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“A DECADE OF SUNDAY N#1GHTS” – VIEWERS TO SELECT MOST MEMORABLE NBC SNF MOMENT OVER 10 YEARS AS PRIMETIME’S #1 SHOW

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Fans Can Vote for Their Most Memorable NBC SNF Moment of Past Decade on @SNFonNBC Instagram Story with Special SNF Bracket Selected by Al, Cris & Michele; Plus Bracket With Highlights on @SNFonNBC on Twitter and @SNFonNBC on Facebook

 Drew Brees, the Newest Member of Football Night in America, on His Record Breaking SNF Moment  

NBC’s Sunday Night Football Finishes as #1 Primetime Show for Unprecedented 10th Consecutive Year as 2020-21 Fall-Spring Season Ends this Wednesday

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 17, 2021 – With NBC’s Sunday Night Football ranking as primetime TV’s #1 show for an unprecedented 10th consecutive year as the fall-spring TV season officially concludes this week, the on-air team has selected 16 of the most memorable moments in SNF’s record decade-long run.

Those moments are seeded 1 (Super Bowl XLIX) through 16 (49ers-Seahawks “NFC West Championship Game,” 2019 Week 17) in a bracket on Sunday Night Football social media platforms, allowing for fans to vote (beginning tomorrow) on their favorite on @SNFonNBC Instagram story, while also checking out the bracket with video highlights on @SNFonNBC on Twitter and @SNFonNBC on Facebook.

Following are the 16 memorable moments (regular and postseason) from the NBC SNF package from the 2011-20 seasons, as selected by play-by-play voice Al Michaels, analyst Cris Collinsworth, sideline reporter Michele Tafoya, executive producer Fred Gaudelli, and director Drew Esocoff – all of whom have been with SNF throughout the record run.

“A Decade of Sunday N#1ghts” matchups (full descriptions at bottom)

Each member of the SNF team offered a comment on a memorable moment from the SNF package over the past decade.

Al Michaels (Super Bowl LII; A “Philly Special”; Eagles-Patriots): “A true classic. Nick Foles coming off the bench in December when Carson Wentz sustained a season-ending injury, then leading the Eagles to their first NFL title since 1960. A game that featured Foles catching a touchdown pass from Trey Burton on the now immortalized ‘Philly Special.’ The Patriots taking a one-point lead in the fourth quarter only to see Foles lead the Eagles down the field to retake the lead. Tom Brady throwing for 505 yards! Brandon Graham strip-sacking Brady in the waning moments only to see Brady get the ball back and the game ending on a broken-up Hail Mary in the end zone. 74 total points. 1151 yards of offense. Sixty minutes of back-and-forth nonstop tension. Apart from that, nothing much.”

Cris Collinsworth (Super Bowl XLIX; Seahawks vs. Patriots): “Our three Super Bowls were all amazing, but I will never get over Malcom Butler’s interception in Super Bowl XLIX. To see the trophy stolen out of Seattle’s hands by one of the most unlikely heroes in Super Bowl history was simply stunning. Al’s immediate call of that interception was equally incredible. I had no idea who had the ball coming out of that collision.”

Michele Tafoya (2015 NFC Wild Card in 6-below zero temperatures; Seahawks vs. Vikings): “After seeing the game-day forecast, I spent the week dreading being on the sidelines. Then I decided to embrace it. But the cold was more brutal than advertised. The Vikings defense played extraordinarily tough. It was a remarkable performance. Then, Blair Walsh missed a chip shot FG which would have given Minnesota the win. Collinsworth likened it to missing a two-foot putt to win The Masters. And I will never forget the faces of the Vikings as they left the field. They were gutted. They were sick.”

Fred Gaudelli (2015 NFC Divisional; Packers vs. Cardinals): “In the final 41 seconds alone, we had Aaron Rodgers completing a pair of Hail Marys to force overtime, a coin toss where the coin didn’t flip necessitating a re-flip, and a Larry Fitzgerald overtime explosion.”

Drew Esocoff (Odell Beckham, Jr. catch; Cowboys vs. Giants): “What I remember most was that we had just aired a highlight package of his pregame acrobatic catches and then…bam…he makes the most amazing catch I’ve ever seen!”

The newest member of NBC’s Football Night in America team, Drew Brees, turned in some record-breaking on-field performances of his own on Sunday Night Football, including the October 2012 game when he broke Johnny Unitas’ record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass (15th seed).

“Everything about breaking Unitas’ 47-game touchdown record was magical,” Brees said. “From the pressure leading up to that game, to all the games and touchdowns which preceded that moment, and for the man and legend who held the record for so long. Then to break it on Sunday Night Football with America watching….one of the great memories from my career.”

Following is a closer moment-by-moment look at the seeds in the “A Decade of Sunday N#1ghts” bracket:

#1 – Feb. 1, 2015 (Super Bowl XLIX) – Tom Brady wins his third Super Bowl MVP award, throwing four touchdown passes in New England’s 28-24 victory over Seattle on NBC. The game’s most memorable play is made by Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, who intercepts Russell Wilson’s potential Super Bowl-winning pass in the end zone with 20 seconds left.

#2 – Nov. 23, 2014 – N.Y. Giants receiver Odell Beckham makes a spectacular one-handed catch falling into the end zone for a 43-yard touchdown against Dallas – despite being interfered with on the play.

Michaels on the NBC broadcast: “How in the world?”

Collinsworth on the NBC broadcast: “That might be the greatest catch I’ve ever seen! You have to be kidding me. That is absolutely impossible!”

#3 – Jan. 16, 2016 (NFC Divisional) – Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ improbable 41-yard, game-tying Hail Mary scoring pass on the final play of regulation is topped only by Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald’s overtime heroics in Arizona’s 26-20 playoff win.

#4 – Feb. 4, 2018 (A “Philly Special,” Super Bowl LII) – Trailing 33-32 with less than 10 minutes remaining in regulation, Nick Foles – the backup quarterback who became the Eagles’ starter following a Week 14 injury to Carson Wentz — leads a 14-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, and the Philadelphia defense holds off two Patriots drives in the fourth quarter of 41-33 victory over New England. It is the Eagles’ first NFL title since 1960. Foles passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns, and is named Super Bowl MVP.

#5 – Jan. 10, 2016 (NFC Wild Card) – The Seahawks-Vikings NFC Wild Card game is the third-coldest NFL game on record, with a kickoff temperature of minus-six degrees. The game, a down-to-the-wire 10-9 Seahawks’ victory, averages 35.3 million viewers to rank as the most-watched early Sunday Wild Card on record.

#6 – Feb. 5, 2012 (Super Bowl XLVI) – Eli Manning wins his second Super Bowl MVP in leading the New York Giants to a 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots. With less than four minutes remaining, Manning completes a 38-yard over-the-shoulder pass to Mario Manningham to begin a nine-play, 88-yard scoring drive that gave the Giants their second title game victory over the Patriots in four years.

#7 – Sept. 5, 2013 – In the NFL Kickoff game, Denver’s Peyton Manning throws 7 TD passes vs. Baltimore, tying an NFL record which had last been matched in 1969.

#8 – Oct. 20, 2013 – Broncos QB Peyton Manning’s (Week 7 SNF) returns to Indianapolis, where he played 13 seasons for the Colts, averages 26.9 million viewers, ranking as the most-watched October NFL primetime telecast in 21 years.

#9 – Jan. 6, 2019 (“Double Doink” in NFC Wild Card) – Down two against the Eagles, Bears kicker Cody Parkey misses a 43-yard field goal as time expires, with the ball hitting the left goal post and then the crossbar. Cris Collinsworth coins the phrase “double doink” to describe the improbable kick.

#10 – Nov. 26, 2015 (Brett Favre’s “Ring of Honor”) – The most-watched Thanksgiving primetime game in NFL history (27.8 million viewers for Bears-Packers) features Brett Favre’s “Ring of Honor” halftime ceremony, with a special appearance from Packers legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bart Starr.

Michaels during the telecast: “Like a scene out of a movie. Brett Favre. Bart Starr. The tradition. Lambeau Field. Great. Just great.”

#11 – Dec. 16, 2012 – The San Francisco 49ers turn a nearly historic collapse into a stunning victory and a playoff berth. San Francisco withstands a 28-point comeback by the New England Patriots to win 41-34. Michael Crabtree took a short pass from Colin Kaepernick and turned it into a 38-yard touchdown with 6:25 to go, then David Akers connected on a 28-yard field goal to clinch it.

#12 – Nov. 24, 2013 – It was Brady-Manning XIV on SNF in Week 12, as Tom Brady leads the Patriots’ biggest comeback victory ever (from 24 points behind) in defeating Peyton Manning and the Broncos, 34-31, in overtime.

#13 – Nov. 22, 2020 – In a game with four fourth-quarter lead changes, Patrick Mahomes throws a 22-yard TD pass to Travis Kelce with 28 seconds remaining to lead the Kansas City Chiefs to a 35-31 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Mahomes drove the Chiefs 75 yards in 75 seconds (on seven plays) on the game-winning drive.

#14 – Oct. 14, 2018 (Brady vs. Mahomes I) – Patriots quarterback Tom Brady earns his 200th career regular-season win, the most all-time, as he outduels Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. New England wins 43-40 on a Stephen Gostkowski field goal as time expires. Final stats –Mahomes: 22-36, 352 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs, 110.0 passer rating; Brady: 24-35, 340 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs, 109.2 passer rating.

#15 – Oct. 7, 2012 – New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees throws a touchdown pass in an NFL-record 48th consecutive game, breaking Johnny Unitas’ 52-year old mark (47) in a Week 5 Chargers-Saints SNF game.

#16 – Dec. 29, 2019 – The San Francisco 49ers 26-21 Week 17 “NFC West Championship” victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the final game of the decade concludes with a defensive stop inches short of the goal line. The game averaged 23.3 million viewers, ranking as NBC SNF’s most-watched game ever among West Coast teams.

 

–NBC SPORTS—

PETER KING BREAKS DOWN 2021 NFL SCHEDULE-MAKING PROCESS IN THIS WEEK’S “FMIA” COLUMN

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“On Saturday at 11:05 p.m. … (they) settled on the schedule spit out by one of the NFL computers: the 102,844th schedule they considered over 124 days of planning.” – King on creating the 2021 NFL schedule

 “We throw away a lot of perfectly good schedules…No schedule’s perfect. And everybody’s got some gripe. But they were minimal this year.” – NFL Senior VP of Broadcasting Howard Katz to King on creating this year’s schedule

 “It’s the game of the year, certainly. It might be the game of many, many years.” – NBC Sunday Night Football Executive Producer Fred Gaudelli to King on Buccaneers-Patriots in Week 4

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 17, 2021 – Peter King discusses the process behind creating the 2021 NFL schedule, which was announced last week, in this week’s edition of Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com. King speaks with NFL executives Howard Katz and Mike North about creating this year’s schedule and provides notable nuggets for this year’s slate of games.

Peacock’s free, exclusive NBC Sports channel has weekday sports talk programming from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. ET, which includes extensive NFL coverage from PFT Live featuring Mike Florio and Chris Simms live at 7 a.m. ET, followed by The Dan Patrick Show at 9 a.m. ET, The Rich Eisen Show at Noon ET, Peacock Original Brother From Another, with Michael Holley and Michael Smith, at 3 p.m. ET, and PFT PM at 5 p.m. ET. Chris Simms Unbuttoned streams at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday-Friday. ProFootballTalk.com continues to provide the latest offseason news, NBC Sports EDGE’s A Good Football Show and the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast discuss offseason storylines.

The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:

2021 NFL SCHEDULE

King on the NFL schedule announcement: “Of all the overblown NFL events, the nuttiness around the release of the schedule is particularly stunning to me. Fans have known their 2021 opponents for four months. The order of the games, plus television details – that’s all that’s left…how the sausage is made, that interests me.”

King on the beginning of the NFL schedule announcement: “Commissioner Pete Rozelle, in office till 1989, believed each sport had its season and didn’t mind the quietude of the NFL offseason, interrupted only by a spurt of coverage for the draft. But against the wishes of football traditionalists, Paul Tagliabue and some NFL executives like Joe Browne – particularly envious of baseball’s buzzy offseason – began to push for a more active offseason.”

King on NFL offseason activities: “So the combine in February, free agency in March, the draft in April, the schedule-release in May, and players running around in shorts and T-shirts in May and June, camp opening in late July.”

King on this year’s schedule: “On Saturday at 11:05 p.m., 36 hours before they’d go to Goodell for the okay, (NFL Senior VP of broadcasting Howard) Katz and team settled on the schedule spit out by one of the NFL computers: the 102,844th schedule they considered over 124 days of planning.”

Katz to King on the process: “We throw away a lot of perfectly good schedules. That’s just indicative of how far we’ve come in this process. A dozen years ago, we wouldn’t have thought twice about it…No schedule’s perfect. And everybody’s got some gripe. But they were minimal this year.”

Katz on putting together this year’s schedule: “This year was a little tricky because we weren’t sure when we began the process whether we were going to play a 16-game, 17-week schedule or 17-game, 18-week schedule. We decided we would start by building the 17-game schedule, because it was new and…we wanted to see what the pitfalls were.”

Katz: “The definition of insanity’s doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result? That’s exactly what we do. Every day, (NFL VP of NFL Broadcast Planning) Mike (North) creates new seeds based on what we’ve seen and want to see. Then he puts those into the computer. The computer runs, spits things out. What the computer’s trying to do is solve our puzzle with the framework that we give it.”

King on scheduling Packers games: “Once Adam Schefter reported April 29 on Aaron Rodgers’ desire to play elsewhere, the schedule team had 13 days to determine whether to wean the league off any of Green Bay’s five prime-time games…Katz asked around for inside info, but the story was so cloudy. No one knows Rodgers’ fate. I doubt even he does.”

Katz on the Packers: “The Green Bay Packers are still the Green Bay Packers, with or without Aaron Rodgers. They’re a great team and a great brand. We started to think about some of the permutations of the schedule. Ultimately, when he didn’t get traded, we couldn’t solve for something we didn’t know. It was pretty deliberate the way we maxed out the Packers early in the season.”

King on Buccaneers-Patriots in Week on Sunday Night Football in Week 4: “I thought the league might want the buildup to last for weeks into the season. But I get why they did it. (Tom) Brady turns 44 in August, and he’s coming off off-season knee surgery, and at some point, isn’t it logical to think that a man of a certain football age won’t last a full 17 games? Plus, it’s logical to wonder if the Patriots’ 2020 struggles continue into this year. Playing it early is a hedge against the Patriots’ record, and a hedge against an old quarterback’s health.”

NBC Sunday Night Football Executive Producer Fred Gaudelli to King on Buccaneers-Patriots: “The only one we’ve ever done that I could compare it to was our first game – the Manning Bowl. Such tremendous interest in that game. And this year, Tampa Bay-New England will be a story that transcends sports for the week before the game. It’s the game of the year, certainly. It might be the game of many, many years.”

King on byes: “No byes till Week 6. That’s the first time since the league started giving byes that the weeks off have started that late. Teams just hate the early byes.”

North to King on byes: “Don’t forget, Tampa had a Week 13 bye last year. Everybody got healthy. They didn’t lose again.”

SCHEDULE NOTES

King on the Broncos: “Denver does not have a Monday night game, breaking the longest streak in MNF history. The Broncos had a 29-season run (1992-2020) with at least one Monday nighter. It is sobering for fans of the Broncos…to be irrelevant nationally. Until they fix the quarterback in a division full of really good ones, the national profile of the Broncos will be diminished.”

King on the Dolphins: “If the Dolphins can survive a tough five-game start…they’ll have a forgiving final stretch Miami has one road game in 56 days late in the season. If they start 3-2, the Dolphins will make the playoffs.”

King on the Eagles: “Fans will grouse with only two prime-timers, but Philadelphia’s got a good chance to be a factor if it can survive the 49ers, Chiefs and Bucs in the first six weeks. The Eagles don’t play a team with a 2020 winning record in the last seven weeks of the season.”

King the Steelers: “Ben Roethlisberger’s going to have to be great late for the Steelers to win big this year. Not only does Pittsburgh have a weighty nine of 17 games against teams that finished 11-5 or better last year, but four come in the final four weeks.”

King on Washington: “Strangest end of year schedule. WFT plays one division game before Dec. 12. Then it’s nothing but NFC East tilts in the last five weeks.”

UPDATES ON 11

King on players not attending offseason workouts: “The union is in a tough spot here. I can’t see the majority of marginal players and rookies skipping voluntary workouts. Those are the players, in all likelihood, who pushed the 2020 CBA over the finish line after so many big names and veterans campaigned against the deal because it added a 17th game to the schedule…The union can’t push too hard against the men who helped pass this CBA, but they can push for less intensity in the on-field work.”

King on rookie minicamps: “I think, as suspected, most if not all rookies attended minicamps held by 29 teams over the weekend. The agent for one rookie draftee told me his guy was pressured by one veteran on the team to not attend the team’s rookie camp. The agent told me his client said he respected what the veterans are trying to do, but there was no way he’d skip the camp and start his career off on the wrong foot with his team. Hard to imagine many if any rookies staying away.”

King on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers: “It’s much more a respect situation than a contractual one. Rodgers feels like his opinion inside the building isn’t valued, and it’s been exacerbated by the team taking his supposed heir, Jordan Love, in the 2020 draft without informing him first. With no real deadline (including the mandatory June minicamp) approaching, there’s more reason to let this thing simmer down for a few weeks than to rush to a conclusion that might, today, be impossible to reach.”

King on Broncos tackle Ja’Wuan James: “The Broncos cut the starting tackle after he sustained a torn Achilles in an offseason workout away from the Broncos facility. Denver doesn’t intend to pay James his $10 million salary for 2021 because he was injured away from team premises and placed on the non-football injury list. This is a line-in-the-sand issue for NFL teams after the players union advised players to stay away from voluntary workouts this offseason…It could be a litmus test for the NFLPA telling players to avoid working out at team facilities. Stay tuned”

King on Travis Etienne: “Surprise: The Jags will use Etienne almost exclusively in off-season work at wide receiver. Seems like a good idea, seeing if the best back on many boards in April can be a more durable Percy Harvin/Le’Veon Bell in September and October…I don’t see a downside here; even if Etienne doesn’t get flanked out much, the Jags would know at least if he can be the kind of versatile back to do Alvin Kamara things out of the backfield.”

King on Tim Tebow: “I don’t get too bothered by Tim Tebow taking up one of 90 training-camp roster spots in Jacksonville. As to how it’s going to impact the locker room, as many have pointed out, the Jaguars are a team that likely will have more than half the roster turned over this year from opening day last year. They were 1-15. This is a new day, with a new coach, and yes, Tebow would be able to get one of 90 slots with only one coach, Urban Meyer.”

Read the full FMIA column here and catch the weekly Peter King Podcast here.

The following are additional highlights of NBC Sports’ NFL coverage:

    • PFT Live with NBC Sports’ Mike Florio and Chris Simms streams live on Peacock from 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. ET on weekdays, followed by The Dan Patrick Show at 9 a.m. ET, The Rich Eisen Show at Noon ET, Brother From Another at 3 p.m. ET, PFT PM at 5 p.m. ET. At 6 p.m. ET, Chris Simms Unbuttoned streams Tuesday-Friday.
    • com continues to provide the latest news and updates.
    • The Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and NBC Sports EDGE’s A Good Football Show continue the NFL discussion.

 

A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May 2019 that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

—NBC SPORTS—

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL HAS BIGGEST GAMES IN NFL’S “BIGGEST SEASON EVER”: TOM BRADY’S RETURN TO NEW ENGLAND, MAHOMES VS. JACKSON, AFC CHAMPIONSHIP REMATCH, AND SUPER BOWL LVI ON NBC & PEACOCK

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Peacock to Stream Every Sunday Night Football Game & Football Night in America Studio Show for 2021 Season

Buccaneers, Chiefs, Cowboys, Packers & 49ers Make SNF-High 3 Appearances Apiece 

Primetime TV’s #1 Show for Unprecedented 10 Consecutive Years Features Major Matchups & Storylines, Including:

  • Tom Brady vs. Dak Prescott (NFL Kickoff)
  • Matthew Stafford’s Rams Debut vs. Bears (Opening Sunday)
  • Patrick Mahomes vs. Lamar Jackson (Sept. 19)
  • Tom Brady Returns to Foxboro (Oct. 3)
  • Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes in AFC Championship Rematch (Oct. 10)
  • Russell Wilson vs. Ben Roethlisberger (Oct. 17)
  • Bills at Saints in Primetime on Thanksgiving (Nov. 25)

 

“Division Rivalry December”: 49ers-Seahawks (Dec. 5); Bears-Packers in Most-Played Matchup in NFL History (Dec. 12); Saints-Bucs (Dec. 19); WFT-Cowboys (Dec. 26); plus, Vikings-Packers on Jan. 2

NBC Sports Kicks Off NFL Season in Tampa Bay & Crowns Champion at Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles

NBC Sports to Present SNF-High Four Postseason Games

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 12, 2021 – NBC Sunday Night Football, America’s No. 1 primetime television show for an unprecedented 10 consecutive years, will bookend the NFL’s “Biggest Season Ever” from NFL Kickoff 2021 in Tampa to the final whistle of its biggest game – Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles – on Feb. 13, 2022.

The 2021 Sunday Night Football schedule on NBC and Peacock will feature 20 NFL games during the 2021 regular season, as well as four postseason games and one preseason contest. It’s the most NFL games for NBCUniversal in one season since NBC began broadcasting Sunday Night Football in 2006.

In its first season with rights to stream the NFL, Peacock will stream all NBC Sunday Night Football games, including the playoffs and Super Bowl LVI, and the Football Night in America studio show. Peacock will also produce a new exclusive, expanded postgame show following SNF each week.

On this season’s SNF schedule are many of the league’s most eagerly anticipated matchups, with nine games featuring two 2020 playoff teams, including the AFC Championship rematch between Buffalo and Kansas City on Oct. 10.

All 2020 NFL playoff teams are on the NBC SNF schedule, including three games each for the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs, and NFC North champion Green Bay Packers.

Highlights of the 2021 NBC Sunday Night Football schedule:

    • The season begins with NFL Kickoff 2021 on Thursday, Sept. 9 from Raymond James Stadium, as Tom Brady and the Super Bowl-champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott, who returns from an Oct. 2020 injury.
    • In the season opener of Sunday Night Football on Sunday, Sept. 12, Rams fans will get their first in-person look at the new and spectacular SoFi Stadium, as well as their new quarterback Matthew Stafford, who joined in an offseason trade. The Rams host Khalil Mack and Chicago Bears, who welcome two new quarterbacks in Andy Dalton and first-round draft pick Justin Fields.
    • Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs visit Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in a matchup of electric quarterback stars on Sept. 19. Mahomes won the 2018 NFL MVP and followed a season later with Super Bowl LIV MVP honors, while Jackson was named 2019 NFL MVP.
    • In what will be one of the most anticipated regular-season games in recent NFL history, Tom Brady returns to Foxboro, where he won six Super Bowls with New England and became the winningest quarterback in NFL history, as the Bucs visit the Patriots on Oct. 3.
    • One week later, on Oct. 10, it’s an AFC Championship Game rematch on SNF as Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills visit Mahomes and the Chiefs.
    • Super Bowl champion quarterbacks meet on Oct. 17 as Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks visit Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The SNF October slate concludes with a Halloween night matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings.
    • November is headlined by a Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders matchup on Nov. 14, one year after last season’s SNF thriller between these teams featured four fourth-quarter lead changes, and a Mahomes game-winning TD pass with 28 seconds remaining. This will be the first SNF game with fans at the Raiders’ new Allegiant Stadium.
    • The special Thanksgiving night matchup features the AFC East champion Buffalo Bills visiting the NFC South champion New Orleans Saints, who will play in their third Thanksgiving primetime game in four years. The holiday weekend concludes with a clash of AFC North playoff teams as Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns visit Lamar Jackson and the Ravens on Sunday, Nov. 28.
    • “Divisional Rivalry December” on Sunday Night Football features many of the sport’s top rivalries: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (combined to win 8 of last 11 NFC West titles) on Dec. 5; Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers on Dec. 12 in the most-played matchup in NFL history; New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 19; and a classic Washington-Dallas NFC East battle on Dec. 26.
    • January features another great rivalry as the Green Bay Packers host the Minnesota Vikings on January 2, followed by #Game272 in Week 18 – the NFL’s final regular-season game, which will have an impact on the playoffs.

 

NBC SPORTS TO PRESENT 25 NFL GAMES IN 2020: On NBC and Peacock, NBC Sports will present 20 regular-season games, including 18 regular-season Sunday Night Football games, NFL Kickoff 2021, and the annual Thanksgiving night game. NBC’s original Sunday Night Football agreement, which began in 2006, included 17 regular-season games. It was increased to 18 games in 2010, 19 games in 2012, and 20 games this season. NBC Sports will present four postseason games on NBC and Peacock – the most for the network since the debut of NBC’s SNF package in 2006 — with Super Bowl LVI, a Divisional Playoff game and two Wild Card Playoff games. In the preseason, NBC and Peacock will be home to the Cleveland Browns at the Atlanta Falcons on Sun., Aug. 29.

NFL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE ON NBC AND PEACOCK: On the weekend of January 15-16, NBC and Peacock deliver a pair of Wild Card Playoff games, including the primetime Sunday Wild Card playoff game, followed by a Divisional Playoff game on the weekend of January 22-23. Then, it’s the greatest spectacle in American sports with Super Bowl LVI on NBC and Peacock from spectacular SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 13.

NBCSPORTS.COM & NBC SPORTS APP TO LIVE STREAM ALL NBC NFL GAMES: NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream all NBC games to desktops, mobile, tablets, and connected TVs via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The full HD-quality video stream will come directly from NBC’s broadcasts. NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox, and Chromecast.

SNF ON PACE TO BE TELEVISION’S NO. 1 PRIMETIME SHOW FOR RECORD 10TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR: Sunday Night Football topped all primetime television series in the fall and is once again pacing to finish as primetime’s #1 TV show in all key metrics for an unprecedented 10th consecutive year. NBC’s SNF extended its record for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on official live plus same day data provided by Nielsen.

Most Consecutive Years, #1 Ranked Show in Primetime, Since 1950

10 years in a row – Sunday Night Football (2011-12 through 2020-21; on pace)

6 years in a row – American Idol (2005-06 through 2010-11)

5 years in a row – The Cosby Show (1985-86 through 1989-90)…tied Cheers in ‘89-90

5 years in a row – All in the Family (1971-72 through 1975-76)

4 years in a row – Gunsmoke (1957-58 through 1960-61)

 

2021 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Thurs. Sept. 9 NFL Kickoff  Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sun. Sept. 12 Week 1   Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams
Sun. Sept. 19 Week 2   Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens
Sun. Sept. 26 Week 3   Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers
Sun. Oct. 3 Week 4 Tampa Bay Bucs at New England Patriots
*Sun. Oct. 10 Week 5   Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs
*Sun. Oct. 17 Week 6 Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers
*Sun. Oct. 24 Week 7 Indianapolis Colts at San Francisco 49ers
*Sun. Oct. 31 Week 8 Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings
*Sun. Nov. 7 Week 9 Tennessee Titans at Los Angeles Rams
*Sun. Nov. 14 Week 10 Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders
*Sun. Nov. 21 Week 11  Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Chargers
**Thurs. Nov. 25 Week 12 Buffalo Bills at New Orleans Saints
*Sun. Nov. 28 Week 12 Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens
*Sun. Dec. 5 Week 13 San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
*Sun. Dec. 12 Week 14 Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
*Sun. Dec. 19 Week 15 New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
*Sun. Dec. 26 Week 16 Washington Football Team at Dallas Cowboys
*Sun. Jan. 2 Week 17 Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
*Sun. Jan. 9 Week 18 TBD

 *Flex Week

** Thanksgiving Night Game

 

FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING: Flexible scheduling will be used in Weeks 11-18. Additionally, in Weeks 5-10, flexible scheduling may be used in no more than two weeks. In Weeks 5-17, the schedule lists the games tentatively set for Sunday Night Football on NBC. Only Sunday afternoon games are eligible to be moved to Sunday night, in which case the tentatively scheduled Sunday night game would be moved to an afternoon start time.  

For Week 18, two Saturday games and the Sunday night game will be announced no later than six days prior to January 9. The schedule does not list Saturday games or a Sunday night game in Week 18, but games with playoff implications will be moved to those time slots.  Flexible scheduling ensures quality matchups in all Sunday time slots in those weeks and gives “surprise” teams a chance to play their way into primetime.    

For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com

—SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL—

ESPN’s 19-Game NFL Regular Season Slate Decorated with Star Power, Multiple MVPs, Divisional Matchups, and Compelling Storylines

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ESPN’s 19-Game NFL Regular Season Slate Decorated with Star Power, Multiple MVPs, Divisional Matchups, and Compelling Storylines

The post ESPN’s 19-Game NFL Regular Season Slate Decorated with Star Power, Multiple MVPs, Divisional Matchups, and Compelling Storylines appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..

TOM BRADY, DAK PRESCOTT, AARON DONALD & KHALIL MACK HEADLINE NFL KICKOFF GAME AND SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL OPENER ON NBC & PEACOCK

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Tom Brady & Defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers Host Dak Prescott & Dallas Cowboys in NFL Kickoff 2021 Thursday, Sept. 9 at 8:20 p.m. ET

Sunday Night Football Season Opener Features Matthew Stafford’s Rams Debut vs. Chicago Bears on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 8:20 p.m. ET, as Fans Welcomed to Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium for First Time

Full Schedule for SNF – Primetime TV’s #1 Show for Unprecedented 10 Consecutive Years – to be Announced Tonight at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network

Peacock to Stream Every Sunday Night Football Game & Football Night in America Studio Show for 2021 Season

Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Drew Brees and Host Mike Tirico to Discuss 2021 SNF Schedule During First Intermission of Tonight’s Minnesota Wild-St. Louis Blues Game (9 p.m. ET on NBCSN)

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 12, 2021 – The NFL announced this morning on TODAY that its 2021 season – “The Biggest Season Ever” – will begin with Tom Brady and the Super Bowl-champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers facing Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday, Sept. 9 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

Three days later in the season opener of Sunday Night Football – primetime TV’s #1 show for an unprecedented 10 consecutive seasons – three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald and new Los Angeles teammate, eight-time 4,000-yard passer Matthew Stafford host Khalil Mack and the Chicago Bears, as the Rams welcome fans to SoFi Stadium for the first time at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

NBC Sports will present the first snap of the opening game in Tampa and the final snap as the league crowns a champion in Los Angeles at Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, 2022 at SoFi Stadium on NBC and Peacock. The remainder of the 2021 NFL schedule will be released tonight at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network.

In its first season with rights to stream the NFL, Peacock will stream all NBC Sunday Night Football games, including the Playoffs and Super Bowl LVI, and the Football Night in America studio show. Peacock will also produce a new exclusive, expanded postgame show following SNF each week.

During the first intermission of tonight’ Minnesota Wild-St. Louis Blues NHL game, beginning at 9 p.m. ET on NBCSN, Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth and new Football Night in America studio analyst Drew Brees will join NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico to discuss the 2021 SNF schedule.

NBC SPORTS’ 2021 NFL KICKOFF WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Thurs. Sept. 9 Week 1 Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sun. Sept. 12 Week 1 Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams

 

Sunday Night Football topped all primetime television series in the fall and is once again pacing to finish as primetime’s #1 TV show in all key metrics for an unprecedented 10th consecutive year. NBC’s SNF extended its record for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on official live plus same day data provided by Nielsen.

Most Consecutive Years, #1 Ranked Show in Primetime, Since 1950

10 years in a row – Sunday Night Football (2011-12 through 2020-21; on pace)

6 years in a row – American Idol (2005-06 through 2010-11)

5 years in a row – The Cosby Show (1985-86 through 1989-90)…tied Cheers in ‘89-90

5 years in a row – All in the Family (1971-72 through 1975-76)

4 years in a row – Gunsmoke (1957-58 through 1960-61)

 

–NBC SPORTS–

ESPN Celebrates the 2021 NFL Schedule Unveiling with Three Primetime Specials on Wednesday Night; ABC’s Good Morning America Begins the Day with Monday Night Football News

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ESPN Celebrates the 2021 NFL Schedule Unveiling with Three Primetime Specials on Wednesday Night; ABC’s Good Morning America Begins the Day with Monday Night Football News

The post ESPN Celebrates the 2021 NFL Schedule Unveiling with Three Primetime Specials on Wednesday Night; ABC’s Good Morning America Begins the Day with Monday Night Football News appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..

ESPN Re-Signs Multifaceted Reporter and Host Marty Smith

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ESPN has re-signed reporter and host Marty Smith to a multi-year contract extension. Smith, one of ESPN’s most popular and recognized on-air personalities, will continue his work on a variety of sports and properties, including college football and basketball, a multitude of professional sports, the NFL Draft, motorsports and more.

The post ESPN Re-Signs Multifaceted Reporter and Host Marty Smith appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..

PETER KING SPEAKS WITH DOLPHINS HEAD COACH BRIAN FLORES & GENERAL MANAGER CHRIS GRIER, DETAILS MIAMI’S DRAFT TRADES IN THIS WEEK’S “FMIA” COLUMN

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“We all talk about how much the game has changed over the years. But if the passing game has revolutionized the game on the field, the trading game has been transformative too.” – King on NFL general manager’s willingness to trade

 “I think we’re in a different age. Football has evolved. A lot of general managers are willing to trade now – you’ve seen that over the past few years. Some of it probably goes back to the ‘Moneyball’ craze.” – Dolphins GM Chris Grier to King

 “Tampa Bay gets to open at home on Thursday, Sept. 9…My prediction: The foe will be either Buffalo or Dallas.” – King on the NFL’s upcoming schedule release

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 10, 2021 – Peter King speaks with Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and general manager Chris Grier as he details Miami’s 2021 NFL Draft moves and trade philosophies in this week’s edition of Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com. King also discusses the NFL’S upcoming schedule announcement, offers additional team draft notes, and speaks with Colts first-round pick Kwity Paye about his journey from Liberia to the NFL.

Peacock’s free, exclusive NBC Sports channel has weekday sports talk programming from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. ET, which includes extensive NFL coverage from PFT Live featuring Mike Florio and Chris Simms live at 7 a.m. ET, followed by The Dan Patrick Show at 9 a.m. ET, The Rich Eisen Show at Noon ET, Peacock Original Brother From Another, with Michael Holley and Michael Smith, at 3 p.m. ET, and PFT PM at 5 p.m. ET. Chris Simms Unbuttoned streams at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday-Friday. ProFootballTalk.com continues to provide the latest offseason news, NBC Sports EDGE’s A Good Football Show and the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast discuss offseason storylines.

The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:

MIAMI DOLPHINS

King on Miami under GM Chris Grier: “Since taking over as general manager with full personnel power in Miami 28 months ago, Grier has made 28 trades. If that seems like a lot of deals, it is…Many Miami deals have been done on the clock during drafts. But Grier’s 25th and 26th trades left major imprints on three teams in this draft, and the impact of the deals will be felt for years…In his 28 months as exclusive steward of the Miami roster, Grier has traded away seven first and second-round picks, and acquired 12 of them.”

King: “We all talk about how much the game has changed over the years. But if the passing game has revolutionized the game on the field, the trading game has been transformative too. A cadre of young, aggressive general managers, who learn from peers in all sports, don’t treat high picks like immovable objects anymore.”

Grier to King on trading: “I think we’re in a different age. Football has evolved. A lot of general managers are willing to trade now – you’ve seen that over the past few years. Some of it probably goes back to the ‘Moneyball’ craze, when people started looking at how it’s done in other sports.”

Dolphins head coach Brian Flores to King on roster-building with Grier: “You mentioned that philosophically, coaches are about today and not about the future. I guess I’m more in tune with the future. When I get into my coaching short-term thought process, Chris pulls me out of that…We have a similar vision for what we want the team to look like.”

King on the 49ers’ original trade offer to Miami: “On March 4, (49ers GM John) Lynch offered San Francisco’s first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 to move from 12 to three. A very strong offer, two ones to move up nine spots in the draft. Now the Dolphins knew San Francisco wanted to get up that high to take a quarterback…And with so many teams coveting quarterbacks in this draft, that’s where the leverage came in. Grier could wait for a more aggressive offer. And knowing he had a good offer in hand, Grier could ask around between four and eight – would any team want to go back to 12?”

King: “The Dolphins saw the top of the draft this way: Picks 1, 2, 3, quarterbacks. Pick 4 (Atlanta), a quarterback or tight end Kyle Pitts. Pick 5 (Cincinnati), likely (Ja’Marr) Chase, or possibly tackle Penei Sewell…Grier probably wouldn’t move back to 12 unless he could move back up to get (Jaylen) Waddle, or one of the offensive impact players.”

Grier on moving back up in the draft after trading down to No. 12: “We knew that (Alabama receiver) DeVonta Smith, if he was the other guy, who is a very good player, was not going to be there at 12. We knew the players that we wanted would not be there at 12. We had very good intel, we’d done our work. We were 100 percent sure we were not going to get a targeted player, especially Jaylen, staying at 12…We felt six was the spot for us to get Waddle.”

King on the Dolphins trading back up to No. 6 with the Eagles: “The Eagles, at six, were the perfect target. GM Howie Roseman loved trading, and he had a reason to want to collect draft capital: If Jalen Hurts didn’t put a solid grip on the starting quarterback job this fall, Philly might need draft picks to target one of the top quarterbacks in next year’s draft – or maybe even Deshaun Watson.”

Grier on trading: “To me, it’s never about winning a trade. It’s about being open, honest and working toward getting a deal both sides feel good about.”

King on the Dolphins’ philosophy in 2021: “In the first two years Grier and Flores worked together, so much of the draft prep and trading was about the future. This draft was more about the future is now…So in 2019, the Dolphins might have moved from three to 12 and kept all their future ones instead of trading a one to move back up to six.”

Flores: “The guys we got in ’19, the guys we got in ’20, the guys we got in ’21, that we get in this draft, that’s the team…As we move forward, that’s going to be the crux or the big chunk of our team. They’ll be the reason why we make noise or don’t make noise.”

King on Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa: “There’s much riding on Tagovailoa for Grier. Miami built a warchest of picks to be able to draft a quarterback, and if Tagovailoa’s not the guy, it’ll set the rebuild back significantly – and force Miami to use more draft capital on a quarterback, likely in 2023.”

King on the Dolphins learning from others across sports: “Grier and Flores have brain-picked with GMs across leagues. Grier learned from his dad, former Patriots personnel man Bobby Grier, and one of his bosses in Miami, Bill Parcells – but also from baseball GMs Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, and several NHL GMs. Flores has gotten to know Miami Heat execs, and learned from Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti and an assistant GM with the Nets, Andy Birdsong.”

UPDATES ON 11

King on the 2021 NFL schedule: “Tampa Bay gets to open at home on Thursday, Sept. 9, with the 2020 champs beginning 2021 with basically the exact same roster. My prediction: The foe will be either Buffalo or Dallas…The Bills could go to Tampa and win the opener, and the Cowboys, with Dak Prescott leading an explosive offense, would be able to go toe-to-toe with the Arians/Brady offense.”

King on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers: “It’s the calm after the storm. Don’t look for anything significant to happen for the next couple of weeks or so. The Packers are dug in, and they’re looking for a way to olive-branch a peace treaty. Rodgers is dug in, too, and likely still wants a new start somewhere.”

King on Packers GM Brian Gutekunst: “I think there are quite a few reasons why Brian Gutekunst will not be fired by the Green Bay Packers, but this happens to be my favorite one. In regular-season and postseason games played since Gutekunst was named GM of the franchise, the Packers are 34-17-1. In that same period, New England is 33-19.”

Khan on Tim Tebow and the Jaguars: “I hear the Jaguars will wait till after this weekend’s rookie mini-camp to assess their roster and maybe see how much they think they can get in the overall blocking/receiving from fifth-round tight end Luke Farrell of Ohio State. But after declining to keep solid vet Tyler Eifert last week, the Jags have a major need at tight end.”

King on Colts first-round pick Kwity Paye: “The story of the draft, in my opinion, is not satisfied. Paye was born in a refugee camp in western Africa, his mother trying to escape war in their native Liberia. She sent him to live with an uncle in Rhode Island when he was 6 months old, and he used a determination to make life better for his mother to earn a football scholarship to Michigan.”

Paye to King on moving to America: “I don’t think I’d be here speaking with you today if we stayed in Liberia at that time. I feel like my story just shows with persistent hard work and dedication, you can really achieve anything. When you put your mind to something and really work towards it, there’s just nothing you can’t do.”

Paye to King on his and is mother’s reaction to being drafted: “We just danced all day. I had blisters on my feet – we were just dancing all night. Yeah, it was just a heartwarming experience to just see her in that moment, and for her to be so proud and just for her to…for all the hard work to finally come back to her, I would say.”

King on Seahawks WR DK Metcalf, who ran in 100m heats at yesterday’s USATF Golden Games: “Metcalf ran a 10.37-second 100-meter dash in the U.S. Track and Field Golden Games, finishing 15th of 17 sprinters in the prestigious event. Imagine if the 235-pound Metcalf dropped 20 pounds and trained for the event. If he cut one-fifth of a second from his time, he might make the Olympics one day.”

DRAFT NOTES

King on the Bills: “All eyes on Gregory Rousseau, the first-round pick with some fascinating tools to be an NFL edge-rusher. Problem is, he’s started seven college games at the spot, and the Bills need an edge presence pronto.”

King on the Bengals: “They better be right on Ja’Marr Chase. I like the decision – if second-round offensive lineman Jackson Carman can develop into a long-term starter at guard or tackle that the Bengals desperately need. But if Joe Burrow gets hurt again, well, the Bengals will be second-guessing themselves.”

King on the Cowboys: “What most interested me about the Dallas draft is how unfamous it was. First six picks: linebacker, cornerback, defensive tackle, defensive end, cornerback, linebacker. Add Keanu Neal (a favorite of new DC Dan Quinn from Atlanta) and I think you could see a defensive makeover here.”

King on the Chiefs: “The offensive line that was so sickly at the Super Bowl looks darn good now, especially after taking center Creed Humphrey from Oklahoma in the second round.”

King on the 49ers: “The best thing happened. The Niners didn’t trade Jimmy Garoppolo, and the Niners got their quarterback of the future. This is actually a good thing for Garoppolo – because he’ll have the chance to show the team made a huge mistake by drafting his successor by being the clear choice to start the season with a fortified team.”

King on the Buccaneers: “One quarterback-studier this spring called Kyle Trask a “Kent Graham type, a guy with a good-enough arm but just so slow.” Could be. I think that was said about a certain University of Michigan quarterback 21 years ago.”

Read the full FMIA column here and catch the weekly Peter King Podcast here.

The following are additional highlights of NBC Sports’ NFL coverage:

    • PFT Live with NBC Sports’ Mike Florio and Chris Simms streams live on Peacock from 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. ET on weekdays, followed by The Dan Patrick Show at 9 a.m. ET, The Rich Eisen Show at Noon ET, Brother From Another at 3 p.m. ET, PFT PM at 5 p.m. ET. At 6 p.m. ET, Chris Simms Unbuttoned streams Tuesday-Friday.
    • ProFootballTalk.com continues to provide the latest news and updates.
    • The Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and NBC Sports EDGE’s A Good Football Show continue the NFL discussion.

 

A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May 2019 that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

—NBC SPORTS—