FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, November 14th, 2021
NOTES & QUOTES FROM WEEK 10 EDITION OF FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA ON NBC AND PEACOCK
“It’s complementary football all the way around. They’re not doing anything to beat themselves and that’s what loses a lot of games in this league.” – Drew Brees on the Titans
“If you’re going to be a playoff team, you’ve got to figure out a way to beat winless teams no matter what.” – Tony Dungy on the Steelers
“New England is for real.” – Rodney Harrison
“Zach Wilson is the future and, it’s official, Mike White is no longer the guy to look for as your starting quarterback.” – Chris Simms to Jets fans
STAMFORD, Conn. – November 14, 2021 – NBC Sports’ presentation of Week 10 of the 2021 NFL season began tonight from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., with Football Night in America leading into coverage of Chiefs-Raiders on Sunday Night Football on NBC and Peacock.
Mike Tirico hosted FNIA from NBC Sports Group’s Studio 1 in Stamford, Conn. He was joined at the desk by Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy and Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees. Co-host Maria Taylor was joined in Studio 1 by former NFL quarterback Chris Simms. Two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison joined co-host Jac Collinsworth at the site of the game. NFL Insider Mike Florio provided reports from his home studio.
Legendary sportscaster Brent Musburger narrated a Las Vegas-inspired tease.
Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Michele Tafoya (sideline reporter) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst) are calling tonight’s game.
For the first time ever, Football Night in America and Sunday Night Football are streaming on Peacock Premium every week this season. Viewers can sign up here. Peacock Premium is included at no additional cost for Comcast’s eligible Xfinity X1 and Flex customers and Cox Contour customers.
NBC Sports’ new post-game show Peacock Sunday Night Football Final streams tonight exclusively on Peacock following Sunday Night Football.
***
Following are highlights from tonight’s edition of Football Night in America on NBC and Peacock:
ON CHIEFS
Dungy: “They’ve got Super Bowl caliber talent, but they’re not playing that way. Offensively, poor pass protection and poor ball security, (not) running the ball well…They’re not playing consistent football on either side of the ball.”
Brees: “Offensively, they lack patience. They lack discipline…Teams are defending them much differently now. They’re forcing them to be patient, to have to drive (the field) …Take the shots, but if it’s not there, check it down, find your playmakers underneath, stay committed to the run, and that’s what is going to open up the opportunities to make those big plays down the road.”
Dungy on QB Patrick Mahomes: “Everybody is saying, ‘Has the league figured out Mahomes, all these deep safeties?’ No, they haven’t figured them out. Patrick just needs to get back to basic fundamentals.”
Harrison on how to defend TE Travis Kelce: “He is a great player. You’re not going to completely shut him down, but you have to play physical with him and make his life miserable.”
ON RAIDERS
Florio on former head coach Jon Gruden’s lawsuit: “Through this process we will learn plenty about who had the documents. I’ve been told a small handful of people did. How did they make their way to the media? Were they properly handled? How did this all unfold? If this litigation goes start to finish, we’ll learn a lot about how this information was or wasn’t properly handled.”
Florio on specifics around the lawsuit: “21-page complaint. I saw on three different occasions an argument from Jon Gruden’s lawyers that the NFL deliberately leaked the Gruden emails to take the pressure off and attention away from the controversy of the Washington Football Team investigation. That’s backwards. The Washington Football Team investigation was over and done…it wasn’t until the Jon Gruden emails were leaked that everything happened, calls for transparency, Congress showed up. That all traces to the Jon Gruden emails.”
Brees on stepping up as a leader when Saints head coach Sean Payton was suspended during the 2012 season: “You take that upon yourself as the quarterback of the team and amongst the other leaders on the team as well. We all know that we needed to pick up the slack…and be able to deliver those messages in your own leadership style.”
Harrison on QB Derek Carr: “I’ve been really impressed with how he’s handled all the adversity that has come with everything that this team has gone through…Not many quarterbacks can deal with what he’s dealt with and handled it the way he’s handled it.”
ON COWBOYS
Dungy on defensive coordinator Dan Quinn facing his former team: “Dallas’ defense didn’t play great last week against Denver. You know those guys understood how big a game that was for Dan Quinn. They played great today.”
Simms on QB Dak Prescott: “No practice last week but looked like a different guy this week. He was on the money with decisions and ball placement.”
ON TITANS
Dungy: “I love Tennessee…they lose their horse in Derrick Henry, had to reassess how they’re going to do things and they keep slugging away and finding ways to win. You have to give credit to Mike Vrabel and that coaching staff with that mentality.”
Brees: “It’s complementary football all the way around. They’re not doing anything to beat themselves and that’s what loses a lot of games in this league.”
ON BUCCANEERS
Brees: “Certainly not the same Bucs defense as it was at this point last year and definitely not the same defense we saw last year in the playoffs…Not getting the same pass rush, not generating the turnovers, so they’re not creating as many opportunities for their offense and it’s keeping them on the field longer.”
Dungy: “The last two weeks you’ve played against Trevor Siemian, a backup quarterback, and gave up 36 points. Played against Taylor Heinicke today and gave up 29 (points). This is not the Super Bowl caliber defense we’re used to seeing from them.”
ON PATRIOTS
Brees: “These are the old school Patriots we are used to seeing. Great job by (offensive coordinator) Josh McDaniels the last few weeks. This offense has truly evolved. Tons of variety…Mac Jones is efficient, finding completions, hitting big plays. He continues to get better each and every week.”
Tirico: “Since ‘The Return’ game up in Foxborough, the Patriots have looked better than the Bucs have.”
Harrison: “New England is for real. Everyone just talks about the run game and Mac Jones, but to me (TE) Hunter Henry, (WR) Kendrick Bourne, those are the guys making contributions to this team.”
Simms on RB Rhamondre Stevenson: “He’s changed their offense. Extremely talented – big, quick feet, can catch the ball out of the backfield.”
Simms: “Other than the Titans, I’m going with the New England Patriots for being the most consistent, well-balanced football team (in the AFC).”
ON BROWNS
Simms: “That’s my one issue with the Browns defense. They kind of do what they do and they don’t change a whole lot, and I don’t know if that can necessarily get you to…the promised land.”
ON PACKERS
Tirico: “It feels like it’s important football because it’s snowing at Lambeau.”
Dungy on QBs Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson: “Neither quarterback played like we’re used to seeing them play, but this Packers defense pitched the shutout.”
ON LIONS
Taylor: “Really ugly weather, even uglier game.”
Simms: “I feel bad for the Lions, but at least it wasn’t a loss. There’s a silver lining there.”
ON STEELERS
Dungy: “If you’re going to be a playoff team, you’ve got to figure out a way to beat winless teams no matter what. Too many wasted opportunities today.”
Brees: “This was their type of environment, nasty weather at home, Steeler football – defense, run the football and find a way to win the game without your starting quarterback. It would’ve put them at the top of the division, but instead it’s a missed opportunity.”
ON VIKINGS
Dungy: “I thought it would be the running game, but it was really Kirk Cousins and his receivers that won this game for Minnesota.”
ON SEAHAWKS
Simms on QB Russell Wilson: “If you don’t practice in the NFL, as great as you are even if you’re Russell Wilson, you’re going to struggle. He was off-target, didn’t seem to scan the field all that well today.”
Dungy: “Russell looked like he hadn’t played in a while.”
ON JETS
Simms on QB Mike White: “He was bad in the pocket today and careless with the football…Zach Wilson is the future and, it’s official, Mike White is no longer the guy to look for as your starting quarterback.”
–FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA–
