Fans of the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots eagerly awaited the CBS broadcast of the AFC Championship, but with Tony Romo’s recent on-air mistakes, they were uneasy about how they might affect the viewing experience.
Is Tony Romo Being Evaluated More Carefully By CBS Executives?
While Jim Nantz and Romo avoided major mistakes during the Patriots’ 10-7 victory, their conduct, echoing concerns from previous weeks, remained under scrutiny, shifting attention not away from performance but toward how they handled ongoing criticism.
During the game, Nantz and Romo focused more on complimenting each other than analyzing the tactical aspects, further highlighting the main criticism: Romo, once known for technical depth, now relies on a more generic style.
Andrew Marchand reported in The Athletic that, precisely because of these concerns, CBS executives are now closely monitoring the duo’s performance as they look ahead to the important 2028 Super Bowl broadcast. Although the pair will remain for now, there is a consensus that this duo has delivered much better results in broadcasts in previous years.
The only tense moment of the AFC Championship broadcast occurred late in the second quarter. After a play in which Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham fumbled the ball under pressure, the duo, with the help of referee analyst Gene Steratore, struggled to explain what was really happening.
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This single broadcast misstep did not escalate on social media as previous ones had, but it still reinforced mounting criticism from NFL World analysts that the on-air duo’s performance remains an open question.
CBS Helped Romo and Nantz by Removing Digital Markings
In the second half, during a snowstorm, CBS’s decision to remove digital yard markings on the field was widely praised on social media. This change also appeared to help Nantz and Romo narrate the plays more effectively as the weather worsened.
When the snowstorm intensified, Patriots (who rank No. 2 in the PFSN Offense Impact metric with a B grade) players began to appear transparent on the broadcast as their white uniforms blended with the snowy field. By discontinuing the use of digital graphics at this point, CBS allowed Nantz, Romo, and viewers to estimate ball position visually, a decision that fit well with the dramatic conditions of the game.
With NBC taking this year’s Super Bowl, the AFC Championship marked the season’s final game for Nantz and Romo. The coming offseason is critical for Romo, as his shift away from technical, in-depth commentary to a catchphrase-heavy approach is a central reason for the growing impatience among viewers.
