FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, January 7th, 2019

GOLDEN TATE SPEAKS WITH PETER KING FOR “FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA” EXCLUSIVELY ON NBCSPORTS.COM

 “(Nick Foles) called the play, and it was gonna be me on 27, and that’s exactly what I wanted. I always want the ball with the game on the line.” – Tate

I’m not going against Tom, but it’s special.” – Chargers QB Philip Rivers on playing Tom Brady and the Patriots this week

You’ve Got to See this Video: Patrick Mahomes Recreates No-Look Pass Exclusively on FMIA

King: “An idea? Jets trade Robbie Anderson and a second-round pick to the Steelers for Brown. Jets sign Le’Veon Bell. And the (Steelers East) Jets finally have the weapons to be a potent NFL offense for the next two or three years.”

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

STAMFORD, Conn. – January 7, 2019 – Peter King’s Wild Card Weekend edition of Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com, is highlighted by an interview with Philadelphia WR Golden Tate, who scored the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute of the fourth quarter of the Eagles’ 16-15 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday on NBC.

Additionally, Football Morning in America takes an in-depth look at Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s game plan against the Baltimore Ravens; a preview of the conference semifinals; why King removed Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown from his AP All-Pro ballot; this week’s “What I Learned” with Indianapolis Colts CB Kenny Moore; awards, quotes, travel notes and more.

It also includes an exclusive interview with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, who recreates his famous no-look pass against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14. Watch the jaw-dropping video exclusively at Football Morning in America.

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

EAGLES-BEARS

  • Tate on his game-winning touchdown: “They put our future in my hands. There is no better feeling for me … When I broke off the line, I felt good about winning the matchup, and I got between him and Nick, ran the best possible route I knew how, and Nick just dropped a dime. He put in a spot where only I could catch it. That says a lot about the coach, the offensive coordinator, the quarterback, showing faith in me on what could have been our last play. For them to put our season on me is pretty great.”
  • Tate on QB Nick Foles: “He was calm and cool, just like the Nick I’ve known ever since I got here this season,” Tate said. “He called the play, and it was gonna be me on 27 [Chicago cornerback Sherrick McManus], and that’s exactly what I wanted. I always want the ball with the game on the line.”

THE CHARGER CHANGEUP

  • Derwin James on stopping Lamar Jackson for a loss on the first play from scrimmage: “The momentum of the defense rose from there. When that play happened, we just got so jacked.”
  • James on Los Angeles playing multiple defensive backs: “What was cool is our DB room, we got seven or eight guys in there every day. And today, every one of them started and played the whole way, basically.”
  • Rivers on facing New England: “You’re talking about arguably the greatest of all time. I’m not playing Tom. But it’s always special. Peyton Manning was always a favorite to play. It was special to look over and say, ‘Peyton Manning’s leading that team over there!’ That was special to me. Tom Brady’s gonna be the guy leading that team over there this week. That’s special. I’m not going against Tom, but it’s special.”
  • Rivers on the Chargers: “I think we’re a little more weathered. You know? We just been through a lot. We’ve been all over the place. We’ve been to London. We’ve been everywhere on the road and won. We’ve won with defense. We’ve won with offense. We’ve won with kick returns. We’ve won with field goals. There’s no other way we can win. I don’t know that we can be put in a situation and go, ‘Oh gosh, how are our guys gonna respond?’ That doesn’t mean you always win. But I don’t know anything that can come our way that can make us go, ‘Help!”

ON ANTONIO BROWN

King on removing Brown from his ballot:There might be some slightly contrarian evidence, but there’s not much debate that Brown petulantly missed multiple practices prior to a game with major playoff implications, a game he could have and almost certainly would have influenced. I could not in good conscience vote for a person who went AWOL for a game of such magnitude. So I erased Brown, typed in Thomas of the Saints, and re-filed my ballot to the AP.”

King on possible trade scenarios for Brown:Who would trade for him? I’ll give you possibilities: Oakland (with four first-round picks in the next two drafts and a coach who won’t fear the distraction), Carolina (though the Panthers have spent profusely on Cam Newton weapons, here’s one that could make the Panthers two or three wins better); San Francisco (all-world young tight end, but just an OK receiving corps); and the Jets. An idea? Jets trade Robbie Anderson and a second-round pick to the Steelers for Brown. Jets sign Le’Veon Bell. And the (Steelers East) Jets finally have the weapons to be a potent NFL offense for the next two or three years.”

“WHAT I LEARNED” WITH MOORE

Moore on being too small to play football as a child: “I played as a child—pee wee, middle school. But then I stopped. I didn’t think I was big enough. I didn’t think I was fit. I went back my senior year and tried out as a receiver—I didn’t think I could hit. I‘m from a pretty big football area. But they put me at corner, and I was lucky. They played me all season.”

Moore on the path his career has taken: “I can’t even describe the feeling of what’s going on in my life, looking back a few years when I didn’t think I was big enough. The biggest lesson I’ve learned, really, is pretty easy. Work. Just work. It’s not over till it’s over. You can have the worst childhood, and you can have other disadvantages in your life, and you just work. At the end, that overcomes so much. Can’t stress that enough. That’s done it for me.”

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.

FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA