CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz on AFC West race: ‘That’s gonna be a championship of its own’

After he retired from the NFL following the 2016 season, Tony Romo joined CBS Sports and paired with Jim Nantz as the network’s top NFL broadcast team.

They’ve worked every AFC Championship Game beginning with the 2017 season, and the last four have been at Arrowhead Stadium. Will they be back in Kansas City for a fifth straight time in late January?

The duo wouldn’t rule out the chance but said the beefed up AFC West may be a bigger threat to the Chiefs’ chances of gaining home-field advantage in the playoffs than the loss of All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who was traded to the Miami Dolphins.

“I expect with Andy Reid, the way they’re able to kind of reinvent themselves, they’re gonna figure out how to make up for the loss of Tyreek,” Nantz said. “You’ve got 15 back there. I like some other offseason acquisitions. I think they’ve really given themselves some weapons in the backfield and wide (receiver). The biggest problem for them, If you want to talk about what’s gonna happen for hosting the AFC Championship Game ... I just think in the AFC West, they’re going to cannibalize one another in that division a little bit.

“You know those eight games inside of division are going to be amazing. I mean, every single division game right now looks like it should be a national game. It’s that loaded. To me, I can’t wait to watch the AFC West unfold.”

Nantz noted the upgrades made by the Chiefs’ division foes at quarterback (Broncos’ trade for Russell Wilson), defense (Chargers’ added Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson) and head coach (Josh McDaniels joined the Raiders).

“I think there’s a chance that you’re gonna come out of that division (and) maybe 11-6 wins the division. And that might not be good enough for a top-two seed. So that’s the only thing makes it a little iffy. That’s gonna be a championship of its own winning the AFC West, which, of course, the Chiefs have dominated now for six years.”

Romo likened the AFC West to the NFC East in the 1980s and 90s when Washington, Dallas and the New York Giants won a combined seven Super Bowls in a 10-year span.

“Each of these teams took turns being dominant, but the Eagles never won a Super Bowl, and yet they have the No. 1 defenses,” Romo said. “They had Jerome Brown, they had Reggie White, Clyde Simmons, all these incredible players, and they just were in a division that was loaded. And if any of those teams ever get to the playoffs, they’re super dangerous.

“But like Jim’s point, I really agree. It’s gonna be hard to get home-field advantage when your division is that talented from top to bottom.”

Beware the Chargers?

Although neither broadcaster made a prediction for the 2022 season, Nantz called the Chargers his sleeper team.

Romo quipped: “How can they be a sleeper team with (quarterback Justin) Herbert?”

“Well, they weren’t in the playoffs,” Nantz said. “You’ve got to get to the playoffs first.”

Romo acknowledged the point and said he and his broadcast partner both believe the Chargers are going to be special this season.

Later in the call, Romo added: “The Chargers, who add Khalil Mack, Justin Herbert growing another year, I mean,the Chiefs are the standard, right? So to me, this is just murderer’s row. So if you go 3-3 (in the division) and then the rest of the year, you go out there and win eight games, I mean, that’s incredible. But it’s just really hard to do.”