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Now, on with the show. Here's the snap. Beck looks, throws it down the field. This is the Rich Eisen Show. And it is intercepted by Indiana.
The Rich Eisen Show. Frank Nando Mendoza! I love you guys. Today's guests, Green Light podcast host Chris Long. ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Chris Fowler.
Quarterback consultant Jordan Palmer. And now, it's Rich Isen. That's right. Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show. 844-204 Rich is the number to doubt.
Have a chat with us, whether you're watching on Disney Plus, the ESPN app, or listening to us on ESPN Radio or SiriusXM Channel 80. Hello, podcast listeners. We got a fun show in store for you. Jordan Palmer, a quarterback guru of notes, going to return to this program, talk about Jared Stidham, who he knows very well. He's going to join us in hour number three of this show.
First up, we haven't spoken to Chris Long, two-time Super Bowl champ and host of the Green Light pod since the first month of the NFL season. Lots to catch up with him and Chris Fowler, the man who just called the national championship game on the ESPN family of networks last night. What an exhilarating national championship game that was to cap off one of the more enjoyable football weekends that we can remember. He's going to join us right in the middle of the show. Hello, Christopher Brockman.
How are you? Hello, Rich Eisen. Good to see you. TJ Mikey D is indeed nuts. His back is in his chair.
Good to see Mike Deltufo. TJ Jefferin, is that Jefferson? Is that Kent? Candle lit, sir. Smell a real fragrant.
I like it. Good to see everybody again out there. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial on the program. We begin this show. With the date, you know, I love to do this sort of stuff.
With the date line. November 30th, 2023, when Indiana Announced Much to nobody's Paying attention, their new football. I'm being honest, the new football coach there, his name was Kurt Signetti. Hey, and if you were a fan of James Madison football, You knew him. Everybody else had no idea who he was, that he came from Sabinstaff back in the day, and that.
He was highly successful in every stop that he's made. but he certainly got everyone's attention. with this sound bite a few days later at his introductory press conference. I mean, what's the who are you talking about? The high school guys, the transfers, who?
All of the above. I mean, how how do you it's it's pretty s yeah, it's pretty simple. I win. Google me. Yeah.
Come on! That's so. Kurt Signetti had us at hello with that one.
Now that's true. But you know who he did not really have it hello? Who's that? A lot of Indiana faithful. And I don't blame.
Mm-hmm. Indiana Hoosiers fans for For this Our next date that we surf into is August 31st, 2024. This photograph hit my timeline. From a guy, an account, Nice Bison, posting. This person's view of the field at Memorial Stadium prior to Kurt Signetti's first game as head coach is Indiana's.
Football. Major domo against Florida International. Dang. Good seats still available. Mm-hmm.
That day. They had no earthly idea. With seven hundred and thirteen all-time college football losses. The most in FBS history at that point in time. No idea.
At all. Because they hadn't seen a nine-win season since 1967. No idea at all. They would lose only two games that year, including a college football playoff appearance. Loss?
And then the next year Lose Zero times. No times. Kurt Signetti's Indiana Hoosier Football Program. Is the envy of the entire college football world, the entire college athletics world? and a paragon.
of excellence and intelligence And grit and determination You cannot get any tougher. of an opponent And a crucible of a college football playoff situation than the one that Indiana. Endeavored last night. A Miami Hurricanes team red hot. Red hot.
Coming in with a massive chip on their shoulder. and all sorts of alums. on their sideline Like our bud Irv, who went out for the coin toss, and Ray Lewis, who could look Carson Beck in the eyes right before a potential game-winning, natty-winning drive and go.
Alright, this is it. All of that's on that sideline. in their home stadium. And Indiana watched not one but two number fours dominate. The number four on offense scored twice, and the number four on defense was all over their quarterback.
Last night. And the number four on defense is named Bain. You want to talk about having somebody who can. Strike fear in you at the name Bane. Except he spells it like the word pain, but without a P, it's a B.
That's even harder to do. Oh yeah. Yeah. I was born. Has grit and determination, and a sense of it's their time, and a head coach.
who is no nonsense as well. And they We were not to be denied. And even in a first half, where they somehow only trailed by 10 points, they come out in that second half. and hold Indiana to a three and out. Pardon me, they stop Indiana on their first drive.
and then score for the first time on their own. And they make it a three-point game. And that's when Indiana dug deep. And every time Miami We throw their punch. Indiana.
Through a harder one. And the fact that this game comes down to Not one, but two. Fourth down attempts By a coach who hadn't attempted a single fourth down all college football playoffs. To make a difference. And the reason why they didn't attempt on fourth down is because they didn't have to.
Because they were blowing everybody out. And now they're in a game where it's tight. And they're in a game and it's tight. And Dear kid. Fernando Mendoza.
They call his number on a fourth and four from the Miami. 12-yard line with 9-18 to go instead of kicking a field goal. To go up 20 to 14, they say, let's go for it for at least a chance to get it close to the goal line to make it a two-score game again. and Fernando Mendoza, Scores the touchdown. On a 12-yard dash up the middle, where he makes a move in the middle of the field and decides to go forward and leaps into the end zone.
and takes another massive hit. And scores a touchdown to make it seem like this is our night. And even with all of that, they needed a defensive play from Jamari Sharp to pick off Carson Beck. to keep this an undefeated season. And come up with 16 wins this year, more than what they had in Indiana.
From 2020 to to the moment Signetti was hired combined. With just eight blue chip recruits compared to 45 on the other sideline. This is what it's all about. And that's why we're wondering.
Okay. what this means for a larger picture. For college football, and that's what Kurt Signetti was asked. After the game. Wanting to know what's the cheat code, which is a phrase that I think we're going to be using a lot on this program.
Because Chris Long likes to use it and he's about to join us. What's the secret sauce, man? Because everybody wants to know how you did this in just two years' time, and we know we googled you. But what's the secret sauce and what does it mean for the sport moving forward? I think we sent a message, first of all, to society that If you keep your nose to the grindstone and work hard and you've got the right people, anything's possible.
In our particular situation in the athletic world, college football has changed quite a bit. uh the balance of power also. But We had the right people on our staff. In the weight room, in the locker room. And we had great senior leadership.
and uh togetherness and and and we had a really good quarterback. that played us best when the chips were done. And um If you prepare the right way, which his team did week in, week out, and put it on the field. We met the challenge every single week. And we're 16 and no.
Um Are there eight first-round draft choices on this team? Probably not. No, there aren't. But this team the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. And college football is better for it.
I gotta say. He's not wrong about society as a whole. What a great message. belief in self, come up with a plan and execute it and don't Listen. to what anybody else says that you can't.
Felix. Again. This Team has 715 losses all time now. This French, this. program.
I went to school there. at the University of Michigan. And any time Indiana we were playing them, we're like, that's a win. And that's the way the Big Ten looked at this. Program forever.
That's a win. That's like honestly, I don't know if you had to choose a Big Ten program. that served as another team's literal homecoming opponent. It would be Indiana and or Northwestern. It's that simple.
Yeah. And that this guy comes from James Madison. And does what he's done. 100%. When NIL, we were on the air on July 1st of years ago when NIL first came into being, and we're wondering, what does this mean, right?
What does it mean? And we all thought the rich are about to get richer. that every program that's been dominant The blue bloods are about to get bluer, and it's about to get more bloody for everybody else. And then there's somebody like Kurt Signetti. Who's like, you know what?
We're going to do there's also a transfer portal. We're going to find the right kids for us, we're going to keep the right kids who are here. We're going to coach them up. And then we're going to prove. to our alumni Fan base.
who are yes quite deep pocketed There's a guy named Cuban Kama Mark, who we saw a couple times last night, just to name one, obviously. And we're going to go to them, and we're going to go to them with a plan and say, help us out. And then we're going to show you a return on investment. And then we're going to keep this thing going. And we're going to do it in two years.
And we're going to be the ones who are going to show the way it's done in the NIL transfer portal. World of college football. Who the hell could have thought that was possible? It's happened! And it's amazing, and it's remarkable, and it deserves all the flowers that I'm delivering right now to Indiana football.
Congratulations to all of you. Obviously, Miami, your fan base, you have nothing to hang your heads about. But, Indiana football fans, you've got to be out of your skulls right now, and I couldn't be happier for you. Especially you since you made it three in a row for the Big Ten. And if there's anybody out there who understands what it's like to go undefeated and win a national championship.
and win it all and a Big Ten championship. It's so Exciting. And any Ohio State fans that are wondering, just talk to us or Indiana. Oh man, that felt good. Couldn't just let them have their nope.
I'm going to get pettier too later on. Stay tuned. Stay tuned. Everybody, certainly those in the southeast. Oh, this is great times.
Great football, smart football, exciting football. Chris Fowler, who called it, is joining us in hour number two of this show. Chris Long's about to join us. On the back end of this hour, Fernando Mendoza. is your first overall pick in the draft.
I'll lend more to that coming up. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Our radio audience has just rejoined. Chris Long is here, Green Light Pod, two-time Super Bowl champion, right here on the program. He's talking about Caleb Williams.
Really, that fourth and eighth throw against Green Bay, down 11 to keep Hope alive. forcing overtime, right? And were you surprised Ben Johnson didn't go for two? I wasn't. My litmus test is usually, and I'm not going to kill them over it because, listen, they got to overtime and the Rams punted the ball.
If you'd have told me the Rams were going to punt on their first possession of overtime, which I believe they did, I mean, then you're kind of vindicated there, right? Like, You're off the hook. I don't um If the Rams had taken the ball down and scored immediately, then we're having a conversation about it. I also think like you have to realize Caleb a couple of plays earlier had a bad read on the two-point conversion. He'd struggled in the red zone a little bit in that game.
And you take those things into account. I think everybody talks about analytics all the time. And you know what we do here, what we do. But like, all right, take into account the fact that maybe it's snowing, that you know, the balls, you know, like take into account that the defense had the upper hand down there. And I also think for Caleb, like, In the field, his magic is that if you play off coverage or you're in three or cover four, you know, you've got flats that are open.
He breaks the pocket. And it's so dangerous because you put people in that bind, right? In the low red, and we've seen it a couple times like late in games for him, he's not going to be the same guy just breaking the pocket and heading to the pylon because all the zone defenders are stick or they're standing there. You know, they're five feet away.
So You know, I I think sometimes people are like, oh. You go on, you know, you go for two. It's automatic, like you go for the win. And my litmus test, usually, as a viewer, is if I were on defense What would I want the opposing coach to do? And I gotta be honest, like.
Part of me that gives credence to the idea that you should go for two is like: if I was on defense, I'd be like, please don't. Because I feel like you're at home, you've got momentum. You've got this dangerous young quarterback that I know he misread a play a couple plays earlier on the two-point, but. It would have made me very nervous. As a guy who bet the Rams that night and bought to three, thank you very much.
Well done, Chris. Let's cut the BS here. Buying points is cool. It's not lame, it's cool. But like, I was like, please don't go for two.
And it wasn't just the math. I thought, you know, the Rams were going to lose that game if they went for two. Having said that, though, they're off the hook because the Rams punted the ball in overtime, in my opinion. Yeah. So You know, there's no right answer.
The thing I wanted to take away from that game, honestly, and the whole season for Chicago is they're way ahead of schedule. And I think the thing that they have that's like a cheat code is they have Dennis Allen. Who, if you see Sean McVay after that game mic'd up, which I think was really cool, some of the mic'd-up footage they got in that game, some of the video they got is awesome. After the game, he's dapping up Ben Johnson. He's you know he's you know it's um Byard, and then he gets to Dennis Allen.
He seeks him out, and he's like, dude, you kicked our ass. Dennis Allen was fantastic this year. And that group, the back end, the way they lived off the turnovers, but also the way they were able to manufacture pass rush. without a bunch of great rushers. The Dennis Allen thing's great because his name's not coming up in any of these coaching cycles.
You nailed it. You nailed it. Same thing with Josh McDaniels, a cheat code as the OC. Steve Spagnolo has been that cheat code for Kansas City for a long time. That's the, I mean, that's the.
It's not great for the coordinators in question if they want to be head coaches again. But if you want to get something going, then you have a cheat code as a perfect way for you to put it at coordinator. And Dennis Allen, obviously, along with Ben Johnson together and Caleb Williams, you're just checking boxes for a franchise that had no boxes checked for quite some time. You know, Chris Long here on The Rich Eisen Show. Where to go from here with you up?
Got you by the Rams. I want to give my whole team credit. They won the game. We just talked about Chicago for a while. The front won that game in gotta have it situations, and you knew they had to win that game.
You had to stop the run with the front. And on third and one, and some of these gotta have it situations in the goal line stand, they were great. That's all I wanted to say. No, no, that's cool for sure. And obviously, Stafford, that Stafford throw from the opposite hash to Devontae Adams on the.
on the um on the boundary. And where Adams grabbed it and dragged the foot. I've watched that, and listen, it's not as impressive as fading back 26 yards and throwing a 40-yard, 14-yard touchdown pass, but my God. Could be more functional. My God, that was unbelievable.
And the Rams going to Seattle. Best defense remaining in the playoffs belongs to Seattle. It's Chris. It's Seattle, right? It's Seattle.
It is Seattle. Denver's great. Like, they're great. I thought Houston was like, it's a shame that Houston's not in this thing anymore. But Seattle, especially at home.
They just jump you. You know, they do this to teams, and I was on the other, I was on the ass end of these things for a long time in the NFC West. And You know, I think it was like seven years running we lost in Seattle, and it always felt like. You know, when the top comes off that place, it's hard to put it back on, man. And when it happens, That early in a football game.
And I thought the Shaheed move for all these teams that sat on their hands right at the trade deadline. Looking at you, Buffalo. Um Shaheed. Makes such a big difference for this team offensively, but also on special teams when you go into Seattle and you're not the better team. which San Francisco is not the better team.
They had to do what they did in Philly, which was. Win the toss, take the football. Find a way to go down and score, take the air out the building. And the exact opposite happens. And when that happens, you know, try being in that D-line huddle.
When you jump that team and you're thinking the rest of the game, with this home field advantage in an NFC divisional matchup, that's like a dream for a defensive lineman. And I thought the moment of truth for San Francisco came so early. You know, you think about like when teams, like, you know, that moment in the game where you're like, this is it. It came at the 50-yard line when they're going for it on fourth down in like the first quarter. Mm-hmm.
You know, and that's what they knew they were up against. And it was either going to be a close game or an absolute bloodbath. And, you know, that was the moment where it was pretty clear it was going to be a bloodbath. Yeah, I love that Shaheed photo. If you don't mind Hoskins putting it out one more time, because.
You still see the smoke from the pregame fireworks in the air. You know, it's 13 seconds in, and the smoke is yet to clear from the pregame action. And this is all the points that they needed on the night. Could San Francisco only scored six? And this is also a way You know, I had my fun saying, great job, Mike McDonald, to execute your game plan of not even needing your quarterback to throw with his bad oblique to win the game when you have this.
I mean, we put it all together and your sensibility that you talk about the D-line saying we're going to get off now. Uh Just on what a moment. All day. What a moment. You know, I was always so jealous.
Of the guys that played in that stadium, that rushed the passer in that stadium. I'm still jealous of my friends Cliff Averill and Michael Bennett, and those guys, because they have the like legitimately the best home field advantage in football. And I think Kansas City is, you know, there's a lot of lore there. But when you go to Kansas City, you have to play Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. And Steve Spagnola, like the team has something to do with that too.
You know, and I know it's loud there. Seattle is like you can't hear. From me to that wall right there. Like me and my teammates would try to have a conversation, you could not hear it. You know, everybody talks about piping noise in.
I don't know if they are or not. But whatever they're doing, it's working. That's the best home field advantage in football, and they have the best defensive football. And I do like them this weekend. I do.
Um I think you know like Belichick used to say It's not who you play, it's when you play them. I think most people would have loved the Rams in this spot the first half of the season. They have not played their best down the stretch.
So. Forgive me, but like I kind of feel like Seattle's a hotter team right now. It all comes down to Sam Darnold taking care of the football. And by the way, He's the only guy in the divisional round that did take care of the football. Chris Long here on the Rich Eisen Show.
The narrative that the Patriots just won the AFC Championship game last week as Jared Siddham is starting. Where do you sit with that one? Chris. Oh, that they're that it's a foregone conclusion they win? I mean, listen.
I don't like that talk. I mean, they're not going to talk like that. You know, Vrabel's not going to talk like that. They're going to Denver and they're playing a team. That You know, Sean Payton is one of the best offensive coaches in history, in my opinion.
And He's done a lot with a little before at quarterback. I mean, he didn't always have Drew Brees. You know, he can make you know, chicken soup, if you will. Is that in relation to chicken salad, Chris? Is that understood?
Okay. I'm not calling Jared Stidham chicken salad, but like we haven't, this is not a big sample size. And he hasn't started in two years, Chris. And I will say, one time I saw him start. Maybe it was with the Raiders.
I don't remember, but I was like. This guy's not bad. I mean, and Sean Payton doesn't think he's bad because he finds the backup quarterback to be a really important spot. And that's a team that, you know. They played their hearts out last week and they deserved to win.
And they're one game away. And you can sell hope to a team that's one game away. And especially a team that's got the guys outside that can strap you up. Right. You talk about like, how does New England's offense match up?
Right. I think one of the biggest question marks I have is can the front hold up? Because we saw low preview at home. And I think Will Campbell's going to be a very good player in the league. But Will Anderson and those guys, they got after that group.
And In that football game, C.J. Stroud puts the ball on the ground what felt like 35 times, right? And so Denver is going to take care of the football if they can. They're going to have a creative game plan. Sean's going to be pulling out the stops.
It's the nothing to lose thing. And it's a front that's hungry, and a cover group that can take guys away on the outside. Like, they can muddy this game up.
So I'm not going to count them out. But to the people that say New England's just had it easy, so they're not a good football team. I think you're crazy. I watch this team and I see like an adult football team, and it's the Vrabel effect, it's the Josh McDaniels effect. It's a Drake May effect too, Chris.
That throw he made to Booty over Derek Stingley Jr. probably had a 1% chance of working. He put it in the only spot Booty could get it with one hand. That's no piker he threw over or threw towards. I mean, that was that's that's a real deal.
Big boy pants stuff, Chris. It wouldn't make me upset if he won the MVP. Mm-hmm. It wouldn't. And when you look at what he's had around him, like a team with an eight-game win total or whatever it is, nobody, you know, some people thought they might be a wild card team, but they're just listening from a game plan standpoint, early in that game, to know if we jump Houston, it's going to be hard for them to come back.
They're not built for that. Let's get aggressive. Let's I mean look at the in cuts they hit. And be able to handle a wet ball that Drake may dropped a couple times because of the rush, and he does need to be a little less comfortable in the pocket. If that makes sense, like the last two weeks, there's been a couple times where he kind of just sat in his lazy boy at the end of the LA game.
And then last week, where you're close to giving the ball up a couple of times. And if Houston falls on that football, In the red zone, who knows what happens in that game, but to come out, beat man coverage, be aggressive. The short to intermediate passing game is such a weapon in the NFL. They've got it. And they also have a guy who can take the top off the defense.
And look at the way the teams become more trustworthy as the years gone on. They played Pittsburgh early in the season, lost that game. They turn the ball over six times. You know, Stevenson fumbles, all this stuff. It feels like Vrabel gives the group confidence, and it's like they grow up at like a 2X rate.
You know what I mean? Like these young guys just kind of, he's such a great coach. And also think about having a DC. that leaves because of a health reason. And you've got a new defensive coordinator, and he's kind of like he's done such a good job in the playoffs.
Hell, when are they going to start talking about him? As a guy who gets interviews, like Core has done a great job. I mean, they said openly guys were coming up to him. After the wild card game and saying, I didn't know what you were in.
Okay? He's done a fantastic job, and Milton Williams being back makes a big difference.
So that team can win the whole thing. A few minutes left here with Chris Long. I feel mandated to ask you this because I picked up what you were putting down before when you were talking about Rashid Shaheed being added at the trade deadline by Seattle, and you pegged the bills as a team that sat on their hands. Um and I guess I'm mandated to ask you your thoughts on the Sean McDermott firing. Um and their reshuffling of of their of their front office by uh keeping Brandon Bean and elevating him.
Chris? I I like Brandon Bean. I do. He's cool. He's been on my show.
Great guy. Um And I love the Bills. Like, I do. Like, I, you know, I pull for the Eagles and then I got my AFC side team, right? Uh, which is, you know, it's fun to have a couple teams.
They're all gone. All right. I think the roster, and this isn't caping for Josh Allen, because Josh, who's my favorite quarterback in the NFL, Did not play up to his standard. And he's a big reason why they lost. And then the irony is you look around the you know, the weekend and you're like, well, Which quarterback would you really have rather than Josh?
Like, it's implied in his performance that this was his worst playoff performance ever. And they score 30 points against that defense.
So you're sitting on a gold mine. And you've drafted, not that I think Pro Bowl really matters. But you've drafted two Pro Bowlers. Since you drafted Josh Allen. You know who those are.
Yes, Dawson Knox and James Cook. I didn't know Dawson Knox was a Pro Bowler, no shade at my dog Dawson Knox. But like That's it? You know, and when you watch the roster, I would challenge you to, of all the divisional teams that were left in that round. Rank the rosters.
And it's two years in a row, and I'm not absolving Josh. Because he had his part in that. That turnover before the half was unreal. And the the pick to lock was Vintage pressing Josh. But to get beat because two years in a row, your back end depth is that bad.
Like Sean Payton is like, we're going right at Dane Jackson. We're going right at the third string, safety. Last year was Khair Elam. You know, they have no pass rush. They can't stop the run.
They got aging linebackers. that have had to play above themselves. Um the wide receiving core. is Not good. And they did sit on their hands at the deadline.
And, you know, you talk about like a home run swing would have been Jalen Waddell or something like that. And I don't know what it would have took. But the bottom line is like I've watched this team win a bunch of playoff games over the last six, seven years. I think they're one of four teams. To win a playoff game in six straight postseason appearances, that's you're doing something right.
But every year you look at the the roster and say It's not adding up. And the part of it that I understand is like Sean McDermott, his job is defense. And in losses, they're given up like an average of 30 points a game in the playoffs. But I don't know what he's working with. And so I look at the GM and I'm like.
He got promoted? He got promoted and Sean got fired. Like, it just, I know I'm not alone in this thing. where it just doesn't make a lot of sense. And and I'm not saying Sean McDermott Should be absolved of all these playoff losses.
But The roster to me is the problem. Where would you rank the Bills' roster out of all the teams that were left this weekend? Chris Long here on The Rich Eisen Show. I got two more for you to pitch, for you to swing at. First one is: what do you think the Eagles need to do, Chris?
They need to hire a cheat code offensive coordinator, okay? We talk about this thing a lot. You know, like bring somebody out of retirement or find somebody who's aged out or is not, find yourself a Dennis Allen because you have one on defense. And his name is Vic Fangio. He's not getting a head coaching job.
He doesn't want one, I don't think. Find somebody, find a Josh McDaniels. I know it's easier said than done. Because Jalen hurts if he's your guy in the future. And I listen, I He's got deficiencies, for sure.
But He's had to deal with a different coordinator every year. And you know I know other guys that have had to deal with that. There's like Baker Mayfield and that sort of thing. But like. it the variability has just been too up and down.
And so you got to find somebody if he's your quarterback of the future. to give him some Yes.
Some, I don't know what the word would be, some familiarity year in and year out. And I also think, obviously, you could pivot and say, We're about to enter like the post Jeff Stoutland's All-Stars era. Mm-hmm. Which is like the offensive line's been the main main character on this team for the better part of a decade. You need to realize that and you need to plan for not the, you know, not the group falling off, but this year it wasn't very good.
Right, and so you're a defensive football team. That needs to inform your decision making. And offensively, you need to find a guy. I would like a West Coast, like a true West Coast offense, kind of like true West Coast offense. More play action, more under center.
More tight end. Um I you know, more motion, more of the things that people More of the things that people, Eagles fans, complain about not seeing, if it is a Jalen Hurts thing. All right, buddy, rubber is meeting the road here. Like, you have to do some things you're uncomfortable with going forward. Like, If that was what it was, And I'm not absolving the OC.
He lost his job for a reason. But if there are certain things that they had to withhold that you know Are not quarterback preferences? then they have to press him to do those things this offseason. Um the guys won a Super Bowl. He's beaten Patrick Mahomes on the biggest stage.
Do I think he's one of the best five quarterbacks in the NFL? No. But that's perfectly fine, dude. You can win with Jalen Hurts. You have in the past.
You have to build.
Some continuity, and you have to press him, challenge him to do things he's not comfortable with, and you also have to realize. That the process has to speed up because the offensive line is not as good as it's been in the past. And I think A.J. Brown's To be honest, like I did see some.
Some aging this year. I still think he's a really good player. But like you see it on some of these balls where he's got to go down and get it like a little bit of the like He's look he's looking like an older player a little bit sometimes. Um No, I agree with everything A.J. Brown was saying all year because I said it on this show like week three.
And y'all put me on ESPN on the ridiculous man. And no, and it's fine because I ended up being friggin' right. You can't get away with playing that way. When you're sitting there three and one and everybody's like... Everybody's like We're three and one.
What's everybody upset about?
Well, I don't know. What you're projecting is the way offense looks over a 17-game season and into the playoffs, you score 19 points. on San Francisco's defense That I hey Poll somebody on the street, name seven players on that defense. Name three players on that defense. I know the players.
But like there's no household names. Lenore's their best player, right? He's a damn good player. I like some of the young players. I'm not taking anything away from him, but the guys up front.
Like you should be able to, if you're Philly, vintage Philly football, you score 40 points on that group.
So something's changed. And I think part of it is the personnel, but part of it is they lost the plot with the scheme.
Well, listen, we can't control the aggregation, sir. We just provide the microphone. But, you know, before I let you go, last thing now. Uh, because I picked up what you were putting down, you like Seattle this weekend, right? That's what you said.
And then for the AFC Championship game, we set it up by saying obviously the Patriots are playing very, very well, but. Uh your pal Nick Foles went top rope on his uh post here. You know, it's firing away that a positive note going to the game against the Patriots is that they struggle against backup quarterbacks in championship type games. Look at James. Jake is the nicest dude in the world.
And like honestly, like he's a mensch. But He will legitimately sometimes flex his muscle a little bit as being like the guy that beat Brady. Like he He likes doing that. And it's not in an arrogant way. It's like, you know, look at me, regular Joe.
I beat Tom Brady. And so I hope Nick makes all the money. If Denver goes to the Super Bowl, I hope Nick makes a million dollars. It couldn't happen to a better guy. Yeah, right.
Right. And, you know, obviously, Kurt Warner will be talking about it on Wednesday show, no doubt about it.
So, do you like the Patriots at the end of the day? Or what do you like? Yeah, I do. I gotta really like as the week goes on. You know, and I think Pat Seahawks would be a great game.
If the week goes on, I kind of like, I'll like somebody on Monday or Tuesday, but then, like, really, and some people might know what I'm talking about. You don't really know until Saturday. And so check back with me Saturday, but I do think Denver can keep it. Obviously, I think New England's the favorite. Mm-hmm.
But you gotta have a a plan for the rushers. And I think Denver could go tempo. I think they could make you uncomfortable. I think they're going to pull every trick out in the book. And you got a hell of a coach leading the way for them and Sean Payton.
Who's on Green Light this week? What do you got? It's the same thing, dude. It's like I'm one day at a time out here, Rich. I don't know, like an army of bookers.
All right, just let me know if you need me. Say, hey, you got a guy. I don't have a guy. You got a guy. I'm in the pen.
Whenever you need me, just call for the right-hander. I'll come on out.
Okay. Okay. I'm here for you. Hey, dude, by the way, last thing. Sure.
Kyle Whittingham? How about it? Is one of my favorite college football coaches of all time. And you guys nailed it, and you hired my friend Marcus Hagins to help with the receivers. Let's go!
Shout out to that coaching staff. I can't wait to put some Michigan gear on and go watch games, Chris. Welcome. I'm happy to have you in our circle and thrilled that we We got lucky. We got lucky in a very difficult, very difficult time to land Kyle Whittingham.
So I'm thrilled to hear that. Oh, I know that with Suge Knight. Do you know? Do you remember that? Suge Knight was like, Yeah, Cuttingham's a badass when Suge Knight's a true story.
These are all true stories. Chris, thanks for the time, man. I always appreciate it. You're the best. That's Green Light with Chris Long Podcast host Chris Long, right here on The Rich Eisen Show.
Back with more in a sec. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. Back here in the Rich Eisen Show, we're just trying to make people's lives better, just like the people of Pello Windows and Doors.
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They do it every day, and that's why your neighbors trust them. Discover why Pella is a trusted choice for homeowners everywhere, visit pella.com slash Eizen today. That's Pella.com/slash Eizen. John Harbaugh is being introduced. He's got a very nice suit on there with the giant step and repeat behind him.
Doesn't look at all like a man that's like, damn it, I could have coached Josh Allen if I only waited. That's the narrative that's going on. Do you think, again, we've got soundbites coming in. $100 million will do that. Did anybody.
And the New York, New Jersey media have the temerity to even ask him. You would assume that sounds like something. I mean, yeah, somebody did.
Somebody's from the post. You've also seen that the Giants are also redoing their facilities now, too, their cafeteria and their. Like Harbaugh's coming in and saying, Yeah, no. Yeah, you want me? This is what we're the X, Y, and Z, A, B, and C.
And the Giants have been like, sure. Those NFL PA surveys do work. I'm not reporting to Joe Shane, Mr. Mara, I'm reporting to you.
Okay. That's what it seems like.
Well, we'll hear what John's got to say later on. I like it. And then we'll have Chris Fowler on the program. We also have Overreaction Monday on a Tuesday coming up. What else can I report to you?
Coop did not watch The Godfather on the plane, so we got that going on. Boy, Coop. What did he watch? Did he tell you? He watched Overreaction Monday.
He had live TV. Boy, Ada Boy. He did. He texted me a screen grab, Chris, of you and I on his seat back. That had to be weird for him.
Flying somewhere over, I think, Utah at the time, making his way home from New York, New Jersey. Bacon, Utah.
Well, over Utah, not in. He was over. Either way. Yeah. So he watched that, but not The Godfather.
Didn't see that.
Okay. Yeah, it's going to be a super. But we're going to watch that over the weekend now. Oh, you are? Oh, excellent.
Yeah. Yeah, Saturday. Nothing else. Hey, listen, I'm telling you, anybody out there who's got a kid of Cooper's age 14 or Xander's age 17 or Taylor's age 12, anytime Susie and I make a suggestion and the movie's in standard definition, they're like, what? Are you even suggesting?
How dare you even do that?
So when he says, I want to watch The Godfather, we're getting right on that. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
