The CBS Television Network continues its 48^th year broadcasting the NFL with singleheader coverage of THE NFL ON CBS on Sunday, Oct. 21 (1:00-7:00 PM, ET) beginning with THE NFL TODAY, the Network's one-hour studio show (12:00 NOON-1:00 PM, ET), live from THE NFL TODAY studio in New York City.

 

THE NFL ON CBS lead announce team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms call the action from the Kansas City Chiefs-Oakland Raiders game live from McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, Calif.  Lance Barrow is the coordinating producer and lead game producer and Mike Arnold is the lead game director.

 

Throughout the 2007 season, THE NFL ON CBS will broadcast five-to-six games each week in HDTV, the highest definition television format - 1080i lines of picture resolution - along with 5.1 digital audio.

 

Sean McManus is President, CBS News and Sports.  Tony Petitti is Executive Vice President and Executive Producer, CBS Sports.  McManus and Petitti serve as executive producers of CBS Sports' coverage of THE NFL ON CBS.

 

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DAN DIERDORF

(On New England): What we are witnessing with the Patriots is one of the great beginnings to an NFL season in the history of the game.  If you have any sense of history and willingness to engage in conversation with friends about the great teams of all-time, it might be a little premature after only six games of the season to start ranking the 2007 Patriots in that category, but if they finish this season the way they've started it, then they will deserve to be measured against the '85 Bears, maybe the '78 Steelers and the undefeated Dolphins team.  We're looking at a team that may be ready to take its place in history.  It's too early to anoint them yet, but the pieces are in place.  A team always has something that they're trying to camouflage.  There is always a wart that you are trying to put make-up on to cover up.  This is a team that when you break down the units, not just the offense and defense as a whole, but the defense into the defensive backs, the linebackers and the defensive line, and you do the same thing for the offense, with the offensive line, the receivers, the tight ends, the running backs - this is a team that doesn't have a weakness.  There is no flaw.  There are no blemishes.  There are no warts.  The only thing you could say is that as long as Laurence Maroney is banged up and unable to play every week, you could say that this is a team that does not have a great running back.  But obviously that is not necessary...(On New England's offensive line): Just look at Tom Brady in the pocket.  He's able to set his feet.  He's able to step into his throws.  He's able to look around and check down and work his way through his progressions - a lot of that is because of the remarkable pass protection that he's getting...(On Brady having Randy Moss to throw to): Randy Moss changes the entire dynamic.  I've had coaches tell me that Randy Moss is worth 50 yards a game in the running game.  When Randy Moss is on the field you can't bring that safety up into the box.  That safety has to stay over the top to double Randy Moss.  Because of that, you're only running against seven guys, not eight.  The "Moss Effect" is helping their running game.  The "Moss Effect" is helping Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker because Randy is getting the double-coverage and these two guys are running wild all over the field...(On Miami): I played on a team one year that opened up 0-8.  We ended up finishing strong at 6-2, but opening up 0-8 is hard to put into words how devastating it is to be on that football team.  You don't go out to dinner.  You don't go to a movie.  You just stay home because you're embarrassed.  These guys sweat and work just as hard as the Patriots did in the off-season and during training camp.  It's hard to put into words how devastating it is to be a member of that team.  They all have a lot of pride.  Their failures and disappointments are only magnified now when you play a team like New England...(On New England-Miami): Traditionally over the years, the Dolphins have played the Patriots really hard.  They beat them once last year.  If every game was against Miami, Tom Brady wouldn't be nearly the successful quarterback that he is now.  Can Miami muster something up and at least slow this guy down this week?  I don't know...(On history): Historically, if you are a fan of the game you should not pass up the opportunity to look at this New England team and really be analytical in trying to see how they rate against some of the great teams we've seen in the past.  They are worthy of being in that discussion. 

 

RANDY CROSS

(On Tennessee vs. Houston): Both these teams are coming off tough losses.  Tennessee had a tough loss against Tampa, between Vince Young getting hurt and Jeff Garcia making big plays when he had to.  Houston was a little bit different.  They ran into a buzz saw with Jacksonville. The Texans are improved.  It depends on what they do in this next pod of games.  But from that Jacksonville game they have to have a lot of questions both inside and out...(On Titans Without Vince Young):  They're a different team definitely, totally different.  But I think Houston has to prepare as if Vince is going to be there.  If he's not, then they make whatever adjustments are necessary.  They have an extra man for coverage.  Normally, they might rush four and have a spy guy for Vince or allow four in the coverage but somebody underneath has to account for him (Young).  They don't have to do that with Kerry Collins...(On Titan's Belief in Collins): Jeff Fisher doesn't carry people around because he thinks they might be okay or because they have a good sense of humor.  If you are going to be on his team, you have to have the ability to perform when you have to...(Keys to the Game): The unique thing for me is that Tennessee, although a lot of the attention has been on Vince, the defense has played a lot better, especially the defensive line, which has made them a different football team.  But for all of the attention on Vince Young, some of his receivers have to step up.  He has to throw to somebody besides Bo Scaife and Roydell Williams.  That to me is the biggest challenge for them offensively.  For Houston offensively it is really simple.  I don't know how many times the Texans had the ball last week in a game that turned into a blowout, but early on in the first half it seemed like they had the ball in Jacksonville's territory a lot, specifically a good number of times in the red zone.  They just couldn't get it in.  When they get down in the plus-20 area, they have to score touchdowns.  They're not good enough to kick all of these field goals because everybody else in their division is too good...(On Strength of AFC South and Indianapolis):  I think it is a problem across the entire

division.  The other three teams besides Indianapolis have gotten appreciably better.  Jacksonville is very capable of beating the Colts - extremely capable.  Jacksonville is really good.  And Tennessee with Vince Young is capable of doing it - they almost pulled it off this time (22-20 loss in Week 2).

 

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            Following are THE NFL ON CBS assignments for Week 7, Week 8 and Week 9 (subject to change).

 

WEEK 7 - Oct. 21

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:

·Tennessee @ Houston*           Dick Enberg/Randy Cross                    Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith

·Baltimore @ Buffalo* Kevin Harlan/Rich Gannon                      Ken Mack/Jim Cornell

·New England @ Miami*         Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                   Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman

 

4:05 PM, ET starts:

·Kansas City @ Oakland*        Jim Nantz/Phil Simms                Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold     

·N.Y. Jets @ Cincinnati*          Ian Eagle/Solomon Wilcots                   Bob Dekas/Cathy Barreto

 

 

WEEK 8 - Oct. 28

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:

·Indianapolis @ Carolina           Jim Nantz/Phil Simms                Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold

·Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati            Dick Enberg/Randy Cross                    Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith

·Cleveland @ St. Louis Don Criqui/Steve Beuerlein                    Ross Schneiderman/Andy Goldberg

·Oakland @ Tennessee Kevin Harlan/Rich Gannon                    Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley

 

4:05 PM, ET starts:

·Buffalo @ N.Y. Jets                Gus Johnson/Steve Tasker                    Victor Frank/Mark Grant

·Houston @ San Diego Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                    Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman

·Jacksonville @ Tampa Bay      Ian Eagle/Solomon Wilcots                   Bob Dekas/Cathy Barreto

 

WEEK 9 - Nov. 4 - DOUBLEHEADER

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:

·Cincinnati @ Buffalo                Ian Eagle/Solomon Wilcots                   Bob Dekas/Cathy Barreto

·Denver @ Detroit                    Kevin Harlan/Rich Gannon                    Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley

·San Diego @ Minnesota          Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                   Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman

·Jacksonville @ New Orleans   Dick Enberg/Randy Cross                    Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith

 

4:15 PM, ET starts:

·New England @ Indianapolis   Jim Nantz/Phil Simms               Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold

·Houston @ Oakland                Gus Johnson/Steve Tasker                    Victor Frank/Mark Grant

 

 

* Games broadcast in HDTV