Thursday Night Kickoff Presented by Craftsman Notes & Quotes
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Minnesota Vikings
Oct. 25, 2012 on NFL Network
From Minneapolis: Play-by-play Announcer: Brad Nessler; Game Analyst: Mike Mayock; Sideline: Alex Flanagan
Host: Rich Eisen; Analysts: Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, LaDainian Tomlinson
Reporters: Alex Flanagan, Stacey Dales
LaDainian Tomlinson 1-on-1 with Vikings Running Back Adrian Peterson:
NFL Network analyst LaDainian Tomlinson sat down for a 1-on-1 conversation with Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson on his recovery from knee surgery, leadership role and wide receiver Percy Harvin.
– “[The knee is] strong – probably stronger than a lot of running backs’ left leg in the league – but I know there is so much more to gain.” – Peterson on how his knee feels
– “A one-of-a-kind type of player. [Michael] Jordan is one-of-a-kind; I look at myself like that and I look at Percy the same way. Some of the stuff I see him do, I’m just wowed.” – Peterson on what he meant with his comments that he and Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin are like two Michael Jordans on the field at the same time
– “I’ve stepped it up a lot. I’ve never really been a guy that is vocal, but I’m getting older, I’m getting wiser and a lot of young guys are coming in. They look up to me. When you talk, they listen.” – Peterson on how his leadership role has grown
– “I really felt like I was going to be able to come back and play, without a shadow of a doubt. The faith in that just grew and it was just more powerful through the process.” – Peterson on his expectations coming into the season following knee surgery
– “Third week against San Francisco. After that game, that’s when I felt my body got broken in more, really was able to test the knee out and I took some pretty good shots in that game. That was a big game for me where I just gained even more confidence in the knee.” – Peterson on what point gave him a feeling that he would be fine with his knee
Preview of Melissa Stark’s Interview with Redskins Quarterback Robert Griffin III
NFL Network’s Melissa Stark sits down with Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III for a conversation on his rookie year thus far, his popularity in Washington, D.C., and his style of play. The entire interview airs Sunday, October 28 on NFL Network’s First on the Field at 7:00 AM ET and NFL GameDay Morning at 9:00 AM ET.
Below is a preview of the interview which aired on Thursday Night Kickoff Presented by Craftsman:
On how bad he thought the concussion he suffered against the Atlanta Falcons was:
“I had temporary memory loss. Scientifically I did have a concussion and it wasn’t as bad as a severe concussion. So technically it was a mild concussion but it’s nothing to joke about, it’s nothing to downplay. I made sure that everyone knew that I was going to be alright and I would be honest with them about all of my symptoms so I could play.”
On how much he is willing to change his style of play so that he doesn’t take those kind of hits:
“I told my team the following week that I wouldn’t put myself in harm’s way like that again because it’s my job to be out there with them fighting for us to win those games.”
On how hard it is to hold back from playing that style of quarterback:
“It’s not hard in my opinion because the past two games I’ve rushed for the most yards I’ve rushed in my NFL career. I’ve also done the best job of protecting myself against the Vikings and the Giants, whether it was run out of bounds, sliding. You just have to make yourself aware of it because you want to be aggressive but at the same time you have to play smart. I’ve made a conscious effort to do that.”
Quick Quotes:
– “He is the most feared running back in the NFL.” – LaDainian Tomlinson on Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson
– “They are building towards being a playoff-caliber defense; [however] they are a year away.” – Steve Mariucci on the Minnesota Vikings defense
– “A trust is now being formed between Josh Freeman and Vincent Jackson.” – Mike Mayock on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive improvement this season
– “The best all-around [running] back in the league is Jamaal Charles. He has the ability to hit a homerun from anywhere.” – LaDainian Tomlinson on Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles
– “What I saw out of the Ravens offense worries me…You had an opportunity here to step up, grab the mantle and say, ‘For now on this team will win on offense’ and all you produce is 176 yards?” – Michael Irvin on the Baltimore Ravens’ loss last week to the Houston Texans
– “When you walk into Atlanta, you get the feeling of a football team that is going somewhere. They love playing together.” – Michael Irvin on the 6-0 Atlanta Falcons
– “You don’t have the same type of focus when you are undefeated.” – LaDainian Tomlinson on the Atlanta Falcons coming off their bye week
– “He’s going to do well simply because this defense is old and their slow.” – LaDainian Tomlinson on Washington Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III facing the Pittsburgh Steelers
On NFL.com the following video clips from Thursday Night Kickoff Presented by Craftsman are available for viewing:
Tools for Victory: Minnesota Vikings Wide Receiver Percy Harvin’s Style of Play – A few football youngsters join Thursday Night Kickoff to demonstrate how the Minnesota Vikings use Percy Harvin:
Suggestion Box Open for Cam Newton – Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton brought up the idea of having a suggestion box to alleviate the team’s troubles. The Thursday Night Kickoff crew creates the suggestion box and fills it with their ideas:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/
21st and Prime: Metrodome’s Top 10 – In honor of the 250th game played at the Metrodome, Deion Sanders shares his top 10 plays in the stadium’s history:
NEXT WEEK ON THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT SAN DIEGO CHARGERS — 8:00 PM ET
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