“He’s the most destructive player in the National Football League...He changes the whole team.” – Jason Garrett on Cowboys LB Micah Parsons
“He is so much more confident. He’s always had touch, accuracy, and anticipation, but his command is so great right now.” – Tony Dungy on Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa in his second season with Mike McDaniel
“Before you didn’t have to really talk about the drop-back passing game, and if he did drop back, you used to only worry about the scramble. Now he’s throwing a deep pass…It just looks awesome for Lamar Jackson right now.” – Devin McCourty on Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
Peacock Sunday Night Football Final Streams EXCLUSIVELY on Peacock Following Dolphins-Patriots and Every Sunday Night Football Game During 2023 Season
STAMFORD, Conn. – Sept. 17, 2023 – NBC Sports’ presentation of Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season continued tonight from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., with Football Night in America leading into coverage of Dolphins-Patriots on Sunday Night Football on NBC and Peacock.
Maria Taylor hosted FNIA from NBC Sports’ Studio 1 in Stamford, Conn. She was joined by former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, three-time Super Bowl Champion Devin McCourty, former NFL quarterback Chris Simms, NFL Insider Mike Florio, and fantasy sports industry pioneer Matthew Berry. Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy and 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.
Football Night also included Rodney Harrison’s interview with Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill and Devin McCourty’s interview with Patriots LB Matthew Judon. Click here to watch Hill’s and here to watch Judon’s.
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Following are highlights from tonight’s edition of Football Night in America on NBC and Peacock:
ON DOLPHINS
Garrett on Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill: “This guy is by himself way too much… put two guys on him and (Jaylen) Waddle too. Make Mike McDaniel run the football…that’s how you beat the Dolphins.”
Harrison on Hill: “He’s a very smart football player. He’s very conscious of where the cornerbacks are, where the safeties are, even the linebackers. Just a very intelligent football player.”
Jac Collinsworth on Hill: “I remember spending some time with Tyreek Hill last year. He said, ‘I love Kansas City, but Miami is made for me. I’m living the American Dream down there.’ Playing like it in Week 1.”
Dungy on Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa: “Second year with Mike McDaniel. He is so much more confident. He’s always had touch, accuracy, and anticipation, but his command is so great right now. He’s making the run/pass option decision so quickly, getting rid of the ball and playing fantastic football.”
Harrison on Dolphins LB Bradley Chubb: “Wait until you see him in person, he looks like he should just be bullying everybody. But he’s been playing a soft, finesse-type of game. They’ve got to get him playing more physical and dominating. Since he’s been with the Miami Dolphins, he’s been average.”
Simms on containing the Dolphins’ offense: “The changing of the (defensive) looks is really important. Mike McDaniel, he’s as creative as it gets. If you let him (get) in a rhythm – Tua (Tagovailoa) knows what (defense) you’re in every play -- forget it. You’re not going to stop them.”
ON PATRIOTS
Harrison on QB Mac Jones: “Mac looks a lot more comfortable on the football field. He’s playing with a lot more confidence and he believes in Bill O’Brien’s system. Last year he didn’t believe in the system.”
McCourty on what Jones told him this week: “I got an opportunity to talk to Mac (Jones) when I was back in Foxborough and he said, ‘I’m comfortable. I know everyone knows I’m smart. They think I’m going to try to know everything, read it all. I gotta just let it rip. Play what I see, have fun, and throw the ball down the field.’”
Simms on the Patriots’ offensive system: “They don’t want to throw it 54 times, we know that, but I think the big thing that we saw last week is as a quarterback, you want answers and there was a real plan here with Bill O’Brien back as the offensive coordinator. And of course, you saw the comfort level from Mac Jones. There’s nothing worse as a quarterback (than) when you get to the line of scrimmage and you go, ‘Wait, I don’t know what to do if they play this defense.’ … Mac Jones and the passing game, they thrived last week.”
McCourty after speaking with LB Matthew Judon: “This defense, they want to be physical. They want to come out, they want to set the tone. They want to show that ‘Hey, that wasn’t just kind of a fluke last week against Philadelphia. We’re a good defense from last year and we’re a good defense this year.’”
ON CHIEFS
McCourty on the Chiefs’ defense in their win over the Jaguars: “This Chiefs defense with Chris Jones playing inside, outside, made the Jaguars go 0-for-3 in the red zone. That was the difference today…I think that with Chris Jones coming back, that gave the defense a lot of confidence.”
Florio on Chiefs DT Chris Jones’ first game of the season: “He did all that today on a pitch count. He told me he was in for about 35 snaps in the game and he says it’s going to last for another week or two as he gets reacclimated to football. He told me, ‘I’m ready to get off this stuff.’ Only he didn’t say ‘stuff.’”
Garrett on TE Travis Kelce’s performance after missing Week 1 due to injury: “The complimentary players on the Chiefs played better, but there’s no question (Patrick) Mahomes is comfortable getting his guy back.”
Garrett on Mahomes’ 54-yard pass to Skyy Moore in the fourth quarter: “Nobody extends the play better than Patrick Mahomes does.”
ON COWBOYS
Simms on Cowboys LB Micah Parsons: “I’ve never seen anything like him. Just the explosiveness all over the field, the instincts, everything about him is really top-notch.”
Garrett on Parsons: “Simmsy said he hasn’t seen anything like it. You have seen something like it, Simmsy. When you were a kid watching your old man play for the Giants, there was a guy No. 56, Lawrence Taylor, and that’s what this guy is. I’m not saying he’s Lawrence Taylor right now, but he’s the most destructive player in the National Football League. He does it time and time again. You can’t block the guy…He’s dynamic, he changes the whole team.”
Simms on the Cowboys’ offense in their win over the Jets: “We know this Dallas defense is awesome, but Dak Prescott and the offense were the stars of the show today and really gave the Jets’ defense issues.”
ON RAVENS
Garrett on Ravens QB Lamar Jackson’s expanded passing game: “They’re afraid to rush him, so now he stands there and surveys the field. He threw the ball on time, his accuracy was outstanding on all three levels. (The Ravens) looked really good on offense.”
McCourty: “Before you didn’t have to really talk about the drop-back passing game, and if he did drop back, you used to only worry about the scramble. Now he’s throwing a deep pass, he’s throwing passes in the intermediate part of the field. It just looks awesome for Lamar Jackson right now.”
ON BENGALS
Garrett on Bengals QB Joe Burrow in the Bengals’ loss to the Ravens: “Joe Burrow missed a lot of training camp, he was ugly last week, and was ugly for a lot of this ballgame.”
ON 49ERS
Simms on the 49ers’ offense: “We know, it’s the 49ers. They’re going to run the ball, they’re going to give it to (Christian) McCaffrey. He was awesome all day long…and the second guy in the rotation (Deebo Samuel). It goes McCaffrey and then let’s get it to this guy who’s a running back playing wide receiver. He’s just such a weapon and (Kyle) Shanahan knows how to utilize them all together.”
ON TITANS
Simms on QB Ryan Tannehill in the Titans’ overtime win over the Chargers: “Poor first week performance – interceptions, didn’t take care of the ball. This week, bombs away to last year’s first-round pick, Treylon Burks. They need him to come through, he’s the A.J. Brown replacement…(Tannehill) threw a lot of great balls today, played really well.”
ON BILLS
Simms on QB Josh Allen in the Bills’ win against the Raiders: “It was a nightmare last Monday night -- bad turnovers. Back to Josh Allen magic today…Him and (Patrick) Mahomes, nobody does it better. He was awesome today. Patient, took what the defense gave him.”
Florio on how Allen tuned out the criticism from Buffalo’s Week 1 loss: “He paid no attention to it. He deleted Twitter and Instagram from his phone. He said to me, ‘I watched so many YouTube videos on poker this week, I feel like I can join the World Series of Poker.’”
ON GIANTS
Garrett on Giants QB Daniel Jones in New York’s comeback win over the Cardinals: “The Giants were outscored 57-0 in the first six quarters. Daniel Jones made plays with his feet and big-time plays in situational football. Nothing bigger than the [game-tying] (Isaiah) Hodgins touchdown.”
Florio on Giants RB Saquon Barkley’s injury: “It’s a right ankle injury for Saquon Barkley. He’s had some injuries in the past…It’s a demanding, physical position. We’ll see what happens with the X-rays. They play on Thursday night in San Francisco.”
ON COLTS
Simms on Gardner Minshew replacing Anthony Richardson after an injury: “Richardson looked really good early throwing the ball and then of course rushing…This is why they have a great backup in Gardner Minshew. The Colts’ offense was great…They really controlled the football game.”
ON SEAHAWKS
Garrett on QB Geno Smith: “Disappointing loss last week for Seattle -- I love Seattle, I think they have a chance to be really good this year -- they came back with a vengeance (today). Geno in overtime was fantastic…They just kept pressure on this Detroit defense this whole time.”
ON LIONS
McCourty on Lions WR/punt returner Kalif Raymond: “Kalif Raymond continues to show up in the return game and every once in a while making guys miss. Made a big, big first down to help the Lions get into overtime.”
ON FALCONS
Simms on Falcons rookie RB Bijan Robinson: “He is going to be their go-to guy in this offense. They’re going to build it around him.”
ON RAIDERS
McCourty on QB Jimmy Garoppolo’s first-quarter interception: “As hard as it is to control this game early, but they did. They scored, they stopped Buffalo, but then that interception kind of changed the whole first half and the game.”
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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 2023 season. The show is hosted from the game site by Jac Collinsworth, Harrison, and Dungy, who will provide instant reactions to each Sunday game along with highlights and interviews, while Berry will host a weekly segment called “DraftKings Crowning Moments,” where the fantasy sports analyst will discuss his successful bets from that day; he will also provide fantasy advice and an early look at the waiver wire. Football Night in America’s studio team will also provide recaps and insights into the day’s biggest moments, while Florio will provide injury and news updates.
-- Football Night in America --