With the Cowboys down 28-7 at halftime, NBC has decided to send out its quotage from Football Night in America early. Usually, it waits until after halftime to send out the press release, but it’s decided to call this a night and publish the quotes before Bob Costas’ halftime essay.
So here are the quotes from Football Night in America.
FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA NOTES & QUOTES – WEEK 9
“He needs to grow up.” – “Football Night’s” Rodney Harrison on Brad Childress’ postgame comments“It tells me he doesn’t have that confidence that he’s got a better option.” – “Football Night’s” Tony Dungy on Jerry Jones not replacing Wade Phillips with Jason GarrettPeter King speaks with Brad Childress postgame
NEW YORK – November 7, 2010 – Following are highlights from NBC Sports’ “Football Night in America.” Bob Costas hosted the show live from Lambeau Field and was joined on site for commentary by Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth. Co-host Dan Patrick, analysts Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison, and reporter Peter King covered the news of the NFL’s ninth week live from NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios. Alex Flanagan reported from Lincoln Financial Field on the Colts-Eagles game.ON VIKINGS: “He needs to grow up.” – Harrison on Childress’ postgame comments
Costas on Percy Harvin and Brad Childress: “You don’t have to love each other necessarily.”Collinsworth: “As we prove every week.” (laughter)Michaels on Brett Favre: “You can say a lot of things about Brett Favre…but there is nobody that I can think of in the history of the league who’s provided more drama over a longer period of time…He does it again. What more can you say?”Collinsworth: “They had every reason to lay down today. It looked like the season was completely over. Did they really want to save the job of Brad Childress, who knows? And yet Percy Harvin and Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson, it was an unbelievably gutsy performance.”ON PATRIOTSHarrison: “Put it like this, I wouldn’t have my kids in that room, not in that meeting room tomorrow…That’s really what Bill Belichick’s frustration is. The fact that they just got manhandled both offensively and defensively. It starts on the offensive and defensive line.”ON COWBOYSHarrison on Wade Phillips: “The head coach, he controls the team and that team has been plagued by special team’s issues, discipline, penalties. And if you look at it, he’s also the defensive coordinator and that defense hasn’t exactly been great…Players get cut, get released, get traded all the time, why is this such a big deal coach if a coach gets fired?”Dungy: “Well, you cut players, you bench players, but only when you have a better person to put in. Jason Garrett was put there and seen as that coach-in-waiting. This tells me because Jerry hasn’t made a move yet, it tells me he doesn’t have that confidence that he’s got a better option.”Patrick: “And he (Garrett) might be the big loser in all this because he turned down the Atlanta job, turned down the Baltimore job, and was the coach-in-waiting in Dallas and might not get that.”ON BROWNSHarrison on Peyton Hillis: “He’s a beast!”Patrick on Hillis: “He looks like Touchdown Tommy Vardell with the touchdowns.”Dungy on Hillis: “The best player on the field today.”Patrick on the Mangini-Belichick handshake: “Somewhere in there, Mangini and Belichick exchanging recipes.”Dungy: “Cleveland is hot. They went in and they did this to New Orleans. They come back and do it to New England. Peyton Hillis is playing great football. We said he’s the best player on this field.”ON GIANTSHarrison: “I think this is a legitimate argument to say that the Giants are the best team in the NFL.”ON JETSPatrick: “For Rex Ryan, it was a win by decision.”ON FALCONSHarrison: “This is a team that can run the ball. They’re a well-coached team. They make big plays in the passing game and they have a solid defense. So the Giants beware.”ON BUCCANEERSDungy: “Raheem has fire, he has personality and this team is starting to take on his personality. They didn’t win the game but they’ve got a lot to build on. He didn’t make excuses. He didn’t back down. He just said, ‘This week we aren’t the best team.’ But somewhere down the line, he believes they’re going to be.”ON EAGLESHarrison on Asante Samuel: “He owns Peyton.”Mike Vick to Alex Flanagan on if his injury affected his play: “I give this game everything I’ve got, 110 percent, and I can’t go out and play any other way…(On QB sneak) That’s the worst play in the playbook, the quarterback sneak, because you know you’re going to get hit. You’ve got 320-pound guys laying on top of you. But, you know what, those guys got good pushing and we made the play.”Vick to Flanagan on beating Peyton Manning: “It’s very gratifying. I’ve got to give credit to the coaches. I’ve got to give credit to the guys around me. The offensive line played great. DeSean and Jeremy caught the ball well. Brent had a great play that got called back. Just great overall team effort.”ON RAIDERSDungy: “The Raiders showed a lot of things today, most of all the determination…They didn’t have challenges, they fall behind, their defense had to get the ball back for them. They did. They scored to send it into overtime…The Raiders have to be very, very pleased.”Harrison: “The one thing I’m really impressed with, the fact that they handled success. Last week they blew out the Seattle Seahawks. They come back focused and get a huge win at home.”Dungy: “A year ago they would not have come through this game like this. They made big plays when they were down and they didn’t argue with the refs, didn’t get into all that. They just played ball.”ON DISPUTED ARIAN FOSTER TD CATCH: “I think it’ll be changed next year.” – Dungy on the current ‘catch’ ruleDungy: “The way they’ve called this now, they’re saying all of these are going to be incomplete passes now. In my mind, Arian Foster has this ball, he scores, he’s got both feet on the ground, he’s across the line. This is a touchdown right now. He goes to the ground afterwards. These have been touchdowns for years but this year, they’re not touchdowns. They’re trying to make it easy. They’re trying to make it black and white for these officials.“This whole rule, when we started talking about this on the Competition Committee, it was for diving catches when the guy didn’t have two feet down. How long did he have to have it? That’s where you had to complete the catch. But it was never even brought up when you had two feet down that you had to complete the catch. That’s where these fumbles are coming in. We saw two plays last week where guys take the balls from guys on the ground. We’re opening Pandora’s Box.“I think it’ll be changed next year. They’ll have a lot of tape of all these plays that we’ve seen. The Competition Committee will look at it and say we’ve got to do something to clean this up…I am upset about it. These have been catches for years.”ON PACKERSCollinsworth on Aaron Rodgers: “Being a leader is not necessarily coming into the huddle and screaming at the guys when things are really tough. It’s being one of the guys and making the offensive lineman feel good about themselves even when they’re giving up a lot of sacks, like they were a season ago…The more I watch him in practice, the more impressed I am with who he is as a leader on this team and the difference that that makes.”Following are highlights of Bob Costas’ interview with Clay Matthews:On if there was any doubt he’d be a football player based on his pedigree (father, grandfather and uncle all played in the NFL): There was no doubt at all. Perhaps I was crazy to think that growing up, being a skinny kid with not a whole lot of hope to play football. It’s just the path I chose. I’ve stayed determined and fortunately I’ve made it this far.On his family critiquing his performance: All the time. If you’re in the Matthews family, it’s tough growing up. They’ll let you know what you’re doing right and doing wrong. In fact, I work with my father in the off-season on pass-rush moves and becoming an overall better player. They’re very instrumental. I’m going to keep looking at them for guidance.
On not starting for his high school team despite his dad being the defensive coordinator: Obviously I was under-sized in high school. I had zero scholarships as a matter of fact. It’s tough when you’re dad’s the defensive coordinator and opts not to start you but that paid off. It kind of gave me my blue-collar attitude. I had to walk on at USC and kind of scratch-and-claw for everything, and was able to earn a scholarship for special teams play. When the chance arose, I took it and never looked back. I guess that’s what great about where I am today. I’m a first-round pick with a walk-on’s mentality. I’ve given every opportunity to succeed. As long as I keep that mentality, the possibilities are endless.
On if his long hair ever gets in the way: Especially for me, I’m always fighting with tight ends and tackles and what not trying to get to the quarterback. I’m always having my hair grabbed, whether it’s on purpose or not. It gets in the way a few times but I’ll take it because I think it looks alright (smiles).
On Clay Matthews Halloween costumes in Green Bay: There recently was an increase in blond wig sales around the Green Bay area. There were some great pictures posted up. I think it looked pretty similar to that of my hair. It looked great so hopefully we get some more next year.
On a hair endorsement deal: I don’t have anything right now. It’s unfortunate. I’ve been throwing it out there. I’ve just been getting shunned. I don’t know what it is. I need to talk to Troy and see if I can join that campaign. America, I’m looking for a hair deal. Let me know.Following are highlights of Bob Costas’ interview with Keith Brooking:On being 1-6: The reason that we’re not doing better than what we’ve done and our record doesn’t show that is because we’re not going out on the football field and executing the defense that’s called, the offensive play that’s called, and whatever we have going on with our special teams. It’s very disappointing. It’s very frustrating. It’s something that’s causing me to have sleepless nights. I’m not in as good a mood when I’m walking around in my house with my two kids and my wife. They all realize it. Life brings you ups and downs, and successful people, real men, they face it for what it is. They’re not looking to the left or to the right. They’re not looking behind them. They’re facing forward.
On David Garrard implying the Cowboys quit: He’s not out there on the practice field with us. He’s not in our huddle during the game. He’s not on our sideline. He doesn’t know what’s going on with the Dallas Cowboys. I can tell you this, it wasn’t for lack of effort. We’re not going to quit, not on my watch.
On playing for Wade Phillips’ job: I don’t think we’re playing to save Wade’s job. That doesn’t mean that we don’t care about Wade. I love Wade Phillips. The Dallas Cowboys as a team, we have to go out there on the field and play to win a game. We’re not playing to save Coach Phillips job. That’s not our mentality.
On his pregame pep talks: A lot of its just pure emotion, and just trying to get the guys ready to go. Obviously it’s not working this year (laughs).
Costas: Have they thought about replacing you? Go with the backup ranter?
Brooking: If it gets us a win, I’ll do whatever, whatever it takes. More than anything, I don’t look back and regret it. My wife probably regrets me doing it more than anything. She’s like, I don’t even know that guy. I’m very laid back and easy going off the field.
That’s it for the Sunday NFL pregame quotage for Week 9.
