“I want the ball in my hands at the end of the game. That’s how it’s been for my entire career. That’ll never change.” – Bills QB Josh Allen
“That’s who Derrick Henry is. He’s the kind of superstar who doesn’t realize he’s a superstar, who acts like he’s the 43rd player in the roster.” – King on Titans RB Derrick Henry
“I trust that when I call a bad play, he’s going to get us out of it. That’s a huge thing for a quarterback.” – Packers HC Matt LaFleur on QB Jordan Love
STAMFORD, Conn. – Jan. 8, 2024 – Peter King speaks with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen after the team’s win over the Miami Dolphins to claim the AFC East title in this week’s edition of Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com. King also discusses Jordan Love’s successful takeover in Green Bay, Bill Belichick’s possible farewell in New England, and more.
For more NFL coverage, Peacock offers daily programming on the NBC Sports channel for free, including Pro Football Talk at 7 a.m. ET, The Dan Patrick Show at 9 a.m. ET, Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry at Noon ET, Brother from Another at 3 p.m. ET, plus Chris Simms Unbuttoned on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and the weekly The Peter King Podcast. To learn more about the NBC Sports on Peacock channel and how to sign up, click here.
The NFL on NBC YouTube channel offers daily football content for free, with exclusive videos from Peter King, Mike Florio, Chris Simms, and more. To access all these videos and more, click here to subscribe.
The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:
BILLS
Bills GM Brandon Beane to King following Buffalo’s Week 18 win: “Start of the day, we could have been the 2 or 8 seed — home for the playoffs or no ticket to the dance. And this happens. Crazy.”
Bills HC Sean McDermott on QB Josh Allen rushing for a first down on third-and-13 late in the fourth quarter: “He knew what was on the line — everything. He was going to run through a brick wall for the first down right there.”
Bills QB Josh Allen: “I want the ball in my hands at the end of the game. That’s how it’s been for my entire career. That’ll never change.”
King on Buffalo and Allen coming into the playoffs: “Buffalo is one of the three or four most dangerous teams in the tournament, warts, and all. The quarterback turns it over too much, but the quarterback is one of the best players in the sport.”
PACKERS
King on the Packers drafting QB Jordan Love with QB Aaron Rodgers still under contract in 2020: “There aren’t many franchises in football who would draft a quarterback when they have an MVP-caliber one on the roster with a good three or four years left. Green Bay GM Brian Gutekunst did. That’s because the Pack is a continuum.”
Packers HC Matt LaFleur on his increasing trust with Love: “I trust that when I call a bad play, he’s going to get us out of it. That’s a huge thing for a quarterback.”
King on the Packers young core in the playoffs: “Love’s poise and ability, particularly getting to know this new group of sub-25 receivers, has been remarkable to watch. The Cowboys might have a game on their hands this weekend.”
BELICHICK
King on if Belichick the power he would have on a potential new team: “If Belichick coaches elsewhere in 2024, I’m most interested in seeing whether the new owners/club president will give him the power and latitude he’s had for 24 years in New England. I wouldn’t.”
King: “Giving him full unchecked power at this point of his football life is a huge risk, but a (Chargers owner) Dean Spanos or (Commanders owner) Josh Harris might be star-struck and hand him the farm.”
Former Jets QB Mark Sanchez on playing against Belichick: “Our coaches, the reverence they had for Belichick was so noticeable. We must have met eight to 10 hours more that week than any normal week. Like, Here’s what you gotta know, here’s the pitfalls, every little detail matters, they will be in prime position for everything we do. We held him in such high regard. The anxiety, the angst that week. I kept thinking, ‘Good God, who is this wizard up north?’ Then I watched tape, and man, he made good quarterbacks look bad. Really bad. So I went into that game knowing we had to be close to perfect.”
WEEK 18
King on the Eagles’ continued struggles: “Who kidnapped the Eagles? This is the one of the weirdest collapses I’ve seen in 40 years covering the NFL.”
King on Titans RB Derrick Henry: “That’s who Derrick Henry is. He’s the kind of superstar who doesn’t realize he’s a superstar, who acts like he’s the 43rd player in the roster.”
King on Saints backup QB Jameis Winston overruling HC Dennis Allen’s call to kneel and scoring a last-minute touchdown: “What kind of control of his team does Dennis Allen have if his backup quarterback, citing a ‘team decision,’ changes a play and runs up the score in the process, enraging and embarrassing the opposition?”
King on Lions rookie TE Sam LaPorta getting hurt in Week 18: “I think the Lions should sign Zach Ertz. Today. With Sam LaPorta appearing to be lost with a knee injury, and one of the best playoff tight ends in recent times healthy and on the street, what’s there to ponder?”
KING’S WEEK 18 AWARDS
Offensive Players of the Week: C.J. Stroud, Houston, Isaac Seumalo, Pittsburgh, & Breece Hall, New York Jets
King on Stroud: “Made the signature play of his rookie season on the Texans’ first offensive snap of a win-and-in game in Indianapolis Saturday night. His 75-yard touchdown strike to Nico Collins silenced a hyped crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium.”
King on Hall: “In the Jets’ first victory in Foxboro since mastodons roamed the earth, Hall ran his way through the snow and wind on 37 carries for 178 yards, the best performance in his two-year career. Jets, 17-3.”
Defensive Players of the Week: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh, & Bryce Huff, New York Jets
King on Watt: “A shame, obviously, that Watt strained his knee in the 42nd minute of the game, but he’d already done enough the be the defensive player of the game: two sacks, a tackle for loss, five pressures, eight tackles. What a player. He’s giving his big bro a run for his money.”
Special Teams Players of the Week: Matthew Slater, New England, & Deonte Harty, Buffalo
King on Slater’s career: “What an amazing career — a record 10 straight Pro Bowls, all the while proving he was a first-class person and citizen. Slater and Steve Tasker have left their marks on the game as the best two special-teams’ players in NFL history.”
King on Harty’s punt-return touchdown against Miami: “In an era of diminishing special-teams impact, Harty, from the football powerhouse of Assumption (Mass.) College, blasted through the guts of the Miami punt team and was never challenged on the way to a 96-yard TD.”
Goat of the Week: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville
King on Lawrence’s poor performances down the stretch: “The Jags were 8-3 and coasting six weeks ago, a prime favorite to win AFC home-field. They went 1-5 down the stretch, and all five losses were on Lawrence’s ledger.”
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.
--NBC SPORTS--