Dan Marino, one of the greatest passers in the history of the game, is now an analyst for the NFL on CBS. He returns to CBS on September 8th, for The NFL Today, a pregame show now in its 46th season. This will be the 54th year that CBS has covered the NFL. Marino will be joined this season by Boomer Esiason, Shannon Sharpe and Bill Cowher; with James Brown anchoring.
Until 2011, Marino held the record for most passing yards in a season.
He still holds the record for most 400 yard passing games in a career, as well as numerous other NFL and Dolphins records. Interestingly enough he also holds every Monday Night Football passing record you could think of.
I had an exclusive with Marino at NFL on CBS Media Day where I asked him how he likes his Dolphins this year.
“I always like my Dolphins,” Marino responded.
“I think they’re going to be an improved football team and have a chance to compete in the AFC East, if they improve the way they have improved the last couple of years, I think they can compete with New England in the East,” Marino continued.
With all the issues the New England Patriots have at the tight end position now, and the tumultuous off-season they’ve gone through, many NFL prognosticators believe the AFC East could be up for grabs again. And the Dolphins are much more likely to challenge the Pats, at least in my mind, than the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins have more pieces in place. Of course, you know what position will have the most influence.
“If the quarterback Ryan Tannehill is able to make more strides after his rookie year, into his second year they’ll be able to compete with New England,” Marino said.
I asked Dan Marino to name his favorites in the NFC.
“Overall, San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle, kind of the same teams as last year. I think New Orleans is going to be tough again because they’re getting Sean Payton back, and I think that made a huge difference,” he said.
Interesting side note, everyone remembers Marino in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, but we often forget that he was also a consultant to Any Given Sunday. His house served as the home for fictional QB Dan Marino.
“About a year or so before that Oliver Stone came down and spent some time with us in camp, and I spent some time with him talking about what a quarterback’s life is like, what they go through, so he could get a better handle on what he was shooting in his movie,” Marino conveyed.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. An analyst for 95.7 The Fan, he also writes on Chicago sports media for Chicago Now. President Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)