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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. And it is aimed complete. The Eagles Winners.
The Eagles Winners. On today's show, Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner. Complete Week 17 recap. Your phone calls, latest news, and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
of the Rich Eisenchelt. Live on Disney Plus, live on the ESPN app, and live on ESPN Radio. Hello, Sirius XM Channel 80 audience. And everybody listening out there on our podcast platform, we appreciate everybody who takes us in.
However, you get your podcast all three hours. Overreaction Monday has already been recorded for your podcast listening or viewing on our YouTube channel, youtube.com slash rich eisen show. Hope everybody had a happy and healthy and safe Christmas holiday. And we're getting ready for the new year, obviously, right around the corner. Week 17 off the charts, off the chain, almost in the books.
Rams and Falcons are playing on Monday night football to wrap up week number 17 tonight. Kurt Warner, I called. The Chargers in Texas with him on Saturday on NFL Network. I hosted NFL game day morning with him on Sunday, and now he's a guest on the Rich Eisen Show in the middle of this Monday program. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial to have a conversation with us.
Good to see you over there, Christopher Brockman. How are you, sir? Hey, Rich, I am excellent. How are you? Oh, your New England Patriots are winners of the American Football Conference Eastern Division.
Congratulations to you. And all is right with the world. And all the mass holes in Concordance together. I'm happy for all of you. Good to see you over there, Mike Del Tufo.
How are you? Good morning. How are you doing, Rich? I'm doing well. You don't even know what's going on because let me just explain to people.
I just don't. I'm explaining to people.
Okay. Let them be proud of this sort of thing.
Okay. You got a new toy over there, right? You got a new soundboard. Yeah, we got a new soundboard.
So it's everybody, you're going to hear it might be a little different. It's going to be better, but I just want to, you know, it'll be better. It's fine. It's great. It's got a crew of six of us elves that came in Christmas.
It worked. I called us the six elves.
Well, I'm appreciative of you and all the elves for putting this equipment in while we were on a little bit of a television and radio break. TJ Jefferson, the candle is not lit. What's going on over there? You need one for holidays? What is it over there?
Ah, there it is. Oh, it's very fast. I couldn't see that. Oh, I couldn't see it. Sticker on your laptop.
The candle is lit. Yes, we've got stickers now.
Soundboard and stickers and you. 844 being the number to dial. All right, let's get into this. I feel like I come on the air here every week now in December. saying that was the game of the year.
Right? Rams and the and the Seahawks. That was the game of the year. At that moment it was. Packers and Bears.
Oh, my. Part two. That was the game of the year. Sure, you're right. Then You know.
Came last night. Off of, by the way, a Bills Eagles game that we're going to discuss in the middle of this first hour that looked. as if it was a pedestrian Type of feel to it with a playoff. covering on it. Until the final Throws of that game, put it into Can't miss this is classic, unbelievable, can't believe what I'm seeing type football.
Mother Nature had a little to do with that. That's true. And then comes Sunday night. The 49ers. And the Bears.
Two teams coming into this. Campaign. Coming into this season. With last place. The schedules.
Because everybody's thinking, okay, last year, you know, Packers made it, Vikings made it, Lions made it. Good luck to. Ben Johnson and these Bears to do anything in their first year together with Caleb Williams. And they're the 49ers. Last year.
They they were they were they were particularly troubled. as a franchise. This 49ers team. Losing Nick Bosa, a defensive player of the year. Fred Warner, another defensive player of the year type player.
They lose George Kittle for four games and then last night, so about a quarter of the season. They lost Brock Purdy for a third of the season. They lost Ricky Pearsall for half the season. Brandon Ayuk. Is best known this year.
for speeding past the field of genes. And recording it. More than what he does with his own speed because of injuries and whatever the hell is going on with this team. Not a single snap from Brandon. Ayuk.
this year. This team. This 49ers team. For a Fan base that is out of their skulls. In terms of their rabidness, their love of this team.
They're waiting for this team to win a Super Bowl championship longer. I'll do this for you, TJ. Thank you. Then Cowboys fans have been waiting for their team to get back to the NFC Championship game. That's how long it's been for the 49ers to win a Super Bowl.
Obviously, they've made it back. And had Mahomes standing in their way. And last night They had A Second coming of Mahomes standing in their way. Even as you know, Chris Collinsworth could not Resist mentioning. Patrick Mahomes watching Kayla Williams do what he's doing last night.
But guess what the 49ers have? Guess who the 49ers have? They got themselves Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, and Kyle Shanahan. Together. One of the best Play calling.
Quarterback, running back combinations in the National Football League, if not the best, I just said those words. Because again, these 49ers doing what they are doing. without the players that they have. or without the players they haven't had. to be on the precipice.
of not having to pack a bag for the rest of this year. Until perhaps they take a post. Super Bowl Parade Vacation with their families. The home of Super Bowl 60 is the home of the 49ers. And who thought coming into the season it would be possible for the Niners to play in that game?
Who thought it would be possible in week 17? Prior to week one. prior to when the schedule's coming out. That it would be possible for the 49ers to play in this game. Legit.
Possible. You did? You keep pointing me out. Remember, I had seven teams to win the Super Bowl. That I thought could win.
Okay. So you would. I guess it's a figurative speech then. You threw him in there with a bunch of others. What they are doing right now is beyond impressive.
And what they did last night. Brock Purdy His first throw picked off for a touchdown. First time in a couple of years. Since Alex Highsmith picked off Deshaun Watson to start a game. That's been a couple of years since a pick six started a football game.
And all the Niners did was just put their foot in the ground and keep scoring and scoring and scoring. And at the end of the day, At the end of the day, a defense that couldn't stop the other team. Together with this team. Resilient. Wins the football game.
Similar to one. if I have to make Emma Holmes' reference, To the Jared Goff Patrick Mahomes Monday Night Football 54-51 final. This had that feel to it. Whoever gets the ball last is going to win the game. Whoever doesn't score a touchdown is going to lose the game.
I mean, the 49ers talk about resilient. They actually had a punt. Sure. For the first time all month last night. That's crazy.
Tommy Townsend was running down the field like he was, you know, Rudy on amphetamines. He had a lot of aggression penalty. He was just running. Down the field like the wind. Can't believe he's actually.
Following up a punt and dapping up his teammates after he actually was allowed to punt. Got him in the game. Rudy on amphetamine. I did say those words. And Brock Purdy, this is amazing.
Just one more time, just to say. Part of it, Thomas Mornstead, not Thomas. I'm mixing up the people who I called a game watching punt on Saturday, Thomas Morstead. Pardon me. Thank you for that.
Mike Hoskins getting in my ear. You could play the Slow Sports Center music because I just had that moment of screwing up. Listen. Brock Purdy doing what he's doing now. Because again, he missed a third of the season.
This is also part and parcel in this day and age where a guy. Like Mac Jones comes in and performs as well as he has, and everybody's like, Well, why aren't we just playing with him playing playing? Him, why aren't we just using him as our starting quarterback? Just take a look at what's going on in Green Bay right now. Malik Willis didn't even win the game Saturday night.
I know, and they're just like, all right, so that's the way things go in this world. But Purdy's showing off why He should be the starter in San Francisco. And yes. He's worth what he got paid. This Offseason.
Last night, Brock Purdy became the sixth player in the Super Bowl era with five. or more offensive touchdowns in consecutive games. Yeah. Short week. San Francisco on Monday night, week 16.
He had five touchdowns. Last guy to do that in back-to-back games. Russell Wilson in 2020. First player in the history. Of the San Francisco 49ers, did you hear what I just said?
History. Thank you. Of the 49ers. History of the 49ers. Five-time Super Bowl champion nighters.
A lot of MVP in Montana. All of him. And Young. Yeah. To name two.
Jeff Garcia. 300 or more passing yards, three or more passing touchdowns, and two or more rushing touchdowns in a game. Nobody's ever done it. Oh, you can even throw Kaepernick out there, too, sir. He's going to be next.
And how about this one? Over the last 40 seasons. There's only one other quarterback. With three or more passing touchdowns and two or more rushing touchdowns in a primetime game. And it's somebody.
You wouldn't Equate with Brock Purdy. His name is Michael Vick. Cheers. Brock Purdy had a Michael Vick game on Sunday night. Kind of did.
When Kyle Shanahan, who, as you know, throws around a lot of compliments like manhole covers on time to time, certainly when it comes to quarterbacks. Yeah. had this to say about Brock Purdy when last night He did what he did against a red-hot quarterback and offense in Chicago's. I thought Brock had a hell of a game. Again, Brockton playing his ass off, made some huge plays in this game.
Kept some drives alive with his legs, made some off-schedule plays, and was an assassin out there throughout the whole day. You've seen Brock play some really good games over the years, but have you seen a stretch like this? Is this as good as he's ever been right now? I don't know. I'm not the best historian.
I feel like he's had some good stretches, I mean, especially going back 23 and 22. But, I mean, he's playing as good as he gets right now.
Well, I'll give you the history, Kyle. Purdy's third straight season now with twenty more passing touchdowns. Only Steve Young has a longer such streak in the history of the San Francisco forty niners.
So that's the totality of Purdy's run right now. And I gave you what he just did. in terms of back-to-back games. in the short term. And that play he made where he ran around for eight seconds.
And it looked like he was going to maybe try to run it in and he Pulled up stakes and threw it to use check. Doop. Yep. Was one of those moments where we, as a collective nation watching on ANBC, Probably cursed on the couch. Holy S.
Yeah, especially when you're playing them in a fantasy championship.
Okay. Yep. Brock Purdy. And then he does his dance. As well you should, Brock.
Hit it. Yeah, I mean, it was obviously a bootleg, and just one of those things where the defense sort of did a good job covering it and just tried to make. Make a play, keep the play alive. And then, obviously, when I cut back in, you know, defenses tend to go in to in cuts on scrambles, so just trying to keep the play alive. And saw Juice in the corner, so it was cool that he had his antenna up too, right there in that moment.
Obviously you score and you just try to give the team momentum and Celebrate.
So it was a cool, cool play. And then it helps to have a Hall of Famer in Christian McCaffrey. I said it weeks ago. I'll say it again. That's a Hall of Fame running back.
Okay. Okay. Yeah. I know I sound angry.
Okay, yeah, no one's pushing back.
Okay. We did. You did. If you went to the bottom. He had a season high, 140 rushing yards.
He joins Ladanian Tomlinson as the only players in NFL history to have three seasons with 2,000 or more scrimmage yards and 15 or more touchdowns.
Now, eight players in the history of the NFL have three seasons with 2,000 or more scrimmage yards. The only ones with more are Marshall. Eric Dickerson and Walter Payton.
Okay. This guy is unbelievable. When he comes out of the game, you're like, why? And then you see him breathing heavily on the sideline. You're like, oh, that's right.
He's had 90 million touches tonight. 400 on this. There was one moment in the game on the Monday nighter against Indianapolis where he comes out of the game inside the five-yard line, and you saw Shanahan sort of shaking his head on the sideline. And I knew exactly what was happening. I've said it to Cooper as I'm sitting next to him.
I'm like, he can't believe McCaffrey's coming out of the game right now. You know what Shanahan did? Called the timeout. He did. Do you know what happened after the timeout?
McCaffrey scored a touchdown. Christian McCaffrey. That's why. You have him. You trade for somebody like him.
The Eagles would say Kwan Barkley. I can't believe the Panthers decided years ago, let's just flip him to San Francisco.
Well, that's for another day. This day, San Francisco wakes up with a shot at the one seed. in a campaign. that ends in their own house. That's a fact.
And on top of it, what you love to do is stick it to your rivals. That win. eliminated the Rams from the one seat. The Rams are going to be a wild card team. How tough of a loss was that in the previous game of the year against Seattle?
So, San Francisco, despite losing everybody, despite having so much go against them. Is a one seed. Possibility. to the point where all they've got to do is win one game at home. And they stay at home.
for the rest of a playoff campaign that ends in their home. Take the luggage and put it in the basement. Holy cow, and it's in the toughest division in the NFL. I just mentioned the Rams are eliminated from the division in the one seed. They're playing for their 12th win tonight.
They could be a third place. 13 win team. That's what the Niners are doing. Can't rave about them enough.
Now then. Let's talk about the bears. Let me tell you, Bears fans, I know you're feeling. Hurt today. Living on the edge of your seat last night.
Watching your team. Come back again. Watching your team come up short. by mere feat. Just a handful of yards.
to a team I just spent the first 10 minutes lauding. The first Entire almost the entirety of our first segment. Praising the 49ers for doing what they're doing and having a shot at the one seed when nobody expected. And the Bears shot at the one seed. is now In peril.
out the window without help. And The Bears are going to be the two seed. Right. And I know it hurts. But I will just tell you this.
You're good. You're more than good. You're you're in a great Spot. Coming into this season. You're thinking, did we get the right coach?
Is he really going to be able to do anything with Caleb? Is he going to be able to turn him around? Because I think he might be a bust. Look what he did last year. Oh, absolutely.
I know you just gave me this look on my off-camera. I spoke to some Bears fans. We're thinking, did we get the wrong guy? Jaden Daniels just had his unicorn season. Caleb was lost, looking lost.
This franchise, you learn in the middle of Ben Johnson being hired to the first snap of the season. You hear they were so in disarray. That's a good idea. They didn't even tell Caleb how to watch film last year. The front office was letting that go down.
And the Bears fans were all wondering what the hell is happening around here? Can we actually Take the Lions offensive coordinator and wind up better than the Lions. And then when they started 0-2, after having a 50-burger thrown on them by the Lions, sitting there saying, Did we get the wrong guy? Is he forgazy? Did he really have anything to do?
with that offense in Detroit. That just put a 50 burger on us. We just blew it to J.J. McCarthy at home on Monday night football. Is the new defensive coordinator worth a damn?
I mean, these were questions just two weeks into the season, let alone throughout the offseason. And now we watch them go toe to toe. With the team that could be the first seed in the NFC playoffs, and if not, A clear threat to win the Super Bowl anyway. Toe to toe. with them.
And in this day and age, Where it may turn out to be the most important. Individual on your sideline. is the play caller. Obviously, it's a quarterback-driven league. You need to have somebody who is the executor, the avatar of the.
Philosophy writ large of the team and the play caller. But you need to have somebody on the sidelines who can look at Kyle Shannon and say, I'm dialing something up against your defense. I know what you've just done. I know it's 7-7, then it's 14-14, then it's 21-21, then it's 28-28, then it's 35-35. By the way, I'm not exaggerating.
No. That's what happened last night. What happened?
Okay. That you do yours, I'll do mine. You try and stop mine because I'm coming for you after you get yours. The Bears have that. Who ever thought the Bears would have that?
Whenever you're talking about a cool quarterback, you're talking about Yeah. Jim McMahon, right? Or a cold quarterback. You're talking about Jay Cutler because he's staring at you saying, get the hell out of here. I don't want to talk to you.
You got A cool customer. Caleb Williams, who in just his first year at Ben Johnson, is one of the best I've seen. That throwing off platform. Throwing against the grain of his body.
Now, he's still missing some wide-open shots. That's going to be fixed. It's only a matter of time. The tools are all there. Until that's out of his game.
Only a matter of time. The run game is ingenious. and stout Swift is a young guy. Another question that folks had in Chicago is: Polls the right guy, Ryan Pohl's the GM? You know, he's choosing some interesting goals.
Why is he trading for Montez Sweat in the middle of a season that's already lost? couple years ago. You know, why is he doing that? Can he shop for the right groceries? Yes, yes, and yes.
All of it. Oh my God. And you could say it's not the future is bright, the future could potentially be now. You're going to be the two seed. By the way, taking on the Packers part three.
Holy crap. You want to talk about a wild card possibility? But again, that's for another day. And then just. This exchange here with the media last night between the coach And the media and the quarterback and the media about the same play, the final play.
You know, where it was wild. The Bears Pulled out of their bag of tricks the same play that the Bills pulled out of their bag of tricks on the fourth down in the final drive of the regulation. against the Eagles where it was a quick pass and then a flip to a running back. For a first down. They tried that with no timeouts left.
Talking about aggressive. Crazy. No timeouts left. They pulled that one out of their bag of tricks. Love it.
And And it went for a first down, but not for a touchdown. They had to get up and clock it. And then call a play. One shot to win it. And it didn't go their way.
You could see from jump that It was going to be. Caleb having to pull a rabbit out of the hat that whatever they were scheming up. wasn't open. And then he wound up hopping it. To Luther Burden, you want an incredible game.
In the end zone. But listen to the exchange with the head coach Ben Johnson afterwards on this play. On the final play, what is kind of supposed to happen if everything works out the case? Yeah, we didn't quite get aligned in the formation we wanted to. It's on me.
I didn't give him the call fast enough, and so he's trying to piecemail it together. I gotta do a better job on that.
So he takes the hit. It was me on the play call. Me on the play call.
So now the quarterback's going to step to the same podium and be asked the same question. How's he, if it is on Ben Johnson, how's the quarterback going to handle that? I think I have an idea. How is he going to handle that? Hit it.
We ended up uh Getting lined up with not much time, and we were slightly lined up wrong, and so I didn't have enough time to be able to fix it, have an emotion and things like that. And so we just had to try and make something out of nothing in that situation. And then we like I said, we had a shot. With all of that going on, time running down, us missing line and things like that. We had a shot.
And Just got to give my guys a shot in that situation. I think I haven't obviously gone back and watched it yet, but I think I'd end up dirting the ball, didn't get my legs into it. And just put the ball in the end zone in that moment. And if it's a pick or incomplete at that point, but can't dirt the ball. He takes responsibility.
Talking about how we weren't you you know, we were lined up late. Yeah. Doesn't say the play call came in late. The coach and the quarterback together For this team. They are going to be a problem for a long time, and that long time.
could start in two weeks. Bears fans, you've got to be ecstatic out of your skulls at what you're seeing. I didn't even mention the defense that keeps taking the ball away, too. They could absolutely win the Super Bowl this year, no question about it. A game like that.
Can stick in their crawlers and be something as they use as a rallying cry. Period, end of story. What a game. On Sunday night. Two teams that can win the Super Bowl.
That would be an incredible NFC championship game. We'd be talking about that game for years. Oh my god. A great game, Dan. The Bears have got a top-notch play caller, a top-notch running game, a top-notch quarterback, some top-notch receivers.
They even have Roma Dunze in that game. All right. And Zacchaeus, he was sick. He didn't play. Defensively, they took a ball away and still couldn't win the game because the Niners are just so on tilt offensively without Kittle.
Holy crap! What a game! Worthy of starting the show of 25 minutes in. Let's take our first break. We'll talk Bills and Eagles.
Still to come, also, Steelers, Ravens. Oh my god, the Steelers couldn't pull it off in Cleveland, but hey, At least Miles didn't get the sack record against him, right? It's coming up. Mm. Rich Eisen here.
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Bills, Eagles. Listen, I'll be honest with you, halfway through that second half. I'm texting with Jake Culp, Rich Eisen Show, social media.
Sorry, Grand Maester. That's not your role anymore. I'm saying, though. You've graduated. Like, I came up with that.
No, Jake, all the reels that you see on our Instagram. There's no way Jake has seen Game of Thrones. Come on. Exactly. Jake's too.
Not in the grandma. He's young enough. He's young enough. He's young enough. Of being known.
At any rate, long story short, Jake's an Eagles fan. I text him. I'm like, you know what? You should put together a little montage of all the times I've said on the Rich Eisen show or in my office. having instant reactions to Eagles' losses.
in their three-game losing streak. Telling Eagles fans to relax. Relax. After get-right games against the raiders and the commanders, they go into A What would you say? A weather.
F slash football cauldron. And Heimark Stadium. It was ugly. and perform way better. In the elements.
Than the home team. and take a 13-0 lead. And I'm feeling it. Because you know Out of everything else around here, I like being right the most. You've mentioned that before.
And I'm telling Eagles fans to relax again. By using Previous moments When I told Eagles fans to relax, I thought I would kind of have that. in my back pocket.
Well, right around the top of the fourth quarter When the Bills started gaining some momentum and yards. And the Eagles still hadn't had a completed pass since the second quarter. I text Jake these three words: hold that edit. Hold. Hold that edit.
Hold the edit. And the Bills score a touchdown finally. Against an Eagles defense that was all over the place, right? They were all on top of Josh Allen. That moment where Josh Allen took a sack.
On third down to get him out of field goal range. Yeah, he must have ran 20 yards backwards. Fox did a great job with that. They came back from commercial break with Tom Brady. Expertly.
expertly breaking down why that third down play got blown up. They had a man-beater on a defense that looked like it was going to be man, and then they play zone, and it's covered, and Josh Allen takes the sack. And Jalen Carter gets him down back By the midfield logo and then they cut to A split-screen reaction of Vince Vic Fangio, the defensive coordinator of the Eagles, celebrating on the left, and Joe Brady, the OC of the Bills on the right, basically cursing at the world. That was great. What a moment that was.
And I'm like, this is just not going to be the Bills' Day. They scored a touchdown. And then Jalen Carter.
Somehow, some way. Gets off the ground so significant. He's on, he's a freakish athlete. Yeah. How did the Henity fall to the Eagles?
Well, well, you know, there's some flags involved in that. He somehow blocks Michael Badgley's extra point. Makes it 13.6. And you're thinking to yourself, all right. That's not that bad.
Now they can't win the game with another touchdown. Unless they, you know. Go for two. Utah. Give me two.
And that's what happened. Because the Eagles. Did not Complete a pass in the second half. of this football game, period. At all.
Insane. points full blue Tarski in terms of Passing yards in the second half. Nothing. How's that possible? I watched it with my own two eyes and Eagles fans will tell you it's the offense.
Zero. Point. And I don't know how much this drive, this final drive for the Bills. May be the most I've second guessed Any play snap to snap all season long. You know what I mean?
That was Something. Watching this drive, When they're right before the two-minute warning, run the ball. And I'm like Running the ball Deep in your own end, When you're down by seven. And you haven't really done a lick on offense. That's the luxury people have.
When you don't want to give the ball back to another team with too much time left on the clock. You're not in that position. to just let it go down to the two-minute warning. And um So that second play, second downplay leads to a third down play. Where for some reason He throws it out wide to Ty Johnson on the right.
and allows this Eagles defense to go sideline to sideline? What? Are we doing? And I'm like, I like this third down play way less than I loved the second down play, which I didn't love at all. And then the fourth down play where he throws it to Shakir and flips it to, was it Johnson?
On a little hook and lateral for a first down, I'm like, okay.
Now that's it. Yeah. I was second guessing one snap, one snap, loving that snap. And then he finds Brandon Cook so damn far down the middle. I'm like, thinking this now, you can start taking time off the clock, which they did.
And then they score a touchdown to Dawson Knox until it wasn't. Holy cow. Holy crap They're down at the one half yard line.
Now you just got to shove it in the end zone, which is what they did. And now what do you do? I didn't like the choice of going For two.
Now, listen. Josh Allen is clearly not healthy. One, two. You've got no Faith in your kicker, who's missed two kicks already.
So what do you do? Do you go with you have your three choices. If you're The head coach. You go with your all-world Injured. or hurt, if you will, run a quarterback.
In the elements, one shot. to win it. Or lose it. You go with the place kicker in the elements, one shot to tie it. or lose it.
Or do you go into overtime? Against an offense in the Philadelphia Eagles who haven't. Gotten A completed pass. In a half. I would have chosen that option.
Hmm. I would have chosen it because that's what I chose before, and then I saw that. I guess this is the hook'em horns as the symbol in the National Football League to go for two. Go for two. Two, two, two.
Okay. They do. Obviously, the dialed-up play was there. And of all things, Josh Allen missed the throw.
Okay. Here was the coach afterwards. Wanted to be aggressive, going for the win. you know, we we feel like you know only a certain amount of time left at that point and Um I felt like we had a great great call, great opportunity to go win it, and I'm going to be aggressive, so I'm not going to sit back. Did having the kick blocked earlier impact your decision with making?
Uh potentially. Um it wasn't everything, but I trust Josh Allen with the ball in his hands and I'd do it over again.
Okay. Hey, I I can't fault his thinking. Can you I I can't fault his thinking. And again, I said it before the play call. Which was there?
And then Josh Allen, of all people. couldn't execute it. And the bills wind up One two-point conversion shy from forcing the issue. to win the division. to week 18.
So You know, I I don't have an answer other than the fact of The Bills are going to be a tough out. If I'm the Bills, I understand next week could possibly be the last game. In the old stadium. But sitting Josh Allen and letting Trubisky handle Week. 18 against the Jets.
Maybe you give Josh a series so he could just wave to everybody? I don't know. Mm-hmm. Does that matter? Having him healthy for a first-round visit to Jacksonville or a first-round visit to New England?
100% trumps all that. Certainly, since he is definitely going to want to play, I imagine. Listen to how he sounded after the game yesterday. They had a good defense. That's the defending Super Bowl champs for a reason.
Um You know, they... They had a good plan. They get paid on that side of the football too, so Again, it just comes down to us executing, making one more play than they did, and obviously we saw that we didn't make that last play, how to make that last play, so.
Okay. Get ready for Jacksonville. Which I think is going to be the AFC South winner. All they got to do is beat Tennessee. And they host whoever is going to be the sixth seed.
Most likely. or get ready for New England. Or Denver. Could be either one of those. and you better be spry about for all of 'em.
Okay, so. Uh it stinks. That was a tough way to go out. You know, against the Eagles. A measuring stick game.
But bottom line is both of these teams are looking a little flawed going into the next Season Um The Eagles at least are going to be home. The bills are going to have to be on the road. And if they are the seventh seed, then next week's game is going to be the final game in the old stadium. But the fact is, you want to have a parade outside that old stadium, and the best way to do that is to make sure Josh Allen is healthy. Certainly if you're gonna You know, utilize him in every possible way because outside of James Cook, I'm looking around for a playmaker on offense.
Exactly. Brandon Cooks Coming up with a 100-yard game for his sixth different franchise, which is tied for an NFL record. Um may just be the guy. We'll see. That'd be ironic if Brandon Cooks goes into New England and helps the Bills move on.
But that's for again another day. We will take a break, come back, and talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers loss in Cleveland, opening things up. For the final game of the regular season winner-go-home AFC North Championship game. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. Hello.
Going home. To win a game Against a team That's at 500. To win the division and host a playoff game. If I had told Steelers fans going into the season that was going to happen with Aaron Rodgers, their quarterback, they'd have signed for it, I think. They'd have been like, oh, what happened again?
We were blowing it at the end of the season, losing against a team with three or fewer wins. And I'd be like, uh Yeah. Hmm. Because that's what happened again. The Steelers going into Cleveland.
Three wins. Stop me if you've heard this before. As a matter of fact, they're 0-4-1 now in their last five games. The Pittsburgh Steelers. Against Teams that have three or fewer wins this late in the season.
It's happened before, and it's happening again this time around, though. They don't have Their top wide receiver, 'cause he decided to lay hands on a dude with blue hair, barking at him, even though they have a history together. I mean, I'm wondering. DK Metcalf is watching this guy's press conference saying, I cost two games. Because of that guy.
Yeah, and the way that I handle my business with that guy, or he's sitting there thinking unfair treatment. I don't know. Bottom line is, he's not going to be there next week against the Ravens. We're coming in with Derrick Henry coming off of a 36-carry, 216-yard, four-touchdown performance against the Green Bay Packers. And that's not an exaggeration.
And all they had yesterday on offense it felt against a stout Browns defense, be very straight up with you. We all know how good they are. Miles Garrett's defensive player of the year looking for the sack record yesterday. And all it looked like was that they had was let's try and back shoulder our way through it. Because two things: one, Rogers is outstanding at the back shoulder throw, and two, I got to get rid of it because.
Miles Garrett is all over me. And the last thing that I think Rodgers and the Steelers really wanted, in all honesty, this is T.J. Watts' record that's at the stake here. And the last thing they wanted is to have Garrett get the record. Breaking TJ Watts' record against the Steelers.
That is stuff that they just don't want to have. And I'm sure Rogers was using that as a. Yeah. But You know, at the same time. This is bigger than Miles Garrett.
I know. You know, and I Jake said it in one group chat. I said it earlier in my fantasy chat. It's like they were playing like that was the most important thing was to stop him from getting this record.
Well, he didn't get it, and Miles Garrett, after the game, flat out said it. Hit it. To an extent I feel like they're They were more worried about keeping me away from from Aaron than no getting the win. And uh I think that's what came back to bite 'em.
So, no, they'll have to No. Fight it out with Baltimore next week. I'm just proud of the guys for fighting and getting this one. That's the main thing, and I'm always going to keep it that. What a verbal grenade to lob into the Pittsburgh locker room after you upset their apple cart and forced an AFC North Championship game in their house.
That's going to be the last game of the regular season. Mike Tomlin had this to say about that comment. Mike, was there too much focus or emphasis on keeping Miles Garrett from that sack record? Did you feel that from your offense at all? We didn't do anything against Miles that we don't normally do against Miles.
The sack records are relevant. We gotta minimize him if we wanna engineer victory. We did the same thing last time we played him. I didn't think he had any sacks in that game either. And so we didn't take a different approach because of the gravity of the record.
It's just standard. Business when you play on these guys and him? It makes sense. I mean, you're going to account for 95.
Well yeah. But what a grenade for for him to lob in. And now, as he said, they've got to fight it out with the Ravens next week. This is what Aaron Rodgers had to say about that contest. Bounce back because I haven't done that much yet.
Yeah, does that make it a little bit easier to have confidence in related to the end? I have full confidence at all. Go home and win next week. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Mm. I don't know how many others share that sentiment in western Pennsylvania right now. At least none of my Steeler friends do, right? But. It is all on the line.
No TK mad caps. 100%. Makes this team Different. And then Darnell Washington broke his arm. Yeah.
I'm wondering if they could cast that up and see if he'll play. I have no idea. I'm surprised he feels pain. That's a good one. I'd say he'll probably do it.
The Metcalf thing, just man. He's got to be just staring into space saying the guy with the blue hair with that crazy press conference, that's the guy who's going to basically cost it. Unreal. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
