“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a rookie quarterback do what this guy is doing with his feet, with his arm, in the big moments.” – Jason Garrett on Commanders’ QB Jayden Daniels
“I was really impressed with the look, the arm, the calmness, and the maturity of Michael Penix Jr. today.” – Chris Simms on Falcons rookie QB’s first start – Penix & Falcons visit Daniels & Commanders next week (Dec. 29) on Sunday Night Football
“I don’t think Jerry Jones has made up his mind yet. I think he’s going to evaluate these last three games and make a decision from there.” – Garrett on Dallas’ coaching situation
Peacock Sunday Night Football Final Streams Exclusively on Peacock Following Buccaneers-Cowboys and Every Sunday Night Football Game During 2024 Season
STAMFORD, Conn. – December 22, 2024 – NBC Sports’ presentation of Week 16 of the 2024 NFL season continued tonight from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with Football Night in America leading into coverage of Buccaneers-Cowboys 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. Steve Kornacki was also in the studio to break down playoff scenarios. Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy 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.
Pre-game coverage included Tony Dungy’s on-field pre-game interview with Cowboys DE Micah Parsons and McCourty’s FaceTime interview with Commanders WR Jamison Crowder following his two-TD performance in Washington’s 36-33 win against the Eagles.
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Following are highlights from tonight’s edition of Football Night in America on NBC and Peacock:
ON BUCCANEERS
Dungy on the Buccaneers’ path to the playoffs: “You’re going to have to win [this division] to make the playoffs and that is the Bucs’ mentality. I was at their practice on Thursday and those guys are not thinking about the Wild Card – they have won four straight and they want to go into the playoffs with seven straight wins and a division title.”
Dungy on WR Mike Evans: “He told me at practice on Thursday that coming back from his recent hamstring injury, he couldn’t really cut it loose. But with that deep touchdown pass [last week] I think he’s shown people he can get deep and can get open.”
Dungy on players stepping up during Evans’ hamstring injury: “While he was gone, they had to find some new playmakers, and guys like Jalen McMillan and Bucky Irving stepped up. Now they are all playing together and that offense is explosive.”
ON COWBOYS
Dungy on WR CeeDee Lamb: “The Cowboys use Lamb all over the field, they even line him up in the backfield. The Buccaneers are aware of that, and they want to know where he is at all times. Their focus is on CeeDee all night tonight.”
Dungy on the Cowboys’ defense and comparing former DC Dan Quinn to current DC Mike Zimmer: “What people don’t realize is that Dan Quinn’s system was totally different from Mike Zimmer’s. Mike bases his system on big guys and he had to get used this personnel group here in Dallas. They have smaller guys, faster guys, and it was a difficult transition. And then guys started getting hurt. He lost Micah Parsons for a while. But last week, we saw what this system can do when everybody’s in place.”
Florio on the Cowboys’ coaching situation: “Stephen Jones and Jerry Jones have been exceptionally positive about the performance and fit of Mike McCarthy. They understand that this year’s injuries have been an issue, but they also realize the importance of continuity. Are those factors dispositive? No, but if you talk to people in the building, they’re significant factors.”
Garrett on the Cowboys’ coaching situation: “I don’t think Jerry Jones has made up his mind yet. I think he’s going to evaluate these last three games and make a decision from there. There was an assumption coming into this season that McCarthy’s future would be based on playoff success. They’re 6-8, out of the playoffs, and the team has regressed. So I see these last three games as critical. If they win three to go 9-8, and end on a strong note, I could see them continuing. But if they lose three against tough opponents and finish 6-11, I think that’s a harder sell to the Dallas Cowboys’ fan base.”
ON FALCONS
Simms on rookie QB Michael Penix Jr.’s first start: “Threw it all around the field and he was calm in the pocket. It’s not easy, he’s making his first start and everyone else is in football mode...He has a powerful arm. I was really impressed with the look, the arm, the calmness, and the maturity of Michael Penix today.”
McCourty on Penix Jr.: “I loved him coming out of college, he had 45 starts in college so he has experience dropping back in a pro style game...His poise in the pocket was so impressive. The best part about today’s game was that it was a team win. You’re not going to lose many games when your team intercepts two passes and runs them back. [Starting Penix Jr.] was the right decision by Raheem Morris.”
ON COMMANDERS
Simms on rookie QB Jayden Daniels: “Captain Clutch. Commander Clutch. The Eagles defense couldn’t get off the field today... Does he ever miss a throw? He is phenomenal and you don’t see a lot of rookies like this come around this often.”
Garrett on Daniels: “I’m absolutely blown away. In 2016, we had Dak Prescott as a rookie, and he got pressed into service for us. He played unbelievably well and got 13 wins for us. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a rookie quarterback do what this guy is doing with his feet, with his arm, in the big moments.”
ON LIONS
Simms on Jared Goff’s performance in tough conditions: “There have always been questions about Jared Goff and the elements—the cold air, the wind. Can he throw the ball and be effective? Well, that’s done after today. We don’t have to worry, even if they have to go on the road in the playoffs. Look at the great play design by Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator. He might be auditioning for the next head coaching job with the Chicago Bears.”
ON EAGLES
Florio on the Eagles’ quarterback situation: “Jalen Hurts suffered that first-quarter concussion. After the game, head coach Nick Sirianni declined to address the severity of the injury. The way it works for any NFL player is there’s a five-step process that you have to go through, culminating in both the team physician and an independent neurologist clearing the player to return to play. The bad news for the Eagles is Kenny Pickett suffered a rib injury in the second half. He had X-rays after the game. He said he should be good to go next weekend, but he will have more tests on Monday. The only other quarterback in the building is Tanner McKee.”
ON VIKINGS
McCourty following Minnesota’s 27-24 win vs. Seattle: “They just complement each other on both sides of the ball. Yes, they are explosive, but there are stretches in the game where they aren’t very productive, and then the defense creates a turnover for them.”
Garrett on QB Sam Darnold: “What I love about Sam Darnold is that he’s not a system quarterback. It’s a great environment that [head coach] Kevin O’Connell has created there, but you’re seeing the instincts in Darnold that everyone loved coming out of the draft.”
ON COLTS
Chris Simms on RB Jonathan Taylor: “How about a little redemption for my man Jonathan Taylor, who basically lost the game for the Colts last week? Well, he won it for them this week. The Indianapolis Colts dominated the line of scrimmage. Jonathan Taylor – awesome person and really good player – bounced back from struggles, including dropping the ball before going into the end zone last week.”
ON PLAYOFF PICTURE
Kornacki on the race for the No. 1 seed in the NFC: “The Vikings and Lions are now 13-2 and the Lions for the moment control the tiebreaker, but Week 18 is Minnesota at Detroit and we could potentially have a scenario where the winner of that game gets home field, gets the No. 1 seed, and gets the bye – and the loser, possibly with 14 wins, would be the No. 5 seed and would go on the road. That could be a very high-stakes Week 18 game.”
Kornacki on the NFC West: “The Seahawks are now chasing the Rams, a game behind them in the NFC West. You see they’re a game behind but they also have a game against the Rams in Week 18, why are their chances of winning this division just 13%? It’s because even if the Rams lose to the Seahawks and end up in a tie, that tie would be solved by a strength of victory tiebreaker and the numbers on that are grim for Seattle. Bottom line is that the Rams can clinch the division as early as next week, and there are no fallbacks for these teams because they were both eliminated from the Wild Card this week.”
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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 --
