“The Lions and Eagles are the two best teams in football, and they’re in a tier by themselves.” – Chris Simms after the Eagles’ 24-19 win over the Ravens
“The best teams can win a lot of different ways. I have this image of Pittsburgh, ‘Hey, we gotta run the football. Play great defense.’ Not today. 44 points, and somebody said it, Russell [Wilson] looks like it’s 2014.”– Jason Garrett on the Steelers’ 44-38 win over the Bengals
“I think the Vikings are the NFC version of Kansas City. Week in and week out, just simply finding ways to win.” – Garrett after the Vikings’ comeback win over the Cardinals
Peacock Sunday Night Football Final Streams Exclusively on Peacock Following 49ers-Bills and Every Sunday Night Football Game During 2024 Season
STAMFORD, Conn. – Dec. 1, 2024 – NBC Sports’ presentation of Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season continued tonight from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., with Football Night in America leading into coverage of 49ers-Bills on Sunday Night Football on NBC and Peacock.
Maria Taylor hosted FNIA from NBC Sports’ Studio 3 in Stamford, Conn. She was joined by former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, three-time Super Bowl champion Devin McCourty, former NFL quarterback Chris Simms, NFL Insider Mike Florio, and fantasy sports industry pioneer Matthew Berry. Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy and two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison joined co-host Jac Collinsworth at the site of the game.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst) are calling tonight’s game.
Tonight’s Football Night in America featured Garrett’s interview with Bills quarterback Josh Allen and McCourty’s FaceTime interview with Steelers running back Najee Harris.
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Following are highlights from tonight’s edition of Football Night in America on NBC and Peacock:
ON BILLS
Garrett on the Bills’ mentality: “There’s great energy in Buffalo right now. Walking into that building and talking to Josh [Allen], you just feel a positive vibe there. ‘Be you, with us.’ That idea is what you strive for as a coach. That’s what they have.”
McCourty on Bills QB Josh Allen: “It’s a perfect time for Josh Allen. The mental part of the game for him, he’s seeing everything better.”
Simms: “As Jason always says, Josh Allen doesn’t have to bear the whole burden of the football team right now…This is a different Bills team than we’ve seen the last few years.”
Harrison on Bills head coach Sean McDermott’s defensive coaching: “Sean McDermott has done a really good job with this defense. They have a bunch of veterans, and one of the coaches told me they have to set and protect the edges. That’ll be a big part of the game plan tonight. But also, I’m excited about their secondary. I love these veteran corners they have, and I think Taylor Rapp has come in and provided them with a lot of leadership.”
Dungy on the Bills’ offense: “They are playing outstanding football, a balanced attack. James Cook has given them great running, and Josh Allen is playing so relaxed. It’s just really effective.”
Harrison on snow games: “As a player, I loved playing in games like this. It always felt like it gave us that psychological advantage when dome teams and California teams came to town.”
ON 49ERS
Dungy on the 49ers’ offensive approach against the Bills: “They’ve got to make it a physical game tonight. Buffalo plays a lot of nickel defense, smaller guys. They’ve got to pound it. I think we need to see Jordan Mason and maybe even Deebo Samuel in the backfield running at them.”
Harrison on the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, Nick Sorensen: “For the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, Nick Sorensen, he has to do a better job of emphasizing the little things with this defense. Too many missed tackles, miscommunication, and 12 guys on the field.”
Dungy on the 49ers: “I like San Francisco and their mentality. I think we’re going to see that championship heart come out tonight.”
ON EAGLES
Simms: “The Lions and Eagles are the two best teams in football, and they’re in a tier by themselves.”
McCourty on the Eagles’ win over the Ravens: “This Eagles team has found their identity, and they are playing like one of the best teams in the NFC. They might be better than Detroit right now, the way they’re playing. They know who they are and aren’t changing. Feed Saquon Barkley, it’ll pay off, and it did today.”
Simms on Saquon Barkley: “Best running back in football right now.”
ON RAVENS
Garrett on the Ravens’ run defense after their loss to the Eagles: “A big concern for me coming out of this game, though, is Baltimore’s run defense. As good as anybody coming into the game, as it wore on with more and more of Saquon Barkley, they just couldn’t stop him.”
ON STEELERS
Garrett on the Steelers’ win over the Bengals and their pass-heavy approach: “I credit offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and Russell Wilson to be able to adjust during the game like that. The best teams can win a lot of different ways. I have this image of Pittsburgh, ‘Hey, we gotta run the football. Play great defense.’ Not today. 44 points, and somebody said it, Russell looks like it’s 2014.”
Steelers RB Najee Harris to McCourty on the post-game celebratory dancing with head coach Mike Tomlin: “Mike Tomlin, he’s like us – we’re all just like kids getting older…He’s such a father figure, but also like a best friend.”
ON VIKINGS
McCourty on the Vikings’ comeback win over the Cardinals: “They say football starts after Thanksgiving, and this Viking team find ways to win. Sam Darnold, first time ever trailing by 13 points and coming back and winning as a starter.”
Garrett: “I think the Vikings are the NFC version of Kansas City. Week in and week out, just simply finding ways to win.”
ON CHARGERS
Garrett on the Chargers’ defense in Los Angeles’ win over Atlanta: “I give credit to this Chargers defense. I was a little skeptical because they had played well against some younger quarterbacks, but the last couple weeks, not as good. Kirk Cousins has played a lot of football in this league and he looked confused today. Hats off to that defense.”
McCourty on the Chargers’ offense: “The offense has to find somebody else. [Ladd] McConkey had 117 out of 147 yards that [Justin] Herbert threw the ball. They need somebody else to step up.”
ON FALCONS
Simms on Falcons QB Kirk Cousins’ four-interception performance in the loss to the Chargers: “I’ve never seen Kirk Cousins do this type of stuff. He’s one of the best pocket passers in football and today he made a lot of iffy decisions.”
Simms: “Kirk Cousins is not on his game right now. He better get on it soon if Atlanta wants to win the NFC South.”
Garrett on if it’s fair to ask about a QB change in Atlanta: “It’s fair to ask the question…but remember, they’re still in first place with a lot of football to be played. He’ll come out of this thing.”
McCourty: “We said the same thing weeks ago when the Jets fired [former head coach] Robert Saleh. They were a game out of first place. Look at where you’re at, not just your record. Atlanta still has everything right in front of them.”
ON COMMANDERS
Garrett on the Jayden Daniels-Terry McLaurin connection in the Commanders’ win over the Titans: “Throw it to Terry McLaurin, good things happen. They’ve been struggling to do this the last few weeks. It was part of the gameplan [today] and they executed it.”
ON TEXANS
Florio on Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair’s illegal hit on Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence: “A blatantly illegal hit by linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, ejected, and the NFL says that doesn’t prevent a potential suspension. Jon Runyan, the executive who makes those decisions, can make that decision as soon as Monday. Al-Shaair would have the right to appeal…Runyan will parse through the film to decide who else to punish potentially.”
ON SEAHAWKS
Florio on Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams’ 92-yard pick-six in the Seahawks’ win against the Jets: I asked him, ‘92 yards, is that the farthest you’ve ever run on a football field?’ He said, ‘That’s the farthest I’ve ever run in my life’” Around the 50-yard line, he was wondering when someone was finally going to catch him. But he was on the left sideline and knew no one would catch him from that side. He saw all his teammates to his right and figured nobody would get through them to stop him. So, he scores the touchdown. At halftime, Aaron Rodgers said to him, ‘There’s an early Christmas gift for you.’ At his postgame press conference, Leonard Williams put an early lump of coal in Aaron Rodgers’ stocking by saying, ‘He’s an older guy, and he doesn’t want to take big hits anymore.’”
Simms: “He’s 300 pounds! He’s now running 92 yards! He’s like, ‘I can’t believe I’m still running. Where’s the oxygen tank?’”
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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 2024 season. The show is hosted from the game site by Jac Collinsworth, Harrison, and Dungy, who will provide instant reactions to each Sunday game along with highlights and interviews.
-- Football Night in America --
