Al Michaels wasn’t shy about airing his frustration on air. During the Patriots’ preseason clash with the Browns, a fourth-and-one measurement triggered the NFL’s new virtual first-down technology, and the extended pause didn’t sit well with the veteran broadcaster.

“Here’s the virtual measurement. It works great in baseball,” Michaels said. “I love it in baseball. Baseball takes about two seconds. And we’re still waiting. Come on now. It’s okay that you want a virtual measurement, but let’s make it happen, folks.”

Michaels had called a 4th-and-1 soon after the play. But the system took time, and as the replays rolled, he kept the commentary going, clearly amused by the whole situation.

“I’m trying to find anyone who has any clue what’s going on here.”

This isn’t the first time the technology has drawn attention. It actually made its debut last year during the Hall of Fame Game between the Chargers and Lions, marking a shift for the league. In April that year, the NFL confirmed it was moving away from the old-fashioned chain crew and handing measurement duties to Sony’s Hawk-Eye system instead.

Speed was the whole idea here. Nobody wants to be delayed while a chain crew walks onto the field for a disputed play, so the league introduced a virtual system that would solve everything instantly, without creating any more disputes every week over measurements.

According to the league’s own testing, the new system trims the process down to around 30 seconds, cutting down the 75-second gap used by the human crew. Six 8K cameras handle the tracking, with league headquarters in New York running the operation alongside the replay booth.

The system debuted in the regular season last year in the Denver Broncos vs Tennessee Titans game. Quarterback Bo Nix tried sneaking it in on fourth and one and got stuffed almost immediately. Instead of the usual chain measurement, the league deployed the virtual system.

However, there are limits to the technology. It will only determine if an offense gets a first down; ball spotting has to be done by the on-field crew. But the process creates lags in the game, as nothing can be done until the screens in the stadium load to show the system’s footage.

Sony President and COO Neal Manowitz also said “the system is accurate down to less than half an inch.”

The delay in the Patriots-Browns game isn’t the first of its kind. Last year, the Miami Dolphins and the Detroit Lions faced a similar delay after the virtual measurement system was triggered on a third-and-one run by the Dolphins. According to Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith, there was no difference between the time taken virtually and what the chain crew might have taken.

The Sunday Ticket Stream on YouTube also had to be interrupted because of the delay.

But if the league wants to smooth this thing out, now’s the time to do it. Because once the games start counting for real, officials dragging their feet with Michaels on the call might not get off so easily.