CBS Sports Previews NFL Week 8

Ok, we have something rather dangerous this week and it’s The NFL Today’s Shannon Sharpe going all Halloween on us. I’ll admit that I’m not a fan of Halloween and would rather have my fingernails pulled out with pliers than take part in another silly costume party. Not my thing. But CBS Sports is featuring Shannon in a Halloween-themed package. Not sure if it will work, but these contrived things look forced and unnatural.

Here’s a preview.

“THE NFL TODAY” VISITS SHANNON SHARPE’S HALLOWEEN HOUSE FOR TRICKS AND TREATS FOR WEEK 8 OF “THE NFL TODAY” ON SUNDAY, OCT. 31
THE NFL ON CBS, broadcasting its 51st year of the NFL, continues its 2010 NFL season on Sunday, Oct. 31 (1:00-7:00 PM, ET) beginning with THE NFL TODAY (12:00 Noon-1:00 PM, ET).
The jack-o-lantern glows ever so bright,
Goblins and ghosts will be here tonight.
It’s time for all to Trick or Treat,
We’ll see what spooky friends Shannon will meet.
Find out Favre, Brady and Ochocinco’s fate,
Here on THE NFL TODAY, Week 8.
THE NFL TODAY features a visit to Shannon Sharpe’s Halloween House to check on what tricks and treats he has for Week 8.  Charlie Bloom produces.
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 and Sam Ryan reporting.
Eric Mann is senior producer and Bob Matina is director of THE NFL TODAY.

I’m not feeling this one. I’m sure you’re not either. Here’s what CBS’ Jim Nantz and Dan Fouts are saying about this week’s action. Some slim pickings for CBS this Sunday.

THE NFL ON CBS: WEEK 8 (SUNDAY, OCT. 31) AUDIBLES WITH LEAD “NFL ON CBS” PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER JIM NANTZ AND DAN FOUTS
The CBS Television Network continues its 51st year broadcasting the NFL with coverage of THE NFL ON CBS on Sunday, Oct. 31 (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 Jacksonville Jaguars-Dallas Cowboys game live from Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.Lance Barrow is the coordinating producer and lead game producer and Mike Arnold is the lead game director.
Throughout the 2010 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.
* * * * *
JIM NANTZ
(On parity in the NFL): Parity is nothing new around the NFL.  It has been a year where some whacky things have happened, but a year from now we’ll be saying the same thing about the 2011 season. 
(On Dallas): The whackiest thing that stands out so far involves the teams that were expected to be very good, who aren’t very good. The Dallas Cowboys have become the poster team for things gone bad. And, to make matters worse, they lose the guy who really gives them hope – Tony Romo. It’s hard to understand how Dallas is at 1-5 right now, with its one win being an impressive manhandling of the Houston Texans. The Cowboys’ expectations were off the charts and clearly they haven’t been met. I sensed that there was so much chatter out there at the beginning of the season of them becoming the first team to ever host the Super Bowl and play in it, that I thought was some bad karma, or maybe even worse, creating some undue pressure for the football team. I think so far it has helped doom the whole Doomsday plan in Dallas.
The buzz around the Metroplex this year was about its team hosting the big game at the end of the year. They thought it was going to be the Cowboys in the Super Bowl. Instead, it’s the Rangers in the World Series. 
Having said all of this, the NFL is unpredictable enough that even with a 1-5 team without Tony Romo, you cannot declare them dead. You cannot flatline them right now. A win on Sunday, a little momentum, win eight of your 10 last games, end up 9-7, who knows? In the NFC, 9-7 is going to get you a Wild Card berth. So let’s not rule Dallas completely out. 
DAN FOUTS
(On Tennessee-San Diego): The first thing is what’s wrong with the Chargers? The answer is turnovers and special teams. They are the No. 1 team in offense and defense as far as yardage-per-game is concerned, but they’ve just been killing themselves. Tennessee is playing as good as anyone in the AFC. Their big question is who is going to play quarterback this weekend.Will it be Vince Young or Kerry Collins? But I don’t think it really matters to Tennessee right now because they are playing so well. One thing is that they’ve had trouble beating San Diego, so that’s what makes this an interesting match-up. 
(On whether team discipline has been a problem): If you talk about discipline, then you’re talking about the coaches. These are the same coaches that have been there for awhile and have been the toast of the AFC West, so I’m not sure exactly what the problem is. But right now it’s pretty obvious that injuries have affected the special teams and it’s been kind of a snowball effect for the rest of the season so far.

That will do it.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013. He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television. Fang celebrates the three Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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