The CBS Television Network continues its 51^st year broadcasting the NFL with coverage of THE NFL ON CBS on Sunday, Oct. 31 (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 Jacksonville Jaguars-Dallas Cowboys game live from Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.  Lance Barrow is the coordinating producer and lead game producer and Mike Arnold is the lead game director.

 

Throughout the 2010 season, THE NFL ON CBS will broadcast 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.

 

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JIM NANTZ

(On parity in the NFL): Parity is nothing new around the NFL.  It has been a year where some whacky things have happened, but a year from now we'll be saying the same thing about the 2011 season. 

 

(On Dallas): The whackiest thing that stands out so far involves the teams that were expected to be very good, who aren't very good.  The Dallas Cowboys have become the poster team for things gone bad.  And, to make matters worse, they lose the guy who really gives them hope - Tony Romo.  It's hard to understand how Dallas is at 1-5 right now, with its one win being an impressive manhandling of the Houston Texans.  The Cowboys' expectations were off the charts and clearly they haven't been met.  I sensed that there was so much chatter out there at the beginning of the season of them becoming the first team to ever host the Super Bowl and play in it, that I thought was some bad karma, or maybe even worse, creating some undue pressure for the football team.  I think so far it has helped doom the whole Doomsday plan in Dallas.

 

The buzz around the Metroplex this year was about its team hosting the big game at the end of the year.  They thought it was going to be the Cowboys in the Super Bowl.  Instead, it's the Rangers in the World Series. 

 

Having said all of this, the NFL is unpredictable enough that even with a 1-5 team without Tony Romo, you cannot declare them dead.  You cannot flatline them right now.  A win on Sunday, a little momentum, win eight of your 10 last games, end up 9-7, who knows?  In the NFC, 9-7 is going to get you a Wild Card berth.  So let's not rule Dallas completely out. 

 

 

  

DAN FOUTS

(On Tennessee-San Diego): The first thing is what's wrong with the Chargers?  The answer is turnovers and special teams.  They are the No. 1 team in offense and defense as far as yardage-per-game is concerned, but they've just been killing themselves.  Tennessee is playing as good as anyone in the AFC.  Their big question is who is going to play quarterback this weekend.  Will it be Vince Young or Kerry Collins?  But I don't think it really matters to Tennessee right now because they are playing so well.  One thing is that they've had trouble beating San Diego, so that's what makes this an interesting match-up. 

 

(On whether team discipline has been a problem): If you talk about discipline, then you're talking about the coaches.  These are the same coaches that have been there for awhile and have been the toast of the AFC West, so I'm not sure exactly what the problem is. But right now it's pretty obvious that injuries have affected the special teams and it's been kind of a snowball effect for the rest of the season so far.

 

(On World Series Game #2 in which Fouts and his NFL ON CBS producer Bob Mansbach, a San Francisco Bay Area native, will be attending): I think Matt Cain has to get off to a good start and shut down the Rangers offense.  Cain has been almost unhittable and unstoppable, so that has to continue tonight.  The Giants need to go back to Texas with a two game lead.

 

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Following are THE NFL ON CBS assignments for Week 8, Week 9 and Week 10 (subject to change).

  

WEEK 8 - Oct. 31

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:              

·Denver @ San Francisco*       Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                   Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman

·Jacksonville @ Dallas Jim Nantz/Phil Simms                  Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold

·Miami @ Cincinnati   Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots    Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley

·Buffalo @ Kansas City            Gus Johnson/Steve Tasker                    Ken Mack/Jim Cornell

 

4:00 PM, ET starts:

·Tennessee @ San Diego          Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts                             Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith

 

* Wembley Stadium in London

 

  

WEEK 9 - Nov. 7 - CBS DOUBLEHEADER

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:              

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

·Miami @ Baltimore                 Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                   Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman

·New England @ Cleveland      Bill Macatee/Rich Gannon                     Bob Dekas/Andy Goldberg

·San Diego @ Houston             Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts                             Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith

 

4:15 PM, ET starts:

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

·Kansas City @ Oakland          Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots Ken Mack/Jim Cornell

 

 

WEEK 10 - Nov. 14

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:

·Tennessee @ Miami                Ian Eagle/ Dan Fouts                            Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith

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

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

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

 

4:00 PM, ET starts:

·Kansas City @ Denver            Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley

 

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CBS Sports Contacts:  Robin Brendle              212/975-1533              rlbrendle@cbs.com

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