Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars dominated undrafted rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano and the Baltimore Ravens 33-10 on _Thursday Night Football_ at M&T Bank Stadium.
Jacksonville was in full control with a 23-3 lead early in the fourth quarter when legendary play-by-play announcer Al Michaels decided to tell a “bedtime story” about the Jaguars and former head coach Tom Coughlin.
“I’ve got a good bedtime story coming up for you,” Michaels told color commentator Kirk Herbstreit on the Prime Video broadcast. “Everybody likes a bedtime story, a good one.”
Michaels then spent the next four minutes telling a rather informative and interesting story about how Coughlin became Jacksonville’s first head coach.
> Al Michaels tells a “bedtime story” about Tom Coughlin and the Jaguars for more than four minutes during the TNF blowout.
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> “Anyway, there’s your bedtime story. Interrupted by an interception, but apart from that.”
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> Prime Video then played “Ramblin’ Man” into the break. 🏈🎙️ https://t.co/s2W3454sRb
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> — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) [November 6, 2026](https://x.com/awfulannouncing/status/2118553225557418101?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
“Remember, the Jaguars were granted their franchise in November of ’93. Didn’t start play until ’95. They and Carolina came into the league together. But there’s a very interesting twist to when that franchise had its embryonic state,” Michaels said. “And I’m going to tell you that story right after this kick is returned.”
“So, Tom Coughlin is the head coach at Boston College at that time,” Michaels continued. “And he’s ready to start recruiting; it’s the end of the season. And one day, he gets a message. He doesn’t know who it’s from, but it says something to do with ‘Jaguar.’ So, Tom’s at Boston College and thinks it’s a local guy trying to sell him a Jaguar. So, he calls the guy back. It turns out to be David Seldin, who’s the COO of the Jaguars. They had just started out; they’re looking for a coach. Tom gets the call. He didn’t know they were known as the Jacksonville Jaguars at that point. And Seldin says, ‘Are you interested in coming down to be interviewed?'”
Michaels’ story was then interrupted by the game action, with the Jaguars’ Jourdan Lewis picking off a pass from Fagnano.
After just over 10 seconds of Michaels providing commentary on the interception, the Coughlin story continued, with Herbstreit also very intrigued by it.
“So, he has no idea at this point,” Herbstreit said.
“He has no idea, but then Seldin says, ‘I’m the COO of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and we’d like to interview you for the head coaching job,'” Michaels explained. “So, Tom says, ‘Well, how many people do you have in mind to interview?’ And Seldin says, ‘Five.’ So, Tom says, ‘No, I’m not interested.’
“So then Seldin calls back, I think a couple of weeks later, and says, ‘We’re down to two.’ He goes, ‘I’ll come for the interview.’ And that is how Tom Coughlin got the head coaching job for the Jacksonville Jaguars. And they gave him, like, free rein. Remember, they had one year to ramp it up. So, Tom left Boston College. He said the fathers were not very happy about that. And he ramped up. And in ’95 they started. And in ’96, they go to the AFC Championship Game. As the catch is made here at the 17-yard line.”
“And he was doing well at Boston College,” Herbstreit added. “It wasn’t like at that point he was just trying to say, ‘Hey, let me get out of here.’ He had established a foundation there, was winning a lot of football games. I love that he said, ‘If it’s five guys, I’m out. I’m not interested.’ I wonder who that other, when it went down to two, do you know the other?”
“I forgot to ask him. I talked to him the other day,” Michaels responded. “You know, he started that Jay Fund to combat childhood cancer. It’s raised over $42 million. He’s one of the classiest men I’ve ever met. Covering the NFL for 41 years.”
“Wow, that’s a strong statement,” Herbstreit said. “Always loved watching his teams, man. So disciplined.”
“He would go on, of course, to win two Super Bowls with the Giants,” Michaels said. “Second-and-4. Anyway, if somebody ever calls you from a Jaguar dealership, answer the call.”
“That’s pretty good. He had no idea. He’s thinking somebody’s calling him about a car,” Herbstreit said while laughing.
“And think about this, too,” Michaels continued. “In ’96, when Carolina comes into the league along with Jacksonville, their second season, they both went to the conference championship games. Dom Capers taking the Panthers against Green Bay. And Tom lost to New England. And that was the end of the Bill Parcells era in New England. New England won that game and then it went on to lose the Super Bowl to Green Bay… Tom would lose the two AFC Championship Games in ’96 and ’99, but then go on to beat Bill Belichick twice, in ’07 and ’11… That ruined the perfect season for New England in ’07.”
“Anyway, there’s your bedtime story,” Michaels said with a laugh. “Interrupted with an interception, but apart from that.”
After the lengthy story from Michaels, the Prime Video production crew made a perfect choice with the music going into a commercial break: “Ramblin’ Man” by The Allman Brothers Band.