Jim Nantz brutally piled on the Vikings’ turnover woes after a first-play fumble

Entering their matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, no one in the NFL had more turnovers than the Minnesota Vikings. In just four games, Minnesota had 11 giveaways — with two fumbles happening on the opening possession in four games — continually shooting itself in the foot in an early 1-3 start. The Vikings certainly understood this problem could not continue against a juggernaut like the Chiefs if they were going to notch the upset win.

Despite their best efforts, tight end Josh Oliver turned a first-play 15-yard pass into another giveaway at the start of the game. And wasting no time to capture the Vikings stepping on a rake again was Jim Nantz.

The CBS football announcer immediately jumped into an appropriately theatrical call about Minnesota’s turnover woes:

In most other respects, an offense fumbling the ball on the first play of the game is a disaster. For the Vikings to do it on the first play of the game after all of their rampant issues — eight fumbles in five games! — is an unmitigated catastrophe. Nantz’s “catastrophe voice” was perfect for this moment.