Notes from "Football Night in America" on NBC

FROM KEITH GROLLER

If you were like me and doing the eating, drinking and present-unwrapping thing on Sunday and missed most -- if not all -- of the Bears/Packers game on Sunday night, you missed all of the pregame stuff.

NBC is always kind enough to send out a release with the key things that were said during their pregame coverage.

And, by now you know that NBC didn't miss an opportunity to "flex" the Giants-Cowboys game and make that the New Year's Day night this coming week. The winner of that game is the NFC East champ, loser goes home.

Here's what was said on Sunday:

ON AFC

Dan Patrick: “New England, Baltimore, Pittsburgh. I’m not sure your order, but we would agree, those are the three best teams in the AFC.”

Tony Dungy: “It kind of changes moment by moment. Right now I’d have to say New England first, they’re on a seven-game winning streak; and then Baltimore and then Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh’s got some injuries.”

Rodney Harrison: “I like Pittsburgh at No. 2. I like Baltimore at No. 3 because they can’t win on the road.”

ON GIANTS-COWBOYS

Dungy: “The Cowboys have a great receiving core and they can attack the Giants, if they can protect up front.”

Harrison: “The way you slow up a pass rush is run the football.”

Mike Florio: “Every indication is (that) the swelling will go down and (Tony) Romo will be available Sunday night against the Giants.”

ON RAVENS-BENGALS

Harrison: “I like Baltimore, but Cincinnati has a chance. They have to change that mentality, come out and play loose. Don’t get caught up in the moment…Come out and play aggressive, take it to the Baltimore Ravens.”

Dungy: “They’ve got to stop Ray Rice. I don’t like the way Baltimore’s played on the road.”

ON VIKINGS
Peter King: “Look for the Vikings to sign a long-term deal and to build a new stadium in Minnesota, so that they will not be a candidate to move to Los Angeles…The Vikings are going to stay in Minneapolis.”

Peter King: “Talked to Leslie Frazier today. Yes, ACL tear for Adrian Peterson and probably also MCL damage. He told me, ‘Adrian is going to attack this rehab viciously, but everything is going to have to go perfect if Adrian Peterson is going to start opening day 2012.’”

ON JETS
Florio: “Privately, I’m told, the Jets are beginning to consider at least the possibility that Sanchez isn’t the answer. He’s under contract for two more years.”

ON BEARS

Al Michaels: “It’s been the tale of three seasons.”

Bob Costas: “Cutler is scheduled to have the pin removed from his broken thumb on Tuesday. If the Bears somehow win tonight and the Falcons win tomorrow night in New Orleans, thus keeping Chicago’s playoff hopes alive, in that case, Cutler says he’ll try to practice this week in hopes of playing next week in Minnesota.”

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/