Thursday Night Kickoff Presented by Craftsman Notes & Quotes
Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens
Sept. 27, 2012 on NFL Network
From Baltimore Play-by-play Announcer: Brad Nessler; Game Analyst: Mike Mayock; Sideline: Alex Flanagan
Host: Rich Eisen; Analysts: Marshall Faulk, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin
Reporters: Alex Flanagan, Stacey Dales
Deion Sanders 1-on-1 with Ravens Quarterback Joe Flacco:
NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders sits down for a 1-on-1 conversation with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco for a discussion on where he ranks among today’s quarterbacks, linebacker Ray Lewis and wide receiver Torrey Smith’s performance against the New England Patriots last week.
– “I believe I’m right at the top. I don’t think that you’d be worth anything in this business if you didn’t feel that way about yourself. I really believe it. I put our team in a position to win each week and I do believe that I’m a very talented guy. I don’t think too many people have the ability that I have.” – Flacco on where he ranks among today’s quarterbacks
– “Every year in the league, you get more and more comfortable. There are different personnel that you deal with and things like that. We’ve had a lot of young receivers around here in the last couple of years and that’s put a little more on me to make sure that they can perform well on Sunday. I don’t get in peoples’ faces and yell at them and try to embarrass them. If I ever really felt that bad about them, I’d probably pull them aside one-on-one and [say], ‘Hey, we have to get this right.’” – Flacco on how he has progressed as a quarterback
– “You know how important he is around this city, around this organization, so obviously when a player like that believes in you, it validates you and gives you a lot of confidence to go out there and play.” – Flacco on what it means for Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis to have confidence in him
– “We have a lot of athletes on the offensive side of the ball now. In order to win in this league, in order to win it all and do what we want to do, you have to have the kind of offense that can go put points on the board for you. We’re not there yet, but we’re working on being there. We can be really good; we just have to do it on a consistent basis. I’m not trying to change the fact that we’re a defensive team to an offensive team…Scoring points puts pressure on the other offense, it helps our defense out. With the defense we have, why not have a great offense along with it?” – Flacco on the Ravens becoming more of an offensive-minded team
– “This is always the year. We believe that every year, and obviously we’ve come up short. This is the year. Ray Lewis, he’s making sure we do it; I’m behind him, we’re behind him and he’s behind all of us.” – Flacco on if this is the Ravens’ year
– “I honestly just played it out, I just wanted to take what was there. I knew that if I did that, he’d be a big part of it and he’d make plays. That’s what ended up happening. For him to have the game he had and for us to win it, it was a pretty special moment after the game.” – Flacco on if he made an extra effort to get wide receiver Torrey Smith the ball more during the game against the New England Patriots
To view Sanders’ entire interview with Flacco, visit:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-thursday-night-football/0ap1000000067064/1-on-1-with-Joe-Flacco
Cleveland Browns-Baltimore Ravens Pregame Analysis and Quotes:
– “We’re seeing right before our eyes the development of an elite quarterback. [He] is really special…I see the development every week. They’re giving him more and more to do with the no-huddle and he’s handling it very well.” – Steve Mariucci on Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco
– “The intangibles are what are keeping him so great. You talk about leadership, you talk about motivating his team, you talk about example to the young guys. He holds this entire team and coaching staff accountable. That’s his value; it’s a coach thing, it’s a leader thing and a captain thing.” – Steve Mariucci on linebacker Ray Lewis’ impact on the Baltimore Ravens
– “I will take Ray Lewis right now over a lot of other linebackers in this league. Though he has lost a step or two, I want Ray Lewis on my side rather than going against him.” – Marshall Faulk on Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis
– “Every time I put on the Ravens tape and I look at Ray Rice, I think Marshall Faulk. The running styles are eerily similar.” – Mike Mayock on Ravens running back Ray Rice
– “[The Cleveland Browns are] only running the ball 32 percent of the time. That number needs to go up. Remember, this is an aging Baltimore Ravens defense on a short week. You want to pound them with the young Trent Richardson, you want to get your physical offensive line going downhill, and then run some play action.” – Marshall Faulk on the Cleveland Browns offense
– “They are the youngest starting team in the NFL, [they have] five rookie starters. They have to count on guys who have made the Pro Bowl: Joe Thomas, Alex Mack and Josh Cribbs. I wouldn’t put Brandon Weeden back in the pocket 50 times. If he is going to throw, let’s move him around a bit, set up the play action, and run the ball.” – Steve Mariucci on the Browns’ game plan
Quick Quotes:
– “I’ve seen Rex Ryan without Darrelle Revis: his name is Rob Ryan in Dallas. That’s exactly what it is so the answer is no. When you play a high-risk, high-reward defense and you don’t have that main corner to stop the best receiver, all you’re playing is a high-risk defense.” – Michael Irvin on if the New York Jets defense can survive without cornerback Darrelle Revis
– “I don’t think [Michael Vick] is playing for his job. Andy Reid is coaching for his job.” – Deion Sanders on Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick and head coach Andy Reid
On NFL.com the following video clips from Thursday Night Kickoff Presented by Craftsman are available for viewing:
Deion Sanders practices with the Baltimore Orioles – Two-sport athlete Deion Sanders suited up for a personal batting practice with the Baltimore Orioles:
Ravens’ Tools for Victory – The Thursday Night Kickoff crew discuss what the Baltimore Ravens need to do in order to be successful against the Cleveland Browns:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-thursday-night-football/0ap1000000067020/Ravens-Tools-for-Victory
Is Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick playing for his job or Andy Reid’s? – Is Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick playing for his job, or for head coach Andy Reid’s?
M&M – Marshall Faulk and Michael Irvin discuss if the New York Jets defense can survive without cornerback Darrelle Revis, quarterback Peyton Manning’s decision to go to Denver over Arizona and the best 3-0 team in the NFL:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap1000000067027/M-and-M-Revis-Island-sinking
Which teams are playoff bound? – Are the New Orleans Saints walking on thin ice for the playoffs? Are the Green Bay Packers no longer elite? The Thursday Night Kickoff crew gives their answers:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-thursday-night-football/0ap2000000066840/Which-teams-are-playoff-bound
NEXT WEEK ON THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT ST. LOUIS RAMS — 8:00 PM ET
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