The CBS Television Network begins its 49^th year broadcasting the NFL with regional coverage as THE NFL ON CBS kicks off its 2008 NFL season broadcast schedule on Sunday, Sept. 7 (1:00-4:00 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 New York Jets-Miami Dolphins game live from Dolphins Stadium in Miami, Fla.  Lance Barrow is the coordinating producer and lead game producer and Mike Arnold is the lead game director.

 

Throughout the 2008 season, THE NFL ON CBS will broadcast virtually all of its 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, and serves as executive producer of CBS Sports' coverage of THE NFL ON CBS.  Harold Bryant is Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

 

* * * * *

  

EXCERPTS FROM "THE NFL ON CBS" CONFERENCE CALL ON WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 4

  

Opening Comment from Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports, and Executive Producer, THE NFL ON CBS:

 

A month ago we didn't anticipate that there would probably be as many questions as there may be today about the New York Jets and their game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday...We are excited.  We are pumped up for another exciting NFL season.  I think with the addition of Brett Favre to the AFC, certainly on paper, we are set up for a pretty darn exciting opening weekend, and also an exciting football season on CBS.

 

►Regarding the Baltimore Ravens starting Joe Flacco at quarterback

  

BILL COWHER

It is going to be imperative for the Ravens to get a lead or at least keep it close.  It's a situation where Cincinnati is going to try and make Joe Flacco beat them...I can see Cincinnati putting eight or nine people in the box...It's going to be a situation for Baltimore where the first half of this game is going to be very important for them to keep it close and not make this a passing game for Flacco.

  

    

DAN MARINO

As far as young quarterbacks are concerned, the kid is going to be in a real tough situation.  If you look at the history of this league with guys stepping in and playing in their first game, I don't remember anybody being successful in that situation ever.  As time goes on, I'm sure he'll get more comfortable with it.  I played against Peyton Manning a couple of times early in his rookie year, and you could see as the year went on he got a lot better.  But in the beginning, he was bad.  You could tell he didn't have that experience.  This kid is really going to be in a tough spot.

 

►On Brett Favre's adjustment to the New York Jets' system

  

PHIL SIMMS

He has been in this league a long time.  There are a lot of similarities between a lot of the plays in the NFL...I want to see him in a different system...I want to see him drop back, hold the ball and throw it down the field more.  As a fan I was always a little frustrated knowing that he is one of the best throwers of the football in the history of the NFL and he threw more short passes than just about any quarterback in the league.  He does it very well.  What I saw in the pre-season, the adjustment seems to be going pretty good.  The one thing that I noticed, the Jets were letting him hold it and he was looking for receivers 20 yards and farther downfield.  That is going to be fun for the fans to see.

 

►On Peyton Manning missing the preseason having any adverse effect

  

PHIL SIMMS

A couple of factors in Peyton Manning's favor: he is playing at home and it is a night game, so that's going to help him.  The Chicago Bears are not a complicated defense.  They don't blitz an extraordinary amount.  They don't do a lot of different things to make a quarterback uneasy.  That will really help give him a chance to ease into the game and get a feel for it.  We'll all see how that knee is.  It will be something that we'll be able to judge pretty quickly watching him.  Is he the same?  Does he have those quick feet that he's always had?  If that knee is bothering him, we'll be able to tell.     

 

►On Baltimore going through so many quarterbacks the past several years

  

BILL COWHER

You have to put some people around him that give the quarterback a chance to make some plays...You want to put players around him that are going to give that player a chance to succeed.  At the same time, the number one thing you better have for that quarterback is an offensive line.  That's the thing that gives a quarterback the chance for success.  You can have all the great skill people, but if you don't have an offensive line - you're not able to run the football, you're going to have some situations where that quarterback may not develop.  The biggest thing you can do for a young quarterback is develop the parts around him and let him work his way into it.          

  

►On Jets offensive line being able to protect Brett Favre

  

PHIL SIMMS

I think they are up to it.  They spent money and got draft picks.  They went out and got Alan Faneca.  They better be up to it.  They've staked a lot of their productivity, their season, careers on fixing this offensive line.  This is really going to be a nice test for them against the Miami Dolphins because the Dolphins are stout on the defensive line.  They are deep.  It's going to be a really good test for them in this first game.  They do have the offensive line - the strength, the power even when they get in tough situations - to protect Brett Favre enough to let him do whatever he wants with the football.

 

►On Chad Pennington's impact in Miami

  

DAN MARINO

The one thing he brings them is stability.  Up until they traded for him, they had guys that had virtually no experience at all.  Chad has won playoff games.  He's been in tough situations.  He's been in games where the team has jumped on his back and they've come from behind.  He's done all the things you need to do as a starting quarterback.  That is what this team needs now when you're coming off a 1-15 season.  They have a quarterback that brings some credibility and confidence to that position where when you go onto the field they're going to feel like they have a chance to win, instead of playing with a young guy that hasn't won yet or has only played in three or four games.        

  

►On possibility of a brewing AFC West rivalry between Denver's Jay Cutler and San Diego's Philip Rivers

  

BOOMER ESIASON

Getting it (Jay Cutlter's diabetes) understood, and handling it and making sure he is taking care of his diabetes, is going to be a big positive impact on him going forward this year.  The thing about Philip Rivers, I liked Philip Rivers before the playoffs started last year, at the end of the playoffs when he played against New England in a game he probably shouldn't have played in, I gained a lot of respect for that kid.  Those two teams are going to battle it out over the next seven or eight years.  It's going to be a great rivalry developing out there.

 

►On Cincinnati Coach Marvin Lewis possibly being on the "hot seat" this year

  

BOOMER ESIASON

I think we need to put the ownership on notice.  They really undercut him by bringing back Chris Henry.  There's egg on Marvin's face and it shouldn't be there...I really think that Mike Brown, and I like Mike Brown, sometimes does things that really make his coaches look bad.  I think in this situation it has really made Marvin look bad.  I can't imagine that Marvin would be too happy about this.  Saying all that, Marvin has been a breath of fresh air in Cincinnati since he got there, both on the field and off the field.  He's been a straight shooter with the media.  He's had it out with Chad Johnson.  He's had it out with other players.  I think they made a statement by getting rid of Rudi Johnson...I don't see them making the playoffs this year.  I see them having a sub-.500 record.  They've ruined a $120 million investment in Carson Palmer...It's a telltale time not only for Marvin, but for Mike Brown and their relationship.  I have a feeling it's going to be a very long year in Cincinnati. 

* * * * *

 

Following are THE NFL ON CBS assignments for Week 1, Week 2 and Week 3 (subject to change).

  

WEEK 1 - Sept. 7

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:              

·Cincinnati @ Baltimore            Kevin Harlan/Rich Gannon                    Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley

·N.Y. Jets @ Miami                 Jim Nantz/Phil Simms                Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold

·Kansas City @ New England Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                    Mark Wolff/Suzanne Smith

·Houston @ Pittsburgh Gus Johnson/Randy Cross                      Victor Frank/Mark Grant

·Jacksonville @ Tennessee        Ian Eagle/Solomon Wilcots                   Bob Dekas/Andy Goldberg

 

WEEK 2 - Sept. 14 - DOUBLEHEADER

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:

·Tennessee @ Cincinnati           Don Criqui/Dan Fouts                           Ken Mack/Chris Svendsen

·Buffalo @ Jacksonville Gus Johnson/Steve Tasker                    Victor Frank/Mark Grant

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

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

 

4:15 PM, ET starts:

·New England @ N.Y. Jets      Jim Nantz/Phil Simms                Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold                 

·San Diego @ Denver               Dick Enberg/Randy Cross                    Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith 

·Miami @ Arizona                    Bill Macatee/Steve Beuerlein                 Ross Schneiderman/Jim Cornell

·Baltimore @ Houston Ian Eagle/Solomon Wilcots                     Bob Dekas/Andy Goldberg

 

 

WEEK 3 - Sept. 21 - DOUBLEHEADER

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:              

·Kansas City @ Atlanta            Gus Johnson/Steve Tasker                    Victor Frank/ Mark Grant

·Oakland @ Buffalo                  Don Criqui/Dan Fouts                           Ken Mack/Chris Svendsen

·Cincinnati @ N.Y. Giants        Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                   Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman

·Miami @ New England           Ian Eagle/Solomon Wilcots                   Bob Dekas/Andy Goldberg

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

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

4:15 PM, ET starts:

·Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia        Jim Nantz/Phil Simms                Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold

·Cleveland @ Baltimore            Bill Macatee/Steve Beuerlein                 Ross Scheiderman/Jim Cornell

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

 

* * * * *

 

CBS Sports Contacts:             

 LeslieAnne Wade         212/975-5171              lwade@cbs.com

Robin Brendle              212/975-1533              rlbrendle@cbs.com

Jerry Caraccioli            212/975-7466              gwcaraccioli@cbs.com