“The most dominant player on the field today was Derrick Henry…He was awesome, and got back to that dump truck mentality.” – Tony Dungy
“He’s phenomenal. I think he might be the best safety in the game.” – Chris Simms on Jets S Jamal Adams
“You get Jared Goff in cold weather, you get pressure on him, he’ll fold.” – Rodney Harrison
STAMFORD, Conn. – Nov. 10, 2019 – Mike Tirico hosted the Week 10 edition of Football Night in America tonight from NBC Sports’ International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., in advance of the Sunday Night Football matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys. Tirico was joined on the set by analysts Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, and Chris Simms, as well as NFL Insider Mike Florio.
Liam McHugh co-hosted Football Night in America from an outdoor set outside A&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. He was joined by SNF analyst Cris Collinsworth, with Al Michaels and Michele Tafoya also reporting from inside the stadium. In honor of Veteran’s Day, McHugh interviewed retired U.S. Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient Michael Thornton. Former Cowboys WR Drew Pearson discussed his famous Hail Mary catch against the Vikings in the 1975 playoffs.
FNIA also included highlights, analysis, and news from around the league.
Following are highlights from Football Night in America on NBC:
ON VIKINGS-COWBOYS
Collinsworth on Vikings QB Kirk Cousins: “He’s been particularly effective moving to his left, which is unusual for a right-handed quarterback, but that’s where most of their big plays off the bootleg have come.”
Simms on Vikings RB Dalvin Cook being the best running back in the NFL: “It’s arguably him or Christian McCaffrey. He’s a home run hitter. When he sees a seam, he puts his foot in the ground and goes from zero-to-60 in two seconds.”
Dungy on Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, a Vietnam War veteran who worked under Dungy at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: “I can’t tell you how many times I had Rod talk to our team when we were struggling. Talk about staying together, hanging together, sacrificing. All those stories from the service. They were wonderful.”
ON RAVENS
Simms on highlights of QB Lamar Jackson: “All you can say is, wow…It’s unreal.”
ON TITANS
Dungy: “The most dominant player on the field today was Derrick Henry…He was awesome, and got back to that dump truck mentality…He was the story of this game. Even when they were behind, Mike Vrabel stuck with the running game, and that was critical.”
Tirico: “As great as (Patrick) Mahomes was, Derrick Henry was just as good.”
ON CHIEFS
Harrison: “This is why I don’t like the Kansas City Chiefs going deep into the playoffs because their run defense is not very good.”
Dungy on the Titans’ final drive: “I didn’t understand Kansas City’s defense in this last stretch. All this man coverage…they played zone one time, got an incomplete pass. I didn’t like the strategy. They’re playing tight bump-and-run man coverage, three easy plays into the end zone.”
Harrison: “Just sit back in zone coverage, read the quarterback, and make the play.”
Tirico: “All of a sudden, KC has four losses 10 games into the season, and the defense better get better.”
ON PANTHERS
Simms on the officials calling Gerald McCoy’s penalty in the end zone on Aaron Rodgers: “That’s pitiful.”
Harrison on the penalty: “He tried to avoid putting his body weight (on Rodgers). He actually slid to the side.”
Simms on rushing Aaron Rodgers: “When you play Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers, you have to be conscious of the edges. You have to be disciplined. You can’t go after them and say, ‘Oh, I want to get the sack every time.’”
Dungy: “Disciplined. You have to be disciplined.”
ON RAMS
Harrison on Dante Fowler Jr: “He’s become one of the best defensive players in the National Football League.”
Simms: “He has. He’s been awesome.”
Simms: “This is the issue right here for the Rams. The interior O-line. They can’t block people.”
Dungy: “I’m very concerned about the Rams. They’re not running the ball as well as we’ve seen them. That sets everything up. But you’ve got to be able to pass protect, and they couldn’t do it today.”
Harrison: “You get Jared Goff in cold weather, you get pressure on him, he’ll fold.”
ON STEELERS
Harrison on S Minkah Fitzpatrick: “He’s been great all year, and the more and more I watch him on tape, the more I have to consider that he might be the Defensive Player of the Year.”
Dungy: “Let’s give some credit to the Pittsburgh defense. You get that quick seven points. They snap the ball over Mason Rudolph’s head, those defenders said, ‘You know what, we’ve got to go out and win this game.’ And they did it.”
ON BILLS
Dungy: “We’ve seen this three weeks in a row. Poor run gaps. Great holes. They’ve got to get this fixed.”
Harrison: “And it starts with the defensive line…Missed tackles by the linebackers, secondary…It’s happening over and over.”
ON JETS
Simms: “Doing a good job manipulating the pocket. Sam Darnold is great when it’s chaos around him.”
Tirico on Jets S Jamal Adams: “Best player in NYC right now.”
Simms: “He’s phenomenal. I think he might be the best safety in the game.”
ON CARDINALS-BUCCANEERS
Dungy on game’s final play in which no pass interference was called despite a replay review: “This is what [pass interference replay review] was put in for…[the defender] comes right through the back shoulder. This is obvious, clear and obvious. New York looked at it, but didn’t change the ruling on this one. I don’t know why.”
Harrison: “It’s pass interference. Period.”
Tirico: “The conversation on when that threshold is reached continues.”
Harrison on WR Chris Godwin: “He’s got my vote for the Pro Bowl. He’s been outstanding this year.”
ON COLTS
Harrison on Adam Vinatieri’s misses this season: “I hate to say it, but going into the playoffs, I don’t trust Adam Vinatieri.”
ON FALCONS-SAINTS
Harrison: “Any time these two teams play, you have to forget about the records. The Falcons played this like it’s their Super Bowl. The defense really showed up.”
ON DOLPHINS
Simms on team’s second straight win: “They’re not tanking, guys. Just letting you know.”
–FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA–