“If I’m the Chargers tonight, I’m playing pass every time. I don’t care if they hand the ball off.” – Tony Dungy on Dolphins’ prolific passing offense
“This is the type of guy you need if you want to change the culture of your locker room. I love me some Christian Wilkins.” – Rodney Harrison on Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins
“What I love most about them now though is they have a championship mentality.” – Jason Garrett on the Eagles
“They’re hard to defend and they make you defend the whole field. That’s what good offenses do.” – Chris Simms on the Lions’ offense
“Brock Purdy, Mr. Irrelevant turned superstar.” – Maria Taylor
Peacock Sunday Night Football Final Streams EXCLUSIVELY on Peacock Following Every Sunday Night Football Game During 2022 Season
STAMFORD, Conn. – Dec. 11, 2022 – NBC Sports’ presentation of Week 14 of the 2022 NFL season continued tonight from SoFi Stadium in Hollywood Park, Calif., with Football Night in America leading into coverage of Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins visiting Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football on NBC, Peacock and Universo.
Maria Taylor hosted FNIA from NBC Sports’ Studio 1 in Stamford, Conn. She was joined by Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy, former NFL head coach Jason Garrett, former NFL quarterback Chris Simms, and fantasy sports industry pioneer Matthew Berry. Steve Kornacki was also in the studio to break down playoff scenarios. Two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison joined co-host Jac Collinsworth at the site of the game. NFL Insider Mike Florio provided reports from his home studio.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst) are calling tonight’s game. Tirico also reported from the field during FNIA.
***
Following are highlights from tonight’s edition of Football Night in America on NBC and Peacock:
ON DOLPHINS
Harrison on DT Christian Wilkins: “The thing that really separates him is his passion for the game, how hard he plays. This guy is 6-4, 315 pounds and he’s making plays 30 yards down the field. This is the type of guy you need if you want to change the culture of your locker room. I love me some Christian Wilkins.”
Garrett on how to slow the Dolphins’ offense: “If you’re going to play zone against them, the coaching point is ‘slow until you know.’ Make them run it, make them hand the ball off. If you’re a linebacker, get your depth and react to the run. You’ve got to limit the big plays with these guys.”
Dungy on Dolphins’ prolific passing game: “If I’m the Chargers tonight, I’m playing pass every time. I don’t care if they hand the ball off.”
Jac Collinsworth: “I talked to (tight end) Durham Smythe. He says he’s never played for a coach like Mike McDaniel. He doesn’t use fear and intimidation. He uses connection and humor. They can’t wait to go to work and play for this guy.”
ON CHARGERS
Garrett on Chargers QB Justin Herbert: “I don’t think there’s a player in the NFL that has more pressure on them to be spectacular every week in order for his team to win than Justin Herbert. They don’t play great defense, they don’t run it very well, they don’t protect very well, and his receivers have been in and out of the lineup.”
Garrett on the Chargers’ offense: “The one thing I’d love to see them do is build in some quick options. Have a route in your progression that says, ‘I can get the ball out versus the pressure right now.’ It takes a lot of that indecision out of it.”
Jac Collinsworth: “That Chargers offensive line, they were getting worked over last week. They’re in for a fight tonight.”
ON EAGLES
Taylor on the Eagles: “The Eagles have consistently been great, on and off the field. You can see the chemistry that the team has and every single time they show up on Sunday. They know that they’re 12-1, the best team in the NFL right now.”
Dungy: “What I like about them is they’re doing it in all areas. They’re scoring points, they’re moving the ball, but that defense is applying pressure, getting sacks, getting takeaways. They played a complete game, and they might be the best team in football.”
Garrett: “The best teams are able to win in different ways. Philadelphia has shown us that all year long. What I love most about them now though is they have a championship mentality.”
ON 49ERS
Taylor: “Brock Purdy, Mr. Irrelevant turned superstar.”
Dungy: “Purdy played exceptionally well. That’s what we were looking to see, how would he handle the pressure? He did it really well.”
Garrett on Purdy: “For his first start, poise and composure off the charts.”
Taylor: “So you’re saying he played Purdy good.” (laughs)
Simms on Purdy: “The guy is making big-time decisions from within the pocket…The movement is something he brings to this 49ers offense that’s better than Jimmy Garoppolo.”
Garrett on the 49ers’ defense: “They’re the best defense in the league.”
ON BILLS
Harrison on the Bills’ defense: “These guys didn’t pout because of Von Miller’s injury…This Buffalo team has struggled, but this defense is still really good.”
Dungy: “What I liked today, everybody was thinking, ‘Without Von Miller, where is the pressure going to come from?’ But all of these other defensive linemen stepped up and they got great pressure.”
ON JETS
Dungy on Jets’ offsides on Bills’ fourth-and-one play: “They’re not going to run a play!”
Dungy on the Bills’ defense against Jets QB Mike White: “This was really the story of the game. We saw this over and over and over again. Mike White getting hit by that Buffalo pass rush.”
Dungy on the Jets’ playoff chances: “I like the Jets still and I like Robert Saleh’s confidence. They’ve got two home games coming up, Detroit and Jacksonville, who both played well today, but I do like that attitude in New York.”
Garrett: “Defense travels this time of year. Weather can be tough. This defense has been consistently good all year long. They make it tough on opposing offenses. I like the Jets.”
Click here for Steve Kornacki’s break down of the Jets’ playoff chances.
ON RAVENS
Garrett on the Ravens’ running game: “This is the Ravens’ DNA since their inception as a franchise. They run the ball, they’re physical, they’re tough. We saw a lot of that today in their win over Pittsburgh.”
ON TITANS
Garrett on the Titans’ loss to the Jaguars: “Uncharacteristic turnovers…They typically don’t turn the ball over. They play great defense, they run the ball, they do all the things winning teams do. They didn’t do that today.”
Simms on the Titans’ defensive line issues: “To me, the biggest thing is the defensive line is not as dominant. I don’t see anybody around the quarterback the last few weeks and they’ve been letting up some huge plays in the pass game.”
ON LIONS
Dungy: “They are hot and fired up.”
Simms on the Lions’ offense: “Jared Goff is having the best year of his career. They find ways to get aggressive passes down the field every week…They’ve got talent and speed on the outside and then they’ve got a creative, physical running game to go along with it…They’re hard to defend and they make you defend the whole field. That’s what good offenses do.”
Kornacki on the Lions’ playoff chances: “It’s still unlikely, but it’s more than twice as likely as we entered the day that the Lions will end up in the playoffs…The last four years, at least one team that was 6-7 ended up making the playoffs.”
ON JAGUARS
Simms: “Trevor Lawrence was phenomenal for the second time in three weeks, throwing dimes all over the field.”
Simms on TE Evan Engram: “He’s becoming one of the best pass-catching tight ends in football.”
ON PANTHERS
Simms on the Panthers: “Between (Sam Darnold) being efficient and their run game being dominant now, they’re getting good here. They’re competing in the NFC South.”
***
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 2022 season. The show is hosted by NBC Sports commentators Kathryn Tappen and Chris Simms, who provide instant reactions to each Sunday game along with highlights and interviews. Football Night in America co-host Jac Collinsworth and analyst Rodney Harrison also provide recaps and insights into the day’s biggest moments from the site of each week’s SNF game. NFL Insider Mike Florio provides injury and news updates. Matthew Berry provides fantasy football analysis and an early look at the fantasy waiver wire.
— Football Night in America —
Recent Comments