Here are quotes from Fox NFL Sunday and Football Night in America.
Starting with Fox NFL Sunday:
Analyst Michael Strahan on the notion that Tom Brady’s season-ending injury opened up the AFC East: “The AFC East was opened up six months ago in the Super Bowl. The Patriots were exposed. If you put pressure on the quarterback, you can beat anybody. The Patriots were exposed in the Super Bowl. Indianapolis was exposed in the playoffs by San Diego and Chicago used that formula to beat them last week. The AFC is wide open, not just because Brady’s down, it’s just been proven.”
Co-host Terry Bradshaw’s advice to Titan’s QB Vince Young following his reported distress during and after last week’s game: “First, Vince, it was disturbing news to hear you were thinking about suicide. You have to be kidding me! You are too young, you have too much talent and the world is your oyster. You’re depressed because of the boos. Listen, I was a former No. 1 pick myself, you get booed. I got called dumb, stupid, Ozark Ike, couldn’t spell cat with a C and a T if it was given to me. But you learn how to deal with that. You have to find a spot in your life that you say to yourself, am I going to allow these fans to dictate my future and force me to quit because I can’t deal with this? I tell you what, clean that house out, get rid of all your friends that are telling you how great you are. Keep your momma, but get rid of everybody else. Surround yourself with your football family, get up in there with those veterans, listen to that head coach and get centered on playing football. Never give up on a dream, never! This has been your dream, this is God’s gift to you and my young man, my friend, all of us know, you can do this and we are rooting for you.”
Analyst Jimmy Johnson on what Ohio State’s game plan should be following last night’s 35-3 loss to USC: “Ohio State can win the Big Ten with whichever quarterback they’ve got in there. Terrelle Pryor needs to be the starter now.”
Analyst Michael Strahan after watching Panthers QB Jake Delhomme throw 41 passes last week in their upset over the San Diego Chargers, on whether elbow surgery actually made him better: “That’s not the same Jake Delhomme I played against. Obviously he’s never been known as a runner, so to lose that hamstring tendon, it was better in his arm anyway. It gave him a lot more zip. Jake Delhomme showed me that he is back and at full force.”
Analyst Michael Strahan on reaction from former teammates about his pick of the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl: “I need a body guard to get back to New York City right now. Everybody is picking the Cowboys to win the division. If you look at their roster, they are the most talented team. You can’t pick against them. They still haven’t done it in the big game, but in that division, there are four great running attacks, but only three great quarterbacks. Jason Campbell has not proven himself. It will come down to later in the season who really has their mojo, who really is feeling it, like when the Giants caught fire last year. That is who is going to win this division.”
Analyst Michael Strahan on Green Bay: “Hopefully Aaron Rogers can perform and no one says its Favre-like. As a player, when a player is gone, he’s gone. You forget and you move on. Green Bay is moving in that direction.”
Analyst Howie Long on how Matt Ryan and the Falcons looked Week 1: “I liked it. They looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1976.”
Bradshaw reacted: “Nothing wrong with that.”
Bradshaw pointed out that Howie Long had not answered the Rapid Fire question about the worst team in the NFL. Curt Menefee offered an explanation why: “Well, he can’t say the Raiders, he can’t say the Rams and he can’t say the Lions.”
Long: [laughing] “Good point.”
Now quotes from Football Night in America.
CRIS COLLINSWORTH ON THE GIANTS: "I know this is going to sound really stupid but the world champions are better than I thought."
COLLINSWORTH ON THE PATRIOTS: "I think there are a few other guys with three Super Bowl rings who are saying it wasn't all Tom Brady."
PETER KING ON THE RAIDERS: "I think it staves off what to me was almost a certain firing of Lane Kiffin very soon. But Lane Kiffin is going to be fired. It's not a question of if it's only a question of when. I believe by mid-season James Lofton's going to be the head coach of this football team."
OLBERMANN ON A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL AT THE RAIDERS AT CHIEFS GAME: "She said yes, I'll marry you, but I will not go to another Chiefs game with you."
CRIS COLLINSWORTH ON AARON RODGERS: "I don't know what took them so long to get rid of Brett Favre anyway [jokingly]. Aaron Rodgers has been simply sensational in the first two games. I don't know that we've seen many players in the NFL that have been under more pressure than this young man was. He has delivered beautifully."
"Aaron Rodgers right now has been better than Brett Favre was even last year – so far."
TIKI BARBER ON RAIDERS RB DARREN MCFADDEN: "I know this from experience, he fumbles a bit too much."
BARBER ON RAMS COACH SCOTT LINEHAN: "He's getting fired – before Lane Kiffan"
DAN PATRICK ON A LENDALE WHITE DANCE IN THE END ZONE: "No one can celebrate a one-yard touchdown run quite like LenDale White."
JEROME BETTIS ON DECISION TO START KURT WARNER IN ARIZONA: "We have to give Ken Whisenhunt credit. It wasn't the popular decision but it was the right decision."
That does it. By the way, if anyone from CBS Sports reads this blog, please add me to your e-mail list.
