Ok, let’s give you the last game on Thanksgiving, the San Francisco 49ers traveling cross country to Baltimore. Asides the fact that the two teams are both jockeying for a postseason spot, there’s the storyline of the two coaches, brothers Jim Harbaugh of the 49ers and John Harbaugh of the Ravens. I’m sure NFL Network wanted this game.
Not only will NFL Network carry the game, it will have a special 2½ hour edition of NFL GameDay Morning starting at 10 a.m. ET. And the show will take you up to Green Bay-Detroit on Fox.
Here’s the preview from NFL Network in regards to its Thanksgiving Day live programming.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011 — 8:00 PM ET
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS ON NFL NETWORKFirst Ever Special 2.5 Hour Thanksgiving NFL GameDay Morning Pregame Show In Baltimore at 10:00 AM ET
Special Edition of NFL.com’s The Season: A Biography on the Harbaugh Family on NFL GameDay Morning & Thursday Night Football Kickoff Pregame Show at 7:00 PM ETNOTABLE AND QUOTABLE:
“Patrick Willis is right up there in the same sentence as Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher; he’s just a little bit younger.”
— STEVE MARIUCCI on 49ers linebacker PATRICK WILLIS
“They look like the Ravens’ defense back in 2000 right now. They don’t give up anything.”
— MICHAEL IRVIN on San Francisco 49ers defense“Baltimore has great players – maybe Hall of Famers – at every level; in the secondary with Ed [Reed], at the linebacker spot with Ray [Lewis], [on the defensive line with] Haloti Ngata and T-Sizzle.”
— STEVE MARIUCCI on Baltimore Ravens defense
- The game marks the first time in NFL history two brothers have faced each other as head coaches
- Thanksgiving Edition of NFL GameDay Morning: A first-ever Thanksgiving edition of NFL GameDay Morning kicks off the day’s coverage on NFL Network at 10:00 AM ET, with host RICH EISEN and analysts STEVE MARIUCCI, MARSHALL FAULK, MICHAEL IRVIN and DEION SANDERS previewing the day’s games and what is to come in Week 12 live from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. It also features a special edition of NFL.com’s The Season: A Biography on the HARBAUGH FAMILY. The profile will also be on Thursday Night Football Kickoff Show at 7:00PM ET.
- Special edition of Sound FX 49ers vs. Ravens: On Saturday, November 26 at 8:00 PM ET, experience an NFL game in a way only NFL Network can bring you on Sound FX: Thursday Night Football Special Edition 49ers vs. Ravens, an exclusive one-hour “all-sound” cut down version of the Thanksgiving Day Thursday Night Football game between the division-leading San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens.
The best combined records of teams meeting on Thanksgiving Day (since 1970):
YEAR TEAMS (RECORDS) COMBINED W-L COMBINED WIN PCT. 1995 Dallas (9-2) vs. Kansas City (10-1) 19-3
.864
2011 Detroit (7-3) vs. Green Bay (10-0) 17-3
.850
1998 Dallas (8-3) vs. Minnesota (10-1) 18-4
.818
2011 Baltimore (7-3) vs. San Francisco (9-1) 16-4
.800
1973 Dallas (7-3) vs. Miami (9-1) 16-4
.800
TEAMS: 49ERS (9-1) RAVENS (7-3) ANNOUNCERS Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Mike Mayock (game analyst); Alex Flanagan (sideline) PREGAME (7:00 PM ET) Thursday Night Kickoff
In Baltimore: Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders, Stacey Dales, Alex FlanaganPRE-KICK (8:00 PM ET) Pre-Kick Show
Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, Alex Flanagan, Rich Eisen, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders, Michael IrvinHALFTIME Halftime Show
Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders, Stacey Dales, Alex FlanaganPOSTGAME Postgame Show
Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders, Stacey Dales, Alex Flanagan
NFL Total Access Postgame Show
In-studio: Andrew Siciliano, Kara Henderson, Jamie Dukes
Game Site: Stacey Dales, Steve WycheWHERE TO WATCH DirecTV – Channel 212 (SD/HD), DISH Network – 154 (SD/HD)
Verizon FIOS – Channel 88 (SD) 588 (HD), AT&T U-Verse – Channel 630 (SD) 1630 (HD)Check your local cable listings
NFL.com LIVE – live “look-ins” at select moments of game
NFL Mobile Live on Verizon WirelessLOCAL OTA SIMULCAST* CBS Ch. 5 (KPIX) NBC Ch. 11 (WBAL) Thursday Night Football
Last Thursday’s New York Jets-Denver Broncos game on NFL Network was watched by an average of 7.1 million viewers (not including over-the-air stations in New York and Denver) – topping last year’s Week 11 game by 31 percent (Bears-Dolphins, 5.4 million). After two games, Thursday Night Football is averaging 6.1 million viewers, up 17 percent over 2010. Jets-Broncos was the fifth most-watched game in the six years of Thursday Night Football on NFL Network and ranked as the night’s No. 1 show among all programs on cable.
For the first time in NFL history, two brothers coach against one another when JIM HARBAUGH and the San Francisco 49ers travel to face JOHN HARBAUGH and the Baltimore Ravens with both division-leading teams squaring off on a Thanksgiving edition of NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football. QB ALEX SMITH and the 49ers look to remain undefeated on the road this season while QB JOE FLACCO and the Ravens aim to stay undefeated at home.
This season marks the debut of new Thursday Night Football broadcast booth duo, BRAD NESSLER and MIKE MAYOCK. Veteran play-by-play voice, Nessler serves as the play-by-play announcer and Mayock, in his seventh year with NFL Network, is the game analyst and ALEX FLANAGAN returns for her second season as the sideline reporter.
RICH EISEN hosts NFL Network’s Thursday Night Kickoff, Pre-kick Show, Halftime Show and the Postgame Show from the stadium. Eisen, a two-time Sports Emmy nominee in the Studio Host category, is joined by fellow Sports Emmy nominee STEVE MARIUCCI, a former NFL head coach with the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions who also served as Brett Favre’s quarterback coach in Green Bay; 2011 NFL Hall of Fame inductee MARSHALL FAULK, who won a Super Bowl XXXIV ring with the Rams, earned 2000 NFL MVP honors and three Offensive Player of the Year awards (1999-2001); 2011 NFL Hall of Fame inductee DEION SANDERS, a two-time Super Bowl winner who was 1994 Defensive Player of the Year and an eight-time Pro Bowler who holds the NFL record with 19 career return touchdowns; and making his Thursday Night Football debut, Hall of Famer and third-year NFL Network analyst MICHAEL IRVIN.
NFL.com LIVE/Thursday Night Football at 8:00 PM ET features live “look-ins” of 49ers-Ravens, game highlights and instant analysis from NFL Network talent. From the NFL Network studios in Los Angeles, PAUL BURMEISTER, JAMIE DUKES, and BUCKY BROOKS provide expert analysis, commentary and fantasy information. STACEY DALES and STEVE WYCHE provide live reports from the stadium, while Brooks contributes ‘Instant Playbook’ analysis of key plays and drives from the exclusive perspective of the coaching tape immediately after the most important moments.
Following the game, hosts ANDREW SICILIANO and KARA HENDERSON with analyst JAMIE DUKES will deliver a postgame edition of NFL Total Access.
Special edition of Sound FX: Thursday Night Football Special Edition 49ers vs. Ravens: Saturday, November 26 at 8:00 PM ET.
And I’ll add some comments from Thursday Night Football analyst Mike Mayock on tomorrow night’s game.
NFL Network’s Mike Mayock on 49ers-Ravens
“When you combine the surprising success of San Francisco, along with Baltimore being pretty much where you expect them to be, we’ve got one of the best games of the season on Thursday night.”
Special Thanksgiving Edition of NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football Nov. 24 at 8:00 PM ET“You’re talking about a veteran who has been around forever, who is the rallying cry for this entire team on both sides of the ball, but especially on defense, and maybe one of the best football players in the history of the NFL.” – on Ravens LB Ray Lewis
“NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Wills are rapidly becoming one of the better young interior line backing groups in the league.” – on 49ers linebackers
“One of Jim’s best abilities as a coach is to understand from a personnel standpoint what he has, and puts them in positions to make plays; and I think it’s quarterback friendly.” – on Jim Harbaugh and the success of the 49ers offense
“He throws the deep intermediate and deep routes as well as anybody in the league, especially the outside the number throws that take superior arm strength. You talk about deep comebacks outside the numbers, and there is a short line of guys, and he’s probably at the top of it. The most important thing with him is keeping the pocket uncluttered.” – on Ravens QB Joe Flacco
“They’re really well coached. They’re very disciplined. They rarely get beat over the top. You’ll have to earn everything you get against this defense, and you’ve got to protect your quarterback, because they’ve got some pretty good fire zone blitz stuff from third and medium. That is a long way again to say I think they’re built to play well in the playoffs. And in a one-and-done situation this kind of team can be a problem for anybody.” – on the 49ers defense and chances in the playoffs
“Frank Gore may be the best-pass protecting tailback in football.” – on 49ers’ Frank Gore
That’s going to do it. I’ll try to do links and then some college football previews. Busy day.
