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Excerpts from Costas’ interviews with Elway and Jenkins, Football Week 8

By April MacIntyre Oct 29, 2012, 6:13 GMT

John Elway - Oakland, CA, USA © PRK / PR Photos

Rewind time from NBC and Bob Costas on week 8 in American football. 
 

“He is going to be on the short list of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. I think he would just like to solidify it and say I’m (Manning) the best of all time. He can do that by winning some Super Bowls.” – John Elway on Peyton Manning

“We had different plans for him at different points in the game. We didn’t want to keep it the same. You try to keep the ball out of his hands and do whatever you can to keep him off the field.” – Malcolm Jenkins on playing against Manning 

From NBC

Bob Costas interviewed Denver Broncos Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway and New Orleans Saints Safety Malcolm Jenkins for tonight’s Week 8 edition of Football Night in America, which will preview Saints-Broncos, and will also include highlights, analysis and reaction to earlier Week 8 games.

Football Night In America, the most-watched pre-game studio show in sports, airs each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET with Costas hosting the program live from inside the stadium. He will be joined on site by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst) as well as NBC NFL analyst Hines Ward for reaction to the afternoon games and to preview tonight’s match-up.

Dan Patrick co-hosts Football Night from Studio 8G at NBC's 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and is joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison, Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com. Alex Flanagan will report from Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on the Giants-Cowboys game.

Here are excerpts from Costas’ interviews with Elway and Jenkins.

JOHN ELWAY WITH BOB COSTAS

On the relationship between Elway and Broncos QB Peyton Manning: I just know that when we were going through the process, with my 16-years having played here for an owner who gave us the opportunity to win Super Bowls, as a player that’s what you ask for. For me to be able to sell that to Peyton and tell him what the Denver Broncos are all about, and it really starts at the top with Pat Bowlen. The number one thing he (Manning) was looking for was the ability to go someplace and win a World Championship. I think it started when he looked at the Denver Broncos and our owner Pat Bowlen, and what World Championships mean to him.

On the fraternity of NFL quarterbacks: No question that there is a fraternity. When we have time to spend around each other, which doesn’t come very often. No one knows else knows what it’s like to sit in that pocket, drop back seven-steps, have those guys rush down your throat and be able to stand there and throw a football. There is a unique combination of the way we think and when we get around each other. I’m thrilled that he (Manning) came here and we have had the right opportunity to get the right people around him to hopefully win a World Championship.

On where Manning currently is in his career: You know, it’s always hard for me to tell. I’ve seen great growth in him since he signed with us in March. The way that he has worked in training camp and through the first six games of the year, especially the last three. I’ve seen him get better and better. I think he is getting close to where he needs to be.

On the personal goals that Manning is still working towards: I think that you are always compared to your contemporaries. Tom Brady has been to five Super Bowls and Peyton’s brother has been to two. I think that even though they are brothers, they are still competitors. I know that I looked at my contemporaries. I looked at Marino and Kelly when I played. As a quarterback it’s what they are doing, and I think that Peyton is looking at his contemporaries now. He is going to be on the short list of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. I think he would just like to solidify it and say I’m (Manning) the best of all time. He can do that by winning some Super Bowls. Hopefully we can get that done.

MALCOLM JENKINS WITH BOB COSTAS

On Jenkins play last week against Vincent Jackson and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I’ve seen plays like that happen since I was little, since Pop Warner. Somebody gives everything they have and it’s just enough to make the play. The chances of us keeping them out of the end zone are slim, but I know there is still a chance. Whatever I can give, I’m always going to give it, just to give my team the chance to win the game.

On Jenkins similar play last year against the Dallas Cowboys: One thing that Jim Tressel always taught us was that being great usually means it’s not all about talent. Sometimes your God given ability is just not enough. If that’s the case, then you can be fine with that. But if you don’t give all that you have and do the things that you have control over, then you will be disappointed in yourself. So I make sure that whenever those opportunities come I’m always going to give it my all. And they have worked out for me.

On preparing to play against Peyton Manning, when Manning was with the Colts: The biggest thing I remember is the importance of the details. How we aligned and what we were showing him. Knowing that he is reading us was the biggest thing. We studied our own body mannerisms. We had to do a lot of self-scouting to know what he would see and know what we were showing as far as coverage and looks. We had different plans for him at different points in the game. We didn’t want to keep it the same. If you do the same plan for the whole game, it may work early but eventually he will figure it out. You try to keep the ball out of his hands and do whatever you can to keep him off the field. And it worked for us.

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