Flacco vs. Stroud is going to be awesome

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Find out how to bring your ideas to life at dell.com slash welcome to now. Live from the Rich Eisen Show Studio in Los Angeles. As far as the future goes, I'll sit down with Robert and we'll talk about things. Today's guest, two-time Super Bowl champion and Greenlight podcast host, Chris Long.

Plus, your phone calls, latest news and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen. I can confirm I'm here. I'm here. I'm not in Houston because I'm a professional and I'm here for you.

I'm here for you. I'm here for everybody in this studio. I'm here for the Roku channel. I'm here for our terrestrial radio affiliate network.

We've personally stitched together coast to coast for the Rich Eisen Show. I'm here for Sirius XM Odyssey. I'm here for the podcast listenership. I'm here for us. We're doing overreaction Monday later on.

We've done the last two overreaction Mondays separate from each other. I understand that. Which is not great. You and I, even though it's gotten the most listens and the most like, isn't that odd?

That the most watched and listened versions of our show were separate. I get it. You know, and we're both too close to the cameras, two bald guys with bad backgrounds for our hairlines. I'm blurry because I'm in my bedroom. So we got to be here.

You know what I mean? So I'm here. I'm here. You're there. I'm here.

I'm better than you. So no, I'm here. Okay? But are you a real fan? I'm going to put up a poll. Are you a real fan for not going to the game? Of course. I'm going to be at home.

I'm going to be at home with friends, kids. You could have went to the game. So what? I'm just kidding. I appreciate that. But I'm here. I'm going to be here Tuesday.

What a bummer. I wouldn't be here the day after Michigan wins or loses the national championship. I'm showing up. Oh, you could have made it back. I'll be back.

Thank you. Private aviation. Oh, stop. Private aviation. Okay, look at you. Private aviation, huh?

I thought you were a real fan. Oh, yeah. Private aviation. Apparently not. Geez, wow.

Fly back and forth. Tom Brady give you a lift? That's what I'm saying.

Tom Brady, yes. There's a Michigan man plane taking off every half hour right across the street. Let me just start this. Excuse me. Let me just start this hour with this.

Okay? The what's at stake. Uh-oh. I am so excited for tonight. The phrase that Susie and I use with our kids, I think I've mentioned here before, it's nervous-sided.

I'm nervous and excited. And I'm not going to sit here and go, oh, God, what happens if Michigan loses? What happens if they get this far and it doesn't happen? I'm just not going to do that because in the history of this program, literally the first story that we covered with regularity in the fall of 2014, when we came on the air in this studio on the old audience network on DirecTV was, is Jim Harbaugh going to leave the San Francisco 49ers?

And if so, is it at all possible he could come back to Michigan and help save that program in the same way that he turned the 49ers around and took them to the Super Bowl? And everybody was telling me that ain't happening. That ain't happening, Rich. And I kept talking about it. How many people came on the show and said it's not happening? Multitudes.

All of them. Right. And then he did. And then here we are.

It took, what, eight, nine years? But we're finally playing for the national championship. Michigan is going to tee up a football against the University of Washington tonight.

And again, I'm taking my alma mater's point of view here. Washington is another 14-0 team in this game. That could be the better 14-0 team.

We'll find out. It could be a team of destiny, as they believe that they are, with this remarkable quarterback coach combination that Washington fans should be in love with. And I will be talking about a ton of Washington players at the combine and the draft in the same way I believe I'll be doing for my alma mater. So I'm just taking my own point of view that I cannot believe I woke up today and Michigan is teeing up a football tonight for the national championship. And I and the right to claim tonight that they are, in fact, leaders and best, like the fight song says.

That's what I cannot believe, and I'm going to enjoy the hell out of it, even if I wind up unhappy by the end of the night. And I may have to remind myself of this, and my wife and children will be around to remind me of that throughout the game, when I'm up and pacing and doing my usual business when Michigan plays an all-important football game. And I don't know how this feels, because Michigan's never played for the national championship, 97 when it was on SportsCenter as a 27-year-old, 28-year-old. I mean, that was against Ryan Leaf's Washington State Cougars, and we knew if they won, it would just be an argument, and who thought Michigan was better than Nebraska, and vice versa. Tonight, there's nothing to answer, and I came on this set when all the Conner Stallions crap was happening.

And all of that stuff was happening, and still people are talking about it. There was a Yahoo story with three unnamed people that was put out there over the weekend saying how this is a travesty and a sham and a mockery of the NCAA, as if the NCAA doesn't make that themselves. But, be that as it may, it's going to be out there, it's out there on this national championship weekend leading to Monday, all the Conner Stallion stuff. I said the one thing, the one avenue through all of this morass for the Wolverines was to win every last game on its schedule. And they have done exactly that up until this point, and we will find out tonight.

And it would be glorious to actually have that mission accomplished tonight. That's my two cents, and if it's Harbaugh's last game either way, what a time this year was in the last three years. The previous five were trying on occasion, but we've gotten to this point, and I do believe the coaching staff is to a point where he could hand it off to them and they could keep it going.

Or he stays. Wouldn't that be something? I mean he's won 78% of his games in Michigan, like he's been a rousing success.

I would agree. He got you guys back to national relevance, which you hadn't been for a while. Well, I mean what we are right now is living in a world where Michigan is the dominant team in the Big Ten, the dominant team in the Michigan-Ohio State Series, and potentially the champion of the sport by the end of the night, playing for it.

And I would have signed to live in that world for one year, not alone three, when Jim signed on the dotted line for the first time with Michigan nine years ago. So, I got through that. I'm trying to avoid the subject matter, because every time I think about it, I mean honestly, I have been sleeping well the last two nights. Yeah?

Yeah. That's the melatonin. Is it the wine? So nerves check is high. Nerves check is, I'm nervous-sided. I'm nervous and excited. Together.

Nerves-sided. And I know you wanted to do a watch party where maybe I call the Roku guys and say, how about watch me watch the game? Yeah, watch us watch the game. First of all, I'm not that Truman Show type of guy where I need to be on camera all the time.

I know, but people, the fans would love it. Plus, I don't want that version of me to be seen. I mean, there's versions of me where I'm yelling at television sets, yelling at officials, cursing. I don't need to be that. Oh, okay.

All right. In front of others. You've really never seen that version of me either. Not really. And you've been around me a lot over the last 15 years.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You've never seen that version of me. Well, I've never actually watched a huge, important game with you. Well, because I don't have them.

Honestly, I don't have them. Where I learned in the Rose Bowl in my senior year for the regular season game against UCLA that I covered that year in Bo's final season, that last game where Michigan lost to USC when Bo called for a fake punt that worked and then got negated by a penalty that is, I think, fraudulent to this day. But I learned in the press box, you cheer, you're out.

I swear. I learned that that senior year when I was in the Michigan press box, you cheer, you're out. So I have kind of removed myself watching games because on Sports Center for all those years, and the Yankees and the Michigan football team, and on occasion, the Jets will get me riled up when the Jets don't patently disappoint me.

So when was the last time Michigan played important games in the first five years of Harbaugh's era and then Brady Hoke and Rich Rod? You haven't been around. Oh, yeah, yeah, that's true. And, you know, I was, New Year's Eve, we were separate. Certainly, I wasn't going to be around you with Georgia.

That would have been done anyway within about five minutes. And then last year at TCU, I was at the game. So I was around other people, which means I had to act, and my 11-year-old at the time. Yeah, you set an example.

Right, and he was getting upset, and I wanted to show him that it's just a game. But deep down inside, I was cursing. I can feel it.

So that's tonight. Cannot believe we are in the launch position in Houston, huh? Of all places, you know? In Houston, we have a problem. You know what I mean? All right, in my 20 years of doing the old NFL thing, 21, I should stop saying, just 20.

I know this might be recency buys. I can't recall a more juicy, enjoyable slate of wildcard weekend games like soup to nuts. Oh, man, there's so many storylines. You know what I mean? The matchups put the super in super wildcard weekend.

And now we joke all the time, because in my 20-plus years, if the Texans win the AFC South, they're going to be the first game of wildcard weekend in the afternoon. And sure enough. Without fail. Without fail. There they are again.

First up. But Browns Texans, folks. Is pretty fun. From so many different reasons.

It's really fun. But the one that jumps out at me is you have a 22-year-old Wunderkind rookie quarterback going against a 38-year-old Joe Flacco who just lit it up against the Texans last time they were there. I believe it was at week 15 when they were there. Now, the Texans didn't have Stroud. That was the Case Keenum Davis-Mills. If you have two quarterbacks, you don't have one performance where Amari Cooper went off the charts. So now here comes Stroud, whose first throw on Saturday night.

You know what? When I saw it, I was the Rick Dalton GIF at home pointing at the television set. Because that throw he made to Niko Counts.

I'm getting goosebumps even talking about it. How effortless it looked with him stepping up in the pocket. Now, there were people around him. So it's not like he wasn't pressured. He was. But he stepped up and he threw that ball to Niko Collins for the touchdown and the first snap.

I pointed at the screen. You know why? Because that's the throw he made over and over and over again when he was in the building for the combine. And everyone, including Daniel Jeremiah, as we watched Bryce Young stand there in his warm-up clothes, was like, maybe he's the first overall pick in the draft? The way he looked against Georgia, unfortunately for him, losing in the national semifinal. It wasn't his fault they lost.

No, I know. It was his doing that they had a shot. Had a shot.

They were in front. Had a kick, too. With his legs, too, right? I mean, he was so remarkable in that game. So clearly he's got some big game ability. I always like trolling when it's Ohio State, but honestly, that kid gave Michigan fits, too.

Even when we're supposed to have known his plays. And now here comes Flacco. Couldn't help yourself, could you? Nope. Flacco.

Okay. With the Browns. This is going to be awesome. I can't wait for this game.

That's a great way to start it. And it's the team that traded the guy to the other team. Deshaun Watson goes to the Browns in this deal, and now he's not even in the game. If we had said before the season Browns are going to be against the Texans in the opening game of Super Wild Card Weekend, we'd be like, oh, God, Deshaun's coming home.

This is amazing, too. It's Joe friggin' Flacco. One last thing as well, if you put up the screen here, because the next game is Steelers and the Bills. Let's just say the Bills take care of their business.

And then let's just say the Dolphins the way that they looked as well. Okay? Because that's the next game on Saturday night is Dolphins and Chiefs. Exclusively on Peacock.

Okay. And so let's just say Tyreek Hill returning to Kansas City, another remarkable storyline. And again, I called the first game between these two teams in Germany. And that was the game when Trent McDuffie, who the Chiefs drafted with a draft pick that they got from Miami for Tyreek Hill, stripped him of the football. And Brian Cook, who's now been since injured, returned it for a touchdown. And that wound up being the margin of difference for the Chiefs to win that game. And I thought to myself, well, if they play each other in the playoffs, it will definitely have to be an arrowhead. And the Dolphins had multiple chances to stay in front of Kansas City, which they got in front of Kansas City after losing to them in Germany. The fact that they are in fact playing together in this game is mind blowing. And the fact that the subtext of that contest in Germany was, what a bummer this isn't an arrowhead, even though it was amazing that it was in Germany.

Because Tyreek Hill being back in arrowhead would be something. And it's going to be apparently 12 degrees, like wind chill around zero, as a cold snap is coming into Kansas City. So... The forecast is now seven.

Oh my gosh. Seven degrees on... So let's just say the Chiefs take care of business there. And then the next wildcard game, this is amazing because I don't remember as well that the NFL is like, let's take care of one conference first before we even get to the next conference. The first three games of super wildcard weekend, wildcard weekend is in fact all AFC teams. So let's just assume the Bills take care of business against the Steelers. And let's just assume the Dolphins can't in seven degree weather get past the Chiefs. And let's assume the Browns take care of business against the Texans because they have been playing superior football compared to most since Flacco's taken over. That puts Joe Flacco in Baltimore on divisional wildcard weekend. Which puts to shame every other storyline I just mentioned with all due respect to Tyreek Hill going back to Kansas City. Or it could be Chiefs and Buffalo. Which is exactly what Buffalo's been waiting for.

But that's down the road. That's why I'm saying this entire AFC and also just the passion of these teams. And I understand every fan base has the passion.

So that's unbelievable. Then there's the NFC playoffs which begins with the classic confrontation of Green Bay in Dallas. I mean we go back to the Ice Bowl here with these franchises in terms of winner go home games and of course Favre had his days. Dallas got the better Favre when they faced.

Yes we did. And then Rogers, the two games that he took on Dallas was Dez caught it in Green Bay and then Jared Cook caught it in Dallas. Remember that one? That was insane.

What a dart. He also won his Super Bowl in Dallas. And Rogers also had his first significant action of his career in Dallas when Favre went down on a Saturday night against Romo. I mean it's fitting that Jordan Love with 32 touchdown passes in his first full year as starter as we turn the page again at the quarterback position of all teams for him to face it's Dallas. And of all coaches to be coaching Dallas it's Mike McCarthy versus Matt LaFleur who's showing everybody oh yeah I can coach it's not just who I was coaching. And of all teams that could come in and show Dallas hey you're great at home but we don't know what we don't know. The youngest team in the history of the playoffs. Green Bay showing up. Holy cow.

What a storyline that is. But does it all pale in comparison to Matthew Stafford going to Detroit? And Jared Goff when he got traded from the Rams to Detroit it was just one of those old weigh stations because is Detroit really going to use him? Could they really win with him when the Rams just gave him up for a guy that's never won a playoff game? Just hoping that the guy who has done a ton of good things in Detroit never won a playoff game in Ford Field?

Could his first career Ford Field playoff win come as a member of the Rams in the Lions first Ford Field playoff game ever and first playoff game they've hosted in 30 years? Of all people to come and potentially won in Dunham it's Matthew Stafford and the guy who can prevent it is the clear as everyone was talking about at the day of the trade cast off. He was being cast off.

Being cast off and the ones that got sent was to what? Offset the salary that Goff clearly didn't deserve because the Rams signed him too soon to his second contract and he didn't perform very well and now look at him. I'm sure there's a story as to why the Rams said we're done with you that nobody knows. That you'd have to get several information men or women in our business really drunk to get that story out of them. I'm serious and that's a subtext to this and no one will talk about it this week. No one. McVeigh won't talk about it.

Anybody who knows that story won't talk about it. Goff won't talk about it but there's a subtext to it and then Stafford was allowed to walk out. So there's the quarterback that might feel the revenge is Goff if he has that bone in his body.

It ain't Stafford. It might be bittersweet for him to be looking around going okay I guess I got to take these guys out. What a Sunday night that's going to be. I mean that's why it's in front of the whole country in the biggest window they got Sunday night.

With all due respect to Big Fox late window I'm sure you could sit here and tell me the ratings will be better which I know I get it. I get it Mike. You can cape for your. I do.

Your employers. I'm doing a basketball game right before that. Good for you. That'll be awesome. I'm sure everyone will watch that. And then the last game I know you were like it's kind of a throwaway right? Nobody asked for that on Monday.

I get it. Philadelphia is a huge story and just to get deep in the TV business of things is Fox pays a lot of money everybody pays a lot of money but Fox lost the Cowboys to ESPN last Super Wild Card weekend against Tom freaking Brady. And so I don't think the league could look their friends at Fox in the face and say you lost Dallas a second year in a row. You don't want to give them Chiefs dolphins on Monday night?

How is that not the perfect capper to the weekend? They also have to again let's get deep in the business of things here. That Saturday night game is an exclusive to Peacock. I imagine our previous partners prior to us joining the Roku Channel. I'm sure they paid a nice chunk of change.

I think I saw it was 200 million. So that means that they want people to get Peacock as much as people are going to have to get Peacock to see a game. And by the way you can see it right here on the Roku portal. And so make sure everybody out there in the sound of my voice listening on our pod and our terrestrial radio partners. This is a streamer and God bless whoever's on the phone bank duty in Burbank, California or 30 Rock on Saturday night. The phone lines are going to light up and there's gonna be a bunch of people saying where's my game?

And the answer is Peacock. You're gonna have to stream it and the league did this purposefully for a partner that wants to drill down on this part of their business. And I'm sure they paid a pretty penny and had to get a really compelling matchup. That's your answer why that's winding up there.

I get it. So, but Philadelphia and Tampa is going to be a fascinating game on Westwood One as well. I'll be in the studio for that. And so Philly could be one and done here from 10 and one to one and done. And there's a lot of people out there, including an individual to my right and your left that will be hate watching on Monday night, even though he doesn't have much of a hateful bone in his body.

He doesn't, but except for that team. Will you be hate watching Monday night? Are you and I going to share Baker Mayfield as a child on Monday night? I mean, you can keep them, but I understand by the end of the night, I will take back full custody for the record. I hate watch.

Anytime I watch the Eagles, it's a hate watch. That's what I mean. So nothing different, dude.

The brotherly shove can get one and done. Oh man. Jalen Hurts is hurt. AJ Brown is hurt. Devante Smith is hurt. The defense is hurt and everyone's going to be looking at the game that night.

So I understand based on every other storyline I just mentioned, this one doesn't have much of a history. Baker Mayfield doesn't have any, you know, in his various travels, nothing to hate on Philadelphia. Just a lot of juice in that game. He and Jalen Hurts are both Oklahoma Sooners, you know, but this guy Baker Mayfield wants to show everybody that I'm the new quarterback here in Tampa. And what better way then to say, we're going to San Francisco or we're going to Dallas or we're going to Detroit.

And telling the Philadelphia Eagles, you ain't all that on behalf of many other fan bases. Joe and Troy. Really though, these two teams played a few times in the early 2000s. Oh, sure. I mean, Warren Sapp will probably tell you he shut down the vet and then opened up the link with a loss in back to back games.

2002 and 2003. There's no doubt. There's no doubt. But that's 20 years ago. But that's, yeah.

Well, I mean, we're talking storylines here, so of course storyline. So that's your super wildcard weekend set up 844-204, rich number to dial. When we come back, I want to dive a little bit more into Philadelphia. We'll talk about some of these coaching issues that are going on around the National Football League.

844-204, rich number to dial. Rich Eisen here. If you love football as much as we do here and want to be in the game every day, there's something the guys on my show have been enjoying. Prize Picks Daily Fantasy Sports, the number one daily fantasy sports app. Brockman, tell everybody about Prize Picks and your strategy this season. Rich, it's fun and easy. Pick two players or more based on their stats and place your entry.

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Learn more at discover.com slash credit card, limitations apply. Looks like we might be getting, uh, one of my sons on next week too. Nice. Yeah.

Don't you think we're, we're, we're, we're circling around Baker coming on the program this very week. Love it. Don't you think? I do too. That's great.

I do too. So I can, um, uh, present him with, uh, co-custody papers of between me and TJ, right? But then again, I get full custody back.

Certainly if he goes to Dallas. Oh yeah. Come on. Then he's out of the family. Then you, then you got to turn your back on him.

He's a black sheep. He's out done, but you'll take him for one week, one week. I'll take that whole Tampa Bay team. But again, like I pointed out to you guys last week, as a cowboy fan, I don't like doing this show and this job, I care as a cowboy fan, I don't care about none of these other teams. I just, I'm concerned about my team and my game and then we'll go from there. Okay. You know, I understand that. I understand that because you're not a spiteful man.

Well, I am spiteful, but again, I just, I can only, it just requires, it requires some extra from you that you just don't want to spend on that when you put it all into this game kicks off. I'm going to be so nervous. Okay. I'm not coming.

I just won't have the capability to worry about anybody else until that game is understood. Are you going to watch it with anybody? No, you watch it by yourself.

No way, man, somebody's going to say something, the wrong thing at the wrong, can't happen. Okay. Can I come over?

No, definitely. You're the last person. You should go there. You need to go over there. You should go over there.

You should. Cause he needs help. He needs help. And somebody taking the ping pong table out at some point.

That's true. It's still in there, right? Still in there. Bring it here. Two years. It's been there two years. And every single time I'm like, you should bring it here.

He goes, well, I'm trying to sell it. Oh, really? Two years.

It'll be gone in a month. Trust me. Back on the Rich Eisen show radio network, sitting at the Rich Eisen show desk, furnished by Grainger with supplies and solutions for every industry Grainger has the right product for you.

Call click Grainger.com or just stop by Derek in Missouri. I saw you called in before we even went on the air. I appreciate that. Moxie. What's up, Derek. Hey, Rick.

Fellas. How are we doing? Happy Monday to you. What's going on? So after seeing the Clinton scenarios last week, I gave me a migraine before the playoffs were all set.

I do want to say the Miami KC and Los Angeles Detroit games bring a lot of intrigue more than anything, just because, you know, Tyreek going back to Kansas city and how fitting is it that after Detroit winning their first division in 30 years, hosting their first home game in a long time that you have your own quarterback at 12 years, franchise quarterback return to play his former team. Can't make it up for anything better. Can't make it up. Seriously.

You can't make it up. One other thing, Rich, I wanted to throw an idea for you for a top five segment. Okay. So do you think inspired me with what you said last week on your show at the end of on Tuesday saying that the Alabama Michigan Rose Bowl game was one of the best sporting events she had ever taken in. And I thought for an idea for you guys, for you, Brockman, if he's ever there and TJ, you got to do a top five segment of the top five best sporting events you'd ever taken in, in person. All right, Derek, thank you for the call. And we appreciate you splashing mud on on Dell two for when the drive by. I don't respect that.

I'm going to turn my back on you. I don't think we might have done something like that before we may have at least talked about it. We didn't do a top five or anything, right? Delta folk can't boil it down to five and I'm sure he's happy to tell you, but Mike, as a fan, you working doesn't count.

No, I mean, I bet him a lot as a fan. I know number one for you is taking credit for the K corner because the guys who actually created the K corner left in the New York Times happened to stroll by for interviews by the time you were in there. That's my favorite. That's bottom of the 10. They'll twofold being quoted in the New York Times as a creator of the K corner and back in the gooden days because the actual ones left early to be traffic and he was standing there and he took full credit for it and leave a creation like that and not take it with you.

They deserve to have it. There will be future generations that hear about the K corner and wonder about its origin and then of course go to the New York Times as a source and they'll be like, Oh, this guy don't do black and white. It never goes away. I have a legacy.

Thank God. Roger in York, Pennsylvania. What's up, Roger? How you doing?

What's going on, Roger? What's up? Happy New Year, guys.

Happy New Year to you. Before we get started, TJ, I wanted to ask you, last time I called from York, Pennsylvania, you said something about York College, what you know about Spartan Nation. Spartan Nation?

York College of Pennsylvania. What do I know about them? Nothing, really. Oh, you said, you said something about it last time. I digressed. I digressed. Okay.

Anyway. Was it disparaging? Never. Pardon? Never. Was it a disparaging remark? What's on your mind, Roger? My friend went there.

I just love people who jousting with it. I'm going about, you had mentioned Leon Lett earlier, of all people. I did, yes. A little play back in the day.

Yeah. Jimmy Johnson would never have put up with what I just seen occur in York last week. The Philadelphia Eagles are in the midst of whatever losing streak they are or whatever bad timing they're having at the end of the year. They had a couple of players that showed up at the local mall here to do a paid autograph signing. And I remember an instance where Jimmy Johnson told two players, you can do that, but you've got to wait till February to make your money doing your autograph signings. And I just wanted to see your viewpoint on that because Jalen Hurts did mention commitment.

Oh, I don't, listen, and thanks for the call, Roger, I appreciate it. I don't believe whatever ails the Eagles isn't because people aren't committed. Honestly, nobody knows the real reasons or put their finger directly on why the Eagles are performing so badly right now, honestly. It's a mystery to so many others and the answer I hear back from my colleagues on game day morning and from everybody else that we've had on this program is there is no one answer. It's just a mixture of everything from the dreaded Super Bowl hangover.

What does that mean? What it means is, is that when you lose a Super Bowl, it's difficult to push the same rock up the same hill again. It's much easier to do it when you win. It's a psychological thing. Also, when you make the Super Bowl, you frequently lose important parts of your program, whether it is a player or two from free agency because you can't keep them or you lose a coach and they lost both and they lost both coordinators, neither of whom made the playoffs in their new jobs as head coach, but I think showed some moxie and success in varying degrees obviously in Indianapolis and Arizona as to why they're good coaches. Although Shane Steichen's play calling in the final throws against the Texans leaves a little bit of questions, but the Colts were right there with a backup quarterback and the Arizona Cardinals, I mean, worst tank job ever, like, you know, being in every game.

So there's that. There's the fact that Hertz doesn't appear to be healthy. He'll never say it.

Don't ever say it. All season, right? He doesn't appear to be healthy and defensively, they're not the same team. They just aren't.

It's the same, some of the same names, but they are not performing at all, at all. And you got to wonder if right now Nick Sirianni, who took the play calling away from Sean Desai and gave it to Matt Patricia, I mean, you got to wonder if he's just going to take the car keys back and the number two pencil and say, we're not doing that anymore. And I don't know, do you, do you, do you give it back to Desai? I mean, this is it, this is it now, folks, and, and do you, do you, you're the offensive guy too. Do you like call the plays? I don't know.

Or do you, do you damn the torpedoes like that? I don't think he's going to do that on offense, but why wouldn't he do that on defense? The defense has been worse since Patricia started calling plays with all due respect to a guy that I like, I'm just calling it as I see it, I mean terrible. They no-showed in New York yesterday, and I understand they didn't have a lot of guys out there that they would normally have out there in a must-win game, and we'll see them hopefully for, for the Eagles on Monday in, in Tampa. But like I told you, you know, the, the, the who's more likely to flip a switch in the playoffs, the Chiefs or the Eagles? I will take the Chiefs 10 times out of 10 right now. If I'm the Eagles, I guess what I'll do is, because that offensive line isn't struggling, I don't think, run it, run it, run it, run it.

Play action and run it, and then run it more and run it more. Get back to your 35, 40 carries, and if it doesn't keep work, then keep hitting it again and use those guys up front. Kelcey and Lane Johnson, lean on them, I would say. Certainly if Hertz has something wrong with his middle finger, and he'll have trouble throwing deep balls, which is what the initial conversation on the health front when you're going on Twitter from the health experts that, that don't pay for their blue check marks. Oh, and the best deep ball threat that they have hasn't looked right in over a month, and he's banged up, A.J.

Brown. Well, I don't know what the hell happened with him. Well, I mean, and how he got totally ignored. He doesn't get the ball anymore. I don't know what happened.

Does he need another sideline dust up, T.J.? I don't know what happened. Again, it's just such a major mystery.

There's not one answer, and there's probably stuff behind the scenes we don't know that can give a few more clues, but that's not happening. But the Eagles, I think right now, you look at the AFC wildcard race. The five seed are the Cleveland Browns with Joe Flacco and that defense and that running game and that head coach and the five seed in the NFC right now. What's your confidence level on the five seeds difference in the five seeds right now?

Major disparity. And then you and then you look at a Dolphins team that's going to go to Kansas City and then you look at a Steelers team going to Buffalo. You look at the Rams and you look at the Packers. What's your confidence level in who's going to win? Which five seed is going to win in which six and seven seeds going to win?

Although don't discount the Steelers. That's what I'm saying. I want to say that. Really?

Yeah. Let's take a beat. Let's take a beat because I'm going to I'm going to stick my toe back in those waters again. I'm with you. OK. We're not going to apologize for winning.

So don't go anywhere. Oh, man. More phone calls. Eight four four two oh four. Rich numbered a doll here on the Rich Eisen show.

Yeah. I'm going to start the show by saying don't let the bills in the tournament and next segment I'm going to take him out. Did you know one in four car batteries is weak and needs to be replaced? O'Reilly Auto Parts will test your battery for free. If your battery needs to be replaced, our professional parts people can help you find the right superstar battery for your vehicle and budget.

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You're looking at Twitter right now. Robert Kraft trending with Tucker Craft. Two different Crafts, same sport. Tucker Craft. Is Kraft cheese trending? That's even good, man.

He has. Kraft cheese. You know who's also trending? Joe Coy is trending.

Trending is also trending. Well, I mean, yeah. He's a big gig, man. Yeah. He put in a tough spot.

A host of... Nobody wanted to do it. So he got asked 10 days ago. Ten days. So, you know, it's a short amount of time.

For those... He was the host of the Golden Globes last night. Yeah.

Which we watched quite a bit of in the Eisenhower. Really good comedian. You know, he's very popular.

He's Asian. And so just didn't hit. Well, you know, he had a few bombs last night. It happens. Well, I mean... Tough room. But Taylor Swift wasn't happy with the gig. I think she was very much in on it. I don't know. I don't think so, pal. I think she did not play along. Dude, again... Everybody in that room plays along with those things. Let me just say one more thing here, because I'm reading about...

He's getting eviscerated today. Joe Coy, the comedian who took the gig for the Golden Globes 10 days before. I understand that there's stuff going on with the Hollywood Foreign Press or whatever, but... I mean, four or five, six people said no. So here's the deal.

I'm seeing all this stuff. Do not take it out on hosts. There is a reason for hosts.

There is. We are not indispensable people. Just because when somebody falls flat, comedians... There's a difference between being a comic and a host. You understand? Hosts can enhance.

Don't take it out on us. There's reasons for hosts. So if you want a professional host, hire a professional host.

Some of them can be funny, if you need, and won't dare to mess with the Swifties. Or you just got shown up by the host. Thank you.

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Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. So I just mentioned how maybe Nick Sirianni has got to consider all his options this week. Change in play callers. Maybe he calls plays himself. I don't know. You know why he won't do that? Certainly in terms of himself is because that gives off an indication to your team that you're out of options and you're not acting like yourself. You're not showing that it's about us in this room. We have the way through it.

I don't know. That's the way I hear from coaches because you know who's a coach who never changes? His approach.

Your boy. Well, and I know Steelers fans are like Mike Tomlin never changes his approach and that's his problem. But look who's in the playoffs. Now I'm not spiking the football completely here, but, Steeler fans, would you rather be sitting at home right now? Like the Colts?

Would you rather be sitting at home right now? Your team is going to Buffalo and your coach won't play the nobody believes in his card. He won't do it. I even asked him if he ever considered it leading into the season and he goes, no, because my team wouldn't believe me because that's not the way I talk. But this team, yes, it could have been better if they went to Mason Rudolph sooner. Yes, it could have been better if you got rid of Matt Canada sooner. We're assuming that's the case, but the bottom line is you're in the playoffs.

You got a ticket to the dance. I'm nervous and concerned for you because TJ Watt doesn't appear to be able to go. And this team, we did the numbers in advance of the game against the Colts when Watt is in and Watt is not in. I believe the team when Watt's not in is like one in 10. They don't win games when 90's out there on the sideline, they just don't and it's not good when he's not in there. And this team is putting it all together. And what they are doing right now, if I'm concerned about Buffalo, is Najee Harris has re-emerged as a beast.

And he and Jalen Warren are hitting you. And if you get that one play to Pickens or as we saw in the Baltimore range Saturday night, that one play to Deontay Johnson, and you're having trouble running it yourself against the Steelers D. But I totally understand why everybody thinks the Bills are going to win this game and push comes to shove on game day morning when I'm choosing. Yeah, you'll pick Buffalo for sure. Because I started the show saying, don't let the Bills in the tournament. And I understand the pushback would be, hey, Rich, great, I'm glad we made it, but we're one and done again. We're not the Bills moving on, we're the Steelers barely making it. Our coach still doesn't have a losing record, great, where are the banners? But they're in the playoffs, they made it, which when they were losing to the Cardinals and the Patriots, and then the Colts, I was getting eviscerated from the Steeler faithful.

But if you're looking at next season, would you rather be the Steelers or the Colts? Well, I mean, I think Anthony Richardson has a bigger upside than Kenny Pickett. I think Pickett has no upside.

Well, I don't know about no upside. He's benched for Mason Rudolph. Well, he's playing the hot hand right now. So yeah, would I rather have a situation where I see an ultra-talented, beat you with his feet and his arms and his heart type guy than what they have at quarterback? Yeah. Would I rather have the Steelers defense?

Yeah. And would I rather have Mike Tomlin? I would. Interesting.

I would. I'll be as consistent on this subject matter as he is with his team, and if the Steelers get one and done by the Buffalo Bills, you know who's going to keep Mike Tomlin? The Rooney's. That's where loyalty is their biggest fault.

Maybe. But they made the playoffs. This team was dead in the water. They're 10 and 7. So what? Don't say so what. You can't. You can't say so what. It's got to matter for something.

Really? I haven't made the playoffs. My team hasn't made the playoffs since 2010. But do you want to make the playoffs and lose by 30? I'd rather make the playoffs. I'd rather have loved and lost than not at all.

Hell yeah. Yeah, we're different in that aspect. But keep building and hope and hope and hope and hope and change. Hope and change. They're not any better than they were.

Keep changing. How do the Atlanta Falcons look right now? They changed their coach again.

That's three straight years of 7 and 10. I get it. They're not there.

Hope and change. They're the hosts of the Steelers where you know what you got. And you're not going to win. They're not going to win the championship. This year? Yeah. Correct. Most teams aren't going to win the championship. Actually, there's 31 of them.

Yeah. But they're not even contending. They don't even have a chance. You can't say they're not contending. They're in the playoffs, which means they are contending.

Yeah, but every year, now that they've expanded to 7 teams in each league, that 7th seed is usually garbage. And Steelers are garbage. They're going to go to Buffalo and get smacked. It's not going to be pretty. Okay. I disagree. I disagree too. I think that's going to be a game.

I think that if there's a turnover prone quarterback who's also going to win the day eventually, that the Steelers are going to have, I think it'll prove difficult. But there's no banners being hung where we make things difficult in losing. I get it.

There's the banner for 17th straight winning season. I know you're giving voice to what I hear, but right now you're in it. And when I was getting lit up saying, you don't know what you're talking about. And again, I apologize for saying the words that you're out of your frigging mind. I think that's what maybe inflamed the situation.

That's my language. But I'll tell you what, there's an owner in Carolina and I would tell you, Arthur Blank would sit up straight in his chair if Mike Tomlin's available. So would the Chargers ownership. So would the Raiders. You don't think Mark Davis would want to put Mike Tomlin out there in Las Vegas?

So be careful what you wish for again. And by the way, enjoy the wild card weekend because there is more than half the league that is not wild card weekend 844-204-rich number to dial here on the Rich Eisen Show. When we come back, let's talk what Belichick had to say today and what Aaron Rodgers had to say today. That'll be interesting.

844-204-rich number to dial on the program. Tomlin and Bill are kind of the same. Like if you're going to get rid of these guys and you're a new team, what excites you about hiring them? The fact that if you put the proper weaponry in their hands, they know how to win a championship with it.

I'd have to think about it. Again, one meeting with Bill Belichick is all you need to have. And one meeting with Tomlin is all you need to have to know this is a different coach and candidate in front of you.

Totally different. That's not the same league now than when Tomlin got hired or even when he won a championship. You're still talking to men and needing to get them and motivate them to win. The difference between Tomlin and Belichick is one guy was talking today saying, I'm already looking forward to next year.

And one guy's getting ready to face the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs with a ticket in his hand. It's about an inspiring fan basis. When he once went from the garbage to your phrase, last seed to the championship podium. He did that. That's a six seed. Yeah. Right. Which at the time was the seventh seed of six seeds. I'm not mistaken. I like that.

Oh boy. So much to talk about because there's 14 teams still in it and the rest of the league is now as relevant as ever because they are looking forward to next year and moves need to be made or not. How wrestling really works and how you get the ratings Eric Bischoff and Conrad Thompson explain on 83 weeks. I mean, I dig Jay Uso because he's born out of great storytelling and he lived up to the opportunity and exceeded the LA Knight. He's way up on my list because here's a guy that's been around for almost ever should have probably quit a half a dozen times and he just forced his way into their life. And now he's making money hand over fist. That is a story I love.