ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown Notes and Quotes: Wild Card Sunday
ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown host Chris Berman and analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson and Keyshawn Johnson reviewed the first two games of the NFL’s Wild Card weekend today and looked ahead to today’s two matchups. Some excerpts:
On what was learned about the New York Jets following their Wild Card victory over the Colts …
Johnson: “When you look at the Jets and a young quarterback like Mark Sanchez … he calmed down and he made the throws he had to. He made all the big throws. Also, you learn about the defense. … They are buying into the Rex Ryan mode into the playoffs.”
Ditka: “I think there is a defining moment in every player’s career where the lights come on and they say, ‘I get it. I’m there.’ I think Sanchez gets it. He became a leader on this football team.”
Carter: “The biggest play of the game was the kickoff return that put them in position. … We talk about the Jets. We don’t talk about the depth and the talent of that roster. … This is a roster of one to 53.”
Jackson: “If LT (LaDainian Tomlinson) does what he did yesterday, watch out.”
Looking ahead to the Jets’ next playoff game…
Johnson: “I can tell that Rex Ryan is fired up for Tom Brady. He was thinking about Tom Brady when he was playing Peyton Manning.”
On the Seahawks victory over the defending Super Bowl champion and heavily-favored Saints…
Johnson: “They played the way they were supposed to play and the Saints didn’t.”
Carter: “One thing that we all didn’t realize, in the playoffs, everyone starts zero and zero.”
Johnson (responding): “No, I realized that.”
Note: During Saturday’s Countdown, Johnson predicted a Seahawks victory (when everyone else on the set took New Orleans)…
Johnson: “Nobody is picking a dangerous team, and when you’re not picking a dangerous team like the Seahawks, that’s dangerous.”
Carter: “They’re horrible.”
On what to expect the rest of the NFL playoffs…
Carter: “I don’t know what I can say after saying what I said about the Seahawks yesterday. In the last two years, we have seen New Orleans win the Super Bowl and we have seen the Arizona Cardinals be within a breath of winning the Super Bowl. I just believe anywhere in the National Football league, if you’re in the tournament, you have a chance.”
Countdown featured a taped interview with Berman and Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis. On how he maintains playing at such a high level 15 years into his NFL career…
Lewis: “It’s a lot of sacrifice. Sacrifice from how you actually take care of your body. For me, my pure nutrition alone will keep me playing as long as I want to play. That’s what I try to educate a lot of these young guys about. If you want your car to hold 150,000 miles, 200,000 miles, what’s the only way it’s going to get that way? If you keep it properly checked up, if you keep the oil right.”
On Lewis…
Jackson: “I mean this as the ultimate compliment: He is a physical freak, when a guy is doing this after 15 years — technically perfect. … He’s actually almost better than he was years ago when he was young and didn’t have the wisdom that he has now.”
Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe was featured Sunday on Countdown. After struggling his rookie season, Bowe turned things around in 2010-11, training with Carter and being mentored by the ESPN analyst and former Vikings great.…
Carter: “The biggest point that you have to make about Dwayne Bowe was, he bought into what Kansas City was doing, not only on the field but off the football field, taking care of his body, being a good citizen there in Kansas City.”
On new San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh:
Ditka: “I had Jim Harbaugh as a player. He’s going to be a heck of a head coach. He’s a strong guy. He took all that crap I threw at him in Minnesota. If he could handle that, he can handle anything. I like what he’s doing. 49ers, you made a great choice. You’ll like what you get.”
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