After prepping for Hurricane Sandy, it’s now time for the Sunday NFL pregame quotage. We have lots of it thanks to the networks airing pregame shows.
As always, we begin with NFL Network which has notes and quotes from First on the Field and NFL GameDay Morning. Lots of quotage. Get ready to scroll for a while.
News and Sound Bites From Week 8 Editions of FIRST ON THE FIELD & NFL GAMEDAY MORNING
“The only thing I thought that was holding this team back was leadership from the quarterback. I’m starting to see that.” – Michael Irvin on the Chicago Bears
“This is a shot of adrenaline for the Saints.” – Steve Mariucci on the return of interim head coach Joe Vitt
“He’s the heart and soul of this football team.” – Warren Sapp on Cowboys LB Sean Lee
Melissa Stark’s 1-on-1 Interview with Washington Redskins QB Robert Griffin III
First on the Field host Melissa Stark sits down with Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III for a conversation about his rookie year thus far, leading the NFL in completion percentage among starting quarterbacks, and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.On if he feels the pressure of being the player the Redskins traded first round picks in the next two drafts for:
“I don’t feel that pressure. They invested all of that into me because they believe in the player that I am and the person that I am. I also believe in those things so I know that I can go out and help this team win.”On if he is the leader of the team:
“You’d have to ask the guys that, but over these first seven games I’ve proven myself to them. I’ve earned my respect from them, as they have told me, and I don’t think there is a shadow of a doubt that they see me as their leader out there on the field.”On what has been harder than he thought would be:
“Getting losses. We’re 3-4; I’m a winner so you have to hate losing more than you love winning. That’s something that I feel is deep inside me and as a competitor, you rise up to the occasion.”On what he thinks when he watches his 76-yard touchdown run against the Minnesota Vikings:
“It’s truly amazing. The coaches told me that it’s the most special play they’ve been a part of in their careers and it made me realize that you can do that in high school, you can do that in college but if you run for a 76-yard touchdown as a quarterback in the NFL, it’s truly something special. But the most important thing about that play was we won the game.”On what is more impressive to him: that he has the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback this season or that he has the highest completion percentage among starters:
“The highest completion percentage. Touchdowns do help you win games but to be able to have a high completion percentage and move the ball down the field is huge.”
On how much he is following Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck’s career:
“I don’t follow his career that much but I always root for quarterbacks so you’ll never see me say anything ill about him, you’ll never see me hoping against him or wishing against him.”On if he is the better quarterback between he and Andrew Luck:
“That’s not for me to judge; that’s for everyone else to judge. Some people will say yes, some people will say no. My job is to go out and prove it every week so I don’t really try to get into those kind of debates.”
Quotes from First on the Field
Every Sunday morning at 7:00 AM ET, NFL Network is First on the Field with Melissa Stark, LaDainian Tomlinson, Sterling Sharpe and Michael Lombardi providing the first analysis of the day’s games.
– “It doesn’t make sense for the Jets to trade Tim Tebow. They’ve invested in him. Last year they traded a late round pick to get him and there was only one other team interested in him and that was Jacksonville. So really, why would anybody think that he is valuable at this point after he has just run some dive plays into the line?” – Michael Lombardi on the Tim Tebow trade rumors
– “Randall Cobb is a poor man’s Percy Harvin, and I say that because Harvin is playing at a Pro Bowl-level…but eventually Cobb will get there.” – LaDainian Tomlinson on Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb
– “It’s really not that difficult to go from no wins to six or eight wins. The challenge is to try to get 10 wins every year and to be a legitimate playoff or Super Bowl team. Right now, you can’t make the mistakes the Lions are making and think you’re going to go further. That comes down to the character of the players and their commitment to the game.” – Michael Lombardi on the Detroit Lions
– “Steven Jackson is probably not a long term solution for coach Jeff Fisher and he makes a lot of money this year. He should be a guy that if a team calls up and makes a decent offer, the Rams let him go…Maybe a team like the Packers would make sense for Jackson.” – Michael Lombardi on St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson
Quotes from NFL GameDay Morning
NFL GameDay Morning is the most comprehensive pregame show on Sunday morning, airing at 9:00 AM ET on NFL Network and taking viewers straight up to kickoff. Host Rich Eisen joins analysts Steve Mariucci, Kurt Warner, Warren Sapp and Michael Irvin to bring fans the latest news, injury reports, pregame analysis and game previews.– “The only thing I thought that was holding this team back was leadership from the quarterback. I’m starting to see that.” – Michael Irvin on the Chicago Bears and quarterback Jay Cutler
– “This is a shot of adrenaline for the Saints. Any positive news is good for them and Joe Vitt is going to settle things down for them for the rest of the year.” – Steve Mariucci on New Orleans Saints interim head coach Joe Vitt returning from suspension
– “He’s the heart and soul of this football team.” – Warren Sapp on Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee
– “He fits the mold of this Mike Shanahan running game; Terrell Davis, Mike Anderson – guys they’ve had in the past. Alfred Morris has made enough plays where they can actually stick [with] this guy and say, ‘He’s a playmaker, we need to have him on the field.’” – LaDainian Tomlinson on Washington Redskins rookie running back Alfred Morris
– “They’re getting it in rhythm…I like where Mark Sanchez is headed. They need to stay balanced but he’s distributing the ball all over the field.” – Steve Mariucci on quarterback Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets offense
– “This is an average football team but they have a great quarterback, and that gives them a chance.” – Kurt Warner on the Pittsburgh Steelers
– “He’s been amazingly consistent…He’s playing with a knowledge, poise and confidence that is well beyond his years.” – Kurt Warner on Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill
Front Office View with Michael Lombardi
On if the firing of Panthers general manager Marty Hurney is a warning to head coach Ron Rivera:
“Clearly. Marty Hurney went into his meeting with owner Jerry Richardson, and Jerry Richardson expressed to my sources his displeasure with the organization. Ultimately, Marty Hurney took one for the team here; he did not have a contract. I do believe as we move forward with the season, Ron Rivera is going to have to put a string of a wins together to impress Jerry Richardson that he’s the man to lead this team into the future. Right now, Jerry Richardson is not happy about anything that is going on in Carolina and it’s going to take a lot of wins for Ron Rivera to keep his job.”On NFL.com the following video clips from First on the Field & NFL GameDay Morning are available for viewing:
Who Should be Dealt Before the Deadline? – Michael Lombardi suggests some trades that should be made prior to Tuesday’s deadline:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000085872/Who-should-be-dealt-before-the-deadlineWhich Teams are Dead? – NFL GameDay Morning goes to the graveyard to show which teams are already dead in 2012:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000086102/Which-teams-are-deadWeek 8 Bold Predictions – The cast of NFL GameDay Morning provides their bold predictions for Week 8:http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000085880/Week-8-Bold-Predictions
Who Should be Scared in Week 8? – With Halloween approaching, the NFL GameDay Morning crew debates which teams should be most scared in Week 8:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000085871/Who-should-be-scared-in-Week-8Where Does Washington Redskins Quarterback Robert Griffin III Rank? – See where the NFL GameDay Morning crew ranks Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III among the NFL’s best:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000085893/Where-does-Robert-Griffin-III-rankHow Have the Cowboys and Giants Changed Since Week 1? – The Dallas Cowboys shocked the football world when they defeated the New York Giants on opening night. Going into Week 8, NFL GameDay Morning discusses how each team has changed:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000085873/How-have-Cowboys-and-Giants-changed-since-Week-1Can Cowboys Conquer Home-field Woes vs. Giants? – The Dallas Cowboys are 0-3 against the New York Giants at Cowboys Stadium. They will look to change that trend in Week 8:
|http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000085897/Can-Cowboys-conquer-home-field-woes-vs-GiantsAre Expectations too high in New England? – New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had some choice words about expectations from Patriots’ fans, which begs the question are expectations too high for New England?:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000085878/Are-expectations-too-high-in-New-EnglandCan the Philadelphia Eagles Turn Things Around? – NFL GameDay Morning discusses whether or not changes are coming in Philadelphia with head coach Andy Reid on the hot seat:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000085879/Can-the-Philadelphia-Eagles-turns-things-aroundWhat Trade Value Does Tim Tebow Have? – Michael Lombardi discusses the trade value of New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000085888/What-trade-value-does-Tim-Tebow-haveHow will Interim Head Coach Joe Vitt’s Return Impact the New Orleans Saints? – Steve Mariucci explains the impact of the return of New Orleans Saints interim head coach Joe Vitt:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000085874/How-will-Joe-Vitt-s-return-impact-the-New-Orleans-Saints?campaign=Twitter_videos_mooch
We’ll have ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown quotage next.
