Tony Romo was back in the broadcast booth on Sunday, calling the thrilling matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals at Arrowhead Stadium. The game ended in dramatic fashion, with Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker nailing a game-winning field goal as time expired, securing a 26-25 victory for Kansas City. The win moved the Chiefs to 2-0 on the season after their Week 1 victory over the Ravens, while the Bengals fell to 0-2.
As expected, Romo, a seasoned analyst and former Cowboys quarterback, offered plenty of praise throughout the game for both quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow. Both players are regarded as two of the top signal-callers in the NFL, and Romo’s admiration for their skills was evident. However, one particular comment during the broadcast left fans scratching their heads—and even a bit frustrated.
The moment occurred late in the first quarter when Mahomes threw the ball into the ground to avoid a sack. What seemed like a routine incomplete pass quickly turned into a puzzling moment when Romo decided to frame it as a brilliant play.
“This is Mahomes throwing it in the dirt on purpose… He’s got such great instincts… It’s a winning play,” Romo said.
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NFL fans were quick to react, and many took to social media to express their disbelief at the former quarterback’s odd take on what seemed like an ordinary incomplete pass. The phrase “a winning play” for throwing the ball into the ground was met with confusion and some criticism.
“Glazing an incomplete pass as an ‘intentional winning play’ is some next level driding and glazing,” one fan tweeted, using slang to criticize Romo’s seemingly over-the-top praise for Mahomes.
Others felt Romo was showing a clear bias toward the Chiefs. “He’s openly rooting for the Chiefs every game he announces,” another fan commented, suggesting that Romo’s admiration for Mahomes sometimes clouds his objectivity.
Some viewers even went as far as to say they might avoid broadcasts featuring Romo in the future. “I just have to mute games he does from now on,” one frustrated fan wrote.
Despite Romo’s usual enthusiasm and detailed analysis, moments like these left some wondering if his praise for Mahomes had gone too far. The comments seemed to overshadow what was otherwise an intense, back-and-forth contest between two AFC powerhouses. Many fans felt that Romo’s assessment of a simple incomplete pass as a “winning play” was an unnecessary exaggeration, leading to the belief that he was perhaps showing too much favoritism toward Mahomes and the Chiefs.
While Romo’s passion for the game is well-documented, this latest broadcast moment has reignited a conversation among fans about how his analysis might occasionally stray into fan-like adulation, particularly when it comes to stars like Mahomes.
So, what did you make of Romo’s commentary during the Chiefs vs. Bengals game? For some, it was another example of his energetic style, while for others, it was an awkward misstep that bordered on biased.
Regardless, Romo continues to be one of the most talked-about analysts in football broadcasting today.
