Marshall Faulk: Jim Harbaugh always left a place better than when he arrived

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Limitations apply. This is the Rich Eisen Show live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Let me just give Charger fans a little idea of what's coming. This team is also going to have a guy that is finally, I think, going to solve the Chargers going to Charger situation. Makes complete sense that he wants to leave.

And I have no problem with it. Earlier on the show, Lions wide receiver Ahmin Ross St. Brown. Coming up, Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero. And now it's Rich Eisen. That's correct.

Can confirm I am Rich Eisen. I should start every hour that way. Wouldn't that be weird? That'd be really weird. Just in case people weren't sure. You know what I mean? Why? I don't know. What? You really like to set the table.

You could just start talking. What do you mean? People who are listening to us have already found us. I understand that.

They don't need to hear the eight other ways to get our show. You know what I'm saying? It's a wow. I'm just saying it's called criticism.

It's it's not a criticism. Hold on a second. Marshall Faulk's here on the Rich Eisen Show. And, you know, you've been here. Maybe he might be the most frequent guest we've ever had on this program.

It was on the second episode. Correct. And so and, you know, Brockman, does that sound like a critique to you?

Of the way I start the hour? Are you Rich Eisen? That's correct. Yeah. Well, it's called broadcasting. Like, you don't know if anybody's tuning in for the first time. I'm not going to assume that people know what this is all about you, man. Every time.

Oh, I learned so much from you. No, no, no, no, no. That's it. I'm done. I do, though.

Like I was like, maybe I need to start announcing who I am when I walk into places. OK. And where you can be found. Right. Yeah. Like table for Marshall Faulk.

I am Marshall Faulk. Right. But you're not on camera. You know what I'm saying?

Like, welcome to hour two. OK. It's even better. No. Now I'm going to start second guessing myself. No, I'm not. I'm not going to do that. You just did it.

Well, we're here on the Roku channel and terrestrial radio and Sirius XM, Odyssey and more. Marshall Faulk's here. He looks great wearing those Jordans. Hey, you know who won the national championship wearing Jumpman for the first time? First time, right? How about that? Yeah.

Jumpman and any Jumpman. I love that line. Yes.

That caught me. Perfect. So what do you think of your quarterback here in L.A.? What do you think of Harbaugh here?

What do you think? I just say about Jim, it's just impressive what he's been able to do. Just just impressive. Fun guy to play with.

Oh, my God. Like the best in the huddle. Like, what do you mean? Just just, you know, he's like he's a character and very animated. In the same way you would see him in interviews, he'd be in the huddle calling the play like.

I write 20. Bob, we're going to run this. So would you be laughing sometimes breaking the huddle? Yeah. At his cadence and what he's saying? Yeah. Yeah. He had this like like he he would literally throw the ball and go.

I'm like, Jim, why do you do that? With a sound effect? With a sound effect. With a sound effect. Like that dude from Police Academy?

Literally Michael Winslow of quarterbacks? Yeah. Really? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Really?

Yeah. Like one of the and I'm going to say this, like in the dude, just tough, man. He loved to compete, wanted to run with him, wanted to run with the skill guys. And I remember before I even met him, like watching when he was with the Bears, he wanted to run down on kickoff like quarterback wants to run down on kickoff. He's just different. He's different. And his attitude, it was it was amazing to watch. What he created, you know, you don't know if the coaches to culture until you remove the coach and watch the team play. And it almost seemed like the culture, like the kids dug in the games that he was suspended, they like dug in more. And he did.

He did what he said he was going to do literally. That's why I have no issues. Yeah. No. Yeah.

Zero point zero issues. He said that everywhere he's been rich everywhere he's been when he left. It was a better place than it was before he got there. Every place that he's been.

That's why we were talking the other day. He's got a very Parcells type track record. OK, where he doesn't have the Super Bowls that Parcells had. I'm talking about he shows up. He has you.

You know exactly what you're getting when you get him. And he changes a culture. He did it with New England. That's for sure. He did it with the Jets. That is for sure. And he did it with the Giants.

That is for sure. The Cowboys had their own culture. I kind of I kind of feel like he was in a different part of his career when he showed up with Dallas. But he I mean, they changed along with Kraft, the uniforms, they changed the logo, they changed everything. And but he also didn't stick around very long either. And that's that's what happened with Michigan, too, except this time he hung that banner, man. Yeah, he hung it. Yeah, I've just I'm impressed.

Here's what I like, Richie. Sometimes you don't get the championships, but just watch the quality of players and how the players play for the coach. And I mean, when he was at San Francisco, you remember how hard like like watching them play, how how how tough nose to defense was. There's always two things that happens. Their offense and defensive line control the line of scrimmage everywhere he goes. That's like that.

That's the first thing. And you just don't think about quarterbacks creating that kind of identity. You know, quarterbacks, normally they want to have the fun gun offenses and stuff like that. And Jim, everywhere that he's been, anytime there's been any type of like things wrong with the team, they bring in more offensive linemen or more tight ends and they run the ball instead of spread it out and throw the ball. He just understand his dad did a great job at teaching him and his brother that this game is won at the LOS.

That's line of scrimmage for you guys in the trenches. So what do you think the Chargers are going to look like now? I know you've just described what he's done in the past, but now he's got this roster, this quarterback.

And he's got he's got all one would think what he wanted from the Spanos family to set it up the way he wants it. So understanding that the culture with the Chargers the last couple of years was a very lax culture that's about to be gone. And the guys on that team who aren't willing to sacrifice and work hard, they will be gone.

Just just watch. Like I'm telling you, like there's they got some stars on that team that. They're not they don't play every game. They're not playing a lot of the downs.

All of that's going to change. And the guys who really want to win and they want to win with working hard and going out there and land it all on the line. They're going to end up they're going to it's just what he's done. He creates a winning culture and they go out and they compete. They'll have in a couple of years, you'll see them making the push to get into the AFC championship.

Here's the bad part. You know, and I always give the Manning's props for this. You know, Eli and Peyton made sure that they would never play each other unless it was in the Super Bowl. Yeah, they would never stop each other from getting in the Super Bowl. And now this family, they have a interconference rival with each other. And it surprised me that he, you know, that was the only thing I was like, he won't take the charger job because.

He and his brother could stop each other from being in the Super Bowl instead of having their family celebrate, competing against each other for the Super Bowl. That's why when Atlanta got in the mix, I was like, oh, as a Michigan fan, I'm like, oh, OK. Yeah, but we'll talk about Atlanta in a second. But staying on the subject matter here is maybe Herbert was just the difference maker. Also, Southern California, you know, those were just the difference makers for him to say this is the one I'll take. So so the interesting thing about this is.

If I had not saw. Jim kind of make the decision to go with J.J. at Michigan and how they brought J.J. along, I'd be worried because I hadn't seen him with like this caliber of quarterback coaching it. Every team that he's kind of brought along, they had quarterbacks that was game managers in a sense, not in a negative sense, but they managed the game. They didn't win the game because of their arm talent. And Herbert has arm talent that could win games for you. But he had luck, though, too, in Stanford, didn't he? I mean, so. But luck wasn't. He wasn't like. As developed as the story. OK, that's another story.

All right. So but I understand what you're saying, Alex Smith, and he kind of surprised people that he stuck with Smith when he took the job. I really thought, oh, well, that's the end of Alex Smith here.

Nice one. Number one overall pick. And then he played in a game of his life against New Orleans in a playoff game against Breeze.

He was amazing. And then he went with Kaepernick when it was time to, you know, to stick with Kaepernick. The league went, went, went, went a direction and actually Harbaugh went that direction before the league went that direction. That kind of quarterback, like using him the way that they used him. Yes. Before the guys, before the rest of these guys came out of college and the whole spread system went wild.

Kaepernick was the guy doing it. It was like, oh, my God, he's going to get hurt. No, he's big.

He's fast enough. So what will they, what will, I guess, just to put a button on it here, what do you think Herbert will look like? Because the general sense, Chris believes in MVPs in the future for Herbert, just for this move alone. Talent wise, I see that. But I think now because of Jim's culture, they're going to build this, this offensive line will look different. They're going to, they're going to smell different.

They're going to play different. That's just that's where he that's that's where he does the building first. Just pay attention.

Watch the offensive line like there. He's going to find some guys that I want to put their hand in the dirt that that they take pride in standing in front of a guy taking a guy on. That's his that's his M.O. And then that'll help Herbert in its own right.

Any quarterback when you have time, when you have time, you're going to look very good. And then what do you think is he's going to be with the fans here? I mean, you know what it's like, you know what it's like going in that building sometimes.

That's going to be interesting to watch, you know, Jim. And I don't want to call it antics. It's just he answers the questions he want to answer the way he wants to answer them.

And that's that's it. And he rolls with it. He what I what I love about him is he doesn't care what you think about him. He really doesn't care. You don't care if you like his khakis or not. You don't care if you like that he wears gloves and he throws the ball with his. You don't care if you like that.

He was trying to look exactly like Bo. He doesn't care. Marshall Faulk here on The Rich Eisen Show. What do you think of Raheem Morris is higher?

Great, great higher. And I'm going to tell you, his first stint, obviously, Tampa was a mess. And it didn't go quite the way he wanted it to. But although he did have a seven win difference from year one to year two.

Yes. But I'm just saying it didn't go the way that he wanted or they want it. OK. And I think that I think that he's learned a lot, spent some time over over with the Rams and just just listening to him last year before the season, he was like, I got a lot of guys. We don't know who these guys are, but I got a lot of guys. And when the Rams took the field that on defense, like you didn't know it was Aaron Domino and like, who are the rest of these guys? Right.

And Raheem did a great job, did great job coaching some guys up, you know, going from a lot of names to a lot of non name brand names here in L.A. And, you know, there's there's some guys that that really, that really stepped up and and they made a push and got into the playoffs. Well, you know, some great coaches did not have their first stint go well at all. Correct. Mike Shanahan had time with the Raiders before he was a Bronco.

Pete Carroll with the Jets and the Patriots before, obviously, USC in Seattle. And then the ultimate with Belichick in Cleveland, although, you know, they did they did go to the playoffs and win a playoff game. Right. And then he and the Browns dissolve.

Yeah. Well, I'm excited for Raheem. He's he's he's done. He's done a lot of good things in this league.

And and I'm going to just say it because it needs to be said. A lot of black coaches don't get a second chance. A lot of black head coaches don't get a second chance.

A lot of them don't. We've had we've had a couple. But to see Atlanta like, OK, and couldn't be a better spot for him. Could not be a better spot for him.

Especially since they did let him out of the building. Yes. Last time. Yeah. They could have removed the interim tag.

They could have did not. Yeah. And now here they are again.

And they like, oh, yeah, we we we messed up. And they chose him over Belichick. Is really and 12 other candidates. But that that sounds I don't know if that sounds as good as it sound. What do you mean by that? Makes sense. Like that's a hard choice.

Oh, yeah. I'm just wondering what what was Bill asking for? What was Bill asking for that they wouldn't give him? Because let's be honest, that's a that's a no brainer.

If you're going to defensive coaches, Bill's the obvious pick. And the question is, what did Bill ask for that made them say, no, Rahim's the guy? I don't know. It could be as simple as time, to be honest with you.

You know, I mean, Rahim is, you know, I don't want to say half his age. No, I but I mean, that it could be as simple as that. I don't know. But you're you're an organization looking and searching for an identity.

And you need to win. I mean, that that is the no brainer. I don't know. Right.

It could be, you know, that Morris just knocked their socks off. I hear I'm not taking anything. No, I know. But that's like and I'm saying that would be a hard decision for me. I'm trying to go somewhere.

This guy has been six times and I'm trying to get there. It would be hard. And I'm saying, what did Bill ask for? Or maybe what was said in the interview that for them and maybe Rahim, maybe I'm maybe I'm shortchanging Rahim's ability to sit down and like interview and maybe he blew their socks off. That could be the case. But I'm thinking like. What did Bill like, what did what did he ask for to where Arthur Blanken company was like, nah?

I don't know. That is going to be the ultimate question, because the speculation is surrounds the power structure there. And Rich McKay, the CEO, being there and maybe Rich and Bill grinded gears for all those years over the competition committee. But I thought that this is one million percent total speculation. But Adam Schefter tweeted out that the power structure that the coach and the general manager report to McKay reports to to Blank has been changed as well. That Morris and Fontenot are going to be reporting to Blank directly. So I don't know if that was the power structure that Belichick had a problem with.

That got removed, it seems. I don't know the answer to it. That's why I keep saying it. Like if you to to say no. If if Bill wasn't your choice, like, what was it? Because if I'm Atlanta, I'm like, I'm like, what do you need? That's what I honestly I thought when we were talking about it here, when Belichick we had a second the first interview. TJ, tell tell Marshall how you thought Belichick's first interview with the Atlanta Falcons went.

Go ahead and tell him. Well, Marshall, you know, Bill comes in. He sits down. Hello. Hello.

How are you? He pulls out a Halliburton briefcase and he opens it. And much like Marcellus Wallace's briefcase and Pulp Fiction, a light emits from it. And he reaches in and he pulls out eight little silver and gold trinkets, Super Bowl rings.

You know what they look like. And he just puts them on the desk in front of him, kind of kicks back. And it's like that was the first interview. And then the second interview, the follow up interview was just bringing the same thing back to it. Like that's his interview.

Second interview, he said, you know, a little feeling behind your neck. That's pride messing with your mind, messing with your mind. That's pride.

Great big rims by Marshall Faulk. All he got is Atlanta privileges revoked. I mean, I don't know. And it does beg the question. Like, I hope I hope that I'm shortchanging Rahim's ability to sit down and blow their socks off. And because he had been in the building before, he understand the culture of of coaching and being in Atlanta and embracing whatever that was that he said, here's where I can get you guys. I've been here before speaking to that. I hope that's the case.

Rich, I'm being honest with you. Kurt and I saw Belichick on December 23rd, the night before the Christmas Eve game that the two of us called on NFL Network in Denver. He was as into coaching and talking about coaching in the X's and O's as I've ever seen. And as one million percent Belichick in talking about the game with passion and talking about. So it's not as if he didn't want to do it anymore.

That's for sure. And he just his institutional knowledge is second to none. Like, I've never I've never witnessed anything like it before. I just I can't not get out of my head. Belichick sitting down with with Arthur Blank and McKay, and they're asking him questions like he's like he's at a presser, you know, the kind of answers that you get at the pressers. Yeah, he's just like, we're moving up, we're moving on to the contract, you know, like we're moving on to the dotted line, you know, trying to move on to the pen. Like, what are you talking about here? You know, I'm just picturing him answering the way that he is.

So I don't know. Well, you know him. You've been around him, like, but you've been around a lot of people to press him for answers. He just you would I would have loved for you to have been here and then we'll take a break. I would have loved for you to have been there because the last question, like we'd already been speaking like 45, 50 minutes. And I said, this one's for me. I even said that to Bill as the windup.

I'm like, this one's for me. What was your scouting report of Kurt before the Super Bowl that you played him in? OK, and I swear to you, the first things he was talking about was how to stop you. And how to stop you and how and Kurt was talking about how you were held by Willie McGinnis. And he was going back.

It wasn't a hold. And and where he remembered everything down to like the down and the distance and the time on the clock. He remembered how Kurt ran one in because the guards popped up and each went separate ways, making it think that they were going to run it to you on certain sides. And Kurt just walked straight into the end zone. He was like angry about it still, about how they fell for that like banana in the tailpipe. And I just sat there to myself. I'm like, this guy's unbelievable, like an encyclopedic mind.

But he talked a lot about you to the point where I'm like, well, what about 13 over here, you know? And he just is talking about how Kurt, you know, was able to dissect things. And he remembered everything down to the last second of that Super Bowl. What do you think when you hear that? No, it's it's that that's what he does. That's that's what I'm saying.

Every every defense that he's coached when he went against a team that was good, it was like, all right, who and what makes this go? Let's take that option away first and see how they respond. You were held, though, right? Oh, a bunch of times.

Oh, my God. Yeah, it was a bunch of times legal back then. And Bill Polian changed the rules. Well, that was pre that was pre illegal contact. There wasn't no such thing as. Well, Ty Law helped him change those rules, right?

Oh, yeah, because Peyton Manning couldn't play in the cold. There you go. There you go.

That's your New England point of view right there. I love it. Yeah. All right. Let's take a break here and let's talk championship Sunday, shall we? Let's do it. Let's do it. Marshall Falk is here on the Rich Eisen Show in studio.

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I've done half as many as you. It is more about strategy than it is about just finding whatever the new buzzword happens to be. Bigger Pockets real estate podcast on YouTube or wherever you listen. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show and Marshall Falk will now tell the public everything he just said off camera. I just said that Rich is the best dad ever. Best host ever. This just in. You know where to find me.

Exactly. The Roku Channel. Odyssey. Hey, listen, everybody finds us. And it's never going to be like, where do I where do I find you?

You go. Never. It'll never be that way.

Again, not a criticism, but sounds like it. They're already watching us. Yeah. But they've found us.

Yeah. How do you know they've seen? But how do you know they know where to find us when they're not watching? How do you know? Like, if I didn't say it on the radio, they wouldn't know.

Oh, that's where I can see it. You know, maybe they prefer to listen. I know. But now they know where to find us if they are in a spot. Well, I can watch my favorite show.

I like to listen to. You know what I mean? Just because, you know, doesn't mean everybody knows. It's not about me. It's clearly is. It's not about my name is nowhere in the studio. It's not about me. It's on your cup in front of your desk.

That's true. Because I had it made. You had that made or did I have that made that cup right there?

No, the oh, I didn't know you can find that. I had a printout. I know. And I and we and we made it look nicer. They upgraded to look pretty jabroni before we fix that because I care.

You do, Rich. I can confirm it. Marshall can confirm I care. In 2001, just real quick, Kurt won MVP, had 22 interceptions. Safe to say we'll never have another MVP with that many interceptions in a season, right? How many touchdowns? Thirty six. That's a lot. Do you know what would happen that year?

He'd have been sent to Warner's Corner a lot. For an XO breakdown and a public shaming back on the Rich Eisen Show radio network, sitting at the Rich Eisen Show desk, furnished by Granger with supplies and solutions for every industry. Granger has the right product for you.

Call click Ranger dot com or just stop by. All right. Let's get right into it with the NFC championship game first.

Brock Purdy's performance against the Niners against the Packers concerning to you or not? You got to think about it. No, no, no. I just I just I want to say this the right way because he's a he's a young kid.

That's correct. And literally it happens. He lost he lost it. And and to. And Kyle Shanahan helped him out.

How so? They put him on the center, let him drop back, gave him a couple of throws. The ball balls were sailing across the middle. He was missing throws. The timing were off. Was that it was that it was it a rain thing, a debo thing or or just like he's not it's a moment thing.

What is it? He there was a moment in the third and the beginning of the fourth to where he lost his confidence. His his ability. They say you start seeing ghosts like literally quarterbacks. There is a there's all quarterbacks throw the ball with anticipation of where you're going to be. But if you need to see it to throw it, then that's a problem that becomes an issue. And there was just some there was some horrific throws that he made like the throw that looked the best, that went over to safety and just perfectly dropped in like that was a pick six. Ball kind of sailed on him, just got up above the underneath guy. But but Kyle, Kyle, they threw I think they threw an under route and then a seven route. Two throws that if you throw it too high, the only thing you can't do is throw it late.

If you throw it too high or throw it too far, ball goes out of bounds. Was this the final drive you're talking about? This was yes. In the final drive. Was that the one to Ayuk and then the one to Conley that you're referring to?

Yes. That was after Kittle dropped one too, which is rare. Those two throws were like boom. That got him back to where he needed to be. It was it was it was the first time that I saw, even in his face, concern like the kid looks unflappable. It's just like, look, it's me. He's like, I've been doing this. And he lost it.

He literally lost it. And you know, I don't cheer for the Niners by no means. I started to cheer for the kid because I wanted him. I didn't want it to go like that for him. Wow. Rams cheering for the Niners. I wanted I didn't want it to go like that.

I like that. There was no way that like if he had thrown a pick and then the game was over the next season, like it would be in question of how he would come out of it. Well, that's how tenuous it is.

It's it feels. Niner fans will tell you he's the guy. He's our guy. You know, obviously, Shanahan chose him as the guy. And even though, you know, I guess he admitted that they told him if we get Brady, you know, we're going to start him this year. And obviously they didn't get Brady, which is a story that really hasn't, you know, been discussed much this week. But all that said, he did get it back. He said he lost it.

He did find it just in time. Nice drive. Great drive drive that we were hoping to see from Purdy. Yeah.

All you know, quite a bit. So does it concern you going against Detroit? Yes, because it's a nice night and Deebo's playing. There's moments in this game. Here's what here's what hasn't happened on this team. And it literally happened against Green Bay. And Green Bay did the same thing to Dallas.

And it got to Dak. These teams that rely on their defense. And then a team goes out and execute against your defense and then say, hold serve. And you get the ball and you have to you have to score or maintain a long drive. They're not used to that. They're used to their defense. Three and I'll get the ball back. Three and I'll get them the ball back. If their defense is not getting takeaways, if the defense isn't what it's been and they have to play a shootout type of game to where, hey, we have to rely on you.

I don't know if I don't know if Brock is built for that. And when you said that Shanahan, you know, bailed him out or helped him out. I don't mean to say bailed, you know, part of me straight up was like, huh? Because the best way to kind of help him out is keep giving it to twenty three. And after twenty three scored, he only got it once in the next two drives somewhat.

What do you mean? Because you got to get your quarterback out of it. So there's here's the thing. And this is this is always the caveat for the play caller. Do you wait to ask the guy to make the throw when everybody knows he needs to make the throw or you have him make the throw on first or second down when they know they know you need to run? Everything's saying run. I got to throw a pass now.

I got to see where he is. I can't wait for third down. I can't do that. I can't do that to him.

That's too much pressure. So what they did was on the first or I think it was second down like the two throws happened on second down. And it was it was situations where there were obvious run McCaffrey downs and they were like, no, we got to throw it. The best down to throw on.

It's like it's a whole mind game thing on what you do, Richard. And they and and Shanahan rolled the dice and it worked like it literally worked. They put the kid under center.

He took the ball, dropped back in rhythm, delivered the ball down the field. So but you are concerned against Detroit. But like I said, what? It's supposed to be a nice night, not raining.

And Debo may be playing. So I'm fine with all that, Rich. I'm just here's the thing. Detroit is going to move the ball against the 49ers. You believe that like they just how? Give me give me give me the give me the hell on that.

Because because they have the elements that you need. I'm right. St. Brown is a is a guy that can catch short passes and run through tough tackles. They got a back that can break it long and catch the ball and cause some issues on the on that level. That's what you're talking about. Yeah. They got they got a tight end that can threaten the middle.

And he's a great outlet. And then they got they got it. They got a receiver and Jamison Williams that can get deep like they have the elements, not to mention the biggest element. If you watch if you watched in that Green Bay game, the Green Bay offensive line manhandled the 49ers defensive line. I hadn't seen anybody stand up to them and like just with these five guys, we're going to do some chipping on the outside.

But and they could not get there. I think Detroit line is better than Green Bay's offensive line. So do you like the lines in this game? No. All right.

Then give me that side of it. On the flip side, I'm worried about Jared. I'm worried about Jared.

I just like these. These are the big game moments like and for him, I'm like, he's been taking huge steps, man. Huge steps. You know, when he was with the Rams, he felt like a part of the team. This Detroit line, I feel like he's leading this team. OK. Like it's it's a different animal.

It's a different animal. And I'm happy for him. I'm happy for for what he's doing, because it's listen, you trade him. You bring in stuff. You win a Super Bowl.

It's a it's a direct indictment on this young man. So but you believe that they can move the ball on the 49ers defense. And you have established that you are concerned about Brock Purdy's ability to if he loses it again to get it back.

Maybe or whatever. Or just you're just concerned about, you know, in his second year, his first NFC Championship game that we expect him to play in full. So then how do the Niners win it?

Why do you why do you feel at the end of the day? I'm worried about Jared. Like in the in a third fourth quarter moment, just just just if the moment if the moment. It's too big for him. Like if the moment is too big for him, I just I call it what it is in the Super Bowl against the Patriots. The moment like that moment was too big for Jared.

Well, maybe that moment will cause him to have this moment to be less. That's it. That's that's exactly that.

Perfectly said, Rich, that is that is it. And I hope so. And if Jared can handle the moment, because against the Rams in the playoffs, the moment came and he rose up to it. He did. And he did it. And he did it this past weekend, too.

Now, it was it was possible picks that could have happened. But when the moment when the moment was there, he rose up to it. And you love seeing that. I love seeing seeing guys get through things and and conquer their demons and and and deal with the pressures of the game, because that's all that's all we're dealing. We're all dealing with the pressures of the game. You know, it's just the game until, hold on, wait, I got to make this throw, you know, like right now. One guy right now, right now, Jordan loves he he keep waking up that he threw that ball. I know like you keep waking up. He keep waking up that he threw that ball.

That moment, the moment was too big for him. And he was cool, calm throughout the whole game. Before we take a break to talk about the AFC Championship game, I do want to give you because of who you are and what you've done and what you stand for in terms of this position as well to give you some time on McCaffrey, who's an MVP and Offensive Player of the Year candidate at the running backs position in two thousand and twenty three, man.

Yeah. So what do you think? What do you think of his game? I I love everything that he stands for for this team.

And I'm going to tell you, Rich, I just. I have so much respect for him and how he plays his game and and the word that we use sometimes and we don't really get into it. The kind of teammate that he is. Because if I was on the MVP run and they were handling the ball to Debo, I'd be pissed off. Do you understand that? Handoffs are limited in the game of football. You're going to hand the ball to 19?

You know, you know, I got twenty, twenty seven thousand, two thousand plus yards. What? I got it just.

But never. You don't you don't get. You don't get a thing from him.

You don't get in that drive. The fact that he he was he was like chomping up the yards and they decided to throw. You don't hear much from him in today's league. There's just not many guys that that that has that element of and understand the element of of of team. What?

And at the running back position, the position is the most devalued in the league. Well, how difficult is it? Because he makes it look so simple.

You did to to go into a game knowing to what the the run scheme is and the passing game is and the blocking scheme is. I mean, he's doing it all. Yeah.

I mean, what sort of toll does that take? It's a lot like there's there's a lot that goes into that. I mean, you watch you look at the same league that I look at and teams have two and three backs and there's guys who come in and they carry the ball once and catch the ball once. And they tap their helmet and they run out.

And there's there's there's there's interchangeable parts. And he's like, no, just leave me in. That's like I as Mike Marsh used to say, you know, from from from when you run the next the last play to when you get back to the huddle between when you break the huddle, hopefully you caught your breath and you can go again.

I love that. Well, I just got to tell this story real quick, then we'll take the break at the combine and after the combine. And prior to the draft, the conversation about Christian McCaffrey is he's a piece of fine China from Stanford that hardly anybody saw outside of his highlights. And that, you know, if you if you run between the tackles, you're going to lose him. And one guy told me that is not the kid. And it's this guy right here. You told me you're like this tough.

This guy is going to be between the tackles and he is going to be a bell cow. Yeah. And he can also catch it, too.

You saw it right from jump. Yeah, I remember that. It's easy to see sometimes that the combine people let's let's be out of the combat and they're looking for reasons to not draft you. Right. Or to not pay you.

They're not looking for reasons to. And the kid had he had everything. Then you just had to put him around some talent. OK, so you believe the Niners are making it? We'll find out who you think is going to make it from the AFC side. Marshall Falk is here. We'll talk about Lamar and the Holmes and the Ravens and the Chiefs when we come back right here as a show.

All right. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show. Marshall Falk here for another segment.

We'll get to the AFC Championship game in a minute when our radio audience returns. I'm saying that to my television audience. You're so big time.

You got a radio audience, television, on demand, on live YouTube. My God. Yeah.

Chris is on that, too. Yeah. You got a podcast?

Oh, please. Are you? Do you know what you got? What do you got planned? You get something in the plans?

It's cooking. All right. Anything you want to promote that you're doing to talk about? Yeah, but we will.

You still won't know. Do you still on the own? All those still slink chicken, Popeye slink chicken. How many how many franchises do you have? I've got about what? What would you want to talk about less that or your golf handicap? Which which number do you want to talk about less? The golf handicap?

Yeah, my golf handicap is a little high right now. Well, but it's but it's still lower than the number of chicken franchise you have. Way lower. Yes. No moment. Single digit. No, I don't know.

We've we've had we had a lot of fun, crazy ass live moments together on NFL Network. But the time when it was the KFC blimp. Oh, my God. I'm reading this.

I'm reading. It's called a blimp pop where you read the you know, the the card for the blimp. And I read the blimp card and Warren Sapp goes, pfft, that ain't real chicken. Now, is he thinking you were doing you a solid by talking about Popeye's? So so before before we came back, we were talking about chicken and like, is that what happened? What kind of chicken? And so I was explaining to him how KFC got up, how Kentucky Fried Chicken got caught cloning birds and they had to change their name and they could no longer be called Kentucky Fried Chicken to KFC. And then we come back and I do the KFC blimp and he goes, that ain't real chicken. The make goods were so large and so long. Mooch almost dressed like Colonel Sanders the following Sunday. Oh, my God. Back on the Rich Eisen Show radio TV.

We just told a great story on the Roku side of things. Your your opinion of the AFC championship game and the key to it is what? You have to beat Patrick Mahone. If you want to if you want the right in AFC to go to the Super Bowl, you have to beat Patrick Mahone.

Well, you know, the Ravens are up for that challenge. You know that, right? That they that they are ready for it, right? That's words. Those are words.

I'm just saying those are words. Buffalo was up to the challenge. Buffalo was like, we got him at home finally. And that dude, that dude is a wizard, man.

I'm just like, I am so impressed. If you think about all the turmoil, you throw in a little Taylor Swift and that team and what was going on with the drop balls and all of this stuff. And it's just amazing to watch what Patrick Mahone has done. And I like when they were like, oh, my God, Patrick Mahone's record in the playoffs. But he hadn't played a role playoff game yet. Now he has. Now he's got a second one. It's just crazy what he's been able to do.

It's it's it's unbelievable. His numbers and I was talking about his legacy and how he can build it. And it's our poll question right now. And I'll ask that to you before we go out the door is which quarterback has the the biggest, one of the greatest legacy wins in him to what a Super Bowl would do for their legacy. I've just totally botched it.

Well, we'll get to that later on. But I mean, Mahomes, what he's done so far is amazing. It's remarkable.

It's unprecedented, even with Tom Brady in the mix of precedents. So the Ravens, are they not equipped defensively with at every level to to bounce the Chiefs? They are.

They are. But it's Patrick Mahomes. Like, I just I think of him like that.

Whatever you do, there's there's certain things. Like that he his his ability to throw balls in the areas and, you know, get the ball up and down over guys. And it's just like his arm talent is that special.

And and it's impressive. Like you understand you got a different play caller this year than he had last year. Like he's won most of the time when when play callers and guys like the guys that they've had leave as coaches and come back and stuff like that.

Normally, there's there's a lack of continuity, regardless if it's the same offense. And he doesn't he doesn't he doesn't skip a beat. He doesn't.

It's just amazing. I think Baltimore has what it takes. They do.

They do. But but but they've been, I think, home field advantage, crowd noise. And because their defense got this many sacks or or had this many turnovers is what's going to be Patrick Mahomes. Now you've got to go beat him. So Lamar is a way to beat him, too, right? He is. He is. Do you think he's the MVP? Lamar? No. Who's the MVP?

Kristin McCaffrey. OK, yeah. So Lamar Jackson has at least improved in in this year, correct?

Oh my God, Rich. Right. I'm talking night and day. His his his abilities to to remain a passer and play play on script, throwing the ball and doing that. That's changed your offense. Like that's that's the dynamic.

That's the difference. Well, and a lot of people would say the fact that they they he's on script more and playing, you know, quarterback after pocket breaks down still with his arm talent more than just his legs. That's another way of playing quarterback, too, is because they they are also entrusting him. They're entrusting him to to run this offense and that he has more of ownership of what's going on on the field.

So potentially even changing plays and things of that nature. When I used to watch them, what teams would do is they would force him to run because they wanted to hopefully make him a runner only so they could defend that. What he's doing is, OK, you want me to run, but I'm only going to run and move, but remain a passer. And that that is the part of his game that it's what Patrick Mahomes does. You know, and I think Josh Allen is going to get there to where, OK, I can run. But if I run just enough to like have things open up, I'm more dangerous.

And then when you do run, it's a big run. So you're saying Lamar, with his game, with his arm and his legs, has surpassed Josh Allen and his ability to play quarterback? Yes.

OK, yes. What he's been able to do and then the collection of receivers that they have around him right now, this is probably the best collection of receivers, healthy guys that they've had. So do you think the Ravens win on Sunday? I can't say that, Rich, because you just I just I respect Patrick Mahomes that much.

Like it just. I mean, the Super Bowl that they lost to Tampa, Tampa had to beat him up. The guy was throwing passes, like laid out, like you have like the Matrix. Yeah, you have to beat him.

It's it's just it's it's impressive. Last year, what he and Joe Burrow did, like you got to beat him because there's just no he's not going to give up. You got it. You have to win the game. He's not going to give it to you.

OK, so you believe it's Chiefs Niners in the Super Bowl? I didn't pick. I just asked you to. I know I'm on the fence with this one. OK, you're on the fence with this one. I'm not going to lie to you.

I'm severely on the fence. Like it's it's one of those, you know, when we used to be we have meetings, I'm like, I couldn't pick until like Sunday. I'm like, OK, here's what I got. Yeah, I remember those days.

Yeah, he was your producer. I can't I can't. I need you.

No, seriously, I need your picks. That's how you lost some of your remaining hair. I like it. I'm like, I just this is a tough man. This is funny. This is because Baltimore is the better team. But Patrick Mahomes is is just an equalizer.

And surpasser is what you're saying, bro. He went he went into Buffalo. People don't go into Buffalo and just get wins.

Certainly not in a situation when you think that his offense is less than and they've flipped that switch and it seems to be the case. So I guess our poll question, let's ask Marshall Faulk before we send him on on his Good Friday. Chris Brockman, go for it. Yeah, Marshall, whose legacy is most affected by winning the Super Bowl this year? Brock Purdy, Jared Goff, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes.

Lamar Jackson. 55 percent agree with you. Yeah. Why do you say that? I this is funny.

This is sad. I think more people probably thought obviously Jared Goff could win a Super Bowl before Lamar. Once Brock Purdy got going with the team that he was on, they felt like he'd have a better chance. And we know Patrick Mahomes, but a lot of people didn't believe that you could win a Super Bowl, that you can win a Super Bowl with Lamar Jackson. They just they just didn't believe that that that amount of talent in the quarterback position in the running sense would never translate to a guy that could stand back there and do what he's doing. And he's he's done it.

Munkin is Munkin is like like that. That is the games that he called the things that he do at the right time. That quarterback draw last week, I was like, oh, perfect, perfect call. Like it was just the perfect call. And he's been a perfect, you know, quarterback.

He really has been spectacular as a quarterback. And T.J., you mentioned before, you think it's Lamar as well because of how he was born into the league and what people were saying about Lamar Jackson. Like, hey, run your 40 yard dash and work out with the receivers and be a running back. You know what? You know what? I just actually Dion posted his interview with Lamar. And he said, I know you upset.

Was there anything that you could have done to get to have your name called out of that locker room sooner? He said, it don't matter. It don't matter.

I'm a raven. None of that matters. He had moved forward and he was ready to go out and knew what he's always done.

Just prove the naysayers wrong. Nothing seems to faze him either, like ever. You know, the only thing that seemed to faze him was whatever was going on business wise during the spring that got ironed out. Now look at him. Yeah, and it didn't it didn't faze him then. He just was like, look, he took a stand and that was it. He took all the heat, all the smoke, all the credit, all the critics, all the stuff that they had to say.

Here's what he should take. Here's what he shouldn't do. And and now now look, yeah, they put some pieces around him. They made some moves.

I think one of the best moves that they made was to trade for Chicago to go get Roquan. Oh my God. Boy, he and Patrick Queen. I'm like, there's very, very few times I saw like two linebackers. I was like, oh, I don't want to play against them. You know, it's like, but them two, I look at them two dudes.

I'm like, man, I don't play against them two dudes. Marshall Faulk, you are the best. You are the best. I love chopping it up with you, Rich. And and, you know, let me know when you're going to Vegas. Do I see you in Vegas? I'll be in Vegas. Of course you are. Yeah. Where are you guys set up at?

We're at the Super Bowl experience. You want to come by? OK, just let me know. Just give me just give me a day's heads up.

I'll let Del Tufo know. OK, that's the guy. Rich, you always said that Marshall just books himself whenever he. I mean, seriously, so Suzy usually, Suzy booked him for the national championship game.

What viewing experience in our house? Here's how I usually want to say, hold on. We're 10 seconds away from losing our radio audience. I'm sorry to, you know, explain the way things go here. There he goes. Look at that. Two guys, two guys. Fantastic.

On the back, our three Tom Pelosero coming up. Oh, you know, we also came up with no one. Oh, we got another.

We're still in Roku. OK, cool. So I have to explain it to my guests. We also came up with a huge idea that night. It's a great idea. The almost Heisman House.

Oh, yeah, that's right. Are we going to do this? You texted Peyton Manning. I got to keep it going a little bit. We he's like, good idea.

Good idea. Because the almost Heisman House. Who did we say that we could get him a room? It's Desmond Howard. No, no, it was Desmond.

I'm sorry. That's what we mentioned. Yeah, it's basically everybody who came in second.

That's what my husband's do. Yeah, he got the first one. And Gino Toretto got the second. Yeah, you know, that's why Gino and the Heisman House too often, though. Desmond got the first one in 91. They realized how who did we speak to and say that you should be in the almost Heisman House also.

Oh, you definitely did. And we brought it. We mentioned it to somebody and they're like, yeah, I'll hook you up with Marshall. Oh, who was that recently?

I got to look at the list. Oh, are we talking to Charles about it? No, Charles is in the Heisman House. But I wasn't sure if you brought it up. Yeah. Did we mention it with Robert?

But he's in it as well. No, no, no. Yeah. Let's do this.

I don't know. That'd be a great idea. Great. Yeah, it's a funny idea. Yeah. Really, really good group of guys. Be a great group, but almost better than the actual Heisman House in terms of how the careers played out. True that he won't say it.

He's just going to nod his head. Yeah, well, no, I'm just saying, like, that's two point something handicap. One of mine, Desmond Desmond took my one in 91. Thurman Thomas, you couldn't you couldn't you couldn't win as a freshman. They couldn't play.

No, you could not win the Heisman as a freshman. Oh, it's because of you. All right. Our three coming up. And they all respect each other, and I feel like no one respects me. Rolling Stone music now, wherever you listen.