We have the quotage from NFL Network’s two pregame shows today. We have notes and quotes from both First on the Field and NFL GameDay Morning. Today’s edition of GameDay Morning lasted a supersized six hours.
So we have more quotage from NFL Network that usual. It’s a few hundred words longer than normal. Here’s what we have for you.
News and Sound Bites From Championship Sunday Editions of FIRST ON THE FIELD & NFL GAMEDAY MORNING
Quick Quotes from First on the Field & NFL GameDay Morning
– “Bill Belichick is the greatest coach of all-time.” – Michael Irvin on New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick
– “A playoff win isn’t satisfactory for me. This team should have a higher expectation.” – Willie McGinest on the Atlanta Falcons
– “Baltimore is probably the only team in the AFC that can go into Foxborough and not fear playing Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.” – Brian Billick on the confidence of the Baltimore Ravens
– “The Atlanta Falcons’ receivers are the most confident group remaining in the playoffs – they’re the best group.” – LaDainian Tomlinson on the wide receivers for the Atlanta Falcons
– “He’s a one-trick pony that did that trick better than anyone else did anything else.” – Sterling Sharpe on San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Randy Moss’ success running deep routes
– “The great equalizer is the big play, and that’s where the Ravens have a huge advantage.” – Kurt Warner on the offenses of the Baltimore Ravens & New England Patriots
***For complete quotes from ‘First on the Field’ & ‘NFL GameDay Morning,’ see below***
Quotes from First on the Field
On First on the Field, host Melissa Stark joined analysts Sterling Sharpe, LaDainian Tomlinson and Brian Billick to break down the AFC & NFC Championship Games.
– “Baltimore is probably the only team in the AFC that can go into Foxborough and not fear playing Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.” – Brian Billick on the confidence of the Baltimore Ravens
– “The Atlanta Falcons’ receivers are the most confident group remaining in the playoffs – they’re the best group.” – LaDainian Tomlinson on the wide receivers for the Atlanta Falcons
– “He’s a one-trick pony that did that trick better than anyone else did anything else.” – Sterling Sharpe on San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Randy Moss’ success running deep routes
– “They stack up very well, and the reason being is they both won when it mattered. They both won with the football in their hands.” – Sterling Sharpe on how New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady compares to Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana
– “This year the 49ers have the threat of the throw down the field. Michael Crabtree has really stepped up and even though Randy Moss only has 28 receptions, it’s the threat of Randy Moss that really affects the game.” – Brian Billick on the difference between the San Francisco 49ers this NFC Championship Game from last year
– “Looking at the college quarterbacks in the upcoming draft, there doesn’t appear to be a top-15 pick at that position. But there will be. Need is a terrible evaluator and it will pull those guys up.” – Brian Billick on the college quarterbacks in the upcoming NFL Draft
Quotes from NFL GameDay Morning
On NFL GameDay Morning, host Rich Eisen joined analysts Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner, Warren Sapp and Michael Irvin on the most comprehensive pregame show. Additionally, Super Bowl champions Deion Sanders and Willie McGinest were joined by Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey and Seattle Seahawks rookie quarterback Russell Wilson to provide additional analysis of 49ers-Falcons and Ravens-Patriots.
– “Bill Belichick is the greatest coach of all-time, for what he is doing [in] the way the current landscape the NFL is [in] right now and to continue to put out winner after winner.” – Michael Irvin on New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick
– “The great equalizer is the big play, and that’s where the Ravens have a huge advantage. Not nearly as efficient [as the Patriots], but if they can get those big plays they can really close that gap.” – Kurt Warner on the Baltimore Ravens’ offense compared to the New England Patriots’
– “Tom Brady came in with a chip on his shoulder wanting to prove that he belonged with everybody, that he had the intangibles and the talent to compete with all of the other guys in this league. Once he got his opportunity, I have never seen a guy in his position work as hard to maintain the talent level, to maintain the preparation, the game-planning – everything – as I did with Tom Brady.” – Willie McGinest on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady
– “Now because they won a playoff game, we lowered the expectations…A playoff win isn’t satisfactory for me. This team should have a higher expectation. It’s Super Bowl.” – Willie McGinest on if it is Super Bowl or bust for the Atlanta Falcons
– “I don’t have any doubts about the Falcons. For everything that they’ve done, it’s been about the process, and what’s incredible about the process that they’ve gone through [is] they identified we had a good team, we had a great team, but we need a super team. They made changes where everybody would have stood pat.” – Michael Irvin on the Atlanta Falcons
– “What the Patriots need to do is make [Joe] Flacco go down the field methodically and make decisions along the way. You can’t give him chunks; if you give him chunks, it’s going to be a long day for the Patriots.” – Champ Bailey on the New England Patriots defense against Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco
– “He puts his players in the right position but he also motivates them. He finds little things to get them going. When you talk about Tom Brady and you talk about Joe Flacco, everybody is saying that Joe Flacco outplayed Tom Brady [in the AFC Championship Game last year] – he’ll bring that up…Tom’s been hearing about that all week.” – Willie McGinest on New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick
– “Their ability to control all three levels of the passing game now makes it even tougher for the New England Patriots and their defense to cover the field. Joe Flacco will have his way because they can run and throw the ball at will on New England.” – Marshall Faulk on quarterback Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens
– “The one thing he is going to do is he’s going to demand and expect more of you than you do of yourself. That’s a great characteristic of leadership.” – Marshall Faulk on San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh
– “Ray’s not only having that defense playing well, Ray’s affections and emotions leans all the way over to the offense. It has Joe Flacco looking elite.” – Michael Irvin on the impact of linebacker Ray Lewis on the Baltimore Ravens
‘Sunday Sitdown’ – Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan with Michael Irvin
NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin sat down with Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan to discuss his first playoff win last week, Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez and what it would mean to make it to the Super Bowl.
On how hearing his name associated with the word “choke” makes him feel:
“I don’t worry about it too much, I really don’t. I didn’t view any of [the playoff losses] as choking; it’s we didn’t play our best, and that happens to a lot of people. In a way it motivates you because you want to prove everybody who doubts you they’re wrong. But at that same time you can’t let it affect the way you feel about yourself and the confidence that you have to have within yourself.”On getting Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez the first playoff win of his career:
“It was huge. It’s hard to imagine that he’s been playing as long as he has, as consistent as he has and as successful as he has, and has not had the postseason success that you would think he has had. But if it is his last go-around, there is no more fitting end to the way his career has shaken out. It’s guys like that that you really want to give them a chance to go out the way they want to go out.”On what it would mean to make it to the Super Bowl:
“Since I’ve been here, the five years I’ve been here, this has been what we’ve been working towards. We haven’t taken any shortcuts. We’ve worked hard and we’ve put in the time, and we feel like it’s our time now.”To view the entire interview with Ryan, visit:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-player-interviews/0ap2000000128434/Sunday-Sitdown-Matt-RyanNFL Network’s Ian Rapoport In-Studio
On his conversation with Dan Rooney about the lack of minority hires in the NFL:
“The NFL expressed disappointment when it all came out that every single coaching hire was white. When I talked to [Dan] Rooney yesterday morning, he did not express the same disappointment. First of all, he said in all eight cases we had excellent compliance. He said from that standpoint, we are very pleased. Rooney told me that as far as people saying these coaches didn’t get jobs, he said it’s up to the coach to distinguish themselves in this process; he said evidently they weren’t able to do that. Rooney also told me we can’t shackle coaches and tell them essentially who to hire. His focus was on increasing the quality of the candidate pool, likely with training. Now, Rooney did offer some perspective on this. He said two years ago when there were seven minority coaches at one time, he said people were saying maybe we don’t even need the Rooney Rule. Now, two years later a little bit of a step back but he does not sound worried in the process.”On what can be done to effect change regarding this:
“Rooney did offer some suggestions on this. First of all, they talked about a couple years back when they had seminars to get owners meeting candidates, meeting perspective assistant coaches; he’d like to go back to that. Rooney also wondered why does the process of head coaches hiring a staff have to happen so fast. He said mainly he’d like people to take their time and have a more open-minded view of which candidates to hire, maybe in getting more position coaches of color up to becoming assistant coaches.”To read Rapoport’s article on his conversation with Rooney, visit:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000128397/article/dan-rooney-the-rooney-rule-workable-can-be-tweaked?campaign=Twitter_atlOn NFL.com the following video clips from First on the Field & NFL GameDay Morning are available for viewing:
The Legacies of Lewis, Gonzalez and Moss – Melissa Stark breaks down the legacies of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Randy Moss:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000128478/The-legacies-of-Lewis-Gonzales-and-MossRunner and Receiver: San Francisco 49ers Offense – LaDainian Tomlinson and Sterling Sharpe show you what to expect from the San Francisco 49ers offense against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000128477/Runner-and-Receiver-49ers-offenseAFC Championship Game: Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots – First on the Field breaks down the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots’ AFC Championship Game:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000128479/AFC-Championship-Game-Ravens-vs-PatriotsBold Predictions: Championship Sunday – The NFL GameDay Morning crew gets bold with the Championship Sunday predictions:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000128487/Bold-Predictions-Championship-SundayIs New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady’s Success Taken for Granted? – New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady enters the AFC Championship Game as the winningest playoff quarterback. Is his and head coach Bill Belichick’s success taken for granted?:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000128485/Is-Brady-s-success-taken-for-grantedWhat Motivates Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Ray Lewis and New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady? – As the most influential players on their teams, what motivates Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady? Deion Sanders and Willie McGinest weigh in:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000128488/What-motivates-Ray-Lewis-and-Tom-BradyWill San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver Michael Crabtree be a Distraction? – Will San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree’s situation be a distraction to the team in the NFC Championship Game? NFL GameDay Morning discusses:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000128480/Will-Crabtree-be-a-distractionThe Gap Between the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots Offense – How big of a gap is there between the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots offense? NFL GameDay Morning breaks it down:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000128482/The-gap-between-the-Ravens-and-Patriots-offenseConcerns for San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick – Should there be concerns about San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the NFC Championship Game? The NFL GameDay Morning crew debates:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000128491/Concerns-for-KaepernickChampionship Sunday: Keys to Victory – Deion Sanders and Willie McGinest are joined by Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to talk about their playoff runs and the keys to victory on Championship Sunday:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000128483/Championship-Sunday-Keys-to-victoryNFC Championship Game: San Francisco 49ers Secondary vs. Atlanta Falcons Wide Receivers – Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey joins Michael Irvin to discuss the matchup between the San Francisco 49ers defense and the Atlanta Falcons wide receivers:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000128490/NFC-Championship-Game-49ers-secondary-vs-Falcons-receiversSunday Spotlight: 49ers Defense – Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson joins Kurt Warner to break down the San Francisco 49ers defense against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000128489/Sunday-Spotlight-49ers-defenseCoach’s GameDay Decisions: The Harbaughs – What are the biggest decisions for San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh and Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh? Brian Billick discusses:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000128484/Coach-s-GameDay-Decisions-The-HarbaughsWarner’s Corner: Colin Kaepernick – Kurt Warner breaks down the big plays of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to get you ready for his NFC Championship Game against the Atlanta Falcons:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000128604/Warner-s-Corner-KaepernickThe Marshall Plan – Marshall Faulk breaks down the San Francisco 49ers’ read option and what makes the New England Patriots’ running game unique:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000128486/The-Marshall-Plan‘M & M’: Championship Sunday – Who means more to his team, Ray Lewis or Tom Brady? Marshall Faulk and Michael Irvin debate:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000128497/M-M-Championship-SundayCan Defenses Win Championships? – Deion Sanders, Warren Sapp and Willie McGinest sit down with Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey to talk about whether defenses can win championships in today’s NFL:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000128603/Can-defenses-win-championshipsSeattle Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson on Baltimore Ravens Quarterback Joe Flacco Beating the New England Patriots’ Secondary – Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson explains how Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco can best the Patriots’ secondary:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000128498/Wilson-on-Flacco-beating-the-Patriots-secondaryCan Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Ray Lewis Stop New England Patriots Tight End Aaron Hernandez? – Can Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis stop New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez? Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson weigh in:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000128494/Can-Ray-Lewis-stop-Aaron-HernandezSan Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s Playoff Run – Mark Kriegel gives an inside look at San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s background, his playoff run and head coach Jim Harbaugh’s decision to stick with him as the starter:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000128492/Colin-Kaepernick-s-playoff-runJim Harbaugh: The Player, the Coach – Take a look back at San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh in his days as an Indianapolis Colts quarterback and see how that shaped his career as a head coach:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000128499/Jim-Harbaugh-The-player-the-coachHow to Read the Zone-Read Option – Marshall Faulk breaks down how to defend the zone-read option:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000128496/How-to-read-the-zone-read-optionThe Rooney Rule – Ian Rapoport has the latest on the lack of minority hires in the NFL:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000128481/The-Rooney-ruleMichael Vick’s Contract Status – Will quarterback Michael Vick fit into Philadelphia Eagles new head coach Chip Kelly’s offense? Ian Rapoport has the latest:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000128493/Vick-s-contract-status
There you have it.
