“I’ve heard he’s absolutely dominating rehab and he really wants to get back this year. That’s why getting wins like this and staying in it and staying in the hunt, giving him that opportunity to fulfill his mission, is so vital.”– Jets head coach Robert Saleh on Aaron Rodgers’ rehab
“Without Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey, this is a nice team, not a championship one.” – Peter King on the 49ers’ loss to the Browns
“I think Jim Schwartz was the best hire, head coach or coordinator, in the 2023 hiring cycle. If the Browns can win enough games (scoring) in the teens, they’ll make the playoffs.” – King on Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz
STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 16, 2023 – Peter King speaks with New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh after the team’s win over the previously unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles and recaps all the action from NFL Week 6 in this week’s edition of Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com. King also discusses the Browns’ win over the 49ers, the return of Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, and more.
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The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:
JETS
Jets head coach Robert Saleh to King on QB Aaron Rodgers’ rehab: “He is on a mission. I don’t put anything past him. I’ve heard he’s absolutely dominating rehab and he really wants to get back this year. That’s why getting wins like this and staying in it and staying in the hunt, giving him that opportunity to fulfill his mission, is so vital.”
Saleh on preparing to face the Eagles: “It was like hell on wheels, trying to put a gameplan together with what we were missing that put the train back on the track.”
Saleh on Jets’ undrafted rookie safety Tony Adams, who had crucial fourth-quarter interception against the Eagles: “Tony absolutely attacked training camp. Just got better every day. Earned the starting spot. The way he communicates, his explosiveness, his range, his instincts…Big play, but Tony didn’t panic in the moment. He had his feet on the ground and when the quarterback threw the ball he made a break on it.”
WEEK 6
Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown on Detroit’s physical style of play: “We’re selfless teammates. We’re a tight group, especially on offense. We love each other. That’s just a testament to the chemistry that we built, the coaching our coaches have instilled in us since the spring. We’ve got to keep it going.”
King on the 49ers’ injuries sustained this weekend: “Without Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey, this is a nice team, not a championship one.”
King on Browns backup QB P.J. Walker’s performance in Cleveland’s win over San Francisco: “He wasn’t great, but he didn’t throw the game away, he wasn’t intimidated, and he was light years better than the starter in Cleveland’s last game against Baltimore, Dorian Thompson-Robinson.”
Walker on his mentality: “Just to go out there and just to know that the guys in this locker room got my back, and they’re ready to go to battle with me, it means the world. I just want them to know I got their back as well.”
KING’S WEEK 6 AWARDS
Offensive Players of the Week: Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams, & Craig Reynolds, Detroit
King on Kupp: “Good to see Kupp play with abandon at age 30, looking like the player who was a huge reason for the Rams’ Super Bowl title.”
Defensive Players of the Week: Tony Adams, New York Jets, Myles Garrett, Cleveland, Bobby Okereke, New York Giants, & Cam Taylor-Britt, Cincinnati
King on Garrett: “He’s had starrier individual games, but I loved how omnipresent he was all day against the formidable Niners offense.”
Coaches of the Week: Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator, Cleveland, & Mike Westhoff, assistant head coach, Denver
King on Schwartz’s play calling: “The Browns have allowed 200.4 yards per game and a stingy 51.4-percent accuracy rate by opposing passers in their 3-2 start. That’s going to keep the Browns, with their struggling offense, in a lot of games.”
King: “I think Jim Schwartz was the best hire, head coach or coordinator, in the 2023 hiring cycle. If the Browns can win enough games (scoring) in the teens, they’ll make the playoffs.”
Special Teams Players of the Week: Matt Prater, Arizona, & Devin Duvernay, Baltimore
Goats of the Week: Jake Moody, San Francisco, & Desmond Ridder, Atlanta
King on Ridder: “Hard to imagine (Falcons head coach) Arthur Smith isn’t thinking about going to Taylor Heinicke next week at Tampa Bay.”
NEWS & NOTES
Rams rookie WR Puka Nacua on what he’s learned being in the NFL so far: “I trust [Matthew Stafford] so much that I feel like I can catch the ball with my eyes closed. I know that he wouldn’t put me in a situation that wasn’t the best for me. I trust Cooper Kupp so much that when he’s telling me, Hey, the corner’s going to play you like this, I know he’s seen it and I trust him. I’ve learned to trust smart people who’ve been there for a long time.”
Jimmy Burrow, father of Bengals QB Joe Burrow, on his son’s leadership style: “He cares so much about his teammates. When there’s an opportunity to celebrate, with a rookie especially, he thinks it’s a priority. He understands it’s part of the culture of the Bengals, and part of his responsibility as a leader, to do things like that. I do think it’s a big deal.”
King on the possibility of Vikings QB Kirk Cousins being traded this season: “Cousins has a no-trade clause. He’s very likely not going to waive it, no matter how bad the situation gets in Minnesota in the next two weeks, unless it’s to a coach he knows well, with an offense he could master.”
King on Browns QB Deshaun Watson’s injury: “I think anyone who is not concerned about Deshaun Watson’s shoulder should start being concerned. He hasn’t practiced fully in 24 days. He missed his second game Sunday, off a bye, and best guess is he could miss at least one more still.”
Read the full FMIA column here and catch the weekly Peter King Podcast here.
The following are additional highlights of NBC Sports’ NFL coverage:
- PFT Live with NBC Sports’ Mike Florio (Mondays) and Florio and Chris Simms (Tuesday-Thursday) streams on Peacock from 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. ET on weekdays & is available on-demand. The Dan Patrick Show streams at 9 a.m. ET, Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry at Noon ET, Brother From Another at 3 p.m. ET, PFT PM at 5 p.m. ET. At 6 p.m. ET, Chris Simms Unbuttoned streams Tuesday-Friday.
- com continues to provide the latest news and updates.
- NBC Sports EDGE’s Rotoworld Football Show continues the NFL discussion and Bet The Edge Podcast provides daily betting insights.
- The NFL on NBC YouTube channel offers daily football content for free, with exclusive videos from Peter King – including his interviews with players and coaches at training camps – Mike Florio, Chris Simms, and more. To access all of these videos and more, click here to subscribe
A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May 2019 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 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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