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Now, on with the show. Pew. This is the Rich Eisen Show. And here goes Bajon Robinson. Are you serious?
From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Intercepting, Xavier Watts has got another one. Today's guests. Senior writer for the MMQB, Albert Breer, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Rod Woodson, actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
That's right, everybody. Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show. On this final Tuesday of 2025, 844-204, Rich is the number to dial. Whether you're watching us on Disney Plus or you are listening to us on ESPN, Radio or SiriusXM Channel 80 or watching us on the ESPN app. We say a good Tuesday to all of you.
Week 17 is in the books. We will talk about it with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Rod Woodson, the Pro Football Hall of Famer who calls Ravens game locally, Ravens games locally on the radio, won a Super Bowl with the Ravens, was Mr. Pittsburgh Steeler forever and a day. Who better to talk about the final game of the regular season coming up on Sunday night than Rod? And then the very funny Kumil Nanjani is going to join us in studio in support of his new stand-up special on Hulu.
Hulu. Hello. Thank you very, very much. Got it. Good to see you over there, Chris Brockman.
How are you, sir? What's up, man? I'm great. Good to see you, Jason Feller. How are you?
I'm good. And good to see you, TJ Jefferson. Candles lit in the corner. Good to see you, sir. You can refer to me as a four-time fantasy footballer.
Hey, congratulations, man. Awesome. I'm so glad you brought that to everybody. Yeah, for sure. For sure.
Listen, in the world of reality football. In the world of reality football. I mean, because we could talk about how you didn't even play some players against me in the final. You know, consolation game in your fantasy league that you lost with us. I mean, we could do that.
I don't remember that.
Okay.
So let's talk about reality football. Um the Los Angeles Rams. Atop my power rankings last time I did one prior to week 16 because of the Christmas holiday. Last week didn't do one. Don't worry, I'll do one tomorrow.
It's whacker. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, I'll fill the void. I'll fill the void in your lives. I know you stay off Twitter. There were a lot of tweets. Yeah, I'm sure.
Yeah, people are. Listen, the Rams are on top of my power rankings when I mulliganed out of the. uh Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day to win the NFC, my preseason pick to win the NFC, I chose the Rams. And the the Rams, last we saw them. Prior to last night on Monday Night Football, Last we saw him.
It was the fourth quarter. Of the Thursday night kickoff to week sixteen in Seattle, Washington. And with 939 to go. In the fourth quarter of that game. Kobe Turner picked off Sam Darnold Mm-hmm.
Uh on the Rams uh two-yard line. And the Rams were up 30 to 14. Looking like they were going to take down the Seattle Seahawks, sweep them, get. A great chance to get the one seed and have the entirety of the NFC playoffs go through Los Angeles, California. Which would be great because Devontae Adams is just Heard his hamstring just four days before against the Lions and You can give the future Hall of Famer an extra week off, yada, yada, yada.
And then the roof caved in. And then last night happened. I mean, from that point on to the end of overtime. And then the fall down 21-0 to the Atlanta Falcons last night. And in between those moments, Enough football had been played.
It's crazy. You know, enough football had been played where the Packers and the Bears played on a Saturday night. And then the Bears and the 49ers Played on a Sunday night. And the Seahawks went into Carolina and beat The Panthers, And All of that football combined together. Serve to eliminate the Rams from the division.
going into last night's game. But it's not as if the Rams had Nothing to play for. I mean, Joe Buck rightfully pointed out throughout the broadcast the difference between finishing the fifth seed. Is a wild card and the sixth seed is a wild card. In the NFC.
Massive. Because, I mean, Joe is tiptoeing to not be disrespectful to the viewers in Tampa and Carolina. I will be more straightforward. I'll be more straightforward than Joe. Listen, you would much, much rather, if you're the Rams, go back into Carolina where you lost in the rain and get one more swing at the Panthers.
or go to Tampa. And take on a A Bucks team that once upon a time was 6-2 and is able to win the division at 8-9. You'd rather go in to see them. than take another swing at Philadelphia. Or Take your first swing at the Bears.
No, thank you. And then on top of it, there's also the future. What do I mean by that? The Rams own the Falcons' first-round pick in next year's draft.
So by beating the Falcons, You're also improving your own first-round first-round draft choice.
So you could basically assure yourselves A top 10 pick. in next year's draft. And Assure yourself better of being the five seed in the NFC playoffs and Wipe out The bad taste of week sixteen that's been sitting there for a week and a half. That got even worse in your palate. Because in between blowing that 30 to 14 lead in the fourth quarter with less than 10 minutes to go in Seattle.
between that moment and you kicking off Monday Night Football. Enough football got played elsewhere out of your control. to eliminate you from the possibility of winning your division. Because despite your 11 wins There's a 49er team with 12 and a Seattle team with 13, and they're playing each other. On a Saturday night of week 18, another development that happened in between the Rams.
playing football. Was the entirety of the week 18 schedule being hammered out? Regardless of your Monday night football, Result. Which, by the way, also has a lot to do with who's going to win the NFC South and be the four seed to welcome in the five seed that you're trying to get. Because Of the craziness in the NFC South if there's a three-way tie, if the Falcons win out.
Then The Panthers are going to be the winners of the division, regardless of the final result on the first game of week 18. That was all at stake last night when the Falcons took a 21-0 lead because Bijan Robinson is all that and the biscuit and You're also seeing How the Rams Coming back in this game in the second half to tie the game at 24 with a remarkable blocked field goal by Jared Verse to get the ball on the ground, then up in the air and in his hands, and take it the distance to give the Rams that extra touchdown possession that they had lost multiple times in the game because their MVP quarterback was getting picked off. Jared Verse got him back on schedule. Instead of being down 10, Or now they're down multiple scores.
Now they're down just one touchdown. Unreal. They would have been out down by 17 again instead. That ten-point swing, they're down seven. But the Rams couldn't Overcome.
B. John Robinson, they couldn't overcome their own mistakes, and they couldn't overcome a mispass interference at the end of the game that we'll discuss a little bit later. 'Cause I'd like to remove the officiating from this conversation. Because Again. The Rams Did not play better than the refs refed on that 2-2 at well go ball at the end of the game.
And that's the phrase I use all the time. about don't Put yourself in the position for the refs to miss a call. Don't do it. You play well enough, doesn't matter. Perfect example: pass interference against.
Keyshawn Booty of the Patriots in Baltimore, not called, didn't matter. Patriots marched down the field anyway. They played better than the refs ref. In that game and in that sequence. Rams.
We're out of time. They were out of time and had You know, Atwell caught the ball. Had he not been interfered with, they wouldn't have enough time to run down there and spike the football, I don't think.
So we'll talk about that. Officiating moment later. For the moment, though, the Rams went from up in Seattle. By Seventeen. Pardon me, my bad.
Sixteen. I was more verbal than math. They went up by two scores, the ultimate in a two-score lead with the ball, less than 10 minutes to go in that game. to down 21 by the Falcons. a and lose because Bijan could not be stopped on a final drive.
To set up Zane Gonzalez for the field goal. And a much more improved red hotter Atlanta Falcons team at the end of the season. is Better than the Rams last night. Which is a tough pill to swallow for a team that was staring at. Controlling their own one seed destiny.
about Five and a half quarters of football ago. Tough pill to swallow. And um After the game. I believe Sean McVay said. Basically.
Week 18 against the Arizona Cardinals, which the Rams need to Win. to have a shot at the five seed anyway. And they'll know if that game matters. because on Saturday night if the Seahawks beat The Niners in the final game of the ESPN doubleheader on Saturday night. They will get the one seed, win the NFC West.
And then Put the Rams in position of having one home win against the Arizona Cardinals away, of being the five-seed anyway. If the Niners beat the Seahawks, Then this game doesn't matter for the Rams. Except in the fact that they need to get better because over the last Few weeks. Over the last few weeks, The defense has not played as well. And the end of the day, Stafford.
Has thrown a ton more interceptions over the last few weeks than he had in the first dozen weeks of the season. And they have to play better, and I think Sean McVay knows that.
So, week 18, he said after the game, they're starting, they're playing. Oh, we're playing. Yeah, they're playing. No, they were going to play anyways. We need to play.
We need to play better football. Um, so I I d you know, I don't know what the consequences are and and those different types of things, but um We gotta play better. Yeah, they do. They absolutely do because the Niners are peaking, Seahawks are peaking. Even though one of those teams is going to lose on Saturday night, they still are going to go into the playoffs in their positioning.
Feeling good about their chances to win it all. Bears are peaking. Eagles have won three in a row. And the Rams have now lost two in a row. And they are staring a visit to Philadelphia.
Right in the face. For a wild card weekend, right? In the kisser. They're looking staring. Down that barrel.
That said, Devontae Adams is going to be coming back. They should get Quentin Lake back. They need their left tackle back. I mean, D.J. Humphreys, bless him, it was his, if you will, the phrase that Marshall Falk used all the time, his birthday, which is not a good thing in football sometimes.
The number of times that he had Um Penalties, callback, 40 plus yard plays and for scores. There were two of them.
So That's the state of the Rams. And now the draft choice that belongs to the Falcons. is 12th overall. That belongs to them now, that used to belong to the Falcons belongs to them. It's 12th overall.
So Yeah. That's the state of the Rams going into the um playoffs. I will say this before Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated joins us. I found it interesting. That people were texting me throughout the game.
About the betting odds for most valuable player. swinging in the direction of Drake May and away from Matthew Stafford. And I found that interesting. Because I don't know how the hell these betting markets can tell what. What I'm thinking.
Because I have one fiftieth of that vote. And nobody from Vegas was reaching out to me to say, What are you thinking about the MVP race, Rich? But it's I mean and Breer's joining us An hour one in five minutes. He's got to vote too. I'm texting with him.
I'm like, are anybody from Vegas reaching out to you? About your vote? Because they don't know what I'm thinking. But your eyes work. Ah my eyes do work, and I will tell you this, mister Drake Drake May May.
Mr. Drake AFC East Champion May over there. There are a ton of metrics. Pointing to how Drake May is the MVP of this league, significantly so. He has been remarkable.
And that's the problem with these conversations: when you vote for one. you wind up denigrating the other. There's very little to denigrate. For Drake May. He has been superb.
He has been Sublime, name any. Um Adjective you want. from outstanding to solid.
Okay.
Okay.
You wouldn't use that one. I wouldn't, because he's been a hell of a lot more than solid. He's been remarkable. He has been remarkable. And he hasn't had a game like The um The goat from Los Angeles had last night.
He has not had a game like the one that Stafford had last night. And Stafford. Since week 13, it has six interceptions. The only two players in the National Football League playing quarterback with more. is Brady Cook of the Jets and Shador.
And that is not finishing strong. It is not. And Drake May. Had a remarkable performance in week 17 where he got the rest of the afternoon off. Because he threw five touchdowns on the Jets before halftime.
But the key words in that phrase is on the Jets. And get out of here with that. Chris? Get out of here with that. Excuse me.
I have every right to say what I'm about to say. And I just gave you every metric as to why Drake May is an MVP in this league. He did.
Okay.
Where Stafford has Just as many things going for him in terms of more touchdowns, in terms of fewer interceptions than Drake May, in terms of more yards than Drake May, and also. He plays in the NFC West where he's going to wind up with 12 wins and finish in third place. He has played way more than one team with a winning record. How are you going to hold that against Drake May? That's what his schedule is.
How about you look at their common opponents? I can absolutely look at their common opponents. Drake May blows Stafford out of the water in common opponents. He also played Carolina in the first month of the season, although Stafford did play Houston in the first month of the season.
So it's semantics. Drake May is not the MVP. All of it is semantics in the way that Stafford wouldn't be the MVP because he has been remarkable all season long. You got to play full season.
Well, Drake May also has played a full season. He lost to the Raiders, Chris. And we were when everyone considers it the preseason. But that's semantics. You can't poop the bed.
That's not semantics. Standalone game. What you just gave me was not semantics. Standalone game. Season on the line.
Against an attack. They'll have a Falcons team that has way better players than the Jets. If you had Stafford playing the Jets in a standalone game this Monday night, he would have had the same stat line as Drake May. Talking about better players, who is Drake May playing with that is considered all-world? I don't have an answer for you on that other than Stephon Diggs.
And look at what the Rams have. Again, this is what is 100% a legitimate argument. It's a fun bar argument. I understand that. But for me to sit there and watch odds go up and down based on what I'm thinking on this front.
Is absurd. And it's what a latest example of how dumb betting is. You have no idea the way I'm I'm gonna sit down over the next six days and study the hell out of this thing. And then again, you know, should week 18 matter? He's going to go torch an Arizona Cardinal team in the same way Drake May went into the Jets.
Their U-Haul is backed up. They don't have a single interception. All year long. They are one game away from being the first team since the Hoover administration to play an NFL season without one single interception. That's insane.
Unless, you know, Trubisky throws one to him because Josh Allen's not going to. play very much one would think in week eighteen. Honestly, there are so many reasons why Drake May Has MVP numbers and a candidacy. And the same thing with Stafford, despite last night's performance. And I'm going to sit down and look at it.
But hey, talk all you want about who's favored and who's not. Because I don't know who on the AP panel is talking to someone from Las Vegas. 844204 Rich number to Dahl. Ladies and gentlemen, Albert Burry is going to join us next. This is the Rich Eisen Show on a busy Tuesday.
The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Back here on ESPN Radio, along with our Disney Plus and ESPN feed from Sports Illustrator, our friend Albert Breer is here on the program. Albert, you and I were, I started the show, Albert, before you hopped on the Zoom, saying you and I were texting last night. You know, how does Vegas know what we're thinking? who we're going to vote for as the MVP when we fill out our ballots at the end of the week.
Albert? They have no idea. You know, they don't. They don't. It's interesting that you'd have somebody on to talk about a rivalry just before me, too.
Yes, sure. I don't know why. It's been a while since we've been on together, though, Rich. Like, normally I'd be on in early December. That's nothing to do.
I must have lost the invite there. Like, did you lose my number there for a few minutes? No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Not at all. Not at all, Albert.
And I didn't wait until Whittingham was hired to get you back on. Has anything happened over the last month? I don't know. There's been a lot of football. And then things off the football field.
Yeah. There's been a lot going on there. No, and you have every reason to, you know, crap all over what's going on at Michigan. You have every right to do that. I won't.
Well, I mean, we hired one of Urban's guys, so it'll be interesting every November for the next few of them. Interesting where you guys turned when you're in trouble. Thanks for coming on, Albert. We're out of time. All right.
So where do we start? Where do we start with you here? I I guess we we need to start with what your impressions of last night's game was and And what you think is up with the Rams fixable. You guys got to get some people back. I mean, they went from being in control of their own one-seed destiny up 16 points with 10 minutes to go in Seattle to now staring a six-seed right in the face.
Albert. Yeah, I think Sean McVay told us last night what he thinks. I think you can look at his actions over the last few years. His actions, particularly last year, when everyone was screaming, this week last year was screaming. That he needed to go all out to get the three seed instead of the four seed and avoid playing the 14-win Vikings.
In the first round, and he chose to rest his players in week 18, and it paid off, right? Like the Vikings team went through a war, came into that game, beat up, and the Rams ran them right off the field, right?
So he used that approach last year, and it worked. And yet, last night, after losing the way that they lost, he stepped to the podium without even knowing the implications. And said, everyone's playing next week, you know, and we need to play better football. And I think that that tells you that maybe it's a little more than just not having Devontae Adams, not having Alaric Jackson, not having Kevin Dotson. And those are huge absences for them, to be clear, right?
That your two best offensive linemen. And a receiver who obviously his reputation precedes him.
So you have excuses readily available there, and they weren't taking them. And Sean got up there and said, everyone needs to play next week because we need to be better than this.
So look, they were my pick to win the Super Bowl going back to the summer. I picked them again in midseason. Um, I still think that it, and when they're at their best, they're the best team in football. But very clearly, last night there were some things that weren't the way they needed to be. And, you know, Matthew Stafford turns the ball over three times.
That's obviously a big piece of it. Bijan Robinson had a monster game against that vaunted Rams defensive front. That's a problem.
So I think that there's definitely some soul searching going on there, and there will be over the course of this week. And we'll see what it looks like Sunday against the Cardinals. But I just think that decision, Rich, That decision that he made in the moment to say, everyone's playing this week, tells you everything you need to know about where his head's at on where his team is. I'm going to ask you a question that I've never asked. Certainly involving a Ravens Steelers game are Are these coaches coaching for their jobs?
It's weird, right? I mean, it I I I can tell you, I I just Having talked to people in both those places over the last few weeks, it just. It doesn't feel quite the same. And, you know, I. I I I personally think It'd be more likely that there would be change in Pittsburgh than Baltimore.
But, you know, this conversation has, you know, has been amped up again on the outside. And where are the owners' heads on it? And I think that there is like a distinction between the two. And this would be it. Like, I think with Baltimore, you do have big picture decisions coming this offseason, right?
The biggest one is like Lamar and his contract. After Josh Allen got his contract correction last year, they had discussed the idea of doing that correction with Lamar, the same sort of correction with Lamar. And they wind up not getting it done. And so, now, do you have that conversation again this offseason? I think Lamar obviously would like to have that conversation.
So, you know, you do have some big decisions coming for the Ravens.
However, if you look at the setup of the Steelers, And you look at the age of some of their key players. It's Aaron Rodgers, but it's also Cam Hayward. It's also Jalen Ramsey. It's also TJ Watt. You know, you look up and down that roster, and there are older players in key spots all over the place.
And so. I you know, just By, you know, organically, there is a reset coming, and that is gonna naturally invite big picture questions when your coach has been there for 19 seasons. For Mike Tomlin, it's do I want to go forward with this? Do I want to go through a full rebuild where I don't know who my quarterback's going to be when there might be other opportunities out there? Maybe I do TV for a year and I go to a place with an established quarterback.
Do I really want to go through a full rebuild? And then for the Steelers, it's, you know, do we have the right people in the building for right now? You know, that doesn't mean they don't respect the job that Mike Tomlin's done. Of course, they do. You know, but you know, it's all right, do we go forward now knowing that this is this might take some time?
And do we feel good that Mike Tomlin's going to be here in year 22, in year 23? You know, and so I think organically, because of the way the roster is right now for the Steelers, that's more of a pressing thing for them than it would be for the Ravens.
So then, how does that departure? What does it look like? Yeah, I don't think there will be a firing to be clear. Like, I certainly don't think there'd be a firing. You know, it could happen a number of different ways.
It could happen with Mike walking away. I don't have any information that he's ready to do that, but that's certainly something when a guy's been in one place for 19 years, you have to consider. The other thing that could happen, and I think that this has always been The thing with Tomlin is he's so attractive to other teams. The idea of bringing him in when your organization is a mess, like he's the ultimate culture setter, right?
So, I mean. I don't know, Rich. Like, if you're one of these teams, I think the market is so different this year. And the way I look at it is like this, at this point last year. I would have told you.
Ben Johnson's getting a job. Mike Vrabel's getting a job. I could tell you, like, and I think every year we have one or two of those, right? Mm-hmm. Do we have one this year?
I don't know of one. No, sir. My So, like, if there are teams out there that are looking at the coaching market and saying, what do we do? You know, we want to energize our fan base, we want something that people can get excited about. I mean, being in this sort of market would probably force you to think creatively.
And if you're thinking creatively, are you picking up the phone and saying, Like, hey, would you be interested in trading Mike Tomlin to us?
So that's the other way it could happen, you know?
So I think that, like, there's a number of different ways it could happen with, with, with guys like Tomlin and Harbaugh. But it's harder. It's tough for me to see a scenario where the Steelers just outright fire Mike Tom, and I don't think that's happening.
Well, Albert Breer, here on the Rich Eisen Show, you just mentioned about Lamar's contract needing attention. From the Ravens in talking about the Ravens' decision-making process over the next few weeks, once the season is over, the last time Lamar's contract was on the table. Interestingly enough, he was injured towards the end of the season. Snoop Huntley took some very important starts for the team. And then the conversation coming out of Baltimore was chock full of Lamar doesn't take care of himself.
Lamar doesn't show up on time. Lamar is this, that, and the other thing. And it sure seems like we're revisiting that. stuff right now. There was a column in the Baltimore Sun that put it all out there for everyone to see.
Um so What's up with that? Is it possible that Lamar winds up on another team? Is that possible? I'll go like a little inside media on you here. Sure.
He doesn't have an agent, right?
So I think you and I both know sometimes the stuff that involves players specifically. Gets out there, a player's side gets out there or can get out there via the agent, right? And so, I think in a lot of these cases, there hasn't been anybody kind of. Putting themselves out there to stick up for Lamar, to further Lamar's agenda. And Lamar isn't the type of guy who's going to do it himself.
You know, like he's just. I think he kind of, he is to himself that way. And I thought there was something interesting that John Harbaugh said last week. If you go back and you watch one of his press conferences, he's easy to access. He went into great detail on what Lamar's injury was.
And that, like, this wasn't something that, like, he could have just easily played through. And I thought that was interesting because. John Harbaugh doesn't do that a lot with injuries. And to me, that was John Harbaugh taking up for his player because he knew that if he didn't, there really wasn't anybody else to do it for Lamar. And so, like, I think that A tells you where John Harbaugh's head is with Lamar Jackson, that he wants him to be his quarterback, right?
B, I think it does.
Sort of illustrate that it is, it has been a little tenuous there because of the contract a couple of years ago, because of everything that they went through there, and now where they may be again going into the offseason with this contract situation.
So I think, like, I think the Ravens' intention is to go forward with Lamar Jackson as their quarterback. They don't know how the contract situation is going to play out over the next four or five months. They also don't know what teams are going to call them. And they don't need to put Lamar on the block, right? Like if any of these teams smell, sniff around and smell that Lamar Jackson and the Ravens might not be on the same page and there's trouble in paradise.
There's nothing stopping those teams from picking up the phone and calling the Ravens and saying, hey, how about two first-round picks? How about three first-round picks? That kind of stuff can happen organically. And, you know, I don't think it's the Ravens. You know, they don't think it's the Raven's strategy or plan to go out there and move on from Lamar after this season as we go into the offseason.
But a lot of things can happen when a contract negotiation is looming. Albert Breer here on the Rich Eisen Show. I don't know if you guys in the studio or anybody at home have picked up on this, but it's the time of year when somebody of Albert's stature and information base where we're starting to. Look at teams that didn't make the playoffs. I just kind of went Ravens, Steelers, because that's an important game this year, and already that has also implications about what happens in the next few weeks.
So, in the few minutes I have left with you, the two one seeds from last year are out. It's only the seventh time that's happened. In the Super Bowl era, one at a time here. Let's start with the Lions. What the next few weeks are going to be like as they pick through the ashes.
in Detroit. Yeah, a lot of self-evaluation, I think. You know, I think what they do with their offense is the front-burner topic going forward for them. You know, I can't imagine they run it back with Johnny Morton. You know, they obviously, like, I think.
Fell on the sword admitted that mistake when Dan Campbell took play calling back. And so, you know, I think that that's when we watched the Lions, they scored a million points still this year, but there was something about it that just wasn't quite the same.
So I think with the lines, the first question is what you're doing on your coaching staff. And then I think that there's also a discussion to be had now with so many players in the prime of their career, entering the prime of their career. There's guys who are going to be up for contracts. You've got to take care of guys. You know, like Jameer Gibbs and Brian Branch and Jack Campbell, and there's lots of those, you know, and that's a champagne problem to have.
That means you've got good players on your roster. You know, so I think as you're doing that, like the question becomes: do we shift now from being this like draft and develop machine to, you know, okay, we're gonna pay these guys.
Now we're in this window with this core of players. Do we do some things that are maybe Just shots at going and competing for a championship. And it's, I think for Brad Holmes, that's an interesting question because his background was with the Rams and he was with the Rams during the FM picks era, you know, like when they were trading for Jalen Ramsey and Matthew Stafford and going all in. And he's really been patient about the way that he's built in Detroit and he hasn't done it that way. Is this the pivot point for them where, all right, like now we've got our core of players.
This isn't going to last forever. Jared Goff's in his 30s. Is this the point where we say, okay, like we're going to sign a bunch of these guys. We're going to mortgage some of these contracts to create salary cap space and we're going to make a real run in it. I think that's an important question for them to ask in the offseason.
And what about the Chiefs? Talk about changes. They're moving to Kansas in short order. Long live Arrowhead, Rich. Long live Arrowhead.
You know, and then Mahomes is he's already had knee surgery. We're waiting on what Kelsey's going to. Do and Andy Reid was like, if they'll have me. I'll come back. What do the next few weeks look like for the Chiefs before I let you go on your Tuesday?
Yeah, I think this is a lot like. You know, Tom Brady got hurt at the same age, right? And I think if you look at the history of that, eventually it became a pivot point for the Patriots. Where it was, okay, like we really gotta sort of, and Bill literally took like. Evidence of championships off the walls in 2010.
And they, you know, Brady came back in 09. They had a really sideways season. And then in 10, they went all in and they had a really good draft that year. And just, you know, like, hey, we're going to build this back up from the ground up. And that first draft, they got Gronk, they got McCordy, they got Aaron Hernandez.
And that wound up being the basis of where they were going going forward, drafted really well from then on. And I think that that's sort of where you are if you're the Chiefs now. You know, I think the fact that we're not sure if Mahomes is going to be back for week one. Because of the fact that this is a multi-ligament injury, and we'll see. I think it's too early to tell on that.
Um, you know, I think, and you're not sure if you're getting the full Mahomes yet. And I'm sure he would clip this, and you know, that's bulletboard material for him. He's going to work his ass off. I know who he is, you know, but like it's a reality. Um, year one coming back from this sort of injury can be a little bit different.
And so, like, I think it puts the Chiefs in a position where you're looking at it and saying, Do we, you know, start to look at like not just 26, but 27 and beyond? What does that mean for Chris Jones? What does that mean for Travis Kelsey? He might make that decision for himself. What does that mean for some of the younger players on our team?
Some of the young defensive talent that we've built up. Carloftis and Bolton are already on new contracts. McDuffie is going to need one this offseason. You know, I think it just kind of puts the impetus on them to get younger across the board and, again, like, you know, hit that pivot point the way the Patriots did. And maybe now you look at it and you say, okay, we got to build up some draft capital.
We got to hit on more of our picks. And this gives us the chance to kind of evaluate all of that as a pivot point and trying to maybe go from Dynasty 1.0 with Patrick Mahomes to Dynasty 2.0. Albert, I appreciate it. I've got 60 seconds left, way too short an amount of time to ask you this question, but I'll ask it anyway because one week from now. Um a lot of openings will be apparent.
And we're talking about coaches' lives and things like that. But you want to take a stab at the number? One week from seven jobs will be open. I think seven. Yeah, I would say seven.
So five more come open? You have two already, right? Like, I think Arizona potentially comes open. You know, Miami's 50-50, I would say. You know, just like looking across the board, does Indy do something?
I don't think so, but there's a little uncertainty there because of ownership. Like, that's ostensibly new ownership. You know, it's the same sort of. uncertainty I think you had in Seattle after after the passing of of of uh of paul allen there um so i i think you know atlanta like does does this Like a surge at the end? Does this change the dynamic?
They already have consultants in there, sportology, to look at it. Like Matt Ryan, I know that got out there over the weekend. He's going to be, I think if they wind up doing it, would be in a Chris Spielman type of role, trying to align the organization. There are a fair amount of teams out there that have these questions.
So I think we probably get to about seven. Vegas, our guy, Pete? Vegas, yeah. I think Vegas is one. And Vegas will be interesting because.
Brady's been pretty involved there. And I think how that's structured, Brady, Alex Guerrero, the GM, John Spytech going forward, that will be an interesting one. I do wonder with them, they had to do a lot last year to convince Ben Johnson to come in and interview. And, like, I do wonder how Ben Johnson's success. In Chicago now, after they did so much to get him in the room, but didn't wind up hiring him.
Like, I do wonder how Ben Johnson's success. Affects the way that they approach the next few weeks. Robert, thanks for the time. Happy New Year. All right.
Thanks, Chris. I know you're wishing us luck tomorrow. I am. I wish you guys luck tomorrow, too. I know it's not the same level of game.
This is, ladies and gentlemen, Albert has every reason to plant the flag on me right here. Got to take a break. We're up against it.
Well done by Albert Breer. Back in a moment. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show radio program talking about all the great running backs in the history of the NFL. And I'll be honest with you, watching.
Bijan Robinson on Monday night football. I thought to myself, I'm finally seeing Barry Sanders 2.0. I know what I'm saying here. But w with more power.
Well, I w what I'm saying about Barry, okay. Is I've never seen more entertaining Three-yard gains in between the tackles. Right. Where dead to rights, you're dead to rights. He's dead to rights.
And then he'll make a move. in traffic, in trash, in between tackles. And every single time when he finally is taken down That's where the power comes in. He always falls forward. you never knock him backwards.
He's the king of keeping you on schedule. And then of course there's the ripping off a 93-yard touchdown also. You know, there's that where he runs away from you. He's that good. And he personally took care of the Rams last night in a way that Saquon did last year.
Twice. Where it it's just yes Kirk Cousins is playing better. And Drake London's back, and Kyle Pitts is playing better. Mooney caught some Sills. caught some crucial Balls.
But it was Bijan. Last night. End of story. And they're giving him the ball in a way. that we hadn't seen before from a lot of Previous Falcons administrations, eight targets last night, five catches, 27 touches.
But not the last three when they were trying to make sure. I guess they put in Algier to set up the game-winning field goal because he hadn't fumbled in his life.
Well, Joe Buck said that over and over again. Trying to prove no announcer jinx, I guess. I don't know. But it's also describing why. the king of scrimmage yards uh for the Atlanta Falcons.
Um got it done. The the coach was rightfully gushing about his guy last night. I mean, I said this 18 weeks ago. He's the best player in football. I mean it's just it's just as simple as that.
Like um He's unbelievable. I mean everything he does you know, for our football team, from running the football to catching the football to protecting. to being a leader. Um He's also our chaplain. He does it all.
He's unbelievable. Yeah, he's also the chaplain, which I think the reason why the Rams' defensive prayers were not answered last week. Just like, yeah. They couldn't stop him. They couldn't, as Dan Patrick would say, only hope to contain him.
They couldn't even do that. As he became. Only the second player to have 200 or more scrimmage yards in back-to-back Monday night football games. Because he did it against Buffalo in week six. The other player's name is Jerry Rice.
Mm-hmm. That's how good he is. To wrap up our hour number one coverage on our simulcast, the Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
