.
Ravens kicker Tyler Loop reacts after missing late field goal against the Steelers. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The 272nd and final regular season game of the 2025 NFL season was one of the most dramatic and meaningful as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens battled back and forth to capture the last remaining playoff spot. There were plenty of heroes and goats over the action-packed final minutes before everything came down to Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop attempting a 44-yard field goal to decide victory and defeat.

Loop's kick sailed far to the right and propelled the Steelers into the playoffs, capping a tremendous three hours of action and making a sleepy Week 18 all worth it. Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth, using the winner-take-all game as a final tuneup before the postseason, were once again at the top of their craft for the deciding play.

Listen to Tirico do the work of calmly setting up the situation before going to a much different place when Loop's boot missed its target.

Then, smartly, Tirico lets the moment sit in silence for almost a full minute as victory and defeat are processed. The whole thing is a masterclass on how it's done.

NBC will hope to air another instant classic with the Los Angeles Chargers-New England Patriots wild-card game this Sunday night. Tirico will be ready.


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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.