“The Cowboys looked like the scout team for the Saints.” – Devin McCourty on the Cowboys’ 25-point loss to the Saints
“Every part of their team comes up and makes the plays in the big moments. That’s why they’re the champions and that’s why I think they have a chance to three-peat.” – Jason Garrett on the Chiefs’ win vs. the Bengals
“There’s nothing not to like about Jayden Daniels. The game’s not too big for him and he runs like an elite NFL wide receiver…He’s been the smoothest rookie quarterback to this point.” – Chris Simms on Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
“Ultimately, the Ravens can’t put teams away. That’s been the theme the last few years.” – Simms on Baltimore’s blown fourth-quarter lead to the Raiders
Peacock Sunday Night Football Final Streams Exclusively on Peacock Following Rams-Lions and Every Sunday Night Football Game During 2024 Season
STAMFORD, Conn. – Sept. 15, 2024 – NBC Sports’ presentation of Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season continued tonight from NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, with Football Night in America leading into coverage of Bears-Texans 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.
Football Night also included Maria Taylor’s interview with Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and excerpts of Taylor’s post-game conversation with Saints RB Alvin Kamara following their 44-19 win over the Cowboys.
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Following are highlights from tonight’s edition of Football Night in America on NBC and Peacock:
ON TEXANS
Harrison on Texans WR Stefon Diggs: “He brings the energy, he practices hard, and he plays at one speed. No one in that receiver room cares about who gets the credit, it doesn’t matter how many catches you have…I do believe (Stefon) Diggs makes them the best wide receiver trio [in the NFL].”
Dungy on the culture that second-year head coach DeMeco Ryans has built: “DeMeco Ryans came in here and turned everything around. You see confidence, you see togetherness, you see unity. These guys are on fire.”
ON BEARS
Harrison on what Chicago’s coaches say about rookie QB Caleb Williams: “We had a chance to go out [to Chicago] and talk to some coaches, and they all said the same thing. When he came out to the draft, the media did a bad job of covering him. They said, ‘We love this guy, he works extremely hard, and he does anything for his teammates.’ He’s the real deal.”
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus to Tony Dungy on Williams: “Yes, we expect Caleb to be Michael Jordan, but he doesn’t have to do that right now. He can just be Chris Paul, be a great point guard and distribute the ball.”
Garrett on his advice for the Bears’ offensive gameplan for Williams: “He’s a rare athlete…I think the big thing for the Bears’ offensive staff is don’t make it all about Caleb Williams. Make it about [running back] D’Andre Swift, find ways to run the football, and when you do throw it, move him, get him out in space, play-action pass, and when you drop back, make it about progression reads.”
ON COWBOYS
Garrett on the Cowboys’ 25-point loss to the Saints: “They were the talk of the NFL last week after going up to Cleveland and beating the Browns and this weekend was a completely different story. The Saints absolutely bludgeoned the Cowboys on offense, defense, and the kicking game. It started early. (Alvin) Kamara had four touchdowns, (Derek) Carr was perfect, the Saints defense stifled Dak Prescott. It felt a lot like the last time the Cowboys played at AT&T Stadium in that playoff loss to Green Bay.”
McCourty: “You could say the Cowboys looked like the scout team for the Saints.”
ON SAINTS
Garrett on Saints running back Alvin Kamara’s four-touchdown performance in New Orleans’ win over Dallas: “He was dominant and the game’s best player.”
Kamara postgame to Maria Taylor following today’s win vs. Dallas on the Saints’ new offense under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak: “He came in and gave us some belief. He’s revitalized players’ mindsets…Klint’s doing a great job and all the guys have bought in.”
ON CHIEFS
Garrett on the Chiefs’ win over the Bengals: “Kansas City is playing with such confidence, and every part of their team comes up and makes the plays in the big moments. That’s why they’re the champions and that’s why I think they have a chance to three-peat.”
McCourty: “I still believe Kansas City will fall a little short of the three-peat.”
Simms: “It’s not all Patrick Mahomes. It’s championship, dynasty culture.”
ON BENGALS
McCourty on the Bengals’ loss to the Chiefs: “I was encouraged by their play today, but there’s a concern for this team because you play against the best. The best don’t play perfect all the time, but Kansas City made the plays that matter.”
Garrett: “This is what Cincinnati does. They’re bad in September and then they get themselves going and rally.”
ON JETS
Garrett on Jets QB Aaron Rodgers: “He’s 40 years old. He’s not the same quarterback he was five years ago. He looks like he’s a little more of a statue in the pocket, but I’ll tell you what he does, he settles that franchise down. When that guy is your quarterback, you have a much better chance.”
Simms on the difference that Rodgers makes for the Jets: “He gives them belief. That’s what [Devin] had with [Tom] Brady. ‘The game’s close, we got him, he’ll get us in the right place in the big moments and we’ll win the game.’”
ON RAVENS
Simms on Baltimore giving up a fourth-quarter lead in its loss to Las Vegas: “Ultimately, the Ravens can’t put teams away. That’s been the theme the last few years.”
ON CARDINALS
Garrett on QB Kyler Murray and the Cardinals’ win over the Rams: “He’s playing with confidence and it’s contagious throughout the football team, and don’t go to sleep on [head coach] Jonathan Gannon and that defense stifling the Rams on offense.”
ON COMMANDERS
Simms on Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels: “There’s nothing not to like about Jayden Daniels. The attitude, the game’s not too big for him, and he runs like an elite NFL wide receiver…He’s been the smoothest rookie quarterback to this point.”
ON BUCCANEERS
McCourty on Tampa Bay’s win over Detroit: “[Lions QB] Jared Goff was uncomfortable all day because of that Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. Good job by them.”
ON RAIDERS
McCourty on Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams’ consistency: “It doesn’t matter who the quarterback is, just find 17.”
ON PACKERS
Dungy on Packers head coach Matt LaFleur’s game plan in Green Bay’s win over Indianapolis: “I thought [he] was outstanding calling the game. The Colts had trouble stopping the run, he stayed with it. He pounded them all day.”
ON DOLPHINS
Mike Florio on the Dolphins’ QB situation: “Once Tua (Tagovailoa) is cleared to play, then he’ll have the decision whether or not he wants to play. C.J. Beathard is on the short list because he’s worked with head coach Mike McDaniel and he’s familiar with the offense. On the other hand, I’m told Ryan Tannehill is being very selective. He wants to go somewhere where he is the starter, and not just for a week or two but for the rest of the year.”
ON BROWNS
Florio on the recent lawsuit against Browns QB Deshaun Watson: “The league has said that it will review the situation. He won’t be placed on paid leave, but they will investigate. The accuser’s lawyer also said this week that she will cooperate with the investigation – that’s important because otherwise the NFL can’t find anything out without that cooperation. On top of that, Watson could be facing the loss of $92 million in fully guaranteed money if he’s suspended and if it turns out he hadn’t disclosed that claim in writing to the Browns when he signed his contract.”
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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 --
