The CBS Television Network continues its 48^th year broadcasting the NFL with single-header coverage of THE NFL ON CBS on Sunday, Sept. 23 (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 San Diego Chargers-Green Bay Packers game live from Lambeau Field in Green Bay.  Lance Barrow is the coordinating producer and lead game producer and Mike Arnold is the lead game director.

 

Throughout the 2007 season, THE NFL ON CBS will broadcast five-to-six 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.  Tony Petitti is Executive Vice President and Executive Producer, CBS Sports.  McManus and Petitti serve as executive producers of CBS Sports' coverage of THE NFL ON CBS.

* * * * *

  

PHIL SIMMS

(On early season magnitude of San Diego vs. Green Bay): It's Week 3.  I would never say it was a season-setting-type game especially since one team is 2-0 and one is 1-1.  I would think there is a little more sense of urgency from the San Diego Chargers because of the fact that they have not dominated a team yet.   We all expect the Chargers to be a dominant team.  They can't just win - they've got to win with style.  That's what people expect.  That's how they are going to be judged.  I guess that is okay.  That is a sign that people expect you to be good and they expect you to dominate at times...(On Philip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson's slower starts):  It's simple, opportunities for both have been minimal.  If LaDanian Tomlinson is off to a slow start, then Philip Rivers is being put into  situations that he was not put into last year, so that's different for him too. People say he hasn't looked as comfortable.  I reply, of course he hasn't.  They're not ahead.  LaDanian is not running so he has to throw when they're expecting him to.  When that happens, the defense can pin their ears back and come after him harder.  So Philip Rivers has been in an environment, as a quarterback, that quarterbacks on the worst teams in the NFL face every week.  That's what he has seen the first two weeks.  When it starts going good he'll appreciate LaDanian and all that good stuff even more...(On San Diego's defense so far): They gave up three points in Week 1.  I'm just not good enough to give an answer for the year or an overall review, after they lost to a team that most people thought was the best team in the

 

NFL going into the season.  I'll give it time and I'll wait.  If you made me answer is the San Diego Charger defense going to be really good, good, or average this year when it is all said and done, I would feel pretty confident in saying it would be viewed as really good...(On Green Bay and Brett Favre): Brett Favre still has the best throwing arm in the NFL.  They won four games in a row at the end of last year and these last two.  I heard so many people say Brett Favre is doing a disservice to the Green Bay Packers, he needs to quit and let the young quarterback play.  It's always such knee jerk reaction when it comes to the quarterback.  It's a good thing it's not political office where they actually have to go by the straw polls and have to react accordingly to the straw poll.

  

* * * * *

  

Following are THE NFL ON CBS assignments for Week 3, Week 4 and Week 5 (subject to change).

 

WEEK 3 - Sept. 23

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:              

·San Diego @ Green Bay*       Jim Nantz/Phil Simms                Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold

·Indianapolis @ Houston*         Ian Eagle/Solomon Wilcots                   Bob Dekas/Cathy Barreto

·Miami @ N.Y. Jets*               Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                   Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman

·Buffalo @ New England*        Kevin Harlan/Rich Gannon                    Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

4:05 PM, ET starts:

·Cincinnati @ Seattle* Gus Johnson/Steve Tasker                      Victor Frank/ Mark Grant

·Jacksonville @ Denver*          Dick Enberg/Randy Cross                    Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith

·Cleveland @ Oakland Bill Macatee/Steve Beuerlein                  Ross Scheiderman/Mark Grant

 

  

WEEK 4 - Sept. 30 - DOUBLEHEADER

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:

·Houston @ Atlanta                  Don Criqui/Steve Beuerlein                   Ross Scheiderman/Andy Goldberg

·N.Y. Jets @ Buffalo*              Ian Eagle/Solomon Wilcots                   Bob Dekas/Cathy Barreto

·Baltimore @ Cleveland            Kevin Harlan/Rich Gannon                    Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley

·Oakland @ Miami*                 Gus Johnson/Steve Tasker                    Victor Frank/Mark Grant

 

4:15 PM, ET starts:

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

·Pittsburgh @ Arizona* Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                   Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman

·Kansas City @ San Diego*     Dick Enberg/Randy Cross                    Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith 

 

 

WEEK 5 - Oct. 7 - DOUBLEHEADER

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:

·Miami @ Houston                   Kevin Harlan/Rich Gannon                    Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley

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

·N.Y. Jets @ N.Y. Giants         Dick Enberg/Randy Cross                    Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith 

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

 

4:15 PM, ET starts:

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

·Baltimore @ San Francisco     Ian Eagle/Solomon Wilcots                   Bob Dekas/Cathy Barreto

 

 

* Games broadcast in HDTV