Tony Romo’s journey from pigskin to microphones is a bumpy ride without respite. For many who’d thought Romo’s overachieving nature would translate into perfectly polished snippets of knowledge on CBS broadcasts, they were in for a rude awakening during Sunday’s Buffalo Bills-Jacksonville Jaguars clash. But while fans were upset with half-hearted analysis, a clear lack of homework and weird vocal cues, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback was quick in offering an explanation to clear his name.

“We had a bunch of guys sick,” the CBS analyst said in an interview with SiriusXM’s Adam Schein. “We were just grinding through it, but you’re not going to miss a playoff game. It’s too much fun.”

“I think anytime you’re in a position like we are — we’re on the air for three and a half hours – you’re always trying to do the best you can and everything,” Romo further said in a subtle bid of damage control. “There’s always going to be moments where always all this great stuff, and then other stuff. It’s just part of being in your position. You just go back to work, and you do a great job. I mean, that’s the fun part about this. It’s sports, and it makes it fun. You’re just trying to make everyone enjoy the show, and learn a little bi,t and have a great time. To me, it’s what makes sports amazing. It’s fun.”

Unfortunately, in the pursuit of having fun, Romo forgot the most important thing: Analysis, or rather too much and too little of it. The broadcasting gaffe started right at the beginning of the coverage with the 45-year-old’s 90-second-long opening monologue having nothing to do with one of the juiciest games of the Wild Card Weekend. Instead, Romo talked about the Carolina Panthers’ close loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

“I don’t think we’ve ever seen it where it’s like, who’s going to win? Ummmm, I don’t know!” he said. “I’m pretty good at football knowledge and I don’t know. Today’s going to be very telling, though, because Jacksonville is a complete football team. Carolina did that yesterday. They earned the respect, almost won, but they didn’t. Jacksonville is in that same situation. They could do it, this could be a major upset. Even though it’s really not an upset, because the Bills are actually the underdog. But they’re the overdog. We’ll see today.”

What followed were awkward stretches of silence throughout the game, accompanied by maniacal laughter. One such instance came in the first quarter with 2:42 left, when Romo made an awkward pun about Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange’s last name, and proceeded to have a long-drawn laughter. During another moment, one of many such, with 13 minutes remaining in the same quarter, Romo ended up imitating a lion’s roar when replays showed Buffalo wide receiver Tyrell Shavers about to block Logan Cooke’s punt. However, that was not all.

His day also comprised of awkward silences in places that actually required him to talk.

After Josh Allen suffered a hard hit during the first quarter, Romo failed to mention he might have been hurt until Allen made his way to the blue tent on the sideline. In fact, Romo’s coverage was so underwhelming that even noted peers couldn’t stop themselves from criticizing him.

“Tony Romo seems absolutely lost during the first half of this broadcast. It’s a brutal listen right now,” Zach Gelb of his namesake show on CBS Sports Radio wrote.

“Romo confusing everyone on that Allen TD,” meanwhile tweeted The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, his second bout of criticism about the Dallas legend this week.

“The problem for Romo is he doesn’t appear as if he does the homework,” Marchand said during his Marchand Sports Media podcast. “After you get further away from playing — and you’ve been studying film — you have to keep studying film to know what’s going on in the league, and you have to take some time. I can’t tell you 100 percent that Romo isn’t studying, but that’s kind of the rumor on the street, No. 1. And No. 2, you’re watching the game and just not getting much insight.”

Notably, Marchand had also reported in 2023 how CBS “tried an intervention” in the offseason with Romo, currently on a 10-year, $180 million contract, after he continued serving underwhelming commentary.

Clearly, the effects of that intervention have worn out. Perhaps he could use another one.