nfl kickoff

NBC SPORTS POSTS LARGEST TWO-GAME NFL KICKOFF WEEKEND AUDIENCE SINCE 2015, AVERAGING NEARLY 25 MILLION VIEWERS ACROSS NBC AND PEACOCK

September 12, 2023 By admin

NFL Kickoff Weekend Games on NBC are Two Most-Watched Primetime Shows Across All Media Since Super Bowl LVII in February

UPDATE: Following Nielsen Adjustment, NFL Kickoff Game Audience Increases to 27.5 Million Viewers to Rank as the Most-Watched Kickoff Game Since 2015

Led by Peacock, NFL Kickoff Weekend Games are NBC Sports’ Two Most-Streamed Regular-Season Games Ever

STAMFORD, Conn. – September 12, 2023 – With the return of NBC’s Sunday Night Football – primetime’s #1 show for an unprecedented 12 consecutive years – and last Thursday’s NFL Kickoff Game, NBC Sports delivered its largest two-game NFL Kickoff Weekend audience since 2015, averaging 24.9 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, NBC Sports Digital and NFL Digital platforms.

The two games – Detroit Lions-Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL Kickoff Game and Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants in the SNF opener – rank as media’s two most-watched primetime shows since Super Bowl LVII in February on FOX.

Led by Peacock, the two NFL Kickoff Weekend games are NBC Sports’ two most-streamed NFL regular-season games ever.

Additional NBC Sports’ NFL Kickoff Weekend viewership notes:

- Despite the most-lopsided shutout in NBC Sunday Night Football history (since 2006), the Cowboys’ 40-0 win over the Giants on Sunday averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 21.8 million viewers – up 4% from the teams’ last meeting on SNF (a seven-point game in Week 2 of 2018; 21.0 million). Viewership peaked early in the first half at 25.9 million viewers from 9-9:15 p.m. ET.
- Following a Nielsen adjustment, the TAD for Lions-Chiefs has increased to 27.5 million viewers, ranking as the largest NFL Kickoff Game audience since 2015 (surpassing the 2021 opener). In addition, the adjusted peak audience for the game is 30 million viewers from 9:15-9:30 p.m. ET.
- NBC Sports’ two-game NFL Kickoff Weekend average of 24.9 million viewers is up 7% from last year (23.3 million).
- The Average Minute Audience (AMA) for Thursday night’s live stream via Peacock, NBC Sports Digital platforms, and NFL Digital platforms, was 2.8 million viewers – the largest audience ever for an NBC Sports regular-season NFL game and second-all time for any NBC NFL game, topping three Super Bowls (trailing only Super Bowl LVI in 2022).
- Led by Peacock, Sunday night’s game delivered an AMA of 1.8 million viewers – NBC Sports’ most-streamed Sunday night NFL game on record and up 11% from last year.
- Sunday night’s game (8:23 p.m.-11:03 p.m. ET) registered a national TV household rating of 10.4/29.

Viewership figures are based upon live + same day data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics.

TOP METERED MARKETS FOR COWBOYS-GIANTS (based on 44 markets available):

1.	Dallas	27.4/63
2.	San Antonio	21.1/52
3.	Austin	15.9/44
4.	Norfolk	14.4/35
5.	Kansas City	14.2/36
6.	Philadelphia	12.9/31
7.	Washington, DC	12.4/36
8.	New York	12.3/33
9.	Nashville	12.2/30
10.	Charlotte	12.1/34

–SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL–

PATRICK MAHOMES, DAK PRESCOTT, JARED GOFF, AND DANIEL JONES LEAD STAR-STUDDED NFL KICKOFF WEEKEND BEGINNING THIS THURSDAY ON NBC, PEACOCK AND TELEMUNDO DEPORTES

September 5, 2023 By admin

Patrick Mahomes and Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs Host Jared Goff and Detroit Lions in NFL Kickoff Game This Thursday in Primetime

Coverage Thursday Begins with NFL Kickoff Special Featuring Football Night in America Team On-Site at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium at 7 p.m. ET; Followed by 8:20 p.m. ET Kickoff on NBC, Peacock and Universo

Dak Prescott and Dallas Cowboys Visit Daniel Jones and New York Giants in Season Debut of Sunday Night Football on Sept. 10 – Coverage Begins with Football Night in America at 7 p.m. ET, Leading into Kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, Telemundo and Universo

NFL Kickoff Eve Special Tomorrow, Wed., Sept. 6, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, Featuring TODAY’s Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie, FNIA’s Maria Taylor, Devin McCourty and Jason Garrett, and More

STAMFORD, Conn. – Sept. 5, 2023 – NBC Sports will open the NFL season with the 2023 NFL Kickoff Game this Thursday, Sept. 7, when two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs raise their Super Bowl LVII banner before hosting Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET with the NFL Kickoff Special, followed by kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, and Universo.

In the first 16 seasons of SNF, the defending Super Bowl champions have won 11 NFL Kickoff Games. This will be the second time the Chiefs have played in the NFL’s opening game with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, following Kansas City’s 34-20 win against the Houston Texans to open the 2020 season.

Sunday Night Football — America’s No. 1 primetime television show for an unprecedented 12 consecutive years — debuts three days later on Sunday, Sept. 10, with a pair of NFC East playoff teams as Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys visit Daniel Jones and the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. This matchup marks the series-high fifth time that the Cowboys and Giants have met in the opening NBC Sunday Night Football game. Coverage begins with Football Night in America — the most-watched studio show in sports — at 7 p.m. ET, leading into kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, and Universo.

Calling both matchups is Mike Tirico (play-by-play); 17-time Emmy Award winner Cris Collinsworth (analyst); and Melissa Stark (sideline reporter). Three-time Super Bowl referee Terry McAulay is the Sunday Night Football rules analyst.

NBC’s coverage of Sunday Night Football is led by executive producer Rob Hyland and director Drew Esocoff. SNF has won a record 11 Sports Emmys for Outstanding Live Sports Series.

Coverage of the 2023 NFL Kickoff Game begins on Thursday with the NFL Kickoff Special at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The pregame show, headlined by a special on-site edition of Football Night in America in Kansas City, will feature host Maria Taylor, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, three-time Super Bowl Champion Devin McCourty, and former NFL quarterback Chris Simms, as well as Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl champion Rodney Harrison, NFL insider Mike Florio, fantasy sports industry pioneer Matthew Berry, and co-host Jac Collinsworth.

Football Night, the most-watched studio show in sports since its debut in 2006, begins every Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. The coordinating producer of FNIA is Matt Casey. FNIA is directed by Kaare Numme.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept. 6, NBC will present NFL Kickoff Eve at 9 p.m. ET, a special hour-long show featuring Taylor, Garrett, and McCourty from Football Night in America, TODAY’s Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie, NFL Network’s Kurt Warner, Super Bowl champion Andrew Whitworth, and many more as they prepare for NFL Kickoff and an exciting 2023 season.

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 2023 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, while Berry will host a weekly segment called “DraftKings Crowning Moments,” where the fantasy sports analyst will discuss his successful bets from that day; he will also provide fantasy advice and an early look at the waiver wire. Football Night in America’s studio team will also provide recaps and insights into the day’s biggest moments, while Florio will provide injury and news updates.

The SNF team of Tirico, Collinsworth, Stark and Hyland previewed the 2023 NFL season on media conference calls last week. Click here for quotes from the SNF call.

PEACOCK TO STREAM EXCLUSIVE REGULAR-SEASON AND WILD CARD GAME; WILL LIVE STREAM ALL NBC NFL GAMES THIS SEASON

Peacock is set to make history twice this season, with the first time being in Week 16 with the first-ever Peacock-exclusive regular season NFL game featuring Josh Allen and the Bills visiting Justin Herbert and the Chargers on Saturday, Dec. 23. Peacock will also be home to the first-ever exclusive live streamed NFL Playoff game during Wild Card Weekend on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. All of NBC Sports’ NFL regular -season games, playoff games, and Football Night in America will also stream live on Peacock this season.

Peacock features a slate of sports talk content NFL fans can enjoy on the NBC Sports channel, which is free to stream. Shows include Brother from Another, as well as The Dan Patrick Show, PFT Live, PFT PM, Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry, The Peter King Podcast, and Chris Simms Unbuttoned.

To learn more about the NFL on Peacock, including how to watch and sign up, click here.

NBCSPORTS.COM & NBC SPORTS APP TO LIVE STREAM ALL NBC NFL GAMES

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream live coverage to desktops, mobile, tablets, and connected TVs via authentication, 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.

TELEMUNDO DEPORTES TO PRESENT ENTIRE NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE, INCLUDING PLAYOFFS

Telemundo Deportes will again provide exclusive Spanish-language coverage of the entire NBC Sunday Night Football package with 20 regular season games, including this Thursday’s NFL Kickoff Game, 18 regular-season Sunday Night Football games, and the annual Thanksgiving night game, which will air on Telemundo. Telemundo Deportes will present four playoff matchups, including a Divisional Playoff game and three Wild Card Playoff games. NBC Sports’ NFL games this season will also be available on live stream via TelemundoDeportes.com and the Telemundo Deportes app.

Telemundo Deportes’s SNF announce team consists of Emmy-award winning sports journalist and play-by-play announcer Miguel Gurwitz and former Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Rolando Cantu this season with Ariana Figuera serving as analyst and supporting pre- and post-game studio coverage. Emmy-nominated Ana Jurka joins the team as host.

PETER KING’S NFL COLUMN “FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA” DEBUTS EVERY MONDAY EXCLUSIVELY ON NBCSPORTS.COM

A new “Football Morning in America” will post every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com. 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. The Peter King Podcast streams weekly on Peacock on Thursdays at 6 p.m. ET.

CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED

NBC Sports’ Chris Simms examines everything happening in the NFL and around the sports world. Along with a rotation of NBC Sports hosts including Ahmed Fareed and Paul Burmeister, Chris Simms Unbuttoned analyses the NFL with in-depth Xs and Os breakdowns; one-on-one interviews with players, coaches and executives; and game recaps and preview. The show is available to stream on Peacock on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and is also available in podcast form here.

FANTASY FOOTBALL HAPPY HOUR WITH MATTHEW BERRY

Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry, NBC Sports’ daily fantasy football and sports betting show, streams every weekday every weekday at Noon ET on Peacock. “Fantasy Football Happy Hour” discusses the most newsworthy fantasy football and sports betting topics and is co-hosted by Jay Croucher and features analysis and advice from regular guests including NBC Sports’ Chris Simms, Mike Florio and Peter King, NBC Sports EDGE’s Denny Carter, Pat Daugherty, Vaughn Dalzell, Lawrence Jackson, and more. The show, which is available on all major podcast platforms and via NBC Sports Audio on SiriusXM Radio, features fantasy football rankings, start/sit suggestions, waiver wire advice, betting futures, player props, and more.

ROTOWORLD

Rotoworld, the industry-leading source for fantasy football news and information, , offers comprehensive fantasy football and betting coverage throughout the 2023 NFL season across NBC Sports’ platforms. The 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide, featuring the most comprehensive player profiles, ranking and projections in the industry plus Matthew Berry’s annual “100 Facts” article and additional exclusive content from Rotoworld’s team of expert analysts, is available now. Click here for more information.

PFT LIVE – WEEKDAYS AT 7 A.M. ET ON PEACOCK

Mike Florio and co-host Chris Simms bring fans the latest NFL news and interviews with players and coaches every weekday morning with PFT Live streaming live on Peacock at 7 a.m. ET. Peter King also contributes regularly to PFT Live’s coverage throughout the season.

The two-hour PFT Live is known for delivering inside information and comprehensive analysis from an independent perspective. The show covers all the latest news around the league, breaks down reports and rumors and features interviews with players, coaches and executives.

PODCASTS

NBC Sports’ football podcasts provide extensive weekly offerings from NBC Sports’ most popular personalities and present special guests, exclusive interviews, and robust conversations across all of football on The Peter King Podcast, Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry, Chris Simms Unbuttoned, PFT PM, and Rotoworld Football Show, along with college football on B1G Talk with Todd and Noah and Go B1G or Go Home. While The Peter King Podcast features intimate discussions with the NFL’s top players, Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry is NBC Sports’ fantasy daily sports betting show, Chris Simms Unbuttoned and PFT PM dive into deep conversations around the sports’ hottest topics, and Rotoworld Football Show explores fantasy implications for fans. New episodes of NBC Sports podcasts are available for download each week on all major podcast platforms including: NBCSports.com/podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn and iHeart.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SOCIAL MEDIA

- SNF ON INSTAGRAM: Through the unique filter of Instagram, fans will get an in-depth look at each week’s Sunday Night Football game with the most engaging photos and videos from across the NFL. SNF also utilizes Instagram Stories for up-to-the-minute coverage of the league.
- SNF ON TWITTER: The very latest news, video, analysis from the Football Night in America crew and much more lives on @SNFonNBC, the real-time engine for NBC’s year-round NFL coverage.
- SNF ON FACEBOOK: With more than 3.6 million followers, SNF’s Facebook page is the hub of football conversation. It’s the place to converse and engage with fellow fans on the latest news and action across the NFL.
- NBC SPORTS ON TIKTOK: NBC Sports’ presence on TikTok puts the spotlight on the offbeat and exuberant side of the National Football League for a young, highly-engaged audience.

NBC SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS

NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, NBC Sports Chicago, NBC Sports Philadelphia and NBC Sports Washington will again deliver extensive multiplatform coverage of the 2023 NFL season, led by comprehensive live gameday shows, in-depth news, analysis and commentary programming, and multimedia digital content covering the teams in their respective markets.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD

Seven-time Grammy Award-winner and multi-platinum recording artist Carrie Underwood stars in the show open for NBC’s Sunday Night Football. This year’s show open debuts this Sunday night, Sept. 10, before kickoff of Cowboys-Giants on NBC.

The new show open – headlined by an updated rendition of “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” – features a concert performance interspersed with augmented reality highlights displayed across a halo scoreboard. Underwood performed the open from The Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas, home of her ongoing residency, REFLECTION.

NBC’S SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL IS PRIMETIME TELEVISION’S NO. 1 SHOW FOR RECORD 12 CONSECUTIVE YEARS: NBC’s Sunday Night Football finished the 2022-23 TV season as primetime’s #1 TV show in all key metrics for an unprecedented 12^th consecutive year – adding to its record for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on official live plus same day data provided by Nielsen. Sunday Night Football also ranked as the No. 1 show in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic for the 13^th consecutive TV season.

*2023 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL* SCHEDULE**

Thurs. Sept. 7	NFL Kickoff	Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs
Sun. Sept. 10	Week 1	Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
Sun. Sept. 17	Week 2	Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots
Sun. Sept. 24	Week 3	Pittsburgh Steelers at Las Vegas Raiders
Sun. Oct. 1	Week 4	Kansas City Chiefs at New York Jets
*Sun. Oct. 8	Week 5	Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers
*Sun. Oct. 15	Week 6	New York Giants at Buffalo Bills
*Sun. Oct. 22	Week 7	Miami Dolphins at Philadelphia Eagles
*Sun. Oct. 29	Week 8	Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Chargers
*Sun. Nov. 5	Week 9	Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals
*Sun. Nov. 12	Week 10	New York Jets at Las Vegas Raiders
*Sun. Nov. 19	Week 11	Minnesota Vikings at Denver Broncos
**Thurs. Nov. 23	Week 12	San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
*Sun. Nov. 26	Week 12	Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers
*Sun. Dec. 3	Week 13	Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers
*Sun. Dec. 10	Week 14	Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
*Sun. Dec. 17	Week 15	Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars
Sat. Dec. 23 (4:30 p.m. ET)	Week 16	Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers
***Sat. Dec. 23 (8 p.m. ET)	Week 16	Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Chargers
*Sun. Dec. 31	Week 17	Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
*Sun. Jan. 8	Week 18	TBD

*Flex Week

** Thanksgiving Night Game

*** Exclusively on Peacock

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 8. 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.

–SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL–

MIKE TIRICO, CRIS COLLINSWORTH, MELISSA STARK & ROB HYLAND ON NBC SPORTS’ SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL CONFERENCE CALL – THIS WED., AUGUST 30, AT 2 P.M. ET

August 28, 2023 By admin

NBC Sports presents Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting Detroit Lions in NFL Kickoff Game next Thurs., Sept. 7 at 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock, Universo)

Dallas Cowboys visit New York Giants in SNF Opener on Sept. 10 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, Universo

Dial 786-697-3501 to Participate; Passcode: NBC Sports

STAMFORD, Conn. – August 28, 2023 – NBC Sports’ Sunday Night Football announce team, featuring Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth in the booth and Melissa Stark on the sidelines, will join coordinating producer Rob Hyland to preview the upcoming season on a media conference call this Wednesday, August 30, at 2 p.m. ET.

NBC Sports presents two games on NFL Kickoff Weekend, beginning next Thursday, Sept. 7 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and Universo with NFL Kickoff 2023 from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., as two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, winners of two of the last four Super Bowls, raise their Super Bowl LVII banner before hosting Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions, who won eight of their final 10 games last season.

In the season opener of Sunday Night Football on Sunday, Sept. 10 (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, Universo), a pair of NFC East playoff teams meet as Daniel Jones and the New York Giants host Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys. The matchup marks the series-high fifth time that the Cowboys and Giants have met in the opening NBC Sunday Night Football game.

Media interested in participating should call 786-697-3501; Passcode: NBC Sports

- WHAT: NBC Sports 2023 Sunday Night Football Media Conference Call
- WHO: Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark, Rob Hyland
- WHEN: Wednesday, August 30, at 2 p.m. ET
- NUMBER: 786-697-3501
- PASSCODE: NBC Sports

—NBC SPORTS—

NOTES & QUOTES FROM NFL KICKOFF 2015 & PRO FOOTBALL TALK

September 10, 2015 By admin

“Once you admit to bending the rules, disregarding the rules, then you open yourself up to all of these rumors.” – Tony Dungy on Patriots

“I can tell you absolutely as players that we had no idea.” – Rodney Harrison on ‘Spygate’

“He’s taking a victory lap here. This is almost like Cal Ripken with his consecutive games streak.” – Dan Patrick on Tom Brady’s entrance

“Are tranquilizer darts legal in the NFL? Because that’s the only the only way you can bring that guy down.” – Mike Florio on Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger

NBC Sports’ Week 1 Coverage Continues Sept. 13 with Giants-Cowboys NFC East Showdown on Sunday Night Football

STAMFORD, Conn. – Sept. 10, 2015 – NBC’s coverage of the 2015 NFL season began tonight with NFL Kickoff 2015 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Bob Costas opened the show live from inside Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., where the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Dan Patrick co-hosted NFL Kickoff 2015 from inside the stadium and was joined on-site by Football Night in America analysts Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, and Hines Ward, as well Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, and NFL Insider Peter King.

Pre-game coverage also featured performances by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding and Grammy Award-winning band Train live from San Francisco, as part of the NFL’s On The Fifty campaign, which is dedicated to celebrating the Super Bowl and commemorating Super Bowl 50.

Coverage included sit-down interviews between former and current players from each team, as Ward interviewed with Steelers WR Antonio Brown, and Harrison spoke with Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski.

NBC Sports Group’s NFL coverage began with a special 90-minute edition of Pro Football Talk at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN, co-hosted on-site in Foxborough by Mike Florio and Paul Burmeister, alongside Sunday Night Football analyst Harrison, Ward, King, and Fantasy Football Live’s Kay Adams and Ross Tucker.

Pre-game coverage on NBCSN included Florio’s exclusive one-on-one interview with DeMaurice Smith, Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association. Click here to watch Florio’s interview with DeMaurice Smith on NBCSN’s Pro Football Talk.

Pre-game coverage on NFL Kickoff 2015 included an essay from Costas on the ‘Deflategate’ investigation. Click here to watch Costas’ essay on ‘Deflategate’ during NFL Kickoff 2015 on NBC.

Following are highlights from NFL Kickoff 2015 on NBC:

ON PATRIOTS

Patrick on Brady’s entrance: “He’s taking a victory lap here. This is almost like Cal Ripken with his consecutive games streak. He’s saying hello to everyone in this stadium.”

Harrison on head coach Bill Belichick’s calming effect: “Those players never panic because he never panics.”

Harrison on Patriot players’ possible knowledge of ‘Spygate’: “I was in charge of making all of the calls and adjustments in the secondary. I can look you two guys in the eye, and I can look the millions of people in the eye at home, and I can tell you absolutely as players that we had no idea what was going on. We didn’t know the plays.”

Dungy on judging the Patriots’ integrity: “I remember when I was a young player, we thought the Oakland Raiders wet the field down…when I got to Indianapolis as a coach, we got accused of piping in noise or turning up the heat…with the Patriots, there’s one difference, and that’s ‘Spygate.’ Because once you admit to bending the rules, disregarding the rules, then you open yourself up to all of these rumors.”

ON STEELERS

Dungy on Steelers defense: “They’re young. (Head Coach Mike Tomlin) is worried about mistakes. His word for tonight is simplicity. Keep it simple for those young defenders – let them play fast.”

Ward on importance of Antonio Brown: “I’ve been in the huddle with Ben when he’s told me, ‘Hines, I’m coming to you regardless of whatever coverage it is.’ There’s no way he’s not looking for number 84 tonight…if Antonio Brown doesn’t have at least 15 touches tonight, there’s no chance that the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the New England Patriots.”

Dungy on Steelers’ offensive approach: “You’re not going to see a lot of running game. You’re going to see Ben Roethlisberger use his weaponry, and that’s the passing game and those wide receivers against an inexperienced Patriots secondary.”

ON SEAHAWKS

King: “I don’t believe as of now that there’s any way that the Seahawks will consider trading Kam Chancellor…recent reports say they might be close in negotations. I don’t believe that they’re close at all.”

ON GIANTS

Florio: “You can almost stick a fork in the contract negotiations between the Giants and quarterback Eli Manning. They are closing in on a deal, and even though Manning has the leverage to be the highest-paid player in the NFL, he doesn’t want to be. I’m told he wants to be not perceived as greedy, and wants to leave enough money behind to help the Giants put a team around him. The goal is to get the deal done by Saturday, when they head to Dallas.”

Following are highlights from Pro Football Talk on NBCSN:

ON PATRIOTS

Harrison on QB Tom Brady: “He’s one one the most mentally tough guys I’ve ever been around. But he’s still human. He still has feelings. Just imagine waking up every day and instead of thinking about your workouts and thinking about your routine, thinking about lawyers and attorneys…that’s the thing I’m most concerned about with Tom Brady, not having his routine

Florio: “The Commissioner wanted Tom Brady to not be here tonight. Tom Brady is here tonight, by order of a federal judge – and the Commissioner isn’t. It all got twisted upside down at some point over the last few weeks.

Harrison on injuries on Patriots offense: “It’s next man up. It’s the same time. If you listen to Bill Belichick, even when his suspension was uplifted, he said, ‘It’s no big deal. Tom’s back. On to Pittsburgh.’ It’s no big deal because he doesn’t show emotion…that’s the thing that really keeps players calm. Tom Brady’s not panicking.”

Tucker, a former Patriots OL, on difficulties of playing on New England’s offensive line: “I played for five teams – by far (the Patriots were) the toughest team mentally to keep up with things. You’ll hear it, where Brady will say ‘Rita-Omaha-Blue-Go.’ When he said ‘Rita,’ he totally changed who you’re blocking…in that tenth of a second, you better mentally know that you’re blocking somebody else. It’s not like that anywhere in college.

Peter King on emotions of Patriots fans: “It’s conjecture-related. It’s anger-related. Driving in here a couple of hours ago, there were already anti-Goodell signs. I think you’re going to hear a lot of vengeance out of this crowd. I think you’re going to hear a very loud crowd, and I think you’re going to see a great game out of Tom Brady…if he wasn’t playing tonight, it would’ve been venomous.”

Florio: “What does it say that the Commissioner of a major sport can’t attend any game any time he wants? Are we starting to get desensitized to it?…the idea that you have a Commissioner that is under siege for any reason is just odd.”

King: “I think you’re going to see the new COO Tod Lieweke come in…he’s already made a bunch of decisions now that he’s going to be executing in the next few weeks, and I think you’re going to see a change inside the league office. I don’t know who yet, but I think some people are going to be changed up, (people) that are going to be close to Roger Goodell.”

ON STEELERS

Florio on QB Ben Roethlisberger: “Are tranquilizer darts legal in the NFL? Because that’s the only the only way you can bring that guy down.”

King on Steelers defense: “The last three times they’ve played, the New England Patriots have averaged 37 points per game…the Pittsburgh Steelers, in my opinion, are bereft of talent in the secondary, and I think Tom Brady is going to come out early and often and try and strafe them from the opening gun.”

Ward on his memories of the Patriots-Steelers rivalry: “Going against Ty Law. He was a guy I just hated as a football player, because he was so competitive and he was a great cornerback. During the 2000s, we had our battles going back and forth…but those are the memories I’ll always cherish…I hated Rodney. We were both voted the most hated guy, the dirtiest player…he was a guy that when you crossed the middle, you had to worry about him at all times.”

Ward on WR Antonio Brown: “When Antonio Brown first came to the Steelers, I always prided myself on being the hardest working guy on the field, and was always the last one to leave the field. One day I was leaving the field, and I look back Antonio Brown was still on the field. He continues to have that work ethic now.

ROB GRONKOWSKI WITH RODNEY HARRISON

Following are excerpts from Harrison’s interview with Gronkowski:

Gronkowski on Brady handling ‘Deflategate: “It’s kind of hard to say he’s more motivated and focused, because he’s always motivated and focused. I couldn’t really tell you a time where I’m like, ‘He’s kind of backing away from the game, I don’t think he really wants to be out here.’ There’s never been a time where I’ve seen him like that.”

Gronkowski on how he processes criticism: “I used to take it as, ‘What’s going on, why are they coming at us like that?’ Now I just take it as, ‘We’re the New England Patriots, we’re a big deal.’ We’re the top dog team…even if it’s not a controversy, they’ll make it one.

ANTONIO BROWN WITH HINES WARD

Following are excerpts from Ward’s interview with Brown:

Brown on when he earned Roethlisberger’s trust: “The Ravens game in the playoffs my rookie year. I remember the play we called was a stop route, but Ben changed the play and said, ‘Hey, let him run the go.’ He hit me down the sideline, and we got the momentum…from that moment, he knew he could count on me.”

Ward: “Are you the best wide receiver in the NFL?”

Brown: “Yeah. I can do it all. Running, catching, route precision, knowing my assignment. I just do it the best.”

Brown on the New England secondary: “I think they’re a bunch of young guys who are trying to establish an identity. Malcolm Butler and some young guys who are super excited and trying to make a name for themselves.

Ward: “Can any of the Patriots cornerbacks can cover you one-on-one? I don’t think they can.”

Brown: “I don’t think they can either.”

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–