CBS tried to get creative. The internet was not impressed.
Videos by FanBuzz
Photo credit: Getty Images
The AFC Championship Game between the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos turned into a full-on snow globe in the second half at Empower Field. With visibility getting worse by the drive, CBS attempted to help viewers by adding digitally enhanced yard lines over the snow-covered field.
In theory, it made sense. In practice, it looked like a video game glitch.
The glowing lines flickered across the screen, players appeared to run through them like ghosts, and the Patriots' all-white uniforms only made the visual chaos more jarring. Instead of clearing things up, the effect left many viewers more confused than before.
CBS is going with digital yard lines in the snow, and that's only leading to more chaos with players disappearing. 🏈📺🌨️😵💫 #NFL pic.twitter.com/4jeg23tlHc
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 25, 2026
Social media quickly turned into a roast session, with NFL fans calling the broadcast distracting, disorienting and downright unwatchable during stretches.
After about eight plays across two series, CBS pulled the plug on the experiment and returned to the natural snowy look. The network adjusted by adding yard-line position to the scorebug before most snaps, a simpler solution that proved far less intrusive.
They could tone down the shade a little. It looks bad when a player — particularly Patriots ones — run through them. https://t.co/BkRsPIgsR6
— Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) January 25, 2026
To CBS' credit, the attempt came from a reasonable place. Snow games can be tough to follow on TV, and trying something new beats doing nothing. But this one missed the mark, and viewers made sure that message was loud and clear.
Sometimes, the old school approach still works best — especially when the weather turns a playoff game into a winter postcard.
