Let’s give you some overdue NFL pregame previews on this NFL Sunday. Wasn’t able to provide this earlier. Now that I’m out of my unemployment funk, I’m back to blogging.
Let’s get this done. First, CBS’ preview of Week 14. On the next edition of The NFL Today on CBS, Shannon Sharpe talks with three members of the Green Bay Packers defense, plus RGIII, Robert Griffin III, the winner of the 2011 Heisman Trophy will be on the CBS set.
“THE NFL TODAY’s” SHANNON SHARPE PREVIEWS OAKLAND-GREEN BAY BY SITTING DOWN WITH PACKERS’ DEFENSIVE CORPS CHARLES WOODSON, CLAY MATTHEWS AND B.J. RAJI FOR WEEK 14 OF “THE NFL TODAY” ON SUNDAY, DEC. 11
Heisman Trophy Award Winner RGIII to Visit THE NFL TODAY Set
THE NFL ON CBS, broadcasting its 52nd year of the NFL, continues its 2011 NFL season on Sunday, Dec. 11 (1:00-7:00 PM, ET) with THE NFL TODAY (12:00 Noon-1:00 PM, ET).
THE NFL TODAY’s Shannon Sharpe previews the Oakland Raiders-Green Bay Packers Week 14 game by sitting down with members of the Packers’ defensive corps, Charles Woodson, Clay Matthews and B.J. Raji, to talk about the pressure they face trying to go a perfect 19-0 and winning a second-straight Super Bowl title.
The 12-0 Packers have already clinched the NFC North and are seven wins away from the first 19-0 season in NFL history, and a second-straight Super Bowl title. Will Oakland, Kansas City, Chicago or Detroit put an end to Green Bay’s winning streak? Aaron Rodgers leads the No. 1 scoring offense in the NFL, but will it come down to the Packers defense making a key stop? Woodson has six interceptions among the Packers NFL-leading 23. Jeff St. Arromand is the producer.
In addition, Heisman Trophy Award winner Robert Griffin III of Baylor will be live on the set of THE NFL TODAY.
James Brown hosts THE NFL TODAY along with analysts Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason, Sharpe and Bill Cowher, NFL TODAY “General Manager” Charley Casserly, as well as Lesley Visser reporting.
Eric Mann is senior producer and Bob Matina is director of THE NFL TODAY.
And we have the previews of CBS’ featured games today, New England-Washington and Oakland-Green Bay from Dan Dierdorf and Phil Simms respectively.
THE NFL ON CBS: WEEK 14 (SUNDAY, DEC. 11)
AUDIBLES WITH “THE NFL ON CBS” LEAD ANALYST PHIL SIMMS AND DAN DIERDORF
The CBS Television Network continues its 52nd year broadcasting the NFL with coverage of THE NFL ON CBS on Sunday, Dec. 11 (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 and Phil Simms call the action from the Oakland Raiders-Green Bay Packers game, live from Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisc. Lance Barrow is the coordinating producer and lead game producer and Mike Arnold is the lead game director.
Sean McManus is Chairman, CBS Sports, and serves as Executive Producer of CBS Sports’ coverage of THE NFL ON CBS. Harold Bryant is Executive Producer and Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.
* * * * *
PHIL SIMMS
(On Green Bay Going for Perfect Season Rather than Resting Players): It is an interesting topic. Yes, I would like to see them go for it because I’m a fan. But if Mike McCarthy thinks it gives him less chances of winning the Super Bowl then he will rest players and do something different. If their perfect record gets in the way of anything, anything about hurting their chances to win the Super Bowl, then he’s going to do what he has to do.
(On Oakland-Green Bay): It is Oakland going to Green Bay to play. It’s going to be in the low-30s, which by Green Bay’s standards this time of year, that is about as good as you could hope for. The way the Raiders lost to the Miami Dolphins last week should give them an edge. They should be motivated to erase what they did the previous week. The Green Bay Packers play after a physically and emotionally draining game in New York. The Raiders have to come into the game with no choice. Their offense has to be a little more daring, and they have to take chances because they have to score points. You’re not going to go in there and keep the Green Bay Packers under 20 and slow the game down. It really does you no good. You can only do that if you can control Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ offense. And so far, nobody has. If you’re playing percentages, your mindset has to be, let’s go. You have to take chances on both sides of the ball.
(On Carson Palmer and Oakland): I have seen just about everything Carson Palmer has done this year. One thing I noticed even watching the Miami game, he made a lot of nice throws. It looks like he’s really getting into shape. He looks fast dropping back and that is important. Maybe the biggest thing of all for the Oakland Raiders is they need some of their receivers and Darren McFadden to get healthy. I haven’t seen a real Raiders football team in so long. The team I saw in Week 2, with Darren McFadden at running back, was a dangerous team. They were a team that caught my attention. Not having Darren McFadden affects everybody. It affects the offensive line, the quarterback, but it also affects the Raiders defense as much as anything. He helps your offense, but it probably shortens the game by two possessions for the opponent. What defense wouldn’t want that?
DAN DIERDORF
(On Patriots): The Patriots have been camouflaging their defense with how well they’ve been playing offensively. Their defense has caused them some issues, but they are winning because their offense is a beautiful thing to watch. They overwhelm opponents with tempo on offense. If Tom Brady was a race car driver and his accelerator got stuck, he wouldn’t care. He hustles his team to the line of scrimmage. And if he gets his foot on your throat, he is not taking it off. As the game goes on you can see defenses start to wear down physically and mentally. They don’t have time to make adjustments. They don’t have time to make their calls. They certainly don’t have much time to substitute. And when Brady does that, defenses don’t have time to put in blitzes they’d like or disguise coverages. When you play against an offense like that, your defense tends to get very basic.
(On Washington): Defensively, Washington is pretty good. They are capable of making big plays. At FedEx Field, this is going to be a pretty good test for the Patriots.
I’ll provide CBS’ announcing assignments through Week 16 next.
