The CBS Television Network, home of Super Bowl XLVII, begins its 53^rd year broadcasting the NFL with regional coverage as THE NFL ON CBS kicks off its 2012 NFL season broadcast schedule on Sunday, Sept. 9 (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 England Patriots-Tennessee Titans game live from LP Field in Nashville, Tenn.  Lance Barrow is the coordinating producer and lead game producer and Mike Arnold is the lead game director.

            Sean McManus is Chairman, CBS Sports, and serves as Executive Producer of CBS Sports’ coverage of THE NFL ON CBS.  Harold Bryant is Executive Producer and Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

 

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EXCERPTS FROM “THE NFL ON CBS” CONFERENCE CALL ON SEPT. 4

(To hear the call in its entirety, the replay number is: 719-457-0820; passcode: 2249250)

 

(CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus on addition of Dr. Neal ElAttrache as Medical Consultant)

McMANUS: Injuries and recovery time and medical storylines often become an important part of our coverage. So rather than speculate on a certain injury or recovery time, we decided to bring on someone who's generally considered one of the renowned orthopedic surgeons in America.

So the hope is he can give some insight both on a current injury, what that athlete might be looking forward to in terms of when he can be back on the field?  What the injury means?  What athletes have had similar injuries and what kind of recovery time there might be?

 

(On easiest division and possible champions):

NANTZ: It's either the AFC South with Houston or the NFC West with San Francisco. To me they are the two most obvious expected divisional champions out of the eight divisions of pro football. If the Texans stay healthy, they are trending on a very good course that could take them some 300 miles east to New Orleans and Super Bowl XLVII.

 

(On Matt Schaub)

SIMMS: He's definitely one of the top 10 most underrated guys in the NFL. And Gary Kubiak is one of the best play callers in the NFL, if not the best. They're going to be tough this year. They would be in one of my top three picks for sure in the AFC to make it to the Super Bowl.

 

(On Andrew Luck) 

MARINO: When you look at Andrew Luck, you see just a classic young guy.  There's a reason why he's the #1 pick in the draft. I thought he had an excellent…preseason.

 

(On young quarterbacks): 

SIMMS: We're in a new era, and I don't know if we're going to see the 35- to 38-year-old quarterback anymore in a league as time goes on because there's so many coming out of college every year. They're more ready to play.  They're more talented.  They're big, strong, fast. They've got everything going for them… I think it's easier to be a quarterback now and have success than I can ever remember because so much of it is planned and given to them.

 

(On New Orleans Saints)

SHARPE: I think the best part about it is that this wasn't sprung on them all of a sudden. Sean Payton left the situation in very good hands.  They have a game plan mapped out… Drew Brees knows this offense like the back of his hand but sometimes it's nice to have that one guy. What do you think here, Coach?  What do you think they're thinking? ... And he (Payton) has imagination beyond imagination.  When you say a chip, they don't have a chip (on their shoulders), they have a log and they're going to play this thing.  Of all the teams that had a chance to have the Super Bowl in their building, I believe the New Orleans Saints have the best chance of representing the NFC come Super Bowl Sunday the first week of February.

 

SIMMS: I just think they're a team. They're not going to do it in spite, or whatever. They're going to do it in honor of Sean Payton.  If he's not there they're going to show everybody they can get it done. I think they're one of the three or four best teams in the NFC without question.

 

(On Drew Brees)

MARINO: They're going to be a team. If I were Drew Brees I would be talking about… this is us against the world… This is everybody's against us.  We don't have a chance… We don't have our head coach.  We don't have our GM.

 

(On expectations for Robert Griffin III):

MARINO: Mike Shanahan is a guy that I have a lot of respect for especially as far as being able to deal with a young quarterback and how he likes to run his offense. …Griffin is going to be a great asset for what they do offensively, how they like to roll, move the pocket, some bootlegs. The kid is obviously got all the speed in the world and can run, but also he can make throws…The biggest challenge for him right off the bat is you have to play the Giants twice a year.  You've got to play the Cowboys, the Eagles.

 

SIMMS: The expectations for Robert Griffin are higher than for the rest of the guys because everybody goes, "Well, Mike Shanahan has been there a couple years."  Everybody thinks they have to win right now.

 

(On Patriots TEs Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez)

SHARPE: In all my years of playing I've never seen a team have that kind of quality at the tight end position.  A lot of times when you bring two tight ends on the field you automatically think run.  Or they’re double tight, they're going to run the football. Now in New England, if you stay with your best defense you're in trouble because that means you're going to have a linebacker and a safety guarding Gronkowski and Hernandez and you have no chance.

 

(On New England)

NANTZ: I think the Patriots have only strengthened their team. I think the Patriots, again if you had to pick one team to be the favorite in the AFC…you start right there in New England.

 

(On Patriots’ Chandler Jones)

SIMMS: Right away the guy that jumped out in pre-season football to me was Chandler Jones.  He was every bit as good as advertised.  And it doesn't take much sometimes for an NFL team to go from wherever they are, if it's really good, to great by having one player make a few more plays to change all the situations.

 

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Following are THE NFL ON CBS assignments for Week 1, Week 2, Week 3 and Week 4 (subject to change).

 

WEEK 1 – Sept. 9

 

GAME                                   PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST               PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:

·Indianapolis @ Chicago         Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                Mark Wolff/Suzanne Smith

·Jacksonville @ Minnesota      Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots          Jim Rikhoff/Mark Grant

·Buffalo @ N.Y. Jets               Marv Albert/Rich Gannon                  Ross Schneiderman/Andy Goldberg

·Miami @ Houston                  Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts                        Victor Frank/Chris Svendsen

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

 

 

WEEK 2 – Sept. 16 – CBS DOUBLEHEADER

 

GAME                                   PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST              PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:              

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

·Kansas City @ Buffalo          Spero Dedes/Steve Beuerlein            Ken Mack/Jim Cornell

·Cleveland @ Cincinnati          Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker                Victor Frank/Chris Svendsen

·Houston @ Jacksonville         Marv Albert/Rich Gannon                  Ross Schneiderman/Andy Goldberg

·Oakland @ Miami                 Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots           Jim Rikhoff/Mark Grant

 

4:25 PM, ET starts:

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

·Tennessee @ San Diego        Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts                         Steve Scheer/Suzanne Smith

 

WEEK 3 – Sept. 23 – CBS DOUBLEHEADER

 

GAME                                   PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST                PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:              

·Cincinnati @ Washington       Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots           Jim Rikhoff/Mark Grant

·Kansas City @ New Orleans  Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                 Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman

·N.Y. Jets @ Miami                Marv Albert/Rich Gannon                   Ross Schneiderman/Andy Goldberg

·Buffalo @ Cleveland               Spero Dedes/Steve Beuerlein             Ken Mack/Jim Cornell

·Jacksonville @ Indianapolis    Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker                  Victor Frank/Chris Svendsen

 

4:25 PM, ET starts:

·Houston @ Denver                Jim Nantz/Phil Simms                        Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold

·Pittsburgh @ Oakland           Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts                           Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith

 

WEEK 4 – Sept. 30

 

GAME                                   PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST               PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:              

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

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

·San Diego @ Kansas City      Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots           Jim Rikhoff/Mark Grant

 

4:00 PM, ET starts:

·Miami @ Arizona                  Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker                  Victor Frank/Chris Svendsen

·Oakland @ Denver                Jim Nantz/Phil Simms                        Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold

·Cincinnati @ Jacksonville      Marv Albert/Rich Gannon                    Ross Schneiderman/Andy Goldberg

 

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Follow CBS Sports on Twitter: @CBSSportsGang and @NFLonCBS

 

CBS Sports Contacts: Jen Sabatelle             212-975-4120              jsabatelle@cbs.com

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

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