NFL Network’s last two games are this week and it’ll give us two less than stellar matchups. Not NFL Network’s fault, it’s the luck of the draw as Carolina, Arizona and Dallas have losing records while Pittsburgh is the only team above .500 and going for the playoffs. On Thursday, the Panthers take on the Steelers and the entire NFL Network gang will be there including Rich Eisen, Deion Sanders, Steve Mariucci, Marshall Faulk, Bob Papa, Joe Theismann, Matt Millen and many more. We have your particulars for the game right here.
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL – DECEMBER 23, 8:00 PM ETCAROLINA PANTHERS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS ON NFL NETWORKThursday Night Kickoff Pregame Show at 6:00 PM ETTop 10 Pittsburgh Steelers Debuts on Christmas Eve at 8:00 PM ETFirst of Two Games This Week on NFL Network: Christmas Night Special – Dallas Cowboys at Arizona CardinalsNOTABLE & QUOTABLE…
- “The young [Jimmy] Clausen is paying dividends. He’s learning slowly but surely .” – NFL Network analyst DEION SANDERS on Carolina QB JIMMY CLAUSEN winning his first game in the NFL last week
- “In this league it’s all about when you get hot and you want to try to get hot late in the year. I feel defensively we’re playing great, but offensively we haven’t really put our best football together yet. We’re hoping we can try to do that here late in the year and put together a good little run and do something spectacular.” – Pittsburgh QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER on the Steelers run to the playoffs
Top 10 Pittsburgh Steelers debuts on Friday, December 24 at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network. The hour-long episode reveals the greatest Pittsburgh Steelers of all-time, counting down from 10 to 1, and includes interviews with former NFL players and media personalities.
CAROLINA PANTHERS (2-12) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (10-4)ANNOUNCERSBob Papa (play-by-play), Matt Millen and Joe Theismann (game analysts); Alex Flanagan (sideline)
PREGAME (6:00 PM ET)Thursday Night KickoffIn Pittsburgh: Rich Eisen, Deion Sanders, Steve Mariucci, Marshall Faulk, Kara Henderson (on-site reporter); In Los Angeles: Fran Charles, Kurt Warner, Sterling Sharpe, Jim Mora, Jay Glazer, Jason La Canfora
PRE-KICK (8:00 PM ET)Pre-Kick ShowBob Papa, Matt Millen, Joe Theismann, Alex Flanagan, Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders, Kara Henderson
HALFTIMEHalftime ShowRich Eisen, Deion Sanders, Steve Mariucci, Marshall Faulk, Kara Henderson, Alex Flanagan
POSTGAMEPostgame ShowRich Eisen, Deion Sanders, Steve Mariucci, Marshall Faulk, Kara Henderson, Alex FlanaganNFL Total Access Postgame ShowFran Charles, Jamie Dukes, Rod Woodson
WHERE TO WATCHDirecTV – Channel 212 (SD/HD), DISH Network – 154 (SD/HD)Verizon – Channel 88 (SD) 588 (HD), AT&T U-Verse – 630 (SD) 1630 (HD)Check your local cable listingsNFL.com LIVE – live “look-ins” at select moments of gameNFL Mobile Live on Verizon Wireless
LOCAL OTA SIMULCAST*Charlotte: ABC Ch. 9 (WSOC)/Pittsburgh: CBS Ch. 2 (KDKA)
Thursday Night FootballThis week, the Carolina Panthers (2-12) will look to win a second consecutive game when they travel to Heinz Field to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4). Rookie quarterback JIMMY CLAUSEN will aim to build off last week’s win over the Arizona Cardinals, while quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER and the playoff-bound Steelers hope to put last week’s loss to the New York Jets behind them.This season marks the debut of new game analyst JOE THEISMANN, who returns to the broadcast booth after a successful stint with ESPN from 1988 – 2006. Alongside Theismann in the booth will be BOB PAPA, who returns for his third year as the play-by-play announcer for NFL Network, and second-year game analyst MATT MILLEN. ALEX FLANAGAN enters her first season as a sideline reporter on Thursday Night Football, and her fifth season with NFL Network. Additional newcomers include producer ED FEIBISCHOFF and director ARTIE KEMPNER.RICH EISEN hosts NFL Network’s Thursday Night Kickoff 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; MARSHALL FAULK, a recently named Hall of Fame semifinalist 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) and has been selected to seven Pro Bowls; and DEION SANDERS, a recently named Hall of Fame semifinalist, 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. Coverage also includes on-site reports from Flanagan and KARA HENDERSON, who begins her eighth season with NFL Network.Additional coverage will be provided from NFL Network studios in Los Angeles with host FRAN CHARLES and analysts KURT WARNER, a two-time NFL MVP and a Super Bowl MVP quarterback; STERLING SHARPE, a five-time Pro Bowl selection and a 16-year veteran NFL broadcaster; JIM MORA, former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks; and JAY GLAZER, FOX Sports NFL insider and senior writer for FOXSports.com. NFL Network insider JASON LA CANFORA will also provide the latest updates.NFL.com LIVE at 8:00 PM ET features live programming including live “look-ins” of Thursday Night Football, game highlights and instant analysis from NFL Network talent. From the NFL Network studios in Los Angeles, PAUL BURMEISTER, JAMIE DUKES, BUCKY BROOKS and MIKE MAYOCK provide expert analysis, commentary and fantasy information with contributions from Faulk, Mariucci and Sanders. Henderson and STEVE WYCHE will provide live reports from the stadium, while Mayock will return for a second season with ‘Instant Playbook’ from the NFL Films studios exclusively for NFL.com/LIVE: Thursday Night Football, which provides instant X & O analysis of key plays right after they happen.Following the game at 12:00 AM ET, NFL Network analyst and Hall of Famer ROD WOODSON will join Charles and Dukes for a postgame edition of NFL Total Access Live.
And that will do it.
