REShow: JuJu Smith-Schuster/Mike Mayock - Hour 2

This is the Rich Eisen Show.

And he is coming for you. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Burroughs sucked the bills in with the pump fake. What he has become and what he is, is a stone cold quarterback. That's who he is. Earlier on the show, 49ers linebacker Fred Warner.

Coming up, Chiefs wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster. Former NFL general manager Mike Mayock. Actor, writer and director Dave Franco. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Our number two on the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. Mike Mayock, who called the bills and the Bengals on Westwood One Radio will be joining us. And he is as Philly as they come. So he's locked in on that team. And the 49ers clearly are a team that's on Mike's radar screen as well. His expert opinion coming up. The actor Dave Franco has directed a new film called Somebody I Used to Know. He's a diehard Niner fan. He directed his wife Alison Brie, who a lot of Mad Men fans would know about.

Just among many items of TV shows she was in and films she was in. He's going to be here in studio in hour number three. Juju Smith-Schuster is either going to be calling in in a couple minutes or the end of this hour. Depends on what's going on with the Chiefs practice. We already said goodbye to Fred Warner, or hello and then goodbye to Fred Warner, the San Francisco 49ers.

Good times. 844-204 Rich is the number to dial here on this program. And Juju Smith-Schuster will be either calling in in about five minutes or later on. But a lot of Omaha's going on here on the program.

Here at top of hour number two on the Roku channel and so much more. Hey, congratulations are in order for somebody here in this studio that's not named me. Mike Del Tufo, despite you trying to earn another Oscar nomination, great try. That's not why I'm not congratulating you. You didn't get it.

TJ Jefferson, congratulations are in order for the fact that Rui Hachimura will not be making his Laker debut against your Clippers tonight. So there you go. That's what we know. That's not what it is. Chris, the congratulations are heading to you.

Oh, they're in your direction. I'm shocked. Yes.

Yeah, me too. The New England Patriots have an offensive coordinator appears. He's not only done it before, he's done it before for the Patriots. And he's done it before for the Patriots. Well, Tom Brady was there. Yeah. So the system that Matt Jones ran very well in his rookie season and suddenly couldn't run for his life that got changed or simplified. And coordinated by Matt Patricia, who's a defensive minded head coach.

That's all out the window. And it's Bill O'Brien coming in as the new OC of the NEP. Congratulations. Thanks. First team all butt chin, Bill O'Brien.

Okay. The most famous moment is him yelling at Tom Brady on the sideline. That's right. He gave Brady the business. Kind of brought Penn State back after.

He did. You know, we know what happened there. And good head coach. I mean, I don't think he should have got fired in Houston. He did a good job down there. And obviously the way. The Andrew Hopkins might. Yeah.

I mean, I didn't like the way that he was shopping for groceries, but it's also. I said coach, not general manager. Understood.

And the best way back into a major program is to take a little tutelage under Nick Saban for a couple of years and you're back. I'm excited. And I think he and Matt Jones did overlap a little bit. They did. Matt is reportedly pumped up about this.

Higher as he should be. So the quick game will no longer effing suck. Right. Okay.

I think Mac learned those words from Tom Brady. Yeah, it's awesome. It's great. Finally, somebody who knows what they're doing. Now, if we can just get MP out of there. What do you got a problem with Patricia even being around? He stinks. Come on. Rich, he was supposed to be. Let me just go back five years to the Super Bowl.

Okay. Supposed to be this defensive guru. I think Nick Foles just scored again.

He gave it like 600 yards in the Super Bowl and ask Lions fans how good he was at defense. He stinks. Let's just get him out of here.

Let's be done. What do you care if Bill likes him? If Belichick likes him, what do you care? I don't care. I don't want people. I don't want to work with people I like. I want to work with people who are good at the job.

You all just happen to be good at your jobs and I like you. I was about to say, you know, it's about to say, you know, there was something missing at the end of that sentence. And I'm glad you went in the direction that you did. I wrapped it up.

All right. Like I said, there was still time to fire those guys in week one. That wasn't happening mid-season. I mean, that was the way that one went.

But there you go. Now, all you got to do is like, I mean, he's from the AFC South. He's from the AFC South. He does know that John O'Smith can still catch the ball and be a difference maker at the tight end position.

Brother, when they when they sign him, when they sign him, when they sign him, I thought that's a guy. I know you run him up the seam and he's perfect for the Patriots system. He hasn't done a damn thing for him. Not much, man.

Not much. So let's get one of those kids who can run fast in the draft. Let's have another one. I'm sorry, Hopkins, but maybe now this won't. Oh, she won't help that. Yeah, he's not going to be there. But yeah, I don't think that's going to happen. Although, stranger things have happened.

Bellachick can always put, you know, velvet ropes around a situation and suck the oxygen out of the room. Anyway, it's good. Was he officially named? Did he get the title? I don't believe I've seen any press release yet. But when it's reported over and over and over again, I think it's a done deal, brother. So the Pats had tweeted something out. Yeah. Yeah.

There you go. Report Patriots. Well, the the Patriots Twitter had a report. I think they would know if it's official. Oh, my gosh.

Just say offensive. Well, what it is, is it's just they're they're they're as hopeful as you. Yeah. And and it's just like Bill hasn't approved it completely yet. But he's coming. This is someone who knows what they're doing. Familiar with the team, obviously, in the culture. And familiar with the quarterback. That's all we want. As fans. So who's going to get the Alabama gig now?

From what what what coach is an adult that needs a rehab? I got it. Nathaniel Hackett. Yeah. There you go. Go there.

Two years. Kill it. Kill it. Crush it.

Win 95 percent of your games. Yeah. That's that's not a bad one. Nathaniel Hackett should go there. Have a Heisman Trophy.

Finalist. Right. And then boom, Nathaniel Hackett, head coach somewhere. You've got a job. Because that's what's happening, right?

That's what's going on. There's no better fast track to being back on a sideline. Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkeesian, Bill O'Brien. There you go.

But Bill's does it doesn't have the the HC job unless he's in waiting. I like Bill O'Brien. I'm glad that he's back. Me, too, man. For you. Thank you.

I don't mean it. Don in New York. You're here on the Rich Eisen Show. What's up, Don? How's it going?

What's on your mind, Don? Yeah. So you earlier you guys are talking about, you know, the possibility of Tom Brady going to the Cowboys. Well, I'm a Cowboys fan.

Well, so we know that it's not going to happen. But but here here is how I would play it out. Now, Ethan Madden, you see, what you do is you you trade Dak Prescott for for an early round pick. But to do that, you're probably going to have to also trade a first and a second round pick as well. Then you draft you draft a quarterback. And then you go and you find Brady Brady. Take you to the Super Bowl, hopefully. And and then that young guy learns behind Brady. And then you're set up for the future once Brady leaves. Boom. That's a show. Thank you, Don.

Greatly appreciate it. Who's going to take Dak? I would say a lot of people would line up to take Dak. Here's a team that I've heard that that people would think Dak would look great in and do well in.

Seattle. Oh, I saw somebody. Kenneth Walker's there, DK. A good run game, two good receivers.

Lock it. Tight end? Yeah.

Band's good? Go up to Seattle. But I told you what they're going to do in the same way on the same show. I told you the Chargers are not swapping out Brandon Staley for Sean Payton and the same segment. That I called that shot. I said Seattle is going to re-sign Geno Smith and go to work with him because they love him there.

And he loves them. And there's no way they're trading the pick that they got from Denver that for Russell Wilson, that remarkably turned into a top five pick. They're not flipping that for Dak. That ain't happening. Is Geno better than Dak right now?

Well, how about this? You know, Geno is just as productive as Dak right now. Yeah. You can say that with his team and the system that he's in. You're measured by playoff wins.

He just had one. Geno didn't. But the Seahawks were not expected to be where they were. Right. And the Cowboys were expected to be right now where the San Francisco 49ers are headed, which is in the NFC Championship game on the road, taking on Philadelphia. And they didn't make it because the fourth quarter did not go their way. You know, so. There's that. And I don't know what else to say other than the fact that the Dallas Cowboys should still be playing in the minds of so many other people. And I'm one of them. I honestly thought that they they they when that game hit the the late third quarter, fourth quarter, when they're down by seven, three and change to go.

But the Niners defense came up big day three and out of them. Eight, four, four, two or four rich numbered adult here on the program. C.J.

in Oklahoma will take your phone call. What's up, C.J.? Hey, Rich, can you hear me? I can. What's on your mind? Awesome.

Hey, I'm going to a little shout out. Cowboy Nation will see in September. OK. And real fast, Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrows, Cincinnati. Fifty percent Patrick Mahomes, he starts. What do you think if Patrick Mahomes struggles in the first half? Say they're down by 17 points. Do you think Andy Reid's going to go to your guy?

No, no, no, no, no, no. Unless he looks like a sitting duck out there. I mean, you know, and thanks for the call, C.J., unless he looks like a sitting duck out there. But all you're hearing is that he has had a high ankle sprain before and the last one was worse than apparently this one is.

And the last time he came back and he played was twenty eighteen, I guess. And he threw for 400 yards anyway. You know.

Oh, man, he could barely get to the backfield to hand the ball off on Saturday. I know that, but that was the day. They're not going to say a damn thing. They won't say a damn thing.

And when no one's talking, Rich, you look at the line, you look at the movement. I know this is not your deployment. No, no, no. Go ahead. You have the floor.

Go ahead. However, the Chiefs opened as favorites in this game against Cincinnati, depending on where you were looking, anywhere from two to three points. Now, Cincinnati, it's flipped almost five points.

Cincinnati is now a two point favorite. That tells me the desert knows something. Oh, gosh. And if they're not expecting. What would the desert know? Everything. They know everything. It doesn't matter how. Birdies, they just know that either it tells me they expect him to either not play or to play.

And he's severely limited. For a line to move like that, a championship game in a line to move almost five points, something's up. I mean, me like what do they know? Like somebody on the training staff has just whispered to a friend who whispered to a friend that somebody in Las Vegas is now moving a line that that creates so much money.

Or they just think that everybody heard yesterday what Chris Long said here. Luann Arumo, defensive coordinator to the Cincinnati Bengals playbook, is now wide open because Mahomes is not going to be able to be the full run. Down your throat, Mahomes, like, you know, you're you're you're playing man to man, everyone's downfield and all of a sudden Mahomes is 10, 15 yards in front of him and he'll take 40 on you. That guy ran one in the end zone on Tennessee in a playoff game at the end of the first half.

After you thought he would be down after five yards and just kept going and going and going like the yodeler and the Price is Right till he gets to the end zone. And everybody just feels, you gamblers, man. You always think somebody knows something and knows something and knows something. You want to know why?

No, too much evidence to the contrary. OK, very good. Let's take a break. Mike Mayock will be joining us next here on the Rich Eisen Show and then Juju Smith-Schuster when he comes off the practice field. There's lots of moving parts right here on this edition of our program.

Don't go anywhere. Mike Mayock, fresh back from Western New York, Philly guy. Let's pick his brain on what's going to happen next. This is it. The putt to win the tournament. If you sink it, the championship is yours.

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NetSuite dot com slash rich pod. Welcome to Talkville, the ultimate small rewatch podcast where each week we watch every episode of Smallville, a show that changed our lives forever and perhaps your lives, too. I'm Michael Rosenbaum. Hello, I am Tom Welling.

What was the sign off now? Always remembers Talkville. That's it. Always hold on to Smallville, folks. We love you.

Can do without you. Got a great season two coming up. Catch up with season one or start season two on YouTube or wherever you listen. Welcome back to the Rich Eisen Show radio network here on the Roku channel as well. The Rich Eisen Show radio network powered by Grainger with supplies and solutions for every industry. Grainger is the right product for you.

Call click Grainger dot com or just stop by. Also, I want to let you know that every single NFL postseason game, including this weekend's games of the championship weekend, every Westwood one NFL broadcast, this NFL postseason streams live for free, all on the road to Super Bowl 57. Catch all the action on the Odyssey app on Westwood one sports dot com via Westwood one station streams or by asking Alexa to open Westwood one sports. And as I drove home from NFL Network after doing Sunday's NFL Game Day morning, what a delight to turn on my radio and listen to Iron Eagle and this man call the Bengals and the Bills.

What a fun game and a fun listen. My buddy from way back in the day and for all these years, Mike Mayock, back here on the Rich Eisen Show. How you doing, Michael? Rich, I'm doing great, man. How you doing?

I'm doing great. What was the scene like in western New York? You're sitting up there with Ian in that stadium. Can you paint the word picture for an unbelievable prior to getting up in the booth? And we left the hotel and it was about the GPS told us 18 minutes to get to the stadium in an hour and 10 minutes. We're still circling the stadium trying to get through the crowd. And the whole thing to me is, you know, Lambeau is considered an iconic place like Wrigley or, you know, pick, pick, pick your spot.

And it should be. It is iconic. But I kind of, I just, I had goosebumps going into this game because even though they're going to rip down the stadium, you're driving through these neighborhoods, and I mean neighborhoods, and people are parking their cars for 10 bucks or 20 bucks.

There's, there's Bengals jerseys, Buffalo Bills jerseys. It's starting to snow. People are drinking beers, cooking bratwurst, and I'm thinking the environment is every bit as cool as Lambeau. And it is.

And I just got a huge kick out of being able to be a part of something like that. Did you ever play in that stadium, Mike? I'll take a shot at that question. Do you play there? Did you play there in Buffalo? No. Never did? No. Never got up there? I called a couple Thursday night games there for NFL Network. Right back in the day. Yeah, with Nesler. But that's about it.

Okay. And you called this game with Iron Eagle. To me, you know, the Bills are just lacking a run game or, you know, a pass rush that's significant. I don't, what's the missing gear to you, having seen the Bills and this now being a post-mortem conversation in western New York, with the Bills winding up way short of the Super Bowl championship a lot thought was coming this year, Mike? Yeah, it's hard to put your finger on, Rich, because you say they don't have a run game yet. They were number seven in the league and running the football. They were number seven passing the football. So they had true balance in the regular season. When you add up a top ten in both those, they were number two and points scored. You know, and their defense was in top ten in just about every category. So it's hard to sit there and say, you know, what's wrong with this franchise? And I think, you know, you and I talked about this before in the media. I think we go, we jump on and off bandwagon way too quickly.

People are worried about the future. You know, I think Josh Allen is 26 years old. What I would say is that, you know, Josh Allen is a top four or five quarterback in that league all day long. He's got to take care of the football more. He fumbled it 16 times this year. He only lost six. But to give you a comparison, I mean, he put it on the ground 16 times. Joe Burrow put it on the ground six times. You know, you got to take care of the football.

And, you know, it's just hard to sit here and say, I'll tell you one thing they did miss. You know, and that is Von Miller. They have a really solid defensive line, a big body type that can push a pocket. But when they lost that twitchy edge guy, they lost a lot. And I think that showed up as soon as Von got hurt. So when you're saying that, what are they missing?

I think a twitchy edge guy is critical. Their back end was beat up all your long corners and safety. They were down. You know, I mean, by the end of the game the other day, Rich, special teams guys were playing safety for. I mean, they were down to no safety. So I think that took a little bit of gas out of them also. Well, I guess the running game that I'm referring to would be a running game from an actual running back.

And so that's, I guess I should have been more specific. And because to me, when you're asking Allen to run it and throw it, that also puts him in the mentality of having to do it all by himself. And that's maybe where he makes some of these throws, right? If he's always in this mindset of I'm being asked to be the engine here and also the main thrust of every phase, not special teams or defense, then I'm going to make a throw that I maybe shouldn't.

Is that fair, Mike? Yeah, I think if your quarterback gets into that mode, it's fair. I'm not sure that was his mode in most games. I thought I saw each year an advancement in him getting a little bit better and learning how to get down and take care of himself and know when to throw the football away. Now, you know, that's contrary to what I just said a moment ago because he had 22 turnovers in 17 games heading into Cincinnati. He played a clean game until the end when he threw an interception, trying to make a play that was basically out.

But I get your point, Rich. I mean, Devin Singletary and James Cook, you know, between them had about 1,200 or 1,300 yards rushing. So would it help to have a more consistent A back? Maybe. Don't disagree with that.

But I like both those backs. I really do. Mike Mayock here on the Rich Eisen Show. Let's talk burrow, Mike. I mean, stone cold, blooded, you know, quarterback assassin. And he is growing into exactly that. He's now going to go to Kansas City.

He hasn't lost him a home. I mean, what he is doing for Cincinnati is just off the charts. I'm wondering from your evaluation, I believe that was your second draft when you were in Vegas. Your evaluation of burrow, even though, you know, you knew you had no shot at him. Is it beyond even what you had evaluated or everyone was evaluating of him? Mike?

Yeah, I think so. I think everybody thought he was the number one player in the country and he was. I think we all agreed with that. We all thought he was going to be a top-level quarterback.

But to be honest with you, a three-year event, he's even better than I ever thought he could be. It's funny, Rich, I left the hotel in Buffalo yesterday morning and I was checking out and Joe Burrow's dad came over to say hi. And he was a coach. And I said, Mr. Burrow, did you ever coach Joe yourself? He said no.

And he went kind of through the litany of colleges he had been at, Iowa State and Washington, which I kind of knew his bio. And he said, but I never got my hands on him that way. And I said, look, you hear this from everybody, so I know it doesn't mean anything, but I watch a lot of tape and your kid is friggin' special. I mean, he's different. And he just laughed.

He kind of said, yeah, we've known that for a while. He is. The thing I love about him, Rich, is that no matter what you throw at him, when you talk about, oh, I don't have a run game or I got three new offensive linemen, or whatever that conversation is, he just quietly, in his own mind, and by the way, he has an edge to him, which I really like, too. He borders on cocky and I like it a lot.

I'd love to be his teammate. You know, he had three linemen out yesterday, and during the season, he got the ball out in an average of 2.55 seconds, which was number two in the league. Okay? The other day, he got it out in under 2.5. So his solution was, okay, I got three linemen down.

I'll just get it out a little more quickly. And it doesn't get to him. It doesn't make him hurry up. It doesn't make him make bad throws. It doesn't make him turn the ball over. He's way more athletic than people want to even talk about, but when he needs to run, I think his first, when they beat Kansas City, I think he ran it 11 times. I guess the best way to put it in one sentence is he does whatever is necessary to win the football game. And it's no surprise that he's the son of a coach, and so is Jalen Hurts, too, right? You are. So you're a perfect person to ask this.

What does that mean? How does that translate into success when you are one of those at the quarterback spot, do you think, Mike? I think you just grow up differently, Rich.

I can't speak for them, but the quarterbacks I've talked to that are coaches' sons, we all kind of grew up in similar fashion philosophically. And that is, you know, by the time I was 8, I was watching film with my dad. I was literally doing the cut-ups by the time I was 10 or 11 where I had to cut film, splice it together, and we'd watch it together for a game that week. And by the time I got to the high school team, I was 14 years old. I had just turned 14. I was a freshman in high school. And I knew the offense and defense better than anybody on our team that had already been in the system.

And I'm not bragging about that. It was just the way I grew up. I went to every game he went to the scout.

And that's how these other guys grew up. You know, Jalen Hurts and I talked about it the year he was in the draft. I spent some time with him, and we talked about that common denominator. And, you know, Burrow's just a guy where nothing bothers him. And I mean nothing. And what does he want to do after he beats your ass? He wants to light up a cigar and talk about it. I love him. He does. It's so simple.

But it's so rare, you know? It's exactly right. He beats your ass and I'll light a cigar up. And you could call it cocky, but how could anyone have a problem with that? I mean, it sucks to be on the business end of it, to be very, you know, I'm sure. How about, hey Rich, how about he's, what, two minutes after beating Buffalo and he's getting interviewed by, I think it was Tracy Wolfson? And his first comment is, well, I guess we're going to have to give a lot of refunds back? Better have those refunds ready. Yep, exactly right. He had that in the chamber.

He had it ready to go. And, you know, obviously Kansas City is a team that is on full alert. I mean, there's no doubt about that.

Mike Mayock here on The Rich Eisen Show. So let's talk about those two other teams, starting with Philadelphia first. You know, they made the playoffs last year. They get one and done. Hertz comes back. He's getting a full year again. They add AJ Brown on draft day. Holy crap, was that a big move?

But why do you think it's all working like this in Sirianni's second year? What's your sense of the secret sauce and how it's now spit out into hosting an NFC championship game coming off of a boat racing of the Giants, Mike? Well, as you know, I'm from Philly, and I'm sitting right now about, you know, a 20-minute drive down the stadium. And we hosted the Eagles last year in Vegas. And I knew I could never come home if we didn't beat them. And we beat them pretty easily in Vegas last year. And at that point, they had not really turned Jalen Hertz loose. And their running back was hurt. And they were kind of a team in transition, I think is how I would categorize it. When I saw them in Vegas last year, they went on to win several games after we beat them. And they made the playoffs at nine and eight. But it was a borderline playoff team.

But Hertz got better at the end of the season. And I remember talking to the media around here. I talked to Howie Roseman.

I went down to training camp before the season started, and I complimented Howie on the job he did. I just said, look, you've got a top three to five offensive line. You've got now with the move you made at wide receiver, you've got a top three to five group of wide outs. Your running back is special when he's healthy. Your tight end is special when he's healthy.

You've got a good and offensive group of personnel of any team in the league. We're going to find out. You're going to find out what Jalen Hertz is.

Is he the guy? Is he going to be a franchise guy or not? And to Jalen Hertz's credit and that coaching staff's credit, they made it work. I mean, they take advantage. To me, great coaching is putting your guys in a position to win. Take advantage of what they do well.

Try to minimize what they don't do well. What they do with Jalen is they put him in a position. They're an RPO-based offense. He gets the ball out quickly.

He's judicious with when he runs the football, both planned runs and unplanned runs. And if you're a defensive coordinator, they are such a pain in the butt to coordinate against because of the quarterback run game, because of the RPO game. They're so hard.

If you just slip a little bit, they're going to the house. And on top of that, I think Howie Roseman is the executive of the year. I think that they've done an amazing, you know, somebody ran for a couple hundred yards earlier in the year. And so what they do the following week, they signed Lin Val Joseph and Domican Sue. I mean, it's just been unbelievable. I think they're the most talented team in the league. And I think that quarterback is now a franchise quarterback.

Meanwhile, in Kansas City, Mike, the other one seed, they're hosting. We're not in the trainer's room. You're not.

Collectively, we are not. But all that said, we can probably be rest assured that Mahomes is not going to be the full Mahomes and all of his movements and all of his magic that come from his movements and his ability to throw off platform and things of that nature will be compromised. What do you think is going on in Andy Reid's mind right now as we're talking, Mike? Andy's one of my favorite people in the world.

And I think he's one of the best coaches I've ever been around. And his offensive creativity is off the charts. Some of the stuff they do offensively is just to have fun.

Like when they did that ring around around the snow globe. You know, Travis Kelce lines up at quarterback and an inverted wishbone. I can just see these guys on Wednesday and Thursday giggling at practice after having so much fun. So you get the furious business of what happens if Mahomes is limited because of his high ankle.

And I think Andy will be real creative. I'm blown away by how nobody can cover Travis Kelce. I don't I don't think that's talked about enough. This is interesting, Rich. I've got a text chain with 12 of my teammates from Boston College.

We get together every summer. And the other day, one of the guys who played in the NFL texted. He was a linebacker in the NFL.

He texted. I'd love to know why teams can't double team them. Why is he always so good every game, especially the playoffs?

And it's a great question. And you thought when Tyree Hill was gone that people were going to be able to kind of step on Kelce a little bit, give him more attention. And the opposite has happened.

He's had his biggest year perhaps ever. So, you know, I think job number one, when you're playing Kansas City, especially if Mahomes is somewhat limited mobility wise, you've got to find a way to limit him. I mean, that's job number one. And if Smith Shuster or Justin Watson or Valdez Gantling, you know, if they beat you, that's OK. But don't let Travis Kelce beat you. And obviously, Andy Reid is very aware of that. And, you know, this kid, Kadarius Toney, who the Giants got rid of, he's kind of an explosive X factor to me. I mean, I'm anxious to see if he makes a couple of plays, see if they get the ball in his hands quickly in some of those bubble screens or jet sweeps.

But I just think Mahomes, you saw what he did in the second half. He just adjusted. He limped around the field and beat you.

And he's kind of like the borough conversation. I don't think he feels like he needs to be at 100 percent to whoop you. And I think he'll slide around in the pocket.

He might not be able to sprint at full speed, but he'll slide around and make plays. And I fully believe that. So your best guess on Super Bowl 57 would be what, Mike? I'm putting you in a sports talk radio box here. What do you got for me?

I have no idea. I think the four best teams are in the Final Four, which is really cool. And, you know, it's a cliche. Turnovers?

Whoever turns it over? I mean, honestly. And I totally get it. I know why you would say that.

Because, again, I mean, Dallas and San Francisco was tied going into the fourth quarter. You know, I mean, anything can happen once you get out there and in the crucible of a game, which is why everybody thinks that maybe the Niers are in trouble because of a kid so green at quarterback. Right.

But he's enacted it. I mean, aside from the first half in the rain two games ago where he was a little bit off, he sure doesn't look like a rookie to me. No doubt. No doubt. So what's your best guess, though? I mean, I'll circle back one more time. What's your best guess, Mike? What do you got for me? That is such a rich eyes.

Thank you, sir. Come on now. Come on. This is not our first rodeo.

Come on now. So with the NFC side, Philly, San Fran, they're the two best teams in the NFC. I just made the statement that I think Philadelphia has more talent than anybody in the league.

So I would stand by that. I think San Francisco, I think their physicality is going to give Philadelphia a test. They're so physical and tough in their run game. But I would say that I would give the edge at home to Philly and that other game. I like I like what Zach Taylor said today when, you know, talked about some media want to talk about beating Kansas City four times in a row. So we don't have to beat them four times.

You just have to beat them once. And I think. I think Kansas City probably is favored, I think, in all honesty, I'm kind of on the Cincinnati train. I love borough. I think you're talking about two of the best three quarterbacks in football. I like Cincinnati and on another train, Rich, I don't know why Lou Anoram was not getting any kind of love to be a head coach.

I don't get that at all. I thought he did another great job last week. He certainly did. And man, Borrow, you're right. It's just amazing to watch him blossom into what he's doing in him versus Mahomes is going to be amazing.

And then the NFC championship game as well. Mike, thanks for the time. Let's do this again. I miss talking to you in here and picking your brain.

Thanks for the time. Thank you, Rich. That's the man Mike Mayock right here on the Rich Eisen Show. Let's take a break. Juju Smith Schuster when we come back from the Kansas City Chiefs. Back on the Rich Eisen Show and he is back on this program. But the first time as a Kansas City chief, always a delight to chat with the wide receiver Juju Smith Schuster back here on the program. How are you doing, Juju? I'm doing great. How are you?

I'm doing really well. So let's just jump right into it. This is your first AFC championship game rodeo, right?

That never happened in Pittsburgh. Yes, my first one and I'm super excited. I can't wait. But yes, time is here. So what's going through your skull right now as you're getting ready for this game against the Cincinnati Bengals, who you obviously know so well, Juju? It's more so just the calm before the storm and getting into the books. Today's the day where we start breaking down plays, studying this team and just getting ready for the big game. Today's the day you get into the snow globe.

Is that what happens, Juju? No. The snow globe? No.

The books. When did that first start, the snow globe idea? When did you first see that in practice that we saw?

It was actually, you know, it's funny. We've had that play on for about four weeks straight before we actually, actually caught it. And then we caught it in a game and we were actually like, damn, we're actually calling this play for us to go out and score. And we scored and that's the crazy part. But with the penalty, we kind of took it away. But it was a great play. But I guess that's part of what I kind of want to dive into for you is the ingenuity, the creativity and the fun that comes from that sort of thing. It strikes me just in the times that we've met and talked that that touches, that checks every box for you, Juju.

Yes, yes, yes. And that being said, you know, you just never know playing, you know, for Andy Reedus that you never know what you're going to get week in, week out. And that's a play, you know, we had in our back pocket for quite some time and right time, right moment, he called it, it worked. But at the same time, you know, going to every game, it's just you just never know the outcome. So it's going to be a fun match. What's it like playing with Mahomes for you, Juju? It's so fun. It's like a video game. It's like scrambling around and then throwing the ball anywhere on the field and making plays and those big catches. So that's like the fun part about that.

He's able to just do what he does. Did you ever play Mahomes in a video game? Did you ever do that before playing with him, Juju? I played with him. I played against him or with him in Madden, but very, very similar to real life. So you're in the middle of a play like, wait, I've seen that before. Oh, that's right.

When I was Mahomes in Madden. Like, does that happen? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That is pretty wild. So what can you tell me? The whole country's on pins and needles about his readiness for the game. I know I'm treading into the waters of talking about injuries and another player, but how concerned should Chiefs Nation be for Sunday with Mahomes right now, Juju? I'll tell you one thing about Pat, man. He showed that on, you know, on Saturday that, you know, we just never quit, never gives up. And, you know, his dog fighting him and him wanting to be out there with us and his teammates and to play for the fans. And that's what he's just going to give you on Sunday. So I'm sure his readiness is ready as ever, as he's ever been. And we're just going to go out there and play. So you have no concerns for Sunday in terms of having Patrick out there right now?

No, no, not at all. OK. All right. And then what about you, Juju? What would it mean for you to make a Super Bowl after being in Pittsburgh for so long and then going to a new spot, learning new everything and then getting to the big game? What would that mean? Man, it would mean a lot. You know, I've been chasing, you know, Super Marines since I've been in the league and being able to come here, like you said, and be a part of this team, new system and, you know, whatever I can do to help to get us there. And that's what I'm all about. But, you know, being able to play in the Super Bowl, I dreamed it as a kid.

And that coming true is literally one game away. So what do you mean you dreamed it as a kid? Walk me through that.

What do you mean? Yeah. So as a kid, you know, growing up, football was pretty much everything like my whole life. Started playing since I was four years old and always knew that, you know, growing up as a kid. And I knew that I wanted to play in, you know, big game, big spotlight and obviously the biggest game of the year, the Super Bowl. So for me, this was like it's actually crazy to think about them. You win one more game and you're in the Super Bowl. It's pretty wild. And of course, it's kind of crazy to team stand in your way as a team you're very familiar playing against in Cincinnati. You can't quit the AFC North, can you? It's kind of crazy. You can't.

You can't. That's a really good football thing. You know, I played, you know, the AFC North for five years and I know what it's like. I know the dogfight and, you know, a team like that, you know, they're not going to quit. They're not going to back down. And us, for them to come here and play in our home stadium is going to be rocking.

I can't wait. All right. So let's, let's, let's play this game before I let you go, Juju. Any similarities between Big Ben and Patrick Mahomes?

Benny, what do you got for me? I would say the knowledge of just knowing football shows is there. And I had Ben at the end of his career. So for Ben, he's been playing for so long. So his knowledge, but same as Pat, man, like the dude's so smart on the off the field, both hardworking guys.

And it kind of just shows. And it's crazy because when I had Ben at his, towards the end of his career, he was still Big Ben. And now I'm with Pat in his prime. And it's crazy because I wish, I mean, being in Ben's prime is, would have been insane. And I think now that, you know, I'm seeing Pat as he grows, as he becomes better because, you know, we came in the same year, same draft class. It's actually insane to see someone, you know, you know, make history, you know, day in, day out. So you're saying Mahomes at age 27 has the knowledge of the game and preparation and neck up processing as a veteran, like a first ballot hall of fame veteran at age 37, 38 in Ben is what you're saying?

Yes. And I can't even imagine what Ben was like at 26 years old doing what he's doing. And then any similarities between Mike Tomlin and Andy Reid?

Juju Smith-Juster. Yeah, I would say the biggest thing that I'd take away is that, you know, they're always for the players and they, the feeling I get with Andy Reid and Coach Tomlin is that, like, I don't want to be a disappointment to them. They make you feel like it's more so like, you know, when you get in trouble and it's like, I don't want my grandmother mad because she's like my favorite grandmother. And it's like, I go out there and then like, damn, I messed up on a player.

So I'm like, it's more so you get upset with yourself and making him disappointed. And that's what that's what I feel with both of them. And that's how Coach Tomlin was. That's how Andy Reid is.

And that's the very similarities. And they're for the players. And that's why the players, that's why we go hard every single day just so we can, you know, make everyone around us just even better. And everyone just wants to win. So do they have a look of disapproval or you're just or?

No, it's not even it's. No, you kind of do get a look like they do have like they all everyone has a look, you know, so it's because Tommy has a look and you really have like you kind of just know and they don't say anything and then boom, you just fix it right in the end. You just keep moving on because you don't want to be in that position. You can't you just don't want to be in that spot. Yeah, you don't.

Yeah, you do not want to be an absolute. Okay, I'll tell you one time we're playing against, I think, I don't know, I think the Titans are one game. And I did a celebration on their sideline, got a penalty. And I'm running back towards the sideline and I got that look from Andy Reid.

I'm like, in the doghouse, I got a doghouse. Then I go out there, make a couple more plays and then win the game. So, oh, okay. So, so all said and done, you're good. Did so did Reid ever come up to you and say, great job, but no, no, no, no.

No, next time mentality, you move on. And that's one thing that he's always big about is that, you know, he gave you that look, next play, move on, go win the game and everything said and done. When you win, when you win football games, you know, that's kind of like you, everyone is happy, makes everything better. Juju, thanks for the time. Greatly appreciate it. I know you're running from thing to thing, practice to this phone call. It's great catching up with you.

I will be looking forward to watching you in the AFC Championship game for the first time in your career and good luck beyond. Let's talk. Let's stay in touch. Thank you. Yes, sir.

Will do. Appreciate you. You got it right back at you. That is Juju Smith Schuster of the Kansas City Chiefs right here on the Rich Eisen Show. Doesn't want to disappoint Andy Reid. I get that.

I know. Mahomes is going, guys. I mean, I don't care what your your your line says in Vegas. He's going. He's going to play this game. Oh, he's going.

Well, I mean, we're almost like he's going to be on crutches on Wednesday and you never know. Is he going to be Matt Ryan back there? I don't think so. I don't think so.

I mean, he struggled to just get the handoff. I don't think so. I already have.

I already have a note in my book here that over the next two, three days as we get ready for this game. It's a shadow of Mahomes better than most other quarterbacks in the NFL. Yes.

Yes. Let me write down front load TJ's response. Seventy five percent of Patrick Mahomes is better than a lot of these quarterbacks. Well, we're going to have a conversation about it as opposed to with just 20 seconds to go. But I have front loaded your response in advance, sir.

He's just good. When we come back, top five storylines to come out of the divisional playoff weekend. Forty-niner fan Dave Franco, the writer and director of Somebody I Used to Know, coming up on Prime Video and this show.

Still here on the Roku channel. Snow Globe in the back pocket for four weeks. You know what? Let's just save it for the Raiders. Isn't that odd? Let's just pop that out against the Raiders in a game that's kicking off week 18.

That really doesn't matter. I know they needed to win it in order to clinch home field advantage. They did.

But by the time they pop that snow globe out, I don't think they needed the snow globe. It wasn't one of those like, OK, let's let's pull this out of our bag of tricks because the Raiders are all over everything else that we do conventionally. I think they saved that for the Raiders just for fun.

Probably. JFF. Coach, you want to run snow globe? Now let's save it. Yeah, let's save it. Now's not the time. Come on, Coach, with a snow globe? Nah.

Home against the Denver Broncos? Now's not the time. Let's hold on. Let's hold on. Oh, yeah.

That was just for the Raiders. Stick it right to Jared. How many of those plays do they have? That's a good question, too. I mean, he won't answer that question.

I mean, clearly, but I'm just saying. They were in a play from like the 1930s Rose Bowl in the Super Bowl. So they've got them. Amazing. And I would suggest they pull one on Lou Annarumo this weekend.

I would suggest popping one of them out of the box this weekend. Hey, there is no tomorrow. There is no tomorrow. Except if you make it to the Sunday after the Sunday. No, I understood that. Yes, but I think I think that still applies. Must win game, guys? Let me write that down as a future topic.

Is this weekend must win? For over 40 years, Jim Ross has been the voice of wrestling. Nobody has stories like Jim Ross, and he shares his tales with co-host Conrad Thompson on Grilling JR. This McMahon was the top heel in the Attitude era. It was a fresh character. It was new. It was material that we had not seen or heard to that date. We could have created a bigger or better heel. Now we wanted to make more heels and we tried to make more heels. And we did, but nothing compared to Vince. The Grilling JR podcast. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.