“Put the NFL on notice right now. If you’re in the red zone and you’re playing against the Buccaneers, you might want to cover Gronk.” – Drew Brees
“He might be getting a letter from the league for roughing the tackler.” – Tony Dungy on Steelers RB Najee Harris’ stiff-arm
“We’ll hold the tailoring on Jameis Winston’s gold jacket that folks were ready to give him last week.” – Mike Tirico
“Let’s go to a rookie quarterback matchup in the AFC East. We’ve got the Jets, we’ve got the Patriots, and we’ve got some mistakes.” – Maria Taylor
NBC Sports’ New Post-Game Show Peacock Sunday Night Football Final Tonight Following Sunday Night Football Exclusively on Peacock
STAMFORD, Conn. – Sept. 19, 2021 – NBC Sports’ presentation of Week 2 of the 2021 NFL season began tonight from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., with Football Night in America leading into coverage of Chiefs-Ravens on Sunday Night Football on NBC and Peacock.
Mike Tirico hosted FNIA from NBC Sports Group’s Studio 1 in Stamford, Conn. He was joined at the desk by Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy and Super Bowl XLV MVP Drew Brees. Co-host Maria Taylor was joined in Studio 1 by former NFL quarterback Chris Simms. Two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison joined co-host Jac Collinsworth at the site of the game. NFL Insider Mike Florio provided reports from his home studio.
Harrison interviewed Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and Ravens DE Calais Campbell.
For the first time ever, Football Night in America and Sunday Night Football are streaming on Peacock Premium every week this season. Viewers can sign up here. Peacock Premium is included at no additional cost for Comcast’s eligible Xfinity X1 and Flex customers and Cox Contour customers.
Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Michele Tafoya (sideline reporter) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst) are calling tonight’s game.
NBC Sports’ new post-game show Peacock Sunday Night Football Final streams tonight exclusively on Peacock following Sunday Night Football.
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Following are highlights from tonight’s edition of Football Night in America on NBC and Peacock:
ON CHIEFS-RAVENS
Brees on QB Patrick Mahomes’ deep throws against the blitz vs. Ravens in previous games: “Not many guys can do this. Because of his feel, he knows where the pressure’s coming from, he can drift away from it, and then he has the arm strength to push the ball 60 or 70 yards down the field.”
Dungy on Lamar Jackson attempting to beat Patrick Mahomes for the first time: “You really have to watch out trying to do too much…Just play your game.”
Brees on Jackson: “It’s easy to think you have to make every play, but at the end of the day, just do your job. Trust the guys around you to do theirs as well and be patient and have poise.”
Harrison on how to stop the Chiefs’ wide receivers: “First and foremost, this is a pretty simple game plan, but number one you have to communicate…Second, they’ve got to get physical. They’ve got to get up in the receiver’s face. They’ve got to jam them. They’ve got to slow them down. They’ve got to do anything they can to re-route these guys and make their lives miserable for four quarters.”
Brees on Ravens blitzing Patrick Mahomes: “I think they need to stay patient. The Ravens need to realize that when you pressure Patrick Mahomes, bad things happen. Let’s keep it in front of us and let’s try to make them earn every step of the way.”
ON BUCCANEERS
Brees: “Put the NFL on notice right now. If you’re in the red zone and you’re playing against the Buccaneers, you might want to cover Gronk (TE Rob Gronkowski).”
Dungy on QB Tom Brady: “Tampa coaches told me before the season started, they thought Tom could have his best year ever and he’s off to that kind of start.”
ON RAIDERS
Dungy: “They couldn’t run the football, but Derek Carr was outstanding. He made all the plays in that game today.”
ON STEELERS
Dungy on RB Najee Harris’ stiff-arm: “He might be getting a letter from the league for roughing the tackler.”
ON COWBOYS
Simms: “Different game this week. They won through their defense and the run game, the two-headed monster at running back.”
Dungy: “When they get the running game going, that’s their identity. That’s what makes them flow, and they had it today.”
Brees: “Going into the season, there were so many questions around the Cowboys. (QB Dak Prescott) Dak’s health, the defensive side of the ball. Just the fact that as a team, they blocked out that noise…They’re off to a great start.”
Tirico on the NFC East: “Maybe the NFC East is not as bad – well it can’t be as bad as it was last year – but it looked a little bit better here in Week 2.”
ON PANTHERS
Brees: “The Panthers defense was absolutely dominant today against the Saints offense. They completely shut down the run. They got after Jameis (Winston) all day long, and Sam (Darnold) looks awfully comfortable in this new offense and with his new weapons.”
Dungy on QB Sam Darnold: “In New York, it was, hey, he’s not the guy…He’s looked exceptional these first two weeks, very much under control.”
ON SAINTS
Tirico: “We’ll hold the tailoring on Jameis Winston’s gold jacket that folks were ready to give him last week.”
Brees on today’s offensive performance: “They couldn’t get anything going. Couldn’t sustain drives, couldn’t complete any balls, or run the football. They left their defense out there entirely too long, 40 minutes in this game. Give credit to Carolina, they had a great game plan.”
ON EAGLES
Tirico on failed 4th-and-goal attempt: “Little Philly Special…Hard to run the Philly Special when you’re Philly. Everyone knows it’s coming.”
ON BRONCOS
Dungy on QB Teddy Bridgewater: “He has really been in control of this Denver offense…He is giving them something special at the quarterback position.”
ON PATRIOTS
Taylor: “Let’s go to a rookie quarterback matchup in the AFC East. We’ve got the Jets, we’ve got the Patriots, and we’ve got some mistakes.”
Simms: “This is where New England is special. They play defense and they can run the ball on just about any look. If Mac Jones manages the game properly, they’re going to win a lot of games like we saw today; kind of ugly, but it’s a victory nonetheless.”
Harrison on defensive scheme against Jets: “You never want a young quarterback to come to the line of scrimmage and feel comfortable. Constant movement and disguise…and putting pressure directly in (the quarterback’s) face.”
ON JETS
Simms on QB Zach Wilson: “It’s not BYU anymore. The defense is going to win some plays at times, and you’re not going to be able to bring the offense back in one play with magical throws. He just forced the issue a few too many times today.”
ON COLTS
Brees on QB Carson Wentz: “He’s a very talented guy who has not been able to stay healthy. While you sit back and appreciate his courage, toughness and desire to want to extend plays, at the end of the day, he has to stay available and durable. Just like you would tell a wide receiver or running back…live to play another day. That’s something he’s going to have to begin to understand and embrace or else he’s not going to be able to stay healthy.”
Dungy: “I thought Carson Wentz would have a huge year this year. Getting reunited with Frank Reich, playing behind a great offensive line who would protect him better than they did in Philadelphia. That hasn’t been the case – he’s gotten hit way too much.”
ON TEXANS
Florio on QB Deshaun Watson returning if Tyrod Taylor can’t play on Thursday night: “I’m told it would be a major shock if it’s anyone other than rookie Davis Mills. Keep this in mind, the NFL has not yet decided to put Deshaun Watson on paid leave pending the sexual assault allegations made against him because they haven’t had to. The Texans aren’t playing him. If all of a sudden they were going to play him, the league would have to make a decision on whether to put him on the Commissioner’s Exempt List.”
ON BEARS
Brees on QB Justin Fields: “He’s going to have some growing pains, all rookie quarterbacks do. With a defense playing like (they did today), he can stay within himself and bring him along slowly.”
Dungy: “If I were Matt Nagy, I am putting him in the lineup and telling the defense you have to play like that and get it done for our young quarterback.”
ON DOLPHINS
Florio on injury to QB Tua Tagovailoa: “If he’s out for an extended period of time, you know the Deshaun Watson talk is going to start all over again for the Dolphins.”
–FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA–
