Well, I keep clearing the press releases from the Fang’s Bites inbox. This will be the last one before I do the Friday features so thanks for indulging me this week as I’ve been rather busy at work this week.
CBS previews Week 2 action with analysts Phil Simms and Dan Dierdorf.
THE NFL ON CBS: WEEK 2 (SUNDAY, SEPT. 20) AUDIBLES WITH “NFL ON CBS” LEAD ANALYST PHIL SIMMS AND DAN DIERDORF
The CBS Television Network, home of Super Bowl XLIV, continues its Golden Anniversary 50th year broadcasting the NFL with THE NFL ON CBS on Sunday, Sept. 20 (1:00-7:00 PM, ET) beginning with THE NFL TODAY, the Network’s one-hour studio show (12:00 NOON-1:00 PM, ET), live from THE NFL TODAY studio in New York City.
THE NFL ON CBS lead announce team of Jim Nantz, who this year is marking his 25th with CBS Sports, and Phil Simms call the action from the Pittsburgh Steelers-Chicago Bears game live from Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. Lance Barrow is the coordinating producer and lead game producer and Mike Arnold is the lead game director.
Throughout the 2009 season, THE NFL ON CBS will broadcast all of its games each week in HDTV, the highest definition television format – 1080i lines of picture resolution – along with 5.1 digital audio.
Sean McManus is President, CBS News and Sports, and serves as executive producer of CBS Sports’ coverage of THE NFL ON CBS. Harold Bryant is Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.
* * * * *
PHIL SIMMS
(On Pittsburgh-Chicago): There are a couple of things to look for in this game. For the Chicago Bears, can they protect Jay Cutler on the edges? The Pittsburgh Steelers have good edge rushers, linebackers, quick and strong. Can Chicago handle them, and really, vise versa? There have been question marks about the Pittsburgh offensive line. They are going up against an athletic and active Bears’ defensive line. And of course a lot has been said about Rod Marinelli, who is now the defensive line coach in Chicago, is a tremendous coach. After preseason and one game, you can see he’s made a difference in the Chicago pass rush.
(On Jay Cutler): Jay Cutler seemed to concern a lot of people. I wouldn’t be that concerned. He does take some chances. When you gamble, every now and then, you’re going to lose. But he makes a lot of big plays. My opinion of him has not changed one bit after one game. There’s an adjustment period that’s going to have to happen. The coaches will have to adjust more to him and he’s got to remember he doesn’t have the same group of people around him that he did in Denver. He has to kind of mentally make those adjustments. So it will be interesting to see what happens.
(On Brian Urlacher out): I don’t think it’s devastating for the Chicago Bears defense. However, what a lot of people don’t realize is that they will miss him in pass coverage because he’s so tall, has long arms and just seems to be around the football deflecting and intersecting passes.
(On Steelers): The thing about the Pittsburgh Steelers is the defense and the quarterback travel well. We saw it last year with Ben Roethlisberger. Even on the road, last drive of the game, he still can get it done. So those are two things the Steelers always have. A lot of times teams can’t travel certain parts of their game. The Steelers can. Their defense has not slacked off. Ben Roethlisberger is just going to be better this year than he was last year because of confidence and he’s mentally going to be better. And he’s going to look a lot better physically because of that.
DAN DIERDORF
(On New England QB Tom Brady): It’s not business as usual for Tom Brady because anytime you are coming back from an injury, it takes time. It is nothing new, unexpected or eyebrow-raising that Tom didn’t automatically look like he did in 2007 when he threw 50 touchdowns. You can’t take a year off and have major knee reconstruction and not have some rust early on. But what they didn’t operate on was his competitive spirit. That does not need any rehab. When the game is on the line, he is what he
is. I think everybody around the NFL, with the exception of the Buffalo Bills and the other teams in the AFC East, were thrilled to see Tom Brady come back and do what he did on Monday night(On Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez): The only problem with Mark Sanchez is with that performance in Week 1, he has really raised the bar. People are going to have to remember that he is a rookie and has played one game in the National Football League. Now the one game that he has played was flat-out outstanding. Certainly the reasons for optimism in New York are limitless based on how good he looked. But he’s got big shoes to fill and they are the shoes that Mark Sanchez left after Week 1. There’s a lot to like about this kid. If I was a Jets season ticket holder, I’d have a major reason to be fired up.
(On New England’s Defense): One thing is for sure, Mark Sanchez will spend the whole week being shown things by the Jets coaches about what to expect from New England and will see something defensively he has never seen before. That is Bill Belichick’s MO. He will try to get under Sanchez’s skin and into his head early, and make him uncomfortable. Having said that, this is not the same Patriots defense that won three Super Bowls. Lots of people are gone; Vrabel, Bruschi, Seymour, Harrison – there are a lot of talented people that are no longer playing in New England.
(On Jets’ defense): If you’re a defensive player, playing for a guy like Rex Ryan is a dream come true. It’s frustrating to play on a ‘read and react’ defense. Rex Ryan turns guys loose just like his father (Buddy) did. Knocking down the quarterback is almost a religious experience for them. You get a lot of latitude, a lot of freedom when you play defense for Rex Ryan. You have to play hard, but you’re going to get your shots.
(On New England-Jets): For the second week of the season, this game is too good to be true. To have this kind of emotional game this early in the season, this is more of what happens in December not in September.
This is what ESPN has in store for its NFL studio shows over the weekend.
ESPN’s Weekend and Monday NFL Studio Features
ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown will preview the day’s matchups Sunday at 11 a.m. ET with Chris Berman and analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson and Keyshawn Johnson. ESPN Senior analyst Chris Mortensen and NFL insider Adam Schefter will provide headlines and league news.
The program will include reports from Rachel Nichols covering the New England Patriots at New York Jets, Sal Paolantonio at the Saints – Eagles game, and Michael Smith in Chicago for the Steelers at Bears. Other highlights:
Mark Sanchez: New York Quarterback Pressure: Past Jets quarterbacks Joe Namath, Richard Todd, Ken O’Brien and Chad Pennington offer advice to rookie Mark Sanchez on the pressures of being a quarterback in New York, reports Jeremy Schaap.
Drew Brees’ Pre-Game Chant: Quarterback Drew Brees’ passionate pre-game chant – “This Is New Orleans” – puts him alongside vocal pre-game leaders the likes of Ray Lewis and Brian Dawkins. Ed Werder reports the pre-game routine and its effect on his teammates.
Adrian Peterson: Film Session: Countdown takes viewers inside the ‘film room’ to detail the secrets behind Adrian Peterson’s success.
“Mayne Event”: NFL Twitter Revolution: While NFL players have embraced social networking sites like Twitter as new ways to reach their fans, the NFL social media policy includes no Tweeting 90 minutes before kickoff until post-game media interviews are complete. Kenny Mayne snoops around to find out how NFL Tweeters are trying to beat the system in this week’s Mayne Event.
Virtual Playbook: Cowboys Tight Ends vs. Giants Pass Rush: Tom Jackson breaks down how the departure of Terrell Owens forced the Cowboys into adjustments on the offense, using two tight-end – Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett – formations for more flexibility in their passing game. He also explains how this formation will work against the vaunted Giants’ pass rush.
Soundtracks – Best of Tom Coughlin: The best sideline audio from the Giants fiery head coach Tom Coughlin will be featured on “Soundtracks.”
Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em with Matthew Berry and Merril Hoge: ESPN’s fantasy football guru Matthew Berry and NFL analyst Merril Hoge debate which players to start or sit this weekend.
Berman, Carter, Ditka, Jackson and Johnson will pick the biggest games of the day and tell fans which players will make the biggest impact in NFL’s Week 2 action. The list of game picks will be posted on www.espn.com/sundaycountdown after the show.
MNF’s Jon Gruden to Interview Peyton Manning SportsCenter “Sunday Conversation”
For seven seasons in Indianapolis, Peyton Manning and former head coach Tony Dungy combined to lead the Colts to five straight 1st place finishes in the AFC South and a Super Bowl victory in January 2007. On the heel of his first Monday Night Football without Dungy in seven years, the Colts’ signal caller sits down with Gruden for an extensive interview to be featured on SportsCenter “Sunday Conversation” at 11 p.m. and Monday Night Countdown (7 p.m.).
MONDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN, 7 P.M. ON ESPN
Monday Night Countdown with Berman, Carter, Ditka, Jackson, Johnson, Mortensen and Schefter (in Bristol) and Stuart Scott, Matt Millen and Steve Young (at the MNF game in Miami) will review Sunday’s games and preview Monday Night Football. The 90-minute, pre-game show will lead into the kickoff of the Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins (8:30 p.m.) game, featuring Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski. Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade will make a special appearance on the set at Dolphins Stadium.
Reporters Michele Tafoya (Colts) and Suzy Kolber (Dolphins) will cover the teams. Other highlights:
Peyton Manning Soundtracks: The best compilation of Peyton Manning’s in-game audio over the past decade will be featured on “Soundtracks.”
“Unmasked” – Joey Porter: Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter takes off the helmet to reveal what drives him to be among the best in the league.
Virtual Playbook – Manning to Wayne: Jackson takes viewers on the field to show why Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and wide receiver Reggie Wayne are one of the most dangerous passing combinations in the NFL.
WEEKLY MONDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN SEGMENTS
TEAMS AT 20 – Every 20 minutes reporters Tafoya and Kolber will update news from the teams in their preparations for the game, beginning with NFL Live at 3:30 p.m.
FIELD PASS – Countdown offers an all-access look at pre-game preparations as the players get ready for kickoff. Analysts will also breakdown the important storylines and key players before the game.
C’MON MAN – Countdown personalities share their head-scratching plays from Week 2.
In addition, Monday Night Football’s Tirico, Jaworski and Gruden will preview the night’s match-up, with Mortensen and Schefter covering breaking news from around the league, and the Countdown analysts offering their “Lead Pipe Lock” predictions for the game.
NFL MATCHUP, SUNDAY 3 A.M. AND 7:30 A.M. ON ESPN
NFL Matchup with host Sal Paolantonio and analysts Merril Hoge and Ron Jaworski will preview the weekend’s games by bringing viewers inside the film room for the Xs and Os analysis of the matchups. The 30-minute program – taped each week at NFL Films in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey – highlights team strategy and game planning. This week’s features:
Patriots @ Jets – Hoge shows a play from last Sunday where the Jets were able to free up three defenders en-route to the quarterback and contends such plays will be key against the Patriots Sunday.
Giants @ Cowboys – Jaworski goes ‘beyond the film room’ onto the field with Tony Romo to reveal how the Cowboys delivered big plays through the air last Sunday vs. Tampa Bay.
Ravens @ Chargers – Jaworski opens his ‘Playbook’ and displays how Baltimore successfully created and exploited mismatches in what was a much improved passing game Sunday.
Steelers @ Bears – Hoge spotlights how great route running combined with Ben Roethlisberger’s pump-faking make the Steelers offense consistently dangerous.
Saints @ Eagles – Jaworski on how the Eagles defense can take advantage of a vulnerable Saints offensive line from the left tackle position.
Colts @ Dolphins – Jaworski, contending that the Colts offense is better at setting up defenses than any team in the league, unveils how quarterback Peyton Manning and the Colts manufacture big plays in the passing game.
Vikings @ Lions – Hoge pulls out his ‘Coaches Clicker’ to illustrate how a small crevice for Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is like a gaping hole for any other back in the league.
Here are highlights of a conference call that NBC conducted with the Sunday Night Football crew regarding the New York Football Giants-Dallas Cowboys matchup at the new Jerry Jones Palace.
"SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL" HEADS TO BIG D FOR COWBOYS -GIANTS AND OPENING OF THE NEW DALLAS COWBOYS STADIUM"Not only an important matchup in the division, but obviously it's an event." - Costas"This is an amazing blend of exciting events." - CollinsworthNew Stadium Officially Unveiled on "Sunday Night Football"
NEW YORK -- Sept. 17, 2009 -- The Dallas Cowboys will officially unveil their new $1.2 billion stadium Sunday night on "Sunday Night Football" as the Cowboys host their division rival New York Giants. "Football Night in America" begins at 7 p.m. ET with Bob Costas hosting live from inside the stadium. Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst) and Andrea Kremer (sideline reporter) call the action from Arlington, Texas.
Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann will co-host "Football Night" from NBC's 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios joined by Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison and Sports Illustrated's Peter King. Tiki Barber will report from the Steelers-Bears game at Soldier Field.
NBC Sports conducted a media conference call today with Costas, Michaels, Collinsworth and SNF producer Fred Gaudelli to preview the SNF matchup and the new stadium. Highlights of the call are below:
COSTAS ON THE BIG EVENT FEEL: "The idea of being at the scene of the game automatically captures the atmosphere and the sense of anticipation. Coming off Packers-Bears we now go to Dallas for what's not only a n important matchup in the division, but obviously it's an event because of the opening of the first regular season game in the new stadium. We're two for two in terms of an event feel to it."
MICHAELS ON DOING THE FIRST GAME AT THE NEW STADIUM: "When the schedule came out I was very excited to not only know that we were going to do the first regular season game there, but it would be the New York Giants. I was hoping it would be the Giants or the Redskins or a team that is one of the noted rivals of the Cowboys so this is perfect. I spoke to Jerry Jones about this as long ago as five or six years. His dream was that if he was ever able to get something like this built in the Metroplex it was going to be the best of the best and he's been able to affect that even through obviously very rough economic times. He hasn't cut any corners from what I can gather and it's a spectacular venue."
COLLINSWORTH ON SPECIAL FEEL OF THE NIGHT: "This is an amazing blend of exciting events. You could buy a plane ticket down just for the opening of the stadium if you wanted to and feel like you got your money's worth or you could go down and watch this football game and really feel like you got your money's worth."
COSTAS ON HIS LAST FOOTBALL BROADCAST IN DALLAS: "NBC was the AFC network and we just never happened to have a game in Dallas, or if we did it would have been the biggest game and Dick Enberg would have been assigned to that game, or some other broadcaster at that point than me. So I think, as I recall it, the last time I was in Dallas to cover a football game was for CBS, before NBC hired me, for CBS around 1978, and it was a preseason game. I recall that Frank Gleiber was doing the game, and Verne Lundquist I think was also there for Cowboys radio, may have been pre Brad Sham. I was about 25 or 26 years old and I think that's the last time I did a live football game from Dallas."
GAUDELLI ON COVERING PUNTS: "We will cover our punts differently in this game than we do in a normal game. In a regular game, we're not tracking the ball on a punt, we're actually just moving down the field to show the coverage go after the returner, but we're going to start initially tracking the ball live because obviously people are going to be wondering about that right away."
GAUDELLI ON BALANCING THE GAME AND STADIUM: "Obviously the game always takes precedent over everything that we're doing. We've found a way through the years, whether it is the city we're in, or the circumstances of the stadium, to work that into the game, complementing the game, not at the expense of the game. We've added a couple of cameras, one will be outside just to show this enormous expanse, one will be inside to take you to different places inside the stadium that make this place unique. It will be woven in naturally and not at the expense of what's happening on the field."
MICHAELS ON THE MATCHUP: "It doesn't matter when you have the Giants and the Cowboys or where you have the Giants and the Cowboys it's going to be a treat. You've got two major stories here one being the opening of the stadium and the other being the Giants and the Cowboys and what still figures to be the NFL's toughest division. I'm looking forward to what should be a pretty perfect night and what should be a hell of a game."
COLLINSWORTH ON TONY ROMO: "He's in a tough spot. There have been so many great quarterbacks with the Dallas Cowboys over the years; legendary figures there with Troy (Aikman) and (Roger) Staubach. Tony Romo really impressed me (in last week's game) with his ability to move in the pocket. His reads were dead on, he threw the ball great, and his pump fake in the flat that ended up with the big play down the field to Crayton for the touchdown was sort of Roethlisberger-like when we saw him on Thursday night. It's a tough standard in Dallas because of those guys that came before him, but honest to goodness I think this guy is, if he's not top 5, he's certainly top 7 or so and getting better, so I'm a big Romo guy."
COLLINSWORTH ON COWBOYS: "The Cowboys offensively exploded with out "TO" last week. Some great performances by the wide receivers like Crayton, Austin Miles and Roy Williams. They did not have a great game defensively, but good enough."
COLLINSWORTH ON GIANTS: "The Giants defensively as advertised with Umenyiora's return were just great. Offensively the New York Giants look like their ready to go. Brandon Jacobs will be going in there and slamming into the Cowboys front that gave up some yards against Tampa Bay. A lot of storylines to follow from the football stand point, but its exciting for me to get a chance just to be there."
COLLINSWORTH ON GIANTS DEFENSIVE LINE: "This defensive line is pretty dynamic. When they put those five down lineman in there with Bernard and Canty, Umenyiora, Kiwanuka and Tuck it's a little intimidating. When you look across there, you go 'Oh my goodness, here they come' because it looks like the beginning of the 100m in Beijing."
GIANTS VS. COWBOYS: This is the 94th game in this rivalry that dates back to 1960 with the Cowboys holding a 55-37-2 overall edge in the matchup including a 20-8 victory on SNF in Week 15 last season, which stands as the most watched game in SNF history (23.1 million viewers). Amazingly, these two teams have only met once in the post-season and that came in the 2007 NFC Divisional round with the Giants winning 21-17 in Dallas on their way to a Super Bowl championship.
GIANTS-COWBOYS IN PRIMETIME: Both the Giants and Cowboys are scheduled to appear three times this season on "Sunday Night Football." The Giants will host the NFC Champion Cardinals in Week 7 and the Eagles in Week 14 while the Cowboys travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in Week 9 and are on the road in Washington to take on the Redskins in Week 16. The Cowboys are 8-2 overall on "Sunday Night Football," and their 11 appearances are the most for any team on SNF. The Giants have a 3-5 all-time record on the NFL's premier primetime package.
And New York Jets center Nick Mangold sits in for Scott Ferrall on Howard 101 Friday night.
New York Jets Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold will be a guest host Friday, September 18, on The Scott Ferrall Show on SIRIUS XM Radio.
The Scott Ferrall Show airs Monday – Friday (8:00 pm – midnight ET) exclusively on Howard 101, one of Howard Stern’s two exclusive SIRIUS XM channels.
The Jets first round draft pick out of Ohio State University in 2006, Mangold has started all 48 regular season games and one postseason game in his first three seasons with the team. After an excellent rookie year in which he became the first center in franchise history to start every game, Mangold was selected to the 2006 All-Rookie Team, voted on by Pro Football Weekly and the Pro Football Writers’ Association. Following the 2008 season, he was elected to h
is first Pro Bowl as a starter. At Ohio State, Mangold was a three-year starter and co-captain in his senior year. He was an Outland Trophy finalist, as well as a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, presented to the top center in the country, and did not give up a sack his entire senior season.Mangold will join in the high-octane sport talk the Ferrall Show is known for, will chat about the Jets matchup this weekend against their AFC East rival New England Patriots, and will take calls from sports fans around the country.
Known for his no holds barred style of broadcasting, Ferrall has been a fixture in the world of sports and talk radio for almost 20 years. He has hosted numerous radio shows on a wide variety of stations in both local and national markets.
And we’re done. Have a good night.
