“I’ve got three words for you – Malik. Freaking. Nabers.” – Jason Garrett on Giants rookie WR Malik Nabers
“Let’s stop with all the talk – Justin Fields is the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh.” – Chris Simms on the Steelers’ QB situation
“They’re not a physical football team. Everyone understands this about the Cowboys now.” – Garrett on Dallas allowing 274 rushing yards in loss to Baltimore
Peacock Sunday Night Football Final Streams Exclusively on Peacock Following Chiefs-Falcons and Every Sunday Night Football Game During 2024 Season
STAMFORD, Conn. – Sept. 22, 2024 – NBC Sports’ presentation of Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season continued tonight from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga, with Football Night in America leading into coverage of Chiefs-Falcons 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.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst) are calling tonight’s game.
Tonight’s Football Night in America featured Jason Garrett’s post-game conversation with Eagles RB Saquon Barkley, Tony Dungy “Talkin’ Ball” with Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, and Atlanta native and Grammy Award-winning rapper and actor Ludacris voicing the opening sequence and joining Dungy and Harrison on the field prior to the game.
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Following are highlights from tonight’s edition of Football Night in America on NBC and Peacock:
ON CHIEFS
Garrett on the Chiefs’ running game: “Hand it to (Samaje) Perine, hand it (Carson) Steele, do it by committee. None of these guys are going to replace Isiah Pacheco, but they still have to run the football.”
Harrison on the Chiefs’ offensive line: “(Head coach) Andy Reid is the best play-caller in the NFL. He does such a great job calling plays that help out his offensive line. But Patrick Mahomes has got great pocket awareness and does a great job of moving around and getting rid of the ball which also helps his offensive line.”
ON FALCONS
Harrison on Falcons QB Kirk Cousins: “They brought Kirk Cousins in to win games in the fourth quarter. Last year, the Falcons were in a bunch of close games in the fourth quarter, but they had a young quarterback and struggled to finish. Now they went out and got Kirk Cousins and now they can finish.”
Dungy on Cousins: “That last drive (against the Eagles) gave them the belief, because had they not had that, we would be talking and saying, is this time for Michael Penix Jr.? I was at their practice on Friday and Kirk Cousins is definitely their leader. Everyone is looking to him, no questions at all.”
Harrison on S Jessie Bates III: “The Falcons feel like he is the best safety in the NFL and I feel the same way. Every time I put on the tape, I see him making plays. He’ll be in the deep part of the field, he’ll be up by the line of scrimmage, he’ll be everywhere.”
Ludacris on the Falcons on-field with Dungy and Harrison prior to kickoff: “There’s a whole new morale going on right now, especially after that last game with the Eagles. I think Kirk Cousins and how he (orchestrated that comeback) was amazing, so everybody in Atlanta is saying, ‘If we win this game, we’re going to act like we won the Super Bowl.’”
ON EAGLES
McCourty on RB Saquon Barkley, who had 147 rushing yards and two TDs in win vs. New Orleans: “Just hand the ball to Saquon Barkley. It’s that simple. There’s not much to think about. Give it to him and let him do the rest.”
Garrett: “Let’s not lose sight of that Eagles defense. The Saints on offense had been dominant the first couple of weeks and the Eagles shut them down. The penetration killed the zone run all day long.”
Simms: “Patience, Eagles fans. They’re booing their team last week. This is one of the deepest and best teams in football. It’s two new coordinators on both sides of the ball. They’re going to be in the thick of it when all is said and done.”
ON COWBOYS
Garrett: “They’re not a physical football team. Everyone understands this about the Cowboys now. You have to go in there and run the ball. The last two years they were dominant at home. I think teams have found the formula. Run the ball, get ahead, and that’s what silences that pass rush. The Ravens controlled most of this ballgame because they handed it off and dominated the line of scrimmage.”
McCourty: “They have to play better with more effort. They can’t stop the run. They have pass rushers but that doesn’t matter when you give up 274 yards on the ground. I don’t know if the Ravens found their identity or they just got lucky and played the Cowboys.”
ON STEELERS
Simms on the Steelers’ QB situation: “Let’s stop with all the talk – Justin Fields is the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh. They are 3-0. He fits how they want to play, he can make plays with the legs, and he’s throwing the ball well.”
McCourty: “It’s about the defense. They’re the number one scoring defense in the league, allowing under 10 points per game.”
ON GIANTS
Garrett on rookie WR Malik Nabers, who had two TDs in win vs. Cleveland: “I’ve got three words for you – Malik. Freaking. Nabers. This guy is ridiculous. It used to be hard for rookies to transition at the wide receiver position. Not this guy. He is a beast.”
ON RAVENS
Simms on the Ravens’ offense: “Run the ball. That’s what you’re great at. You’ve got a bunch of 320-pound offensive linemen and you’ve got the greatest running quarterback in the history of football. They dominate the line of scrimmage...when they play through the run, it opens up the pass game and Lamar Jackson becomes more dangerous.”
ON PACKERS
Simms on QB Malik Willis: “We heard all of the stories when Jordan Love went down, ‘Why didn’t the Packers address the backup QB situation?’ They did! They got Malik Willis with a great trade from his old team, the Tennessee Titans, and he got some payback today...he really fits this offense in Green Bay. They like to throw the ball down the field and Malik Willis has a big arm. The Packers are for real.”
ON VIKINGS
McCourty: “They are for real. How about Sam Darnold? Four touchdown passes...but (defensive coordinator) Brian Flores and that defense shut down San Francisco last week, and they come out and they dominate again against Houston and made C.J. Stroud look real regular today.”
Garrett: “Nobody in the NFL does a better job than (head coach) Kevin O’Connell of creating an environment where a quarterback can succeed. They ran the ball, they had the play-action pass, and when they get in close, he knows how to dial up the touchdown passes. Darnold is on fire.”
Simms on Darnold: “It’s great to see him on a team that can support him. With Kevin O’Connell, the great play designer plus those receivers, Sam Darnold is showing everyone he’s got real talent.”
ON BRONCOS
Harrison on Denver’s 26-7 win at Tampa Bay: “I liked what I saw from Bo Nix. He showed me composure, maturity and toughness.”
Dungy: “The last time they were in Florida against Miami last year, they gave up 70 points. I think they had a different mindset coming in and they were all over the field.”
ON LIONS
Simms on hook and ladder TD scored by RB Jahmyr Gibbs: “They are always bold and gutsy in Detroit, I’ll say that for sure. A new version of the hook and ladder, stealing it from the old Don Shula Dolphins back in the day.”
ON BUCCANEERS
Harrison on loss to Broncos: “They didn’t look like they took the Broncos seriously. They kind of just showed up.”
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Peacock Sunday Night Football Final, an NFL post-game show produced by NBC Sports, streams exclusively on Peacock following every Sunday Night Football game during the 2024 season. The show is hosted from the game site by Jac Collinsworth, Harrison, and Dungy, who will provide instant reactions to each Sunday game along with highlights and interviews.
-- Football Night in America --