Sunday NFL Countdown: DeSean Watson, Eli Manning’s 2004 NFL Draft Trade, and more
Host Sam Ponder and analysts Matt Hasselbeck, Randy Moss, Rex Ryan and Charles Woodson will preview NFL’s week 5 action on Sunday NFL Countdown, October 8, at 10 a.m. ET. The three-hour program will feature NFL Insiders Chris Mortensen, Louis Riddick and Adam Schefter, and senior fantasy sports analyst Matthew Berry.
On Saturday, the Indianapolis Colts will honor Peyton Manning by unveiling his statue outside Lucas Oil Stadium. Sunday, the team will retire his No. 18 jersey – the first Colt to have his jersey retired, and induct the future Hall of Fame quarterback into the team’s Ring of Honor inside the stadium. Ahead of the special weekend, Manning sat for a conversation with Countdown’s Chris Mortensen.
Reporter game assignments for week 5:
- Panthers at Lions (Dan Graziano)
- Cardinals at Eagles (Sal Paolantonio)
- Seahawks at Rams (Jeff Darlington)
- Packers at Cowboys (Josina Anderson)
- Chiefs at Texans (Jim Trotter)
Features:
- Peyton Manning Tour – Lucas Oil Stadium: Manning narrates a self-guided tour of Lucas Oil Stadium and relives key memories from his 13 seasons with the Colts.
- Jac Collinsworth – How Eli Manning Learned He’d Been Traded in the 2004 NFL Draft: In the 2004 NFL Draft, the Chargers traded Eli Manning to the Giants after selecting the Ole Miss quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick. But the story how Manning found out he had been traded remained a mystery. Now 13 years later, Countdown’s Jack Collinsworth catches up with the youngster who informed the quarterback he had been traded.
- DeShaun Watson Silences Critics: DeShaun Watson expressed his disappointment that he was not the first quarterback selected in the 2017 NFL Draft, despite leading Clemson to the College Football Playoff National Championship. Countdown host Sam Ponder looks back at Watson’s interviews and shows how the rookie quarterback is silencing his critics.
- NFL Films – Lombardi’s Hat: One of the most iconic images in sports is Vince Lombardi sitting atop Jerry Kramer’s shoulder after the Packers won the Ice Bowl wearing a hat and long overcoat. Before the picture was taken, a fan ran onto the field and stole Lombardi’s hat. Louis Riddick narrates the NFL Films story of what happened and how the legendary coach got his hat back.
- Packers at Cowboys – The Rap Battle: Two freestyling battle rappers – DNA and Kshine – preview Sunday’s Packers-Cowboys NFC matchup.
Divisional Foes Face-Off on ESPN’s Monday Night Football – Vikings vs. Bears on Oct. 9
The Chicago Bears host the NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, October 9 at 8:15 p.m. MNF play-by-play voice Sean McDonough and analyst Jon Gruden will call the game from Soldier Field in Chicago with sideline reporter Lisa Salters.
This is the 14th Vikings-Bears meeting on MNF, the third-most played rivalry game in the 48-year history of the series. Vikings-Bears is one of nine divisional matchups on MNF this season.
MNF will also be streamed live on the ESPN App, and the game will be presented in Spanish on ESPN Deportes and ESPN2 with commentators Alvaro Martin, Raul Allegre and John Sutcliffe.
| Time (ET) | Program | Network |
| 1:30-2:30 p.m. | NFL PrimeTime | ESPN |
| 2:30-3 p.m. | The Fantasy Show | ESPN |
| 3-4:30 p.m. | NFL Live | ESPN |
| 6-8:15 p.m. | Monday Night Countdown served by Applebee’s | ESPN |
| 8:15 p.m. | Monday Night Football – Vikings at Bears | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
(ESPN2) |
Monday Night Countdown: Bears-Loving Family, Boomer’s Vault – William Perry, and more
Suzy Kolber will host Monday Night Countdown with analysts Hasselbeck, Moss, Woodson and Steve Young beginning at 6 p.m. and leading into live presentation of Monday Night Football. NFL Insiders Mortensen, Riddick, Schefter and senior fantasy sports analyst Matthew Berry will also contribute, as will the MNF announce team.
Features:
- Gruden’s Chalk Talk with Mitch Trubisky: MNF analyst and Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden sits with Bears rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who is making his first NFL start on Monday night. Trubisky was featured in Gruden’s QB Camp series earlier this year.
- Michelle Beisner-Buck Feature – Chicago Bears-Loving Family: Michelle Beisner-Buck tells the story of Steve Benda of Tinsley Park, Illinois, who passed on his passion for the Chicago Bears to his daughter, Brittney Harmon. On her wedding day, Brittney surprised her dad wearing a Bears dress for their father-daughter dance.
- Boomer’s Vault: Chris Berman looks back at the Packers-Bears game on Monday night, Oct. 21, 1985, when Bears head coach Mike Ditka unleashed William “The Refrigerator” Perry on his offense and the rookie defensive tackle became the biggest player to score a touchdown in the National Football League. That season, the Bears rolled to an 18-1 record and a Super Bowl XX victory in New Orleans.
ESPN Radio: Los Angeles Chargers at New York Giants
ESPN Radio will continue its 2017 Sunday NFL schedule on Sunday, Oct. 8, at noon, as the Los Angeles Chargers visit the New York Giants – a matchup of quarterbacks Philip Rivers (Chargers) and two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning (Giants), who were part of the famous 2004 NFL Draft trade. Adam Amin and analyst Shaun O’Hara will call the game.
Gruden’s QB Camp Featuring Mitch Trubisky on ESPN2 and ESPNEWS
Ahead of Mitch Trubisky’s first NFL start, ESPN2 (Sunday at 11:30 p.m.) and ESPNEWS (Monday at 9:30 a.m., 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.) will air SportsCenter Special: Gruden’s QB Camp featuring Mitch Trubinsky. Leading up to the 2017 NFL Draft, Trubinsky was one of seven NFL quarterback prospects who participated in the annual film room series with Gruden.
ESPN Digital
- After four weeks, Bill Barnwell offers NFL awards from the first quarter of the NFL season.
- The Undefeated senior NFL writer Jason Reid profiles Willie Thrower, the first black man to play the quarterback position in the NFL after the league’s unofficial ban on black players was lifted in 1946.
- ESPN NFL Nation Jets reporter Rich Cimini profiles former Jet Erin Henderson, who returned home to Aberdeen, Md., to rebuild his life.
- NFL Insider Dan Graziano unveil his QB Confidence Index, a rating of all 32 NFL quarterback situations.
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