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NFL GameDay Morning Quotage For NFL Divisional Playoff Sunday

The first of our Sunday NFL pregame quotage comes from NFL Network. Whether we get notes and quotes from ESPN, CBS and Fox today is totally random, but we’ll post what we get.

As usual, the quotage from NFL Network is very long and very extensive. Since it’s Sunday, take your time and read what was said.

News and Sound Bites From Divisional Playoff Sunday Edition of NFL GAMEDAY MORNING

“That’s all what the legacy is about: togetherness and to hoist that Lombardi with my boys. There is nothing I wouldn’t give up for that.” – Ravens LB Ray Lewis
“That’s what Joe has to get to: he has to get to that point where he can carry them with his right arm and he can win those games when they throw it a lot.” – Kurt Warner on Ravens QB Joe Flacco
“What we saw was the resolve and the toughness of a football team that reflects its head coach.” – Warren Sapp on the San Francisco 49ers
“Tom Brady doesn’t like to co-star in any movie clearly; he was going to be the star of the show.” – Michael Lombardi

NFL GameDay Morning is the FIRST pregame show on the air Sunday morning at 9:00 AM ET, taking viewers straight up to kickoff. Host Rich Eisen joins analysts Michael Irvin, Warren Sapp, Marshall Faulk, Steve Mariucci and new analyst Kurt Warner to bring fans the latest news, injury reports, pregame analysis and game previews.

‘Sunday Sitdown’ — Ravens LB Ray Lewis 1-on-1 Interview with Michael Irvin

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis sat down with NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin to discuss the team’s Super Bowl aspirations, the impact he has had during his 16-year career and more.

On how he has been able to play at a high level for 16 seasons:
“I’ve never stopped loving it from day one. When I really found that I loved it that much, I did everything that I needed to do to take care of my body. When you take care of your body, you can play as long as you want to play. Sixteen years, it feels like my first year; the only difference is my knowledge now of the game. It’s like the Matrix: everything is slowed down, everything for me is mastery.”

On how his style of play has evolved over the span of his career:
“When you’re younger, you’re just running; trust me, you’re just running around. But when you get older, you really start to pick your spots and say, ‘OK, I don’t have to overrun it like that.’ Now you take what most people say is a lack of speed and you add wisdom to it. I’ll trade that any day of the week.”

On how people doubting his ability to still make plays makes him feel:
“I don’t argue with critics; ‘Hey, awesome, Ray Lewis is losing a step.’ They praise quarterbacks for the legacy on how long they’ve been able to keep offenses consistent. How long has the Ravens defense been in the top five? Just think about it. How many coordinators, how many head coaches that have coached me have gone on to whatever they’re doing, and they left one thing here: No. 52. The most consistent thing the Ravens have ever had. We’re talking about 13 Pro Bowls – we’re talking about the most ever in the history of this game since 1919. We’re talking about the only player in NFL history to have 40 sacks and 30 interceptions in a career.”

On how much fuel has he received for this playoff run from critics who say he is not the same player:
“If the playoffs were about Ray Lewis, I would argue with critics. But it’s not. It’s about the Baltimore Ravens. Whoever has to deal with us, that’s going to be rough.”

On if he will retire after the season if the Ravens win the Super Bowl:
“Let me sum it up for all players: this is a one-time thing. We don’t get youth back, so there isn’t any coming back to this for me. If we go win the Super Bowl this year, what am I supposed to look at my team and say? Individually, ‘I have two, I’m done.’ Or do I look at my fellas and say, ‘Let’s scrap it up one more time, let’s see if we can make this run one more time.’ That’s all what the legacy is about: togetherness and to hoist that Lombardi with my boys. There is nothing I wouldn’t give up for that.”

On if there have been conversations with coaches this season about possibly coming out of the game in certain situations:
“Never. In any war, who pulls their General out? Nobody. When I put on that jersey number 52, every man in this building believes in one thing: whatever our General says, we follow. Bottom line. I’ve heard it too long, and guess what? When I’m done I’m still going to hear it. But guess what? The only thing we can ever take with us in this business is our resume.”

On what winning a Super Bowl this season would mean:
“There is no greater feeling. I’ve built a bond with men. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Individual stats, I don’t care about them; I’ve done everything individually you can do in this game, but these men that I fight with now, you’ve never seen a closer team than us. You’ve never seen a brotherhood like us because that’s all we have at the end of the day is each other. Nobody on the outside controls anything that goes on in Baltimore. Since Ozzie Newsome drafted me in 1996 and since Marvin Lewis made me his captain of this defense the first year I got here, that hasn’t changed.”

To view Irvin’s entire interview with Lewis, visit:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d82604528/Sunday-Sitdown-Ray-Lewis

Quotes from NFL GameDay Morning:

“When you see No. 52, it says we understand what we have to play up to. He makes everybody play better.” – Michael Irvin on the impact of linebacker Ray Lewis on the Baltimore Ravens

“The Ravens have the ability to resolve things. If things go wrong in this game, look for the quarterback or the running back or on defense with all of the veterans that they have – we can fix stuff…I don’t know if the Texans can do that. I don’t know if things start going downhill if they can put on the brakes and then shift the flow of the game the other way.” – Marshall Faulk on the Baltimore Ravens

“They are running the football better – 131 yards per game. Run the ball, control the clock and keep Aaron Rodgers over there by the Gatorade.” – Steve Mariucci on the New York Giants against the Green Bay Packers

“Joe hasn’t had tremendous success when they’ve let everything fall on that right arm of his. When they throw 35 times or more, he’s only 9-9 with 21 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. That’s the big question. When Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady throw 60 times a game, they win games. That’s what Joe has to get to: he has to get to that point where he can carry them with his right arm and he can win those games when they throw it a lot.” – Kurt Warner on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco

“They’re going to make a play like the last game where they’re going to set up a touchdown or score a touchdown. That’s probably going to be the difference in this game.” – Kurt Warner on the Green Bay Packers defense

“Their Ray Lewis for the Texans is DeMeco Ryans. When you lose you quarterback, then your backup quarterback, your star receiver, and the heat and soul of your defense Mario Williams – you pick up the slack.” – Marshall Faulk on Houston Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans

“I wanted to see Tom [Brady] play that kind of game that says I’m the leader. This was that kind of game…This was the Tom Brady I expected to see against the Jets at home [last year], against Baltimore at home [in 2010].” – Marshall Faulk on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who threw for 363 yards and six touchdowns in New England’s 45-10 victory over the Denver Broncos

“What we saw was the resolve and the toughness of a football team that reflects its head coach…I just saw a football team that wasn’t going to blink in the face of the New Orleans Saints and all of the glory and Drew Brees’ third straight 400 yard games and all of that. This ballclub is not going to be stopped.” – Warren Sapp on the San Francisco 49ers in their 36-32 win over the New Orleans Saints

“This was his coming out party. He made a statement.” – Steve Mariucci on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith

‘Front Office View’ with Michael Lombardi

On the statement the New England Patriots made in their win over the Denver Broncos:
Tom Brady doesn’t like to co-star in any movie clearly; he was going to be the star of the show and he demonstrated it in the first half. The Patriots are all about finding their rhythm and creating the right matchups. The statement they made defensively was they’re not as a bad when they can hone in and get their players back. Patrick Chung and Brandon Spikes being back certainly helped their defense, [but] they certainly have a ways to go there.

On the Denver Broncos’ offseason plans:
Since they gave up over 400 yards with 10 minutes to go in the third quarter, defense may be the most important factor. Everyone is going to talk about [Tim] Tebow this offseason, but the Broncos have to repair their defensive front; they have to get bigger inside. They need safety help; even though they drafted Rahim Moore last year from UCLA, he has not tackled well and their safeties are suspect. This is going to be a defensive draft for John Elway to improve that team to help go along with Tim Tebow. All of the focus will be on Tebow, but they better fix their defense.

On the future of Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell:
The owner Jim Irsay has made a statement: they’re going to rebuild the team. It’s not going to take a year to do this, this isn’t going to be a quick turnaround. With that being in mind, you want someone who is a new coach who is going to be a part of that rebuilding process, and that’s clearly where Jim Caldwell sits right now. Much like Hue Jackson in Oakland, he’s kind of in between. Jim Caldwell is not going to be able to follow through with the rebuilding process because he’s part of the old regime, not part of the new regime where it is headed.

On the future of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning in Indianapolis:
I have said this emphatically: Peyton Manning will be a Colt. I believe Peyton Manning won’t be traded and I believe if Peyton Manning plays anywhere next year – and that’s not a 100 percent certainty – that he will play for the Colts. He’ll be a part of that rebuilding process as they draft a quarterback. But I don’t see this as Ryan Grigson’s decision; I see this clearly as Jim Irsay’s decision as his relationship with Peyton Manning and what Manning has done for that franchise.

On if the New York Jets have reached rock bottom:
You would hope so. It’s two weeks after the season and we’re still talking about the Jets; they provide us with entertainment on a daily basis. Here is the key component of this whole element with the Jets: when something bad happens next year. The core of this team isn’t going anywhere; too many players with guaranteed contracts for skill, injury and salary cap. The team has to stay intact. When problems start to happen next year, all of these things will creep back up.

To view the latest from the ‘Front Office View,’ visit:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d8260485e/Front-office-view

‘Inside Slant’ with Jason La Canfora

On the Oakland Raiders’ head coaching search:
We’ve talked a lot about Winston Moss, his ties to Reggie McKenzie as the longtime Green Bay assistant coach, but he is by no means the only candidate, I can assure you that much. Todd Bowles, Miami’s interim head coach, interviewed with Oakland over the weekend; I’m told it went very well and league sources said Bowles was assured this job is not ticketed or earmarked for any particular Green Bay assistant. However, that won’t stop Oakland from wanting to talk to some Green Bay assistants. Dom Capers, the defensive coordinator with Green Bay and a former head coach himself, he’s on the list, as is Joe Philbin, the offensive coordinator there who is expected to be with the team today despite his son’s passing. Now, Philbin is also a candidate in Miami, and these Green Bay assistants if the Packers continue to win, the Raiders could be waiting awhile because they can’t interview them until Green Bay’s season is over.

On the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ head coaching search:
This process began almost two weeks ago with Mike Sherman and it very well may end with Mike Sherman. In the meantime, it has skewed a little bit younger. Rob Chudzinski from Carolina, their offensive coordinator who worked with Cam Newton, as well as Mike Zimmer, Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator – they’re the next men up to talk to the Bucs. But in the end, Sherman, it could be the staff overall that really sells it. He could have Brad Childress, a former head coach, as offensive coordinator; defensive coordinator could be perhaps Steve Spagnuolo or Mike Nolan if Miami lets him out of his contract. If you could have three former head coaches on staff, that’s obviously very different than the young, hungry and inexperienced staff, relatively, of Raheem Morris.

On Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco’s contract situation:
A year ago he talked about wanting to get a new contract and that hasn’t happened yet. I’ve talked to people close to him: the only way that he’s going to get real leverage, and Flacco knows this, is to step it up in the postseason. That puts him in a position to exert pressure on the organization to that end. Otherwise he is going to be playing out his rookie contract, which is set to expire after 2012. The Ravens would then focus on Ray Rice and Ben Grubbs whose deal is up, and Joe would be left holding the bag a little bit. With real playoff success though, all of that changes. Also, he has already secured $6 million in escalators toward 2012, so that is the good news for him. That doesn’t include a $200,000 per playoff win bonus this year. So Joe could be making some money in the short term regardless.

To view La Canfora’s ‘Inside Slant,’ visit:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d82604296/Inside-Slant

On NFL.com, the following video clips from Sunday’s Divisional Playoff edition of NFL GameDay Morning are available for viewing:

Green Bay West – The small Northern California town of Chico wears a lot of green and yellow on Sunday thanks to a hometown hero: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d82604ba6/Green-Bay-West

Flacco’s Faux Pas – Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco spoke out this week against the media for its criticism of his play. NFL GameDay Morning debate whether his comments were necessary.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d826049b7/Flacco-s-faux-pas

The Challenge of Repeating – Green Bay hopes to become just the eighth team to win back-to-back Super Bowls, but their road to the big game is not easy.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d82604caf/The-challenge-of-repeating

Ravens vs. Texans – The defenses for the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans put up similar numbers this season, but NFL GameDay Morning says Baltimore’s personnel is more irreplaceable.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d82604df1/Separating-the-men-from-the-boys

What will we learn? – Steve Mariucci believes Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice will be a crucial element in the passing game and the key to a Green Bay Packers victory is their offensive tackles.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d826043a7/What-will-we-learn

Good Night, and Good Luck Tebow – Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos were bounced out of the playoffs Saturday by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. What does Denver do with him in the offseason? NFL GameDay Morning debates.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d826045b0/Good-Night-and-Good-Luck-Tebow

The Marshall Plan – Marshall Faulk says the running backs will be big factors in both games on Sunday.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d82604657/The-Marshall-plan

QB vs. QB Killa – Kurt Warner and Warren Sapp think the Ravens defense will have Texans rookie quarterback T.J. Yates all figured out Sunday.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d826049b9/QB-vs-QBKilla

Players Only: Taking Responsibility – NFL GameDay Morning talk about teammates turning against one another through anonymous quotes in the media and how it should be handled.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d82604f21/Players-Only-Taking-responsibility

On NFL.com, the following video clips from Saturday’s Divisional action, as well as NFL GameDay Final analysis are available for viewing:

Inside Lombardi’s Locker Room: Saturday – The past meets the present as Vince Lombardi delivers a pregame speech for the New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos and New England Patriots.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d825fc0cb/Inside-Lombardi-s-locker-room-Saturday

Let’s Go Primetime: Divisional Saturday – Deion Sanders counts down the top five players from Saturday’s Divisional games.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d82602fdb/Let-s-Go-Primetime-Divisional-Saturday

A Future in Denver? – After taking his team to the AFC Divisional Round, does Tim Tebow still have a future as the Broncos’ starting quarterback in 2012? Donovan McNabb and Larry Fitzgerald join NFL GameDay Final to help determine if Tebow’s future truly lies in Denver.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d82602dd2/A-future-in-Denver

Believing or Not Believing in Eli? – Which team has the better quarterback in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game between the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers? Deion Sanders is joined by Donovan McNabb and Larry Fitzgerald to discuss the matchup.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d82602b09/Believin-or-not-believin-in-Eli

Smith: ‘It’s electric’ – San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Justin Smith discusses the 36-32 victory over the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Divisional round.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d826001be/Smith-It-s-electric

That will do it for this set of quotage. Another press release that came close to 3,000 words.