Week 1: 'NFL on CBS' Steelers-Ravens, bad blood flowing

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What to expect on Week 1 in the NFL: On Pittsburgh-Baltimore Rivalry in Week. This arguably is as big a rivalry here in the last five years in the NFL as anyone.  To think that they’re going to play in Week 1 forget it this will be like last year’s playoff match up – winner goes to the big show. WOW!


JIM NANTZ: To have Pittsburgh at Baltimore…It’s the biggest opener we’ve ever had.  There’s just so much bad blood between those two teams, especially with what happened in those last two games last year when Baltimore had the edge and Pittsburgh came back to beat them and ultimately eliminate them in the playoffs.

PHIL SIMMS: I’ve been waiting for this for a couple of weeks.  I’ve looked at the game they played in the playoffs many times.  From a player’s perspective, if I were a Baltimore Raven I don’t know if I’d still be over last year’s loss.  There were so many opportunities for them to win…There were mistakes that the Ravens made where they just basically gave it to the Steelers.  That is an awful way to go into the off-season…The dislike is so strong, it’s so real.  To get it [this game] on Week 1, I think it’s great.

(On Eagles being favorite in NFC East and a legitimate contender)
DAN DIERDORF: Yes, I would make them the favorite in the East.  Again, they haven’t played a down yet in the regular-season.  So much depends upon staying healthy…On paper, they look magnificent.  We’ve seen great teams on paper not perform well on the field.  But I don’t see any reason, given the quality of the coaching that Andy Reid and his staff have, why the Eagles wouldn’t win the NFC East.

NANTZ: I think the Cowboys will take the division, but what do I know?  Check back with me in the first week of January.  There is way too much attention given to the Eagles right now and it’s going to be hard for them to live up to it, starting with Week 1 at St. Louis.

SIMMS: I’m not convinced about the offensive line, shifting around, not getting to work together, still making adjustments all the way up to the last week before the first game…When you watch the Eagles, I know it’s preseason but it was a carry-over from what we saw last year that sometimes they get mushed…It’s still about men, and can those men, Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, get it done?  A lot of question marks.  They’re going into a really rough contest in St. Louis.  I’m anxious to see how they perform.  The East is going to be a mess.  The Eagles will have a hard time with all three teams they’re going to play in that division.  If I had to pick a winner, I’d still pick the Eagles.  It’s just not going to be easy.  Nobody is going to waltz through there 13-3 or 12-4, that’s for sure.      

The CBS Television Network begins its 52nd year broadcasting the NFL with regional coverage as THE NFL ON CBS kicks off its 2011 NFL season broadcast schedule on Sunday, Sept. 11 (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 Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens game live from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md.  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.

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

WEEK 1 – Sept. 11

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST             PRODUCER/DIRECTOR
1:00 PM, ET starts:
·Pittsburgh @ Baltimore            Jim Nantz/Phil Simms                            Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold
·Cincinnati @ Cleveland            Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots             Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley
·Indianapolis @ Houston           Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                   Mark Wolff/Suzanne Smith
·Tennessee @ Jacksonville        Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts                             Bob Dekas/Chris Svendsen
·Buffalo @ Kansas City            Marv Albert/Rich Gannon                     Ross Schneiderman/Andy Goldberg     

WEEK 2 – Sept. 18 – CBS DOUBLEHEADER

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST             PRODUCER/DIRECTOR
1:00 PM, ET starts:              
·Kansas City @ Detroit            Don Criqui/Randy Cross                       Ken Mack/Jim Cornell
·Oakland @ Buffalo                  Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots             Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley
·Baltimore @ Tennessee           Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker                    Victor Frank/Andy Goldberg
·Jacksonville @ N.Y. Jets         Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                   Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman
·Cleveland @ Indianapolis        Marv Albert/Rich Gannon                     Ross Schneiderman/Mark Grant

4:15 PM, ET starts:
·San Diego @ New England     Jim Nantz/Phil Simms                            Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold
·Cincinnati @ Denver                Spero Dedes/Steve Beuerlein                Bob Dekas/Chris Svendsen
·Houston @ Miami                  Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts                             Steve Scheer/Suzanne Smith

WEEK 3 – Sept. 25

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST             PRODUCER/DIRECTOR
1:00 PM, ET starts:              
·Jacksonville @ Carolina           Spero Dedes/Steve Beuerlein                Bob Dekas/Chris Svendsen
·Houston @ New Orleans        Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                   Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman
·New England @ Buffalo          Marv Albert/Rich Gannon                     Ross Schneiderman/Mark Grant
·Miami @ Cleveland                 Don Criqui/Randy Cross                       Ken Mack/Jim Cornell
·Denver @ Tennessee               Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker                    Victor Frank/Andy Goldberg

4:00 PM, ET starts:
·N.Y. Jets @ Oakland              Jim Nantz/Phil Simms                            Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold
·Kansas City @ San Diego       Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts                             Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith
·Baltimore @ St. Louis             Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots             Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley

(source: CBS)