Buffalo Bills fans may draw some hope after yet another loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game, stemming from a flag CBS highlighted during the broadcast as Josh Allen threw a final fourth down pass to Dalton Kincaid. As the yellow icon appeared on the CBS scorebug, both Jim Nantz and Kevin Harlan commented on the flag while fans sought clarity on the penalty’s location. However, upon review, CBS analyst Tony Romo noted he hadn’t seen a flag on the field, while radio analyst Devin McCourty speculated it might have been related to Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins removing his helmet.
In a follow-up piece from Jimmy Traina at Sports Illustrated, Nantz and Harlan clarified that the confusion stemmed from a simple error by a CBS production staffer. Nantz explained to Traina:
“When you have flags on the field, they can be thrown in the secondary, in the offensive backfield, all over the place. So, there’s a spotter that works in coordination with the broadcast team. I’m just taking what information is passed along. I’m scanning the field and for the life of me I can’t find a flag. But the graphic is up and I’m told, which just part of the chain of communication, I’m told there’s a flag. The first thing you do when you’re told that is you scan the field and identify for your own edification. What are they looking at? Where did this take place? I couldn’t find it.”
Coincidentally, Harlan was in the building calling the game for Westwood One and knew that CBS would have a spotter looking for flags. Trusting the broadcast, he remarked on the flag’s appearance:
“So, naturally when I see it come up on our CBS scorebug at the bottom of the screen, I said flag. There are so many times a flag is thrown in the four corners of the field, you aren’t even looking there, but it’s thrown 20 yards downfield or five yards in the back of the line of scrimmage. A lot of times you scan it, but a lot of times you don’t see it. Even when we’re doing TV, you don’t see the flag. So, I have relied on TV when I’m doing CBS that the word coming from the officiating booth to our truck to me in the booth says a flag is down. Even if I don’t see it, I trust that process.”
Despite the mix-up, in critical moments, fans appreciate having Nantz and Harlan on the call, highlighting the importance of the production crew in delivering a superior broadcast. Some speculated that the confusion might have been exacerbated by Kansas City’s bright yellow uniforms and accessories, or simply a spotter error during a crucial moment. Regardless, the Chiefs secured their victory with a fourth down stop and two significant first downs after regaining possession, ultimately clinching their third consecutive AFC Championship win.
