Time to finish our Sunday NFL pregame quotage for the regular season with NBC’s Football Night in America. We have one more post this evening and that will be the Wild Card Weekend playoff schedule.
NOTES & QUOTES FROM “FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” — WEEK 17
“Packers fans are going to remember that…you’re going to remember where you were.” – Dan Patrick on Packers game-winning TD
“There are no outstanding defenses to play against. Peyton Manning at home is going to be the favorite.” – Tony Dungy on AFC playoffs
“You can’t forget about Carolina and what Cam Newton and that defense bring.” – Rodney Harrison on NFC playoffs
“If he chooses to come out, (Louisville’s Teddy) Bridgewater will be the favorite to be the No. 1 pick.” – Peter King on the NFL DraftNEW YORK – Dec. 29, 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 AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, where the Dallas Cowboys are hosting the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that will decide the NFC East champion. 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; Peter King of Sports Illustrated; and for-mer NFL Executive of the Year Scott Pioli. Alex Flanagan reported from Soldier Field in Chicago on the Packers-Bears game.
Costas interviewed Dallas Cowboys TE Jason Witten and Philadelphia Eagles RB LeSean McCoy for tonight’s show. The program also included a feature that reviewed the Cowboys past two Week 17 games, both of which decided the NFC East and both of which the Cowboys lost, to the Giants and Redskins, respectively.
Following are highlights from Football Night in America:
ON PLAYOFFS
Dungy: “This is going to be a great NFC playoff race. I really think the two best teams are…Seattle and San Francisco.”
Harrison: “You can’t forget about Carolina and what Cam Newton and that defense bring.”Harrison on the AFC: “The top two seeds (Denver and New England) are actually the two best teams in this league.”
Harrison on Saints: “If I’m the Saints, I’m rooting for the Dallas Cowboys because you get a chance to play in that dome, a nice comfortable environment, but also against that bad Cowboys defense. Drew Brees can take advantage of that.”
Dungy on Broncos: “They’ve got to be pretty comfortable because there are no outstanding defenses to play against. Peyton Manning at home is going to be the favorite against any of these defenses.”
Dungy on Colts: “Playing their best football now, these last three weeks. They know they’ve got a home game. They’ll be dangerous in the playoffs.”
Dungy on Bengals: “Cincinnati, I believe, was rooting for San Diego, (to) bring them east in some cold weather. They’ve already beaten San Diego one time. I’m sure they would much rather play them than Pittsburgh.”
ON PACKERS
Patrick on fourth-and-seven play: “Packers fans are going to remember that. Just say fourth-and-seven and you’re going to remember where you were.”
ON BEARS
Harrison on safety Chris Conte allowing game-winning TD: “He flat out blows his coverage…He lets his wide receiver go straight down the field.”
ON PATRIOTS
Harrison on Bill Belichick: “He’s done a wonderful job with all the different injuries, winning 12 games. The Patriots are never out (of a game).”
ON PANTHERS
Dungy: “I love Cam Newton, but it’s this defense that’s going to carry them.”
ON SEAHAWKS
Florio on Percy Harvin: “As soon as Monday, Harvin will be put on injured reserve due to a lingering hip problem.”
ON RAVENS
Harrison: “This team is a soft team.”
ON DOLPHINS
Harrison: “Just not ready to take that next step.”
ON COWBOYS
Collinsworth on Kyle Orton: “I can only believe what my eyes saw, and I watched him at practice the other day and he threw the ball really well, maybe even a little bit better than really well.”
Ward on Dez Bryant: “If he doesn’t get his opportunities, he could be a distraction on the sideline.”
Costas: “He’s been known to pout.”Pioli on Orton, who was on Chiefs when Pioli was the team’s GM: “Great team player.”
Dungy: “Kyle Orton is not just any backup. He’s started many games in this league. He is a pro.”
ON EAGLES
Dungy on Nick Foles: “He has been dynamite, on target on the move.”
Costas on LeSean McCoy: “No one disputes that the best pure running back in the NFL is Adrian Peterson of the Vikings, but LeSean McCoy catches a whole lot of passes. He may be the best all-around back.”
Ward: “No question about it. He reminds me a lot of Marshall Faulk.”ON COACHING CHANGES
Florio on Rob Chudzinski: “The Browns are considering meeting with Chudzinkski tonight and it is likely that he will be fired.”
King on Chudzinski: “Chudzinski struggled with team discipline and the Browns love of analytics…the other thing to watch for is Josh McDaniels, the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots and a northeast Ohio native, to be a prime candidate.”
Florio and King reported that Mike Munchak (Titans), Jim Schwartz (Lions), Leslie Frazier (Vikings) and Mike Shanahan (Redskins) are expected to be fired.
ON NFL DRAFT
King on Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater: “If he chooses to come out, Bridgewater will be the favorite to be the No. 1 pick.”
King on the Rams, who have the No. 2 pick via the Redskins: “The Rams want to move down again…He’d (GM Les Snead) like to get another (first round) pick out of dealing the No. 2 pick in this draft.”
Back with the NFL Wild Card Weekend schedule when it becomes available.
