Time to check out the Sunday NFL pregame quotage. We’ll begin as always with NFL Network’s two programs, NFL GameDay First and NFL GameDay Morning. Lots of quotage from the two shows.
QUOTES FROM WEEK 2 EDITIONS OF NFL NETWORK’S NFL GAMEDAY FIRST & NFL GAMEDAY MORNING
Quick Quotes from NFL GameDay First & NFL GameDay Morning
“I feel like I am not here for entertainment. I feel like I am playing the game for a purpose.” – Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant
“We knew even when we drafted Dez that there may be some weaknesses but there was no wickedness…He is a good kid, he has a good heart and Dez wears it on his sleeve.” – Michael Irvin on Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant
“He plays the game like it is supposed to be played, like it is your last chance to ever touch a football.” – Warren Sapp on Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant
“Julio Jones is a real big physical receiver. Richard Sherman told me he’s one of the toughest receivers to defend in the red zone.” – Michael Robinson on Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones
“Great coordinators adapt their system around the players that they have and I think he’s not using Victor Cruz enough.” – Shaun O’Hara on New York Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo
“This is a guy that goes back and gets it done after he makes a poor decision or plays a bad game… I am expecting to see him back to who he is on the field today.” – Michael Irvin on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady
***For complete quotes from ‘NFL GameDay First’ & ‘NFL GameDay Morning,’ see below***
Quotes from NFL GameDay First
Every Sunday morning at 7:00 AM ET, NFL Network is first on the field with NFL GameDay First. Host Melissa Stark, co-host/analyst Sterling Sharpe, and analysts Shaun O’Hara and Michael Robinson provide the first analysis of the day’s games, while NFL Network reporters stationed across the league report from stadiums with the first on-location reports of the day.
“When quarterbacks stay in the system so long, they tend to struggle. Ten years in one system, then you switch up on a guy – that’s why they struggle; the terminology, getting the play calling right, the different nuances of an offense. That’s why you see his brother, Peyton Manning, a lot of times the system travels with him.” – Michael Robinson on the potential struggles for New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning
“Great coordinators adapt their system around the players that they have and I think he’s not using Victor Cruz enough…There is no reason why you can go through that first half of that Monday Night game and Victor only has one catch. They have to get him the ball more often.” – Shaun O’Hara on New York Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo
“When your tight end Larry Donnell is your leading receiver, that means that nobody is getting open.” – Shaun O’Hara on the New York Giants offense
“The Patriots were up 20-10 at half time and they lost that game in the second half. The New England Patriots are a second half team. So the way that they lost that game with Tom Brady getting hit as much as he did, I don’t know if Tom Brady has the confidence in his offensive line that he used to because he’s missing Logan Mankins. He’s missing those guys.” – Shaun O’Hara on the implications of the Patriots’ Week 1 loss to Dolphins
“Julio Jones is a real big physical receiver. Richard Sherman told me he’s one of the toughest receivers to defend in the red zone.” – Michael Robinson on Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones
“Tamba Hali and those guys off the edge, they have to put the pressure on Peyton Manning. They have to rattle him, they have to play their defense and make him throw them the ball. We did it in the Super Bowl with the Seahawks. Lock the guys down, press on the outside, and get after the quarterback. That’s the only way they’re going to be able to win this game.” – Michael Robinson on the Kansas City Chiefs playing the Denver Broncos
“This is the week that we determine if we should be in panic mode for the Dallas Cowboys.” – Michael Irvin on the importance of a Week 2 win for the Dallas Cowboys
“Could Calvin Johnson become being the best? Absolutely. In this day and in this era…when now we’re watching guys throw the ball 60-70 times a game. We often measure best by numbers. He absolutely has the chance to eclipse the numbers if he stays healthy and he’s the kind of guy that will work and takes care of his body.” – Michael Irvin on if Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson could become the best wide receiver of all time
Dallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant with NFL Media’s Michael Silver
Today on NFL GameDay Morning, NFL Media’s Michael Silver sat down with Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant.
Part 1
On wearing the No. 88:
“I remember Mr. [Jerry] Jones basically telling me he wants me to wear No. 88. He said I remind him a lot of what Michael Irvin did in the early ‘90s with the Cowboys. When he explained that to me, I took on the challenge right then and there. I embraced 88, I loved it and I wanted to be a part of the 88 club.”On what Drew Pearson and Michael Irvin told him about wearing the No. 88:
“Keep it alive. Keep it alive. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”On the X symbol he does with his arms after he scores a touchdown:
“The X is for all of the defenses. I’m the guy to watch.”On what he is X-ing out when he does the X symbol:
“All of the bad, all of the negativity that ever came – that approached me. People don’t understand me; they paint their own pictures of me. I look at them as they’re just negative, they want to bring me down – I’ll show them. The biggest joy I can ever get is me proving a doubter wrong. I love it. I love it.”On the perception that the Cowboys aren’t a good team:
“I’m going to be a part when we flip this around. I’m installing that into everybody I feel isn’t getting it in that locker room. It’s going to happen.”On if it’s his job on the team to be loud:
“I feel like it’s my job to step up whenever somebody is not getting it.”On himself as a rookie:
“He was a guy that didn’t understand things very well. All the young Dez knew was, ‘Hey, just get through it the best way that you possibly can.’ Really never was told to do much – just go. Every day after practice coach [Jason] Garrett writes on this piece of paper. I don’t know what he writes on the paper but it’s consistent, and it kind of struck me. It was hard for me and all I knew was somehow, someway I have to learn how to be consistent. It was hard. Very, very, very hard.”To view Part 1, visit: http://on.nfl.com/1q4bUlQ
Part 2
“I believe when you get comfortable, that is when things fall down. I start visualizing things that have happened in the past, things that I don’t want to go back and see. I don’t like feeling comfortable. I always like to keep an edge.”“The way I was brought up, it was hard. A lot of my family did drugs. I didn’t. I wanted to be different. I thought about that at a very early age.”
On a low moment in his life:
“Watching the news, seeing my mom go to jail. Going to visit my mom in jail, that is hard. All of that, I take all of that. That is why I am the person I am today. I don’t ever forget that kind of stuff.”On what about him would shock his fans:
“I feel like I am not here for entertainment. I feel like I am playing the game for a purpose. Me sitting here talking to you, this is not supposed to be happening. I am just a kid from Lufkin, Texas, population 5,000 where people said I wouldn’t be anything. When I’d hear that, I would be thinking if only you knew that I am going to make you swallow those words.”On what he regrets most:
“I don’t regret anything. The guy that I am today is all about growing up and understanding that I was young and reckless. Not reckless where I was just out doing crazy things – it was me not trusting anybody, not caring, I felt like everybody was out to get me. Still to this day I believe that not a lot of people care about me. And I think that that is what gives me a lot of fuel.”On his family:
“I am going to show you all. My family might not be normal like everybody else’s, but we are going to be alright. As long as I have something to do with it, we are going to be alright.”To view Part 2, visit: http://on.nfl.com/1qVMIDm
Quotes from NFL GameDay Morning
NFL GameDay Morning is the most comprehensive pregame show on Sunday morning, airing at 9:00 AM ET for four hours on NFL Network and taking viewers straight up to kickoff. Host Rich Eisen joins analysts Steve Mariucci, Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner, Warren Sapp and Michael Irvin to bring fans the latest news, injury reports, pregame analysis and game previews. Additionally, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport provides the latest inside information from around the league.
“We knew even when we drafted Dez that there may be some weaknesses but there was no wickedness…He is a good kid, he has a good heart and Dez wears it on his sleeve…Now, he shows up where he is supposed to be, he is at practice doing what he is supposed to do and he is carrying practice. That is what makes it so great to see that maturation of Dez, on and off the football field.” – Michael Irvin on Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant
“The thing I see with Dez is that he plays the game with a purpose…I love how he ferociously goes after the ball. It doesn’t matter, when he catches it he is getting ready to run. He is running like a running back trying to get a third and one. He plays the game like it is supposed to be played, like it is your last chance to ever touch a football.” – Warren Sapp on Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant
“We really were looking in and focusing on the defense that was the concern…My biggest concern is can we now focus on a run game when you know that you have a solid run game because your offensive line is probably the best part of your team right now.” – Michael Irvin on what is the biggest concern for the Dallas Cowboys
“The biggest part of playing quarterback is the ability to see the whole field. I have been in situations [where] even when you’re going through a period where you’re playing good, you have those games where…I am stuck looking at one receiver or I am only seeing this much of the field. That is what it looked like with Tony Romo. My question is and my worry is how long will it take him to get back? He missed the time because of the back injury in the offseason and he missed snaps in the preseason. How long will it take until that vision widens out and he starts seeing the whole field?” – Kurt Warner on the biggest concern for the Dallas Cowboys
“They are going to make the Chicago Bears wonder if they kept the wrong quarterback and overpaid Jay Cutler.” – Marshall Faulk on the San Francisco 49ers
“This is a guy that goes back and gets it done after he makes a poor decision or plays a bad game…I am expecting to see him back to who he is on the field today. Don’t panic.” – Michael Irvin on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady
“This is not the NFL as we knew it before Monday. That Ray Rice video heightened public awareness to a degree that very smart people like Jerry Richardson had to sit down and rethink the way he conducts his business and I applaud him for making this move. You are sending a message to sponsors, to our many women fans, and most of all, all of us who work in this great league that this behavior is not tolerable.” – Michael Silver on the deactivation of Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport
On Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy:
“News of him being inactive comes right as the inactives were being announced, certainly a little bit of a surprise. From what I understand, he was not informed of this as he was coming to the stadium. But we know now officially that Greg Hardy is out and will not play for the Panthers today.”More on Greg Hardy:
“Talking to Panther’s sources a couple of seconds ago, this was a decision that was made this morning, really about an hour ago from what I understand. Greg Hardy showed up at the facility, thought he was going to play and was told he would be inactive. This was an organizational decision. My Panthers’ source tells me that owner Jerry Richardson was very much involved all the way through in this decision so clearly his words earlier this week were something that not only fans took to heart, but something that the entire organization listened to, adhered to, and now Greg Hardy is inactive.”
On the latest regarding Vikings running back Adrian Peterson:
“According to the Vikings sources I just spoke with, Adrian Peterson will not be with the team today watching the game. They are in information gathering mode on his indictment. They simply do not know what to make of it. They’re going to try to talk to everyone they possibly can to figure out what exactly happened here. Peterson also has met with the Vikings brass and they have worked with the NFL as far as telling them everything they find out, trying to work closely as the NFL reviews Peterson under the personal conduct policy. But the big on-field question is how long will Adrian Peterson’s deactivation last? What I am told is the Vikings do not know. It might last more than this week depending on what information they find.”On the new drug policy:
“I talked to a source involved in the negotiations late last night. What I was told was there will not be an agreement today but the hope from both sides is they will have a finalized agreement early this week, perhaps on Monday just to give teams an opportunity to get some of these suspended players in their facility to figure out where that want to go on the roster and what they want to do. As far as what the holdup is, it is finalizing some language on some of the smaller issues; they reached an agreement on the major issues but issues such as third-party appeals on steroid violations by law – in other words, not a positive test but when law enforcement does step in. This took them four years to negotiate. What the sides are doing is get together over yesterday and over today, making sure everything is perfect, finalized, an agreement they can both be happy with so down the road there are no questions.”On which currently suspended players will be back on the field next week should the new drug policy pass:
“You see Broncos receiver Wes Welker, you see Dolphins pass rusher Dion Jordan, Cowboys slot corner Orlando Scandrick, Dolphins safety Reshad Jones. Plus you will also see reduced suspensions for marijuana violations including players such as Ravens safety Will Hill and Giants cornerback Jayron Hosley.”On Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon:
“Ten game suspension for Josh Gordon – not the year-long suspension that he originally thought. He has been working in a car dealership as we know, trying to bide the time before he comes back but based on my understanding of this new policy, he should be able to be back with the team over these next couple weeks so at the least they will have him in their building and ready for Week 11.”On NFL.com the following video clips from NFL GameDay First & NFL GameDay Morning are available for viewing:
Week 2 Sunday Statements – The NFL GameDay Morning crew provide their Sunday Statements for Week 2:
http://on.nfl.com/1qVPTuRHow has Dez Bryant Matured? – NFL Media’s Michael Silver, Michael Irvin and Rich Eisen discuss how Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant has matured:
http://on.nfl.com/1uxIwugThe Dallas Cowboys’ Biggest Concern – What is the biggest concern for the Dallas Cowboys? NFL GameDay Morning discusses:
http://on.nfl.com/1s2k8SU
Latest on NFL Independent Investigation – Rich Eisen and Judy Battista provide the latest regarding the NFL’s independent investigation:
http://on.nfl.com/1qAKslNMichael Silver on Carolina Panthers Defensive End Greg Hardy – NFL Media’s Michael Silver discusses the deactivation of Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy:
http://on.nfl.com/1ANBVvYAndrea Kremer: Owners are Taking More Responsibility – NFL Media’s Andrea Kremer joins Rich Eisen to discuss the deactivation of Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy:
http://on.nfl.com/1BE6Hd5How Does the NFL Move Forward? – Host Rich Eisen and NFL Media’s Judy Battista, Andrea Kremer and Michael Silver discuss the NFL moving forward after this week:
http://on.nfl.com/1uCxe79Ian Rapoport on Minnesota Vikings Running Back Adrian Peterson – NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport provides the latest regarding Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson:
http://on.nfl.com/1m3YoDMDo the Quarterbacks Have to be the Team Leader? – NFL GameDay Morning’s former players discuss if the quarterback has to be the team leader:
http://on.nfl.com/1ANBPVbWhich Quarterback Turns It Around First? – Which quarterback – Eli Manning or Robert Griffin III – turns it around first? NFL GameDay Morning discusses:
http://on.nfl.com/1oLCSPHIan Rapoport on the New Drug Policy – NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport provides the latest on the new drug policy:
http://on.nfl.com/1qOECw1
Coming up, ESPN’s quotage.
