Now to CBS’ quotage from its pair of Sunday pregame shows. Check it out.
NEWS, NOTES & QUOTES FROM CBS SPORTS’ “THE NFL TODAY” WITH JAMES BROWN, BOOMER ESIASON, BILL COWHER, TONY GONZALEZ AND BART SCOTT
AND
“THAT OTHER PREGAME SHOW” WITH ADAM SCHEIN, AMY TRASK, LONDON FLETCHER AND BRANDON TIERNEY FOR WEEK 12 ON NOVEMBER 23ON RGIII AND WASHINGTON; AND WHETHER ADRIAN PETERSON SHOULD BE PLAYING
THE NFL TODAY’s James Brown, Boomer Esiason, Bill Cowher, Tony Gonzalez and Bart Scott discuss Robert Griffin III and Washington, and whether or not Adrian Peterson should be playing now.
(On question of Robert Griffin III’s leadership and Washington situation)
Click to view:
TONY GONZALEZ: I have definitely never seen a coach come out after a player like that. Here’s the thing that makes a great football player in the NFL. You’ve got to have physical talent. That’s what he has. Mentally he understands the X’s and O’s of this game. The other part that’s equally important is going out there and being emotionally able to handle this game. And that means being a leader, especially at that position. Right now, Robert Griffin needs to get out of his own way. He needs to learn how to become a leader.
BART SCOTT: To whom much is given much is expected. They gave up a lot to get RGIII. They gave up first round draft picks. So it’s tough to say cut him at the knees already because you’ve invested so much in him. When you don’t pick right on your quarterback, it sets your franchise back. This guy is 4-14 in his last 18 games. He doesn’t get it. He’s making divisive statements that are separating the locker room. He has to step up and be a leader. We had this thing in Baltimore and New York, ‘Farm your own land.’ Worry about what you have to do to get better. Don’t comment on another man’s job. That’s disrespectful and unprofessional.
BOOMER ESIASON: I actually think he’s cutting the knees out from underneath the quarterback. And the reason for that, is because all of the talk around the Washington Redskins is that RGIII has been enabled by the owner Daniel Snyder and it’s time to be held accountable…And talking about his teammates the way that he did, he was leaving, I think, Jay Gruden an opportunity…to go after him, and that’s exactly what Jay Gruden did. I don’t know if I would do that if I was a head coach, but it took a lot of guts to do it for sure.
(On Adrian Peterson)
Click to view: http://www.cbssports.com/video/player/nfl/362480195845/0/should-adrian-peterson-be-playing?
BILL COWHER: The bottom line is, he broke the personal conduct policy and he’s paying a penalty that goes with it. It is very well stated. It’s a six‑game suspension. Even if it was retroactive to when this took place. The bottom line, the message has to be very clear. There is a personal conduct policy that is out there that every player has to adhere to. If you don’t like it, then don’t play in the National Football League. Unfortunately for Adrian Peterson, he becomes the poster child for that.
► COACH ME COWHER
THE NFL TODAY’s Bill Cowher traveled to Washington Township, N.J. to coach the Westwood Cardinals alongside assistant coach John Zisa, a man who has been teaching and inspiring his players for over two decades. Click to view:
http://www.cbssports.com/video/player/nfl/362460227868/0/coach-me-cowher-westwood-cardinals
QUICK HITS
(On Indianapolis Colts)
BOOMER: They are throwing the ball almost 63% of the time. They’re asking Andrew Luck to do way too much. Conversely, when you look at Green Bay and New England, two very good football teams with two Hall of Fame quarterbacks, you’re looking at guys that are only throwing the ball 57% and 58% of the time. They (Colts) have to dial it back. I worry about their ability to run the football and take some of the pressure off their young quarterback.
(On Detroit and NFC North)
GONZALEZ: They (Detroit) better be scared because the Green Bay Packers are breathing down their neck right now. Aaron Rodgers is on a terror. They better watch out for them.
* * * * *
THAT OTHER PREGAME SHOW (TOPS) NOTES
(On Washington)
LONDON FLETCHER: This is an organization that has lost itself and doesn’t know how to find its way back. Whatever the position may be, you just talk about yourself and what you need to do better. That’s it. That’s all you need to do. I have a problem with Jay Gruden. I’ve never seen a head coach embarrass a player like that in public. I’m fine with you doing that in the team meeting room or behind closed doors because you’ll gain more respect from your locker room and the team by doing it in that setting than getting up and grandstanding and embarrassing him like he did on national television… It’s a message to Daniel Snyder and it’s a message to the locker room. [Jay Gruden] is setting the stage for maybe one more bad game [RG III] before he benches him… But you’re talking too much to the public, Jay Gruden.
AMY TRASK: Leadership transcends the locker room. Leadership exists in the board room. Leadership exists in many places. Leaders credit others when things go right and leaders take the blame when things go wrong. That transcends sports and we are not seeing that in Washington.
(On Adrian Peterson)
TRASK: We all cherish due process. We want consistent standards, consistently applied. The union has decried the standards being applied by the league and the manner in which they’re being applied by the league. But we can’t forget the union agreed to this. During the collective bargaining process the union had a tremendous amount of leverage and the ability to say no. But the union didn’t do that… I feel for the players. If I were a player I would say, ‘I want to know what that standards are and I want you to apply them consistently.’ But the player outrage should be directed at the union leadership that agreed to the deal.
We’ll move to NFL Network’s long press release next.
