The CBS Television Network continues its 49^th year broadcasting the NFL with doubleheader coverage of THE NFL ON CBS on Sunday, Oct. 5 (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 Cincinnati Bengals-Dallas Cowboys game live from Texas Stadium in Dallas, Texas.  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.

 

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PHIL SIMMS

(On Cincinnati at Dallas): The Cowboys are a team that everybody in the league treats as the defending Super Bowl champions because they're so high profile and always on television.  The lead stories are going to be about the Cowboys, the quarterback, the receiver, somebody.  They are going to get the best of whoever plays them. The Bengals haven't won a game.  That makes them dangerous. Any time a team in the NFL hasn't won a game, they're emotionally desperate because it's embarrassing to have that zero. Nobody wants to play a team that has that zero. Did anybody think the Miami Dolphins were going to lay it to the New England Patriots like they did?  Of course not.  Two weeks ago the Bengals played the New York Giants and had them on the ropes. They played spirited, hard and smart.  They did it all. The Giants are one of the most talented teams in the NFL, and they overcame because of that. And of course, a big key for the Cincinnati Bengals will be if Carson Palmer plays and if he's completely healthy...(On NFC East): The NFC East is the best division in football.  I always like to say, wait and see how the year plays out.  But when the year is over, I'll be surprised if it does change.  All four teams have quarterbacks who are playing well.  They all have good supporting casts. Most importantly, all four of the quarterbacks in the division are playing in systems that favor their talents. And maybe even more importantly, all four of the NFC East teams can get after the opposing quarterback. They don't have to trick it up.  They have the talent to get and hit the quarterback.  That's always what it takes to be a consistent winner in the NFL.  It's not about how much your offense scores - it's about your defense. They all have defenses that are capable of winning the games by themselves...(On Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell): I've always liked Jason Campbell.  I liked him when he came out of Auburn. He's tall, athletic enough to survive in the NFL, strong, and oh yeah, he has a really good arm.  It's amazing how that works out in the NFL.

  

DAN DIERDORF

(On Houston Texans coming home after Hurricane Ike): This is one of those "Big Picture" games in terms of what it means to the city of Houston to have their team back home...(On Indianapolis): The major story on the field centers around the Colts and the prospect of them going to 1-3.  With Tennessee getting off to the start that they have, it (Colts possibly falling to 1-3) is unthinkable.  The good news is that it looks like they're getting their offensive line healthy.  Maybe now there will be some continuity up front.  That will really help Peyton.  Peyton Manning, like Tom Brady, when he is under pressure starts to look mortal.  That has certainly been the case so far this season.  Defensively, without Bob Sanders their defense certainly suffers.  The question is, is Houston good enough to take advantage of it?...(On Houston): Matt Schaub played a whole lot better last week than he did the first part of the season, so maybe they can get the ball downfield.  You can run against Indianapolis.  Teams have been doing it since the dawn of time...(On Indianapolis-Houston): I think it's more on Indianapolis to see if they can start to look like the Colts we've seen the past decade.

 

STEVE TASKER

(On momentum with both San Diego and Miami): San Diego caught their breath a little bit after a slow start and it's feeling like they're going to be back in the saddle.  San Diego is playing a little bit more like the team they thought they were going to be when the season started.  When they hit the field this year they weren't quite the same.  Michael Turner is gone.  Shawne Merriman is not there.  So those two great players not being there make a difference, not only in the production on the field but in the locker room with the comfort level for those around them like LaDainian Tomlinson and the rest of the defensive front seven.  Now that they have a month under their belt without those guys, the coaching staff and the players themselves feel a little more comfortable with the team that they are, rather than the team that they were last year...(On San Diego's use of Darren Sproles): Darren Sproles is a guy that can do a lot.  He's different than Michael Turner.  That is a difference that the team had to get used to during the first month.  Now you can see they are.  They understand how to use him.  They get what he can do for them.  It gives them a different dimension in their offense because he can do so many different things.  If he continues to be productive, you can bet his role will be expanded.  This is a team that wants to get back into the championship game very badly and will do absolutely anything to get there...(On Miami): They are in uncharted waters this season.  They have yet another head coach, and have been through the wringer with head coaches.  The game against New England, with all the crazy things they did offensively, not only caught New England off-guard but also probably surprised Miami at how well it worked.  It gave their coaching staff and players a real burst of confidence.  And it also gave the coaches the credibility with the players in the locker room that they can come up with a plan that is going to help them win no matter what it sounds like, or looks like on the practice field.  It's going to give the players confidence in the plan.  That is something that has not been there...(On Buffalo): The Bills are a very, very solid football team.  They are not spectacular.  Occasionally they do something spectacular on special teams.  This is a team that has scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to win, then 18 points in the fourth quarter to win, and came back in Jacksonville to win.  It's a team that has a lot of confidence in its ability to stay in the game.  Its defense is much improved from a year ago, and that has been the big difference for this club.  Their offense was okay last year, but with a defense playing this good, the offense is that much better.  The confidence that they are gaining is really going to pay dividends for them later in the season.           

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THE NFL ON CBS Week 5...3

 

Following are THE NFL ON CBS assignments for Week 5, Week 6 and Week 7 (subject to change).

  

WEEK 5 - Oct. 5 - DOUBLEHEADER

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:

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

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

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

·San Diego @ Miami                Gus Johnson/Steve Tasker                    Victor Frank/Mark Grant

 

4:15 PM, ET starts:

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

·N. England @ San Francisco   Dick Enberg/Randy Cross/DanFouts  Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith

·Buffalo @ Arizona                   Bill Macatee/Steve Beuerlein                 Ross Schneiderman/Chris Svendsen

 

  

WEEK 6 - Oct. 12

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:              

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

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

·Cincinnati @ N.Y. Jets            Dick Enberg/Randy Cross/Dan Fouts Ken Mack/Suzanne Smith

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

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

4:05 PM, ET starts:

·Jacksonville @ Denver            Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                   Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman

 

WEEK 7 - Oct. 19 - DOUBLEHEADER

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:              

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

·Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati            Kevin Harlan/Rich Gannon                    Ken Mack/Bryan Lilley

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

·Baltimore @ Miami                 Bill Macatee/Steve Beuerlein                 Ross Schneiderman/Chris Svendsen

 

4:15 PM, ET starts:

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

·Cleveland @ Washington         Ian Eagle/Solomon Wilcots                   Bob Dekas/Andy Goldberg

·N.Y. Jets @ Oakland              Dick Enberg/Randy Cross/Dan Fouts    Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith