Let’s move to NFL Network’s notes and quotes for Week 14. Thanks to the fine people at the NFL’s Network of Record for sending this to me as they do every week.
As usual, we have quotage from NFL GameDay First and NFL GameDay Morning.
News & Sound Bites From Week 14 Editions of NFL Network’s NFL GAMEDAY FIRST & NFL GAMEDAY MORNING
Quick Quotes from NFL GameDay First & NFL GameDay Morning=
– “The move at quarterback that they made from Alex Smith to Colin Kaepernick was all based on…can Kaepernick help them beat the Seattle Seahawks?…This game is going to let us know if that move by the 49ers was a good move or not.” – Marshall Faulk on quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers facing the Seattle Seahawks
– “It’s feast or famine. It’s a group that plays with very little discipline on defense and even less execution.” – Warren Sapp on the Detroit Lions
– “They can’t…All they need to do is get hot. If they have any shot of making a run, it involves playing Aaron Rodgers.” – Shaun O’Hara on if the Green Bay Packers should sit quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the rest of the season
– “Mike Munchak [is] very much coaching for his job these next four games; could even be fired before the end of the season because they want to get in on some of these coaches like Lovie Smith.” – Mike Silver on Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Munchak
– “When I brought up the Titans as possibility for someone close to Jay Cutler…what I was told is he would be very interested.” – Ian Rapoport on quarterback Jay Cutler
– “[Shane] Vereen…could be the best back they’ve had come out of the backfield since [Tom] Brady has been there.” – Marshall Faulk on New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen
– “I don’t know in this time of the season what they are going to hang their hat on; they can’t hang it on running the football, they can’t do it on run defense or defense at all.” – Charley Casserly on the Pittsburgh Steelers
***For complete quotes from ‘NFL GameDay First’ & ‘NFL GameDay Morning,’ see below***
Quotes from NFL GameDay First
Every Sunday morning at 7:00 AM ET, NFL Network is first on the field with NFL GameDay First. Host Melissa Stark, co-host/analyst Sterling Sharpe, and analyst Shaun O’Hara provide the first analysis of the day’s games, while NFL Network reporters stationed across the league report from stadiums with the first on-location reports of the day. This week, NFL Network analyst and former general manager Charley Casserly, and former number one overall pick David Carr joined as guest analysts.
– “You realize as a top quarterback just what you don’t know. There is no substitution for experience and that’s something you don’t learn until later on. The preparation is so different from college; the amount of time it takes, the amount of guys you have to lead. You’re in charge of a lot of peoples’ futures, a lot of people’s livelihood’s, which means there is a lot on your plate.” – David Carr on being the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft
– “It has to be Eli Manning… First you have the controversial trade where the Giants gave up a lot to get him. Then you have his older brother who is probably the best quarterback in the league in Peyton Manning, so no matter what you do you get compared to Peyton. And then you play in New York; you have the back page of two papers every day vying to sell papers with back-page headlines. You have three things going against him and in my opinion [it] never wavers on his demeanor.” – Charley Casserly on which franchise quarterback selected number one overall has adjusted the best to the NFL
– “I don’t know in this time of the season what they are going to hang their hat on; they can’t hang it on running the football, they can’t do it on run defense or defense at all. [Defensive coordinator] Dick LeBeau used to be a master at this time of year, but I don’t have the Pittsburgh Steelers surviving.” – Charley Casserly on the Pittsburgh Steelers
– “They can’t…All they need to do is get hot. If they have any shot of making a run, it involves playing Aaron Rodgers.” – Shaun O’Hara on if the Green Bay Packers should sit quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the rest of the season
– “Coming out of college, I wouldn’t have played him this first year. I don’t think he was ready to play coming from the system in West Virginia. I liked his throwing talent but he held the ball too long; it was inaccuracy and I question his maturity to start right away as a rookie.” – Charley Casserly on New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith
– “There is no change you could make to get them into the playoffs right now.” – Charley Casserly on the New York Jets
– “If they stay healthy, nobody wants them to come to your place or certainly go to Foxborough in the playoffs…This football team’s going be hard to deal with down the stretch.” – Sterling Sharpe on the New England Patriots
Denver Broncos Head Coach John Fox with NFL Network’s Michelle Beisner
Today on NFL GameDay Morning, NFL Network’s Michelle Beisner sat down with Denver Broncos head coach John Fox for his first broadcast interview since returning to the team.
On what happened on November 2:
“It was a scary time. Basically, just couldn’t breathe. I kind of sat down, I was getting ready to pass out, everything tunneled in, and for the first time it dawned on me it was my heart issue. It was very scary. I prayed to God right there, I said ‘You get me out of this and I’m getting it fixed now.’ It just wasn’t my time and I feel very blessed to be here today.”On if he felt he was close to death:
“Oh yeah. There is no doubt in my mind.”On what his family said to him throughout the process:
“You see it on your family’s face. They weren’t ready to lose me yet. Seeing the fear in their eyes and that obviously will kind of ring true forever. It brought our family a lot closer.”On finding out in June he would have to have surgery at the end of the season:
“I probably made a very poor medical decision when I kind of elected to put it off. I thought we were really going to have a good team and I wanted to be 100 percent during the season – didn’t make it. Hindsight is usually 20/20 – I deal with that pretty often, kind of like every Sunday after a game – but I think I probably would have done that then.”On having to sit and watch games:
“I hadn’t missed a game in 200 games. I talked to Chuck Pagano; his wife had some great advice on that. She said that would be harder than anything and it was. We have a philosophy of next man up; you’re going to have guys get injured along the way and I just never knew I was going to be one of them. To sit and watch, you feel like you let guys down that you’re not there.”On the first moment he thought he could go back to coaching:
“The first game I had to watch was the San Diego game. That one was a little bit of a blur; that was not even a whole week after surgery. Obviously I wasn’t ready.”On the game against the New England Patriots:
“That one was very hard. My wife put on a blood pressure cuff…It didn’t get too bad; it got up there a little bit, no different than probably a healthy heart would be.”On what he has had to change permanently in his life since:
“Not that much. Everybody always talks about diet and exercise but I feel very fit. I’ve lost 15 pounds; I’m 185 which is basically my high school weight…I’m not going to be bench-pressing 215 [pounds] anytime soon – not that I’ve done that recently.”On what the well-wishes he received mean to him:
“The well wishes from Lord only knows everybody is just very humbling. It’s very appreciated. I’ve always had a pretty positive attitude and a passion for what I do and life itself, but it reinforces that. Life is precious and you better appreciate it.”To view the entire interview, visit: http://on.nfl.com/1f9UfGO
Quotes from NFL GameDay Morning
NFL GameDay Morning is the most comprehensive pregame show on Sunday morning, airing at 9:00 AM ET for four hours on NFL Network and taking viewers straight up to kickoff. Host Rich Eisen joins analysts Steve Mariucci, Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner, Warren Sapp and Michael Irvin to bring fans the latest news, injury reports, pregame analysis and game previews. Additionally, NFL Media Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Silver provide the latest inside information from around the league.
– “The move at quarterback that they made from Alex Smith to Colin Kaepernick was all based on…can Kaepernick help them beat the Seattle Seahawks? They understood that Alex Smith was only going to get them so far…This game is going to let us know if that move by the 49ers was a good move or not. Kaepernick has to play well in this game.” – Marshall Faulk on quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers facing the Seattle Seahawks
– “[Shane] Vereen, coupled with Tom Brady, could be the best back they’ve had come out of the backfield since Brady has been there because of his ability to stretch the field.” – Marshall Faulk on New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen
– “I say they are built for the long-haul…Their three losses were all by one possession; they were all tough, [hard] fought games. They would blow everybody out for years and then get in the playoffs and go up against a tough team like Baltimore [who would say], ‘We’ll just be physical with them.’ Now they have this, they have been physical.” – Michael Irvin on the New England Patriots
– “It’s feast or famine. It’s a group that plays with very little discipline on defense and even less execution…But they find a way with those triplets [Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush] on offense get enough points to win football games.” – Warren Sapp on the Detroit Lions
– “The basic fundamentals of football are the things that they’re struggling with. Somehow, some way Jim Schwartz has to get this team to focus on running the football, blocking, tackling – the basic things.” – Marshall Faulk on the Detroit Lions
– “You don’t have Jermichael Finley, you don’t have your four-down guy in Randall Cobb, so just let this go. You don’t want to risk losing [him] and catch yourself in a situation where he’s spending the whole offseason rehabbing.” – Michael Irvin on if the Green Bay Packers should play quarterback Aaron Rodgers again this season
– “You can’t just be efficient against Detroit; you found that out with the Dallas Cowboys. You have to continue to score points against the Detroit Lions.” – Marshall Faulk on the Philadelphia Eagles facing the Detroit Lions
– “I want to see him play through adversity…Everything has gone very smoothly, so I want to see how he reacts after he throws a pick or two. Does he come on back for the next play with confidence?” – Steve Mariucci on what Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles still has to prove
NFL Media Insiders Ian Rapoport & Mike Silver
On the Houston Texans head coaching search:
Ian Rapoport: “The Texans do not believe they’re in rebuilding mode; they think with a new quarterback and a new coach they can win now, so don’t be surprised if they set their sights on a veteran coach with NFL experience. I am told their first interview is expected to be Lovie Smith, the former Bears head coach, who probably is the top free agent coach on the market. Also expect to hear names like Jack Del Rio, who impressed as the interim with the Broncos, and Jon Gruden, who I’m told would return to coaching in a perfect situation. Jed Hughes, the noted consultant, would be running the search for owner Bob McNair.”Mike Silver: “Around the league, this is considered a great, great situation. They have a couple of years with the cap situation where they are built to win now; they need to address the quarterback situation and they may have the number one pick in the draft. You talk to people around the league, the fact that the Texans did this now and can talk to the Lovie Smiths of the world may spark some copycat moves if owners and general managers have decided their coaches should go.”
On Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Munchak and running back Chris Johnson:
Silver: “A lot of dissatisfaction with Mike Munchak now in his third season. The front office built that team to be a power running attack, a tough team that manages the quarterback, does not turn [the ball] over. The first four weeks, they were 3-1 with that approach and then they got away from it. That has not been received well by new ownership. Look for Ruston Webster, the general manager, to be safe but Mike Munchak [is] very much coaching for his job these next four games; could even be fired before the end of the season because they want to get in on some of these coaches like Lovie Smith. Also, Chris Johnson almost certainly gone after this season with his big salary and lack of production.”On Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker:
Rapoport: “I’m told the Titans are not expected to pick up the fifth-year option on starting quarterback Jake Locker for the 2015 season, which would pay him $13 million, which immediately puts the Titans in the quarterback market. Here is a name you are going to hear: Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. It is my understanding his first choice is to re-sign in Chicago but there are some serious doubts from both sides about whether that could happen. When I brought up the Titans as a possibility for someone close to Jay Cutler – and make no mistake Cutler is definitely on the Titans’ radar – what I was told is he would be very interested. He still has a house thereOn the fallout of Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin’s actions on the sideline during the game against the Baltimore Ravens:
Rapoport: “The league raised some eyebrows when it said this week it is considering docking or modifying the Steelers’ draft pick because of [Mike] Tomlin’s actions. They are still considering this and there are many factors that go into it. The main one: did the four points that the Ravens may have lost with Tomlin’s blunder affect their playoff spot? When you go down the NFL’s tiebreaker for playoff spots, this is the eighth one. So if the Ravens miss out on a playoff spot by four points via this tiebreaker, don’t be surprised if they lose a draft pick.”On NFL.com the following video clips from NFL GameDay First & NFL GameDay Morning are available for viewing:
– Week 14 Bold Predictions – The NFL GameDay Morning crew provide their Bold Predictions for Week 14:
http://on.nfl.com/1cudevq– ‘Survival Sunday’ Statements – The NFL GameDay Morning crew gives their statements for “Survival Sunday” in the NFL:
http://on.nfl.com/1aLktdS– Survivor Sunday Tribal Council – The NFL GameDay Morning team holds a tribal council to see which team’s playoff flame will remain lit and which will be extinguished:
http://on.nfl.com/IzoL1D– Indianapolis Colts Outside Linebacker Robert Mathis Mayhem – Warren Sapp visits with Indianapolis Colts outside linebacker Robert Mathis on the art of the strip sack:
http://on.nfl.com/1gPQeIk– Pressure of Being the Top Overall Pick – Former number one overall pick David Carr joins NFL GameDay First to talk about all the pressures that go with being the top pick in the NFL Draft:
http://on.nfl.com/1f9q82c– Front Office View – Former NFL general manager Charley Casserly breaks down two teams who are struggling with young quarterbacks:
http://on.nfl.com/IUrra0– NFL Media Insiders Ian Rapoport & Mike Silver with the Latest on the Tennessee Titans – Ian Rapoport and Mike Silver have the latest reports surrounding the Tennessee Titans:
http://on.nfl.com/1aLrPOx– The Latest on the Houston Texans Head Coaching Search – NFL Media Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Silver report the latest regarding the Houston Texans head coaching search:
http://on.nfl.com/199whdT– Who Needs to Win the NFC South? – With the big Sunday night matchup pitting the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints, Sterling Sharpe answers which team needs to win the NFC South:
http://on.nfl.com/199kAUt– Playing Out the Season – The NFL GameDay Morning players discuss what it is like to play out the season on a losing team:
http://on.nfl.com/18gL5Zv– How to Stop Josh ‘Flash’ Gordon – Michael Irvin and Kurt Warner explain why Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon has been so dominant:
http://on.nfl.com/1ciYHPM– Will Peyton Manning Struggle in the Cold Again? – With the temperature expected to be under 15 degrees in Denver, will Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning continue struggle with freezing temperatures?:
http://on.nfl.com/1hGrpkW– Surviving ‘Survival Sunday’ – With plenty of matchups having big playoff implications, which teams will be able to keep their playoff hopes alive?:
http://on.nfl.com/1kpKQeG
More stuff on the way
