“They got their swagger back. That look that we’ve seen for the last decade, they got it back.” – Jason Garrett on the Chiefs after 31-0 win vs. Raiders
“They’re the most explosive offense in football with George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb in the lineup.” – Chris Simms on the Cowboys’ offense
“The Colts are legit…We’ve got to start to believe in Daniel Jones.” – Devin McCourty on 6-1 Colts
“He’s the best back in the NFL… I think he’s a combination of LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshall Faulk” – Rodney Harrison on Falcons RB Bijan Robinson
STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 19, 2025 – NBC Sports’ coverage of Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season continued tonight from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., with Football Night in America leading into coverage of Falcons-49ers on Sunday Night Football on NBC and Peacock.
Maria Taylor hosted FNIA from NBC Sports’ Studio 3 in Stamford, Conn. She was joined by former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, three-time Super Bowl Champion Devin McCourty, former NFL quarterback Chris Simms, NFL Insider Mike Florio, and fantasy sports industry pioneer Matthew Berry. Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy and two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison joined co-host Jac Collinsworth at the site of the game.
FNIA included Harrison’s conversation with Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, pregame on-field interviews as Harrison spoke with Falcons safety Jessie Bates III and Dungy spoke with 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, McCourty’s post-game video call with Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith, and more.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst) are calling tonight’s game.
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Following are highlights from tonight’s Week 7 edition of Football Night in America on NBC and Peacock:
ON FALCONS
Harrison on Falcons running back Bijan Robinson: “He’s the best back in the NFL right now…I’ve spent 32 years in the NFL and he is the most humble young man that I’ve had the opportunity to sit down and talk to. What I love about him is his appreciation for all the greats that came before him. When I look at him, I think he’s a combination of LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshall Faulk…He also takes a lot of pride in his receiving skills. He actually practices with the receivers, he goes in their meetings.”
Dungy on Robinson: “To me, he is like Marshall Faulk, but he’s more powerful. He breaks tackles, he runs through inside plays a little bit better…He is the featured guy on this team.”
Bijan Robinson to Harrison on Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson: “He’s my favorite running back of all-time. If you want to be a great running back, you need elite contact balance. You can’t go down off of the first hit.”
Dungy on Falcons quarterback Michael Penix, Jr.: “I really think he feeds off Bijan Robinson. They come out, they attack you with the run, and that makes it easy (on Penix).”
Dungy on Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich: “He had to learn this group. What they do well is use their speed. He has blitzed, which he did not do a lot in New York. They love to go after the quarterback, that’s what they want to do.”
Harrison on Atlanta’s defense and guarding tight end George Kittle: “I don’t believe there’s anybody on Atlanta’s defense that can guard (49ers tight end) George Kittle, so I expect them to play a lot of zone, blitz, and try to get the ball out of (49ers quarterback) Mac Jones’ hands quickly…If I’m the Falcons, I’m selling out for the run…Mac Jones, he is a statue. I’m coming after Mac Jones.”
ON 49ERS
Dungy on tight end George Kittle returning from injury: “They need him. I believe they need him even more than they need their starting quarterback Brock Purdy back…He’ll help them get that run game back.”
Harrison on Kittle: “George Kittle is their second-best blocker behind Trent Williams. He brings that attitude, but also no one from the Falcons can defend him one-on-one.”
Dungy on the 49ers’ defense playing without injured linebacker Fred Warner: “The San Francisco defense has to swarm. That’s the only way they can make up for losing a great player like Fred (Warner).”
ON COWBOYS
Simms on the Cowboys’ offense with wide receiver CeeDee Lamb’s return from injury: “This offense was awesome without CeeDee Lamb, now with him and George Pickens? I mean watch out, pick your poison…They’re the most explosive offense in football with George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb in the lineup.”
McCourty: “Dak Prescott is playing the best at the quarterback position. Most explosive though? I’m going with the Indianapolis Colts.”
Garrett on the Cowboys: “So many weapons, and the guy running the show (quarterback Dak Prescott), his best trait? He aggressively takes what the defense gives him. He’s done this throughout his entire career. When he has a shot down the field, he’s going to let that thing rip…They’re just really hard to stop.”
ON COLTS
Simms on the Colts’ offense: “They have a ton of weapons and they have (head coach) Shane Steichen, who’s very creative. He makes the defense wrong almost every play. He has a lot of plays that start out looking the same that are different, and they know how to string plays together…They’re rolling right now.”
McCourty on the Colts’ offensive versatility: “The Colts are legit. From a defensive side when you play against this offense, the first thing you say is, ‘We’ve got to stop (running back) Jonathan Taylor’…It’s just so many things, it’s too hard to gameplan coming into one week and you see the way they’re attacking defenses week after week after week. We’ve got to start to believe in Daniel Jones.”
ON CHIEFS
Garrett: “They got their swagger back. That look that we’ve seen for the last decade, they got it back and a big reason is they got their second-best offensive player back, (wide receiver) Rashee Rice…he opened up things for the other guys.”
ON EAGLES
McCourty on the Eagles: “This team is just more talented than the other teams. (Quarterback Jalen) Hurts took what the defense gave him. If it was a shot, he took a shot. If it was a slant, he threw a slant.”
Garrett: “When they’re at their best, they’re a matchup team. They got their spirit back. A lot like what we saw last year when they made their run to the Super Bowl.”
ON PATRIOTS
Simms on Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel: “They’re running the ball, they’re playing defense…I get vibes of Bill Parcells from Mike Vrabel, a lot.”
Garrett on Vrabel: “He connects with his guys, and they love playing for him. You see him shaking their hands as they’re coming out. He just adds an identity back to the New England Patriots.”
ON PACKERS
McCourty on Micah Parsons’ three-sack performance vs. the Cardinals: “This is why you bring Micah Parsons in. Under a minute left in the game, he’s rushing. Three sacks, career high today…A big moment for him in his Green Bay career.”
ON COMMANDERS
Florio on quarterback Jayden Daniels’ injury: “He missed two games earlier in the season with a knee injury in the left leg. This is the right leg, hamstring…I’m told that, at least for now, the early indications are it’s nothing serious, but this is something we will certainly be monitoring.”
ON TITANS
Florio on the Titans head coaching search: “The search for a new head coach has already begun. I’m told they won’t use an outside firm. President of Football Operations Chad Brinker and General Manager Mike Borgonzi will lead the process. I’m also told that it will be an extremely calculated search. But look at all the changes that the Titans have made in recent years. Will coaching candidates who have options want that job?”
ON JETS
Garrett on quarterback Tyrod Taylor replacing Justin Fields mid-game: “They were looking for a spark, but what they got were interceptions.”
ON DOLPHINS
Florio on head coach Mike McDaniel: “I was told that McDaniel would be given the full season to see where things went. Now, they’re 1-6 and that timetable can change and it can change quickly.”
McCourty on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s performance vs. Browns today: “Breaking news, Tua struggles in bad weather.”
--FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA--
