Jim Nantz Wasn't Only One Confused by Possible Flag on Bills’ Failed Final Play

The Buffalo Bills' chances of beating the Kansas City Chiefs and advancing to the Super Bowl for the first time in over 30 years came to a crushing end when Josh Allen's desperate heave on fourth down with just two under minutes in the game fell to the ground.

While the crowd at Arrowhead Stadium erupted in joy, Jim Nantz on the CBS broadcast quickly said there was a flag on the play, giving Bills fans a little bit hope during a very dark moment. But then talk of the flag quickly went away as refs apparently didn't throw one and no penalty was called.

"There is a flag!" Nantz immediately yelled after the pass fell incomplete.

"I didn’t see a flag thrown there," Romo quickly replied.

"I was told there was a flag," Nantz said before then adding there wasn't a flag.

Here's how that played out:

CBS just made the world think that there was a flag on the Bills' crucial fourth-down play in the AFC Championship Game. 🏈📺🎙️😬 #NFL pic.twitter.com/cqzODHznGC
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 27, 2025

Kevin Harlan on the radio broadcast also thought a flag had been thrown:

Calling the game on radio, Kevin Harlan and Devin McCourty also said there was a flag.

They speculated that it might have been on Buffalo's Dion Dawkins for taking his helmet off. https://t.co/CVIgJ0ZmcG pic.twitter.com/GdovouoIgd
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 27, 2025

This was a pretty rough time for the broadcasts to be fooled by something like that. The refs never addressed it and the Chiefs went on to run out the clock and win the game.

Brutal.