Tonight, NBC airs the NFC East Division play-in game as the Dallas Cowboys host the Philadelphia Eagles in Arlington, TX.
Before the game, Football Night in America will review all of Sunday’s action plus preview tonight’s contest.
Bob Costas has interviewed Eagles’ running back LeSean McCoy and Cowboys tight end Jason Witten in advance of the game. We have partial transcripts for you.
BOB COSTAS INTERVIEWS JASON WITTEN & LeSEAN MCCOY
Football Night in America Preview – Week 17
“You want to win for Coach Garrett because we’re lucky to have him and you want him to have that type of success for a long time.” – Jason Witten on Jason Garrett
“This is where we want to be, at the right time, peaking.” – LeSean McCoyNEW YORK – December 29, 2013 – Bob Costas interviewed Dallas Cowboys TE Jason Witten and Philadelphia Eagles RB LeSean McCoy for tonight’s Week 17 edition of Football Night in America, which will preview Eagles-Cowboys, and include highlights, analysis and reaction to earlier Week 17 games.
Football Night, the most-watched pre-game show in sports, airs each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on NBC with Costas hosting the program live from inside the stadium. He will be joined on site by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst), as well as two-time Super Bowl winner and Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward.
Dan Patrick co-hosts Football Night from NBC’s famed Studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Patrick will be joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on NBCSN and NBCSports.com, Peter King of Sports Illustrated, and former NFL Executive of the Year Scott Pioli. Alex Flanagan will report from Soldier Field in Chicago on the Packers-Bears game.
INTERVIEW: Below are excerpts from Costas’ interviews with Witten and McCoy.
JASON WITTEN WITH BOB COSTAS
On saying ‘This can’t go on like this’ last year prior to Week 17: “Third time’s a charm. Obviously we find ourselves in this situation again. Hopefully those past experiences and those failures and coming up short make you better and you build on it, so that in this situation you can find a way to win this game.”
On Tony Romo being out: “That was a big blow, losing Tony. Anytime you lose a player like that, that’s just the star of your franchise and the leader of your franchise, it’s difficult. But the show’s got to go on. We believe in Kyle (Orton), with the experiences and the success that he’s had in this league that he can go and lead our football team. That’s what you hang your hat on is those past experiences.”
On what Orton does well: “He’s got a great demeanor. He’s had success in this league, had starts. He’s got an unbelievable confidence in himself and the people around him. I think he understands what winning football is and, playing the position of quarterback, what he has to do; just facilitate and allow his guys to make plays and help us win this game.”
On if he’s seen Jason Garrett’s demeanor change while being on the hot seat: “I haven’t. Jason Garrett’s got an unbelievable demeanor, just poise, just a great football coach. This is why you want to win games like this — obviously Tony for getting us into this situation, you want to win for him — but you want to win for Coach Garrett because we’re lucky to have him and you want him to have that type of success for a long time.”
LeSEAN MCCOY WITH BOB COSTAS
On the deck being stacked in the Eagles favor for tonight’s game: “That’s why we play the game. We’re approaching the game the same way, as if he (Tony Romo) was playing. We’re preparing and practicing hard. We like it like this. The stakes are up. One game, we’ve got to win to get in.”
On if he grew up a Steelers or Eagles fan having grown up in Pennsylvania: “Not really, just a fan of the game. I was a huge fan of Barry Sanders.”
On comparisons to Barry Sanders: “I’m confident in my game, but watching Barry for so long, the comparison’s crazy. He’s done so many amazing things with those type of runs that there’s even times before the game when I’ll watch some clips to just try and take some different things he did. You really can’t compare us. I’m nowhere near Barry Sanders, and I’m fine to say that.”
On playing for a long time given that he is only 25: “I want to. That’s kind of the reason why maybe I’m so elusive and don’t take those extra shots because I have dreams to play a long time. I think in this game, half the battle is just being healthy.”
On if the Eagles are peaking: “I think so. I think this season we’ve played so well for away games, and, late in the year, we’ve played very well at home. Right now, this is where we want to be, at the right time, peaking.”
That is all. Coming tonight, the Wild Card Weekend Playoff schedule plus the Football Night in America quotage.
