Let’s finish the Sunday NFL pregame quotage with Football Night in America from NBC. Check it out, friends.
NOTES & QUOTES FROM “FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” — WEEK 16
“It puts even more pressure on you to win a Super Bowl.” – Harrison on Peyton Manning’s TD-pass record
“We all assumed they were unbeatable at home and Arizona showed the formula today.” – Dungy on winning in Seattle
“You can’t make me believe in the Cincinnati Bengals.” – Harrison on the Bengals playoff prospectsNEW YORK – Dec. 22, 2013 – Following are the highlights for Football Night in America, the most-watched pre-game show in sports. Bob Costas opened the show live from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa., where the Philadelphia Eagles are hosting the Chicago Bears. Costas was joined on site by Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), and two-time Super Bowl winner and Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward.
Dan Patrick co-hosted Football Night from famous Studio 8H at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios in New York City. He was 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; and Peter King of Sports Illustrated. Alex Flanagan reported from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., on the Patriots-Ravens game.
Costas interviewed Bears head coach Marc Trestman and Eagles QB Nick Foles for tonight’s show.
Following are highlights from Football Night in America:
ON SEAHAWKS-CARDINALS
Dungy on Cardinals win: “What happened today is you saw what you have to do to win. You’ve got to go up there with a great defense. You’ve got to be able to match Seattle’s defense, and Arizona did that today.”
Harrison on Cardinals defense: “They loaded up the box, they tried to stop the run and they played man-to-man coverage. They dared those wide receivers to try and beat them on the outside. They need Percy Harvin, if he can come back.”
Dungy on how to win in Seattle: “We all assumed they were unbeatable at home and Arizona showed the formula today.”ON PANTHERS
Harrison (joking): “I told both of you guys that the Carolina Panthers would make the playoffs.”
Harrison: “I look at Carolina and that’s a team that can be really scary and dangerous in the playoffs.”
ON SAINTS
Costas: “With all due respect to the Saints, they are very, very good at home, and less than mediocre on the road.”
ON BRONCOS
Dungy on Peyton Manning’s record: “I think this does mean a lot…showing the world that he is back.”
Harrison: “When you break records, it’s a great achievement. But I think it puts even more pressure on you to win a Super Bowl.”
Dungy: “Von Miller getting hurt today, that is a big loss. Now, I’m not so afraid to go into Denver when they don’t have that pass rusher.”ON COLTS
Patrick: “Are they back?”
Dungy: “Whenever they can protect Andrew Luck, they’re back.”Dungy: “This was a huge win for them.”
ON TEXANS
Patrick on team’s 13th straight loss: “And you thought the Astros were bad.”
ON COWBOYS
Dungy: “This is what I care about, Dallas Cowboys needing a clutch drive, and they got one from Tony Romo. They’re alive to set up another win-or-go-home game next week with Philadelphia.”
Dungy: “They win next week, they’re in. They’ve got to be thrilled about that because they haven’t played great football, but they still have one game to do it and get it done next week.”
ON DOLPHINS
Harrison: “This offensive line today just got straight up dominated.”
Patrick on offensive line troubles: “It was a bad line and then you get rid of two starters (Incognito and Martin).”ON BENGALS
Harrison: “You can’t make me believe in the Cincinnati Bengals.”
Dungy on the playoffs: “They can win at home…If they go to Denver without Von Miller, they’ve got a chance.”ON LIONS
Dungy on loss to Giants: “You’ve got to win this game.”
Harrison: “It’s the same story each and every year…if you look at the talent level of this team, there’s no reason why this team shouldn’t vie for an NFC championship every year. Something’s wrong.”ON GIANTS
Dungy on Eli Manning: “He wasn’t great all day, but he was great in the clutch.”
ON BEARS
Collinsworth on offense: “One of the most exciting teams in football right now.”
Collinsworth: “This team looks like an NBA team coming off the bus. They’re very tall.”
Costas: “I get the reference. I’m very sensitive to these height issues.”Ward on Alshon Jeffrey: “This year, he’s a different ballplayer. He’s full of confidence, using his hands to catch the ball, and using his big body. He’s a great complement to Brandon Marshall.”
Ward on QB controversy: “I love how decisive Coach Trestman is.”
ON EAGLES
Dungy on playoff seeding and impact of tonight’s game: “You always want to be three rather than four.”
Dungy: “I think the running game is going to determine who wins this game.”
ON COACHES ON HOT SEAT
Coaches likely out next year
Florio: Mike Shanahan (Washington) and Dennis Allen (Oakland).
Coaches likely out next year if they don’t make the playoffs
King: Jason Garrett (Dallas) and Jim Schwartz (Detroit).
Coaches in trouble
King: Rex Ryan (Jets), Mike Munchak (Tennessee) and Leslie Frazier (Minnesota).
Coaches who will survive
King: Greg Schiano (Tampa Bay) and Tom Coughlin (Giants).
Florio: Joe Philbin (Miami) and Mike Smith (Atlanta).ON COLLEGE COACHES
King: “With the top college coach, David Shaw, expected to stay at Stanford, look for Bill O’Brien at Penn State, who’s interested in NFL openings, to be the No. 1 college candidate to jump to the NFL.”
INTERVIEW: Below are highlights of Costas’ interviews with Trestman and Foles.
MARC TRESTMAN WITH BOB COSTAS
Trestman on continuing with Jay Cutler: “I knew right after he was injured that he was our quarterback, and when he was ready to play he would go back in and it was really as simple as that. I wanted everybody to know that when Jay was healthy he would be back in to play. And once I said that I planned on sticking with it because I felt that it was in the best interest of the team.”
Trestman on his unusual journey to become a head coach: “I can only say that at the present time I look back and I see why it all happened the way it did. I’ve enjoyed every day since the day I got the job and able to use whatever skill sets that I have to help put our coaches and players in the best position to win on a daily basis.”
Click here to watch the video: http://www.nbcsports.com/football/nfl/trestman-cutler-our-quarterback
NICK FOLES WITH BOB COSTAS
On his ascent from backup to starter: “I’m very fortunate to be playing in the NFL, and that’s how I look at it. Every day is a blessing to be playing, tomorrow is not guaranteed for anyone. I’ve had many friends that had to stop playing … so I’m thankful every day.”
On being fined for an illegal block: “It doesn’t happen often. When I handed off the ball for the reverse, there was a lot of pressure so I did peek back around. The referee had the right call. It was an illegal block. I’ll remember that and be smarter.”
Click here to watch the video: http://www.nbcsports.com/football/nfl/foles-keeps-eagles-soaring-playoff-push
That is all for the Sunday pregame quotage.
