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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Definitely, now's not the time. Touchdown Bears! They've taken the lead of the Packers!
Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Knocked away by Eric Kendrick! And Alan's got it. Not to be denied. He's still going.
On today's show, Complete Wild Card Weekend Recap. Latest head coaching news, your phone calls, and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
Well, that was a weekend, huh? Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show, everybody, live on Disney Plus, the ESPN app, ESPN radio, everywhere. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial. Boy, are we going to have a conversation with you? We're wide open because I am sure there are five fan bases that.
That are really pissed, and five that are ecstatic. There are two more that are on pins and needles tonight. In the Steelers and the Texans for Monday night football. And then there are two fan bases in Seattle and Denver saying, Thank goodness we had a bye week because this past wildcard weekend, anything happened, everything happened. And I am glad to be that my team was out of that fray.
And then Indiana curb stomped Oregon to start the whole thing off to set up a Miami and Indiana national championship game one week from tonight.
So there is a ton going on in the neighborhood. Good to see you over there, Christopher Brockman. How are you? Rich, I am excellent. How are you, my friend?
I am doing well. Mike Tel Tufo, DJ Mike, you deal with you. Good morning, Rich. Good to see you. TJ Jefferson, the candle does appear to be lit over there.
How are you? It was great to be able to relax and not have to worry about your team playing because they didn't make it. You didn't have all the stress. I highly recommend it for anyone. No, you're good.
You're awesome. I guess there's one way that two teams that were out of the fray, happy to not be in that fray, are happy to now have their teams back in the mix in Seattle and also in Denver. And there's tons of other fan bases that wish their teams could have actually been in the mix. As I mentioned, 844-204, Rich is the number to dial. Get in, baby.
We we start today's show with the fact that Wild Card Weekend comes and goes and has a Monday night football game still to go. And we know as we sit here There will be a new champion crowned in the National Football League. We will have a new Super Bowl champ because the San Francisco 49ers went into Philadelphia and did what Green Bay fans know they could do, what Dallas fans know they could do, which is come into your house. And end your season despite it being filled with hope and desires, except for the fact in Philadelphia, from what I heard from many fans there in Philadelphia, there was no hope. There was no hope pretty much from the very beginning because they were all wondering what was going on with this offense, even on an opening night win against the Dallas Cowboys and then a week two win in Kansas City.
There was always a uh An undercurrent of this isn't working out. I counseled Eagles fans. Throughout The months of November and December to relax, to chill out, that things were going to go at least well enough that you'd make the playoffs. And then you'd have a chance. And in this playoff game.
The Philadelphia Eagles led throughout much of it. They led at halftime. They didn't lead after the first quarter, but. Pretty much. Quarters 2-3.
You were winning. You had a chance at home. Except for the fact that that undercurrent of the season. where the defense was going to show up and show out and ball out. Could the offense pull it together?
Well enough could a switch be flipped Somehow. And whose fault is it? And I'll say this. With the finger of blame Coming out. In the month of January, as it always does.
Hit that bad boy, TJ. As it always does for the eighteen teams that don't make the playoffs and then the six teams that get bounced in the first weekend of the playoffs. The finger of blame. In Philadelphia. goes all throughout that offensive room.
100%. You could say it's the offensive quarter. Kevin Petullo has been the scourge. of the Philadelphia Eagles offensive. problems As far as the fans go.
It's been his problem coordinating. He doesn't scheme it up very well. And you could point a finger at A.J. Brown. Who dropped a ton of passes yesterday?
Devontae Smith had one go off his hands. Even the great Saquon Barkley on third down dropped a pass. On Jalen Hurts. You could point the finger of blame at Jalen Hurts himself. And you could point it all in the fact that it all came together.
In one big mosh pit called the final play of the game and the final play of the season for the Philadelphia Eagles offense. Fourth down. Mm-hmm. What play are you going to call?
Well, first thing you're going to do is call timeout to talk about it. even though you might need all those timeouts. to try and get the ball back for one Last shot. at a Hail Mary or setting up something. You know Like say Uh what we saw.
old miss had against Miami on Thursday night last week is a shot maybe from the thirty yard line, thirty five yard line. but instead they fire off a time out And Eagles fans I mean, I've I know that that moment. is when you got most nervous, not just because the season was on the line. But the three guys must have That you probably trusted the least on the offensive side of the ball were all putting their heads together. And then, you know, again, body language.
That's all we're reading about the Philadelphia Eagles today. And what was being said on the sideline. 'Cause it's a Philadelphia Eagles story about what's set on a sideline. Which we'll get to in a second. It's Petulo talking it out with Hertz, who then looks at the coach who gives this.
So what do you think?
Okay.
Now, listen, they've made a statue of moments like this out in front of Philadelphia. That's true.
Okay, Doug Peterson chopping it up with Nick Foles, right? Yeah, and that coach got fired. And uh what came out of this was uh Whatever the opposite of the Philly special is. And, you know, you look at all the all 22 folks on the socials talking about whatever came out. It was.
Not The most imaginative play, and then the quarterback might have thrown it in the worst possible spot. Right in the middle of the field, surrounded by the most 49ers. And then at the end of the day, They don't throw. At the very least, a 50-50 balda. A.J.
Brown. So A.J. Brown, when he's targeted, Didn't catch a lot of them. And or didn't catch Enough to drive people crazy. And then in the last play, they dial something up.
And the quarterback doesn't Throw it to A.J. Brown. And at the end of the day, It's going to wind up on the coach's lap because that's what happens in the National Football League. It winds up on the lap. Nick Siriani about what to do.
And at the end of the day The Eagles are done. The defense did enough. against the 49ers. And then the Eagles couldn't do enough. On offense.
to overcome whatever doldrums hit this season. And it's everywhere. You're hearing it everywhere. Jalen Hurts can't do it. Jalen Hurts won't do it.
Kevin Petulo can't do it. A.J. Brown won't do it, can't do it. The offensive line, Lane Johnson didn't play yesterday. Offensive line was totally different.
They couldn't go through Saquon, so they had to do something else. etcetera, etcetera. etcetera. And then there's that A.J. Brown moment on the sideline with Siriani that's just again.
Listen. After the game, do we have that sound bite? Is that the first thing that we have queued up once again, Mike Hoskins? We all know there was a moment where A.J. Brown.
didn't grab a pass that did hit him in the hands. And he comes off the field and Sirian is yelling at him. This is what Siriannes said after the game, what it was about. Yeah, you know, I was trying to get him off the field, um, you know, 'cause we were about to punt and that was really that was really it.
So I love AJ. I think he knows how I feel about him. Uh have a special relationship with him. We've we've probably went through every emotion you can possibly have together. Uh we've laughed together, we've cried together, we've yelled at each other.
Um you know, we're both emotional. I was trying to get him off the field and, you know, You never want you know, that happens in this game. That that happens in this game, and but I love them. Yeah, I I I know it's called the City of Brotherly Love, but I don't think the folks in Philadelphia care about any of the love between them right now. And again, Siriani knows.
The way it works in the NFL. When you're that demonstrative on a sideline and Fox has 90 million cameras on you to the point where they once upon a time caught the wide receiver in question reading on the sidelines that they've got it everywhere, it's going to be interpreted as something completely different. But that's just the way this guy is, that's the way he coaches. And when you win, hey, that's a Philly thing, you know? He's just putting it on his sleeve and he's being brass just like the city.
And when you lose, it's just like, can we maybe do without the drama? Can we dial it back down a little bit? But that's the way things go in Philadelphia. That's the way it works for him. Or it worked last year.
This year just did not. And um They're done. They're out. And I have a feeling that changes are coming on the offensive side of the ball. Which means, hey, Jalen Hurts, you're about to get a new offensive coordinator for the umpteenth time in your life.
He was asked about his thoughts on Kevin Petulo. and how everything went this season with his new OC after the game. Can you uh address how things went with Kevin Petulo in your first season together? Did you, um Did you grow Together? Did it get better?
Did it ever stagnate? And do you think it has a future? I think I'm always growing. I'm always taking in my experiences and learning from everything that we go through. I think um it's tough to single out one individual.
You know, especially in a moment like this. Um we all gotta improve. And that's how I look at everything that we go through. Yeah, you're not going to get anything out of Jalen Hurts. It's going to be bulletin board material or it's something like he's pissed this, that, the other thing, and it's going to just take a fire that's already at a 10 and put it to spinal tap 11.
Like, that's just not going to happen. You're not going to get that. You're not going to get the answers you're looking for, Philadelphia. The answers are going to come from the head coach, who's not going anywhere, nor should he. The last time, by the way, Siriani did a self-scout.
After a one and done in the playoffs, they won the Super Bowl the next year.
Okay.
So now in their title defense, which ain't easy, it doesn't go your way. I don't know if A.J. Brown's going to be back either. And for Hurts, in terms of a new offensive coordinator, I know that's the last thing they want to do. It's the last thing that they want to do.
I've got the list here. In college at Alabama, he had Lane Kiffin and Sark in 2016, and then they left. Dayball and Loxley come in, they left. Loxley actually stayed. He got promoted.
Josh Gaddis comes in in 2018. Lincoln Riley was his guy in 2019 because he left and went to Oklahoma. Different guys every year, four years. Then he comes to the Eagles. It's Doug Peterson, his first year.
Shane Steichen, the only guy he had back-to-back years with as his offensive coordinator. Before Brian Johnson comes in, he gets the gate. They bring in Kellen Moore. They win the Super Bowl. He gets hired somewhere else, and here comes Petulo.
And I think here comes another guy. Yeah.
So, I know I told Eagles fans to relax, and their response to me would be, I told you so, Rich. This is why we didn't relax, because we knew this would happen in the playoffs. I'll be honest with you, anything's happening in these playoffs. Anything's happening. You just take a look at the rest of this weekend, how anything could have happened.
And the one thing that was not the same. Is everything else? I guess what's not the same? Josh Allen doing Josh Allen things, that's still the same, right? Yeah.
I guess, you know, Matthew Stafford pulling it out of his orifice at the end, the Bears doing that to the Packers again. That's not the same though. No, that's not. Listen, I understand. I think changes are going to have to come in Philadelphia.
As much as they don't want to do it. And the thing about the Eagles that makes things more difficult for them to realize. That the offense isn't imaginative enough, or something's not working. is to be bounced by the San Francisco 49ers. doing everything.
that they've done without the guys that they usually have. Kittle goes down again. My God, George Kittle, wherever you are, man, I'll send you a bottle of tequila as well. Did you hear that? I heard he drank the whole thing.
Well, why wouldn't he? Diana was reporting. wanted a bottle of tequila sent to the the locker room after he blows out his Achilles in this game. What a shame. And they just, hey, football gods, can you just stop taking people like him off the field?
Can we stop this sort of thing? For real. He goes out and now he's done for the rest of the campaign. And The Niners just keep on chugging.
Okay, the again the Eagles are like, we're running it back. We got the same guys, these are the same guys, and it's no longer working for some reason, and we don't know why. We can't put the finger on it, fans can't get an answer. And the Niners are like, okay. No Brock Purdy will bring in Mac Jones.
You know. Ayuk never showed up. Yeah.
Peer salt can't stay healthy. Jawan Jennings, the first month of the season, in and out of the lotup. Here comes Kendrick Bourne for 19 million yards. Demarcus Robinson, if you had on your bingo card that he would come up with 63 of the first 76 yards on the opening drive for a touchdown, including his grab. To start the scoring in Philadelphia.
Anybody have that on their bingo card? Bueller? No. And then of course in terms of In terms of imagination. On offense.
The Niners having a tough time against this Eagles defense, keeping Christian McCaffrey down and out of the end zone. Guy doesn't have a touchdown. Coming into the fourth quarter. Again, Coming in the fourth quarter. In this game, it's 16 to 10.
The only touchdown the Niners have is their opening drive. Marcus Robinson.
So what is Kyle Shanahan dial up? He dials up. A dipsy-do, where it's an end-around to Sky Moore, who then flips it to another guy coming from his left to his right, and Jawan Jennings. To find Christian McCaffrey in the end zone, Willie Mays style. See, I'm going San Francisco in a way.
There you go. Um, A Willie Mays catch in the end zone touchdown to start the fourth quarter. That's how it started. For the Niners to take the lead. Mm-hmm.
And so one team's got an offensive coordinator or an offense collectively that can't. Do very much, and then when one team can't do very much, they got a guy's like, oh, wait, wait till you see this play. Oh, and then then then McCaffrey scores again later on. Two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Kyle Shane after the game on that play.
It's called Sky Bang Reverse Pass. Um Last time we caught it, it was called Debo Bang Reverse Pass. We ran it in New Orleans when. Emmanuel threw to Rahim. Kind of the same area of the field.
We were trying to set it up a little bit. We got a jet sweep to sky earlier in the game and had to be on the right hash for the play because Juwan's not left-handed.
So we were just hoping to get it around there. Clay suggested it. It was a hell of a suggestion. And Juwan threw a perfect ball, which made me a little scared. I thought he should just throw it a bad ball and put it on him.
So I thought it was a hell of a catch by Christian. And I didn't see it, but knowing that he got roughed up and stuff just shows what a G Juwan is, high school quarterback. Yes, indeed. As a matter of fact, I did not know this. Do you know Jerwan Jennings was a higher-rated quarterback coming out of high school than Joe Burrow?
I just saw that. I just saw that, yeah. Yeah, he goes to the University of Tennessee. They're like, you're now a wide receiver. Yep.
Oh, so they're going to set up the play later on and then they uncork the play 'cause they see what hash they're on because he's not left-handed, he's right-handed. Let's throw to Christian McCaffrey for a touchdown. And the other team's like, here's what we're going to do on fourth down timeout. Let's come up with this play. We're just going to go and do hardly anything that's imaginative.
and have our quarterback throw into quadruple coverage when the season's over. It doesn't help. I'm just pointing this all out: it doesn't help. And then you've got to give it up to the San Francisco 49ers. every body.
Soup to nuts coming into this season, in which they've got a last place schedule because last year went so poorly for them, because Christian McCaffrey was hurt.
Okay, much made again about Um Coming into the season, was McCaffrey going to be anything? Yep. Right? Remember, there was even that scare before the season where he's suddenly questionable on the injury report prior to week one, and you're like, uh-oh, because the last time that happened, the guy wound up with two Achilles problems. and hardly did a damn thing.
Well, coming into the season, the Niners also had a ninety million dollar dead cap hit because it was time for so many of their moves over the last few years It came time to pay the credit card Reaper. And so, you remember the non-playing season, the off-season, as we call it, non-playing season at NFL Network? They lose Ward, Floyd, Collins, Debo, Hargrave, Hofanga, Greenlaw, Banks. Gone. See ya.
And then the season starts. And Nick Bosa goes. And Fred Warner goes. Boom Gone. See ya.
Where's Ricky Pierce all throughout the season? Not around. Where is Purdy sometimes? Not around. Mac Jones is in.
Okay, where's Kittle sometimes? Not around. Hey. Fans of Seattle, they know. Niners fans know too.
Folks who think that Kittle's gone, they're effed. Look up who scored the game-winning touchdown in week one in Seattle, where they're going back in week 20. Uh Jake Tongas. And again, Ayuk never shows. He's the best known this year for speeding.
by the stadium rather than inside it. Gotta give it up, man. Mm-hmm. Got to give it up. Kyle Shanahan, what a job.
He did this year. And again, it also helps to have Brock Purdy come back from injury. Have back-to-back games with accounting for five or more touchdowns on a Monday nighter in Indianapolis and then against a Bears team. Who knows, they might see again. In a couple weeks.
Purdy now has five career playoff wins, his fourth career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime. Guess what? who that breaks the tie with. For now the most such playoff Game-winning drives in the history of the San Francisco 49ers. He now has Brock Purdy more game-winning fourth-quarter and overtime drives.
in the playoffs than Joe Montana. That's it. Can't get any better than that. Maybe ever. let alone for the San Francisco 49ers.
And this is what Shanahan had to say about his QB afterwards.
So impressed because there were two mistakes he'd love to take back. But to play like he did on that last drive, especially after two throws like that, he was unbelievable. I mean, he kept letting a rip. The guy was not scared to fail at all, which you can't be to make some of those plays. And they weren't easy plays either.
It wasn't like he was always number one or anything like that. He was going through some progressions with a really good pass rush. And I thought the touchdown to Juice Arathon was probably the most impressive. Yeah, I mean, and also, you know, McCaffrey. Getting his seventh career playoff game with 100 or more scrimmage yards and a touchdown, even with nothing happening through the first three quarters for him.
He's tied for third most all time in that regard. Tied with Terrell Davis, Jerry Rice, Thurman Thomas. They're all in the Hall family. And you know who's only two behind now? Franco.
And three behind Amet. That's some good company. And they're going to Seattle. Kudos to them. Unbelievable performance.
They did it again. They did it to Dallas. They've done it to Green Bay.
Now they've done it to Philadelphia. And Seattle knows it can be done to it as well, despite how well. They curb stomped them a couple of Saturdays ago. Give it up. And again, like I said, a team that comes into the season.
Cap hamstrong and then injury hamstrong. And it doesn't matter. And they're the ones who won and done a Philadelphia team that pretty much has everyone back, everyone gets injured. Yeah.
Um It's it's going to be tough to swallow in Philadelphia. Understandably. We're off and running here. We'll talk about Bears Packers. Obviously, the Bills win over the Jaguars, the Patriots win.
Is also highly impressive. The Rams pulling it out on the Panthers were off and running on this Monday Rich Eisen Show. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Save money and get a better view of the road when you replace your worn-out wiper blades at O'Reilly Auto Parts. Right now, save $10 on a pair of Rainx Latitude Wiper Blades.
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Okay.
Bears Packers. Part three. After games one and two, how could this one be any better?
Well Well Hold on. It started with three straight touchdowns for the Packers. Three possessions, three touchdowns. That's how it started for the Packers, and it ended. With three possessions, three straight touchdowns for the Bears.
That is actually how it went down. And everything else in between is a hell of a yada, yada, yada, to tell them. The Packers came out and hit the Bears right in the mouth and it was dead quiet. It was a morgue. In Soldier Field And then the Packers offense went to sleep.
Three straight touchdowns. Then a missed field goal by McManus. The usual suspect. Yes. Nice.
And Then Comes four strength punts for the Packers. Four straight punts. including three Three and outs.
Now the Bears during that time They didn't put up a single touchdown. They put up a field goal. They put up another field goal and in between Interception because wait for it. The Bears and Ben Johnson went for it on fourth down. Ben Johnson went forward on fourth down so many times, and in his own end, of the field That somewhere Dan Campbell was sitting at home going, I don't even get that.
I mean, Dan Campbell was blushing somewhere going, really? That's how crazy Ben Johnson was going for it on fourth down, including one on his own 32. didn't work. Packers scored a touchdown. I mean, it was just not working.
The Ben Johnson magic wasn't working, and it was a 15 point deficit this time entering the fourth quarter as opposed to the 13 point deficit in week 16. Yeah.
And then it happened again. I don't know what's going on. Is it it's something in in uh in the Wiener Circle? Is it's I don't know what it is, man. I don't know what it is.
But there's a new one-armed man in Chicago, and his name is Caleb Williams. Was it me? Let me tell you, man. It's like Richard Kimball is sitting right there, putting the phone down right next to Caleb Williams and saying, I found a big piece. Come investigate.
I don't I don't know how it keeps happening. It's seven times now. Seven. Times. That this guy Comes back at the end of a game and comes out with a win for the Chicago Bears.
This time around, Yes, the Packers' offense kept the Bears in it. Or you could say the Bears' defense kept the Bears in it. By shutting down the Packers offense. And but Packers' offense, after Caleb got within five. Scored a touchdown.
Okay, this was This is not like, you know, the Packers did nothing the rest of the game. Matthew Golden who hadn't scored a touchdown all season long. came out of the mist and made an incredible individual yards after the catch play. For a touchdown. Hmm.
perfectly timed. Perfectly timed first career touchdown for the first round draft choice. Waiting all year for that. And of course, looked amazing on that play, too. The usual suspect missed the extra point.
So instead of it being a 12-point game, forcing the Bears to score two touchdowns, which. They did anyway. It's now An 11-point game. And Caleb is running out of time. Less than six minutes to go.
This is unbelievable. I mean, this is the stuff that Bears fans will be talking about for the rest of their days, regardless of what the Bears do. The rest of the way here. Five thirty seven to go. Fourth and eight.
On their own forty three. And Caleb Williams is pushed out of the pocket by a pass rush from his right to his left. He's going against the grain of his body. He leaps in the air.
Okay.
And has his right arm in such a way that it does look. Like the Jordan jump. It sure did. And he somehow, without the benefit of gravity, I just use those words. Oh.
Has the innate athletic Prowess To be able to get enough on the football to find Ramadune going from his right to his left. towards the sideline. and finds him on the move. It's not like Dunze is sitting there and is waiting for the ball to finally come down. This thing had some zip to it.
To the point where it gets over the defense right to Adunze as he's arriving on the spot. Caleb led Adunze. to that spot. From where he let go of the football. One of the greatest fourth and eighths I've ever seen, we will ever see, and we have to give it up to this kid for this, because if it was Mahomes, there'd have been some sort of a national holiday on the spot.
I mean, Chris Collinsworth would have somehow come out of the mist in your own living room to tell you about how great that was. He would have spontaneously combusted. This was unreal. And that saved the day. Without that.
There is no more of a comeback. There's a turnover on Downs. We assume the Packers would have done enough. To get far enough away where the comeback wouldn't happen. Of course the Packers get the ball back.
Go down the field. Have a field goal attempt, and McManus misses that one too. Seven points left on the field by the kicker. Seven. Now, it's a windy night.
It's tough to kick there. The first one was a fifty five yarder, I don't know. But the Chicago Bears have got it, man. And exactly what you think. About this team, that they can't.
Keep doing it. They can't keep somehow doing it. They didn't take the ball away, which is one of their hallmarks. Jordan Love had four touchdown passes. And no interceptions.
I mean That is a stat line that wins football games, certainly in the playoffs. And as a matter of fact, here's this stat for you. that Josh Allen Is the only other quarterback to lose a playoff game with four touchdown passes and zero turnovers? And He did it. in a game against A divisional round game against the Chiefs.
And sure enough. Yeah, I gotta say it. A guy who looks like the second coming of Mahomes just did it to love. Because this guy can extend the play and make throws off platform like. No man.
Other than Mahomes, Rogers back in the day. And now he's doing it for the Bears. Unreal. And you're like, how many times can they keep doing it? And Ben Johnson's like, as many times as we keep playing, because that's us.
I mean, I think it's it's our identity here at this point.
Some people say it's not sustainable. I don't know. You know, it's the takeaways, you know, that's who we are on defense and, you know, on offense. Explosive plays. That's kind of what we've done all year long and coming up in big moments.
And as a team, it's just. resiliency and and knowing that uh late in the fourth quarter, that's really when we're at our best as a as a football team.
So we'll keep striving to to be better earlier in games and starting faster and all that. But that's gives us something to work towards. But I I just I can't be any more proud of this crew than I am right now. By the way, he just can't talk without using the words better or best, huh? He's on brand.
That guy's as on brand as they come. I'm just glad he didn't curse in that.
Well, Locker room. I think he's got a special brand of crazy. Sure does. And Bears fans are like: he's our brand of crazy. Might not be yours, but he's ours.
And the Bears are now hosting A divisional round game against the Rams. Holy crap. By the way, the last time they've played each other, so Matthew Stafford can't quit the NFC North, nor he. If him And the last time the Rams and the Bears played in a playoff game was 1985 for the 85 Bears, who they went on to win the Super Bowl. And Bears fans are thinking, why not us?
For sure. That's what happened on Saturday night. The Bears were dead. To rights and Again. and somehow, some way, They keep on striking midnight.
on you. And it's Caleb Williams. He had this to say after the game, too. Who's uh It's the only option we have. Um was to go out there and be legendary.
To go out there and execute, to go out there and do our part on the offensive side, defensive side, and special teams. Have each other's back. Go win the go go win the effing game. He cursed. The coach didn't have to.
Love it. He said, apparently, that's what Ben Johnson said at halftime. That was his. Retelling of the message the team received. And he's the avatar for it.
He's the avatar for it. I thought the Packers were going to win this game because the Packers had their number at halftime and then four straight. Paunts Cap the game. Still alive, but they still had it. They were up by two more points entering the fourth quarter than they were in the game against Chicago.
the last time and they scored a touchdown. In between all of this. Bears coming back. and still couldn't pull it out.
So, good luck to the Rams. And good luck, by the way, how about this? Good luck to the rest of the NFC West. Because the final four in the NFC are three from the West and the Chicago freaking Bears. Those are your final four.
In the National Football Conference, not the defending champs. Not the champs of the NFC South, which looked for a long time like it would be the Bucs and then turned out to be a very stout Panthers team. Not the Other teams in the NFC East? It's three in the west. Mm-hmm.
And the Chicago Bears. We're going to take a break, come back, and talk about the Packers end of this, and of course, the entirety of the AFC playoffs. Still to come here on the Rich Rise and show your phone calls at 844-204-Rich number to dial. The Rich Heisen Show, the podcast. As you know, managing maintenance, repair, and operations is never easy.
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Call 1-800-GRANGER, clickgranger.com, or just stop by. Let's talk about the Packers. Packers fans are pissed today. They should be. No, no, I get it.
They want Matt LaFleur gone, many of them that I know. And, you know, coming in, it's just like if it wasn't for the seventh seed, they'd keep missing the playoffs and they'd get in there, and there's a problem with the Packers, et cetera, et cetera. And then they certainly won't appreciate Adam Schefter's latest report that. The Packers are trying to get a long-term deal done. with Matt LaFlore.
He's got one year left on his contract. And, you know, unless you're the Cincinnati Bengals or the Dallas Cowboys, you don't. Go into your last year of a contract with your coach. Because it's difficult for that coach to coach the team up. When it's just like, why should I listen to you if things aren't going well?
You're going to be gone soon. You know, why why why You don't have any security here. How do I know you know? I should listen to you. That's the general sense of why you extend somebody.
Now the fact that they've gone into contract Chats with him. doesn't mean he's staying. You know, these things, as you know, can fall through. If they tell him you got to make this change, that change, that change, this change for your money. And they go fool Don Draper and basically say that's what the money is for.
And his response might be, well, then I'm not. I'm not signing a long term deal. and we'll see how it all goes. in that regard. Um I I I will just say this to Packers fans.
Uh if I may have the temerity. to address them. directly. after such a brutal, difficult loss. But Uh I think you would be um You would be wondering if you made the right move.
If he isn't around anymore. I think you need to be careful what you wish for. And Jordan Love gave a full-throated. Voice of support to the coach? on Saturday night.
Jordan Love didn't lose this game. I know there were four. Punts in a row that drives Packers fans crazy. Changed the way he called. That's that, the other thing.
That the way they were play calling screwed us up, and that's the coach's fault. He's the one whose face is in the play sheet. Um I understand that. Everyone bears that responsibility. But um Final score, right?
was four, right? Matt LaFleur should get maybe coach of the year votes for not Lane Kiffening Brandon McManus in Chicago.
Now it was him who stuck with the guy too. I'm imagining Lots of Fingers of blame to go around there. This was an interesting exchange with Matt LaFleur after the game about his future. With all due respect to your question, Pete, now's not the time for that. I mean, I'm just hurting for these guys.
After the way the season finished and a couple of other playoff shortcomings, why do you think we should be back here next year? Again, Pete, I'm not going to get into that right now. Do you think your team has the confidence that the leadership of this organization can? Yeah, uh again, with all due respect, Pete, definitely that now's not the time. I mean.
Whatever. Bill. When the a couple times this year He had this to say about wanting to stay about being the Packers head coach, what it means to him. It means everything to me. I mean, this is the greatest organization.
in the world, in my opinion. And It's very humbling, and I'm certainly disappointed right now. I'm disappointed. Mostly for well, not mostly. I'm disappointed for everybody that's associated with the Green Bay Packers.
I'm disappointed for our lockroom. I'm disappointed for our fans. I'm disappointed for our leadership, just all our employees, everybody involved with the Green Bay Packers right now. And I know it's tough for me to sit here and say what would happen if Tucker Kraft and Micah Parsons and the offensive line injuries, if they were all on the field when I started the show by saying Kyle Shanahan's done All what he's done. Without all these folks in San Francisco, I I understand, but One last I think you'd be making a mistake by not keeping this guy.
I'm not boots on the ground in Wisconsin. I'm not boots on the ground as a Packers fan. But there's a lot of love for John Harbaugh out there right now from my friends from Wisconsin. No doubt. All right.
I will just say this. One of the reasons why LaFleur is on a hot seat certainly with Packers fans as Uh weird offensive droughts mid games. Not going to the Super Bowl with your Stud veteran at the end of his career. In Green Bay, MVP, right? In Rogers.
Yep. Although, let's not forget, LaFleur took over from. Um McCarthy and it was all like, How's he going to get Rogers on board?
Well Two MVPs in a row, right? True. How's he going to transition to love?
Well, Jordan Love. I think they transitioned pretty well with him at this point in time. But not winning at all with your stud quarterbacks, not going to the Super Bowl with your studs quarterbacks, having some weird offensive droughts, things that make you scratch your head about how did we blow that game. Mm-hmm. That's One of the reasons why John Harbo is available.
So, you'd be replacing one guy who's an incredible culture guy and incredible coach with another one. with the same set of um issues. Unless you think it's a whole new voice in the same way that it's a now time to do something different. And then you'd have to hire two new coordinators because you're getting rid of your play caller on top of it. What you say you want to do?
Great. Ask Ravens fans about John Harbaugh's choices at Play Caller. Again. I don't mean to denigrate. I think John Harbor would have been incredible hire for anybody who hires them.
but fire Matt Lafleur for him? Just again, be careful what you wish for. In Green Bay, a new set of voices. It could be great. Do you see one of the greats of our time, which John Harbaugh is, with the G on the hat?
You might be very excited about that. But that comes with a lot of other changes that I don't think the Packers usually have in their DNA. Just don't think it's coming. Nor do I think it should happen. I think John Harbaugh should wind up on the sidelines of the Giants.
Now, that's a different story. We'll talk about that more, obviously, as the week goes on. But it's a tough loss for Green Bay. I totally understand it, but blow it all up. Not so sure about that.
The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
