FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 19th, 2013

NBC SPORTS BRONCOS-PATRIOTS CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT

Chris McCloskey:  Thank you everyone for joining us today for our call to preview this Sunday night’s game between the Broncos and the Patriots.

Joining us today will be former head coach Tony Dungy, who obviously was head coach with Peyton Manning for many years in Indianapolis, and two time Super Bowl winner with the Patriots, Rodney Harrison.

Just before we get started, a quick note – we just sent out the press release regarding this past Sunday’s game between the Broncos and the Chiefs. Some of you may have seen the game did roughly 26.9 million viewers.

We’ve had three Broncos games this year with 26.9 million viewers for Chiefs-Broncos, 26.9 million viewers for Broncos-Colts, and in NBC’s kickoff game, Ravens-Broncos did 25.1 million viewers. So large audiences associated with that team and hopefully the same again on this Sunday night as the Broncos take on the Patriots.

We’ll go to opening remarks first, and we’ll start with Tony Dungy.

Tony Dungy:  Well obviously going to be a great game Sunday night. We’re excited to have it on. For me it brings back memories of going into New England with playoff positioning at stake and a lot on the line.

I’m sure the Broncos are looking at that the same way – the big challenge of going in and dealing with a Bill Belichick coached team with Tom Brady on their home turf and what’s that going to be like, but should be a very good game.

I was very impressed with New England last night and their offense coming around playing against a great defense on the road. I just think it’s going to be a lot of fireworks and definitely looking forward to it.

Chris McCloskey:  Thank you Tony. And next we’ll take an opening remark from Rodney Harrison.

Rodney Harrison:  Good afternoon. This is Rodney Harrison and I’m extremely excited about this Sunday’s game. To me, I think it’s more so how the Patriots will respond in the midst of this adversity. They’re 7-3 in first place, but there are a lot of questions surrounding this team.

You know you look at how uncharacteristically they’ve lost on the road, at times the inability to make adjustments, the injuries they’ve had to overcome on both the offense and defensive side, and Brady – Tom Brady’s not really having the type of year that we all expect Tom Brady to have.

But, you know, very exciting to see, obviously, familiarity with Wes Welker and Peyton Manning. I know Wes – you know everyone talks about ‘will he play, won’t he play.’ Wes will play. Peyton – obviously Belichick, you know, over my years of playing against Peyton, he’s given us everything.

And I really believe that this is probably going to be the highest-rated football game that NBC has ever seen, and I’m really excited about watching this game Sunday night.

Thanks Tony and Rodney for doing this call. I wanted to ask you both about the so called victory Mondays and maybe how those can be a bit of a poison pill for teams that are really good. When the Broncos lost at the Colts last month, they said it gave them a chance to refocus and recalibrate, like they hadn’t really had a chance to in a long, long time, and they got right back to winning. Do you think sometimes that when teams get on long winning streaks, maybe the mistakes don’t get corrected like they should,and maybe there can be such a thing as a quality loss to give them a chance to kind of look at things that maybe they’ve been sweeping under the rug?

Tony Dungy:  Well I’ll let Rodney address that from a player’s standpoint, but I think from a coach’s standpoint I would disagree with that. I don’t think victory Mondays or long winning streaks necessarily mean things get swept under the rug. I think good coaches really take advantage of all those times and make those corrections, and they’re tougher on their teams when they’re winning than when they’re losing.

So I think you give some players some time off physically. We only started ours in November. We didn’t do it every Monday. But we started in November and December – that it was kind of incentive. If you win you get some time off physically to be away from the building, but when you come back in on Wednesday we’re still going to address those issues that came up even when you win.

Rodney Harrison:  And I think from a player’s standpoint, typically on victory Monday, most guys – they still come in. 75% of the team still comes in. They still watch tape. They come in, they lift weights, they get treatment, they get massages.

I think the biggest thing is we don’t have to meet. And, you know, a lot of times, after playing such a mentally tough, physically tough game on Sunday, if you have that time where you know you could just leisurely come in, you can get up whenever you want to get up, come in and have breakfast, get your massage and, you know, lift your weights on your own accord. I think that’s what really gives the players rest from the coaches.

I think it allows you as a player to focus even more because it’s not like you’ve got a coach drilling you right on that Monday as far as everything that you’ve done wrong.

So I think it’s a good thing because it gives you a break mentally as well as a physical break. And then Wednesday you come in you’re ready to go.

Peyton Manning mentioned when Wes Welker signed with the Broncos that it takes years and years to get on the same page, quarterback/receiver, yet Wes Welker has fit right in. He’s got nine touchdown passes. He leads the team in receptions. You look back in ’07, his first season with Tom Brady, and he had his best season to date. That was the year that Brady had the 50 touchdown passes. Peyton’s on track for 54. How is it that Welker has such an immediate impact with Brady and now with Peyton, you know, first year with these guys when both Brady and Peyton mentioned that it takes so long to get on, you know, the rhythm with a receiver?

Rodney Harrison:  Well I can start this off. I played with Wes and everyone looks at all his catches and what he’s done from a numbers standpoint. But I’ve been in the weight room, and obviously he works on his body, he works on his skill on the field.

But I think the thing that goes unstated is how much effort he puts in as far as the mental aspect of the game. I mean he’s chasing Tom Brady down, he’s always in constant communication with the offensive coordinator, the wide receiver’s, coach, Tom Brady – always wanting to learn, always wanting to get it right. And you can see the frustration on the field if it doesn’t go perfect with Wes.

So I think as much as we focus on his production on the field, I think the thing that really makes him great and really has elevated his career was his willingness to learn the system and learn his quarterback. I think with all those years that he’s been with Brady, obviously when he goes to another great quarterback similar to Brady – maybe a little more of a brainiac than Brady, he’s already prepared because he knows, because he just came from one of the best.

Brady and Manning have tried to downplay their rivalry. I think they don’t play directly against each other. But would you guys say this is a rivalry and that it will probably go down in history as maybe one of the great quarterback rivalries?

Tony Dungy:  Oh sure it is. And you do – you have two of the best who have every played the position. And they’ve played so many big games against each other with either playoff positioning on the line or an actual playoff game where you advance or you lose and go home.

So you’re always going to have that. And I think these guys respect each other so much and they’re so professional, they would never turn it into a one on one type of thing. And it’s not that for them.

It’s both of them trying to will their teams to victory. But they know when the season starts they’re going to end up facing each other in a meaningful game late in the year. There’s just no getting around it.

It seems like they’ve kind of developed in the same kind of styles where they’re both traditionally the top in the NFL as far as getting rid of the ball. Is that because they’re more patient and they’re willing to take the quick throw – the short gain? Or what do you think? Have you noticed that that they’re both kind of running offenses where they get rid of the ball quick and why they might do that?

Rodney Harrison:  Well I think that’s easy. I think that’s just a matter of the versatility in their weapons that they have. I mean when you have guys that you can put on the field, and whether it’s a tight end, slot receiver, big receiver, whether it’s a running back out the field, just the versatility and the weapons that the coaching staff has provided with these guys.

And the one thing about Tom, he’s not – or even Peyton – he’s not fixated on just one guy. I mean it’s the guy that’s open, you know, and they both have that innate ability to go through their first read, second read, third read, fourth read – just like an Aaron Rodgers. But I don’t think it’s one favorite target.

Obviously, when it’s third down and one or in a red zone situation, maybe, you know, there’s a familiarity with a Rob Gronkowski because you know you can throw it up. Or Wes Welker with Peyton or even with Tom because you know he can run these option routes and maybe beat a man-to-man coverage.

But I think it’s just the variety of weapons that they have. And you look at a lot of other quarterbacks when they only have one main weapon, then they tend to focus on that main thing – on that one weapon. And I think you see a lot of that going on in San Francisco with Colin Kaepernick.

Tony Dungy:  And the other thing, you know, Rodney touched on – these guys, you can’t over estimate how smart they are. So the whole process of reading and figuring out the coverage and deciding where to go with the ball, they do it so much faster than most quarterbacks in the NFL.

They’re processing the same information from the same reads, but they’re just doing it at warp speed so they don’t have to hold the ball. They know where they’re going and they get rid of it quick. They don’t take a lot of hits because they’re just smart.

Josh McDaniels was the coach of the Denver Broncos not too long ago. I know it’s been about three years now, but do you still see any of his influence with the Broncos? Does having him on the Patriots’ sideline give them any sort of advantage you think?

Tony Dungy:  I think he may know something about some of the defensive players that are there, but the offensive system has really changed since Josh left. Now the Broncos do a lot of the same things that the Patriots do and vice versa. But I don’t think there’s any offensive overflow from when Josh was there. But his benefit may be knowing something about those defensive players – how to attack that defense.

This is going to be a cold weather game. I don’t think Peyton’s history in cold weather games is certainly as good as it is in dome games. How do you think the weather might affect the game on Sunday night?

Rodney Harrison:  Well I don’t think it will to be honest with you. If Peyton struggled, a lot of times he probably would struggle with rain and sleet and snow. But if it’s a clear day and it’s cold, I don’t really worry about that as far as with Peyton.

I don’t think the game comes down to that. I really think it comes down to the Patriots – their defense and can they stop Peyton? I think from Denver’s perspective they’re playing – and statistically they’re not great – but I think this team is playing with a lot of confidence, especially after playing last week.

When they look at the film and they see the Patriots’ offensive line, they should be smiling because that offensive line – they’re not very good right now. It’s, a lot of injuries and you’ve got some new guys playing, just not very good and you can see it in Tom. Coach [Tony Dungy] and I talked about it all year. For the first half of the season how unstable and unsettled Tom Brady looks behind that offensive line.

I think that has a huge part in the fact that Tom struggled. I mean this is probably the worst I’ve seen him play. And the last couple of weeks have been better but, the worst I’ve probably seen him play in the ten years that I’ve roughly known Tom.

I was curious your thoughts on the pick play that the Broncos run and we see Eric Decker taking out two or three defenders on some of those plays. First of all, what makes that so successful and why is Peyton so good at throwing those five and six yard passes that can go for a long game?

Tony Dungy:  Well Rodney likes to talk about how to play both of these guys – that you can’t really play in zone coverage. They’re just too good – Tom and Peyton – and too accurate to play zone. So therefore you get a lot of man to man coverage. And when it’s tight man to man, then you run those rug routes and the picks and you try to get people open quickly.

And that’s a big, big part of the Denver attack and that’s something I know Bill Belichick and that defensive staff are looking at ways to be on different levels so you don’t get picked off by the other receivers or by your own defenders.

Rodney Harrison:  And, you know, the tough part about that too is once these big receivers, and even Wes being a smaller receiver, once they get the ball in their hands it’s so difficult to attack on an open field. I think that’s what makes them even more special.

It’s almost like a handoff when you get it. These skilled guys – I think we see on film each and every week Demaryius Thomas and what he can do with the ball. Wes Welker – a lot of screens have been run for him when he was in New England. Obviously a punt returner – he can return kicks.

But just getting the ball to these guys and then we have Decker – a big body receiver that can get in the way and kind of nudge the defense back off. I think that really helps to open up things for these guys.

Can you speak a bit to the legal gray area that exists with that play? I mean it seems like if anybody wanted to, they could throw a flag for offensive pass interference. Rodney, as a defensive back, when you look at this play do you sort of cringe? Would you be complaining about a play like that?

Rodney Harrison:  Well you know to a certain degree you would. I would always walk up to the refs and I’d say, “Hey, they like to run a lot of pick plays. Watch number 85 – he likes to run a lot of pick plays.” I think you see that, you get a feel for it over the course of watching tape during the year.

But I also think too if you’re a smart defensive back and you have two guys out there, like coach just talked about you have to get on different levels because once you get on different levels, then, you know, you avoid that confusion.

And a lot of times they can run the pick route and then they can run a pass off of it. Peyton Manning does it so well and he’ll confuse you and they’ll make it look like it’s the same exact play when Wes Welker sneaks out and then, here comes the big play.

Tony Dungy:  And one thing you have to know as a defender is you have to understand the rules. There is no such thing as a pick on the line of scrimmage. So if it happens right at the line of scrimmage, it’s not a penalty. Then there’s no such thing as a pick if you’re in contact with the offensive player.

If you’re jamming a guy and then he runs into your teammate, your defensive teammate, it’s not a penalty. That’s what you have to understand and that’s what Denver does so well. They run a lot of those rugs right on the line of scrimmage. Both guys are being bumped and therefore there’s no penalty.

I was wondering if you could both weigh in where the league is headed protecting quarterbacks. Are you in favor of the rule changes? Are you against them? What’s your take?

Rodney Harrison:  Well I’ve been asked this earlier for about an hour. As far as the whole Drew Brees situation, coach and I get frustrated every week. I understand the big picture is you want to protect the quarterbacks. You want to make the game safer.

But there’s just sometimes where the hits are just unavoidable. I mean the game goes so fast. The players are moving. One duck down, two or three inches by a quarterback could be the difference of a nice clean hit by a defensive end or a helmet to helmet or him hitting a guy in the neck head area.

It’s such a gray area and I just believe that the NFL really needs to give the players the benefit of the doubt because the game moves so fast. It just can’t be so declarative where if you hit a guy in the neck or the head area it’s an automatic penalty.

I get frustrated with it to be honest with you because I know and coach knows, being a former player, how fast everything moves and how athletic these guys are. And certain things you just can’t control on the football field.

Tony Dungy:  And I do understand the idea of protecting the quarterback. They are the life blood of the game and they are standing and taking some shots. I mean you look at like films from 20 years ago as opposed to now, you wonder how those quarterbacks held up.

So protecting them is important. I think what defensive players have to realize is that target zone is shrinking. You have to go below the numbers and above the knees. You’ve got a small target that you can zone in on and that’s not easy when you’re rushing the passer, you’re being blocked, you’re trying to get there – all those things.

But I think the more defensive players understand where that legal target zone is, the better off we’re going to be. And I think we can accomplish both. We can protect the quarterback but still give the defenders a chance.

Looking at Manning and Brady, the legacy that they’ve sort of created at this position – in a few years they’re not going to be playing anymore. I don’t know how much longer but are there enough guys to sort of create the next generation of great quarterbacks right now in the league? It looks like, you know, with the Packers problems finding a backup for Rodgers and some other teams that maybe look like they’re set for a while. Their quarterbacks have had some problems this year. Let’s hear your take on the capability of the rest of the guys around the league to continue to make this a good passing league. I guess for Tony first and then Rodney.

Tony Dungy:  Oh I think it definitely will be. And what you have to realize in every era there’s six to eight great, great quarterbacks and there’s a lot of good players. But the Mannings and Bradys, Montanas and Bradshaws – you aren’t going to have 32 of those all the time. And I think the league is in great shape.

You look at what Russell Wilson’s doing and Andrew Luck. These guys are going to carry the torch, and there’s always going to be players that stand out. There just aren’t going to many of them.

Rodney Harrison:  Yes, he pretty much summed it up. Obviously we don’t understand what we’re getting with Peyton and Brady until they retire. This is a special group – the way they conduct themselves on and off the field – the way they’ve brought it, the consistency in which they play.

For me, being a player and being a retired player my fifth year, it’s just amazing. People ask me all the time, “How was it like to play with Tom?” You know and they also ask me, “How was it like to face Peyton Manning?” And those are the two names.

You look at Brees and all the numbers he puts up and Aaron Rodgers, but Tom and Peyton are the two guys that everywhere I go they always talk about because they’re the ultimate team guys. You know Peyton gets a lot of flak because he only has one Super Bowl ring. But you know a lot of that was one sided.

You have a lot of weapons on offensive side and you don’t really have a great defense. But they’ve done such a great job coaching and Peyton out in Indianapolis to have so much success and be so consistent for such a long time. I think this is really special.

It would be hard for me to see another rivalry like this. It’s two guys, so special, with very similar, great teammates on and off the field and great ambassadors for the NFL.

If you could put both quarterbacks on the same team, which one would you pick? Who would you rather have? Say they both can play the game.

Tony Dungy:  I’d say that’s going to be pretty easy to answer from both of us.

Rodney Harrison:  Well you know what? To be honest with you, I mean all things being equal – if you have a great defense and, like I just talked about, I think Peyton has been so unfairly judged because he really didn’t have that defense over the years like Tom.

Tom had a lot of veteran players, a lot of really good defenses, where if he didn’t play particularly well he knew that he had a defense with a lot of veteran players that could save him whereas Peyton didn’t really have that advantage. If Peyton was on our team I think we could have easily won three Super Bowls, no doubt about it.

Tony Dungy:  And I’d have to say, I know going against Tom, how great he is and have the utmost respect for him. But I saw Peyton Manning every day and what he did and the work that he put in and how he carried us.

And you know Rodney’s right. We had games where we played a playoff game against Kansas City and we never punted, never turned it over and we had the ball at the end of the game. I’m telling him you’ve got to get the ball these last four minutes. I don’t know if we can stop him. And he did it. You know he carried things out in that regard.

So if I had one game to win with any of the quarterbacks I’ve been around in my NFL career, I want to have Peyton Manning.

Rodney, you were known as a physical player. What did you think of Talib’s shenanigans against Steve Smith last night?

Rodney Harrison:  I thought he was out of line. I mean there’s one thing to go up and jam a guy and play press coverage and have that physicality at the line of scrimmage. But the way he grabbed and kind of lost his composure, I knew it was over for him. And Steve Smith, you know, the first thing when that happened I looked at my brother and said, “This is the wrong guy.”

Because Steve Smith, he lives for this. When you elevate Steve Smith’s game by trying to out physical him – I played against him in the Super Bowl – you can’t. You can’t intimidate him. He’s one of the toughest guys to ever put on a football uniform at any position.

And that’s what Steve does. He’s a veteran player. He knows how to get in your head and he’s going to irk you and he’s going to edge you on all game long. And I just thought he lost his composure and it ultimately hurt the team.