“The happiest guy on the planet is Ed Hochuli because his call will not decide this division.” – NBC’s Collinsworth

HIGHLIGHTS FROM WEEK 16 OF NBC’s “FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA”

Broncos-Chargers to be SNF Game Next Sunday

“The happiest guy on the planet is Ed Hochuli because his call will not decide this division.” – NBC’s Collinsworth

NEW YORK – Dec. 21, 2008 – Following are highlights from NBC’s “Football Night in America” studio show, as host Bob Costas, co-host Cris Collinsworth, co-host Keith Olbermann, co-host Dan Patrick, analysts Tiki Barber and Jerome Bettis, and reporter Peter King of Sports Illustrated take a look at the day’s top storylines in the NFL: 

***Please Note: The NFL announced that the “NBC Sunday Night Football” game next Sunday features the San Diego Chargers hosting the Denver Broncos in a game that will decide the AFC West. 

COLLINSWORTH ON DENVER-SAN DIEGO: “Next week these two teams will go at it and play for the division title and probably the happiest guy on the planet is Ed Hochuli because his call will not decide this division.” 

COLLINSWORTH ON COWBOYS: “Should this very talented Cowboys team not make the playoffs, you have to think they’re going to start cleaning house down there. You don’t have a team like this and lose like they have and not have a few guys pay the price.” 

COSTAS ON COWBOYS: “How much pain can Cowboys fan tolerate? Even though they’re not out of the playoff picture, they are sputtering.” 

COLLINSWORTH ON JETS: “You have to wonder, ‘Is this the end of an era?’ Brett Favre, at the end of the season, playing in an unlikely snowstorm in Seattle cannot knock off the 4-11 Seahawks. Amazing.” 

COLLINSWORTH ON TITANS: “Tennessee just simply proved they are the best team in the AFC and maybe all of football.” 

OLBERMANN ON ST LOUIS-SAN FRANCISCO: “This is not a Christmas present, this is the I fired my coach bowl.” 

PATRICK ON 0-15 DETROIT LIONS: “Get those Rod Marinelli autographs while you can.” 

KING ON MIKE HOLMGREN’S OFF-SEASON OFFERS: “Will you be our head coach, will you be our general manager, will you be our ticket seller? It doesn’t matter, everybody wants Mike Holmgren. I think Dan Snyder may call him in Washington to have a role in their organization. And I believe that Jerry Jones will call him in Dallas. 

“I do not think under any circumstances, other than the 49ers giving him everything, that he will come back in ’09. I think he definitely stays out.” 

NY GIANTS RB BRANDON JACOBS IN INTERVIEW WITH TIKI BARBER: “I wish you could have been here. You probably would have been the MVP. I’ll let you borrow it (his Super Bowl ring) sometime.” 

BARBER ON IF JACOBS WILL BE WITH THE GIANTS NEXT YEAR: “He does want to be in New York and I think they’ll get it done.” 

FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA: 
Michael Weisman is the executive in charge of production, “Football Night in America,” Sam Flood is coordinating producer and Bucky Gunts serves as director.