FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, December 20th, 2015

BRUCE ARIANS SPEAKS WITH BOB COSTAS ON NBC’S FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA

STAMFORD, Conn. – December 20, 2015 – For tonight’s Week 15 edition of NBC’s Football Night In America, the most-watched weekly studio show in sports, Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians speaks with Bob Costas. Football Night will also preview NBC’s Sunday Night Football matchup between the Cardinals and Eagles, and will include highlights, analysis and reaction to earlier Week 15 games.

Football Night airs each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on NBC, with Costas hosting the program live from inside the stadium. He will be joined on site by Sunday Night Football analyst Cris Collinsworth, sideline reporter Michele Tafoya, and NBC NFL analyst Hines Ward.

Dan Patrick co-hosts Football Night from NBC Sports Group’s Studio 1 in Stamford, Conn., and is joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy; two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney HarrisonMike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com and NBCSN, and NFL insider Peter King Carolyn Manno will report from Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pa., on the Broncos-Steelers game.

INTERVIEW: Below are excerpts from Costas’ interview with Arians. If used, please note the mandatory credit: “In an exclusive interview airing Sunday night on Football Night in America.”

BRUCE ARIANS WITH BOB COSTAS

On becoming a head coach after decades as an assistant coach: “…I’m not going to play the politics to do it [become a head coach]. If you can’t get a job on merit, why have it? It wasn’t supposed to be. I’m a big believer in fate, and the minute that I met Michael [Bidwill, President of the Cardinals] and Steve [Keim, General Manager of the Cardinals], I thought, ‘This is the one.’”

On watching his Super Bowl dreams fizzle last season following Carson Palmer’s ACL injury, and how it has motivated the team: “I think it’s been the driving force all year. How close we got – we had an NFC West Championship in our building last year. Even without Drew [Stanton] and Carson [Palmer], we still just didn’t play well enough. I think this team has grown to where they know what the goal is. They’re not going to let anything get in the way.”

On whether he can make an MVP case for Carson Palmer: “I don’t think there’s any doubt. Where this team was last year without him, [compared to] where it is now with him, and just the year he’s had. His numbers are there.”

On Carson Palmer never questioning him because he’s won Palmer’s trust, and whether they ever go nose-to-nose: “No, just on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays [laughs]. We’re all on the same page Sunday.”

On saying that he’s spent most of his life proving everyone wrong and if he’s satisfied that he finally has: “Not really, no. There are still a few things I want to get done…like be a head coach with a Super Bowl trophy in my hands.”

FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA