Now we conclude our Sunday NFL pregame quotage with Football Night in America. Lots of quotes made by the cast and let’s post it now.
“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” NOTES & QUOTES – WEEK 16
“You don’t know week to week which Dallas Cowboys team will show up.” – Rodney Harrison
“et every scout in your organization to look for a new quarterback.” – Tony Dungy on the Jets
“He will be cut.” – Mike Florio on Eagles QB Mike VickNEW YORK – December 23, 2012 – Following are highlights for Football Night in America. Bob Costas opened the show live from inside CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash., where the Seattle Seahawks are hosting the San Francisco 49ers. Costas was joined on-site by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst), and Hines Ward, the former Steelers wide receiver and Super Bowl MVP.
Dan Patrick co-hosted the program from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and was joined by Football Night in America analysts Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison, and NFL insiders Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Carolyn Manno reported on Giants – Ravens, from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md.
Following are highlights from Football Night in America:
ON BRONCOS
Dungy on speaking with Peyton Manning during the off-season: “I couldn’t envision at the time them winning 13 games. And, if he can get a little help from his former team, in Indianapolis with a win against Houston, they are going to be the No. 1 seed. Remarkable year by Peyton.”
ON REDSKINS
Harrison on RGIII: “Today, he proved that he can sit in the pocket and become that pocket passer we expect him to be.”
Dungy on the NFC East: “Mike Shanahan almost conceded it early on and now they’ve got a chance to win it.”
ON COWBOYS
Harrison: “You don’t know week to week which Dallas Cowboys team will show up.”
ON COLTS
Dungy: “I’ve been really impressed with Andrew Luck.”
Harrison: “They finally have cornerbacks…my biggest concern, that rush defense; can they stop people in the playoffs?”
Dungy: “They have an opportunistic defense and a great quarterback.”ON JETS
Dungy on if he was the owner: “First, you back your head coach. He’s taken you to championship games. Stay behind Rex, but get every scout in your organization to look for a new quarterback, please.”
ON RAVENS
Ray Rice to Manno post-game on why this year’s team can go further than last year’s: “We’re battle tested. We’ve been through a lot this year — injuries, losses, ups and downs, highs and lows. We’re battle tested.”
Harrison on his MVP of the week: “Dean Pees. He’s my former defensive coordinator, now he’s the Ravens defensive coordinator. He texted me and told me had a special plan for the Giants. That special plan worked.”
ON STEELERS
Dungy: “With 14 seconds left, we had bad coaching and bad play.”
ON TEXANS
Harrison: “If I’m Houston, I’m concerned offensively. They can’t even score a touchdown at home against Minnesota.”
ON PACKERS
Harrison: “They’ve got to protect Rodgers. If they do, they can be very dangerous.”
ON BEARS
Patrick on win vs. Cardinals: “Bears keeping their playoff hopes flickering.”
ON VIKINGS
Patrick on Christian Ponder: “I don’t think you get too many athletes who say after a big win, ‘Why did you play well? … Marriage.’”
ON BENGALS
Harrison: “You have to give Cincinnati props. They went into Pittsburgh and won a football game.”
ON PATRIOTS
Patrick on Tom Brady’s post-game remarks, which lamented the Patriots mistakes: “Channeling his inner Belichick there.”
King on offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels taking a head coaching job: “I think it’s highly unlikely that he’ll go. First of all, he’ll only go to a place where he can win now because he already figures he has the best job in football – coaching Tom Brady and coaching under Bill Belichick.”
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/50286475#50286475
ON EAGLES
Florio on Michael Vick not accepting a reduction to his salary: “He will be cut. Look for that to happen as early as early February. So where does he go from there? There’s been some talk that maybe Mike Vick and Coach Andy Reid have a reunion in some new city. Forget about that one. I’m told that Mike Vick is concerned about the lack of support that he has received this season from Andy Reid.”
ON SEAHAWKS
Dungy on Marshawn Lynch: “This guy is a great back…He gives their offense attitude.”
Harrison: “He’s not just a power back, but he’s a finesse back. He can catch the ball out of the backfield, and he’s a lot faster than he looks.”ON 49ERS
Collinsworth on Colin Kaepernick vs. Patriots last week: “Physically, he got things done that I just didn’t think possible for a young player like that.”
Ward on Vernon Davis’ lack of production since Kaepernick became quarterback: “I’m proud of the way he’s handling the situation…it shows a great sign of maturity.”
Costas on Davis: “He’s really grown up.”ON NHL
Michaels: “As long as Cris had that minute to congratulate the Bengals, can I congratulate the Los Angeles Kings on winning the Stanley Cup since we may never see hockey again for crying out loud?
Costas: “They are maybe the eternal defending champions.”ON INJURIES
Florio and King: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/50286599#50286599
That’s all.
