Now to the CBS tandem of pregame shows, That Other Pregame Show on cable and the NFL Today on broadcast. Lots of discussions on the shows today. Check out the quotage we have for you on this Sunday.
NEWS, NOTES & QUOTES FROM CBS SPORTS’ “THE NFL TODAY” WITH JAMES BROWN, DAN MARINO, SHANNON SHARPE, BILL COWHER AND BOOMER ESIASON
AND
“THAT OTHER PREGAME SHOW” WITH ADAM SCHEIN, AMY TRASK, BART SCOTT AND BRANDON TIERNEY FOR WEEK 13 ON DECEMBER 1
QUICK HITS
(On AFC Playoff picture)
BILL COWHER: New England can wait for one of the slip?ups right there because they hold the tie-breaker now over Denver having beaten them last week. From where they’re sitting right now, I think their schedule may be the easiest of those three. Certainly, Denver, look at them there. They should win out. If they win, get by today. Right now, New England is sitting there at number two.
SHANNON SHARPE: That’s what I’m banking on the Broncos winning today and rung the table. The sad thing is I believe the Kansas City Chiefs will fall all the way to the fifth slot. With that being said, they’ll still have a better record than the three and four seed, and they (three and four seeded teams) will be at home while the the Chiefs go on the road.
(On possibility of Commissioner fining Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin for sideline decorum on Thursday night)
SHARPE: The Commissioner is going to send a strong enough message that this is nothing to be joked about and played with. He’s going to make sure no other coach lets this cross his mind. Because I’m thinking $100,000 to a quarter of a million dollars fine between Mike Tomlin and the Steelers organization.
COWHER: Indianapolis has not found an identity since they lost Reggie Wayne. They don’t look like the same team. They look like they’re really scrambling. I know it’s a big game for Indianapolis and Tennessee, I like Tennessee in this.
THAT OTHER PREGAME SHOW (TOPS) NOTES
(ON NICK SABAN’S DECISION MAKING IN IRON BOWL):
BRANDON TIERNEY: (Kicking the field goal) was an egregious tactical miscalculation by an incredibly brilliant football man. I think there’s deeper stuff here and I’m just going to flat out say it… What I don’t like about Nick Saban is he uses his power to pounce on the perceived weak. And Nick Saban, you ask anywhere he’s gone, Miami, Michigan State, LSU – they can’t wait until he leaves. Awful move. Pick up the phone Texas. Pick up the phone USC. One hundred percent he’s bouncing. There’s no way he’s going back to this. I have no dog in the fight, but Nick Saban you deserve this.
(ON PEYTON MANNING)
BART SCOTT: He has a noodle arm right now… When I say noodle arm, what I’m saying is he doesn’t have the arm strength to throw through the wind because he doesn’t throw a tight spiral, so his ball gets caught by the wind and he throws some of those ducks every once in a while. (He has) never been known to throw a super tight spiral. (Last week), you saw (Tom) Brady throw through the wind. You saw Peyton’s ball get caught up in the wind. So if you’re a defensive team, what you want to do is sit at the sticks and make him throw the ball deep. Because that’s your best chance – (that will make Peyton) throw screens and throw out-routes and try to throw the ball on the seam where his ball can have flight.
BOOMER ESIASON: One of the reasons why Bill Belichick ended up taking the wind as opposed to the ball was because of what Bart Scott is pointing out. He figured in a 20 mile-per-hour wind, Peyton is going to have trouble throwing the ball. Let’s force him to play into the wind. It worked out for them.
(BALTIMORE RAVENS DEFENSIVE END CHRIS CANTY ON JOE FLACCO):
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CANTY: There were a lot of changes in the beginning of the season. We lost some key guys and some guys left the football team. So Joe has had to establish a new rapport with a new cast of characters. But you have to give hats off to those guys – Torrey Smith stepping up and then Dallas Clark, Brandon Stokley coming in big. Ed Dickson, Marlon Brown – those guys have been there to step up in the absence of Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta. So you’re starting to see Joe get into the groove with those guys. That’s why they pay him the big bucks, right?… Last time I checked they pay you for winning Super Bowls, not just what your regular-season record is. If you look at Joe Flacco, he’s been in the playoffs every year he’s been a professional. He has gotten at least to the second round of the playoffs every single year. And then he won the Super Bowl last year. So that’s what his pay is based on.
(ON WASHINGTON QUARTERBACK ROBERT GRIFFIN III):
CANTY: I see a sitting duck. I know it’s Thanksgiving and we’re all about turkey, but I see a sitting duck. Essentially, his game is predicated on being able to get away from defenders and separate; being able to get on the edge and make plays with his legs. He can’t do that right now. The best option for Washington is to shut him down for the rest of the season. He’s the future of your franchise. Everybody understands that. But they need to move forward with the rest of the season with Kirk Cousins.
(ON GREATEST COMEBACK OF TOM BRADY’S CAREER)
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More quotage is coming for you. Keep your feeds updated.
