Already down three possessions in the fourth quarter, the Miami Dolphins attempted to go for it from fourth down near midfield. Buffalo sacked Tua Tagovailoa, leading to a turnover on downs. But before CBS went to a commercial break, Jim Nantz noticed that there appeared to be an injured Bills player down on the play.
That player was Tre’Davious White.
Having already suffered a non-contact injury to his knee, the All-Pro cornerback missed a good portion of the 2021 and 2022 NFL seasons. Slowly working his way back from a significant knee injury (torn ACL), White didn’t return until midway through the season. And even when he did return, Buffalo’s staff chose to slowly work him back into the starting lineup, as a part of a phase-in plan.
He appeared in six regular season games and both of the Bills’ postseason games—starting all of them.
“There’s a player down, by the way, it’s Tre’Davious White,” said Nantz. “Now, he’s on his feet back at the 30-yard line. As we know, he’s had a knee issue in the past.”
CBS didn't choose to show the replay until after the network went to break.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 1, 2023
The broadcast took a pretty grim turn, as both Nantz and Tony Romo seemed to acknowledge the seriousness of the injury. White was beside himself, as he pounded the ground and flung his helmet. The 28-year-old cornerback was overrun by emotion, seemingly signaling that he knew just how bad the injury might be.
“Ugh, his reaction is concerning for the Buffalo faithful,” Nantz said, as he let out a depressing sigh. “Now, he’s pounding the ground. It’s a no-contact injury we’re hearing. [Bills All-Pro safety] Micah Hyde and others are suggesting that somebody come over and get some help for him. The whole team is rallying around him. In fact, the whole team’s coming over.”
There’s long been an ongoing debate about showing/not showing injuries on broadcasts, which intensified with Nick Chubb’s season-ending knee injury (MCL/ACL) earlier this year. ESPN was applauded for its decision not to share the replay of the Cleveland Browns running back’s injury. Others like Dan Patrick made the case for injuries like Chubb’s being shown, while Kevin Harlan pointed out that broadcasters aren’t the business of gruesomeness.
CBS decided against showing the original replay, instead showing how the entire Buffalo Bills team formed a circle around White. The network then showed a replay of White tossing his helmet about 15 yards behind him, signaling that he likely suffered a significant injury.
“Oh boy,” shared an exasperated Nantz. “My goodness.”
“He’s just devastated. He tossed his helmet. He knows. He’s been through this before. Let’s just hope for the best, but he’s fearing the worst.”
CBS returned from a commercial break and actually showed the moment, albeit from a zoomed-out angle, in which White suffered the injury. It wasn’t “gruesome,” but CBS seemed to pinpoint the exact moment that White suffered the lower leg injury.
“He’s currently being evaluated for a lower leg injury, you can tell by the look on his face, it’s not good,” said CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson.
Buffalo originally announced that White was being evaluated for an ankle injury before Wolfson delivered more grim news, stating that it was believed to be an Achilles injury. White was being evaluated for an injury to his Achilles and was set to undergo an MRI at the stadium
“He’s dealt with some adversity, hasn’t he?” Nantz asked Romo.
Let’s hope that the news White receives is better than what his initial reaction to the injury appeared to be.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.