FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, September 8th, 2014

NOTES AND QUOTES FROM “NBCSN SUNDAY SPORTS REPORT”

STAMFORD, Conn. – Sept. 8, 2014Liam McHugh hosted the NBCSN Sunday Sports Report tonight from NBC Sports Group’s Studio 3.

McHugh was joined by Sunday Night Football analysts Cris Collinsworth, NBC Sports’ Josh Elliott, Football Night in America analysts Rodney Harrison and Hines Ward; Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com and NBCSN; Rotoworld’s Kay Adams; and NASCAR AMERICA analyst Jeff Burton.

Coverage also featured postgame interviews with Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning and TE Julius Thomas following their Week 1 victory on Sunday Night Football.

CRIS COLLINSWORTH, RODNEY HARRISON & HINES WARD ON NFL WEEK 1

Harrison on the Broncos: “This is a better overall team. When you look on the defensive side of the ball, they brought in DeMarcus Ware, Von Miller, Aqib Talib…it takes time to build that chemistry…but they are a better team.”

Collinsworth on the Colts: “It looked like it was over at halftime…all of a sudden, they came back with a vengeance. If you know Andrew Luck, and this football team, they do it on a pretty consistent basis.”

Harrison on Denver RB Montee Ball: “He showed you why Knowshon Moreno is expendable.”

Collinsworth on the Cincinnati Bengals: “It’s always about the quarterback…for him to go in against their big rival…to hit the big throw to A.J. Green where you exhale if you are Andy Dalton…you don’t want every time he throws an interception to hear those groans in the crowd…this was a big step for them.”

Harrison on New Orleans Saints following OT loss to Atlanta Falcons: “My one concern is that defense…it was very soft today, it missed a lot of tackles. I’m very concerned about that defense.”

Collinsworth on the Houston Texans: “In reality, the right thing to do in Houston is to say, ‘We’re pretty good on (the offensive) side of the ball, let our defense win football games’…it was the approach I was hoping I was going to see out of them.”

Ward on Pittsburgh Steelers: “To lose to the Cleveland Browns in the home opener wouldn’t have been a good thing for Mike Tomlin…the biggest question was, who complements Antonio Brown and Markus Wheaton came up big for them today.”

JEFF BURTON ON NASCAR

On Brad Keselowski, who won at Richmond on Saturday: “You always want to be at your best when it’s starting… because momentum doesn’t happen by chance, you earn momentum, I’m a big believer in it…it’s not a mystic thing. Success creates momentum, momentum doesn’t create success.”

On driver Greg Biffle: “Biffle, in my opinion, did his best job of driving…he took a car that was slow and found a way to get it into The Chase…his driving, his ability to keep it going, is the reason they’re in The Chase.”

On who the new playoff format benefits: “You’ve got be fast, you’ve got to be consistent. The Hendrick cars, the Penske cars, those are the ones you’re going to have to beat.”

NBC SPORTS GROUP–