“Watch out New England. You were this close to having a bye, but now you have to deal with Derrick Henry and that smash-mouth running game. It’s not going to be fun.” – Tony Dungy
“I wouldn’t be afraid to go to Green Bay. I would prefer to go to Green Bay as opposed to New Orleans and having to play Drew Brees and all those weapons down there.” – Rodney Harrison
“The Chiefs are the one that I really look at right now and go ‘watch out’ because they are winning games without (Patrick) Mahomes throwing for 300 yards.” – Chris Simms
“Cincinnati is on the clock for four months. As we know, they’re going to be the number one pick. And Joe Burrow, after last night, welcome back to Ohio!” – Mike Tirico
STAMFORD, Conn. – Dec. 29, 2019 – Mike Tirico hosted the Week 17 edition of Football Night in America tonight from NBC Sports’ International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., in advance of the Sunday Night Football matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, the final regular-season game of the year, the decade, and the NFL’s 100th season. Tirico was joined on the set by analysts Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, and Chris Simms, as well as NFL Insider Mike Florio.
Liam McHugh co-hosted Football Night in America from an outdoor set outside CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash. He was joined by SNF analyst Cris Collinsworth, with Al Michaels and Michele Tafoya also reporting from inside the stadium. McHugh interviewed 49ers general manager John Lynch, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, Seahawks great Walter Jones, who was named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team at tackle, and former Seahawks LB Brian Bosworth, who raised the 12 Flag.
FNIA also included highlights, analysis, and news from around the league.
Following are highlights from Football Night in America on NBC:
ON 49ERS
Michaels on QB Jimmy Garoppolo: “Tonight, it’s the biggest night of his career. At least until next week or the week after.”
Collinsworth on TE George Kittle: “George ‘The Animal’ Kittle, as we like to call him.”
Collinsworth on 49ers’ toughness: “This game is going to be different. So many times the 49ers come up here (to Seattle) and they get beat up. I don’t see this version of the 49ers, with the way they can run the football, getting beat up in this game. This will be much more of a slugfest.”
Lynch to McHugh on head coach Kyle Shanahan: “I think he’s got it all. That’s why I left broadcasting to come do this. I wanted to work with someone special. I think I found that in Kyle. He’s just impressed me incredibly the way he leads our team, and then obviously (his) mind. That’s something I knew he had. I didn’t know about the leadership until we got together, and he’s been fantastic.”
ON SEAHAWKS
Collinsworth on how the Seahawks will use newly-signed RB Marshawn Lynch: “I think they’re going to cut him loose. I really do. I have no reason to believe based on what we saw in practice the other day that it was going to be anything other than give him the football. They’re going to give him a chance to do everything in his power to be the Beast Mode again…Can he stay healthy, can he be a factor, does he even know the plays? I don’t know (laughter). But we know we’re going to get a piece of it tonight.”
Simms on QB Russell Wilson’s impact tonight: “No Duane Brown at left tackle, injuries at the running back position, and their defense isn’t the same. Russell Wilson will have to carry the Seahawks tonight, if they want to win this game.”
Jones to McHugh on being named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team: “I got a call from (NFL Commissioner) Roger Goodell. I missed the first phone call, so I was wondering if I got in trouble with the NFL (laugh). But when I got the call, I was totally shocked. To be part of something like that you have to be humbled…to get recognized, it’s been a total blessing.”
ON BILLS-TEXANS WILD CARD GAME
Simms: “That’s dangerous for Houston because Buffalo can run the ball, they’ve got a great defense, and they’ve got a quarterback who can make plays. So I think that’s prime for an upset. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but it’s an interesting matchup.”
ON TITANS-PATRIOTS WILD CARD GAME
Dungy: “Watch out New England. You were this close to having a bye, but now you have to deal with Derrick Henry and that smash-mouth running game. It’s not going to be fun.”
Harrison: “If I’m Tennessee, I’m going into New England with a lot of confidence because I know I can run the ball, I have some big physical wide receivers, and a very solid defense.”
ON RAVENS
Simms: “Don’t forget about this defense. We talk about Lamar Jackson, but this Ravens defense is for real.”
Harrison: “It really doesn’t matter who runs the ball. Great offensive line. They’re physical. They wear you down.”
ON STEELERS
Dungy on Ravens fumble-recovery TD: “This has been the story of the Steelers season -- too many turnovers at critical times.”
ON CHIEFS
Dungy: “For once it wasn’t Patrick Mahomes, it was the running game.”
Simms on AFC Playoff picture: “I think it’s a two-horse race, and that’s no disrespect to the Patriots. I think it’s the Ravens and the Chiefs. And the Chiefs are the one that I really look at right now and go ‘watch out’ because they are winning games without (Patrick) Mahomes throwing for 300 yards. Their defense has come alive, able to run the ball, and special teams -- that’s playoff football.”
Dungy on Chiefs: “That defense has played a lot better. I said a month-and-a-half ago I didn’t trust that defense, but every week, a little bit more and more.”
ON PATRIOTS
Tirico, Dungy, Harrison and Simms examined the Patriots strategy at the end of the first half when they uncharacteristically ran the ball instead of passing.
Harrison on head coach Bill Belichick’s strategy at the end of the first half: “He is about situational football and clock management…It just tells me that he does not trust his offense.”
Dungy: “You know Tom Brady. Tom would be screaming, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go. This (video of Brady on throwing on the sidelines) tells me something has to be wrong.”
Harrison: “Something’s wrong with Brady.”
Simms: “Definitely.”
Harrison on Patriots: “I think that was a devastating loss (today) because they have a veteran team, Tom Brady’s elbow has been bothering him, you have a lot of guys beat up, and you need that rest. Unfortunately, they’re not able to get that rest now.”
ON TITANS
Simms on QB Ryan Tannehill touchdown pass to A.J. Brown: “What else is new? This might be the hottest combo in football right now.”
Dungy: “Fantastic chemistry between these two guys right now.”
Harrison on Derrick Henry: “Who wants to tackle this guy? The Patriots number one priority next week is stopping Henry.”
ON PACKERS
Simms on QB Aaron Rodgers: “I don’t know if it was the best or the worst thing I saw (today) because in the first half, it was horrible. But in the second half, he came out throwing rockets all over the field and really saved the Packers, and now they have a first-round bye.”
Tirico on Rodgers overcoming a poor first half: “It was like a cape comes off and Rodgers does his thing.”
Dungy on RB Aaron Jones: “He has been the man to make big plays for them all year.”
Simms: “Essential for them to get a first-round bye. I don’t think they’re as good as the 49ers or Saints, but now you have a first-round bye. You get to play one game at home. I think their chances of going to the Super Bowl, and just winning one road game on the way to get there, greatly increase with this victory today.”
Harrison: “I wouldn’t be afraid to go to Green Bay. I would prefer to go to Green Bay as opposed to New Orleans and having to play Drew Brees and all those weapons down there. I look at (Aaron) Rodgers, he’s been good, not great. They don’t have a lot of weapons on offense.”
ON SAINTS
Dungy on Saints: “Midway through the season, I thought they were the best team in football. They had a little lull there, but they have Alvin Kamara back, we’ve seen Jared Cook make big plays, and that defense has started to play well. Look out for New Orleans.”
ON EAGLES
Dungy: “I have to tip my hat to Doug Pederson and what he did with these young guys. As you said Rodney, these guys gave them energy, and came in and played like they were the stars.”
Simms on QB Carson Wentz: “I think he proved to people down the stretch that he is the franchise quarterback for the future.”
Tirico: “What Doug Pederson did the past month is Coach of the Year type-, incredible stuff.”
ON COWBOYS
Florio on possible Cowboys coaching vacancy: “Jason Garrett’s contract has now expired. No more games for him. Jerry Jones declined to comment on Garrett’s future after the game ended today. Couple of names to watch, there’s a thought the Cowboys may go after a college coach. Keep an eye on a guy like Dan Campbell, an assistant coach in New Orleans who played in Dallas. Or, Gary Kubiak, Vikings assistant head coach, who has done a great job this year, if health allows him to return full-time to coaching, he could be a candidate. And then there’s Mike Zimmer, head coach in Minnesota. His contract goes through 2020. He was a defensive coordinator in Dallas; a guy that they could plug-and-play right away.”
ON DOLPHINS
Harrison on the offense: “They came out and attacked Stephon Gilmore. I was really surprised about that. DeVante Parker was outstanding. Ryan Fitzpatrick was outstanding today.”
ON BUCCANEERS
Dungy on QB Jameis Winston’s touchdown pass to Breshad Perriman near the end of the first half: “This is what you love about Jameis. His good plays are phenomenal. This is a play that very few quarterbacks can make.”
Dungy on Winston’s future: “The Bucs should want Jameis. He is a young quarterback, threw a lot of interceptions, yes, but Peyton Manning threw 100 interceptions his first five years. (He) cut that down to 54 in his second five years. I think Jameis can do the same.”
Harrison on Winston: “I completely disagree. You have five years to watch him play. As a quarterback, your most important responsibility is taking care of the football. He does not do that. 30 interceptions, you can’t win football games like that.”
ON CHARGERS
Florio on QB Philip Rivers and head coach Anthony Lynn: “He spoke after the game like a guy who knows it may very well be over for him in L.A…I’m told Anthony Lynn is indeed safe. He’ll be back for next year.”
ON GIANTS
Simms on RB Saquon Barkley: “Look at those legs, the greatest pair of legs in all of football. He’s the closest thing we’ve seen to Barry Sanders since Sanders retired.”
ON BROWNS
Florio: “Another guy to keep an eye on is general manager John Dorsey. I’m told he’s not completely safe, so we’re watching two jobs now in Cleveland as a disappointing season comes to an end.”
ON BENGALS
Tirico on Bengals: “Cincinnati is on the clock for four months. As we know, they’re going to be the number one pick. And Joe Burrow, after last night, welcome back to Ohio!”
Simms on RB Joe Mixon: “(He) had an incredible year. Over 1,100 yards rushing. One of the best running backs in football.”
–FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA–