For tonight, Football Night in America will air interviews with the quarterbacks in the Sunday Night Football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos. Bob Costas talks with Ben Roethlisburger. Tony Dungy interviews his old Colts QB Peyton Manning.
We have partial transcripts below.
“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” PREVIEW – WEEK 1
TONY DUNGY INTERVIEWS PEYTON MANNING; BOB COSTAS INTERVIEWS BEN ROETHLISBERGER
“Not even close.” – Peyton Manning to Tony Dungy on if he’s settled in Denver
“All that matters to me are wins and championships.” – Ben Roethlisberger to Bob Costas on how he rates among other QBsNEW YORK – September 9, 2012 – Tony Dungy interviewed Peyton Manning and Bob Costas interviewed Ben Roethlisberger for tonight’s Week 1 edition of Football Night in America, which will preview Steelers-Broncos and also include highlights, analysis and reaction to earlier Week 1 games.
Football Night, the most-watched pre-game studio show in sports, airs each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET with Costas hosting the program live from inside the stadium. He will be joined on site by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst), as well as Hines Ward, the former Super Bowl MVP and newest member of NBC Sports’ NFL team, for reaction to the afternoon games and to preview tonight’s match-up.
Dan Patrick co-hosts Football Night from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and is joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison, Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com. Alex Flanagan will report from Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., on the 49ers-Packers game.
INTERVIEWS: Below are excerpts from Dungy’s interview with Manning and Costas’ interview with Roethlisberger.
PEYTON MANNING WITH TONY DUNGY
On being settled: “I always thought I’d play for the same team the entire time, but I’m still going through the transition process. Everybody keeps asking me, ‘Are you settled yet? Are you settled yet?’ Really, not even close.”
On what he learned last year: “That’s probably what you miss the most, being in the huddle, being with the guys. What I learned about myself is that I could handle that type of football adversity. It was difficult because of the scenario of the team struggling so bad, but I think the same year that probably the greatest physical gift that the Lord gave me was taken away from me, I was blessed with the greatest gift any of us could have with two beautiful children…I take that trade every day of the week. I got more time with Ashley (wife), and Marshall and Mosley (children), and that definitely did make it a little easier for me.”
On when he learned he’d be playing for another team: “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I was in denial or whatever it was. I didn’t really know for sure until the very end. The hardest part for me was those two weeks of not being a part of a team. I’ve always gravitated to team sports. I’d only known one team for 14 years, but it’s been exciting, meeting new coaches, understanding a little different philosophy here and there, and being around new teammates, young guys that love to play. And it helps to throw in some veteran guys, Brandon Stokely. I’m so excited to have Keith Brooking here because he’s older than me.”
On learning a new system: “That’s been one of the hardest things, learning new terminology, new formations. As you know, in Indianapolis we had a unique language, and it just didn’t carry over to any other team. So that’s been humbling for me. A lot of times these coaches do a double take and say, ‘I thought you were supposed to be this smart quarterback. How come you keep having to run it again?’ There has been no carryover. That’s presented a challenge, but that’s a challenge I’ve embraced.”
BEN ROETHLISBERGER WITH BOB COSTAS
On if he expects new offensive coordinator Todd Haley to get in his face: “It will probably be deserved, I hope. If it’s deserved, no problem. I’m sure he will at one point. Every coach, at some point, their temper starts to come out. But when it comes to that time, we’ll be able to deal with it and move on.”
On where he ranks among other quarterbacks: “When it’s all said and done, when I’m retired, I hope they look back and say, ‘Wow, we kind of underestimated this guy. He’s got a lot of wins and did some great things.’ To me, that’s all that matters is wins and losses, and I feel that my record should speak for itself.”
On ranking fourth all time behind Tom Brady, Roger Staubach and Joe Montana in all-time win percentage: “That’s all that matters to me are wins and championships. I don’t think I’ll ever be taken first in the fantasy draft, but, that’s what it is, it’s a fantasy draft. I would hope if you ask that same guy picking the fantasy that if you had to have a game right now and you had to have a win, who would you take? I would hope I’d be at the top of that list. And, if not, prove him wrong.”
And I’ll have Football Night in America quotage later tonight.
