INSIDE THE NFL TALKS J.J. WATT, RAY RICE, RICHARD SHERMAN, GIANTS COACHING & BROWNS QB DECISION
“All I know is you mess with me, you’ve got problems … Get some popcorn … Enjoy the show.” – J.J. Watt Mic’d Up In One Of The Best Wires In INSIDE THE NFL History
INSIDE THE NFL Premieres Tonight, Tuesday, Dec. 2
at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME®
NEW YORK (Dec. 2, 2014) – This week’s installment of INSIDE THE NFL premieres tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. Host Greg Gumbel is joined by expert analysts Boomer Esiason, NFL veteran safety and nine-time Pro Bowler Ed Reed and Hall of Famer Michael Irvin in-studio to discuss all the dramatic action of NFL Week 13.
This week’s episode of INSIDE THE NFL is highlighted by the Ray Rice situation and whether he’ll be able to play this season, the ongoing question of restrictions in the NFL and what’s next for Tom Coughlin and the Giants.
Plus, Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is wired for sound in what INSIDE THE NFL producers have called one of the best soundbites they have ever heard.
INSIDE THE NFL is produced by CBS Sports and NFL Films. The executive producers are Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports, Ross Ketover and Pat Kelleher of NFL Films. Pete Radovich Jr., the Emmy Award-winning Creative Director for CBS Sports, serves as coordinating producer.
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BELOW ARE SELECT HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS WEEK’S EDITION
On What Did We Learn Last Week …
Michael Irvin – “That Philadelphia Eagles defensive line is a lot better than I thought. I mean, they put it on the Dallas Cowboys. So much so…that I thought, ‘Man, not only are they scaring me now, they are scaring me for the next time they have to play Dallas.’”
Boomer Esiason – What I learned this week was, number one, Tony Romo on a short week of practice, guys, [he] doesn’t look right. And you know what I’m talking about. He just doesn’t look right. And this week he’ll play Thursday, but he’ll have a week in between games. [Let’s] see if he plays a little bit better in Chicago, and you know it’s going to be freezing cold there…”
On Richard Sherman And J.J. Watt’s Behavior Last Week …
Boomer Esiason – “Both great players in their own right. Both get it. They understand the platform that they have … Richard Sherman basically parlayed himself into a multi-million dollar enterprise … and the same thing for J.J. Watt. I don’t really have a problem with either one of these things [Watt’s celebration and Sherman’s press conference]. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t want to play against either one of these players.”
On The NFL Restrictions …
Michael Irvin – “If you want to get close into a football game, which is what the cameras want and what we are trying to give the fans, sometimes you are going to get that kind of reaction that close to the game. And talking about having no fun, what Richard Sherman is doing is trying to stand up for Marshawn Lynch, who doesn’t want to talk to the media. And I like a running back that is called the beast and doesn’t want to talk. It just puts more fear in the defenders.”
On Richard Sherman’s Press Conference …
Ed Reed – “Some people don’t like that distraction. Some of us just want to play football … I didn’t do all the interviews, and they were about to fine me at times. But I just gave them a little something … Maybe Marshawn should give them a little bit more. But you have to also understand that this guy is maybe frustrated with the business side of things because of his contract situation.”
Boomer Esiason – “Richard Sherman is a smart guy. This kid went to Stanford. He knows what’s going on. And he knows how to promote himself… The good news for him is that he backs it up on the field. That is the most important thing.”
New England and Tom Brady on sidelines after loss to Packers …
Boomer Esiason – “The last time I saw him that hot was after they lost to Kansas City. They have reeled off seven. I think the Patriots are a terrific football team. I think they are the best team in the NFL.”
On the Pittsburgh Steelers…
Ed Reed – “The Steelers are hurting right now. They lost [Brett] Keisel who is a big part of that defense. The secondary is in shambles. They need help. They need a lot of help. I am not available.”
On Cincinnati Quarterback Bengals Andy Dalton …
Boomer Esiason – “Andy Dalton is my comeback player of the year within the year. He has been down. He’s been up. He’s been down. He’s been up. He will be up for the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
On The Cleveland Browns Quarterback Johnny Manziel replacing Brian Hoyer…
Boomer Esiason – “This is a tough decision for Mike Pettine, but I think he is leaning toward Johnny Manziel. I said early on in the season that it is inevitable that first round draft picks at quarterback are inevitably going to see the field. Somewhere along the line they are going to find the field for all different reasons. In this particular reason, I think it’s because there’s a lack of energy with Brian Hoyer all of a sudden in the last three weeks. When LeBron James tweets, ‘My man is ready to go,’ that means that Mike Pettine is getting all that extra pressure on him.”
On the N.Y. Giants …
Boomer – Two Super Bowls can only take you so far. In my estimation, Tom Coughlin is a Hall of Fame coach. I think he goes out the right way. I think he makes it easy for the Mara family and the Tisch family. I don’t see them sitting him down and saying we are firing you. That’s not going to go down that way here in New York. But I think he senses, and I hear it in his voice, that things just are not going well. Even though all the injuries and everything else, the fact that they’ve not made the playoffs again this year, I think it means it’s time for a change.”
Michael Irvin – “It’s not just that they are just losing games, it’s how they look losing those games … You had that game won and you start turning the ball over late in the game and give that game away … It’s hard to see Coach Coughlin go through this … Everybody is hoping for … a soft landing for him. That’s a great testament to the man that he is.”
On The Ray Rice Situation…
Ed Reed – “That is a question for the owners. I think he should. I think there are lot of teams that could use Ray Rice right now especially with making these playoff pushes. One team that sticks out to me is Indianapolis. I know they need a running back and they know they need a running back. Now whether or not you want to pick up Ray Rice? … That’s on them. But, at the same time, this league is about winning. It’s about winning. It’s about redemption stories. It’s about helping the next man, building the next man up…I really believe he deserves a chance. Some teams need him.”
Boomer Esiason – “I don’t think any team really wants to go knee deep into this type of distraction as they get ready for the playoffs. I do believe he deserves a second chance. I think he’ll get a second chance next year. But, right now, I just don’t see any team out there that is going to be willing to upset whatever is going on in their locker room right now. Because while we may feel like he deserves a second chance, there may be other players out there that may not want him to be on their team.”
Michael Irvin – “I believe in giving the guy another shot. I benefited from having that second shot, so I am in the redemption business. And hopefully Ray gets an opportunity to redeem himself in this situation…Right now in Indy you have a real need at running back. And I say if Indy signs Ray Rice…they have a real good shot here in the next three, four weeks…to make a run in the playoffs.”
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