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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Pump up the volume. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. This is the Rich Eisen Show.
They love this guy. Rich Eisen. Today's guest, Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley. New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones. NFL Network insider Tom Pellicero, actor Dylan O'Brien, and now it's Rich Eisen.
Hey everybody, welcome to this edition of the Rich Eyes and Show Disney Plus ESPN, the app. That's how you're watching us. Hopefully, you might be listening to us on ESPN Radio Sirius XM Channel 80, our podcast, all three hours available. If you miss anything, there's also our YouTube. Channel, youtube.com/slash RichEisen show.
We're four wide today. Tom Pellisero with the latest on the spinning coaching carousel. The Ravens, since we last spoke, have filled their spot with the guy I thought they'd fill their spot with, Jesse Minter, the defensive coordinator across the way. Our neighbors here, the Los Angeles Chargers in El Segundo, California, might have to also, as you know, replace their. Offensive coordinator, they're just hired because Mike McDaniel is currently interviewing with the Buffalo Bills today.
Along with Philip Rivers.
So lots to talk about with Tommy P when he joins us in hour number three, and that rhymes. Dylan O'Brien, the Die Hard Jet fan. uh who last was here on uh Labor Day weekend. And said the Jets were going 11 and 6, so we will. Review all of that.
And interestingly enough, his new movie is called Send Help. And then we've got Jeff Hafley, the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins, going to be joining us. In hour number one, in just about 18 minutes' time. And is it Macus Jones? Is it who it is?
Is it Macus Jones? Macus Jones.
Okay, of the New England Patriots is. Scheduled to join us in hour number two. Fantastic. Good to see you over there, Chris Brockman. How are you?
I'm great. I'm also interviewing for the Bills' job, so I'm not going to be here. Wow.
Okay. Yeah. But you always have a spot back here. Thank you. You know what I mean?
If they say no.
Okay, got it. Jason Feller, good to see you, buddy. Are you interviewing for the Raiders' job? No.
Okay, good to know. It only makes it better, though. TJ is the candle lit. Is it all lit over there? No.
The microphone's not on, but the candle is. Let's go. What's up, everyone? What's up? Good to see you everyone.
What up? How are you today, Rich? No, I never heard. Oh, I'm appreciate you doing that.
Well, you can answer or I'm great.
Okay. As long as I get my music, because you know what I'm about to do here. Oh, come on. I'm about to do that thing. Come on, baby.
It's championship weekend in the National Football League. And it's time to preview what we were about to see this weekend. And it starts. in Denver, Colorado. Look at this.
The AFC Championship game. Between the New England Patriots. And the Denver Broncos. The one-seated Broncos, the two-seated Patriots. It is the fifth all-time playoff meeting and third AFC Championship game matchup.
Between these two franchises. We all know. Who's not playing and who is playing? Bo Nix broke his ankle in the final throws. Before his final throws of the AFC Divisional Playoff Weekend win over the Bills, he is out.
Jared Stidham is in. It will have been. 749 days between his last attempted passes in the National Football League between his two. Starts. Last one, this current one.
It is by far a record. for the longest stretch of a player not throwing a single pass. Mm-hmm. Between regular season or postseason starts. The current record for most consecutive days without a regular season or postseason pass attempt prior to starting a playoff game is 370 days.
By Minnesota's Joe Webb in the 2012 wild card game. Wow.
back in that day, stidum. Will more than double that 749 days in between his passes. 141 players have attempted a pass in the regular season or postseason. 92 quarterbacks, 26 wide receivers, 11 punters, 7 running backs, 3 tight ends, 1 defensive back, and 1 kicker. To say this guy hasn't seen live action in the National Football League in a while.
is an understatement because the Broncos are the only team in the NFL. Do not have a backup quarterback attempt to pass in 2024 or 2025. Jared Stidham is starting in the AFC Championship game against Drake, Drake, May, May, who could become the fourth quarterback this century. To win each of his first three career playoff starts. He won two weeks ago.
He won last week. If he wins this weekend. he would join Jake Delome and Joe Burrow. For winning their first three career playoff starts, because yes. Both of those guys never started a career playoff game, then did, then made the Super Bowl.
If he wins though to get four. Um to to get these three and tie those guys. He'd be seven behind Tom Brady, who started his playoff career with 10 straight wins. Oh, those were the days. Brady started his playoff career winning his first 10.
That's stupid. My God, he'd become the first quarterback to win three playoff games against a top five total defense in a single postseason as well. Because let's not forget. The narrative all season long. Is yeah, but who have they really played?
And then in the playoffs, May has played not one, not two, but this weekend. Three defenses in the top five total defenses. He would be the first quarterback to win three playoff games against those folks. Not a bad way to say, who have we really played? How about those folks?
And I'm in the Super Bowl. May ranks in the top five, however, in sacks taken. and quarterback pressure percentage faced And guess who's top two in both of those metrics this season? The Broncos defense. This is where it's all going to come down to it.
Can they protect? this young man, can he protect the football as well? Can they run it on this Broncos defense to try and take the pressure off of Drake May? The Broncos defense just allowed a season-high 183 rush yards against Buffalo in that division round win. They allowed the third-most points and second-most total yards in a game all season.
Coming into this game against the New England Patriots, who allowed the fifth highest pressure rate in the NFL in 2025. The Broncos defense has the second highest opposing quarterback pressure rate. In the NFL. They have the best sack rate in the NFL. The Denver defense does.
The New England pass protection 25th best. Sacrate. That's where it's all going to come down to for two head coaches. who have been there and done that. Sean Payton in terms of being there before.
You bet he went to the NFC championship game three times with the Saints. It's his fourth career conference championship game appearance. Mike Vrabel, however, has been there and done that now as a coach and a player. He would be the first person. To start in a conference championship game, win as a player, and win a conference championship as a coach for the same franchise.
Nobody's ever done it. He can do that this weekend as he's the third person all time to lead the same franchise to a conference championship game as both a player and a head coach. The others are named Gary Kubiak. for the Broncos and Arch Shell. For the Raiders.
That's what's going down in the AFC Championship game to start. The weekend, and then I need a music change, please, sir. Thank you. The National Football Conference. championship game.
It's the Rams. And the Seahawks. And to say that they know each other and play each other in tight games. is an understatement. It's the 58th all-time meeting between the two, currently in the previous 57.
The Seahawks have won twenty nine. The Rams have won 28. The Seahawks have scored 1,223 total points. The Rams have scored 1,222 total points. This year, the total points were Rams 58, Seahawks 57.
Rams 830 total yards in the two games previous. The Seahawks 57. 829. You can't. Make this op.
How tight? of the games they play. Against one another. This is just the second playoff game in NFL history, however, between a team that won their previous playoff game by 30 or more points. like the Seahawks did.
and a team whose last playoff game was an overtime win. like the Rams just did. The only other time was when the Patriots beat the Seahawks in Super Bowl. 49 coming off of a Patriots 38 point. AFC Championship win and the Seahawks NFC Championship win in overtime against.
Green Bay. The Seahawks and the Rams had the two best point margins in the NFL. The Rams won their game by an aggregate 191 points, the Rams 172 points. The leader in point differential has not won the Super Bowl, though, since 2017. The Eagles and the Patriots were both tied at 162, so whoever won that game.
would be The stat that I'm reading off to you: this is the first playoff matchup between the NFL's top two teams in point differential since the Super Bowl 52. The last such matchup featuring teams from the same conference was the 2015 NFC Championship game between Carolina and Arizona. We all know. Matthew Stafford could be the MVP of the league. Maybe we'll have already seen the MVP of the league play prior to this game with Drake May May in Denver.
The last time, though, the number one scoring offense and the number one scoring defense met in a conference championship game was the 2014 NFC Championship when Seattle's number one defense defeated Green Bay's number one offense in overtime. Stafford will become just the third quarterback since 1950 to have his season high and season low and pass yards against the same team. and then meet that team in the playoffs. Because don't forget the first matchup Stafford didn't do very much against the Seahawks. In Los Angeles, despite coming up with a win, both of the previous quarterbacks and Ben Rotlisberger against Cincinnati in 2005 and George Blanda.
Against the Chargers in 1960, each won league championships. that season. This will be the first playoff matchup between the NFL leader and pass yard Stafford and the number one scoring defense Seahawks since Peyton Manning took on Seattle in the Super Bowl in 2013. And we all know. Denver fans would like to not be reminded of that, and Seahawk fans will say, I'd love to see a 2.0 this Sunday, please.
It's the first playoff matchup between the NFL leader and passing touchdown, Stafford, and the number one scoring defense, Seahawks, since Aaron Rodgers against the Rams in the 2020 divisional round. The Rams are the first team to finish the season with the NFL's number one scoring and total offense since the Chiefs in 2022, who went on to win. The Super Bowl. We all know. Sam Darnold started.
For the Seahawks? And he against the Rams. No bueno, with the exception of obviously the Thursday night game in the fourth quarter and overtime a few weeks ago when he went off against a Chris Schuler defense that otherwise has beaten him every single time. Since Schuler became the DC in 2024, Darnold is one and three against the Rams, including the playoffs. He led the NFL in giveaways in 2025, been much better in the playoffs.
As we all know, just last week, didn't have to throw very much. It helps when you return the opening kickoff for a touchdown and have a defense playing like the wagon that it is. He's just the third quarterback since 91 to lead the NFL in giveaways and reach the conference championship games. The previous two quarterbacks in Jim Kelly in 92 and Eli Manning in 2007. Each made the Super Bowl.
We also know some top-notch A pass catchers and receivers are in this football game. This is the first playoff matchup in NFL history between players that had 1,700 or more receiving yards in that regular season. This is just the fourth playoff matchup in NFL history between players that ranked first and second in receiving yards that regular season and the first such matchup between wide receivers. Since nineteen ninety three's NFC Championship game, yes. JSN and Puka Nakua are the Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin of this NFC Championship game.
In that Regard. Jackson Smith and Jigba became the first player to lead the NFL in receiving yards while playing for the number one seat in his conference since Jerry Rice in 94. By the way, Jerry did it two other times in his career.
So There's that. And then on top of it, you got Devontae Adams, who I believe everybody in a certain generation thinks, oh, yeah. He won the Super Bowl with the Packers and Aaron Rodgers in 2011. Nope. In the same way, everyone assumes Ed Reed won the Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2000.
No.
He wasn't there yet. Devontae Adams has never played. In a Super Bowl. And he, in the meantime, has led wide receivers with eight receiving touchdowns in the playoffs since coming into. The league, the only ones with more among all players, is Gronk with 12 and Travis Kelsey with 20.
It's time for this guy perhaps to make the Super Bowl, unless... The guy he replaced wants to step up and do it against the Rams. Yes, Cooper Cup. Is in this football game, becomes just the fifth Super Bowl MVP to face the team they won. the Super Bowl MVP with in the playoffs.
Two have won, two have lost. The winners, Von Miller. For the Bills in last year's wildcard round against the Broncos. And Richard Dent played for the Niners in beating the Bears in the 94 divisional round. And then the two losers, if you will, or I should say who lost.
Peyton Manning losing in the divisional round with Denver against the Colts in 2014. Santonio Holmes. Losing the AFC championship game with the Jets at the Steelers Cooper Cup. Will become just the fifth player in any of the North American sports NBA Finals, World Series, or Super Bowl MVP all-time to face the team that they won the MVP with in the final four of the playoffs. The first such occurrence since LeBron faced the Miami Heats in the 2020 NBA Finals with the Lakers.
And he won it, as we all know. Mike McDonald versus Sean McVay. It is play caller on defense, play caller on offense, play. Designer on defense, play designer on offense. No doubt, Mike McDonald was hired to basically say: can you control this guy and Kyle Shanahan in the playoffs?
Should you face them? and it's possible he could face them both. and face them down and take them to the Super Bowl. in the process and that's my nfc championship game preview here on the Rich Eisen Show. We take a break because the newest head coach of the Miami Dolphins is sitting down, a Jersey man.
Too bad Del Tufo's missing out here. We would have him ask Jeff Hafley what exit he's from. Right here, coming up next on the Rich Eisen Show. Don't you dare go anywhere. O'Reilly Auto Parts can help take the guesswork out of your check engine ABS or maintenance light with O'Reilly Veriscan.
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The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show Radio as well, the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Jeff Hafley, joining us here now on the program. Good to see you, Coach. How are you, sir? I'm good.
I uh I had not seen that play, so I uh I appreciate you showing that to me. You bet.
Now, listen, I think strength is. 100%. the ability to show emotion and be there and be present and You know, the only thing that you and I would be different from would be my wife loves walking around saying that she's the spouse of the host of the rich eyes. She said, Wait a minute. I'm being told that's the exact opposite of the reality of it.
So, you know, I see you, man. I'm with you.
So, congratulations on all of that. coach no thank you i i appreciate it and it was emotional um You know, I didn't know I'd get like that. And then I saw obviously my wife and kids and having my mom and brother and sister there. Kind of like all the emotions and everything, and all the work and all the sacrifices just kind of came out. And then, and then I thought of my dad, who, who.
who's not around anymore and And I thought of him and it just... That was an emotional day for me, Rich. We're very emotional, but extremely happy, and to celebrate it with them meant a lot to me. How old are your daughters? How old are they?
My daughter, Hope, is 10, and my daughter Leah is 7.
So you're in the mix right now. That is for sure. And then, you know, obviously the journey. I'd love to get to that before we get to the present day here.
So much being made about how you got started. As a coach Working in Dave Wandstedt's Pittsburgh Panthers. coaching tree, if you will. The manner in which you Slept in the office, Jeff. What's this story about?
Man, that came out yesterday. I had no idea. I didn't even know how to respond to him. He asked me what I would say looking back, and the only thing I could think of was it worked. Um, no, I started coaching Division III football at Worcester Polytech, which no one's ever heard of.
My first game I ever coached was against MIT, which people know MIT, but definitely not for football. No disrespect to MIT. No, how about them apples, Jeff? That's what you got to say. That's what I should have said, Rich.
I mean, how about them? I'm here for you. I'm here for you. Exactly. But no, so I think the first game I coached there, there were five people there, and they were all my family members.
So after that, I kind of climbed the ladder to Albany. And then I went to Pitt with Dave Wanstead, and he changed my life. He took me from a GA. At the time, I had a corner named Darrell Rivas.
So I thought. I thought it was a really good corner coach, Rich. And then when he left, I figured out I had a lot to work on. But Dave named me the DB coach after that and just really took care of my family, taught me how to treat people and treat players. And I still talk to him all the time.
And it's pretty cool that he was the head coach of the Dolphins. And now I can kind of try to make them proud. You know, after that, I went to Rutgers for a year and then I got to the Bucs in the NFL, bounced around the NFL, the Browns. I was with the Niners with Kyle Shanahan. I met him while I was in Cleveland.
He was the coordinator, I was the DB coach. And then I kind of took a leap of faith, went to call plays at Ohio State for a year with Ryan Day. Had a really good season, went to the playoffs, went 13-0, played really good defense. And then I got the head job at Boston College and had some success there. I went to three bowl games and You know, I kind of took another leap of faith when Matt LaFleur called and said, I need you to come, you know, be my defensive coordinator.
And after a lot of thought, jumped back to the NFL and played some good defense, and suddenly I'm a head coach again.
So it has been a It's been a wild journey, but one with hard work and surrounded myself with really lucky to be around really good people and players. I learned a lot from players too. They helped me get to where I am today.
Well, let me rewind a little bit. Again. You slept under your desk? Like Costanza? Like, was it like George Costanza?
Like, you slept. I'm a big Costanza. Big Costanza guy. That's what I'm saying, you know? But, you know, although I didn't know one of your pillars was truth, and it's, you know, Costanza always said it's not a lie if you believe it.
So we'll get to that in a second. But you really slept under your desk? For real, I did. I um, yeah, I moved into the office. I had a locker with my clothes in it, I had an air mattress and.
I blew it up every night and I put it to bed. I put it underneath my desk and got to work and I did that. I did that for almost two years while I was a graduate assistant. I just I just wanted to move there and give it everything I had because it was to the point where I was going to, you know, take a shot, see if this coaching thing was going to work out. You know, and I just wanted to give it everything I had.
And I did, and I got promoted. And it was a lot of sacrifice, Rich. I didn't have a lot of friends. I didn't go on any dates. I You could say I probably wasn't a real fun guy to hang around with at the time, but But it worked, Rich.
So, how about them apples? How about them apples, right? And in terms of being in Boston College and leaving a head coaching position to take a defensive coordinator position in the National Football League, again, just to put myself in your shoes. Um, you know, once upon a time, I departed ESPN for NFL Network, and people are like, what the hell are you doing? What happened?
Why did you do that? Do you get a lot of people saying the same thing to you? Why are you leaving being an HC to be a DC? Yeah, a lot of people. A lot of people questioned it.
But to be very truthful with you, I love my time there. In the first two years, without the portal, without NIL, it was so pure. I mean, at BC, we had such unbelievable students. They went to class, they did the right things, they worked hard, we were tough. We played so darn hard.
And, you know, like I said, we had some success. And. I just, when the portal hit and NIL hit, it's just, it turned into a different job. You know, I wanted to get into it to coach football to help change people's lives. And I just love the the pure game of college football.
And all of a sudden it was. I wasn't coaching anymore. I mean, I was on the four phones and recruiting my own players and trying to raise money at a place that was going to be hard to do so for football. I just. I just didn't like the person I was becoming, and I wasn't doing the job that I dreamed of.
And I just, I wanted to coach ball and. You know, I thought if I went back and You know, had a good stint at Green Bay, then maybe I could be an NFL head coach.
So I kind of bet on myself and. Kind of like sleeping under my desk. I took another shot and gave it everything I had and I guess it worked again, Rich. How about them apples? And it's pretty cool, though, if I had told that kid in New Jersey, right?
That you're going to occupy Don Shula's office in a way. Right. uh convince a group of folks uh that you're deserving of it and you're ready for it that includes troy iikman What would you have said? Uh I would say I'm not sure that's going to work, right? I'd say this.
You know, I was pretty driven when I was young. And I thought my mom and dad really instilled that in me, you know, how to work hard and how to chase your dreams. You know, even when I got started, you know, a lot of my family members worked in New York City because I am from New Jersey, exit 172 off the parkway, in case you were wondering what exit New Jersey guys understand the exit. But yeah, it was what are you doing? I made $2,500 the first job I ever coached.
And it was, why are you doing this? I always had support from my mom and dad. And during hard times when I didn't have any money or could barely afford to really live anywhere, you know, they really supported me. And because of that, I just kept pushing and working. I chased a dream.
And, you know, when you really set out to do something and you give it all you have. You know, good things happen, so. I'm just glad I did it the way I did it because I also believe my foundation was built the right way. There is no job too small, even right now. And I think I learned how to treat people.
I learned how to go through the ups and the downs. And I think it will really help me in this next stop.
So walk me through those pillars that you mentioned in your opening statement. Jeff Hafley, the new Miami Dolphins head coach here on the Rich Eisen Show. I certainly was taking notes myself.
So. Go for it if you don't mind. Yeah, I mean, I mean, I think the first one I talked about when I get in front of this team is: I want to talk about trust and. You know, what I said yesterday, this world is getting harder to trust people. And you always hear that these players and these young players and these new players coming out of college, they don't want to trust anyone.
That's okay. Um I'm gonna earn it. And I tell them that I'm going to earn it. And actions speak louder than words. And I'm going to show people that what I say is what I'm going to do.
And I'm going to pour into them and do everything I can for them. But it's a two-way street. And I'm going to make them earn it. And that's really, really important to me. And I think that's the starting point.
And then I also think belief is important. I mean, even as far as when I was had out of my exit interviews at Green Bay, some of these players, when they were asked me if I was coming or going, some of them were, you know, obviously upset and they thanked me for believing in them. Because this world, you get beat up in right now. You get beat up on social media, you get beat up on TV, and it's hard. And sometimes these players need somebody to believe in them before they even can believe in themselves.
And I believe once they do that and they believe in themselves, then they'll believe in their teammates, and then that's when they'll become connected. And that's what I've always prided myself on: connecting with people. But this isn't like I want to be their friend. No, because then you got to hold them accountable. And I mean an extreme level of accountability.
Because I do believe whether it was coaching Micah Parsons or Ronde Barber or Richard Sherman, all good players, they want to be told what to do and how hard they can do it so that they can get better. Because they all want to be great. And if they tell you they want to be great, and this team tells me they want this to be the standard, I'm going to hold them to it. And I'm going to push them. And then I talked about toughness physically and mentally in everything we do.
And that's how we have to live and that's how we have to practice. And those are really the things that I want this team to be about. And we're going to talk about on April 6th when they get here. And in terms of that, So in your vision that you lay out, if you wouldn't mind taking me in the your meetings with the brass that wound up you getting this job and us chatting right now. um what you're willing to share about the plan at quarterback.
for the Miami Dolphins. You know, it's a quarterback-driven league and You know, and I'm sure you haven't had these conversations even with the quarterback room yet, so pardon me for asking, but it is my job.
So, what do you have for me on that front that you're willing to share? And the fans? Yeah, that's a fair question. You know, and it's one John Eric and I talked about throughout the meetings. It's one we talked about with everybody in the meetings.
And there'll be guys on this roster who will compete, and there'll be guys that we'll go out and get that will compete. I think it's obviously early in this process. This is literally my first day full-time on the job. I couldn't even tell you where I am in the building right now or how to get back to my office.
So I think the quarterback plan is going to probably take a little time. And maybe you could call John Eric and he could share it with you and then he could share it with me too.
Okay. That's a very fair answer to that question. And I appreciate that. You know, because obviously. You know, this is a question cap-wise and things of that nature that you're going to start to dig into.
Philosophically, the offense looks like what, though? What do you think about what Jeff Hafley offense is going to be and who you have plans to bring in to potentially run it. Yeah, I think we'll see in the next day or two who the coordinator is. We're just kind of piecing that together right now, and hopefully, by the weekend. We'll have all three coordinators in.
I feel like we're close. I'll call the defense, but I'll still have a defensive coordinator. As far as offense, I've been around guys I really respect, like Matt LaFleur and Kyle Shanahan. Those are two guys that I spent a lot of time with. And Kevin O'Connell, I was with him for a while.
So I like a lot of those things that they do. We got to be able to run the football. And it has to start up front. It has to be get the quarterback under center. I like the play pass, the keepers, the boots, and the screens, the different motions to create leverage, tying in the run in the pass game, trying to create that different levels between the second and third level, stuff that I think is hard to defend from a defensive play caller.
And then it's really going to come down to the pieces that we have and what can we do best. You know, we've got some good pieces on offense, but I'm also a believer, Rich, that you got to get a guy who can take the players that he has and adapt the offense, certainly within your philosophy, and put those guys in position to have success. And if it's a quarterback that can be under center grade, if it's a quarterback that cannot, then we'll have to get created and play in the gun more. But you got to establish the run game and you got to have actions off of it and you got to be great situationally. And then as a defensive guy, I want someone that's going to hunt explosives because everything I do on every single situation on defense is to eliminate explosives.
And I think on offense, that's how you score points.
So I gave you a lot of stuff, but those are the things I believe in. I appreciate that. And I did hear the word competition moments ago. Is that your plan? That there will be a quarterback competition in Jeff Hafley's first.
Go at it here in Miami. I think there has to be, you know, regardless of who's here. I mean, I think that's important at all positions. And you can tell me that's coach talk. And part of that is coach talk.
So let's be honest. But yeah, I do see that there's going to be competition at the quarterback position and at all levels.
Okay, and then a couple more for you here, Jeff Hafley on the Rich Eisen Show. What did you pick up from Matt LaFleur that you think you're going to be able to? implement because obviously he's in the play sheet uh and coaching and that's That's a lot, as you know, to do in real time, and that's something that you're going to have to do with a challenge flag and your And Anya, you know, so what'd you pick up, or you, or who, who might you reach out to? uh on that front to get ready For the crucial.
Well, I do have some experience, and I'll give you a quick fun story.
So, my first. My first game ever as a head coach at Boston College. I'm literally on a knee drawing stuff up and showing the defensive players an adjustment. And I get a tap on the shoulder. It's like, Coach, are we going to go for it?
It's fourth down. And I was like, are you kidding me? It's fourth down already. And I was like, oh my gosh, I got to make this decision too.
So that snapped me back into it real quick. I do have experience. I do have experience. So after year four or year three, whatever it was, I finally figured out that I had to get ready to tell him when to go for it. And I got way better at it.
But I did see Matt do it and I did see Kyle do it. I think it's important for me to have a defensive coordinator who. Knows my system very well and can implement that all offseason while I am the head coach and I kind of engulf myself with this team and in all three phases. And that person will be someone that I rely on throughout the game as well.
So I can work together with them, kind of like both Matt and Kyle have had.
So I think those experiences along with my own will help me for sure. Mark, do you and Matt go to the same barber in Green Bay? Did you like all joking aside? We do go to the same barber. That's unbelievable.
How did you know that? You know, I don't know, Jeff. I'm fixated on hair and people who have it and what they do with it, because I used to do that, to be honest with you.
So that's what I was wondering. We do. We go to the same barber. We actually, he comes to the office once a week and cuts both mine and Matt's hair.
So I'm going to have to find a barber down here unless that guy wants to move and then Matt will have to find a new barber and he won't be very happy because Matt's got pretty cool hair. This is probably one of the most fun TV interviews. I'll tell you, I've done it a long time. This is, I got to come on. Hopefully, you guys will have me back because this is actually enjoyable.
Be careful, Jeff, because I take that sort of stuff literally and I will, in fact, reach out for it. You know, I kind of feel that way. But in the meantime, good luck getting back to your office. I guess I should say that. I appreciate it.
Thanks for listening. That means you're actually listening to me, so I appreciate it. Just text us to make sure you get back okay. Yeah, should we do that? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's sort of like, yeah, we feel like we're emotionally invested now. Absolutely. That's part of the trust. You know what I mean? That's part of the relationship here.
You know what I mean? And I hope you believe that I will get back to my office as well. And that you will come back when I ask you. That could be Coach Speak too. I've been around a block.
Congrats on the gig. Congrats on the gig. You got it. I appreciate it. You bet.
That's Jeff Hafley, the new head coach in the Miami Dolphins, right here on the Rich Eisen Show. By the way, if he's from Jersey and he's gotten through jug handles, he'll get back to his office just fine. You can't pump your own gas. Yeah, right there. I think the barber would gladly relocate from, I mean, no disrespect to Wisconsin, but it's a lot warmer.
I love that. I'm like, so what'd you pick up on Matt LaFleur doing this and that? And he's like, I've been a coach, Rich. It's a very nice way of handling that. You know, it's not, I'm not.
I've never not done this. The man slept under his desk. I know, but it's also funny. He's just like taking a witch fourth down already. I love that.
He's honest and he seems to be emotionally intelligent and brilliant on that.
Okay. I love the Darrell Rivas thing, right? Yeah, it makes me look smart. Oh, yeah.
So does Micah, so does Richard Sherman. I like that. I like all of it. All right, Dolphins fans. Hopefully you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did.
Much as he did. I take him at his word. That's all we can do. 844-204-RICH, never to dial. If you believe it.
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844-204-Rich is the number to dial. We'll take your phone calls. By the way, between the beginning of this program and this very segment, Jared Siddham has cured famine in three countries.
So it's getting close. Chris. It's getting close to him doing everything. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I believe he just accepted the NFL's first ever peace prize.
I was just going to make the same thing. It's okay. I can do those things. Let me stroll in those lanes and then hop out of it.
Well done. That's what Jared Stidham's doing. We were joking about it. Tommy C., Tommy Curran for his show Quickslance. Enjoyed your talking about by the time it kicks off.
Judge Stim's going to be a Hall of Fame. Oh, he didn't. Oh, yeah, that. You're conversant in mass hole. I am.
It's a hot topic on the radio stations in New England. I speak mass hole stewardess, says Chris Brockman. Listen. Um Josh McDaniels even roped into this thing. Oh, really?
Well, I mean, he's the OC, and he was there in 2019 when he and Tommy Brady. We're running the offense. Didn't Jordan Palmer mentioned that the fact that Stidham made the team. as Tom Brady's backup. Coming out of Auburn's simple offense.
shows that he can pick up on a difficult Scheme quickly process that he was able to get Brady. McDaniels, I'm assuming Brady, McDaniels and Belichick's. Comfort and trust to be Tom Brady's backup. In 2019, straight out of college. And he said it was like, what, somebody who's learning arithmetic, take, you know, excelling in calculus is basically what is.
His analogy was there? Just another thing how Jared said him is That's right. He's curing everything. That's right. That's right.
He's like Will Hunting. Yeah, he's like Will Hunting. How about them apples? Yeah. Well, McDaniels was asked if there's anything.
that he can apply. to real-time events this weekend based on knowing him from drafting him. Smart, accurate. you know, great human being. Um you know, worked hard.
Great teammate. You know, just hadn't had an opportunity, you know, based on the situations and those kind of things. Um but no, I just enjoyed working with them, enjoyed my time with them. Um, you know, and I'm sure he'll be ready to go this week, for sure. Oh.
What do I was Yeah, and here's what he couldn't do back in 2019 that we think we can apply here in 2026. Here's what we know about them. You know? He gets really angry when you question his likes in television and movies.
So we're going to, when he's down on the ground, we're going to say, really? You don't like Landman? You know, like, that's how they're going to get him off his game? Whatever. If it ever works.
Well, they got their own guy. They got their own guy. Oh, do we ever? Yes, you do. Here was Drake May talking about His turnovers in the playoffs so far, and how they've been able to get past them.
fully aware that if it happens in this one, it might not be so fortunate. that this team comes and Out with the wind. Yeah, I think just work on practice. Just have a um you know be mindful back there and just know that you know my job is to practice the football and that's you know every game and I think you know one of the biggest things with you know the guys up front is it's my job to have a timer in my head and those guys done a great job all year.
So I haven't lost trust in those guys up front and I know that we faced some pretty good edge rush edge rushers in the past couple of weeks and I know we got a good you know another good Good set of S retros coming up this week.
So just know, have a feel for it and just protect the football because that's my job. I don't know, Chris. Again, I'm not emotionally invested in it as you are. Do you feel like he's careless when he has the ball in his hand? I feel like he knows what he's doing.
I feel like he's got his hands f. Firmly on the on the rudder here. I think last year, maybe the carelessness not knowing was more of an issue. I don't think that's been an issue this year at all. I think the bigger thing is like, look, last week, you thought Drake may change his number to 51.
Like, Will Campbell was just getting beat over and over and over again, and he has struggled in the two games.
So that's kind of the most important thing. It's like knowing that your left tackle is struggling.
Okay, I got to get the ball out a little bit quicker. And I think he knows that.
Well, if he's going to have his hands firmly on the wheel at 10 and 2 and a foot on the break, that would be different than the way he plays his game. And he was asked if he's changing his aggressive. Play style. No, I don't think you're trying to change it. I think last week, you know, you change it and Kayshawn doesn't make the play.
So little things like that, just knowing the time and place for it. I think trying to get the ball out of my hand and Uh just being cognizant of you know the edge rushers and Um taking care of the football is number one thing.
So if we have time and and have a look downfield, you know me. I'm gonna take a look and and take a shot. He doesn't talk like a 23 year old one or twenty three year one hundred and forty six. Six day old person. He'll be 23 years and 148 days on Sunday.
Um And That would make him the second youngest to ever make a Super Bowl, only Marino would be younger. Wow.
That's it. He's the fourth youngest quarterback to start a conference championship game on the road. How did those other three they all lost, pal. Yeah. Roethlisberger is the only quarterback to win a road starting a conference championship game before his 24th birthday.
He did it at Denver. Hmm. Patriots are never won in Denver in the playoffs, so it's not going to be easy, obviously. Mays already, with a win, would join Big Ben as the only quarterback since at least 1950 to win three or more playoff games prior to turning 24. I mean, but he's just beyond his years.
I don't sit here and think he's going to be a young kid going, uh-oh, the lights are too bright, or somebody who's just playing careless and not thinking about it and putting the ball in windows he shouldn't and putting the ball on the ground because he's just throwing it around like a loaf of bread. I don't see that. Honestly, when he fades back, I think more, this being a what's more likely Friday, I think this is going to be a chunk play completed. More than a bad decision on his part. I don't think that at all.
Agree, agree. He wants to hit a home run. We've seen this here. He's going to have to use his legs, though, I think, for the Pats to have some success here. But has he cured famine?
Great question. I'm just wondering if, you know, as you know, California is out of a drought. I'm just wondering if Stidham had anything to do with that. Because He's getting close to it. Let's do it yet.
He still has 48 hours.
Okay. So that's good. Good point, Tay. Good point. Oh, what a fun AFC championship game.
This is going to be. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
