Our final Sunday NFL pregame quotage comes from NBC’s Football Night in America. All that’s left for our Sunday is the NFL Wild Card Weekend Schedule with Networks, Bob Costas’ halftime commentary and our 2012 Predictions Post, in that order.
Let’s take a look at what was said tonight.
“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” NOTES & QUOTES – WEEK 17
“If the ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl, Mark Sanchez will not win you a Super Bowl.” – Rodney Harrison
“The way the game is going now, I love the athleticism; I would lean towards Robert Griffin.” – Tony Dungy on drafting Griffin over Andrew Luck
“I love the Saints. I think they’re the most complete team.” – Harrison on his NFC Super Bowl pickNEW YORK – January 1, 2012 – Following are highlights from a New Year’s-night edition of Football Night in America. Bob Costas hosted the show live from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., and was joined on site for commentary by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth. Co-host Dan Patrick and commentators Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, Peter King and Mike Florio covered the news of the NFL’s final regular-season week live from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios in New York.
ON LIONS
Dungy: “They had a golden opportunity and they blew it…Their reward: the red hot New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees.”
ON FALCONS
Harrison:/strong> “Atlanta wants to play the Cowboys. They don’t want to see the Giants because the Giants can get to the quarterback.”
Harrison:/strong> “Defensively, they give up a lot of big plays. If you block John Abraham, they can’t apply pressure on you.”
ON PACKERS
King on what Matt Flynn told him after today’s game regarding his future: “I can’t even pay any attention to that yet. I have to put all my attention towards helping this team.”
Dungy on NFC Super Bowl team: “I like Green Bay unless they have a quarterback controversy (joking)…Even with the defense. Did you see what this offense is doing? Backup quarterback, 500 yards today.”
ON SAINTS
Patrick: “Who is going to the Super Bowl out of the NFC?”
Harrison: “Saints. I love the Saints. I think they’re the most complete team.”ON TEXANS
Harrison: “As a young team you want to have confidence going into the playoffs especially your first playoff… (on the last three weeks) I just don’t know how much confidence you can have going into the playoffs playing like that.”
ON BENGALS
Patrick: “Bengals get a break here. They got Houston.”
Dungy: “They’re going to a team that hasn’t played great and has quarterback issues.”
Harrison: “You said it all.”
Dungy: “I think Cincinnati has a great chance to go down to Houston and win…I look for Cincinnati to go down there and play well.”ON PATRIOTS
Dungy on hit on Tom Brady after interception: “That is not a penalty.”
Patrick: “There’s already one Brady Rule in the book.”
Harrison on Patriots defense spotting teams two or three touchdowns: “You cannot do that against good, quality teams like Pittsburgh and Baltimore. The one bright spot is Patrick Chung. He provides a physical presence back there. He’ll hit you in the mouth…and he’s great at communicating and getting those guys lined up.”
Harrison: “I think the best team in the AFC is the Patriots, even with that defense.”ON RAVENS
Dungy on best AFC team: “Their (Patriots) defense scares me. I’m going with Baltimore.”
ON BRONCOS
Patrick on post-game comments: “John Fox didn’t sound too excited.”
Harrison: “Does he know he’s got to play the Pittsburgh Steelers?”ON JETS
Harrison: “They’ve gotten away from what gave them success and that’s running the ball. Rex can’t get mad at the ownership. They gave him everything he asked for…If the ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl, Mark Sanchez will not win you a Super Bowl, and that’s the bottom line.”
Dungy: “I think he could if they run the ball and play defense, but not if they feature (Sanchez).”ON COLTS
Dungy on the Draft: “I believe they will take a quarterback, but I know Bill Polian. I wouldn’t pencil in Andrew Luck just yet. It may end up being him, but Bill will look at everybody, including Robert Griffin III. When they needed a running back a few years ago and Ricky Williams won the Heisman Trophy and had all the hype, they took a one-year player by the name of Edgerrin James. The more I’ve seen Robert Griffin, the more I like him.”
Patrick: “Would you take him over Andrew Luck?”
Dungy: “The way the game is going now, I love the athleticism; I would lean towards Robert Griffin.”ON COWBOYS
Collinsworth on seeing Tony Romo’s hand yesterday: “It was startling almost to look at that hand…Because we were constantly told that he’s okay, that he’s throwing the ball well, that he looks good and all that kind of stuff. And all of a sudden he comes in and you go to shake his hand and you just recoiled…It was disturbing almost.”
Collinsworth on Romo: “He is definitely fearful of the first time that he releases a pass of what’s going to happen when he has a little contact involved.”ON COACHING SITUATION
Florio: “The hot spots to keep an eye on: Tampa, St. Louis, San Diego and Indianapolis.”
King on Jacksonville: “One very unexpected coaching candidate and that’s Dallas Special Teams Coordinator Joe DeCamillis. He formerly coached in Jacksonville and he’s got a big fan in GM Gene Smith of the Jaguars.”
King on Jeff Fisher: “He wants to go I believe to a team that has a quarterback, and right now that looks to be either St. Louis or San Diego.”
Florio on Brian Billick: “Widely believed to be a serious candidate for the Miami Dolphins job.
Florio on Mike Sherman: “He’s on a couple of lists – Jacksonville, St. Louis.”
Patrick: “Jim Caldwell, is that a Bunsen Burner underneath you? Certainly on the hot seat.”
Keep an eye out for the other posts coming up later tonight.
