FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, January 1st, 2023
NOTES & QUOTES FROM WEEK 17 EDITION OF FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA ON NBC AND PEACOCK
“Rodgers, in Lambeau, with the playoffs on the line? I think he might be okay.” – Tony Dungy on Week 18 Lions-Packers matchup with playoff implications
“Brady wins the division. Rodgers sets up a win and in. Wow.” – Jason Garrett on crucial victories by Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers today
“I believe in their defense. They get after the quarterback. Matthew Judon should have Defensive Player of the Year consideration, but I can’t trust that offense.” – Rodney Harrison on the Patriots
“It happened during the game, no one knew about it until the next day, and that may prompt some discussion in the offseason about potential changes to the protocol.” – Mike Florio on Tua Tagovailoa’s Week 16 concussion
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STAMFORD, Conn. – Jan. 1, 2023 – NBC Sports’ presentation of Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season continued tonight from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., with Football Night in America leading into coverage of the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football on NBC, Peacock and Universo.
Maria Taylor hosted FNIA from NBC Sports’ Studio 1 in Stamford, Conn. She was joined by Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy, former NFL head coach Jason Garrett, former NFL quarterback Chris Simms, fantasy sports industry pioneer Matthew Berry. NFL Insider Mike Florio reported from his home studio. Steve Kornacki was also in the studio to break down playoff scenarios. Two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison joined co-host Jac Collinsworth at the site of the game.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst) are calling tonight’s game. Tirico also reported from the field during FNIA.
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Following are highlights from tonight’s edition of Football Night in America on NBC and Peacock:
ON RAVENS-STEELERS RIVALRY
Dungy: “Physical, physical football. NFL teams get 14 padded practices. No one practices in pads in December. Mike Tomlin saved his 14th practice for Friday of ‘Ravens Week’ because it’s going to be physical.”
Garrett: “One of the best rivalries in all of football. Two of the best franchises in all of football. They have elite ownership — supportive, stable — elite personnel departments and elite head coaches in John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin. They faced each other 32 times in the course of their careers and every one of these games is a bloodbath. It’s tough, it’s physical, and this game is not going to be any different tonight.”
ON STEELERS
Harrison on defensive tackle Cameron Heyward: “33 years old, 12 years in the league, he’s an absolute stud. He’s playing on an All-Pro level. He’s going to have to have a big game tonight in the run game, not just the pass game, but pushing that pocket.”
Dungy on Steelers rookie QB Kenny Pickett: “I saw Mike Tomlin at the Indianapolis Monday night game and he told me he is loving Kenny Pickett’s decision-making and he’s getting more and more comfortable putting the ball in his hands.”
Harrison on Steelers rookie WR George Pickens: “I think this young man is the steal of the draft. He reminds me of one of my teammates — Hall of Famer Randy Moss — because he’s big, he’s long, and he makes a lot of big plays.”
Harrison: “Minkah Fitzpatrick is the best free safety in all of football. What I love about him is his versatility and I love the way they’re playing him.”
ON RAVENS
Harrison on Ravens LB Roquan Smith: “Games like this, you want your best defensive player to step up, and for the Ravens it’s Roquan Smith. He was the missing piece on this defense, and he’s got tremendous instincts. He’s smart, and one thing we know about him, he can go from sideline to sideline.”
Garrett on the Ravens’ offense: “In an era where everybody wants to throw the ball and get out into space, Greg Roman, the offensive coordinator for the Ravens, he wants to run a ‘Medieval Offense.’ A lot of big people in the game, they pull the guards, they pull the tackles, they hammer the line of scrimmage. That’s what we’re going to see tonight.”
Harrison on Ravens TE Mark Andrews: “They can’t forget about their tight end. He’s their best player…not many safeties, not many linebackers can guard this guy.”
Harrison on Ravens 300-pound-plus FB Patrick Ricard: “This is the biggest skill guy that I’ve ever seen in an NFL uniform. He is huge.”
ON EAGLES
Dungy on QB Jalen Hurts’ impact on the team: “He makes great throws and he’s a great runner, but even more than that, when he’s in there, there’s only certain things you can do on defense. There are coverages you can’t play. He helps the run game. He is very, very valuable.”
Garrett: “His impact is pervasive throughout the team. The running game is better because he runs it, but they also have the threat of his running. The defense is better. The time of possession, they’re among the best in the league. New Orleans had the ball for over 37 minutes today. He makes a big difference.”
ON 49ERS
Simms on 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey: “That’s why they traded for this guy. He had a huge day, and he is the focal point of their offense right now.”
ON BUCCANEERS
Dungy on the Buccaneers’ NFC South-clinching victory over the Panthers: “This is the formula that they rode to the Super Bowl. Good defense, getting big plays, and the passing game being explosive…Mike Evans can still get the deep ball and Tom Brady can still throw the deep ball.”
Simms on the Buccaneers’ defense: “That’s one of the things we’re seeing from Todd Bowles’ defense down the stretch. They’re getting healthy in the secondary and upfront…We know they got Brady, but the defense is going well, too.”
Florio on speaking to Buccaneers P Jake Camarda about his on-the-move punt to save a broken play at the end of the game: “On that play, that’s something he did from time to time in college, the rugby punt that we see at the college level from time to time. So, he was experienced at making that kick on the move.”
ON PACKERS
Kornacki on the Packers’ playoff chances: “The only team (of Seattle, Detroit, and Green Bay) with a clear path, believe it or not, is Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.”
Dungy on the Lions-Packers game next week to determine the final NFC playoff spot: “Rodgers, in Lambeau, with the playoffs on the line? I think he might be okay.”
Simms on the Packers’ win over the Vikings: “That was just a total team performance. The run game, they returned a kick for a touchdown, the defense. It’s funny, ever since they got their backs against the wall, they’ve played their best football.”
Garrett on facing Aaron Rodgers in the playoffs: “I still have some scars, but you don’t want to play Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in the playoffs. We lost to them twice in the Divisional Round. If they get hot, I’m telling you, you don’t want them.”
Dungy: “Green Bay’s secondary was outstanding today…on fire.”
Garrett on Tom Brady’s and Aaron Rodgers’ victories today: “Brady wins the division. Rodgers sets up a win and in. Wow.”
ON CHARGERS
Garrett: “Does anyone in the NFL find the end zone better than Austin Ekeler? He was fantastic today.”
ON DOLPHINS
Dungy: “Their offense is quarterback driven and they’re not getting good quarterback play. Teddy Bridgewater got hurt today. The Dolphins are in trouble.”
Garrett on the Dolphins’ five-game losing streak: “They haven’t been balanced. They haven’t run the ball enough, and when you get to the end of the season, these cold weather games, you need to be a more balanced team. Then when you lose your quarterback, Tua (Tagovailoa), everything starts to fall apart. They have not been the same team this past month.”
Florio on Dolphins QBs Teddy Bridgewater and Tua Tagovailoa: “It’s believed that Teddy Bridgewater has a broken finger on his right hand, his throwing hand. Tua Tagovailoa, (is) in the concussion protocol. It’s not believed he’ll be ready to go next week but that’s in the hands of the doctors, so it would be Skylar Thompson. On that Tua Tagovailoa concussion, it happened during the game, no one knew about it until the next day, and that may prompt some discussion in the offseason about potential changes to the protocol.”
ON PATRIOTS
Harrison: “I believe in their defense. They get after the quarterback. Matthew Judon should have Defensive Player of the Year consideration, but I can’t trust that offense. Mac Jones looks frustrated. He looks unhappy. I don’t trust that offense.”
Simms: “This Patriots defense has been making a lot of big plays as of late, helping a struggling offense.”
ON COMMANDERS
Dungy on the Commanders starting Carson Wentz: “This seemed like a desperation move and it just didn’t pay off.”
Simms: “They kind of got beat at their own game today. Cleveland ran the football. Cleveland’s defense made the plays. We saw Washington do that through their win streak, but it did seem a little bit like a desperate move to go to Wentz in this situation.”
ON RAIDERS
Simms on QB Jarrett Stidham: “He played great today. He really did a great job. Week 17 against that (49ers) defense, that was impressive.”
ON BRONCOS
Florio: “The Broncos want a coach with head coaching experience, and I’m told in recent days they have reached out to Michigan coach and former 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh to let him know that they’re interested in talking to him…His buyout is only $3 million to get out of the Michigan contract and he knows Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson very well from their time competing against each other in the same division (2012-2014).”
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Peacock Sunday Night Football Final, an NFL post-game show produced by NBC Sports, streams exclusively on Peacock following every Sunday Night Football game during the 2022 season. The show is hosted by NBC Sports commentators Kathryn Tappen and Chris Simms, who provide instant reactions to each Sunday game along with highlights and interviews. Football Night in America co-host Jac Collinsworth and analyst Rodney Harrison also provide recaps and insights into the day’s biggest moments from the site of each week’s SNF game. NFL Insider Mike Florio provides injury and news updates. Matthew Berry provides fantasy football analysis and an early look at the fantasy waiver wire.
— Football Night in America —
