FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 29th, 2018

TODD GURLEY & SEAN MCVAY SPOKE WITH PETER KING FOR “FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA” EXCLUSIVELY ON NBCSPORTS.COM

“Never called it once. Not in a game. Just in practice. In practice, our guys haven’t been able to pick it up, not one time in practice. We’re like, ‘Yeah, this is gonna work.’” – Gurley on his 30-yard touchdown vs. Green Bay

“What the Bucs thought they were buying — a productive long-range passer with a solid arm and good game savvy — has turned into a dud.” – King on Tampa Bay QB Jameis Winston

“Football Morning in America” Runs Every Monday Exclusively on NBCSports.com

STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 29, 2018 – Peter King’s Week 8 edition of “Football Morning in America,” available now exclusively on NBCSports.com, is highlighted by interviews with Rams QB Todd Gurley and head coach Sean McVay, following Los Angeles’ 29-27 win over Green Bay on Sunday.

This week’s edition also includes an in-depth look at Tuesday’s upcoming trade deadline, Jameis Winston’s future in Tampa Bay, this week’s “What I Learned” with Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, awards, quotes, travel notes, and more.

The following are highlights from this week’s edition of “Football Morning in America”:

TODD GURLEY & SEAN MCVAY

  • Gurley on his 30-yard touchdown in the third quarter: “Their guy [Martinez] was off me a little bit. My job is just be patient and then go across, come underneath him. It was wide open. We were practicing this play for probably a month.”
  • King: “A month?”
  • Gurley: “Yeah. Never called it once. Not in a game. Just in practice. In practice, our guys haven’t been able to pick it up, not one time in practice. We’re like, ‘Yeah, this is gonna work.’”
  • Gurley on not scoring in the final minutes of the fourth quarter: “I could have walked into the end zone. But we talked in the huddle about being situationally aware and just getting down and winning the game.”
  • Gurley on fantasy football players potentially being upset that he didn’t score: “They should be happy about all the performances I gave them in the weeks before. They need to be humbled as well.”
  • McVay on his coaches meeting weekly to discuss new, quirky plays: “Bones (John Fassel) has a meeting every week where we compile situations, try to educate ourselves as coaches and our players on, If this happens, how do we handle it? Rolex was one of those. In Rolex, if we got a first down there, that was one of those get-down-in-bounds situations. As long as we hang onto the ball, they can’t score. But we score, then they get the ball back.”

KING ON TRADE DEADLINE

  • King on Denver: “Denver could well be a seller—and wants to be, after falling to 3-5 on Sunday in Kansas City. Chief targets: wideout Demaryius Thomas, who turned 31 Thursday, could probably be had for a third-round pick, and defensive end Shane Ray and linebacker Brandon Marshall could move too. Less likely: cornerback Bradley Roby.”
  • King on Los Angeles: “The Rams, speaking of “baseball trades,” want a pass-rusher. I hear defensive coordinator Wade Phillips is lukewarm on Denver’s Ray (having coached him two years ago), and if the Jags make disappointing high first-round pick Dante Fowler Jr., available, the Rams would have interest. L.A. is unlikely to deal swing guard Jamon Brown for a late-round pick, though there’s been interest. He’s a low-cost insurance guy for the line.”

JAMEIS WINSTON

  • King on Winston: “This could be the end for Jameis Winston in Tampa Bay. I’m not saying it is, or it will be for sure. But this is the fourth season for Winston, and it’s been a star-crossed time, and the 37-34 loss in Cincinnati was the perfect illustration of what’s gone wrong on the field for Winston—and that’s not including a thing about his multiple off-field issues.”
  • King on Tampa Bay’s future: “What the Bucs thought they were buying—a productive long-range passer with a solid arm and good game savvy—has turned into a dud. Koetter, now the head coach, yanked Winston after a four-interception performance. Backup Ryan Fitzpatrick entered the game at Cincinnati and played so well, rallying the Bucs to a late tie before losing, that it would be a surprise if Winston gets his job back—either this week or the rest of the year. In fact, this performance, on the heels of other bad ones, has to have the Bucs thinking they need to get another quarterback for the long haul.”

“WHAT I LEARNED” WITH JUSTIN TUCKER

  • Tucker on his first-ever failed PAT attempt: “So I went to dinner with my wife and some friends after the game, and then, when I went home, I watched the broadcast copy and then the team copy of the kick. And I’ve seen the video maybe 100 times during the week. Purely from a football analysis standpoint, there is not much I can tell you. When the ball came off my foot, I felt it was going right down the middle and it just, it just … didn’t.”
  • Tucker on what he’s learned from the missed attempt: “I’ve had kicks in my career I have wanted back before. There was a 41-yarder from the left hash I missed my rookie year at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. This one just happened to be a bigger kick. But my grandfather told me in high school, ‘Justin, just kick the damn ball.’ That’s all that matters. No excuses. That’s what I’ve learned about kicking, and that’s what I’m gonna do. I’m just gonna keep kicking the damn ball.”

Read the rest of the column here.

A new “Football Morning in America” will post every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com. It was announced in May that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on NBCSN’s and NBC Sports Radio’s PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

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