FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 31st, 2013
NOTES & QUOTES FROM “FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” — WEEK 17
“Packers fans are going to remember that…you’re going to remember where you were.” – Dan Patrick on Packers game-winning TD
“There are no outstanding defenses to play against. Peyton Manning at home is going to be the favorite.” – Tony Dungy on AFC playoffs
“You can’t forget about Carolina and what Cam Newton and that defense bring.” – Rodney Harrison on NFC playoffs
“If he chooses to come out, (Louisville’s Teddy) Bridgewater will be the favorite to be the No. 1 pick.” – Peter King on the NFL Draft
NEW YORK – Dec. 29, 2013 – Following are the highlights for Football Night in America, the most-watched pre-game show in sports. Bob Costas opened the show live from AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, where the Dallas Cowboys are hosting the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that will decide the NFC East champion. Costas was joined on site by Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), and two-time Super Bowl winner and Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward.
Dan Patrick co-hosted Football Night from famous Studio 8H at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios in New York City. He was joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy; two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison; Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on NBCSN and NBCSports.com; Peter King of Sports Illustrated; and former NFL Executive of the Year Scott Pioli. Alex Flanagan reported from Soldier Field in Chicago on the Packers-Bears game.
Costas interviewed Dallas Cowboys TE Jason Witten and Philadelphia Eagles RB LeSean McCoy for tonight’s show. The program also included a feature that reviewed the Cowboys past two Week 17 games, both of which decided the NFC East and both of which the Cowboys lost, to the Giants and Redskins, respectively.
Following are highlights from Football Night in America:
ON PLAYOFFS
Dungy: “This is going to be a great NFC playoff race. I really think the two best teams are…Seattle and San Francisco.”
Harrison: “You can’t forget about Carolina and what Cam Newton and that defense bring.”
Harrison on the AFC: “The top two seeds (Denver and New England) are actually the two best teams in this league.”
Harrison on Saints: “If I’m the Saints, I’m rooting for the Dallas Cowboys because you get a chance to play in that dome, a nice comfortable environment, but also against that bad Cowboys defense. Drew Brees can take advantage of that.”
Dungy on Broncos: “They’ve got to be pretty comfortable because there are no outstanding defenses to play against. Peyton Manning at home is going to be the favorite against any of these defenses.”
Dungy on Colts: “Playing their best football now, these last three weeks. They know they’ve got a home game. They’ll be dangerous in the playoffs.”
Dungy on Bengals: “Cincinnati, I believe, was rooting for San Diego, (to) bring them east in some cold weather. They’ve already beaten San Diego one time. I’m sure they would much rather play them than Pittsburgh.”
ON PACKERS
Patrick on fourth-and-seven play: “Packers fans are going to remember that. Just say fourth-and-seven and you’re going to remember where you were.”
ON BEARS
Harrison on safety Chris Conte allowing game-winning TD: “He flat out blows his coverage…He lets his wide receiver go straight down the field.”
ON PATRIOTS
Harrison on Bill Belichick: “He’s done a wonderful job with all the different injuries, winning 12 games. The Patriots are never out (of a game).”
ON PANTHERS
Dungy: “I love Cam Newton, but it’s this defense that’s going to carry them.”
ON SEAHAWKS
Florio on Percy Harvin: “As soon as Monday, Harvin will be put on injured reserve due to a lingering hip problem.”
ON RAVENS
Harrison: “This team is a soft team.”
ON DOLPHINS
Harrison: “Just not ready to take that next step.”
ON COWBOYS
Collinsworth on Kyle Orton: “I can only believe what my eyes saw, and I watched him at practice the other day and he threw the ball really well, maybe even a little bit better than really well.”
Ward on Dez Bryant: “If he doesn’t get his opportunities, he could be a distraction on the sideline.”
Costas: “He’s been known to pout.”
Pioli on Orton, who was on Chiefs when Pioli was the team’s GM: “Great team player.”
Dungy: “Kyle Orton is not just any backup. He’s started many games in this league. He is a pro.”
ON EAGLES
Dungy on Nick Foles: “He has been dynamite, on target on the move.”
Costas on LeSean McCoy: “No one disputes that the best pure running back in the NFL is Adrian Peterson of the Vikings, but LeSean McCoy catches a whole lot of passes. He may be the best all-around back.”
Ward: “No question about it. He reminds me a lot of Marshall Faulk.”
ON COACHING CHANGES
Florio on Rob Chudzinski: “The Browns are considering meeting with Chudzinkski tonight and it is likely that he will be fired.”
King on Chudzinski: “Chudzinski struggled with team discipline and the Browns love of analytics…the other thing to watch for is Josh McDaniels, the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots and a northeast Ohio native, to be a prime candidate.”
Florio and King reported that Mike Munchak (Titans), Jim Schwartz (Lions), Leslie Frazier (Vikings) and Mike Shanahan (Redskins) are expected to be fired.
ON NFL DRAFT
King on Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater: “If he chooses to come out, Bridgewater will be the favorite to be the No. 1 pick.”
King on the Rams, who have the No. 2 pick via the Redskins: “The Rams want to move down again…He’d (GM Les Snead) like to get another (first round) pick out of dealing the No. 2 pick in this draft.”
INTERVIEW: Below are highlights of Costas’ interviews with Witten and McCoy.
JASON WITTEN WITH BOB COSTAS
On saying ‘This can’t go on like this’ last year prior to Week 17: “Third time’s a charm. Obviously we find ourselves in this situation again. Hopefully those past experiences and those failures and coming up short make you better and you build on it, so that in this situation you can find a way to win this game.”
On Tony Romo being out: “That was a big blow, losing Tony. Anytime you lose a player like that, that’s just the star of your franchise and the leader of your franchise, it’s difficult. But the show’s got to go on. We believe in Kyle (Orton), with the experiences and the success that he’s had in this league that he can go and lead our football team. That’s what you hang your hat on is those past experiences.”
On what Orton does well: “He’s got a great demeanor. He’s had success in this league, had starts. He’s got an unbelievable confidence in himself and the people around him. I think he understands what winning football is and, playing the position of quarterback, what he has to do; just facilitate and allow his guys to make plays and help us win this game.”
On if he’s seen Jason Garrett’s demeanor change while being on the hot seat: “I haven’t. Jason Garrett’s got an unbelievable demeanor, just poise, just a great football coach. This is why you want to win games like this — obviously Tony for getting us into this situation, you want to win for him — but you want to win for Coach Garrett because we’re lucky to have him and you want him to have that type of success for a long time.”
Click here to watch the video: http://www.nbcsports.com/video/nfl
LESEAN MCCOY WITH BOB COSTAS
On the deck being stacked in the Eagles favor for tonight’s game: “That’s why we play the game. We’re approaching the game the same way, as if he (Tony Romo) was playing. We’re preparing and practicing hard. We like it like this. The stakes are up. One game, we’ve got to win to get in.”
On if he grew up a Steelers or Eagles fan having grown up in Pennsylvania: “Not really, just a fan of the game. I was a huge fan of Barry Sanders.”
On comparisons to Barry Sanders: “I’m confident in my game, but watching Barry for so long, the comparison’s crazy. He’s done so many amazing things with those type of runs that there’s even times before the game when I’ll watch some clips to just try and take some different things he did. You really can’t compare us. I’m nowhere near Barry Sanders, and I’m fine to say that.”
On playing for a long time given that he is only 25: “I want to. That’s kind of the reason why maybe I’m so elusive and don’t take those extra shots because I have dreams to play a long time. I think in this game, half the battle is just being healthy.”
On if the Eagles are peaking: “I think so. I think this season we’ve played so well for away games, and, late in the year, we’ve played very well at home. Right now, this is where we want to be, at the right time, peaking.”
Click here to watch the video: http://www.nbcsports.com/football/nfl/mccoy-eagles-know-stakes-are-vs-cowboys
—FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA—
