We have the quotes from Football Night in America which will close out the Sunday NFL pregame show press releases for today. And we also will have Sunday Night Football’s halftime comments from Bob Costas, Dan Patrick, Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison on the infamous postgame handshake incident between San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz in a separate post.
But first, Football Night in America which also encompasses the aforementioned incident.
“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” NOTES & QUOTES – WEEK 6
“When you lose, you just have to go to the locker room.” – Tony Dungy on the Jim Schwartz-Jim Harbaugh handshake
“They will win the division.” – Rodney Harrison on the 2-4 Eagles
“If there’s a football version of batting practice, it looked like it was batting practice for Aaron Rodgers today.” – Dan PatrickNEW YORK – October 16, 2011 – Following are highlights from Football Night in America. Bob Costas hosted the show live from the Soldier Field in Chicago and was joined on site for commentary by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth. Co-host Dan Patrick and commentators Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, Peter King and Mike Florio covered the news of the NFL’s sixth week live from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios in New York. Alex Flanagan reported from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., on the Cowboys-Patriots game.
Football Night paid tribute to IndyCar Series driver Dan Wheldon, who was tragically killed today during the Las Vegas Indy 300. Wheldon was a member of the NBC Sports Group family, serving as an analyst for IndyCar Series telecasts on VERSUS.
Patrick: “Tragic news out of the racing world today where IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon was killed in a crash at the Las Vegas Indy 300, the final race of the season. The wreck involved 15 cars. Wheldon won his second Indy 500 earlier this year. He was a member of the NBC Sports family, working with us as an analyst. He was a native of England, resided in Florida, married with two young sons. It was the first fatality in the IndyCar circuit since 2006. Dan Wheldon was 33.”
ON SCHWARTZ-HARBAUGH
King: “This, when the NFL investigates, is going to turn into a he said-he said situation.”
Florio: “The NFL will start investigating starting tomorrow and lead spokesman Greg Aiello told me the key issue will be whether, or to what extent, there was physical contact. So, any shoving by either coach, any type of contact, could get that coach in trouble.”
ON LIONS
Dungy comparing Nate Burleson’s touchdown today with Calvin Johnson’s from last year: “He’s out of bounds before he loses the ball. Calvin Johnson last year: same situation. He goes up high, makes a great catch, gets both feet down, loses the ball at the end. What is the difference? When you look at them simultaneously, what is the difference?”
Harrison: “Looks like a catch to me.”
Dungy: “They’re both touchdowns. The guys catch the ball, they’ve got two feet down in the end zone, they should both be touchdowns.”
ON EAGLES
Harrison: “Four straight losses, divisional win, on the road, huge. I believe…they will win the division.”
Dungy on safety Kurt Coleman’s one career INT prior to today: “He probably hasn’t played against Rex Grossman enough.”
Patrick: “Do you still believe they are going to win the division?”
Harrison: “Yes.”
ON REDSKINS
King: “We could be looking at a quarterback shake-up in Washington. The Redskins benched Rex Grossman. He was All-World for a while. He threw four interceptions, was subbed for in the third quarter by John Beck. Mike Shanahan, the coach of the team, was non-committal after the game, but I can tell you this: Mike Shanahan and his son Kyle, the offensive coordinator, they love them some John Beck. I think they’re going with Beck.”
ON PACKERS
Collinsworth: “This is the only team that we’re seeing right now that truly looks dominant. You can look around at the other teams that are not bad, but if you are looking for a dominant team, it is only the Packers at this point.”
Patrick: “If there’s a football version of batting practice, it looked like it was batting practice for Aaron Rodgers today.”
ON STEELERS
Dungy on Mike Tomlin: “He is not happy. They got Rashard Mendenhall going today, but that wasn’t his type of football. I think that test he is referring to could be the Cincinnati Bengals in a couple weeks. They’re playing good football.”
ON GIANTS
Dungy: “Today, the Giants defensive line stepped up when they needed it. They were after him (Ryan Fitzpatrick) all day and got to him several times.”
ON COWBOYS
Flanagan: “Jerry Jones did tell me today that he has taken some calls regarding a trade for Tashard Choice, the running back. He will, in fact, consider that, if the right opportunity is available.”
ON RAVENS
Dungy on Ray Rice: “He was the best player on the field today…Ray Rice energizes them. He runs, he catches the ball, he breaks tackles, he gives them energy. This guy, he was the best player on the field.”
ON TEXANS
Harrison: “They played hard, but simply they were out manned. When you lose Andre Johnson, you lose explosive plays down the field. When you lose a guy like Mario Williams, although his impact wasn’t really felt today because they managed to put pressure on Joe Flacco, but those two main guys; if you want to compete with the big boys of the league, you need your big weapons.”
ON FALCONS
Patrick: “Is Atlanta going to make the playoffs?”
Harrison: “No… I don’t believe in them.”
ON SAINTS
Dungy on critical fourth-and-two play: “I really don’t like the call. We had it opening night in our [NFL Kickoff opener] game and I didn’t like it then…Tampa had seen this.”
Harrison: “Why did you go out and draft Mark Ingram? Why did you go pay Pierre Thomas, if you are not going to run these guys?”
ON BUCCANEERS
Harrison: “Tampa’s defensive line, they played well against Indy; they played well against Atlanta; and maybe that is the reason because they were putting pressure and they forced Drew Brees into three interceptions today.”
That will do it. The Sunday Night Football halftime comments are next.
