Chris Long: Dolphins are who we thought they were

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Find out how to bring your ideas to life at dell.com slash welcome to now. One, two, three! As big a play as you'll have all season, Minshew to throw, Minshew swings it out to the back, left side, it's incomplete! This is the Rich Eisen Show.

No good! Prater misses from 51 and the Seahawks win. 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. Oh, yes it is. Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show, live from Los Angeles, California. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial if you've got something to say. And I proffer to think you've got something to say today after a wild week 18 of the National Football League is in the books. We already have a couple of coaches in the NFL who were out on the sidelines on Sunday, no longer in their current positions on Monday. Arthur Smith of the Atlanta Falcons was let go literally at the stroke of midnight.

They took the Black Monday thing very seriously. They waited until one minute into Monday to let Arthur Smith let it be known that he's no longer the coach. And then this morning, as expected, the Washington commanders moved on from Ron Rivera. We'll discuss it with you, 844-204-RICH, number to dial. We'll discuss it with Chris Long of the Greenlight podcast who's joining us on this Monday. That will finish up with a national championship game. I'm glad to be here in Los Angeles hanging with you for the next three hours because it takes my mind off things. Because the minute I think of Michigan and Washington, I start freaking out.

I start jumping out of my skin. I'm very excited for tonight, so we'll discuss that. The Super Wild Card Weekend is all set. We've got six playoff games on tap for next weekend. That's all exciting.

We'll discuss that. And good to see you over there, Christopher Brockman. How are you? Rich, I'm great. What's up, man?

You got a bunch of stuff for me to overreact to on the Overreaction Monday podcast once we're done? You know it. Excellent. And we're going to review what I said before the season. It's funny that you texted that last night to the group. You mentioned it in the pre-show conversation. It's the first thing out of your mouth here.

You must have been right about a few things. Just saying. Good to see you over there. By the way, my name's Rich Eisen. That's Chris Brockman. Chris, great to see you.

That's TJ Jefferson on the set. More importantly, Rich, what's your name? My name is Mike Del Tufo. I'm happy to join the show.

We used to know somebody by that name here. But I cannot see you now, Rich. The camera's in the way.

What happened when I was gone? By the way, that's the way it's been for a while. Jason Feller's been complaining about that.

Yeah, it's terrible. They've got to move it over about a full day. Like we've got such a huge staff here. All right, we'll have RJ move it later.

It's literally one guy. Good to see you. Happy New Year to you, Mike.

Happy New Year. I think today's the day. This is about it.

It's a full week. Is Larry David allowed? Larry David plus five. We're allowed. Okay, good. And TJ Jefferson.

How about Tim Talboy? That's one way to put it. Another way to put it is... Everything went according to script. No, basically. It was amazing that after enshrining your Johnson, you didn't step on it in week 18. Where are you going with that?

That's what I'm just saying. Jimmy's in and you didn't step on it in DC. As a matter of fact, you stomped all over the commanders. That's when the commanders took a lead and there was a glimmer of hope for Lions fans and maybe Eagles fans. And then the Eagles got curb stomped by the Giants. The Patriots. I was like, it's 10-7.

We're going to be the number two pick. I know. You thought that. They got the memo there in DC. I did for a split second.

Shout out to all the talking heads who said the Cowboys would not win the division. Oh, okay. I have receipts. I keep receipts, screenshots, screen recordings.

Things of that nature. All right. Well, congratulations to you in the Dallas Cowboys. Phone lines are lighting up. I love it.

844-204-rich being the number Dom. Listen, when I talk into this microphone, I say everything that I mean and I mean everything that I say. And I hope you hear it. You know, I'm not one of those folks that just want I want to be accurate. I want to be straightforward. And, you know, obviously I'd like to be heard. There are some people in our business that put wanting to be heard first.

I'm not one of those folks. I like being heard, but it's not the most important thing. What's the most important? Most important thing is being right. And most important thing is being honest.

Those are two things. Okay? Wouldn't you put honest over right? I'm sorry.

My bad. I want to be honest, then I want to be right. But I really want to be right. And I do I do sit here in this mosh pit of three hours. Okay.

You know, this world nobody care, this world, this world filled with talk and takes and rats. Okay. That are out there. Right. Okay. Just got shown up by the host. Lots of talk out there.

Now, here you go. I told everybody. In two different locations, this one and overreaction Monday podcast.

So on demand live and then live and on demand. Honestly, there were so many ways for you for me to be heard on this subject matter. I told everybody in early December. Do not let the Buffalo Bills in the tournament. Don't do it. Do everything that you can to keep them out. And even at the expense of people putting themselves in, they didn't keep the bills out. Looking at you, Jacksonville Jaguars. We had to do is win in Tennessee. You would have kept the bills out or have to play for themselves to get in.

Told everybody, don't let him in. You know what I told everyone that I told everyone that. After they beat the Jets after they fired Ken Dorsey and they hired Joe Brady. And that was after the Buffalo Bills came so close to beating the Philadelphia Eagles in overtime. That team was six and six. And then it became seven and six right there is when I told everybody. They went six and five to beat the Jets. They lost to the Eagles to go six and six and they beat the Chiefs seven and six. And I said, don't let him in.

Well, guess what? They're in. They're in and they're in is the two seed.

They're in as the second best seeded team in the AFC. And last night's win in Miami to sweep the Dolphins to put them in as the AFC East champs and above the Chiefs because they beat the Chiefs. Is an exact microcosm of their season because it wasn't pretty. And it was Josh Allen being too much to handle and doing too much for his team to handle. And it was an OK start. And then it was a complete and total disappointment.

And then it turned around and finished amazing. That's their season. Losing to the Jets on opening night, even though Aaron Rodgers Achilles blows up. Then having a really good three week stretch where they blew everyone out.

Then going to London, where I watched them lose. They lose Matt Milano for the year after they lose Trey White for the year. And then they start losing a ton of games, including a game that almost cost them because they would have been out had the Steelers won. And Jacksonville won and they lost. And the fact that the Texans and Colts didn't end in a tie because they lost to the Broncos because they had too many men on the field instead of walking off with them when they lost to the Bengals when the Bengals were up and down. And then they went five in a row to finish up six out of seven. Could have won seven in a row if they beat the Eagles, who have been absolutely terrible since beating the Bills. And now they are the two seed. They get not one, but if they win against the Steelers, by the way, you hear that?

Yeah, that's my Twitter feed. If they beat the Steelers, then they get another home game. And it may just be the first time they take on the Chiefs, but they finally get them in their house. They get them with the train whistles and they get them with the mafia. Fresh off of putting out their burning clothes because they jumped into some flaming table and didn't put themselves out in time, like that's where they finally get them. Because nobody kept them out of the tournament and the Chiefs have nobody but the blame but themselves and Kadarius Toney's foot. So look out, they're in. And after the game, Josh Allen wearing the T-shirt for a fourth straight year, by the way, four years in a row, the Bills have now won the division.

Four. Last team to do that for them, the 88 to 91 Bills when they started becoming ascendant and then dominant. This is what Allen had to say. The shirt says AFC East champs, it's a lock, but for a while it did not look like that. What did you have to realize that you still could do this?

Six and six. We knew what was in front of us, had a lot of internal talks, trusted the guys in this locker room. At the end of the day, this is fun, this is cool. I'll never say no to winning a division, but the only thing that it solidifies is a home game and one more game. So it doesn't mean anything if we go out there next week and don't do our job. So we got to find a way to put our best foot forward and go find a victory next week. Says the guy who turned it over three times but still threw for 359 yards of 30 of 38 with two touchdowns, including a ton of yards for himself on the ground.

He led the league in total touchdowns this year. That guy. We're going to go beat Josh Allen now, I told you all, keep him out. Keep him out.

And they didn't. That's a problem. That is a problem. This is going to be a tough team to get out, certainly if they're starting to win close games, which is what they're doing. This is supposed to be the time you get the bills. You're supposed to get them in a one score game, like in Kansas City, and they didn't. You're supposed to get them in a one score game like Coach Giff, or Jiff, was it? Coach Giff?

I think it's Giff. Okay, and didn't. You're supposed to get them in a one score game like Bill Belichick did previously in the season, but couldn't in week 17. And you're supposed to get them in a one score game like Miami was supposed to, and Tua was throwing picks at the end of the game. Into a defense that's, I don't know how they're doing it.

Scotch tape, mirrors, smoke. The number of, you could fill out half a Pro Bowl defense with the number of guys that Buffalo lost this year and is missing now. And Von Miller, I mean, he's just, he's not Von anymore.

To the point where they're like, yeah, just, we'll get to you when you're starting to show that old school burst. Honestly, how the hell are they doing it? They're two. Good luck to the rest of the AFC.

That's my headline. That's what I thought when I watched them last night. And Miami, to me, looks like a team that can't put points on the board against a defense that A, knows them, and B, can get after them. And next up for them is a team that they lost to in Germany. And it's supposed to be, wait for it, 12 degrees on Saturday night when they go visit Kansas City. And an amazing two weeks ago, they were taking on the Cowboys. They beat them at home. And now they had a shot to win the division, have everybody come into their house. Had the Bills lost last night, they would have had to have come right back to Miami and played them again. And then they would have had the opportunity to have another game in their house. Instead, they now have to go to 12 degree Kansas City while Buffalo sits at home and welcomes in a Steeler team that is going to be playing with house money.

That's going to be a fun one. While the Browns and Texans face one another. And that's your AFC playoff picture. The NFC is filled chock full of other stuff, but the Miami Dolphins had it. They had it. They had a nice run in the middle of the season after losing in Germany. They had a nice win at home against the Cowboys. And then they could not finish the job last night. They give up a punt return for a touchdown that completely flipped the script. And then the offense couldn't do a damn thing. Nothing. Now, they also didn't have Waddle and Mostert.

They were not at a full compliment. And we are going to find out how the cold weather gear works and how this offense works in the cold weather. Because that's what you have to do when you don't win the games at home to stay at home.

That's why it's built the way it is. We're going to find out how A-Chan looks when he's got to be bundled up. And we've got to see what Tyreek Hill looks like on that gimpy ankle when it's 12 degrees out. Because obviously he knows how to succeed in arrowhead. He's shown it.

That's part of the reason why he's heading for the Hall of Fame. We're going to have to see how Waddle looks coming off of his injury in 12 degree weather. We'll have to see how it all works out. One thing is for sure with Mike McDaniel. Those capri pants ain't working in 12 degrees.

So he's going to have to come up with something else. And I'm sure, again, Dolphins fans will be like, Dude, we have heard non-stop over the years, Oh, look how Miami's going to look in the cold weather. And we remember a snowy day in Thanksgiving, right? Not to go all Leon Lett on you, but I mean, they've won big games in the snow before. Not saying it's going to snow, but that was what was at stake for the Dolphins last night.

And I'm now genuinely concerned for them. And yeah, I believe the Bills go deeper into this tournament than the Dolphins can. Right off the bat because of what happened in the fourth quarter last night in a Bills team that appears to have figured out their late game issues with a tough QB and a real tough defense. And that's how they're going in the playoffs.

Let's take a break. Chris Long's going to join us. 844-204 Rich is the number to dial.

What the hell happened at the end of the game in New Orleans? Can't wait to talk with him about that too. That's next. This is the Monday post-season edition of the Rich Eisen Show.

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Learn more at Discover.com slash credit card. Limitations apply. All right. Is Chris Long checking in on this program? All right. Not yet. All right.

Phone lines are lit. We appreciate that whole thing. So, Mike. Yes, Rich. Where were you? Are you aware that nobody knew where you were? Everybody knew where I was.

Absolutely not. Untrue, Mike. The guy who was sitting in the chair didn't know where you were. I didn't know where you were. Yeah, nobody knew. Nobody knew. Nobody knew? We were looking at your Instagram for signs. No, I was silent.

We wanted clues. I was sick last week. I had a bad cold.

Sorry to hear that. Did you tell Adam you were on a secret project? Is that what I heard?

Yes, it's called being sick. Oh, all right. Adam asked. He's like, I miss you.

Where are you? Well, hold on. Did he say that he missed you? Yeah, he did. Yeah, right.

He's like, I miss you. I actually have the text. Oh, let's see it. Hang on.

Oh, leave him alone. We did miss you. That's why we're bringing it up, Mike.

Yeah, that's why we wonder where you were, man. Let me see. Watch. Ah, don't worry. Watch. We're good. We're good. Don't worry about it.

He goes, Mikey, where are you? Actually, he didn't actually say miss. Oh, my God. Sorry. But we did miss you.

I know that. I missed you guys. You did not want me here last week.

Yeah, if you're sick, we don't want you around. Yeah, I was working, but I had a bad... Oh, you were working? I was sequestered. Yeah, I was in my own room. Oh, at Fox, you were here in town?

Yeah. What were you doing? Basketball. I did five days of college basketball. Oh, wow.

And then yesterday, my last, thank God, for the season. College basketball, huh? So you're playing the round ball rock for them? Oh, yeah.

You're playing the test theme? I love that song. Dude. I mean... But I missed you guys. I really did. Okay. Well, we're glad that you're back.

Thank you. We greatly appreciate your presence. And again, my name's Rich. I'm back on the Rich Eisen Show radio network. I'm 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 clickgrainger.com or just stop by. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. Let's take some phone calls here. Okay. First in, first up. Uh-oh. Before the show, we were taking a look at the schedules from pre-season and seeing who got it right.

Right. We were wondering, to play the schedule game, the win-loss game, who got it right. This individual said the Detroit Lions were going to go 12-5. What was their final record, Chris?

12-5. Jeff and Detroit, everybody, back here on the Rich Eisen Show. Jeff, Nostra Jeffers. I say that, gentlemen. Today, I'm spelling my name with a G and not a J. Out of words. Jeffery.

Listen. And the killer part is, you guys said, oh, Jeff got caught up 12-5, 12-5 at the end. I might not have arrived at 12-5, but that win-loss game, man, that was wonderful, dude. I'm loving it right now.

You got it right. Well done. I hate the fact that Sam LaPorta got hurt, but I mean, I honestly believe that we're going to make some noise. And I really appreciate you doing that particular game, man. It is wonderful for the fans and everybody that calls in and stuff. Thanks, Jeff.

Well, but you got to feel good. How are you feeling? What's going on for tonight? How are you feeling for tonight, Jeff?

What do you got for me? Oh, I'm feeling so good, but so bad because I honestly believe if I'm a betting man, honestly, this might be his last game. I hope not, but I believe this might be his last game in that maze in blue before he goes on to the NFL. Too many people are calling.

Too much money is out there. In fact, I think Michigan is trying to give him a heck of an extension just to come to Mayor Van Arbour and just take it overdue, and it's all yours. But if he wins tonight, Jeff, Jeff, if he wins tonight, he's not lifting a Lombardi. That's the difference.

You know what I mean? Like, and not as if tonight doesn't mean anything. Of course, it means the world to him and everyone to accomplish the mission. But when it all comes down to it, after that, what else is there to do? Maybe is to put on a maze in powder blue when he won. You know, I don't know.

Exactly. His brother's going to be there tonight. Mike McDonald is going to be there tonight.

The defensive coordinator from two years ago, who is now the Ravens' defensive coordinator. So we'll see. You know, we'll see. I'm excited about it. Thanks for the call, Jeff. You be well.

That's Jeff in Detroit. Joining us now from the Green Light pod in his usual Monday spot, our friend Chris Long back here on the Rich Eisen Show, two-time Super Bowl champ. How are you, Christopher? Rich, how are we doing, man?

I'm doing great. What's your headline out of Sunday? What's the headline? Oh, man. Considering I'm doing like, I'm getting ready for the whole show right now, I guess, oh, man. I don't know what the headline would be. I guess the Bill's getting in the playoffs, man, and the Dolphins being who we thought they were.

What is that? So what is who you thought they were? Well, Rich, I know that's how this goes. You got to turn the question on me, but who do you think the Dolphins were? Why are we still doing this where we're like, I don't know what's been up with them lately.

It's been two years. Well, I mean, who the Dolphins, what I think they are is a team with an explosive offense that can get you at any point in time and well, that's what they have proven on occasion. No, they haven't. No, they haven't. Every time they get in a game like this, they average probably 19 points.

That's probably gone down since last night. And you know, the performance in the second half, like I just don't want to hear about the offense anymore there. I know there were guys hurt and that sort of thing, but the Bills spotted them all these games. Josh spotted them all these dumb decisions in the red zone. And I feel for that defense in in in Miami because they had started to play really well and they lost some guys and it kind of eventually got too much for him. But if they were going to go on a run, they were going to win games 2317, 2017.

And that's the thing that I cannot figure out. How everybody's gotten this wrong, if they were going to make a run, they were going to do it on defense and they just lost too many guys. And then last night you see it where they're now waddle and most are not listening.

These are legitimate excuses, but it's not like this is a trend breaker. You know, they get in these situations and they lay eggs. And I think Josh, for as imperfect as he is, I can't believe that we have these conversations sometimes about Josh Allen. Look what he's able to do to dig himself out of that hole. You know, I think when you look up at the Bills in the division, they've quietly owned that division over the past three, four years.

Everybody's trying to be where they're trying to be. Not with that team. I don't see how it changes much next year. So then who's the team that can knock off the Ravens best? Is it the Bills?

Is it somebody who's in the tournament? Even Houston? There are two teams that I think can knock the Ravens out.

I'm not saying it's likely, but the two teams capable of it are the Browns and the Bills. And for the Dolphins, I mean, like it sucks because it's, and they're excited, like, listen, I know that I've said things about the quarterback that people think, you know, has been hate in the past, but I've just been, as you can see, realistic about the situation. They're a capable, good team if they put it together. And I like the kid under center.

You want to see him succeed. I like the head coach, but when you get in these situations and the difference between winning and losing is going to Kansas City or hosting a home playoff game, not to mention the possibility, and I might've butchered this cause I was up till 3am looking at all this stuff last night, but you know, they'd have to visit Cleveland in the offhand chance that they see Cleveland in the second round. If they win that game at Kansas City, they're going to have to go to Cleveland if the situation so like in no scenario do I feel great about their path and they had a chance to alter it and just get to the, like maybe they get some of those guys back and they just couldn't do it.

And you know, like if you can't take advantage of those turnovers and those gifts, I don't know what to tell you in the special teams thing, it's just disappointing for them. And for the bills who I love, this is awesome. America wanted to see the bills in the post season when the Steelers won this weekend, I was like, Oh no, like the Steelers are going to keep the bills out. And as much as I like watching the Steelers play and I like Mike Tomlin and the scrappy job they've done, would you rather see them in the playoffs or the bills? This is good for the NFL that we now get the Steelers in, we get the bills in. The NFL has got Dallas, Green Bay, round one. You got Philly in the dance, even though it's kind of a formality at this point, we've got a lot of these big market teams, we've got Detroit and we've got LA playing each other first round.

Like this, this is going to be great. Yeah, I think in the AFC, just to wrap it up, you know, on that side of our conversation, you could make the case that the seven teams that made it, the seventh would be the argument I would think, are the best teams that the AFC's had all year long, Ravens and Chiefs and Bills and Dolphins and Browns, Texans, right? When Stroud was healthy or is healthy. And then, you know, the seven seeds kind of a coin flip. I know the Colts did beat the Steelers, but that was when they had Trubisky. And I think they looked like a different team with Mason Rudolph for a reason. You know, and Jacksonville was the one that complied because they lost. That's how the Bills got in before they even took the field last night in Miami. And the Jags are headline number two, right?

When you're like, oh yeah, what happened earlier in the day? Yeah, it was the Jags just collapsing down the stretch, continuing to collapse. And I think the disappointing thing for Jags fans is when you say you got to be able to run the football late in the year, when you say you got to be able to stop the run late in the year, it's not just because it's cold or because it's cliche or because old football guys are saying it.

You got to be able to do those things because look around the league, you're playing a backup quarterback. What do you think they're going to do? I know it's Tannehill, but what do you think they're going to do in Derrick Henry's last game? They're going to get the ball in the perimeter.

They're going to use a screen game. They're going to see if your guys outside can tackle, but more than anything, they're going to put the ball behind that Skowronski kid's ass and he's going to do work up there and you're going to get whatever you want. And that's how it played out defensively for that group. And then offensively, you can't run the ball.

You just can't. I mean, they're one of the worst teams in the league running the football. They haven't had a hundred yard rusher more than once, or they haven't had a hundred yards as a team more than once since week 10, I think.

And it's a design flaw. Like you draft Tank Bigsby in the third round, you don't see a lot of him. You draft Strange in the second round.

He had a key hold yesterday. Trevor, I want to make him the headliner because people get so emotional about this quarterback thing. I'm not anti Trevor. I'm not pro Trevor.

I'm just calling it how I see it. I know he's hurt, but the throws he missed at the end of that game question the decision making, right? And putting him in that game. And I totally understand his thinking as a competitor, check into the sneak on fourth and goal and that sort of thing, but he's dinged up. They couldn't run the ball their first and second down stuff where Tennessee's just stopping the ball or the run with the light box. They're just popping it out on the perimeter and hoping for the best, but their guys outside are coming down and tackling. So I think Tennessee's the more physical team and the quarterback would have had to play spectacularly with the injuries that they've had at receiver.

Zay Jones. It's almost worse for him to be out and then back in and out again. He's been in and out all year, Kirk leaving during a key key stretch. It's not all on the QB, but I do look at it like, you know, for a guy that's led the league in turnovers has been a league like the second one for sure is on him.

There were multiple third downs early in the game where you're just like, hey, whether it's the Ingram drop, whether it's him and Zay Jones off target. This has plagued them all year. You bring in Ridley. There's like you got three slot guys, right? You know, so it's a design flaw. It's a scheme flaw. You barely play Ridley in the slot.

I just feel like they were. They had a bad plan this year and then the injuries happen and it got even worse. So when you can't run the ball and you can't stop the run at the end of the season, look around the league. There's a ton of backup quarterbacks. There's guys hurt. That's why you have to be able to stop the run and run the ball.

It's not some cliche and they couldn't do it. Chris Long here from Green Light Pod on the Rich Eisen Show as well as inside the NFL. I feel like we talk about the Eagles and whether they can flip a switch and what's wrong with them every single week. What a disastrous finish it was to have the Giants just light them up, light them up and then AJ Brown grabs his knee. What a fitting name for the quarterback of the Eagles to have a middle finger extended.

So I don't know what the question is. Are they going to get one and done, do you think, in Tampa? It's a good chance. I mean, it's a good chance. The only saving grace they have right now is, hey, if you dig deep, you can run the ball.

If you dig deep and think about it hard, you might be able to run the ball in this group. I remember they closed out that Tampa game. Now things are way different this time around, but they closed that Tampa game out with a nice long drive where they just got whatever they wanted and I can't get that out of my head.

But on the other end of things, I can't get what I saw yesterday out of my head and I can't get what I've seen the past four to six weeks out of my head. And boy, they did a number on us, fooling us into thinking. I think coming into the season, we knew they weren't the same team. I don't know about you guys, but being a Philly guy and knowing that roster and knowing how it is coming off the Super Bowl, didn't think they were going back. But to be this different than the team we thought they were, which is really impressive to come off of a Super Bowl loss and start the way they started.

I don't know if it's just the bottom fell out. You know, when you're not accustomed to making these runs like New England for all those years, I think the most amazing thing that they did besides just winning them is going back and going back and going back like that process is draining. And now if you're going to be that team that expects to play deep into January, you can't run out of steam. You can't have the injuries you had. You can't have the design flaws you had on defense and I don't like Baker Mayfield's missing a lot of balls right now. So maybe that's your best shot, but I don't feel confident about them winning at Tampa.

No. And then, I mean, of all the years for the Cowboys to get that two seed to get some home games, it's a year in which I think you make the case that the six and seven seeds are better than the five seed in the NFC playoffs currently going in last month, last two months. Oh, for sure. I mean, the Packers look really good. I know defensively they were like the cheese heads, the holes in the cheese heads up until the last, I guess, six quarters of the regular season. But Love is playing, I mean, playing his mind off right now. Love's great. And I'm not trying to throw the word great around like he's a great player yet, but this stretch has been great. I mean, the way he's taking care of the football, I like his maturity. I've always liked his maturity. Anytime you stick a mic in his face, he's saying the right things.

He projects the right kind of leadership. And I think the part of that is, and it's a perfect storm when you don't get to, you don't get a lot of guys that sit for a while and learn. The guy on the other sideline and there's discussions swirling around what they do with him, he's had the opposite experience. You know, like you get a Matt Nagy year, light that thing on fire. Look who he's throwing to year two, and then look at the game yesterday, look at the game plan. And I want to give the Packers credit. They sacked him on like five of his 22 drop backs, you know, like a quarter of the time you drop back, you're getting sacked and they weren't covered sacks. So the Packers defense, some of the things they did to mess with the protection, overloading one side, walking Kway Walker up and, and occupying a guard like the stuff they did up front. I've really liked their rushes all year long. I haven't liked the design of the defensive times. But when they can win up front like that at home, now they're not going to be playing home games for the most part here, right?

At all. They're going to have to go on the road and pick this show on the road. But they're solid. They did the same thing to Kansas City they did to Chicago, like force long drives that end up in field goals early in the game, dominate, not dominate time possession, but control time possession, run the football with Aaron Jones in there, they look really complete. If the defense can stay out of those situations that make Baker Mayfield look like, you know, all world and you know, all these games, you pick out the Joe Berry and that defense is kind of underwhelmed.

I take them seriously, man. And honestly, you know, talking about the NFC, Dallas getting home games, there is a scenario where they get three of them. Yep.

Right. Because I think the one team that I feel, I don't feel great about anybody beating the Niners in the in the NFC, but I think the Rams can give him a fight. And so let's say there's a situation where the Rams knock them out, then then for Dallas fans, it's like we could go. You know, so I think for Dallas, things fell really well. And for a team a year ago that lost, I think, to Washington by 20 points, we're looking at the Eagles game. And it's easy to think, oh, it's unprecedented to crater like this.

When you're supposed to be resting your starters, you end up resting your starters the other way. Washington beat Dallas at the end of the season when they had a little something to play for. And so this is a different Dallas team.

They went in and handled their business. It would have gotten really ugly if not for that blocked field goal. Last one for you, Chris Long. The other headline involving a team, two teams that didn't make the playoffs is what happened at the end of the Falcons-Saints game. And Arthur Smith's final public act as Falcons head coach was to air out Dennis Allen for a touchdown attempt that was successful at the end of the game that Allen did not call for. He wanted to take a knee as Arthur Smith clearly in the coaching profession would expect to have happen. And it's that Jamis pulled, I guess, a code red to give a touchdown to Jamal Williams who didn't score at all this year after signing with the Saints and leading the league in touchdowns last year.

I can't wait to hear your take on this, Chris. Well, nobody died, right? It's a football game. You threw a pick at the end of the game, down there at the one. I'm not saying it's not a no-no.

It is a no-no, right? But I've always been the kind of guy, and I've been down in the Superdome where Sean Payton is kind of running it up on my team. And I'm like, all right, well, we could stop him. Now I know that's a different situation when you're expecting to kneel down and that sort of thing. But, you know, I understand Arthur Smith being pissed off, right, walking out to midfield. There's a lot going on for him. You just got embarrassed with your lifeline to the playoffs over the last two games, right?

Like you got outscored by what you got outscored by. That's the nail in your coffin. So I think he knows that. And for him, I understand why he's pissed.

But then once you hear the Jameis Winston part of it, which was the best soundbite of the weekend, Jameis Winston went to a class for presidential public speaking, put him at the White House podium. It doesn't matter what he says. He just says it well, man. He's demonstrative. He believes it.

He's positive. You know, his facial expressions. I could watch Jameis Winston talk all day, and that was the most hilarious interview. When it comes down to it is the players, right? So you can't be mad at Dennis Allen.

But I would contend, though, although it's not Dennis Allen's fault, it kind of is because I've been on a lot of teams. And I don't know too many that the guys would have been like, yeah, whatever coach is saying, we're not going to do that, especially and part of that's immaturity on James's part a little bit like, but this isn't a cardinal sin. Like he got caught up in the moment. He's not thinking, what's this do to Dennis Allen, right? Those guys aren't thinking what's going to happen at the you know, it's hate week at the end of the day.

Still, like these teams hate each other. And so I think for Arthur, I understand him getting pissed off. I kind of wonder if it had something to do with how quickly Arthur Blank fired him like Arthur Blank, first off, really patient, right? Like last guy he fired this quickly was Jim Moore Jr., I think. And he didn't even wait till the next morning.

It was like, we're doing it before the kids go to bed. And I don't know if maybe it was the last couple of weeks. I don't know if it was the quarterback mismanagement.

I don't know who's called that quarterback stuff was because it's truly bizarre. I don't know if it's not using Kyle Pitts. I don't know if it's not using Bijan Robinson.

I don't know what it is. I don't know if it's the meltdown at the end of the game, but Arthur was ready to move on from Arthur and it was very apparent, very quick. Yeah, I know. It's I guess more the Jamis thing. You know, I mean, coaches take a knee and you're like, yeah, we all we all just, you know, travel counseled it, you know, like on Survivor and and we just voted the coach off the island, you know, basically is what what they did. It's an indictment on Dennis one way or another, because if it was if Dennis did it, it's Dennis fault. But if Dennis told them to take a knee and they did something different, it's kind of like they're not really listening to Dennis. That's right.

That's exactly. And his job is kind of on the line, too. I know they finished nine and eight and they finished strong. He made some he made some decisions against the Rams on that Thursday night.

That's the difference between them now being home and and not to be straight up, Chris. I don't even think I don't even think it's the Rams game. I mean, like this team was better than they finished.

Sure. I mean, there's enough pieces. When you look outside, some of these guys that got outside are pretty good. Alvin Kamara, who, you know, obviously is a big part of that offense, wasn't always out there. You know, but when you look at that offense to when they played the Rams, I thought Morris did a really good job of taking away taking Kamara out of the routes. So like by they would put a blitzer to his side and protection, knowing that he's going to be over there because his office and Aaron Donald and the slides going that way and they would occupy Alvin and he was out on like 12 percent of routes. And you look at what that offense looks like without Alvin. You know, now yesterday they put up a bunch of points, but I think they got a lot to fix there.

And so whether that's Dennis, whether that's the head coach, whether it's Carmichael, like they've got to make some changes schematically in that building. Chris, I would ask you who's on, but I can do tomorrow night, by the way, Eastern Time, if that's cool. That's great. That's good news. I'm I'm in. I know you were texting and I don't usually use our our real estate for this sort of behind the scenes stuff. But, you know, early evening Eastern Time, I'm in for you if you got a commitment. We got a we got a live verbal commitment. You got it. I can't go back. I can't go back.

I owe money. Although if Michigan, you know, if Michigan loses tonight, I'm going on a darkness retreat. So that'll I don't know where.

That's kind of part of why I because it's going to be good either way, Chris, you're the best man. We'll chat tomorrow night. We'll chat Tuesday night. That's right. There you go.

I'm committed to the green light with Chris Long podcast tomorrow night. Look at you. Yeah.

Yeah. People want to talk to me all of a sudden for some reason. Well, here you're out there. That's not all of a sudden. You're out there.

They've been wanting to talk to you. We have the Jamis Winston soundbite. I mean, I think we should play it. Well, not right now. We're up against it, as they say in the business.

I love Jamis. And we have a ton of phone calls. We'll do it. We'll hit it later in the show. We got two hours of real estate. Just us. That's a good point.

A whole lot of time. All right. Eight four four two oh four.

Rich number. No one else has been fired, right? Not yet. OK, cool.

Not yet. That's how we're rolling a break here on this Monday. 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.

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Visit prizepicks.com for restrictions and details. Larry David, you are now the new commissioner of the National Football League. Really? Yes, congratulations.

Are you kidding? There you go. Congratulations. This is a dream, okay?

I quit curvy enthusiasm in a second if this is true. Okay. Okay. What do you do first as the commissioner of the National Football League? Larry David.

Number one, and I really don't care if people like it or not. I'm losing the goalposts. Why are there goalposts? Why are kickers, okay, who have, they don't have football skills, they're not football players. I'm sure they're wonderful people, but they're not football players. Why are they kicking a ball through goalposts to decide games? It doesn't make any sense at all. So, first of all, goalposts are a relic from the old English rugby, I think.

Okay. You know, when they used to actually run and kick a ball through goalposts, but they don't do that in the NFL. There's no need for goalposts. Wouldn't the game be better without them?

Think about it. Why not just have leaping frogs to decide games? See if a frog can leap through a little goalpost that you set up, okay, on the floor, and if the frog can leap through the goalposts, then do that. Why kick it through a goalpost? Well, it's not called leaping frog ball.

It's called football. So you're saying take the feet out of footballs? Is that what you're saying, Leonard? Is that what you're saying?

Yes. Why, feet are deciding games and they shouldn't. Why should one player, one player with this skill like the guy on the Ravens.

Justin Tucker, yeah. Why should this one player who does nothing but kick a ball be deciding games when you have 52 other players who are actually playing and this one person, this 53rd person is deciding games if it makes no sense whatsoever? Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, we just showed on the Roku side, Larry David from 2021 saying, take the field goal kicking out of football. He thinks it's ridiculous that one guy who just does one job could decide games. What did he say?

They should have leaping frogs do it, right, when you did that? And he says, one guy like the Ravens kicker, I forgot to tell you guys, I'm on the field in London getting ready to call Ravens and Titans. And Justin Tucker is warming up and he's really into it. When he misses a kick in warmups, he's cursing like a sailor on shore leave, and that was really jarring to me. I'm like, this is an opera singer. I don't know why I was so jarred to hear him work blue and get angry, right?

But so I don't want to disturb him. He sees me and he breaks his routine and he comes up to me and he says, hey, I saw Larry David was calling me out with a big smile on his face. He was psyched Larry David knew who he was. That's hilarious. I never told you guys because we play that clip a lot. It's so funny because it's Larry being Larry, but oh my gosh, that's funny.

He's just like, wow, Larry knows it's a big deal for sure. I know. So let's let's let's jump into some phone calls here at 844-204-rich Terzo and I will all rise. All rise, Terzo. All right, Terzo. You're on your bye. What do you got to say now? Your Niners are on your bye week after losing to Carson Wentz, by the way. Oh, God, that was that was tough to watch. That kind of hurt my feelings. But it's all good, man. You're the one seed. You're healthy.

Wentz provides the blueprint. It's nice. Exactly. I feel good. Del Sufo has been been found. You know, I feel good. You know, it's a Monday morning where you can wake up and you can smile and know that everything's all good to follow up. My Niners did go twelve and five. So I was you did that right, too. Yes. You did, even with my way too early prediction, which you guys harassed me about.

But I came through, which I'm happy about. Well done. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You had them losing to the Cardinals, which they did. Hold on a minute. You had them losing to Pittsburgh to start, which they didn't, at the Browns, which they did.

You nailed that one. Yeah. You had them losing on Thanksgiving night to the Seahawks, which did not happen. You had them losing at Philadelphia, which did not happen. And you had them losing to the Rams at the end of the season, which did. Yes, sir.

Because you thought they were going to be resting their starters. So you nailed it. Here's how you got that one. Right. Exactly.

Yeah. I tried to do I try and do well, you know, and I had them going thirteen and four last year. And you had them playing the bills. You even added saying they're going to play the bills in the Super Bowl and win, which you may be right. And I'm I'm Hey, man, look at my Chris Berman. That's what I brought up at the start of the year.

That was my pick. And I'm scared. I'm scared to play the bills. If anybody in the AFC right now scares me, it is the Buffalo Bills.

Well, how about this? You should just get your team should get healthy on the buy and then and then come loaded for bear because it's entirely possible the Rams come and visit you again, but with the full compliment. And I think that's that's the one team I don't think you want to see them.

That's scary, too. No, what I think what I think you're rooting for is chalk with the exception of the Eagles. That's what you're rooting for. You want the Eagles to come out there feeling good about whatever they did in Tampa and then just just tear them apart. Like that's the red meat that the fans that want to show up in Santa Clara to see. That's what they want to see.

I completely agree with you, my dude. That is literally what I'm hoping for, because the dogs will be out and they will be hunted at that point. It's always scary to play that division rival in the playoffs because it can always jump up and get you. That is not what I want to see.

Thanks for the call. I mean, that's not a bad way to get into this here a little bit, but the best scenario for the Niners right now, they come back healthy, McCaffrey, McCaff string is good, right? And and the team that they look, I think the Packers could really give the Cowboys a game and a little bit of a scare. But the way the Cowboys are playing at home right now is one thing that I can't discount. And then, you know, the best thing for the Niners would be that the Lions take care of their Rams business. And I understand every Niner fan is like, we destroy the Rams all the time, except, you know, that one time in the NFC Championship game. And then, you know, this past weekend, the Rams showed you that they're they're no joke.

They're deep and they're young and they're hungry. And one way to take them out is the Lions or take their kneecap off and bite them and then hit them again. And then you sit there on Monday night and you root for the Eagles to flip a switch and look look good.

And then you have them come into your house as the five seed and you just end their season because that's the red meat that will get everyone going. You don't want to see a Rams team that knows you. I don't think you want to see them at all. You don't want to see a division opponent. And the Packers are, you know, just young enough to do something so crazy to make it all the way to the NFC Championship game at your expense.

I'm serious. I know you are, but. So it wouldn't be a bad thing if the Packers go ahead and just beat the beat the Cowboys take care of that business for you to be a bad no, I'm talking about from a Niners point of view. I'm talking from a Niners point of view where they got where they got torn apart by the Ravens and then they got hurt in D.C. and then have a bad taste in their mouth based on what happened on Sunday, regardless of who wasn't playing. I think the Eagles coming in feeling good about themselves only to have you say, yeah, not here. You ended our season last year.

Let us do you that favor of this year. That to me is the Niners best case scenario coming out of wild card weekend hour two coming up. Don't you think or it's the Packers, right?

The Packers take care of the Cowboys who are one team that you just the way that they're playing. But I don't think the Niners are concerned about Dallas coming to their house. They're just not. I don't think that concerns them.

That's like their favorite thing to do is to is to torture you, TJ. But if you're sitting there as just no emotion in it, Dallas presents, I think, of the biggest problem for them because they can hunt, they can and they can score. They can hunt and score with consistency, except on the road. And I don't know if they've solved that road problem just because they tore apart a D.C. team that they couldn't do the year before.

So that's something you can put in your cab. It's like, hey, we stubbed our toe here last year. Not this year. We're a different team. Totally.

Yep. They're the two seed. They're not going. They're not going to Tampa to start and then having to go on the road again. That's the Eagles problem. That's a that's a that's a P.P. That's a Philly problem, huh?

Not a DP, not a Dallas problem. Everyone's going to be picking the Bucks right on Monday. I don't know about that, but that's your world.

I don't know about that world. The Eagles are favored. Well, because they're the defending NFC champs and everyone figures that they're going to flip a switch on a on a on a Bucks team that lost at home to the Saints and needed a hang on for dear life against Carolina. Coming up. You love Lala Kent on Vanderpump Rules. Now get to know her on Give Them Lala. I'm obsessed with the fact that GQ has named Kim Kardashian Man of the Year. You're upset about it. I suggest you do better than if there were a Cosmo Woman of the Year and it was a man. How would you feel? Well, that would just be lies. Name a man who's doing better than women right now and you can give him Woman of the Year. But until I see that. Watch what Lala is talking about on YouTube or search for Give Them Lala wherever you listen.