ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, NFL Matchup and Monday Night Countdown Features

November 8, 2007 -- Sunday NFL Countdown Presented by IBM featuring Chris Berman, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson and Emmitt Smith will preview all the day’s NFL games Sunday at 11 a.m. ET. Chris Mortensen will provide headlines and league news, and Steve Young will contribute his weekly Sunday opinion segment, “Young is Restless.”

The pre-game show will include reports from Sal Paolantonio covering the Cowboys at Giants game and Ed Werder in Pittsburgh for the Browns at Steelers. Planned features:

Marion Barber

Nicknamed “The Barbarian” by his teammates for his powerful and fierce running style, Dallas running back Marion Barber III is having a great season. Werder reports on why Barber’s running style never wavers.

Packers D-Line

Jackson visits with Green Bay’s defensive line unit to see how it will try to stop Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who rushed for an NFL single-game record 296 rushing yards last Sunday against the Chargers.

Braylon Edwards’ Gift of Abiding Friendship

Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards is having a career year, and his impact off-the-field has been equally monumental. This year Edwards befriended a 15-year-old fan from Cleveland named Denzel Douglas. The boy passed away on October 26 after his body rejected the heart he had received via transplant. Edwards dedicated his eight-catch, 117-yard (2 TD) performance against the Rams to the memory of his young friend. Wanting to do even more, he paid for Douglas’ funeral service, and the young man was buried in a Browns No. 17 jersey signed by Edwards. Tom Rinaldi reports on how this special relationship has had a profound effect on Edwards.

Mayne Event: Adrian Peterson’s Handshake

Aside from possessing perhaps the best combination of speed and power since Jim Brown, Vikings rookie Adrian Peterson owns another unique trait. In this week’s edition of “The Mayne Event,” Kenny Mayne uncovers that A.D. (nicknamed “All Day”) has the world's strongest handshake.

Soundtracks: Jack Del Rio

As a preview to Sunday’s Jacksonville Jaguars-Tennessee Titans game, “Soundtracks” takes fans inside the first meeting between the teams in week 1 as Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio is wired for sound.

Demo: Stopping Adrian Peterson

Eight games into his NFL career Adrian Peterson has two 200-yd rushing games and he now holds the NFL record for rushing yards in a game – 296 yards. Jackson demonstrates how to stop Peterson.

Takin' It To The House

At the halfway point of the season, 10-year-old commentator Jason Krause is staging his first annual “Krausies,” highlighting the top players and coaches and their performances.

Start 'Em or Sit 'Em with Matthew Berry

ESPN.com Fantasy Football guru Matthew Berry will answer online fantasy football questions posted by fans on www.espn.go.com/sundaycountdown in “Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em” and will also preview weekly trends and sleepers for Week 10.

Berman, Ditka, Jackson, Johnson and Smith will pick the biggest games of the day and tell fans which players will make the biggest impact in NFL’s Week 10 action.

STATE FARM NFL MATCHUP, SUNDAY, 3 A.M. AND 8:30 A.M. ON ESPN

State Farm NFL Matchup (Sundays at 3 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.) with host Sal Paolantonio and analysts Ron Jaworski and Merril Hoge will preview week 10 of the NFL season by bringing viewers inside the film room. The 30-minute X’s and O’s program – taped each week at NFL Films in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey -- highlights team strategy and game-planning. This week’s features:

Adrian Peterson

Hoge knows the running back position and he was among the first to claim how special the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson would be. Matchup revisits Hoge’s bold statement and the nickname he gave Peterson in the first show of the year.

Vikings at Packers

Brett Favre’s record-breaking 421st touchdown pass will live on in football lore forever, but Favre’s most important touchdown pass of the year may have been number 422. Jaworski goes Inside the Matchup to show how the winning score against the Vikings unfolded.

Cowboys at Giants

First place is up in the air in the Meadowlands this Sunday. Though Tony Romo vs. the sack-happy Giants defense is the match up drawing the most attention, Hoge dissects the units on the other side of the ball, which could decide the game -- Giants offense vs. Cowboys secondary.

Browns at Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger shocked everyone with his five first-half touchdown passes on Monday night, but he’s been having success throwing the ball all season. Hoge returns to the Steelers’ week 1 domination of the Browns and shows how Pittsburgh’s route combinations have provided Big Ben with the opportunity to throw the ball down field effectively.

49ers at Seahawks

The 49ers signed Nate Clements this off-season to shut down opposing teams’ play-making receivers. Two wins and six losses later, Clements’ aggressive corner play has proved costly for the Niners at times. Jaworski breaks down what route has given him the most trouble.

A Look Back at New England at Indianapolis

Tom Brady worked the 4th quarter magic he is renowned for this past Sunday. Yet Jaworski, who saw the game in a much different light, re-examines the chess match between Bill Belichick’s defense and Peyton Manning’s offense and presents a rare occasion where Manning was fooled by a defensive adjustment.

Indianapolis at San Diego

Hoge compares the 2007 Philip Rivers to the 2006 version to uncover why the 4th year quarterback’s development has been hindered this season.

Jacksonville at Tennessee

In week 1, the Titans rushed for an astonishing 282 yards against the vaunted Jaguars defense. Vince Young only ran for 22 of those yards, yet he was the determining factor in the Titans’ success. Hoge goes to the Coach’s Clicker to reveal the positive impact that Young has on the Titans run game…when he doesn’t have the ball.

MONDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN, 7 P.M. ON ESPN

Monday Night Countdown Delivered by UPS with Berman, Jackson, Johnson, Parcells and Mortensen (in Bristol) and Stuart Scott, Young and Smith (at the MNF game in Seattle) will review the outcome of Sunday’s games and preview Monday Night Football. The pre-game show will lead into the kickoff of Monday Night Football – San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (starting at 8:30 p.m.), featuring Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser with sideline reporters Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya.

Bob Holtzman and Kolber will report on the 49ers while Rachel Nichols and Tafoya will cover the Seahawks.

Fish Tossing

Last year, Seahawks receiver Deion Branch won the first-ever fish-tossing competition at Seattle's Pike Place Market. Now a tradition on Monday Night Countdown, the second annual competition features the Seahawks secondary – Deon Grant, Marcus Trufant, Brian Russell, Kelly Jennings and Jordan Babineaux.

Soundtracks: Mike Holmgren

The Super Bowl-winning coach is wired for sound during a Seahawks practice in “Soundtracks.”

Field Pass

Countdown offers an all-access look at pre-game preparations as the players get ready for kickoff. Analysts will also discuss the important storylines and key players before the game.

WEEKLY MONDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN SEGMENTS:

READ AND REACT – Parcells and Johnson offer their widely differing looks at the game;

BOILING POINT – Former NFL head coaches Parcells and Mike Ditka offer their take on which coaches and players have reached their boiling points in the NFL;

TEAMS AT 20 – Reports on the participating teams every 20 minutes from the stadium before the MNF game.

In addition, Monday Night Football's Tirico, Jaworski and Kornheiser will preview the night’s match-up, with Mortensen covering breaking news from around the league and the Countdown analysts offering their “Lead Pipe Lock” predictions for the game.

Source: ESPN