Brady vs. Manning Features Highlight Week 9 NFL Content on ESPN

Sunday NFL Countdown: Brady and Manning – Best of SNL; Cardinals WR John Brown; Seahawks Gnome; and More

Chris Berman and analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson and Ray Lewis will preview week 8 on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown on Sunday, Nov. 2, at 10 a.m. Anchor/host Wendi Nix will handle select segments, while NFL insiders Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter will report the day’s headlines and news.

ESPN reporters at game sites:

• Cardinals at Cowboys (Ed Werder and Ron Jaworski)
• Eagles at Texans (Josina Anderson)
• Chargers at Dolphins (Britt McHenry)
• Broncos at Patriots (Sal Paolantonio)

Features:

• Brady and Manning – Best of SNL: Off the field, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have both served as guest hosts of Saturday Night Live, America’s premier sketch comedy and variety show. Countdown presents some of the best moments of these two quarterbacks hosting SNL.
• Playing with Manning and Brady: In their own words, some of the players who have played with both quarterbacks – WR Wes Welker, C Dan Koppen and DT/FB Dan Klecko – share the similarities, differences, strengths and weaknesses of these Hall of Fame-bound quarterbacks.
• Brady–Manning – Through the Years: Countdown relives the journey for Brady and Manning with a vignette dating back to their childhood, through pee wee football, high school, college football, and their careers in the NFL.
• Aqib Talib: In a one-on-one conversation with Countdown’s Michelle Beisner, Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib, formerly with the Patriots, discusses being teammates with Manning and Brady, playing for Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, and more
• Arizona Cardinals’ John Brown: After watching his half-brother James Walker die following nine months in a coma after being shot, John Brown vowed to make it to the NFL – a dream that bound the two brothers together. SportsCenter host Jade McCarthy, in her first report for Countdown, tells how the Cardinals rookie receiver has turned the tragedy into a motivating force behind his success in the National Football League.
• The Seattle Gnome: After the Seahawks won the Super Bowl last season, a Seattle couple had the Seahawks gnome in their garden stolen. The gnome mysteriously re-appeared on the opening night of the 2014 season, along with a calendar of pictures showing the many places the gnome had travelled – San Francisco, Yellowstone Park, Las Vegas, and more. ESPN.com’s Greg Garber chronicles the mysterious off-season journey of a Seahawks gnome.
• Frank Caliendo – Jon Gruden, The History Teacher: Countdown comedian Frank Caliendo plays ESPN Monday Night Football analyst and Super Bowl winning coach Jon Gruden as an American history teacher, including a Bob Ley cameo role as the school principal.

Andrew Luck and the Colts Face Eli Manning and the Giants on ESPN’s Monday Night Football

Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts will face Eli Manning and the New York Giants on ESPN’s Monday Night Football on Nov. 3, at 8:15 p.m. The MNF booth team of Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden will call the game from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., with sideline reporter Lisa Salters.

MNF is also televised on ESPN Deportes and available on WatchESPN for fans with video subscriptions from affiliated providers.

The ESPN NFL lineup Monday begins with NFL Primetime (2 p.m.), followed by NFL Insiders (3 p.m.), NFL Live (4 p.m.) and the MNF pregame show Monday Night Countdown at 6 p.m. Countdown will originate from New Jersey with Suzy Kolber and NFL analysts Trent Dilfer, Ray Lewis and Steve Young and from ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Conn., with studio host Chris Berman, NFL analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson and Keyshawn Johnson and Insiders Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter.

Monday Night Countdown features:

• Soundtracks – Andrew Luck: In his third NFL season, Luck leads the league in passing yards and touchdowns and has thrown for 300+ yards in six straight games.  Luck, wired for in-game audio during the Colts’ week 5 win over the Ravens, is the subject of this week’s Soundtracks.
• Gruden’s Grill Session with Ahmad Bradshaw: MNF’s Gruden sits with Colts running back Bradshaw, who talks about the matchup against his former team in this week’s Grill Session.
• Rick Reilly’s Feature – Steve Weatherford: Weatherford might not only have the best physique on the New York Giants team, the punter is arguably at the top among active NFL players. Countdown’s Reilly reports on Weatherford’s non-stop energy in the gym, as well as his service to the community.

NFL Matchup – Patriots Defense vs. Manning; Carson Palmer to John Brown; Roethlisberger Throwing with Anticipation; and More

NFL Matchup host Sal Paolantonio and analysts Ron Jaworski and Merril Hoge preview the weekend’s key matchups via fill room Xs and Os analysis Saturday, Nov. 1, at 8:30 a.m. on ESPN2 (re-air on ESPN, Sunday at 3:30 a.m.).  Highlights:

• Inside the Matchup – Patriots Defense vs. Manning: Jaworski and Hoge take a deep dive into how the Patriots will mix up their defensive schemes against Broncos receivers to stall the Peyton Manning-led offense.
• X and O Files – Tom Brady Sack vs. Chiefs: In a key matchup versus a speedy Broncos pass rush, the Patriots offensive line must protect Tom Brady better than they did against the Chiefs’ in week 4.
• Blitz Breakdown – Redskins Pressure Confuses Romo: The Redskins were able to bring pressure and disrupt the Cowboys passing game – something Tony Romo and his offensive line must fix before their matchup with the heavy-blitzing Arizona Cardinals defense.
• Game Changer – Carson Palmer to John Brown: The Cardinals designed a perfect play to beat the Eagles defense last week, creating a matchup for speedy rookie wide receiver John Brown for the winning score.
• Anatomy of a Play – Ryan Tannehill to Mike Wallace: Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill shows his development as a passer by throwing a perfect touchdown to receiver Mike Wallace in the back of the end zone.
• Hoge Breakdown – Roethlisberger Throwing with Anticipation: Hoge shows how the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger found his groove against the Colts, making perfect throws to his receivers by trusting they would be open against tight coverage.
• Between the Lines – Luck to Hilton Touchdown: Jaworski explains how the big play ability of receiver T.Y. Hilton, and the downfield passing attack of the Colts, will be key in this week’s matchup against the Giants.
• Coaches Clicker – Arian Foster’s Big Numbers: Jaworski and Hoge contend that if Houston wants to beat Philadelphia on Sunday, they will have to feed the ball to running back Arian Foster, who is compiling an impressive season in a well-designed running game.

NFL on ESPN Radio: Nick Foles and the Eagles at J.J. Watt and the Texans Sunday

On Sunday, Nov. 2, at 12 p.m., ESPN Radio will broadcast Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles visiting J.J. Watt and the Houston Texans. Play-by-play voice Mark Kestecher will describe the action with reporter Ian Fitzsimmons.

Mike & Mike Celebrate Halloween in Foxborough on Fall Football Tour

ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike will broadcast live from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on Halloween, Friday, Oct. 31, as part of ESPN Audio’s annual Fall Football Tour. The show will preview the New England Patriots game against the Denver Broncos this weekend, and will feature Greeny and Golic dressed in Patriots-themed costumes. Mike & Mike airs weekdays 6 – 10 a.m. on ESPN Radio via terrestrial stations, ESPNRadio.com, the ESPN Radio app, SiriusXM, iTunes Radio, Slacker, TuneIn and is simulcast on ESPN2.

Also, the show launched its “Who’s In? Mike & Mike at the College Football Playoff” contest earlier this week, in which listeners have the opportunity to win a trip to the College Football Championship game in Dallas.

ESPN.com NFL “Hot Read”

Ahead of the matchup between the two top NFL quarterbacks – Tom Brady and Peyton Manning – ESPN.com features a three-pronged “Hot Read” on the matchup. Highlights:

• Brady-Manning Finish Line: Insight from a roundtable of eight ESPN experts – Mike Reiss, Jackie MacMullan, Jeff Saturday, Bill Williamson, Kevin Seifert, Tedy Bruschi, Jeff Legwold and Field Yates – on what to expect in the last few years of the Hall of Fame careers of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
• The ESPN Stats and Info blog delves into numbers and analysis via a “Next-Level” look inside the matchup of Brady vs. Manning.
• Broncos-Patriots Salary Comparison: While Denver seems to have gone all-in on quarterback Peyton Manning’s championship window, New England seems unwilling to mortgage the future for Tom Brady. ESPN.com NFL Nation writer Kevin Seifert on how both organizations are building their teams to take advantage of the championship windows of their Hall of Fame-bound quarterbacks.

E:60 Profiles Cam Newton

ESPN’s award-winning newsmagazine, E:60, will profile Carolina Panthers quarterback and 2010 Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton on Tuesday, Nov. 4 (8 p.m., ESPN). Summary:

Cam Newton is used to being number one. He was the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He led his Auburn Tigers to the 2010 BCS National Championship. That season he also won the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award and the Davey O’Brien Award, given to the nation’s top quarterback. Even his jersey with the Panthers is #1. It’s been this way since his father pushed him into youth football, and since he starred as a high school quarterback in Atlanta, GA. Greatness has been always been expected of Newton. But now in his fourth season with Carolina, many are wondering if he will reach the same heights in the NFL. Reporting for E:60, ESPN First Take host Cari Champion tells the story of the immensely talented Cam Newton, to whom much was given, and of whom even more is expected. Newton recounts, along with his father, the past incidents that cast doubt upon his integrity, and describes the maturation that could ultimately deliver the NFL success so many expect. Preview.

 

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