How have the NFL teams’ radio announcers done calling the 2025 season so far? We asked Awful Announcing readers to evaluate each team’s radio booth, and received more than 3,500 individual votes.
As with our NFL national TV booth rankings and all of our other rankings (national CFB, local NHL, local NBA, local MLB, local MLB radio, local CFB radio, and more), we asked readers to grade booths from A to F and, if desired, provide comments on individual teams. We then converted the letter grades from those responses to numerical grades, assigning A = 4 and F = 0, and ranked the booths by average grade.
This is the first time we’ve done this for NFL radio teams. We received more individual votes than we did in the college radio team poll, which means many more votes for most teams (since this poll had 32 teams instead of 68). However, we received far fewer votes than we did for the local MLB radio teams, so individual ballots will have a more minor average impact here than they did in the prior poll.
Without further ado, let’s get to the grades and selected reader comments (sometimes lightly edited for spelling and grammar).
32. Miami Dolphins (Jimmy Cefalo, Joe Rose): 1.98
Most common grade: C (31.2% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 64.5%
This team drew 29 Cs on 93 votes. They also earned 17 As. But their 16 Ds and 17 Fs gave them a low percentage of A/B/C grades, and that helped place them at the bottom here. (However, in these polls across different sports, a 1.98 is one of the higher grades we’ve seen for the lowest-ranking booth.)
The comments here saw significant negativity about Cefalo in particular. Some lines there included “the worst in the business for the last 20 years,” “has been doing play-by-play for years and never gets any better,” and “Cefalo is a horrible play-by-play guy, makes way too many mistakes. I feel bad for Rose, he’s good.” But one reader found him “a pro’s pro.” Many discussed the absence of former play-by-play voice Bill Zimpfer (who worked in that role from 1994-2001) and former analyst Jim Mandich (who worked on these broadcasts for decades, first with Zimpfer, then alongside Cefalo and Rose).
Some overall lines on the broadcast included criticism that it doesn’t always inform listeners of the in-game situation. Those included “At least Cefalo played, but the rest of the broadcast is useless; zero idea what’s going on. This is not a talk show, but they sound like it” and “You have no idea what’s happening.” There were also remarks going after their perceived homerism, including “Their play-by-play is abysmal and boring. The analysis is 100% homerism, which is fine, except they are just not very good at what they are hired to do: excite and inform the fanbase.”
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (Frank Frangie, Jeff Lageman): 2.01
Most common grade: C (30.9% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 67.0%
The Jaguars’ booth earned 29 Cs from 94 votes. They recorded only 13 As but finished ahead of the Dolphins thanks to a higher percentage of A/B/C grades, bolstered by 21 Bs (versus 14).
These comments included intense criticism, especially of Frangie. That included lines such as “Frangie needs to go,” “Embarrassment to the profession, it’s a disservice to listeners. Worst technical play-by-play announcer in football. Unpleasant screaming voice, and no idea where the ball is in play. Even his passion feels forced to overcompensate,” and “Frangie is maybe the worst in major sports to have this job. Untrained broadcaster, he bought his position when his radio station secured the status as the official broadcast partner. He has a stutter, a stammer, and the worst/slowest call you will ever hear. Purely awful.” And there were people who praised Lageman over him, with comments including “only Frangie, Lageman is great” (on a D grade), “Lageman is an A+++. Frangie not so much” (on a F)
30. Tennessee Titans (Taylor Zarzour, Dave McGinnis): 2.07
Most common grade: C (37.4% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 73.6%
The Titans’ booth cleared the bottom two ones thanks to an improved percentage of A/B/C grades. They drew just eight As from 91 votes, but 25 Bs and 34 Cs.
This announcing team has a new play-by-play voice this year in Zarzour. He replaced Mike Keith (who moved to the Tennessee Volunteers’ job this season, and was part of that booth that placed seventh out of 68 in our CFB radio team rankings this year), but many were not fond of his debut. Comments there included “Huge downgrade from Keith to Zarzour,” “Broadcast is a shell of its former self since Mike Keith departed for Tennessee Vols. Zarzour is uninspired and a rah-rah cheerleader while having no success to peddle,” “Big shoes to fill,” “Had pick of the litter as the only job open last offseason, could have done better,” “McGinnis A, Zarzour F,” and even “Zarzour has a great agent.” But one reader who gave a B grade noted, “Mike Keith grated on my nerves for years.”
29. New England Patriots (Bob Scocci, Scott Zolak): 2.15
Most common grade: A (26.3% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 66.1%
This group received the most As (31 of 118 votes) but finished lower because of a low percentage of A/B/C grades. They picked up 16 Ds and 24 Fs.
These comments often revolved around Zolak, and most frequently in a critical way. Some of the remarks there included “Scott Zolak steps on all of Bob’s calls and is overdramatic, he needs to go,” “Scott Zolak is always making these weird groaning noises during important plays and it ruins the moment…in addition, he said Cam Newton was a bad quarterback because he listened to rap music before games,” “The jock-washer Zolak is constantly jumping Scocci’s calls,” “Zolak is nails on a chalkboard,” “he literally talks over Scocci the entire game,” and “screams unintelligible garbage.” But he did receive plaudits such as “Zo brings all the energy. He’s the public voice of the Patriots’ turnaround this year,” and “easily the best color analyst. Huge homer who tells it like it is—supremely entertaining.”
For Scocci, many of the remarks were praise for him relative to Zolak. That included “Scocci is solid, has been for years; he is the only reason this isn’t a F” (on a D grade), “a professional play-by-play guy,” and “solid.” But the overall comments on the booth were still generally negative, including “Insufferable listen, insane homerism” and “One of the worst in the league, most partisan of any team.”
28. Las Vegas Raiders (Jason Horowitz, Kirk Morrison): 2.16
Most common grades: B and C (31.3% of votes each)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 74.0%
For the Raiders, the Bs and Cs (30 each from 96 votes) were the majority of votes.
The comments here were largely about Horowitz. Some of those were positive, including “Jason is a star. They are lucky to have him.” But there was also some criticism, including “Horowitz needs to let the game breathe. His voice grinds on you as a listener.” And there was one line of “Kirk Morrison? Really, they couldn’t find anyone else?” (on a D grade).
27. New York Giants (Bob Papa, Carl Banks): 2.20
Most common grade: A (31.2% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 64.7%
This was a highly polarizing booth, and one many wanted to weigh in on; the 173 total votes they received were the highest of any team in this poll. Although they received 54 As, they also drew 51 Fs.
These comments saw a lot of criticism for both individual figures. Strongly critical lines about Banks there included: “may be the dumbest NFL player ever to exist,” “so boring,” “wouldn’t know what analytics is if it hit him in the head with a brick,” and “would kick a FG on third down.” But there were more moderate notes about him as well, including “Too bad Banks is so soft-spoken; his knowledge is good but not his delivery” (on a B grade). And some preferred him to Papa, with lines such as “Carl Banks aight. Bob Papa gets a Z. So I’ll settle for an F,” “I’m a big Giants fan but have made the choice to miss games rather than subject myself to Bob Papa. Banks deserves better,” and “Bob Papa F, Carl Banks A.”
There were also many comments blasting Papa individually. Some of those included “a condescending a**hole,” and “a shill for the Giants’ ownership.” More moderate lines included “anticipates the action a bit too much” and “I just don’t enjoy Papa’s broadcasting voice.” But many liked him too (and preferred him to Banks), offering lines such as “Papa is rock solid, but Banks is just meh” (on a B grade), “solid play-by-play,” and “a pro’s pro.”
The announcers’ decision to debate fans through their podcast and on social media also drew flak. That included “They’re mean to the fans that disagree with them” and “They both act like a**holes, and their podcast sucks too.”
But there was also significant overall praise for them, including “Best in the business. A perfect pairing. Never overly excited, let the game flow” and “Solid crew, coming from a Jets fan” (both on A grades).
26. Baltimore Ravens (Gerry Sandusky, Rod Woodson): 2.20
Most common grade: C (33.6% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 77.0%
The Ravens’ announcers earned 38 Cs from 113 votes. They also drew 15 As and 15 Fs. They edged the Giants with a 2.204 to a 2.202.
There weren’t a lot of comments on this team, but there was some discussion of Sandusky’s recurring “the hay’s in the barn” phrase (which he previously wrote about here, saying he got it from his former college coach Phil Albert). One comment there was “Sandusky stole his phrase ‘The hay’s in the barn.’ He also doesn’t give you the time, score, or downs.” Other remarks here included “Sound description, HOF-level analysis,” and “Fine.”
25. Washington Commanders (Bram Weinstein, London Fletcher, Logan Paulsen as sideline analyst): 2.23
Most common grade: B (26.4% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 71.7%
This announcing team drew 22 As and 28 Bs from 106 votes. However, 18 Fs kept them from rising higher.
The comments here were particularly split on Weinstein. One voter found him “great,” but another opined, “Bram Weinstein is the worst play-by-play announcer—he must wear blinders during the game. He never interacts with his co-hosts Fletcher or Paulsen.” Beyond that, another D voter said the booth “tries too hard,” and a C voter wrote in praise of some past team voices, saying “God, these guys make me miss Herzog, Jurgensen and Huff.”
24. Indianapolis Colts (Matt Taylor, Rick Venturi): 2.23
Most common grade: C (35.2% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 76.9%
The Colts’ booth picked up 32 Cs from 91 votes. They also earned 13 As and 25 Bs. Their percentage of A/B/C grades helped them narrowly beat out the Commanders’ team, 2.231 to 2.226.
This group didn’t receive many comments, but the ones they did receive were highly laudatory. Those included “Best in the business,” “Taylor has the chance to be the best announcer in the NFL one day, and he’s already among the best play-callers in the biz. Indy fans are lucky,” and “I think these guys are the best pair in the league. Taylor is a great play-by-play guy, and Venturi brings a coach’s view of the game as an analyst.”
23. New Orleans Saints (Mike Hoss, Deuce McAllister): 2.23
Most common grade: C (33.7% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 77.9%
This was another group in the tight cluster of teams around 2.23, edging out the Colts’ booth thanks to a 2.233 versus a 2.231.
McAllister drew some praise in the comments. That included “Underrated=Deuce McAllister” (on a B grade) and “Deuce is great. Mike Hoss is bad” (on a D grade). But another respondent criticized him, writing “Much better when Hokie Gajan was the analyst” (on a C grade). And one Saints’ fan voter who gave this team an F noted a preference for listening to their opponent’s radio broadcasts over this group.
22. Houston Texans (Marc Vandermeer, Andre Ware): 2.24
Most common grade: B (34.8% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 75.0%
The Texans’ booth recorded a 2.239, while the Saints’ recorded 2.233. Their 32 Bs were crucial to that.
Vandermeer saw notable plaudits in the comments. Those included “great voice” and “very solid,” although one respondent said “Sometimes Marc gets too excited, but he doesn’t rise to Gus Johnson levels,” and another said he “sounds old.” As for Ware, he drew praise like “pro,” but also criticism such as “not good” and “barely follows the team.” One voter did criticize the perceived bias of the overall booth, saying, “They try way too hard to be cool. Over-the-top homers.”
21. Pittsburgh Steelers (Rob King, Max Starks): 2.30
Most common grade: C (34.0% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 79.4%
The Steelers’ booth jumped clear of the cluster of teams below them due to a higher percentage of A/B/C grades. They received 16 As, 28 Bs, and just 10 Fs.
There weren’t many comments on this group, but the ones there were focused on King, who was named to the play-by-play role ahead of last season following Bill Hillgrove’s retirement after 30 years. One A-voting respondent opined, “King is a massive upgrade over Bill Hillgrove,” but another reader who gave this team a D wrote, “Average. Could have looked outside of their TV sports anchor.”
20. Buffalo Bills (Chris Brown, Eric Wood): 2.33
Most common grade: C (37.4% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 80.8%
This team drew 17 As and 26 Bs from 99 votes. They also only pulled in eight Fs.
These comments saw a lot of criticism for Brown. That included “Chris Brown is insufferable,” Eric Wood is a good analyst, Brown sounds like a high school announcer,” and “Eric Wood is great, but he’s brought down by the brutal play-by-play voice of Brown” (all on D grades). A slightly milder version (from a C voter) was “Love how much Chris loves and embodies the team, but his actual broadcasting skills are a little lackluster for the NFL level.” But an A voter praised the booth’s “great energy.”
19. Los Angeles Chargers (Matt “Money” Smith, Daniel Jeremiah): 2.34
Most common grade: C (27.6% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 75.2%
The Chargers’ booth earned 29 Cs from 105 votes, but also 28 As. Their 16 Fs prevented them from rising higher, though.
The comments here received a lot of criticism for Smith. Three comments from F voters included “Smith is really boring. Painfully boring,” “Bad grade primarily because Smith has a great radio voice, but he is not a play-by-play guy,” and “I have absolutely no idea where the ball is or the game situation with Smith calling the game. Easily the worst in the NFL.” A D voter found the group “tries way too hard to work in pre-staged lines,” and a C voter liked Jeremiah but not Smith. But there were also people with high praise for the booth, such as “Both are excellent. Smith has really grown into the job.”
18. San Francisco 49ers (Guy Haberman, Tim Ryan; also Justin Allegri, Troy Clardy, Carlos Ramirez, and Jack Smith on play-by-play, all filling in for Greg Papa): 2.34
Most common grades: B and C (28.0% of votes each)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 76.3%
The 49ers have perhaps the most unusual radio booth at the moment, tabbing a wide variety of play-by-play figures to fill in for Greg Papa as he battles cancer. This group edged the Chargers 2.344 to 2.343.
Many comments expressed sympathy for Papa and wished he could return soon. Of his replacements, Smith drew individual praise (“A++++”), but some disliked the wide-ranging replacement strategy, with one D voter writing, “Rotating voices will never grade highly.” Ryan received notable compliments himself, though, including “Tim Ryan is perfect. Intense and passionate and a real ball-knower” and “Tim Ryan is sort of a meathead, but he is very good at explaining the game and why things happened.”
17. Carolina Panthers (Anish Shroff, Jim Szoke; also rotating analysts including Jake Delhomme, Luke Kuechly, Jordan Gross, Kurt Coleman, Jonathan Stewart, and Kevin Donalley): 2.37
Most common grade: B (32.7% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 74.0%
The Panthers also have many figures listed here, but most are rotating analysts who sometimes join the main team of Shroff and Szoke. There are other times where it’s Shroff with two of these guest analysts, though. This group received 34 Bs out of 104 total votes.
The comments here saw a lot of debate over Shroff. One A voter found him “an excellent addition, with the right blend of passion and information” (he’s held this role since 2022), but others were more critical. Lines there included “the weak link; fine for TV, not a good fit for a local radio ‘homer’ role” and “another double-duty announcer working a lot on Fridays in CFB, but light on personality.”
Other respondents criticized this overall setup as “too many people” and “too inconsistent.” But there was some praise for Delhomme and Kuechly. One F voter took exception to the booth’s overall homerism, though, saying, “The way the announcing team always talks about ‘us’ and ‘we’ in-game as opposed to saying Panthers or Carolina is completely unprofessional. Awful to listen to.”
16. Los Angeles Rams (J.B. Long, Maurice Jones-Drew): 2.38
Most common grade: B (30.1% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 78.5%
A higher percentage of A/B/C grades was crucial to getting the Rams clear of the Panthers, 2.376 to 2.365. This group drew 28 Bs and 27 Cs from 93 votes.
The comments on this booth were limited. One A voter found them a “very strong team overall” and praised Long for balancing this role with his college football work, but a B voter said he “needs to give down and distance quicker.”
15. Seattle Seahawks (Steve Raible, Dave Wyman): 2.38
Most common grade: C (31.4% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 80.2%
The Seahawks’ booth narrowly beat out the Rams, 2.384 to 2.376. They pulled that off despite having more Cs than Bs, thanks to a high number of As.
The discussion around this team largely centered on Raible. Commendations for him included “High-level play-by-play, especially for a former player and TV anchor” and “Raible’s the GOAT.” But a C voter said he’s “lost a step,” and an F voter said, “Raible stumbles through broadcasts, and makes up for mistakes by yelling even more.”
As for Wyman, a D voter said, “Wyman is great, and the only thing that pushes this group over an F,” and a B voter called him “a fun analyst with a unique player perspective.” But he took criticism as well. One notable remark was “A great talk show host, but brings next to nothing to the broadcast booth. He’s been a big step back from Warren Moon. Big disappointment.”
14. Kansas City Chiefs (Mitch Holthus, Danan Hughes): 2.42
Most common grade: A (31.9% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 74.3%
The Chiefs’ group was more polarizing than many in this poll. They earned 36 As on 113 votes, along with 12 Ds and 17 Fs.
Most of the conversation in these comments was about Holthus. There was a fair bit of praise for him, including: “I’ll never be unbiased on this, but Mitch’s voice holds a foundational place in my brain and heart,” “Mitch is the GOAT,” “solid play-by-play description,” and “still as good as they come.”
However, others were more critical of Holthus. Lines there included “Mitch has been bad forever. Just yelling and silly catchphrases” and “At one point in time, Holthus was probably a good announcer, but that time is long, long, past. He has devolved into a one-man circus of shouting nonsensical catch phrases like he’s trying out to be on SportsCenter in 1995.” As for Hughes, one voter said he’s “a step down from former analyst Kendall Gammon,” noting that the broadcast also misses long-time studio host Art Hains, who retired after last season.
13. Cincinnati Bengals (Dan Hoard, Dave Lapham): 2.46
Most common grade: C (29.5% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 80.4%
In contrast to the Chiefs’ booth below them, the Bengals’ group received fewer highly polarizing grades. They drew 27 As and 11 Fs from 112 votes.
The comments here saw significant accolades for the duo. That included “Hoard is the best in the business, and Lapham’s unbridled enthusiasm is a perfect match,” “Nobody better than Dan Hoard, and Dave is a wealth of football knowledge,” and “Love hearing Dan Hoard paint a picture and Lap’s enthusiasm.” Some further positive remarks included “Dan Hoard and Dave Lapham are the greatest booth in the country. Dan is the best in the business, and Dave is so passionate about this team,” and “Hoard is the ultimate pro, and Lapham is polarizing, but the passion works if you support the team.”
Others were not as high on Lapham, though. Some negative remarks there included “Lapham needs to stop yelling mid-play,” “Lapham can’t help himself talking over Hoard whenever the Bengals have a great play,” and “Lapham just screams all over Hoard and sounds like a drunken fan at a bar.” As for Hoard, that last commenter (who gave a F) also opined, “Hoard does not have a football voice.”
12. Denver Broncos (Dave Logan, Rick Lewis): 2.54
Most common grade: B (32.1% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 83.0%
The Broncos’ booth earned 36 Bs from 112 votes. They also pulled in 27 As and 30 Cs.
These remarks were primarily full of praise for long-time Broncos’ voice Logan. Some of that included “Dave Logan is insightful, professional, and passionate about the team. Better to listen to him than anyone on the network broadcast,” “Dave Logan is fantastic, a Colorado institution. Not a homer, but a man with a thorough knowledge of football,” and “a pro.”
However, Lewis took more criticism. Some lines there included “a classic rock DJ who provides no insight or football expertise, just a horrible hire by KOA,” “Rick Lewis brings nothing to the table, he’s a radio DJ; need to find a football expert,” and “Rick Lewis offers zero true insights into the game. If the role is to have one of Dave’s friends in the booth, so be it. The broadcast suffers because of it.” Still, some found this overall team “great” or “legendary,” and one voter called it “a Denver treasure.”
11. Cleveland Browns (Andrew Siciliano, Nathan Zegura): 2.57
Most common grade: B (32.3% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 79.2%
This booth earned 130 total votes, tied with the Eagles for second-highest in this poll (and behind only the Giants). 36 of those were As and 42 were Bs.
Much of the commentary here centered on Siciliano taking over for longtime voice Jim Donovan ahead of last season; Donovan retired due to a cancer battle and passed away last October. Some remarks there included “Andrew is very solid, but it’s hard to follow in the footsteps of the late, great Jim Donovan,” “Andrew had to follow a Cleveland icon in the late great Jim Donovan, but so far he’s keeping up the energy,” and “Jim Donovan was perfect and one of a kind, and Andrew is decent, but it’s never been the same since Jimmy retired and then passed.”
Others were more critical of Siciliano, though. Some didn’t think he’s made the shift from his past NFL RedZone work well, with one voter commenting, “Andrew Siciliano was great on NFL RedZone, but boy, he is not an NFL game announcer” (on a F grade) and another giving a C despite noting how they’d enjoyed Siciliano in that other role. Some further voters found him “horrible” and “the worst.”
As for Zegura, he took his own heat. Some of that included “Siciliano is incredible – Zegura, meh” (on a B grade), ” “A for Siciliano, D for Zegura” (also on a B grade), and “Zegura is a homer. He’s so bad. Ruins calls” (on a F grade). But some felt the other way, offering lines such as “Love Nathan, but Andrew is average at best. Cannot live up to Jim Donovan or Nev Chandler’s legacy. Team hired him when Jim was sick, but needs a major upgrade.”
10. Minnesota Vikings (Paul Allen, Pete Bercich): 2.59
Most common grade: A (38.3% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 71.9%
Entering the top 10, we have a highly polarizing booth. They received 49 As on 128 votes, and 18 each of Ds and Fs.
These comments generally revolved around Allen. There were plenty of compliments there, including “This is an entertainment business and Paul Allen is one of the most entertaining play-by-play announcers in the game,” “Paul Allen is fantastic, no announcer lives and dies with his team’s performance like Paul does,” and “Paul Allen is the GOAT.” And some who aren’t fans of this team weighed in with lines like “I think Paul Allen is the best local radio play-by-play guy in the NFL, and I am not a Vikings fan,” and “Paul is so invested in the team through the ups and downs. My favorite announcer that is not my own.”
However, there were even more criticisms of Allen. Some of those included “Paul Allen’s homer shtick gets in the way of calling the game. …There are long patches of gameplay where I don’t know the time left, down, distance, score, etc., after just turning in” and “You’re either highly entertained by Paul Allen, or highly annoyed by Paul Allen. I am highly, highly annoyed by Paul Allen.” And one F voter wrote a long comment blasting Allen’s perceived homerism, including “Paul Allen has been gifted with an outstanding voice and exceptional command of language that has put him in the position he holds as voice of the Vikings. But he is, without question, the most biased play-by-play broadcaster in the NFL. It does not come close. And it negatively impacts his ability to call the game and give the listener a quality, intelligent broadcast.”
9. Chicago Bears (Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer): 2.61
Most common grade: A (34.2% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 78.3%
The Bears’ group earned 52 As from 152 votes. However, 17 Ds and 16 Fs prevented them from rising higher.
Thayer drew more praise than criticism in these comments. Some of those lines included “I go out of my way to listen on the radio because of Tom Thayer” and “great as a color commentator, very knowledgeable.” Another respondent found him “solid, if a bit of a homer,” but another voter said, “Thayer’s analysis is fine, but he lacks the personality needed to be among the best.”
For Joniak, there were some high plaudits as well. Those included “a local treasure,” ” has worked diligently to become one of the best,” and “has grown immensely into the gig and paints a great picture.” But he drew intense condemnation from some as well, including: ” the worst, after a play he takes forever to give you the new down and distance,” “gives a great flowering description of the play yet no useful information,” and “Joniak has always been miscast as a play-by-play guy.” But others liked the overall booth, offering lines such as “best in the business” and “very cohesive.”
8. Atlanta Falcons (Wes Durham, David Archer): 2.65
Most common grade: B (37.6% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 82.1%
While the Falcons’ booth saw a most common grade of B (44 of 117 votes), they also received 30 As. They also only pulled in seven Fs.
The comments here were largely lauding Durham. Several praised how he balances this work with his CFB play-by-play for the ACC Network, saying, “Durham works double duty with ACC TV Saturday nights, but is the consistent sound of the Falcons,” and “Wes Durham on TV and Wes Durham on radio both are treats to listen to.” Another voter preferred him in this role, saying, “Durham’s bread and butter is radio, much better than his TV stuff.” Other lines included “Wes is a pro. Love his cadence, doesn’t overtalk,” “Wes paints a tremendous picture and is extremely professional,” and “Wes is simply the best in the business and I’m not a Falcons fan.”
7. Dallas Cowboys (Brad Sham, Babe Laufenberg): 2.66
Most common grade: A (32.8% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 81.9%
The Cowboys narrowly edged out the Falcons, 2.655 to 2.650. This group drew 38 As and 34 Bs from 116 votes.
Much of the praise here was for Sham’s nearly five decades on these broadcasts. He started with the Cowboys’ radio team in 1976 as the color analyst alongside Verne Lundquist, then shifted to play-by-play in 1984 (after Lundquist left for CBS) and has held that role since, except for three seasons in the 1990s. Lines on him included “a legend both in Dallas and nationally.” He also drew praise for his candor, including “Brad has reached the point where he says what he thinks unfiltered, and it’s so entertaining” and “Brad is getting cranky in his old age, and it’s a pleasure to listen to.” But some did opine that he’s no longer at his peak.
Laufenberg, who has generally worked on these broadcasts since 1996 with a one-year break in 2006, also received individual compliments. Some of those included “consistently solid with his observations” and “a great analyst.” And a couple of voters preferred Laufenberg to Sham, saying “Babe is great, but Sham has dragged this broadcast down for a decade” (on a D grade) and “Babe is fabulous and drags Brad up to a C” (also on a D grade). But many liked both of them, with one particular standout comment of “Sham and Laufenberg are doing a radio show, there just happens to be football on in the background. The most entertaining broadcast in the NFL and possibly all of professional sports.”
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Gene Deckerhoff, Dave Moore): 2.80
Most common grade: A (34.3% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 83.8%
There was a big grade jump for this booth from the No. 7 Cowboys. A key part of that was that they drew only six Fs from 86 votes. They also earned 34 As and 33 Bs.
Many of these comments focused on Deckerhoff’s long tenure on these broadcasts, which dates back to 1989. Some remarks on him included “Gene doesn’t get nearly enough respect for how long he’s done this job at such a high level,” “I can listen to Gene Deckerhoff all day long,” “a legend, always solid,” “an absolute treasure in the booth,” and “the GOAT, endlessly entertaining.” But some criticized him as well, with various voters opining that he’s “losing his fastball a little,” is “making too many mistakes these days,” and “should have retired 10 years ago.”
5. Detroit Lions (Dan Miller, Lomas Brown, T.J. Lang): 2.80
Most common grade: B (33.1% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 87.1%
The Lions barely beat out the Buccaneers for a top-five slot, 2.7984 to 2.7980. This booth earned 40 As and 41 Bs from 124 votes, and just six Fs. Of note, Lang began working with this team as a sideline reporter in 2021, but many commenters noted that he’s now regularly in the booth alongside Miller and Brown.
Miller drew a lot of individual praise. Some of that included “brings tons of excitement,” “outstanding,” “the best in the business,” “great description, perfect tone and timing and awareness,” and “It has been a joy seeing Dan Miller call a sustained run of success after so many lean seasons.” Brown took more criticism, including “unlistenable” and “brings nothing to the broadcast.” But Lang received plaudits, including “a nice addition” and “great.”
4. Philadelphia Eagles (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick): 2.98
Most common grade: A (50.8% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 83.8%
The Eagles’ booth earned a massive 66 A votes out of 130 total ballots. They also drew 30 Bs. But 13 Fs were part of the reason they didn’t rise any higher.
Much of the discussion here was about the longevity of Reese and Quick. Reese has been working on these broadcasts since 1977 (initially as a color commentator, but he switched to play-by-play before the end of that year following the death of Charlie Swift), while Quick has been paired with him since 1998. Many expressed appreciation for their decades of work, with lines such as “Incredibly, Merrill Reese can still do this at such a high level; at 83 years old, he’s barely lost a step. … Mike Quick is also a great color commentator, and they work so well as a team (which shouldn’t be surprising after 27 years).”
A couple of people suggested Reese may no longer be at his peak, but even those comments were generally positive about the tandem. Other lines in praise of them included “Merrill Reese is simply one of one. A tremendous broadcaster with a classic sound and great read on the game. He remains as sharp and as classy as ever,” “Reese is the gold standard,” and “Merrill Reese is a Philly icon. While he’s an unapologetic fan and homer, he also doesn’t hesitate to call the team out for poor play or coaching. Merrill and Mike paint a good picture of what’s happening on the field and treat their listeners with respect.”
3. New York Jets (Bob Wischusen, Anthony Becht): 3.03
Most common grade: A (44.6% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 89.3%
The key to this booth’s top-three placing was the limited number of low grades they received. They drew just six Ds and seven Fs from 121 votes. They also drew 54 As.
Many of the comments here offered high praise for Wischusen. Some of that included “In what is a deep talent pool of local radio NFL play-by-play voices, Bob Wischusen is the very best, and he’s been the best thing about the Jets organization for a long, long time,” “Wischusen is amazing doing college and the NFL,” and “Bob is the best. It sucks the team can’t play well enough for him to call playoff games.” Becht, who stepped into this role ahead of last season following Marty Lyons’ transition into an ambassador role, also drew some praise.
2. Arizona Cardinals (Dave Pasch, A.Q. Shipley): 3.10
Most common grade: A (45.1% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 92.6%
The Cardinals’ group received the highest percentage of A, B, and C grades in this poll. They earned 55 As from 122 votes. They also picked up just two Ds and seven Fs.
Pasch drew several particular compliments in these comments. Some of those included “as solid as they come” and “elite.” But one reader said he’s “a terrible announcer on whatever he is doing, period.”
As for Shipley, who’s in his first season in this role, replacing Ron Wolfley (who retired in February after 20 years in the booth), he also drew some notable praise. Lines there included “No one ‘replaces’ R. Wolfley, but A.Q. sounds like a seasoned pro already” and “AQ brings a lot of intelligence to his game analysis.”
1. Green Bay Packers (Wayne Larrivee, Larry McCarren): 3.11
Most common grade: A (49.6% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 87.6%
The Packers topped this poll thanks to receiving the most As, 68 from 137 ballots. They also drew 44 Bs. However, 11 people gave them Fs. This booth narrowly beat out Arizona’s team for first, 3.109 to 3.098.
Many comments here focused on lauding Larrivee, who has been calling these Packers’ broadcasts since 1999, following previous work for the Chiefs and Bears. Some lines there included “still has his fastball, and I’d call him the best overall local announcer in the NFL,” “top notch,” and ” a top-tier play-by-play man who hits the big moments so well and brings both passion and poise with how he calls the game.”
Some of the comments on McCarren, who has been on these broadcasts since 1995, weren’t as positive. A few remarks to that effect on B grades included “The only thing that stops this from being an A is Larry, who gets in the way a bit too often in big moments and could do more with the analysis” and “Larrivee is still an ‘A,’ but McCarren drags the whole enterprise down by mumbling his analysis and shouting over Wayne’s big calls.”
However, the overall sentiment about the booth was still strong, with comments such as “an institution in Wisconsin” and “These guys are higher grade than A.”
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