REShow: Eli Manning - Hour 2

Ladies! This is the Rich Eisen Show. Now a flag is gonna be thrown. Burrow ahead my... Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Hey I got some wise words for that Cincinnati mayor. Know your role and shut your mouth. The mayor said it all.

No one picked us to win. This is something to dream about as a kid. The Rich Eisen Show. Now a flag is gonna be thrown. Today's guest, two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning. Overreaction Monday, two-time Super Bowl champion and Greenlight Podcast host Chris Long. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Hour number two of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. We just completed hour one because that's what comes before hour two.

And then there's a third hour and we're a three-hour show. That's how we do it every day right here on the Rich Eisen Show between 12 and 3 Eastern on the Roku channel. And this terrestrial radio affiliate Sirius XM and Odyssey and our podcast youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show.

Our Rich Eisen Show collection page which is our video on demand service that we have set up through our partnership with Roku and the Roku channel. We're thrilled to be part of it here on this program. Chris Long, two-time Super Bowl champ, hour number three, will be joining us on this program. And in the middle of this hour, a championship Sunday edition of Overreaction Monday. If you just missed us, I sniffed out one of them from Chris Brockman. As I delivered to you what I do every year here. Once the Super Bowl is set, I sniff out what I think the troll sports media will hang their hat on when they're particularly bored.

And I've already been tweeted at during the commercial break that apparently ESPN already talked about this. Of course. And I'm like, can we all pace ourselves people? They've got a lot of hours. Honestly, there's 13 days. Well, so do we. We've got 13 hours, 13 days between today and Super Sunday.

Yeah. And so the topic bar that you'll see at the bottom of the screen is going to be some form of who the Eagles really played anyway. As if they just stumbled their way into a Super Bowl in Philadelphia. As if they got to pick their opponents. Or like the NFC is just, you know, a rollover conference.

You know, just rollover. It doesn't matter. I mean, it was a down year for the conference. Right. NFC wasn't that good compared to the AFC. You know what? The quarterbacks aren't as generationally brilliant. As the AFC? Yeah.

Not even close. So I hear you. But Jalen Hurts is seemingly a difference maker. And this is great.

This is great. Anybody who buys into this nonsense that the Eagles didn't really play anybody or they weren't tested or Daniel Jones looked terrible and Brock Purdy got hurt. And Josh Johnson playing for his 19 millionth team has to get in as a fourth string quarterback. Like, oh, they just got a buy basically into the Super Bowl. The buy week that they earned for having the best record in the conference. And then two terrible quarterbacks that, by the way, they made look terrible. You know, that's common. And just, by the way, keep doing it, because all the Eagles want to do is put on the dog masks again and win the Super Bowl.

That's all they want to do. You can't have the dog masks when you're the one seed. Excuse me. Chris, let's ask our third hour guest about that theory, since he was on that team that wore the dog masks and they were the one seed.

Okay. As a matter of fact, we're seeing one versus one in the Super Bowl for the first time since that Eagles Super Bowl against the Patriots. That's the last time the two one seeds made the final game.

It's also hilarious. Both the one seeds are playing in the Super Bowl, Chiefs, Eagles, and they're both trying to play the disrespect nobody believed in this card. You're the one seeds. All I'm saying is the Philadelphia mayor should not tweet any videos. Okay? How about the Empire State Building last night? Well, I thought we had already established that they had made an announcement that they're going to turn the Empire State Building the color of whoever wins the conference championship games or something like that. Oh, I didn't know that, but Giants fans not happy. I don't know. But whoever made that decision of like, let's get into the NFL spirit and turn the Empire State Building Philadelphia colors. That was insane.

Honestly, I think Mina Kime summed it up best. Did somebody lose a bet? Or a job. It's like a fantasy bet?

Or someone lost a job after. Is there like a building fantasy league? No, we don't know about it. A New York skyline fantasy league? Chrysler Building, Brooklyn Bridge.

No, no, no. It's not within New York. It's got to be throughout the country. The Golden Gate Bridge.

Yeah, like iconic structure fantasy league. First tower. What else we got? Well, I don't know if it's called that anymore. You got the Golden Gate Bridge, the Empire State Building, you know. Niagara Falls. John Hancock Building, I guess. Okay, Niagara Falls.

Mount Rushmore. They're all in a fantasy league and whoever finishes last has got to turn their structure into the colors of whatever the hometown's rival is if they win this playoff game. Is that what it is? I am here for a US landmark fantasy league. That's what it is.

Yeah, I'm into that. Here we go. Giants fans not happy. The Alamo is in. Well, they're last. They come in last.

That's the only explanation as to why the Empire State Building was Eagles colors. Hollywood sign. Come on. What else? Can we get in the game? Get your head in the game. Oh, man, that'll be one thing.

I'm not going to spend any time with our guest on this front, although he's not big. I don't think he's big on the Eagles. The Arch. Oh, the St. Louis Arch. Heard the McDonald's Golden Arch. Speaking of Arch.

Or McDowell's. Speaking of Arch, his uncle's on the phone. Let's do it. Joining us here on the Rich Eisen Show to talk about Championship Sunday and so much more, courtesy of Quaker, is two-time Super Bowl champ Eli Manning back here on the program. How you doing, Eli? I'm doing great, Rich. How are you?

I am great, thank you. What do you think of when you watch Mahomes and Burrow quarterback against each other in a championship game like yesterday? I think it's just great football. As a quarterback and just appreciating great quarterback play, both those guys are just superstars. And the way Mahomes went out there with the bum ankle, just some of the throws he makes off platform, on the run, off one foot. Body totally not in position to make a throw and still make some unbelievable throws was impressive. And Burrow, I mean, he was just getting killed, sacked and hit and down, but it doesn't affect him. It doesn't make him force throws. He still hangs in the pocket tough, makes clutch throws.

So just impressed with both those guys. That AFC is in pretty good shape for the next many years with that guy throwing Josh Allen. It's a pretty good list of quarterbacks.

That's no question. I mean, the third quarter where Burrow threw that high-pointed football for T. Higgins for a touchdown, and then Mahomes responds with a dart over the middle after he showed the first significant sign of aggravating that ankle. I was just shaking my head. I was just, I'm like, this is what it's supposed to be like in a championship game. Can you put into words what it requires to have such a focus and success at such a high level when the whole country is watching? Do you just go in a zone? Yeah, I mean, it's just, yeah, I think you're just in your zone. I think, obviously, to get to that level, to be in that game, I mean, you're playing some of your best football, and guys know what to expect. They know the plays that they like, and you've overcome so much during the course of the season, where you've had games where it's been tough and you've had sacks or maybe got off to a slow start, but you've been able to just kind of hang around, hang around, and you know eventually you're going to make plays.

And so you can be patient and wait for those opportunities, and you see that with both of them. It's not always perfect, but with Mahomes, just the creativity and some of the throws, his touchdown throw over the middle of the post, like he's moving the pocket, he's on one foot, and just the arm strength to get that and get that good throw, that's the impressive thing. Not many people can make that throw with two healthy ankles, let alone one. So I think both of them, and then Burrow, like I said, just the toughness, and he runs for first downs, making guys miss, he hangs in the pocket, and so both of them I think just are playmakers, and they look forward to and really play their best football in critical moments. And obviously the Chiefs are going to have their hands full with the Eagles, who seem to just be dominating the trenches. They really, I know so many people are talking about the fact that Purdy got hurt, and the quarterback was such a dumpster fire situation for San Francisco, but I'm wondering what you think about Philadelphia's ability to win this Super Bowl.

Eli. I mean I think, you know, Peyton's going to stay a little bit rich, but they're playing some really good football, and they've been playing good football all year long, and they haven't just been beating people, they've been kind of embarrassing some people, and putting it on them, and it's just the style they're doing it. They're playing great defense, they have two locked down corners, they've got a defense line, gets to the quarterback, Redick's causing havoc on everybody. I mean it's impressive to see, you know, teams are having a hard time getting a first down, let alone scoring touchdowns. And so, and then their offense, it's just they're running the ball so well, whether it's one of their three running backs, or Jalen Hurts is running it, and they've got the RPO action where they're just, you know, if you want to try to stop the run, you get out of position, they're going to throw a quick, easy slant. You know, guys are open, it looks pretty easy out there, and to make a game that is very difficult look easy is impressive. And so, you know, it's a big challenge for Steve Stagnole and that Kansas City defense to try to slow down that rushing attack and quick passing game.

And then they have the playmakers outside, you know, they'll take their shots and get A.J. Brown and get them going on some shots down the field if they need to. So, who do you like?

You're my first, by the way, I'm asking about. Who do you like? It's two weeks. It's hard for me to like the Eagles. Like in Eagles, it's not a word, it's not a phrase, it's not something I can possibly say. I got a lot of respect for them in the way they're playing, I just talked about it. And when you see good football, I think you have to acknowledge it. And they're playing good football, but I have a lot of respect for Patrick Mahone, a lot of respect for Andy Reid, Steve Stagnole.

I know those guys, I've been around them, been coached by Andy Reid in the Pro Bowl, been coached by Steve Stagnole, and so I just feel like they've obviously been in this scenario before, and I think they'll be ready for it. Yeah, I saw that billboard in Philadelphia that greeted you for the playoff game, Eli, with the two Eagles, and I'm like, huh, we, you know, they said hello, it's two birds next to each other. How did you explain that billboard to your children as you drove into town, Eli? It was interesting, you know, luckily my kids had kind of seen, you know, the double bird and me giving that, so they understood it a little bit. I brought my oldest daughter, Ava, who's 11, to the game. I brought her to Philadelphia, I gave her a little heads up, she might see some things, but she definitely, she came out of that game with a few new, you know, learned a few new hand gestures and a few new vocabulary words. And so I told her, you know, whatever you see in here in Philadelphia, it's got to stay there.

You can't bring that back to school, like nothing, you know, we don't need you getting expelled in sixth grade. So, but it was a learning experience, it was great just to be there to root on the Giants. They had a great year, you know, going to the playoffs, winning a playoff game, and so I was happy to be there and cheer them on.

It just didn't quite work out the way we wanted it. All right, so then who do you think will win Super Bowl 57? I'll remove who you like in it. Who do you think will win? You're my first to have here to analyze Super Bowl 57.

I know it's two weeks out, but what do you got? Yeah, I think, I think, I think it's, I think Kansas City wins. I think just the fact that they've been there a number of times, they've been in these big games, they've been in these AFC Championship games the last five years, all that counts.

All of that plays into, they know the schedule, what they're about to get to with the Super Bowl, and so they've done it before, and I think that's an advantage, and I think they just kind of have that, you know, that it factor that they can go win this game. Two-time Super Bowl champ Eli Manning here with Quaker, which we'll get to in one hot minute, but before I do, what do you think the Giants should do? Do you think Daniel Jones has earned his way into that second generationally enriching contract? What do you think, Eli?

I do. I think, you know, I've known Daniel, seen his progression, I've always been on his side and rooting for him, and I think he played outstanding this year in a tough environment, losing a lot of your receivers and your weapons on the outside, and he just was able to play great, play well in fourth quarters and lead the team back to victory, maybe played his best game of the entire season in the playoffs against Minnesota, so to know you have a quarterback that can rise to the occasion, can step up and lead the team to victory is huge. I think he'll just continue to get better within this offense, going into just the second year, if they can get a couple of playmakers on the outside around him, and so I hope he's the starting quarterback for the Giants for a long time. Yeah, I know he had some talent. I didn't know he could look like Colin Kaepernick against the Packers like he did against the Vikings.

I mean, that was unbelievable. What do you think? What do you know potentially or think Brian Dabel is able to unlock with Daniel Jones and his handling of him or the scheming around him? What do you have for me there, Eli? Yeah, I think just the scheming. Find ways to get him on the outside, knowing the teams are trying to stop Saquon, and they're attacking him where they can get him open, and he's running, but he's not running and taking hits. I mean, he's just making good decisions on some of that, some of the play action, where he's in the nakeds or he's on the edge, and you're kind of protecting some young offense alignment and a way to get receivers open with scheme because not all of them are able to continually win one-on-one matchups. So it was a great coaching job. A guy's buying into the system, doing whatever it took to make it work, and I think you've got to have that but also have some players that way. You don't have to have this perfect scheme all the time. You can say, hey, we're one-on-one, let our guys go win.

They didn't have a ton of that this year. All right, let's get to Eli Manning before you go. People to the Super Bowl in Vegas next year through Quaker, and what – okay, I see what's going on here. So folks, it's folks – Tough to say.

Well, hold on a second. I'm a lead pipe-wielding professional, Eli Manning, how dare you. Folks will need to send in a video of how they're preparing for this year's Super Bowl using Quaker Oats, and it's called a pre-grain contest. Is that what it is? See how they pre-grain for the game? Is that what you're saying, Eli? Yeah, exactly.

Well done, yeah. So that's Quaker. They're inviting fans to share how they pre-grain for the big game for a chance to go to next year's Super Bowl in Las Vegas. So to enter the contest, you go to TikTok, you follow at Quaker, and between today and February 12th, which is Super Bowl Sunday, you upload your own pre-grain video of how you use Quaker Oats and use the caption with the hashtag Quaker pre-grain hashtag entry, and you get a chance to win an opportunity to go to the Super Bowl next year. So if a Buffalo Bills fan is feeling good about their chance to make it next year, they can just grab a bowl of Quaker Oats, jump off of an RV into a table while eating said Quaker Oats, and they're a finalist for that, don't you think?

I mean, don't you think that's a finalist video? I can encourage that act, but yes, something of that sort is what we're looking for. We're looking for creativity, we're looking for fun. And yeah, a Bills fan, you know, I think, yeah, I like the idea. An Eagles fan flying two bowls, two bowls of Quaker Oats, right? What do you think of that? Exactly, exactly. You're on the right page. You're very creative. Jesus, this is what I do. I think you should just help some fans come up with some more ideas.

I don't know how you could hold two bowls of Quaker Oats with just two fingers. I don't know how you could do that, but we have time, basically. We have time.

Just use the hashtag of Quaker Pre-Green and hashtag entry when you do that. Eli, thank you. I always enjoy our chats. Always a pleasure. Hope to see you out in Arizona.

Yeah, absolutely. We'll see you. Enjoy the Pro Bowl, and we're always watching the Manning cast. My kids love it, man. You talk to the children, Eli.

Maybe it's because they love watching two brothers talk like that. It's great. Enjoy it. Exactly. Thank you, Rich.

That's Eli Manning, two-time Super Bowl champ, courtesy of Quaker, right here on The Rich Eisen Show. All right, Chris, so mark it down, because we've got, let's see, five shows this week, five next week. I'll do the math. Ten shows between now and the Super Bowl?

Yeah, buddy. Let's write down everybody's prediction. Doing it. Eli Manning likes the Chiefs. One-nothing Kansas City. There you go. I think I'm leaning.

If you ask me today, I'm leaning the Chiefs. Come on. Come on. Really?

They have the best player. No, I'm not saying, this one, you can go either way, and you're right. You are correct. I'll probably change my mind a half dozen times, but on Monday, the last game I saw was Patrick Mahomes being amazing. I lean Chiefs. Well, I think I speak for everyone here on the show. You don't mind me speaking for everyone here? Well, it depends on what you're about to say.

Thank you. It depends on Mahomes' ankle, and we'll be all over that. Oh, yeah, but I'm not worried about that. Good yesterday. Remember, I texted you guys yesterday, the ankle was fine after that run.

I was watching it. But then he did have the one play where he hopped off the field, and I was like, uh-oh. Can they possibly just maybe put him in a hyperbaric chamber now? Do you think he's in a walking boot right now? He should be.

Just preventative walking boot? You know what? Guys, we have time. What would Big Ben do? Let's just go on the local radio to talk about it.

Remember, he would go on all the time, and then one year he stopped doing it because it created such a big problem for him? You want to know how you're feeling, just ask Big Ben. He'll tell you. All right, very good. Come back. Phone calls. We'll take phone calls at overreaction Monday. Let's go. Oh, baby. Chris Long will join us in Hour 3.

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Call, click Grainger.com or just stop by. Speaking of calling, our phone lines are lit. Chris, get ready, you're overreaction Monday.

I believe I sniffed out one of them. Jacob in Indiana, you're first in, first up here on this Championship Monday, if you will, edition of the Rich Eisen Show. What's up, sir? Hey Rich, happy Championship Monday. How you doing? What's going on, man? Hey, I just wanted to kind of say after watching that Eagles and 49ers game last night. Yes. I just wanted to say, Al Hassan Redick has not been nominated for Defensive Player of the Year.

It's kind of criminal in my mind. He had 16 and a half sacks and I'm pretty sure he led the league in four slumbles this year. This might be controversial, but I would think I would replace Micah Parsons and put us on. Hey, come on guy. You better check his resume. Yeah, I mean, that's a tough one.

That's a tough one. I mean, you have to also think there was a long span of time when it was the middle of the season. We were like, where's Micah Parsons at? I feel like throughout this whole season, we didn't have that issue with Hassan Redick. Fly Eagles, fly baby. Look at you, man.

Hey, Hassan Redick, thanks for the call. Kid from Camden, New Jersey, which is right across the Ben Franklin Bridge, isn't it? Harrisburg, New Jersey, they're close right there. Well, I'm just asking. You're the Pennsylvania guy, right? Yeah, I'm saying.

You're the East Coast guy, wouldn't you? Micah's from Harrisburg. Camden is out. Oh, no, no.

I thought that's where you were going with it. Hassan Redick's from Camden. Yeah, and I'm saying Micah, I just used Micah because you were talking.

He's from Harrisburg and they're fairly close. Okay. I didn't know that. Yeah.

That's why I thought you were getting that. But you were trying to troll me about some East Coast things. That's true.

Where you're wrong. Factual. You know. And Kid went to Temple, too? I remember. I think, didn't Arizona draft him? In the draft in Philadelphia, if I'm not mistaken. And he winds up going back at the Philadelphia draft where Mahomes got drafted by Andy Reid.

Isn't that amazing? That's going to be something talked about this week, too, by the way. Oh, yeah. I mean, Mahomes gets drafted at the draft in Philadelphia by Andy Reid. And who's standing in the way of the Eagles right now?

Oh, there's so many different storylines to go with right here. Lewis Reddick on Friday said Chris Jones needed to wreck the game. He did, didn't he? Who was the bigger game wrecker? Chris Jones or Hassan Reddick? Chris Jones didn't knock Burrow from the game, did he?

Nope. Chris Jones didn't recover a fumble, did he? Chris Jones had a really good game.

Hassan Reddick. Chris Jones had a terrific game and he affected play. And was a part of the reason why the Chiefs got through yesterday. OK, when Burrow had a chance to maybe have the ball last or score last. He was the one who got the punt unit out on the field.

Totally get it. If you're talking about wrecking the game. He wrecked the game for the 49ers. He knocked Brock, that play alone.

If you look at it, go all 22 on it. Brandon Ayuk was open for a touchdown. And if Purdie had another second, he would have hit Ayuk. Game would have been tied. Could you imagine if Purdie responded with a touchdown strike to Brandon Ayuk? After Hertz found Devonta Smith. It was on. The manner in which he did it and they scored touchdown. It would have been 7-7 and let's see what happens. And Purdie's feeling like, OK, Mr.

Irrelevant, my ass. To borrow a phrase from the Kelcey family. OK. And instead, Purdie's out. Josh Johnson in. And Johnson at one point ties the game and has a shotgun snap go off his grill. Who recovers it? The guy who put Johnson in the game. That's a game wrecker.

But remove Micah Parsons from defensive player of the year candidacy? That's a tall order. Hey, man. Terzo and Iowa. You're here on the Rich Eisen Show. What's up, Terzo?

All rise. Sorry, brother. Sorry, dude.

Sorry, brother. Man, that was tough yesterday, guys. I had the whole bar cheering for the Niners. I was passing out jerseys like chicklets.

You know, we were having fun. And as soon as Purdie went down, everybody was more concerned about whether or not that, you know, it was an incomplete pass or a fumble. I lost my breath because I thought he might have broken a finger, broken a thumb. And then when he's over there grabbing his arm, I'm like, oh, there's that elbow.

And you could just tell whenever Redick hit him that you could just see all of the force go right into that elbow. And it changed the whole game. And Josh Johnson looked like he was Mr. Irrelevant as soon as he got in that game. Man, I didn't think he wanted to be on that field and wanted nothing to do with that front seven.

I don't know about that, Terzo. I thought, you know, that would have been part and parcel of the Niners' season is that it's Lance's job. No, it's Jimmy G coming in because Lance can't finish game two. It's Garoppolo taking him to the Super Bowl. No, it's not. It's the kid that they drafted last. He's taking him to the Super Bowl.

No, it's not. It's the fourth string guy that has been a journeyman his entire life. And this is the moment for him to take them to the Super Bowl in Philadelphia with the most shocking win maybe by a quarterback in this game. You know, and I thought it could be possible with that defense and I thought it could be possible. But then he gets knocked out with a concussion because, again, they could not protect. The Eagles' front seven did it. They went after these guys. They knocked both of them out.

And how many times over the last few weeks, and thanks to the call, Terzo, I'm giving you a bro hug from all the way over here. How many times did we talk about Purdy this and Purdy that and how great he looked. And he's making throws that you don't expect the final pick of the draft to throw and everything. And this whole time they were on a high wire without a net. And no team was able to knock him off that high wire and see how far the net was hanging underneath it.

Or how long of a fall off the high wire could knock the net out completely from under. And the Eagles found them both. In a way that nobody else did. Don't you think the Cowboys would love another shot to see if Purdy can get knocked out of the game? So I was thinking that whole game yesterday. You're thinking like when Purdy and Josh Johnson are doing this whole thing.

You're like, man, if Dak didn't throw that pick this or that, you could have been there. I get it. But I had to let that go early because it's like I would have spent the whole day going. Don't worry, we'll talk about it later. We don't need to, though. There's a lot of other stuff to talk about. Give the Eagles credit.

Instead, it's all this business that we're about to hear, I believe, in one of the theories posited to me by the resident Rich Eisen show troll. Hey! That's still too far. Pardon me. Sorry, I'm not going to steal that title from you.

Don't be taking that title from me. He lives for that. Hit it! Hit it!

Hit it! That was terrible. That was crap.

That was garbage. This place sucks. Overreaction Mondays, Monday. Let's go. Hey, what's up, guys? What up, though? Good games yesterday.

All right, I'll just get right to it. The Chiefs are more battle-tested than the Eagles and should be favored in the Super Bowl. Chiefs are currently two-point underdogs.

I don't know about favored or any of this business. This is going to go down to the wire. This is going to be an excellent game. I am excited about this game.

There's so many reasons to be excited about this game, and there's so many reasons to think it will be a close game. One of them is not the fact that the Eagles are not battle-tested because the Chiefs played seven playoff teams this year, and the Eagles, yes, took on the Cowboys and the Giants, but they beat the Cowboys when Cooper Rush was in there, and they beat the Giants three straight times. Those are the two of the playoff teams that they faced, and the other playoff teams were the Vikings and the Jaguars. Okay, so who do they really beat?

So the Chiefs are more battle-tested. Got it. Okay, all right. I think that is an absurd overreaction, and as you know, as I mentioned in hour one, the number one troll take you'll hear throughout sports television between now and kickoff, it's coming, and I have front-loaded it for you. Get ready. As they say in hockey, gird your loins for it, okay? I thought we were doing that. Don't take the cheese. What else you got over there, Chris?

Like I said, we spent too much time together. This one actually is a little more reasonable. Hey, these are the two best teams. The two best teams all year made the Super Bowl.

You know what? I think the Bengals could be included. You could have said this if it was the Bengals and the Eagles, and then you could have said this if it was the Chiefs and the Bengals and the 49ers. I think all four teams were that good. I have no problem with the top seeds making it and calling them the best teams in the NFL.

They were both one seed, best records. The Bengals didn't lose from Halloween all the way until yesterday and had a chance to win that game, and if Brock Purdy played in that game fully and completely, it sure looked like the Eagles were bringing their A game, and it would have been tough for the Niners to have won in that environment, but we'll never know. So for the moment, I'll say that's an overreaction, but completely understandable. So whatever the gray area is in this game that we play every single Monday.

What else? All right, it's never good when NFL Rigged is trending on Twitter, Rich. Nah, it's absurd. But I think we do need to have an honest conversation. The game is too fast for officials. It's time for Sky Judge for everything. Well, you know, Sky Judge for everything is going to be dangerous, and I think Sky Judge for spotting of footballs needs to be, I think we need to use it more. I agree on that front.

But let me just hit here, if you don't mind. The NFL has rigged stuff. It's been trending for 24 hours.

I get it what it's trending. Hey out there, everybody who thinks it's rigged. So all right, we gush over Mahomes, and the NFL loves Mahomes so much. They're rigging it for him. Then what happened last year? Did they just fall through the cracks, the rigging?

Oh, no, wait a minute. The Bengals were better than the rigging last year. Not good enough to beat the rigging this year, right?

Okay. And so the rigging also would have definitely left the Cowboys at home, right? And how does the rigging work?

How does the rigging work? It's the commissioner somewhere. Obviously, it's got to be him. He's the ultimate villain, right?

Yeah, it's him. He's pushing the buttons. Even though I've never seen him smoke a cigar, let's put a cigar in his hand. And it's a cigar-filled room with a bunch of other guys who determine who wins games and who doesn't. And then they eventually call the head of NFL refs and say, hey, put out this memo, but it can't be in writing because we can't have it, our fingerprints, anywhere. So it's some system similar to whatever happened for the Watergate scandal, where they meet in a parking garage or the crop report from trading places. There's an NFL Clarence Beaks with the rigging report, and it gets it out to the officials who gets all these people in the same room and say, we are going to throw this thing, and it's going to be thrown.

It's going to be thrown for the Eagles, and it's going to be thrown for the Chiefs, and this is the way it's going to go. Okay? Is that the way it works?

Please help me. That's a great point, Rich. How does it work? If it was rigged, the Cowboys would have made a Super Bowl by now because everybody watches and everybody talks about Dallas. No, no, no. Unless the powers that be are pissed at Jerry Jones for something and they're rigging it against him. Unless those people who think it's rigged gambled against the Cowboys and they think it's great.

Also, if you're going to rig a game, why would you have it a three-point game and make it that close? Stupid. It's so stupid. The whole rigging thing is so stupid and incredibly insulting to a bunch of people who are trying their best, may not be the most competent at it. Get out of here with that noise.

What else? I actually thought we were going to get the first overtime with the new rules. I thought it would be, yeah, no. But it was rigged.

Don't forget, it's rigged that Mahomes is out the gate, all right, and we needed to call a guy for shoving him. So thank you. Maybe it's a sign on it? So stupid. Oh, you didn't see him with the envelope after the game? Whatever. With money in it?

What do you got? What else? Move on. Guys, remember who put Mahomes on their Mount Rushmore last year? It was me. Yeah, you were on it. Then you took him out.

You were on it. Even if the Chiefs lose next week to the Eagles, Mahomes Hall of Fame lock. Of course he's a Hall of Fame lock.

No, even if they lose and they never quit. I get it. I get it. Of course he's a Hall of Fame lock. He's one of the best to do it. Well, Rich, just like you said earlier, I bet you people would have thought Jim Plunkett was a Hall of Fame lock, and they, you know.

I, come on. He was awesome yesterday, man. Please, what this guy does, you know, and end of story, end of story. We gush about him because he's worth gushing about.

That's why we gush about him, because he's worth gushing about. What else, Chris? All right, one more before we get to some speculation stuff for the offseason.

It was great. The Brock Purdy story was awesome, but it's over. Tom Brady's going to be the Niners quarterback next week. I don't think that's an overreaction. I can't wait to see this whole thing play out.

I don't know. I don't know if he's going to be the 49ers quarterback starting next season. Purdy could absolutely be the guy that could go back to Trey Lance again and give it one last shot. Like I said, the owner loves the coach for good reason and loves the general manager for good reason. It seems like the GM and the coach get along really well, and everybody gets along well.

As long as everybody's on the same page, they can go back to Trey Lance, and if it doesn't work out, nobody loses their job. Your championship window is only open for so long. Well, with this defense?

I don't know. And the offense, the guys you have. McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Iuch on a rookie deal.

I got it. Running it back with Purdy, I wouldn't be surprised. Running it back with Lance, I wouldn't be surprised. Or next level, Tom Brady. Tom Brady's sitting there, and you can basically say, Hey, Purdy, you can learn for another year.

But Trey Lance, it's now or really never. They could just trade him, right? I don't know. Or they can go Jordan Love and just keep him sat for a fourth year? Isn't that what it would be? This would be his third year.

Keep him sat for his third year? I don't know. It's possible.

Yeah. And what if the Niners kind of go back and right a wrong? Maybe they should have taken Aaron Rodgers first back in...

I can't imagine. I mean, Rodgers walking into Green Bay and saying, I want to go play for the Jets is one thing. They'd be like, Oh, we played that song before. We can play those hits. Saying to him, Yeah, we'll trade you to San Francisco. I'm just saying. Niners should have grabbed him. That's a totally different song, sir.

That's a totally different song. I don't think that's happening. All right, guys, I know we're wondering what John Payton's going to do. I think he sits out this year, goes back to Fox.

But he's going to be the Cowboys coach in 2024. How can you sit here and say that's an overreaction, too? I mean... It's like tying the noose for yourself.

That's not tying the noose for yourself. It's a sign of somebody. And by the way, it's not given that that has not been determined yet. It's the sign. If he does it, it's what's being reported.

If he does it, it is a sign of somebody saying, if I'm going down with the ship, I'm going down with me calling the plays. That's it. It is. And so there's writing on the wall. I told you last week and we'll talk about it more in hour three. I told you my spidey sense is going off. And this is just another symbol of it. You can't sit here and say that's totally insane and that's an overreaction.

You can't. What else? Slide it out. Kellen Moore out as Dallas OC. It looks like he's going to go to the Chargers. Potentially.

I think he's going to have Justin Herbert as an MVP finalist next year. You want to handle this one, TJ? Yeah. Relax. I don't know about that one, bro. I mean... I don't know.

I can't really speak on this because I'm a Cowboys fan and I'm already feeling a certain way. So I can't give you an unbiased take on this. So this is rich.

You go ahead. I'll just say, I mean, Austin Eckler in the Tony Pollard role is pretty good. You know? Mike Williams. I don't know. Keenan Allen.

I don't know. But all I know is that I think him coming out of nowhere and having a great drive with Justin Herbert and Austin Eckler cooking and then Keenan Allen cooking, coming up with some crazy ass dipsy do play that you don't see coming. Why didn't he do that with us? Just to blow it all up. Was he saving those plays? Did he have those in reserve?

No, he would do that every now and then. You're cruising. You're running it. You're throwing it. Now let some trick play come out of the bag. Just blow this thing up in the red zone.

Anything's better than what Herbert's been doing before. All right. Last one. That's crazy. It's possible. Did you hear the Jim Harbaugh stuff? I did.

I did, yeah. Still talking. He's going to be on an NFL sideline in 2023. No, that's an overreaction. Why is he still talking to Denver then?

If Denver calls him up and says, we want to meet with you, what's he going to tell them, beat it? Yeah, I'm committed to Michigan. Wouldn't you want to have a Walmart card? Come on, bro.

You've got to at least listen to the Walmarts. Then why go through the hoops of being like, I'm coming back to Michigan. I don't know. But I'll at this point say it's an overreaction. He says he's coming back to Michigan, and that's the end of that. You know? And that's the end of that. I'll take him at his word and say that's an overreaction.

And what he did was a professional courtesy to be heard out. I've already said I'm staying at Michigan. You want to come to Ann Arbor and chat with me? OK. 2023? You're not really interested. Like, you're not interested. Well, clearly he's interested.

But I don't think 2023 is going to happen. You shouldn't have put that number on the screen. Doing a lot of jobs open. Excuse me.

Doing a lot of jobs opening. Overreaction. And scene. 844204rich is the number to dial here on the Rich Eisen Show. We have an early favorite now for most talked about story that one of the quarterbacks is going to be tired of the most. It's Super Bowl 57. There's a new entry in that. Oh. Mm-hmm.

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Talk to a licensed specialist to find out if it's right for you. To buy! Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, 844-204-RICH number to dial. Hey, look, Jalen Hurts, one of the things that makes him so amazing is his fire that burns within. We got a hint of it when he was on this show prior to the draft, and we had him on in 2020, and we said, hey, you know, any team that drafts you, what are they going to get? And he goes, they're going to get the dog.

They're going to get a dog. I'm going to be leading that team. They're going to get somebody who's going to just constantly be one of the best or try to be one of the best. And we all know his journey as well from what happened in Alabama and then Oklahoma. And then, again, one of the big question marks for him is, has always been, is he one of the best? You know, he's got that fire, and he's got a lot of talent. He's one of the best. Well, this year, he's answered the question, yes, he's one of the best. And he will use anything. He's one of those types that will use anything to keep that fire going. And after yesterday's game, in which he's finally minted himself as a Super Bowl champion, I mean, Super Bowl, an NFC champion and a Super Bowl quarterback, he's finally minted himself as that, he let us in on one of the things that I had never heard him say that is part of the fire that burns within him.

This is what he had to say after hoisting the Hallis Trophy in Philadelphia for the Philadelphia Eagles. My first year here, I mean, they probably didn't even want to draft me here. You know, it was probably one of those things. But it always handled itself. John, you said a little bit ago they probably never wanted to draft me here.

Did you mean the front office, the fans? Yeah, I know, you know, there was a big surprise to many, a big surprise to many. But my favorite verse, you know, I went through a lot of stuff in college and it kind of stuck with me, John 13-7. You may not know now, but later you'll understand. Hopefully people understand. Man, why does he have to play for the Eagles?

I don't want to bet against either of these quarterbacks. Oh, my God. I love everything about him.

Yeah, he's awesome. And what he has just done, because I'm a veteran of these Super Bowls now. How many now? This is going to be my 20th with NFL Network. What he has done is he has opened the door for what were you referring to about who didn't want to draft you in Philadelphia. He has opened the door to being asked that at every press availability he has between now and kickoff. It's coming. And I'm sure they, you know, they have some top-notch veteran media relations folks in Philadelphia. They have to prepare him for that.

It's coming. One of the biggest mysteries in his journey, or a couple of them, is why did Saban turn to Tua that night? Well, the rumor is, is Tua told him he was going to transfer if he didn't get in the game, and that's never been confirmed, but that's been chatter that night, the next day, to this day. Yeah. And the other question that he didn't answer, I have asked Jalen Hurts on this show on live TV and radio, and he turned down the chance to talk about it.

Oh, yeah? And it was why was he benched in game 256 in what turned out to be Doug Peterson's final game as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles when the Washington commanders were in Philadelphia, Giants needed the Eagles to win, Hurts was playing this game, fourth quarter comes, and Nate Suddfeld trots in there, and Jalen Hurts, after getting his shot in Philadelphia, after Wentz proved himself to be no longer tenable as a starter, it got so bad, because Peterson was talking about, you know, Wentz this, Wentz that, it got so bad that Peterson finally turned to Jalen Hurts, and Hurts started balling out and showed Jalen Hurts things, and was performing way better at the position than Carson Wentz, we all saw it, and Hurts gets sat in the fourth quarter of that game. Now, talk was it that they were trying to get a better draft position, and so who didn't want him there? He was asked, fans, front office, is it the coach?

But whatever he knows, or whatever he thinks he knows, it doesn't matter, because that's the way he's feeling, and he's using it as his fire. And if I'm in the front office and I feel like I'm being called out by him, I don't care, use it. Put that Lombardi Trophy in your hand, please, let's have a parade, okay? And we'll deal with that down the line. And if you feel that you were slighted by us, okay, we'll talk about it at the negotiating table. Yeah, that's coming. So, yeah. But is he wrong, though?

And he'll be made to feel better. Is he wrong? I have no idea what happened, though, TJ. I'm just saying, like, the chatter, right? Up until this year, people still didn't, for whatever reason, believe that he was the guy for the Eagles. Well, I know that. I felt he was. I thought he proved it last year.

Yeah, I know, you were always a fan. And so, bottom line is, it doesn't matter what the real story is, because he feels it is real and it may be real and not imagined. He knows the story. I asked him what the story was on the benching.

Maybe this has nothing to do with the way he's feeling, but he has opened the door. It will be, Jalen, it will be tons of questions about, are you upset with the franchise that you brought to the Super Bowl? That's coming.

Chris Long coming up in hour number three. That's going to be the way it is phrased or the implication of the questions to him all next week. What did you mean by that? And he said, as he mentioned, a verse that he pegged to him beginning to think about in college, as he said a lot happened to him in college.

Yes, it did. And that's part of what his greatness is, is that he gets benched. He doesn't, I guess the transfer portal wasn't that much of a thing back then, but he could have said, I want out. He stuck around and as a matter of fact, he came back on, he got back on the field and he beat Georgia. And then he goes to Oklahoma. Then he winds up on the podium as a Heisman finalist. And along and to his right is Justin Fields and to his left is Chase Young and all three of them watch Joe Burrow take the trophy. He gets drafted second overall.

And there's no doubt when he got drafted second round, as a second round, not second overall, that when he's drafted in the second round, there's no doubt the Eagles were still hung up on making sure their former second overall pick in Wentz was going to work out. And I think this is what he's referring to. And I'm wondering if his benching has anything to do with whatever he's talking about here or me asking him point blank. He did not answer when I had him on and asked him about a page turns and stuff like that. I don't think the pages turned on on this statement that he said, it's coming for super like this is going to be a Super Bowl conversation all this week and next. Chris Long coming up.