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Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. And it is incomplete to get with us! David was winning! Earlier on the show, Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner coming up. Complete week 17 recap.
Your phone calls, latest news, and more. And now, it's Rich Eyesense. Number three of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air here on this busy Monday on Disney Plus, the ESPN app, ESPN Radio, SiriusXM, and of course our podcast listeners. Hello to all. Of you.
844-204, Rich number to dollar. Hour number three is just for us. We'll empty the phone banks since there's lots to talk about in this NFL crazy world leading to Monday Night Football Week 17 finale between the Rams and the Falcons tonight. And it does mean something, even though the Rams can't win the division anymore. And might not be able to really improve their lot from the sixth seed anymore.
But it means for the NFC South that if the Falcons win out, then the Falcons. First game of week 18 in the double header on ESPN between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And the Carolina Panthers. Uh it won't matter. Um it won't matter for The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, if they win that game, the Panthers would still win the division, even if they lose to Tampa, if there's a three-way tie at 8-9.
Now of course We wouldn't know that when the Bucs and the Panthers kick off week 18 on ESPN at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on. The third day of the new year, Um Certainly, if the Rams win tonight, that would just make it a winner-go-home game no matter what. And everything I just said becomes moot. But that happens tonight.
On ESPN and its family of networks with Joe and Troy and the rest of the gang. Love it. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial.
Now on our holiday break, Christmas break. We uh we took off Tuesday through Friday last week. went up to Idaho with Suze and the kids. and uh tried my best to tap out. Um Was in the midst of Zooms the Tuesday of last week with the Chargers and the Texans in advance of the Saturday game that I called.
Um peeked in a little bit on the on the Christmas Day and night triple header. Tried to tap out. And definitely. didn't want to Yeah. Record anything on my phone and just step away from the fam and send things out.
With the exception of one moment. But then I figured I'll just save it for Monday. And here's that time. on Monday. Here we are.
Kyle Whittingham is the new head coach of the University of Michigan football team. Hey, a lot of folks were wondering: what do you think, Rich? I asked you that this morning. You did. And what did I say to you?
Stay tuned. Stay tuned, is what I said. Which was kind of rude. That was kind of rude. Why was that rude?
I'm just saying, I'm talking. I want your unvarnished reaction when I say it into the microphone.
Okay, well.
Now, I have said, I said back in our New York week. Yep. When the whole free world learned what Sharon Moore was doing, up to allegedly, reportedly. And now as he's been Accused of doing criminally. in the state of Michigan.
An alleged to have done criminally in the State of Michigan. My first blush reaction was embarrassment, anger, all over the whole map. And once that Day was done. The next day went on the air and said, I want the next Dusty May, I want the next young guy. building up a program from somewhere, goes to Michigan with new Tools and new finances, new School new conference.
and showing what he can do with that new platform. and replicate what he did at a smaller spot. And go And be the coach. for a very long time. And It looked like Michigan was thinking the same thing.
Again, I haven't spoken to anybody in the athletic department. Kind of been tappin' out of that, too. Um Apparently twitched in the direction significantly of Kenny Dillingham in Arizona State. And he stayed put. Because that's his alma mater, that's his town.
He was talking about how he's got his family around him. And He stayed put. And that Really? Gutted me. Because I thought, like, that could be the guy.
Don't know if he was going to be the guy. If he could be the guy at Michigan that he has been successfully at Arizona State. But it was also, you know, difficult for me to swallow to say, you know, hey, I think my situation in Arizona State's better than going to Michigan. even though he was respectful enough and saying that's going to be a great job for someone else and And um Even though I had to sit there and go, you know what? It might have been a personal thing with his family and this, that, the other thing.
But at the end of the day, he said no to Michigan. Were you like Michael Jordan holding the iPad like and you took that personally? I did take it personally, but I also have to sit there and realize that the mess that has been created. is one that I have to own. You know what I mean?
And part of the reason why you may say no to Michigan is because what a holy heck of a mess it is there. left by this Okay. the reason why they're looking for a new coach. And I'm like, I don't know who the answer is going to be.
Now, when. Kyle Whittingham Said he was retiring from football at Utah. I did post on threads. Wait a minute. Like.
Kyle Whittingham just left Utah? But he said he was leaving the program. Not that he was really. Maybe he was leaving the program in the same way Bruce Arians was leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers, who then said he's retiring. Right.
Right? And I'm like, huh.
Now the the responses I was getting from uh a bunch of people Who are closely associated. was that he's 66. And doesn't look it. No, I know that, but in terms of age 66, and you want to get somebody younger who's going to be there for a long time or who could go and look a kid you know, who's 18 in the eye and say, I'll be here for a long time. You know Or be able to relate to a kid in his late teens.
Yeah, that's and what have you. But At the end of the day. What Michigan needs and needed is an adult in the room who has to think Only fans is about the fans. In the stance, being honored only with. a winning football team and program.
and needs to be explained to What OnlyFans really is. You see, Kyle, it's a sight.
Somebody who on Instagram. Posts only once. 10 years ago. And when you check the Instagram followers. The women are his wife and his daughter.
Not to be too flippant about it.
So, no one with an X at the end of their name. But at the end of the day, You need to get somebody who is about football. He's a bona fide football coach. And who has, regardless of his age, won 177 games. At a significantly stout program like the University of Utah.
And I know there's a lot of Big Ten fans like, that is not the Big Ten. And look what happened when he took on Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Jackson Smith and Jigba, I think, just got his 9,000th yard in that game. I hear you. But Michigan needed a man like this guy.
I wanted a Dusty May, and I wound up with John Beline, I think. And I'll take that. Yeah. This is what Kyle Whittingham had to say at his introductory press conference on Sunday morning. asked about joining A program that is still having an investigation above the football program about what the hell happened with the football program hit it.
Kyle, did you have any apprehension taking this job with an interim university president and a department that's currently with an investigation? No, I don't think so.
Well, I don't, it's not that I don't think so. The answer is no. I didn't have any hesitation. There's some issues, missteps that are being taken care of. But the key is the players, you know, the players are solid.
The players here are rock solid. None of those issues, none of those. Things that we're dealing with involve the players, and to their credit, you know, they just kept grinding and kept after it, and so impressed with that because there was a lot of distractions and a lot of adversity, I guess you can say. But I've got no doubt that everything's going to be handled properly. We'll see.
close enough to the You know, are knowledgeable enough and privy enough to exactly what's going on in the details, but I've got full confidence that we'll come out of this just fine.
Okay. I'm with you, coach. I'm there. Let's come out of this just fine. Let's do it.
I'm with you. I'm all in. When I heard he was possibly available, and then, oh, I guess he's retiring. No, wait a minute, he's not retiring. I'm all in.
I. I I was thinking he was the guy from the start. Yeah. Until I was told, wait a minute, he's 66. And after the end of the day, screw it.
Need an adult in the room coaching football players who can look them in the eye and say, Trust me, and they can trust him because they know he's trustworthy. The same thing with the other coaches there and the same thing with the Board of Regents and whoever the new president's going to be, and whoever the hell else is involved with Michigan, can look at this guy and say, okay. And Hopefully The other people who can look at him and say, okay, are the young kids who I don't want to go into the portal on January 2nd. That's the other thing. Michigan did not have the benefit of having to see if Kalen DeBoer really wants to do it.
By knocking on his door on January 2nd, if Kurt Signetti does, in fact, show him the door in Pasadena on Wednesday. You know, or Thursday, pardon me. They don't have the benefit. Portal's right of portal's Friday. And you don't have the benefit of waiting to see if there's an NFL coach who wants to come because that hiring process.
now goes deep into January or February in the NFL. And the benefit. Con Winningham sitting right there saying I'll do it. Hell yeah. Hell yeah.
And in terms of the portal. Obviously there's Bryce Underwood. Their quarterback who was going to LSU. And then said, no, I'll go to Michigan. And, you know, there's Lane Kiffin probably parked at the end of his driveway.
Like, he. He probably won't get a John Q sack say anything reference, you know, but with his boom box saying, you know, come here. Mm-hmm. And then I saw this photograph from Orlando, Florida, where Michigan's taking on Texas this week. And there he is.
There's Bryce. With Arch Manning riding the Freedom Flyer together there in Orlando.
Okay. All right.
Okay?
So There you go. Bryce is having fun with Arch. Hmm. Let's go. Bryce apparently chit-chatted already with uh Coach Whittingham.
I would hope. Let's go! And the other benefit of this too, that I can't believe I'm saying. Is you know who showed up in Utah and kept Whittingham on his staff? Back in the, let me get this correct when he was there because it's been many, many a moon.
2003. I know who you're gonna say. Yeah, me too. His name's Urban Meyer, correct. Who I thought you should look into.
Well, that would never happen on either side. Completely dissolved. No, no, no, no. Again, somebody's got to be able to pass the vetting process, sir. Yeah.
What? Uh-huh. And Um Whittingham and Urban apparently like this. Urban has been talking up this higher. And um And so Whittingham Being him.
And who he is? I got this from our Tuesday guest, Albert Breer, in a text chain. I'm with him and Money manager that stars Don Weird, two Ohio State insane individuals. I don't know who this guy is, but they sent me a tweet from him. I guess he...
Let me get this right. He he writes for something called uh buck nuts or something. He's a big Buckeye guy, Dave Biddle. Hey, Dave, what's up? Kyle Whittingham is pissing me off.
He's far too likable to be Michigan's head coach. I mean, that's always a good sign, right? Editor of Bucknuts. Bucknuts. Apparently, he doesn't follow me.
That's odd. Hey.
Okay. Check the boxes, man. Check the boxes. Check it. And you, Michigan fans out there that are like, oh, he might be too old or.
Well the University of Utah is one thing. Is he going to be able to do this, that, the other thing at the University of Michigan? Why not? Why not? And let's see how it all obviously works.
In a playing season. But one thing's for sure: if they were nine and three, with the current young roster, with all the stuff going on. That apparently still needs to be looked into, even though it was apparently one of the craziest open secrets around Ann Arbor. If they were able to do that. And here comes a guy.
With this resume and this Human This this type of humans walking in the door? Let's go. And let's go blue. That's what I'm thinking. I think you should be feeling all those.
So to answer my question from earlier, how does that sound? You're happy with it. Very.
Okay, you could have just told me that earlier. Very.
Yeah. Happy with it. Very happy with it. 177 wins? He's running a program.
He knows what he's doing, man. I'm hearing he's going to retain some of the staff, which he should. There's some very talented people, not just on the staff, but in that athletic department. You know, all over the football program. Outside of what you're reading about.
It's an excellent group of people that just want to win without all the other nonsense. And here's a no-nonsense guy coming in. Let's. Go and go. Blue.
Yeah, that was my first thought. Adult in the room. And you said it too. Just got to get this thing back on the back on the rails. Oh, gosh.
Boy, do they ever. We ever. I never left. Yeah. We are.
Well, that's the other one, too. Again, that's the other point. Matt Campbell gets hired. Everybody got hired. This happened right after the hiring cycle was finished.
And all the other people who stayed put got all of their money to stay put. Speaking of, by the way. Marcus Freeman today Yo. Apparently, telling all the NFL teams interested in him, which is probably everybody, he's staying put. He signs a big fat new deal to stay in Notre Dame.
2026, run it back, go Irish, says Marcus Freeman. And that must be a whole Sure. Because again And this is not an anti-Notre Dame bias. In the same way that that Bucknuts fella that I just showed was like, man. You know, Kyle Whittingham's pissing me off.
He's far too Lyco, but you have a Michigan head coach. That's him for me with Notre Dame. Exactly. I even told him to, I told that to Riley Leonard, right, prior to the national championship game last year. Yeah.
I want to root against you, but you're too damn likable, you and your coach. You know? I don't know about this move. He must really love it there. His family must really love it there.
And They must really treat him well, as well they should, because he's a gem. And And and For him to watch his team not get a shot at it. Because of the way things are set up with groups of five and all that sort of stuff. I think we know that's going to change. I think it is already going to change.
They already know it at Notre Dame, it's going to change. But for him to stay put in college football when there are no rules anymore, there just aren't. Right. You've seen with college basketball, and we'll talk about that later in the week, too. But that kid from Baylor who went to the NBA, got drafted 31st overall, and now he's going back.
That's insane. He's going back to Baylor, or he's. He went to the NBA.
Now he's committed to Baylor. He's going back to college, yeah.
Okay. This is the way it's going. Hal Sway. This is the way it's going in college basketball. This is the way we all know college football is off the rails.
NIL, different states have different rules, different conferences have different interests, different money for different revenue streams for different schools and different scheduling and all that business. And the New York Giants are maybe knocking on his door saying, Do you like Jackson Dart? Do you like the New York metropolitan area? Do you like going to a spot where you know when free agency hits? You know when you can have your players in.
You know what your schedule is far in advance. You don't have any conversations with USC if we're going to stay doing it. And he says, no, I prefer the chaos. Even though I guess Notre Dame is in just a conference of one, their own. When it comes to football.
But that wasn't good enough to get them in the playoff this year. Correct. When they probably deserved it. And for him to stay at Hey, Notre Dame fans, you are lucky. You are lucky.
I would have run. How to run. Yeah. Giant's job looks pretty tasty. Uh uh that's just only one that's open.
Right now. Just the one that's open that you know of. And there's more coming. By the way, one week from today is when that's all going down. There's more coming.
There are five, six more coming. Get ready. Notre Dame fans, you are lucky. Very.
JMC in New York City. I'm sorry, I'm not. Let's take his call. I just, I guess I kind of let the cat out of the bag, but go for it. You there, JMC?
Oh, there it goes. No, it's not working. I want to wish everybody a happy new year and hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas. Yes, sir. And too, yeah.
And also about that Curtis Mayfield thing. It sounds like a detective name for like an ABC pilot or something like that.
Okay. Okay. So.
So originally I wanted to ask regarding Marcus Freeman. I mean, originally I wanted to ask, what do you think? He would be perfect for with the Giants. And now I heard that the Titans had interest in him. But since he's staying in Notre Dame, Point of the year.
Who do you think would be perfect for the New York Giants gig as the head coach? Great question. I don't know. And here's the deal. I hate saying this because it is disrespectful.
To defensive-minded head coaches. You see Ben Johnson to Caleb Williams. You see Reed to Mahomes. You see Payton to Bo Nix. You see Kyle Shanahan to What do you fill in the blank?
Right? Pretty much everyone there is. You see that. Canalis. to Bryce Young, and it is disrespectful to somebody like D'Amico Ryans.
who's got Liam Cohen to to Travis. To Trevor Lawrence. What's up? You know, so, so. And it's disrespectful to somebody like D'Amico Ryans, who came on this show and has won twice since then, thank goodness, that there's no jinx.
That he's won 10 games first three years of his Stellar Start in Houston. I still would take an offensive-minded head coach and hook him up to Jackson Dart. Because you're not going to lose that play caller. The Bears are not going to the Lions lost Ben Johnson.
Now we're wondering if Jared Goff is still Jared Goff and if the Lions are still the Lions. And the Bears are never going to have that problem. With Caleb because he's staying put. That's why I would do that. Uh even though there are some brilliant culture uh and brilliant human leaders like D'Amico Ryans.
You got to get that one right. And he's the CEO, and he's finding the right play caller for CJ Stroud right now. Great. But I would just find I don't know who that guy is. But find me somebody who's going to connect to Jackson Dart and be the guy.
That's who I would be. I don't know who that guy is for the Giants. I don't know who that OC is going to be. And I know that there's an affront to the DC in Green Bay. Laffley, who could be a terrific head coach too.
But that's what I would do if I'm the owner of the Giants. JMC. I couldn't agree more. Thanks for the call. It's an offense.
Thank you, sir. Appreciate the call. But it's not Marcus Freeman. Yeah, I'm just glancing. It looks like there's only about nine defensive first head coaches in the league right now.
Go for it. Uh I would say Vrabel. Play defense, Sean McDermott. Uh Aaron Glenn. Tomlin, John Harbaugh with special teams, but I kind of consider him a defensive first guy.
D'Amico Ryans. Nobody in the West Pete is. Yeah. Well, he's still the head coach. Um Let's see, Dan Quinn.
Mate, who almost made the Super Bowl again for the second time in his career. Again, I'm not saying they don't work out or aren't great. And Mike McDonald. Or aren't great, right? And Gannon.
That's about 10. Right. So I'm just saying if you choose somebody. Right. But then again, when they hired McDonald, they had Gino there.
It's not like you got a young, you got a young guy, Raheem too, right? That you've got a young guy. that you need to unlock because you've put all the eggs in your draft basket with him. That's what the Giants currently have. And I w I would want that person.
And the pushback is easy. Look at you. Look at your situation in New England. Yeah. Right now, Mike Rabel could be coaching here.
That's a coach flamed-out head coach who kind of has no choice. But has Josh McDaniels sitting there and twice now. I'm talking about McDaniels. Twice now.
Okay, right. Where he's. But twice, McDaniels has been removed from the situation and come back and come back because he got his opportunities elsewhere. He might not get a third crack at it. I don't know.
Right. So.
Seems unlikely. But if you can get a culture guy, a CEO culture guy with the right OC that isn't going anywhere, Quinn has it. With um Kingsbury, who might go somewhere, though. You don't know. No, you don't know.
You're asking me what I would he asked me if I was the owner of the Giants, that's what I would do. 844-204-RICH, number to doll. Don't go anywhere. We'll take your phone calls and we'll talk about the Texans and how good they are and what's up with the Chargers and more coming up. This message is sponsored by Navy Federal Credit Union.
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Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, ESPN Radio, everybody. Oh, my goodness gracious. Let's go to Turzo and Isle. What's up, Terzo? All rise.
Everybody. Terz, are you there, bud? What's up, fellas? Hey, so Rich, that was awesome last night, as I told Adam, probably at the Start of the season or a couple of weeks into the season that we should have we should go to that game. And as I said to him whenever I called in, man, I wish we were there because that was awesome.
That was one of the best games I've seen in a long time. Uh dude, you've gotta be. Ecstatic. Honestly, this is what fans love about a team is when they're plucky and nobody believes in them and they represent. Your fandom with excellence despite the adversity.
And that those those those you Fans love teams like that, right? And the 49ers are exactly that right now. Yeah, you know how much I love this team. Like, of course, I bleed red and gold. And to see what Brock Purdy is doing and the confidence that he is showing on the field, that is.
what we love to see, man. And if you would have told me week seven or when Warner got hurt that we would be in this position still fighting for that number one seed, I would have been a little weary. But each week we keep coming out, finding ways to win. Heck of a team. And I do got a stat for you, Rich.
We have the lowest percentage of of pressure on the quarterback at fourteen point four percent. We also have only 18 sacks. And I wondered when the last time, or if ever, a number one seed in their conference. Um had those two stats.
Well, I mean, I'll I'll look that one up. And another one I I need to basically ask and looking up is wh who's the last team to go undefeated in their division and not win it? And the Chargers might might do that if they beat the Broncos next week. And so, this is just some weird stuff happening this year, dude. But the bottom line is it's wide open, and the 49ers could wind up being the one seed.
Um and winning the toughest division in football. They might be the one seed in the division. That has a 13-win third-place team. And that's entirely possible, Terriz.
So, congrats on your season to date. We might be seeing you in Santa Clara in six weeks' time, and we're there for. For the game, spending our Super Bowl week there. There would be nothing more that I would love than to see the Niners get that number one seed against the Sea Chickens. And roll all the way to the Super Bowl at home.
And that would be a heck of a story, and I would love it. Terzo and Iowa here on the Rich Isen Show. Appreciate you guys. Catch you guys New Year. We had D'Amiko Ryans on the show a couple of weeks ago, and I ended my interview with him.
Um in, if I may say so. Uh, epic fashion? Is that what I'm supposed to say? Rack'em.
Okay. Epic. Oh, I'm sorry, that's what the fans are supposed to call in and tell me about my fashion. Yeah, yeah, they'll tell you how great it was. My bad.
At any rate. I ended the interview with him by saying, Hey, at any point in time, Do you think about where the Super Bowl is going to be? Because he got his coaching start with the 49ers. And The Super Bowl, as you know, is In the home of the Forty Niners. And it's entirely feasible right now as we're sitting here.
This is not crazy. even though neither of them may wind up winning the division. But It is entirely possible that the Forty Niners played the Texans in the Super Bowl. Cool. That'd be a pretty good game.
It's entirely possible. And Because I saw the Houston Texans with my own two eyes on Saturday. And that right there. Is 100% a championship defense. And if this championship defense.
They have players on every level, guys. Ladies and gentlemen. Those two edges, I don't know how Daniel Hunter got snubbed for the Pro Bowl. I don't know what's up with that.
Well, he'll probably make up for it by being all-pro. For sure. And. I saw them with my own two eyes, and I know I've got to vote for all-pro, and I'm sitting here thinking, how are those not two all-pro guys that I'm sit that I saw yes on Saturday? with my own two hours.
And Then there's Aziz al-Shire. leading the linebacking corps behind them. And then they've got four guys with four interceptions apiece. We asked in our pre-broadcast meeting, with all due respect to you, Nico Collins, and everyone else on the team. Who's got the best hands on the Texans?
We asked. Everybody that we interviewed. Prior to the broadcast. And everybody said it was Derek Stingley Jr. Who, by the way, might have had the best hands on his college team.
If it wasn't also on the same team with Justin Jefferson and Jamar Chase. He's unbelievable. Petrie hits you. Lasseter. I mean, I'm just I could go on and on and on here.
They are Deep. At every level. They lock you down. Like if you're looking for read one And that's locked down by like Stingley or Lasseter. And then you got to go through your progression.
By the time you're going through your progression, you're going to see 51 or 55 in your life. Yeah, you're on your back. Yeah. Just to name two of them, yeah. There's toe toe.
Or tu-o t uh ta-uho. Yeah. Good laugh, Jay. Thank you very much. I already made the dad joke that a lot of people didn't appreciate that.
Jalen Noel. When he was catching a A punt. For a possession that, by the way, he ended with a touchdown. uh and got blown up. I said it's only Fitting that A guy named Noel got lit up on Christmas weekend.
Susie said that was a dad joke. You took a lot of unnecessary heat. Dude, so does anybody calling a game, but I take a lot of unnecessary heat when I call a game because I'm truly stepping out of my lane to do it. But I love stepping out of lanes, and certainly that one in particular. Any rate.
Um If Stroud can throw Two touchdowns, obviously, not in the first quarter, not in successive drives, not 40 yards plus. That's not going to happen a lot. You can provide if they can provide Seems like they only need about 20 points to win games right now. That's about it. I'm serious.
I mean, I see a formula. And if you wouldn't mind putting it up, the AFC playoff. Picture. Um Name me an offense that's lighting it up. Jaguars right now.
Your Pats outside of playing the Jets. Pats have been scoring points this year. But name me somebody that's like the best offense in the AFC right now. That's Like Super Bowl worthy. There are some that can be that on certain days.
And certainly consistently I would say the Jaguars and the Patriots have had it. More than anybody right now. Nicks can do it. But we need to see it more consistently. I'm just saying that that, you know, in the same way that we're saying things are set up for Josh Allen and the Bills because There's no borough, there's no Mahomes.
There might be Rodgers instead of Lamar, and if Lamar does make it. On Saturday night, Malik Willis looked more like Lamar Jackson against the Ravens than we've seen Lamar Jackson look like Lamar against anybody else this year. Mm-hmm. That things are set up for Josh Allen, have an open AFC playoff field for him in a way that he hasn't had in his career. I'm just saying.
Things are open for the Texans in the same way, man. That's no joke. And then, as for the Chargers, I said it on the overreaction Monday pod. I'll just repeat it quickly here. I was watching that game thinking it.
Um And then thinking about it. That night while watching the Ravens and the Packers, because, you know, again, I'm a lead pipe wielding professional that just. Can't turn it off. Um I kept thinking. What would the Chargers look like with Rashawn Slater at left tackle and Joe Altlick?
Yeah, right. They they'd be they'd be Super Bowl contenders of the first variety. And, you know, Justin Herbert, when we interviewed Jim Harbaugh, on the zoom for this game in advance. Um no surprise he was gushing about Justin Herbert. Again, he's remembering he came in here in the summer and he's like, you know, I woke up tonight.
I woke up last night, looked at the ceiling, said, We gotta get we see he was sitting right here. I gotta get Justin Herbert to the Hall of Fame. And we're just like, what? You know what I mean? Okay.
And he feels that way about him. He gushed about him in a span of, he went on for like 10 minutes, but in a span of like 45 seconds, those 10 minutes, he equated him to Ethan Hunt of Mission Impossible, Pablo Picasso, because he just painted a perfect masterpiece against the Cowboys the week before. And then because he's just a guy that. You can count on in any situation to run you over, and he can also think his way through you. He called him a half man, half beast.
And so we put up a graphic during the game of Tom Cruise, Pablo Picasso, and a Minotaur.
Okay. Not a centaur. I I thought he meant centaur, really, which is, you know. Man on a beast's body, not a beast on a man's body. Anyway, long story short, Minotaur Centaur.
I'm learning about it, green jacket. Get it. But Herbert is really that. There was that one drive where he ran one for like 30 yards and then threw one in. Bouncing off people.
He's got a broken left hand. That thing is definitely hurting him. There's no question about it. They were spraying it with, like, I guess something to. to numb his his elbow.
It's crazy what he's doing. Omari and Hampton's really good. Their receivers are really good. But if he doesn't have time to find his receivers, it's a wrap. But the Chargers can absolutely come into your town and want and dun you.
That I saw too. They are. They have some real Warrior football players, and the head coach. is plugged into him. Just saying that.
But I just thought to myself: if they had those two all-world tasks, Joe Alt. Got a Pro Bowl. Nod. At left tackle, you know, he was playing right tackle his rookie season. Left tackle is what he played at Notre Dame.
He played six games and got the Pro Bowl nod.
So, if he's sitting out there at right tackle and Rashawn Slater's out there at left tackle. The one seat might already be wrapped up. They're that good.
So Well, they ain't they ain't playing. They are not. They're not walking through that door. But the charges might be walking through your door. Yeah, perhaps.
And I think, you know, if you're a Pats fan, you kind of want to see the Chargers. I don't think you want Houston's defense coming to town. They won't. Houston's not seeing that. I don't want to see Josh Allen again.
No, sir. You're not seeing Houston in the wildcard round. Houston's going to beat the Colts because Riley Leonard's starting, and they're going to be the five-seed. They're going to visit the AFC North champion, and they are going to be a massive problem. And that's not going to be one of those games that you see from the Texans in the wild card round where it's just like, well, They're gonna nice.
Nice job. You're Constellation Prize to make the division around, and you're not making the AFC Championship game, which you've never made because you're not ready yet. That's not the Texans team walking in to a divisional playoff weekend this year. Not by a long shot. Oh, interesting question.
Do you think this is the better of uh The Texans teams we've seen the last two years instead of one playoff games? About it. No doubt. They've got two years of Final Four of the conference experience. Two.
And the team before them that offense may not be as good. Guess what? They're getting better. Two rookies scored massive touchdowns in this game. And Woody Marks is running it.
And Stroud, you know, just got picked off by the Chargers. He had only one interception in a month going into that game, in four games. 844-204-RICH, number to dollar. When we come back, Andy Reid spoke about his future. And we'll tell you how we're, speaking of the future, the rest of the week is set up.
Here on this busy Monday edition of The Rich Eisen Show. The Rich Heisen Show, the podcast. Disney, I guess. Back here on ESPN Redo. Let me know if we're still on tomorrow.
Yeah, definitely not the same. Yeah. That's a true story.
So, um It sure felt like that was Travis Kelsey's last game in Kansas City, right? It did. It didn't have that feel to it. It did. It seems like he was soaking it in a little bit more, player introductions, and then after it was over, yeah, it did, it did feel that.
Well, he is going to play week 18. Andy Reid said that today. Good. And listen. I want nothing.
But what Travis Kelsey wants. We met him right when he was not even Travis Kelsey yet. No, he was that hothead guy wearing Gronk's number. Or just becoming. Less of a hothead in Andy Reid's world and maturing and becoming he's just one of the my favorite humans I've gotten a chance to meet.
He's so great to everyone around him and fans and people. He's just He's just that. He's a Midwest kid. He's just that guy. All the Kelseys.
Anyway, long story short. Uh I if if this is it for him Ben And I I just wanted that that's the way he wants it. Obviously, the way he wants it wouldn't be to go out a um a six and eleven team or a seven and ten team, right? It would be nice if they won on Christmas.
Well, that's sounds like somebody who had money on it. A Patriots fan. Oh, got it.
Sorry. Long story short, though. That's for again another day. He said that now is not the time to discuss it. And my homes being out.
For maybe the first part of next year might have s something thought about it. Maybe he'll say he's out. I'll miss it. He can come back again. That's for later in the day.
What about Reid?
Now, I didn't think at all that this would be a question, but it was asked of. Of Andy Reid about him continuing on in Kansas City, and here was his answer today. I know you've gone through this every year for the last few years, but is there any scenario that you can imagine where you're not back as the coach next year? Um I know, I think I'm coming back. Right.
If they'll have me back, I'll come back. You never know in this business, Matt.
So that's a, you know, that's a that's a tough one, but I plan on it, yeah. Yeah, I mean. All right, that that that read better than the the way it looked on In black and white. What how would you no, the way it read when I saw the quote earlier today was just, Yeah, yeah, I guess if they'll have me. And it was like, that's kind of an odd thing to say.
But seeing the clip now that he's like, oh, yeah, of course he's back. That's the guy. Why is this even a question?
Well, he was told to leave Philadelphia.
Well, Different. Different circumstances. Yeah, I understand he didn't win all those championships in Philadelphia, and that might have, you know. Uh Helped patients be weaning more than not. He's got a different coach in Philadelphia.
I get it. His point is just like: you never know in this world, but I cannot imagine. on planet Earth. that the Chiefs organization views this one Outlier of a season As an indication it's time to move on. There'll be 68 in March.
Got it. As long as he wants to keep doing it, he'll do it. And it'll be up to, you know, Brett Veach to figure out how to. Fix whatever problems happened this year. And he's a brilliant general manager, and they got to.
An all-world head coach. I just wonder, again, what the deal is with Kelsey and when we're going to find out. But it did have that feel to it that that was it. Did have that feel to it. It did.
Then, of course, I can't wait to watch what his.
next choices professionally are going to be. Anything he wants. That is correct. I mean, if he wants to get a cabin in the woods and chill out forever, he could do it. But I don't think that's going to be.
I can't wait to see it. That'll wrap up this edition of our show. We're on Tuesday and Friday the rest of this week. We think after that comment you made. No, we're going to be on tomorrow.
As long as they'll have me. I'm the Andy Reid of Disney Plus. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast. You can watch and listen to The Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app, The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
