They are chanting Joe Flacco's name in Cleveland

Now, your ideas don't have to wait.

Now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are creating technology that loves ideas, loves expanding your business, evolving your passions. We push what technology can do, so great ideas can happen right now.

Find out how to bring your ideas to life at dell.com slash welcome to now. And now, sitting in for Rich, it's Dan Schwartzman. Oh, it is a Friday here, the final Friday of 2023.

Dan Schwartzman in for Rich Eisen, the Rich Eisen Show. Man, oh man, week 17 of the season got underway last night, Thursday Night Football. I'm a jet fan, yeah, it was ugly. No question about it, that team has literally gone on a mental vacation at this point. Got eliminated from the postseason, they just stopped caring and it showed. Kind of an embarrassing fashion, but congratulations to the Cleveland Browns are in order. That is a team that has secured its second playoff berth since 2002.

Think about that futility. Second time in 21 years they have secured a postseason berth and it is well deserved and I have to tell you, I love seeing Joe Flacco do what he's done. This is a guy who was literally picked up off the proverbial scrap heap by Cleveland when they were desperate for a quarterback, right? Deshaun Watson gets banged up, Dorian Thompson, the rookie, doesn't get it done per se.

Injuries are always a concern there. Flacco comes in literally off of the retirement scrap heap. Never officially retired of course, but I think some teams already thought of him as being retired and all he's done is lead this team to what a 4-1 record I believe it is. 13 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, he's thrown for over 300 yards in 4 straight games, had 296 passing yards in the first half yesterday in that 37-20 win.

Now, let's temper our excitement a little bit here. It's a great story and I do like seeing it, especially the fact that Joe Flacco literally owned, he owned the Cleveland Browns when he was the quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens. I think he went like 18-3 against them, no joke.

I think it was like 18-3. And you know that great line, who's your daddy? Well for the Cleveland Browns, it was Joe Flacco. And for them to have to reach and get him, a guy that was so hated by the Cleveland fan base, to where they're now being cheered in. C.J. Mosley of the Jets, the linebacker, the all-pro linebacker who played with Flacco not just in New York as Flacco played with the Jets for the last 3 years, but they also go back to their days in Baltimore together.

After the game when they're shaking hands on the field and hugging, C.J. Mosley made it a point to bring up the fact that he can't believe that Browns fans are chanting Joe Flacco's name and cheering for him after all those years of booing him mercilessly. And rightfully so, he's a quarterback of the opposing team and a team that they hate. The Baltimore Ravens were once the Cleveland Browns, Art Modell overnight picked them up and moved them to Baltimore. And now they're cheering for a guy who's literally got them into the postseason for the second time since 2002.

It's a fascinating story. They won a Super Bowl, didn't they? They won a Super Bowl. The Ravens? Yeah, didn't they? Joe Flacco had one of the great postseasons in NFL history where he threw for 12 touchdowns and no interceptions throughout that postseason.

He was awesome that postseason. They beat Kaepernick, right? I believe so.

I believe you're correct on that. And Flacco was great and that led to him getting a contract that made him the highest paid quarterback in football for a cup of coffee. Listen, you know, Joe Flacco in his career, when it's all said and done, he's been a good quarterback. He's not a great quarterback. He's been a good quarterback.

But he's won a Super Bowl and he's now 38 years old and he's been in this league a heck of a long time. Yes. They beat the Niners? They beat the Niners 34-31 and that was in 2013. That's right. I can't believe it's been that long.

Wow. And by the way, Flacco did not even play well in 2013 through 19 touchdowns. Well, was the game in 13 or was it in the 2012 season? It was in the 2012 season. It was in 13.

Okay. He played well. 22 touchdowns, 10 interceptions that year, throwing for almost 4,000 yards. Yeah, they were in 10 and 6 that year. Yeah.

Not great. In that game, though, he had three touchdowns. Well, that whole postseason, I believe he had 12 touchdowns, no interceptions. And he's thrown a bunch of picks in his career. You know, every year in Baltimore, except his final year when he only played nine games, he threw double-digit interceptions. For his career, he's thrown 245 touchdowns, 155 interceptions, and he's thrown for 44,000 yards. He's had a very good career. He's not great by any stretch of the imagination, but he's won a bunch of games.

And he's resurrected his career now with Cleveland, and who knows what it means? At this point, he's an incredibly valuable backup. And as a Jets fan, you know, you have to wonder for Joe Douglas, who, by the way, worked in the Baltimore Ravens organization when I'm sure Flacco was there, probably should have picked up the phone four plays into the season when Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles and paid for a plane ticket to get him to New York to play for the Jets rather than Zach Wilson. Now, obviously, the offensive line with the Jets is a serious issue, and Flacco probably would not have had the success he's having now with Cleveland. But could he have been any worse than Zach Wilson?

Probably not. I'm just saying that's a big discussion in New York, whether Joe Douglas screwed up and should have gone after Joe Flacco to come in as the veteran presence and take over from Aaron Rodgers when he went down again. Four plays into his first season as a Jet against the Buffalo Bills on national TV. Was that Sunday Night Football? I believe it was.

To start the season for them. Yeah, yeah, that was. Yeah, Sunday Night Football. Yeah, I did that game.

Yeah, that's right. I worked for Westwood One, and I did that game. I couldn't believe it. I was a Jets fan. I'm sitting there on the floor watching the game, and I was so excited and so hyped up. Remember, they had that incredible display with the fireworks and things, and they had the lights turned down, and I think Flacco and I think Rodgers runs out. I think the American flag, I think it was.

It was amazing. And then literally four plays later, I'm sitting there going, what the beep? And my wife comes in. She says, what's wrong? I said, what the beep?

Beep is obviously an expletive. And I was like, you're not going to believe this. She goes, what? And I'm like, Aaron Rodgers is hurt.

And I think it's serious. And she's like, what? And she's like, how do you root for this team? I'm like, I don't know. I've rooted for this team for 38 years.

You know, I was probably about seven years old, and I started really watching and caring. She's like, how do you root for this team? I said, I have no idea, but I'm not surprised it's happened. I'm not surprised. This is what it means to be a Jets fan. As a Jets fan, you kind of expect the other shoe to fall at some point, and it certainly did four plays into the season. And what's incredible was that massive hype going in, right? The Jets were hard knocks, as well they should have been.

That was a big storyline. They're scheduled to be on, what, five or six nationally televised games throughout the year. And you have them for four plays before that season comes crashing to a halt.

Unbelievable. But again, that's what it means to be a Jets fan. And it also means watching a guy like Joe Flacco, who spent 2020 to 2022 as your backup quarterback, come in and destroy you 37 to 20. Not only does he throw for 300 plus yards, I believe he's the first quarterback to do that against the Jets this year, but he also sends his Cleveland Browns team to the postseason, and he's four and one.

He himself, in five games, has two less wins than the entire Jets team has. That's how pathetic it is. But it's a great story. It is.

You know, you gotta... He's not a bad guy. He's never gotten in any trouble. There's never been any criminal allegations against him the way there is with Deshaun Watson or Ben Roethlisberger, somebody like that. You know, Flacco's been kind of an intense guy, but you never heard really bad things about him. And it's good to see a guy like that come out of nowhere, succeed, get a fan base behind him, lead a team like this. The guy is a leader.

And you know what, Art, we talked about leadership yesterday, right? I said that to me Russell Wilson's always been kind of that fraud leader. A guy that I think has to work too hard to try to portray the image of being a leader the way that Alex Rodriguez in baseball would do. But I think a guy like Joe Flacco walks in off the street, 38 years old, has that Super Bowl ring. Guys look at him and there's an aura of respect, right? He's still a lunch pail type of guy.

He played for that lunch pail team with Baltimore, the rugged Baltimore Ravens. You know, a guy like Russell Wilson brings celebrity status. He's got the celebrity wife.

He's got the commercials, right? He's an A-list celebrity is what he is, as much as he is a quarterback in the NFL. He's married to Ciara, beautiful woman, right? She's obviously a known person. I couldn't tell you who Joe Flacco's wife is. Heck, I don't even know if he's married. I'm sure he is.

But I have no idea who she is. I don't remember Joe Flacco being in a commercial. I'm sure he's been in something, but doesn't come top of the mind to me, right Art? Do you remember him doing any commercial?

I can't think of something. No, nuh-uh. Right. He's not a celebrity. He's not a B-level celebrity.

He's not a C-level celebrity. He's Joe Flacco, lunch pail quarterback, good career. Slightly better than Trent Dilfer type of thing, right? That's how you kind of view it.

So to see a guy like that come out and do what he's done, it's easy to root for. And you can tell the Cleveland Browns have gravitated to Joe Flacco and they're succeeding. So good for them. I don't know how far they go in the playoffs.

I have no idea. Kind of like the Detroit Lions, right? I mean, the Detroit Lions are playing great football. They're playing, what, tomorrow against Dallas in a really fun NFC matchup. Huge game. Huge game. You know, playoff seeding, things like this, it's a huge game.

And that's a great story too, but to me it's similar, right? Cleveland's got 11 wins. Detroit's got 11 wins going into tomorrow's game. But both of them could lose in the first round of the playoffs and it wouldn't shock me, right? Like, if the Browns get bounced in the first round, I'd be like, all right, cool. Not surprised. Lions get bounced in the first round, not surprised.

They're kind of similar in that situation. But I've always rooted for the underdog. That's because I'm a Jets fan and they're usually the underdog. So to see something like this, I can appreciate it. I can enjoy the moment. I can understand it and say to myself, look, this is great. It's a nice story.

It makes sense. And I have a lot of friends in the state of Ohio. I'm an Ohio University graduate, so I spent, you know, five years in college. I was on the five-year plan art.

I call it the academic red shirt, is what I like to call it. Well, nowadays they all are. Yeah. And you see some of these guys, Joe Burrow, I mean, how many years was that guy in school? Well, Stetson Bennett was in school. How many years was it in Georgia? Six, seven years. Oh my, that guy's been in school for eight years.

Well, we talked about what? Joe Milton of Tennessee yesterday. He's been in college six years, three at Michigan, three at Tennessee. You better show, you know what, you better show up in the NFL with a degree if you've been in college for six years. Heck, you should have a graduate degree too.

Absolutely. Right, like you should have a five-year program to win the undergrad degree and at least a one-year graduate program. So your five-year degree is nothing new now. No, I did not get an NIL deal though when I was in college for my five years. No one wanted to hire me for an NIL because there's an academic red shirt I like to call it, not of course an athletic red shirt. Although these athletes say like millionaires.

Isn't it incredible? Like you have like college athletes who are millionaires. Caleb Williams.

Who were even getting to the NFL. Caleb. What's he making? Multiple millions. Yes.

Multiple millions. I remember when Chris Wenke, remember Chris Wenke, he was the quarterback at Florida State. Florida State. Yep, and he had been in the Toronto Blue Jays organization and he came to Florida State I think at 25 and he was like a second round pick, got a nice signing bonus. And you always heard the stories that Chris Wenke threw great parties at Florida State because he had money. Like he was a college kid who had money because he had played in, you know, minor league baseball, not that they get paid anything, but he was a bonus baby. Got a nice bonus coming out of high school as a high draft pick in baseball. Now it's like these guys are making three, four, five million dollars.

What's the point of coming out? That's why you give your Caleb Williams. How much money are you making next year in the NFL? I guess it's what like 10 million probably in the slot deal. Four years, 40 million, something like that. I would venture to guess staying at USC for one more year.

He's not going to probably make 10 million bucks, but he can make multiple millions of dollars. It's unbelievable. And everybody talked about and I know we're kind of going off here a little bit, Art, but that's what we do on a Friday. Remember how the conversation used to be, how do we clean up college sports? Like, how do you get booster money out of college sports?

Well, that conversation is clearly dead. At this point, there's no getting booster money out. It's the question is how much can you now get in to make sure your recruiting classes are top five? It's honestly stunning to me what we're looking at when it comes to all these NIL deals and all this money that's being thrown around to college athletes.

I mean, you're talking gobs and gobs of money, Art. Yeah, we chose the wrong career path. Well, we were blessed to be like six foot four, you know, built like a Greek god with the ability to run a four or five forty.

We weren't blessed with those abilities. I've worked with pro athletes. Although I was pretty good in baseball. If I hadn't have signed a contract when I was 18 with the government. Right, you signed the wrong contract. Not the highly paying one. You signed the Marine contract.

Yes, US Marines. Listen, it's an honorable contract. It is, and I give you a lot of credit for that. I could have been a baseball player. You could have been a contender.

Could have been a contender. Oh, man. Well, you know, it's funny. I think everybody's sick right now.

You have that too, Art? No. How's it out there? No.

She is in the East Coast. You alright? No, I'm okay.

I'm okay. It's one of those days. It's Friday, you know. You need a tissue.

No, no. It's the voice. The voice is kind of a little run down today. It's been a long week. It has been a long week. I know. It really has. Can you believe that when I said the last Friday of 2023? Yeah, and the last Rich Eisen show. Of 2023?

That's correct. I will host the last one of this year and the first one next year. We are. Yeah, we are. Next Monday. You and I. Excuse me.

I will be in for Rich on Monday as well. Alright, listen. It's tough buying tickets out there, isn't it? Who has not been frustrated ticket buying for sporting events, entertainment, concerts, whatever it may be?

Well, guess what? It doesn't have to be that way. You shouldn't have to worry when you buy tickets to your next big event. That's because game time is a fast and easy way to buy tickets for all sports, music, comedy, and theater events near you. They have the killer last minute deals all in prices and no shock sticker price when you click take me to my cart. You get the view from your seat so you see exactly what you're going to see when you purchase your ticket and show up at the arena. And they have the best price guarantee. Game time takes the guesswork out of buying tickets. That's what you want. I've had to deal buying last minute tickets, flash deals, zone deals, trying to deal with all that.

And guess what? Sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you're not. But why do you want to cross your fingers and press your luck?

You don't. This is easy to find and buy tickets for every kind of event in your area. They have the lowest price guarantee, event cancellation protection, as well as job loss protection as well. See the view from your seat before you buy.

You know exactly what to expect. All in prices show your total upfront. You know you're getting a great deal before you check out. Buy tickets in seconds, literally with two taps. Game time has deals on tickets right up to the start of the event, even an hour after it starts. It's a place to find last minute seats, find exclusive flash deals, sponsors deals on tickets for football, baseball, basketball, concerts, comedy, theater, and more. You pick the section and game time picks the seats. That's the zone deal for big time savings. And the game time guarantee means you always get the best price. If you find tickets in the same section and row for less, they will credit you 110% of the difference.

Now take the guesswork out of buying tickets with game time. Download the game time app. Create yourself an account. Use the code RICH for $20 off your first purchase. Restrictions apply. Visit gametime.co for terms. Again, create an account and redeem the code RICH for $20 off. Download game time today.

Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. All right, more football talk coming up. Steve Weiss, chief national reporter for NFL Network, co-host of the NFL Report, co-host of Game Day Preview as well. What's up with Brock Purdy? Who is the best team in the NFL?

What the heck is wrong with the Eagles and the Chiefs? Steve Weiss joins us. Dan Schwartzman on a Friday, just underway, in for Rich on the Rich Eisen Show. You know, in today's world, it seems the best treatment is reserved only for a few. Well, Discover wants to change that by making everyone feel special. That's why with your Discover card, you have access to 24-7 live customer service as well as zero dollar fraud liability, which means you're never held responsible for unauthorized purchases. Finally, no matter who you are or where you are in life, you'll feel special. With Discover.

Learn more at Discover.com slash credit card. Limitations apply. With SOTIC 2 for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, you could show off your skin again.

And you know what that means? Peach Day. As a TIC 2 inhibitor, SOTIC 2 is the only once daily pill of its kind for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Ask your dermatologist about SOTIC 2 today and learn more at SoClearlyYou.com.

That's SoClearlyYou.com. SOTIC 2, decravicitinib, is a prescription treatment for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who may benefit from systemic therapy or phototherapy. Don't take if you're allergic to SOTIC 2. Serious reactions can occur. Before treatment, get checked for infections, including tuberculosis. SOTIC 2 can lower your ability to fight infections. Don't start if you have one. Serious infections, cancers including lymphoma, muscle problems, and changes in certain labs have occurred.

Tell your doctor if you have a history of these events or if you have an infection or symptoms like fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches, or cough. Or if you have history of hepatitis B or C, liver or kidney problems, high triglycerides, or had a vaccine or plan to. SOTIC 2 inhibits TIC 2, which is part of the JAK family. People 50 and older with heart disease risk factors who use a JAK inhibitor are at increased risk for certain side effects, sometimes fatal.

It's unknown if SOTIC 2 has the same risks as JAK inhibitors. Call 1-888-SOTYK-TU to learn more. I didn't ask to be thrown in the streets, but I did ask for help, and Covenant House was there for me. For these kids who didn't ask to be put in this unthinkable situation, Covenant House is there.

To learn more, go to SafePlaceToSleep.org today. Music Could be the final play of the game. Jets have no timeouts remaining. 37 to 20, Browns. Fourth and one. Simeon, quick hitter over the middle, caught by Yaboa, and he will be tackled at the 12.

That's it. The Cleveland Browns are going to the playoffs. This remarkable run continues with Joe Flacco leading the offense. Cleveland, 11 and 5. What a story being written.

That is Zion Eagle, courtesy of Westwood One. The final play of Thursday Night Football, final Thursday Night Football game of the season. The Cleveland Browns making it to the postseason, second time since 2002. Joe Flacco has been an amazing story. Joining us, Steve Weiss, chief national reporter for NFL Network, co-host of the NFL Report, and co-host of Game Day Preview as well. Steve, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year to you, and what a Christmas and New Year's it's been for a Cleveland Browns fan. How stunned are you? If I had told you Deshaun Watson would play, what, half a season, and somehow this team would win 11 games and make the postseason, you'd probably think I'm crazy, correct?

Yeah, I think that would pretty much be the case. This is, in a season where there's been so many unreal storylines, this is one of the all-time feel-goods, I won't say all-time, but for the year, just because here's Joe Flacco, his former team, the Jets, says no, we want no parts of them. A lot of these other teams that have gone to their third and fourth quarterbacks didn't call them. He comes to Cleveland, and I covered his first start, it was at the Rams, and I was speaking to some coaches on the sideline before the game, and they were telling me, this dude's in great shape, and we frankly can run more of our passing game with him, who's been here for less than a week, than we've been able to all season. And next thing you know, it's not just Joe Flacco sitting in the pocket like we saw him in Baltimore, he's rolling out in a moving pocket, he's zipping throws downfield, he's making reads that some of the other quarterbacks they had couldn't make, and he's throwing the ball with some oomph on it on time. And they've only built on that, so he has been, and I just love how the city has just absolutely embraced him, he is a hero in that town, for all the years the Browns fans hated him when he played for the Ravens.

And he's also extended his crew, I mean this guy can now sit back Steve and be a backup quarterback, and get a nice paycheck for probably at least another four years due to this performance, I mean think about it, he's 38 right, he's in great shape as you said, he can still zip that football, he looked great, he looked young out there yesterday, and he has since that Rams game, he's 4-1, the guy can now sit back and have a second career which he probably never thought, and earn a couple of bucks, good for him. But you know what, look I'm a Jets fan, I've put up with a lot of crap, Browns fans have had it worse than me though Steve, and you mentioned it, you know they've embraced Joe Flacco, but it's nice to see right, that's a loyal fan base that had to deal with losing a team, and then have to deal with such terrible play on the field for so many years, you gotta love what this means for the fan base of that team because they're very loyal Steve. A million percent, and I spent a lot of time up there, and look those fans, like all Lebron did for the Cavaliers, they would trade it all in for one championship with these Browns, because it hasn't just been the revolving door of quarterbacks, and bad play on the field, it has been absolute organizational dysfunction. And the fact that Andrew Berry the GM, and Kevin Stefanski the head coach, and what they have done to really bring stability over the past couple of years, that organization, even with the Deshaun Watson move, to stop all the leaks to the media, to stop some of the chaos so to speak, and to be in this position. I mean Kevin Stefanski to me right now is clearly at the top of the food chain when it comes to coach of the year, to be able to do everything that they've done, and to build a roster that can sustain, I mean that defense is great, Jim Schwartz a defensive coordinator has been fantastic, but there's just like a feeling in that organization, in that locker room, in that city, that you know it's kind of magical, it doesn't happen often in professional sports. So again, riding this roller coaster in Cleveland, not even roller coaster, riding the high point of it, I think is absolutely great, because that fan base, I mean they've gone through the hall of dysfunction, whatever they call it, and they've remained loyal.

The factory of sadness is what they called it, and they have remained loyal, I'm just really happy for that fan base, they're getting this fleeting moment maybe of joy. NFL Network's Steve Weiss joining us here on the Rich Eisen Show, Dan Schwartzman in for Rich. On the other side of it, you know, Robert Sala is a well respected players coach, they all rave about him, but that team seemingly has kind of quit on him.

That was a terrible performance, especially for the defense which has been the calling card. You know, if Aaron Rodgers doesn't have assistant GM next to his title of quarterback of the Jets, do they run it back with the same coaching staff in your mind, Steve? No, no, no, this is, look, I'm a big fan of Robert Sala, but he's, you know, he's been co-opted. You know, just like you said, with Aaron Rodgers, you know, he's like, hey, Nathaniel Hackett's got to come, we've got to have this, Aaron Rodgers gets hurt. Now, Aaron Rodgers is probably buying Robert Sala another year, because like you said, he's got to run it back with the staff.

But this is a mess. And you know, look, when Aaron Rodgers can come in next year and stay healthy, they could maybe go on the same type of ride the Browns are going on. But imagine being a player, imagine being a player on that defense where you have tried to hold things together all year for an offense that is just brutal, from some of the personnel to the quarterback to the offensive coordinator, Aaron Rodgers, buddy and Nathaniel Hackett. Like, it's awful. So at some point, they're going to break down, we've seen this happen year after year, or one side of the ball has to carry a unit, and they just can't do it over and over again.

So they know they're going fishing, you know, in a couple weeks. So this is, you know, this type of performance isn't surprising. I don't think they quit on Robert Sala, I would never accuse that of happening.

But you just know, at some point, it's, it's, you know, those bricks are going to start to come out of the Jenga tower. And that's what happened last night. Yeah, no question about it is awful performance 296 passing yards from Flacco in the first half, which is unheard of against this Jets defense with a secondary with Ahmad, you know, sauce Gardner and DJ read really disappointing. I want to get to the 49ers and Brock Purdy, he's had an incredible start to his career.

People said MVP MVP, then there was a big hiccup against the Ravens, where he throws four picks just one bad outing in your mind, or did the Ravens pick up on something there? When it comes to Brock Purdy, that should concern the 49ers? Well, it's probably some some of both a little bit lesser about concerning the 49ers. I think that maybe the, you know, I think maybe the Ravens found a couple things. One, they've got the personnel that matches up well, you know, they've got a great defensive front, their, their linebackers can run with, you know, some of the some of the speed that the Niners had. But you know, look, Purdy just had, you know, those deflections at the line of scrimmage as it's that turned into a pick a bad communication that turned into a pick. If you notice this, like the Niners were moving the ball, and there'd be a pick, go look at the gamebook or whatever, go review the game film. When the Ravens score touchdowns, they were after interceptions. If they had to drive the length of the field, they were either punting or kicking field goals. So that's why I say this is a to me, this is a bad outing by Purdy, he hasn't had any of these all season.

Now, it's going to be telltale. I think this this young man is mentally strong. But the last time he had a multi interception game with the Vikings, in a loss this season, he filed that up with a multi interception game against the Bengals. So we'll see they're playing Washington this week. This is the type of team that you should get well against. So you know, we'll see how the rest of the team also shows up. But I think Brock Purdy is going to be just fine. You know, all the people who, well, it's a big point of the season, he maybe he's getting the yips. Well, you know, last year as a rookie, at the tail end of the season, he was playing his tail off, as was the team, you know, and had he not got hurt against the Eagles, who knows if it could have been them in the Super Bowl. So I don't think the moment is too big for him.

But you know, we'll we'll just see how he bounces back for it. Because you know, his head coach sure as hell, has shown a tremendous amount of faith in supporting him. Steve, I think he probably gave up any chance at the MVP with that performance. But Lamar Jackson on the other side wins the game. Is he in your mind, the 2023 NFL MVP?

Yeah, I mean, as of right now, I mean, the only other person I could see, you know, maybe making a late run and challenging him, maybe Christian McCaffrey, maybe to a tongue by Loa, maybe Josh Allen, but I still wouldn't put them over Lamar. And people say, Well, look at the stats and this and that. Look what he does for them.

Yeah, right. He you know, he, he, he is such a magician with the ball and the poise he's showing now, whereas before, a couple years ago, he would just take it and run it. Now he's running to the line of scrimmage, putting, putting the defense on the line. So if you're a defensive back or linebacker in conflict, are you going to come tackle me?

Are you going to drop off on the receiver? Because I'm going to make my move, depending on what you do, like the poise he's showing now in the scheme that Todd Monk is running. I think he's, he's the MVP, because I think the Ravens are going to continue winning and being the top seed in the AFC. No, I agree with you on that. Forget statistics. Statistics are overrated. It's what he means to the team, what he's done in leading him, and certainly I think Lamar Jackson has shown above and beyond.

It's more than just statistics. Steve Weish, NFL Network, joining us here. Dan Schwartzman in for Rich Eisen on this Friday. Last year, we had the Eagles and the Chiefs in the Super Bowl is a 38-35 win by Kansas City. Both teams are struggling right now. Which team is, to you, more concerning heading into the post? The post season in a couple weeks. Oh, that's Kansas City.

1,000%. Because the same things we were saying in week three or four about them, we're saying now. Highly penalized on offense. Instead of it being second and three, it's all of a sudden, you know, second and 13. You know, they can't get out of their way.

The receivers can't get open. The, you know, Mahomes in the game last week, you know, he's looking at the pass rush of the Raiders. You know, we just don't see him do that.

So he's no, he's no longer trusting what's going on. It just seemed they, you know, and I made this comparison. They seem like the Warriors, the Golden State Warriors, like, who've just won so much consistently that at times, you know, they let go the fundamentals, they let go the little things. And when they don't happen when they want them to, they lose their composure. And that seems to be happening more and more week to week. And so I think losing some of the leadership, some of the player accountability, I think losing Eric, the enemy, the offensive coordinator, who, as we know, has a style. Some people call it accountable.

Some people call it gruff. But it got guys going right week to week. Right. And so it's, I am much more concerned about them than I am with the Eagles, because I do think the Eagles have an enormous amount of talent that will get them through when all else fails. Even though their defense is a concern right now. But the Chiefs to me, you know, the fact that they're going to Patrick Holmes could be playing is going to be playing his first road playoff game. That's crazy.

They just seem they just seem out of sync, man. It is insane, you think about that, that he's playing his first road playoff game. But, you know, I'm not superstitious. But the Taylor Swift thing, ever since she's come into the picture, Travis Kelce hasn't played up to what we expect and the team hasn't really won. She is not stepping on the field. She is not stepping on the field.

Don't do that. Don't put that on her. I'm not putting it on her. But, you know, sometimes when cameras are on a team a bit more than they should be, and, you know, every game the cameras are focused on that and questions on that, you know, it does become a distraction. And while she's not on the field, obviously, and she's not dropping passes because her name isn't Caderius Toney, the reality is, you know, unfairly she has taken a focal point from the team. I don't mean, you know, she's, you know, causing them to drop passes, things like that. I'm just saying is, you know, when a team is focusing on a season, as you know, Steve, you know, you've been around this league a very long time and just, you know, knowing how players are and how they focus during a season, go through routines and every day is kind of a routine.

If you get thrown off a little bit, does it kind of, you know, hurt things? This is, look, last I checked, Patrick Mahomes spent all of last season without our knowledge until this year doing, filming the quarterback series for Netflix. Right.

That's the type of thing that can take your eye off the prize, right? Not, you know, yeah, okay, Taylor Swift is here, you know, one player is dating a superstar, springing attention. This is the Kansas City Chiefs fan. This isn't your jets, right? This is a team for real. This is a veteran laden team with a veteran head coach that can handle distraction.

It's handled it before. Like I said, to me, Patrick Mahomes doing that series last year and having the cameras on him all time at all times and his teammates knowing those cameras are there. That's more behind the scenes. That's more in your lane, you know, in your bathroom, so to speak. Screwing up routine kind of thing, right? Yeah, that's more, you know, the hard knocks. That is more in your private space, in your sanctuary, bringing some different type of attention than Taylor Swift.

I think that I'm going to give the Chiefs a little bit more mature credit than letting something like that cause the offensive tackles to jump offsides five times a game. I do have to admit, Steve, I am a Swiftie. I have a 13-year-old daughter, so she's kind of gotten me into it. We're supposed to go see her in Paris in May, just saying, you know? Oh, okay.

Well, that's a baller move right there. I'll tell you why. You want to hear the craziest thing? It's cheaper for us to go to Paris to see Taylor Swift than to have bought secondary tickets to MetLife Stadium in New York. You know what? My wife and her friend actually went to Belgium this summer to see Beyoncé because it was less expensive with airfare to do exactly what she's talking about.

Yeah, airfare, Airbnb stay, food, it's going to be cheaper to go to Paris and see Taylor Swift than for me to go across the river to New Jersey. Steve, last question. It's amazing. And by the way, I'm not turning down a shift to Paris, but I'll tell you, Steve, we had Mike Pritchard on the show yesterday, and I asked him this question, and I want to ask it to you as well.

If you're the Chargers, do you call up Robert Kraft and you say, I'm going to give you a first-round pick for Bill Belichick? No. Wow. No, really? Okay.

First off, I live in L.A. I'm around the Chargers. They have a certain structure with their team. Bill Belichick's going to come in here, want to be the one voice, head coach, GM, and the don. Right? That is not, the Chargers are much more of a family-based structure, right?

And so they do like to have checks and balances. So I think everyone's going to make the first, the hot candidate, the number one candidate, and this is speaking to be Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Lions. And I'm sure the Chargers are going to make a run for him. I think Dan Quinn, the DC of the Cowboys, is somebody else who's going to be in play because he would keep Kellen Moore, the offensive coordinator from their days in Dallas. That's something, but I just don't think what, you know, getting another defensive guy and getting somebody who has got that type of authoritative hammer fits with what, with how Dean Spanos has liked to operate his organization. So I don't think that happens, and I definitely don't think they're parting with the first-round draft. Steve, if you're a betting man, then where's Belichick next year?

I think Washington might be the structure. You know, I don't know what Josh Harris, the new owner necessarily is looking for, but I wouldn't be surprised if he says, hey Bill, come in here and coach maybe for a year, but we really want you to be kind of the overlord of our football operation as we redesign things here. You know, they're trying to get a new stadium.

They're trying to create a whole new thing there. So having, you know, like what Parcells did with Miami several years ago, you know, getting something like that, going to at least resolidify the model that he wants while he's coaching for a year or two, I think might be a place I could see that happening. Believe it or not, yeah, with some of the openings, yeah, he's from Annapolis and all that, but with some of the openings that could come up, I don't think he's going to be the number one candidate in most of them. He's also what, 72 or something, so it's probably not going to, yeah, how many more years does he really want to do this is I think the other question. You're right. Do you give up a first-round pick for a guy who's 72 years old?

Probably not. If he's 60, that's another story, but it's going to be interesting to see what happens this offseason with Belichick. Chances are he's not going to be back with the Patriots. Steve Weish, chief national reporter for NFL Network, co-host of the NFL Report, co-host of Game Day Preview as well. Steve, happy new year to you. Always appreciate you hopping on the show. Happy new year and thanks for having me. Awesome stuff there. How about that?

So we are one and one. We're at 500 right now in terms of if the Chargers should give up first-round pick for Bill Belichick. Like what he said, the structure of the team is built differently. Now, I do have to say that structure hasn't worked in LA slash San Diego. They haven't won anything.

Do they go in a different direction or do they keep trying to run it back with the same structure? They're always going to be San Diego. I agree 100%. They will always be San Diego. All right, stream the NFL and Westwood One for free. Sponsored by AutoZone all season long. You can listen to every Westwood One broadcast of the NFL Live on the NFL app by asking Alexa to quote, Open WWO Sports. We're on your Westwood One affiliate station's digital platforms. That's right, stream Kevin Harlan, Kurt Warner, and Rich Eisen all season long for free. And get in the zone with AutoZone.

The free AutoZone fix finder service can help you find a fix for free. Get in the zone, AutoZone restrictions apply. Speaking of the Chiefs, a certain Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver hurled some disrespect at their secondary.

Smart move and is that certain wide receiver correct? We're going to talk about that next. I am Dan Schwartzman.

It is a Friday. I'm in for Rich Eisen here on the Rich Eisen Show. With SOTIC-2 for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, you could show off your skin again.

And you know what that means? As a TIC-2 inhibitor, SOTIC-2 is the only once daily pill of its kind for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Ask your dermatologist about SOTIC-2 today and learn more at SoClearlyYou.com.

That's SoClearlyYou.com. SOTIC-2, decravicitinib, is a prescription treatment for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who may benefit from systemic therapy or phototherapy. Don't take if you're allergic to SOTIC-2. Serious reactions can occur. Before treatment, get checked for infections, including tuberculosis. SOTIC-2 can lower your ability to fight infections. Don't start if you have one. Serious infections, cancers including lymphoma, muscle problems, and changes in certain labs have occurred.

Tell your doctor if you have a history of these events or if you have an infection or symptoms like fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches, or cough. Or if you have history of hepatitis B or C, liver or kidney problems, high triglycerides, or had a vaccine or plan to. SOTIC-2 inhibits TIC-2, which is part of the JAK family. People 50 and older with heart disease risk factors who use a JAK inhibitor are at increased risk for certain side effects, sometimes fatal.

It's unknown if SOTIC-2 has the same risks as JAK inhibitors. Call 1-888-SOTYKTU to learn more. I didn't ask to be thrown in the streets, but I did ask for help, and Covenant House was there for me. For these kids who didn't ask to be put in this unthinkable situation, Covenant House is there.

To learn more, go to safepalstosleep.org today. All right, folks, let's talk about game time, and let's talk about buying tickets to big time events, because it can be worrisome, it can be time consuming, and it can be expensive. So, game time is the fast and easy way to buy tickets for all the sports, music, comedy, and theater events near you. You can see the view from your seat before you buy, so you know exactly what to expect when you arrive. They have all-in prices that show you your total up front, so you know you're getting a great deal without hidden fees.

And how easy is it to use? You can buy tickets on game time in seconds with two taps, and there's a game time guarantee, which means you'll always get the best price. If you find tickets in the same section and row for less, game time will credit you 110% of the difference.

It is so awesome, I use it, you should as well. For sports, music, comedy, did I mention theater events? All near you. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with game time. Download the game time app, create an account, it's so easy, and use code ISIN for $20 off your first purchase.

Restrictions apply. Visit GameTime.co for terms. Again, create an account and redeem the code E-I-S-E-N for $20 off. Download game time today.

Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. Music Coming in for Rich Eisen on a Friday, it's the Rich Eisen Show. Final show of 2023, I'll be back on Monday. The first show of 2024, thanks again to Steve Weiss, Chief National Reporter for NFL Network. Interesting take on, would you, if you're the Chargers, give him a first round pick and bring in Bill Belichick? Mike Pritchard yesterday said yes, Steve Weiss says no. Interesting.

And I understand the logic on both sides. I say yes, just because if you're the Chargers, I think you just need a change. You know, bring in the young coach, which is what they will do. You know, Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Lions is a hot, you know, he's a hot commodity and that's a name everybody's going to talk about. Even Dan Quinn, who, you know, I mean, didn't do a great job with the Falcons.

His name is back out there. Are those guys really the ones you want to bring in to try to turn things around? You're wasting precious years of Justin Herbert's prime right now is what they're doing. Well, young player, great player for the Cincinnati Bengals.

They are eight and seven. Kansas City is nine and six. That's a big game coming up on Sunday. Go Bengals. Go Bengals.

That's right. You need the Bengals to win. You need your Raiders to win as well. Raiders still have a chance, amazingly, to not just make the playoffs, but win the division. If we went out and Kansas City loses out. Cincinnati's right now in the 10th slot in the AFC playoff picture.

They're on the outside looking in. They, of course, are tied with Pittsburgh for third place in that AFC North. Ravens are in already. The Browns after yesterday's win, they are in. Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and Houston are all eight and seven in the south. Dolphins are in. They're 11 and four in the east.

And then Kansas City, as you mentioned, with the Raiders, still fighting it out for that division. Well, Jamar Chase was asked about the Kansas City Chiefs secondary, and this is what he had to say for himself. What stands out about that secondary for the Chiefs?

If I'm being honest, nothing. They just know how to play us. They know the leverages. They know what place we in. They just know what we're going to do certain movements. They throw a little double doubles at us to stop the two best players on our side, and that's all they do. I mean, it's not really like they got a Jill and Ramsey on these squads, you know what I'm saying? So, not much. Is that what you want to say? Yeah, yeah.

I do believe in the terminology of poking the bear. This is a team that won the Super Bowl last year that, yeah, they have struggled this year. And on the face of it, what Jamar Chase is actually accurate. That's not a great secondary. There's no superstar. Frankly, it's probably not even somebody you would call a star in that secondary. But why do you want to give them that extra motivation above and beyond the motivation they already have, which is we have yet to lock up our division. And as Steve Weiss just said, you're talking about Patrick Mahomes probably going to have to go play his first road playoff game. So why would you poke the bear called the Kansas City Chiefs in a really important game for you as well? I'm not so sure that's the smartest thing to say.

I've always wondered why guys would say that. He's Jamar Chase, though. I mean, he's great. He's a great wide receiver. He's a great wide receiver. Fine. Don't disagree with you there. But do you want to give anybody extra motivation above and beyond, I have to cover Jamar Chase?

Right? Like, do you want to do that? You want to rile him up even more? I just never understood the logic. There's a reason why when you hear Bill Belichick talking about the upcoming quarterback or somebody that they are facing coming up, he's always talking about how great they are, right? He talks about them as if they're literally the best quarterback on the planet. You know he's full of crap and doesn't actually think that. But he says it.

Why? Because you don't have to give bulletin board material. Why give them something to put up on a bulletin board for that secondary where they're going to say, this guy doesn't respect us. We're going to show him. We're going to give him an extra little shove. We're going to do this.

We're going to do that. But we're going to show Jamar Chase he's wrong. I just never thought that's the smart play, and certainly at this stage in his career, he should probably know a bit better than that. That's what I'm saying is I think Jamar Chase should know a bit better than to try to motivate the Kansas City Chiefs who don't really need much more motivating. But that's exactly what he has done. He has given them that ammunition. Well, let's see if he proves that on the field. I mean, if he backs it up, why not? And the other side too. Are they going to back it up as well?

That's going to be the interesting thing. If you're Kansas City, go out there, show something. You haven't shown much this last month of the season.

So go show him he's wrong. Go lock up this division. They can certainly do that if they can beat the Cincinnati Bengals. All right, the NBA. What a story we're watching and witnessing when it comes to the Detroit Pistons. Unbelievable what is going on with them these days because it is atrocious to see a team that has lost 28 straight. Next, Dan Schwartzman in for Rich Eisen, our two of the Rich Eisen show next. We've obviously done this deal to get in the hotels and keep us out. Something to wrestle wherever you listen.