Here are two press releases that deal with the National Football League.
First, CBS Sports gives us Phil Simms and Dan Dierdorf quotage about Sunday’s action.
THE NFL ON CBS: WEEK 12 (SUNDAY, NOV. 23)
AUDIBLES WITH “NFL ON CBS” LEAD ANALYST PHIL SIMMS AND DAN DIERDORF
The CBS Television Network continues its 49th year broadcasting the NFL with coverage of THE NFL ON CBS on Sunday, Nov. 23 (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 New York Jets-Tennessee Titans game live from LP Field in Nashville, Tenn. Lance Barrow is the coordinating producer and lead game producer and Mike Arnold is the lead game director.
PHIL SIMMS
(On N.Y. Jets): The Jets remind me of a team that has the fever. The fever is winning and how much fun they can have doing it. They have some personality going for them. There are a lot of reasons for it. You have to give the coaching staff credit; Brett Favre and all the new additions. It’s taken a while but they’ve all melded together. The Jets have absolutely become a fun team to watch in the NFL…(Jets Keys to the Game): It’s on the road, crowd noise is always something to overcome. Can they find ways to generate offense first? You hope to run the ball and have a little success. What it comes down to is, can you make enough passing plays to win the game? That is what you have to look for anytime you see a team playing against the Tennessee Titans…(On Tennessee): Can they stay sharp and edgy and hungry and eager even though they’re 10-0? There is a certain energy that comes with being undefeated and being 10-0. Not all the time, but sometimes being undefeated does make you lose sight of the little things. Sooner-or-later if you lose sight of enough little things, it will cost you a game. I’m anxious to watch this game because I want to judge the Tennessee Titans football team with my own eyes. I want to see if I can see and feel their edginess. And how is it all coming together for them to be 10-0.
DAN DIERDORF
(On New England-Miami): It’s hard to sweep a team during the regular season and that is what Miami is trying to do because they won so convincingly the first time around. One would have to think that New England is going to spin off a really good game this week against Miami. If Miami muscles up again and beats New England for the second time this year, coming off a 1-15 season, it would be a bigger loss for New England than it would be if Miami loses…(On Miami): What a great story this season is for the Miami Dolphins. To put their season in perspective so far, if a year from now we are sitting here talking about the Detroit Lions in contention to win their division, we would say that is just not possible. Are you kidding me? I know the economy isn’t doing well, but that is outrageous to think that. The turnaround of the Dolphins is one of the great stories of the 2008 NFL season…(On AFC East race): If they get by New England, the Dolphins have, with St. Louis, San Francisco and Kansas City factored in there, a very attractive end of their schedule. Now, they will also have to go to Buffalo* and to New York. Miami winning this week would not make them the favorites to win the division but it certainly could set up an interesting end of the season playing the Jets…(On New England): New England was embarrassed the first time they played Miami. That was the first time Miami showed that “wildcat” formation and just went crazy on the Patriots. The Patriots were embarrassed. This is the National Football League and an embarrassed football team is an angry football team. And an angry football team usually is very focused and plays very well. This is going to be somewhat of a hostile Patriots team that shows up Sunday to play the Dolphins. This will tell us a lot about New England, whether they can channel being mad into quality play…(On Matt Cassel): Another great storyline to this game, is Matt Cassel making himself a lot of money? Even though they lost to the Jets last week, he played a very good football game. He is really coming on. Is he making himself some money by becoming an attractive commodity on the market next year?
And ESPN tells us what its Sunday and Monday pregame shows will cover.
ESPN’s Sunday and Monday NFL Studio FeaturesESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown will preview Sunday's games begi nning at 11 a.m. ET with Chris Berman and analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson and Keyshawn Johnson. Chris Mortensen will also provide headlines and league news, and Steve Young will contribute his weekly Sunday segment, "Young is Restless."
The program will include reports from Ed Werder covering the New York Jets at the Tennessee Titans, Rachel Nichols at the Giants-Cardinals game, and Hank Goldberg covering the New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins game. Other highlights:
Brett Favre's Emotion
Jets quarterback Brett Favre may be 39 years old, but he doesn't look like it on the football field. In leading the Jets to a 7-3 start, he's shown few signs of slowing down, but his on-field emotions still look like Favre is playing a young man's game, replete with smiles, fist pumps, jumping into teammates' arms, playfully smacking teammates and coaches alike. Greg Garber reports on how the "graybeard" Favre's displays of emotion are having an effect on his new Jets teammates.
Kurt Warner and Anquan Boldin
Week 4 - Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner threw an end zone slant pattern to Anquan Boldin who sustained a violent helmet-to-helmet collision with Jets safety Eric Smith. The hit left Boldin with a sinus fracture and facial injuries that led to a surgery where doctors inserted eight plates into his face and wired his jaw. That hit and Boldin's injury bothered Warner so much that he began contemplating his own football mortality - and even considered retirement. Both players have recovered to help lead the Cardinals to the brink of the NFC West division title. Rachel Nichols went to Arizona to find out how that Week 4 play strengthened the bond between Boldin and Warner and how it has affected the Cardinals season.
Joey Porter
Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter spent the last few seasons making more news with his mouth than with his play, but this year, Porter leads the league in sacks while still keeping his gift of gab. Countdown's Johnson sat down with the Miami linebacker to find out the keys to Porter's resurgent season and his feelings about a rematch with the Patriots.
Mayne Event: New Tiebreaker?
After Sunday's Eagles-Bengals tie game, Kenny Mayne found out that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers thinks he has the answer to break NFL ties. In this week's Mayne Event, Mayne features Rodgers, who is confident in his ability to execute a new secret play.
Start 'Em or Sit 'Em with Matthew Berry and Merril Hoge
ESPN's fantasy football guru Matthew Berry and NFL analyst Merril Hoge preview which players to start or sit Sunday in "Start 'Em or Sit 'Em" including, weekly trends and sleepers in the NFL.
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 12 action.
Additional segments include "Ditka's Doghouse," where the erstwhile mercurial NFL head coach Mike Ditka sends an NFL player his doghouse; and "Sunday Stretch," which previews some of the day's key matchups and players as they warm up for their games.
MONDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN, 7 P.M. ON ESPN
Monday Night Countdown with Berman, Carter, Ditka, Jackson, Johnson, and Mortensen (in Bristol) and Stuart Scott, Young and Emmitt Smith (at the MNF game in New Orleans, La.) will review Sunday's games and preview Monday Night Football. The 90-minute, pre-game show will lead into the kickoff of the Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints game (8:30 p.m.), featuring Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser.
Reporters Michele Tafoya (Packers) and Suzy Kolber (Saints) will cover the teams. Other highlights:
"Soundtracks": Charles Woodson
In his 11th year in the NFL, Charles Woodson remains one of the league's top cornerbacks - tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with five. Woodson is wired for in-game sound in this week's edition of "Soundtracks."
WEEKLY MONDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN SEGMENTS
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.
TEAMS AT 20 - Every 20 minutes, reporters Kolber and Tafoya will update news from the teams in their preparations for the game, beginning with NFL Live at 3:30 p.m.
In addition, Monday Night Football's Tirico, Jaworski and Kornheiser will preview the night's match-up, with Mortensen covering breaking news from around the league and the Countdown analysts offering their "Lead Pipe Lock" predictions for the game.
That’s it.
