Sunday’s Wild Card showdown between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills will feature a top crew calling it. As announced moments after the Steelers and Bills game was confirmed, CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will be in the booth for this one. Tracy Wolfson will serve as sideline reporter while Jay Feely will also serve as an analyst, largely focusing on special teams. Former NFL official (and Pittsburgh native) Gene Steratore will serve as the rules analyst.
Pittsburgh and Buffalo will kickoff Sunday at 1 PM/EST.
This will be the first time all year Nantz and company have called a Steelers’ game.
Buffalo captured the AFC East crown with their 21-14 win over the Miami Dolphins Sunday night, the NFL’s final game of the regular season. With the win, the Bills are the AFC’s No. 2 seed, keeping Pittsburgh as the No. 7 seed. Had Miami won this game, Buffalo would’ve fallen to seventh place, Pittsburgh would’ve bumped to sixth, and been headed to Kansas City on Saturday night.
The Steelers-Bills series has been played 29 times (including three postseason games), with Pittsburgh winning 17 games and Buffalo winning 12 games. The Steelers are 2-1 against the Bills in the playoffs, winning in the 1995 and 1974 seasons. Buffalo’s win came in the 1992-1993 season. This will be the first postseason game between these two squads hosted by Buffalo.
Though the game is a week away, weather is likely to play a significant factor. The forecast projects freezing temperatures and gusty winds that may make passing the ball difficult. Pittsburgh’s running game has been an asset in their victories, but Buffalo has an underrated running game and mobile quarterback in Josh Allen with rare size and strength for the position.
Analyzing the broadcasting team, Nantz is a legendary name in the business, serving as CBS’ sports lead play-by-play man since 2004. Romo was immediately popular after retiring from football and joining the broadcast booth. But he’s come under criticism in recent years. Wolfson is a top sideline reporter while Feely’s insight as a longtime NFL kicker will prove valuable in key moments, especially considering the weather conditions.
