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Mark Schlereth: Offensively, the Lions Can Still Win It All

The Rich Eisen Show / Rich Eisen
The Truth Network Radio
December 16, 2024 1:20 pm

Mark Schlereth: Offensively, the Lions Can Still Win It All

The Rich Eisen Show / Rich Eisen

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December 16, 2024 1:20 pm

12-16-24 Hour 1

 

Rich recaps the Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills’ statement win over the Detroit Lions in Week 15.

 

FOX Sports’ Mark Schlereth and Rich discuss the Bills’ and Chiefs’ Super Bowl chances, how the Lions’ mounting injuries could impact their title hopes, the Denver Broncos’ turnaround under rookie QB Bo Nix, if all the locker room drama actually makes the Eagles play better, Aaron Rodgers future with the New York Jets, why you shouldn’t sleep on the Rams in the NFC, and more.

 

Rich weighs in on the Lions’ loss and how Detroit’s mounting injuries could impact their title hopes.

Please check out other RES productions:

Overreaction Monday: http://apple.co/overreactionmonday 

What the Football with Suzy Shuster and Amy Trask: http://apple.co/whatthefootball

The Jim Jackson Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jim-jackson-show/id1770609432

No-Contest Wrestling with O'Shea Jackson Jr. and TJ Jefferson: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-contest-wrestling/id1771450708

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Live from The Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. This is going to be a double pass. They throw it, complete it, throw it back to Richardson. It's going to be intercepted. I executed the play call, made a good play. Bates kicks it, and it's covered by Hollins.

Oh! Today's guests, Fox Sports NFL analyst Mark Schlereth, plus latest news and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Okay, everybody, welcome to this edition of The Rich Eisen Show. It's your boy, Rich, right here on the Roku Sports Channel.

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12 to 3 Eastern time every single day. Our podcast network. Chris Brockman and I just recorded over Reaction Monday.

That's there for you to be listening to. And then later on today, Suzy Schuster, Amy Trask moving up there. What the football recording schedule to today. Jamie Erdal of Good Morning Football will be there in studio. Her Minnesota Vikings tonight taking on the Chicago Bears to try and wait for it.

Match the Eagles and Detroit Lions at 12 and 2 in the National Football Conference. What a season we are seeing unfold. Chris Brockman. Good to see you over there, sir. Great to see you again.

How are you? Mike Del Tufo in his chair. Good to see D.J.

and Mikey D. You worked so many days in a row. Are you all right? Are you excited? Hydrated. Don't get excited. Hydrated.

It's a marathon, not a spring. TJ Jefferson, candles lit. Good to see you, sir. How are you?

Mike's bulking up now in anticipation of him not being here next year. Guys, I want to give a shout out to the DoorDash driver that stole my breakfast yesterday. Appreciate you. That was TJ Jefferson A.

Thanks, TJ. Sounding bitter. Wow.

B, using Rich Eyes and Show territory to bash a DoorDash driver. You ordered and then they just didn't bring it? Hold on a minute. There goes that DoorDash monster ship. Let me cross that one straight out. Look, man. Hey, at least we can get you a breakfast. Well, we did. All right.

844-204-ICH is the number to dial here on the program. Headline, Detroit, Michigan. Headline, Detroit, Michigan. Here's your headline. Josh Allen seals the Most Valuable Player award.

That's it. And you know how I've been caping for Saquon, even for a hot minute, caped for Jared Goff. Yeah, he did. But what Josh Allen is doing in the quarterback-driven league that is the National Football League for a team that many of us in the National Football League landscape thought was the year the Bills could get got. And if you're wondering when we said that, just check out any of the Buffalo Bills social media posts from the last two weeks.

They have been cashing in tons of receipts. We said it before the season. We did.

No, I get it. And then I do believe week five, though, of Reaction Monday, as we reviewed on today's reaction Monday pot, that the first couple of weeks for the Bills were a fugazi comeback, winning at home against an upstart Cardinals team and then a destruction of the Miami Dolphins knocking out Tua, literally and figuratively, and then eviscerating the Jacksonville Jaguars on a Monday night. And the Buffalo Bills wind up losing a couple in a row. And it did not look all that great at Baltimore, at Houston, and then they didn't lose from week six all the way until their pinball machine loss in SoFi against the Rams last week. And how did they follow that up against the arguably best team in the National Football League that had not lost since week two? And what Josh Allen did was become the first player in NFL history to have at least two or more passing touchdowns and two or more rushing touchdowns in consecutive games.

This just in. He had three and three to become the first player with that stat line just last week against the Rams. That's what he has done. Fourteen combined touchdowns now passing and rushing.

Oh, by the way, and receiving. Let's not forget that little double Lindy against the San Francisco 49ers, where he had a touchdown pass and reception on the same play. Fourteen combined touchdowns in his last three games. The only players in NFL history with more touchdowns in the three game span were Tom Brady with 16 in October of 2007 and Peyton Manning with 15 in November of 2004. Both of those players in those seasons were the most valuable player of the National Football League. Allen's second consecutive season now with twenty five or more passing touchdowns and ten or more rushing touchdowns.

Carla Murray did that in the COVID season. Before that, Cam Newton did it in 2015 as the only other such seasons all time in 2015. Cam Newton was the most valuable player of the National Football League. And what he is also doing is leading with his cape on doing Josh Allen things, which is rolling out to his right and then rolling out more to his right and now rolling out past the numbers and finding that one spot of one foot by one foot square remaining on the field before he hits the sideline only to uncork some stupid 50 yard pass while taking it in the chops, doing stuff like that and running over people and scoring with his arm and his legs and giving you the sense that's inevitable and leading the best team he's ever had.

And I know there's no digs and there's no Gabe Davis. James Cook with his fourth career game with two or more rushing touchdowns, all of them have come this season, Ty Johnson, because Joe Brady, the offensive coordinator, must have seen on film that the banged up Detroit defense would have trouble matching up with him because it looked like there was a Ty Johnson playbook in this game, 114 receiving yards in week 15. He's the first Bills running back with 100 or more receiving yards in a game since Fred Jackson in 2010. And in terms of Fred Jackson, I'm trying to find out a bigger win for the Buffalo Bills in the regular season than this one in the Josh Allen era. I can't I guess you could recall what would it be the first time he beat the Chiefs to make them feel like they were belonging? I think so.

I think that's pretty fair. I'm trying to find out when that one was. Hold on a minute.

No, I'm trying to find out. Here you go. 2022, they beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead in the regular season. I mean, that was a big one.

Honestly, I'll hear from Bills nation. Name me a bigger win in the regular season for Josh Allen than this one. He beat the Chiefs in 2021 in Kansas City.

So maybe that's that one. There you go. Did it two years in a row.

You could put that in there, too. Just in terms of the Bills biggest win in recent memory, what would you pile up to when Ryan Fitzpatrick and Fred Jackson beat Tom Brady for the first time or actually knocked out Tom when he was 28 and three against him? You know, week three, like actually beat the Patriots in regular season. I'm just, again, trying to give you the sense of just how valuable this guy is after they come up with the first loss in team history in which they scored 40 points. Allen's like, OK, you know, what we'll do is we'll just score 48 in Detroit and we'll take a 14 nothing lead. And again, in terms of the best team Allen's ever had, credit to defense. Credit Ed Oliver creasing everybody in front of him. The Lions are supposed to have the best offensive line in football and they were dominated by the Bills defensive line. Name me any money on the Bills defensive line.

They were, they were, they were there. In Jared Goff's face. So the Bills with a monster W and to Allen's credit, he's been saying this all year long, another way in which he's leading. OK, great stuff, but we're not done. All of these moments that I'm talking about, the gee whiz moments where they beat the Chiefs for the first time. Allen was the quarterback and they're all growing up together and all the losses they eventually had. Otherwise, the Kansas City has caused Allen to go, all right, big whoop. Onward.

Check him out. Again, we're just trying to find ways to win. And, you know, this is going to help us in the long run. But still, a lot of a lot of things that we can learn from this game take away still offensively. I think we got to we need to find some more. You know, too many plays we left out there. So I know it's it's to nitpick a game like that where you score 48 sounds kind of dumb, but still feel like we left some out there because they had a punt.

Honestly, it's great. And Oliver again, 10 quarterback pressures in week 15 at Detroit, second most in a career game for him and the most by any defensive tackle in 2024. And Oliver had the best game at defensive tackle. And we're talking Chris Jones.

We're talking Jalen Carter. Name me. Name me a tackle. Cam Hayward.

Name me another one. You can keep going at Oliver dominated in this game. You know, in a lot of empty calories, perhaps beat you in fantasy because Jared Goff almost had 500 yards passing in Amman Ross, St. Brown, you know, did what he did. And that's again, that's that's the question you have about the bills moving forward is defensively.

What's going to happen? Can they get got? But they were without their two safeties in the back and took a 14 nothing lead.

And that was enough. The Lions were playing catch up the entire game. They looked like that defensive back that's beaten and it's like swimming for the for the receiver and grasping to make sure they don't score a touchdown. That's what the Lions the 12 wins.

Lions who had lost since week two looked like against the bills all day yesterday. It even put a smile on Sean McDermott's face. Sean McDermott's showing up like he's doing snow angels one night and then the next night he's rebounded from everybody wondering if he blew the play clock at the end of the game against the Rams with some two drink minimum lines. Hit it. Can't believe it.

It's the best. It's the best I've seen him play and not surprised when he sets a goal for himself, for a team. He's hard to stop. So people have tried. They'll keep trying. That's what we do in this league and I mean just incredible.

But on some of those plays, especially when he escapes the pocket and it's extending and holding the ball on six seconds and eight seconds and then makes the play, are you on the sideline sort of marveling at it the way the rest of us are? Yeah, that and blacking out. Yeah, a little bit of both. Yeah, black out. And hey, if the Bills keep playing like this, the entire Mafia is going to wind up being black out in New Orleans. I know. Because they're playing better football than the Chiefs. They've beaten. I know they're two behind them. And that's why I think Allen is still just taking a nice even keel because I think deep down he knows they're going to have to go into Arrowhead and do it one more time.

And lead this team to the Super Bowl. That's the way it's looking. We'll talk about the lines later on. Let's take a break right here. Before we do, though, I've got a poll question idea for you, Christopher, to put it out there.

Let's do it. Because let's broaden it out because the Bucks boat raced the Chargers. The Rams, as we all know, took care of the Bills and then a few days later in the rain slogged it out with the Niners in a slugfest. Right.

Mm hmm. The Steelers just lost in Philadelphia, but they're a 10 win team. They clinched a playoff spot because the Colts and Dolphins both lost.

Right. And the Texans outlasted Miami and basically ended the Dolphins season. Which one would you take long term? Put your marker on one of those teams.

Which is going to last longest? This year, Steelers, Texans, Bucks, Rams. Still is the only double digit win team on that list because I think we're all taking a look at the Bills and the Chiefs and the Lions and the Eagles as the best teams or they're going to be the top seeds in the AFC and the NFC, although the Vikings are now joining this party. But I'm not going to put the Vikings as a potential 12 win team by the end of tonight on this poll question. Pop that out there at Rich Eisen's show.

OK. We'll see how it flies. And people can call 844-204-RICH, number to dial. The entire show is wide open. Our only guest is about to join us. He was in the booth for the hot tub time machine that was Aaron Rodgers and Devante Adams in Jacksonville yesterday. And look at the nine and five Denver Broncos who are heading for the Los Angeles Chargers to kick off week 16 in a prime video Thursday night football kickoff that you could see right here on the Rich Eisen show. We're going to have both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andrew Whitworth in studio together on Wednesday in advance of that. But how about the nine and five Broncos? Super Bowl winner multiple times over. None other than Mark Schlereth from Fox Sports is going to be joining us next to talk about the Eagles and everything else that's going on in the NFL.

Then there's our phone lines as well, please. As a business owner, you're always going that extra mile to pursue your passions, so you deserve partners who can help you go further with premium benefits and rewards. The American Express Business Platinum card offers world class business and travel benefits so you can get more for your business wherever it takes you. With the Amex Business Platinum card, you can earn 1.5 times membership rewards points on select business purchases, and you can get complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges worldwide, including the Centurion Lounge, so you can keep running your business while you're on the go. See how the Amex Business Platinum card gives business owners like you the tools and rewards to do more of what you love.

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Phone lines are lit. We always appreciate that. Mark Schlerath about to join us. The radio audience about to rejoin us. And then the rest of the entire show is just us reacting. React to me. Oh, react to me.

844-204 Rich, number to dial. The best thing about us though is it's about us. It is about us. You're not wrong. Someone on Twitter just pointed out Big Josh Allen moment was going into Dallas on Thanksgiving. Oh. That's a good one.

Yeah. Mike Hoskins, who is our resident Buffalo Bills expert, honk, diehard. His Bills had a better weekend than his white folding tables in the Rich Eisen show fantasy league playoffs.

He said no cap. He just threw in the season finale last year in Miami to clinch the division. Send Miami to negative 20 Kansas City to be one and done and then going home and train whistling into the. That's true. Second round. So that's a good one.

But this is as good. I mean, honestly, Lions come in head of steam. Haven't lost since week two. Arguably the best team in the National Football League. And they beat him up. They own the trenches against the Dan Campbell team. They owned it. They owned it. That's a fact. Without their two safeties in the back and you're thinking they're going to get smoked.

They're going to get eviscerated in that regard. And they took a 14 nothing lead into the second quarter. Yeah. And even when it got to be a one score game, you weren't sitting there thinking the Lions are in trouble.

I mean, the that the Bills were in trouble. So we'll talk about all that throughout the rest of this program for sure. 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 click Grainger dot com or just stop by. He was on the mic for Fox Sports for the Jets Jaguars game. He is a Super Bowl champion multiple times over our friend Mark Schlereth back here on the Rich Eisen Show. Good to see you, Mark. How are you, sir? I'm doing great, Rich.

Good to be with you, buddy. Yeah. I mean, the instant reaction today is the Bills are going to the Super Bowl. Would you would you agree with an assessment like that, Mark? Yeah.

No, I would. I mean, offensively, you look at what Josh Allen is doing. And I think we were all I mean, everybody was to a point going, oh, listen, the Bills, they lost Fon Diggs, Gabriel Davis.

We're passing game from. And, you know, as is as I kind of assess what went on in the off season, I was like, hey, listen, more balance is going to be better for Josh Allen. You know, more relying on, you know, your offensive line, your running game, you know, spreading the well, spreading the ball around.

So that's what I had thought going into this season. But I couldn't have even predicted what they're doing right now as an offense. And eight different times, I think so far this season, they've scored 30 points. I think eight games in a road where they've scored 30 points. The teams that have done that, the the greatest show on turf Rams, the Patriots did it in 2007, 2010, the 2013 Broncos did that. And now the Bills and I might be missing one, but there haven't been many teams that have done that over the course of time.

So amazing what they're able to accomplish right now. And Josh Allen clearly cementing himself as the league MVP. That said, though, there's no question in my mind. I think he has cemented that.

I would agree with that. The the the other hand here is the fact that there is a two time defending Super Bowl champ that is two games clear of them in the standings despite having lost to them. And the general sense is that the the Chiefs have been lucky as well as good to the point where they go into Cleveland. And finally have a game in which they don't have to hold on to the bitter end. But they emerge from that with us wondering if Mahomes has a high ankle sprain. And now that you can add to this mix, the log of their best player isn't healthy enough for them to three. Pete, what's your standing on the Chiefs question entering week 16, Mark?

Yeah, I think all those things are true, right? They've been lucky. They've been fortunate. They've gotten calls. They've blocked field goals. They've done it a myriad of different ways.

And so you feel like, yeah, there's a certain amount of luck involved. But listen, my dad, who my college roommates nicknamed fondly nicknamed Poolside, my dad's a freak show. And so every time we went to a game, University of Idaho, you know, we'd always stayed at some Holiday Inn or whatever. And they had the pool in the middle there. You know, my dad would be between two lawn chairs doing pushups. So my college teammates nicknamed a poolside. Everybody calls him poolside. He's a freak show.

Eighty five years old, still on the roof of his house in Alaska shoveling snow. But he always used to say this to me. Rach, you would say luck has a smell of perspiration. And the harder I work, the luckier I seem to be. And the Chiefs just find a way to get things done. They are that talented. They are that good. You're 100 percent right about my homes. If my homes goes down, who knows what this cheap team truly is.

But I'm telling you, they are formidable. There's no question. He's got the ankle spring. We saw it yesterday in that fourth quarter. My part of my question is, when you're up twenty one nothing, why are you still throwing the ball? You know, like there seems to be this aversion like to to Andy Reid of of running the football and eating things up. Like I'm going to win the way I want to win. I said this is a criticism when they lost the Super Bowl several years ago to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers averaging seven yards of carry.

But that's not good enough. We're going to run the we're going to throw the freaking ball every chance we get. And you've had a history this year of not being able to protect your quarterback.

You've got you're on your fourth offensive left tackle in this game. And yet you're still throwing it with the lead. I really don't understand that philosophy from Andy Reid. And he's a great coach Hall of Famer, to be sure. But there are some times where I just completely disagree with the way he calls the game. Delivery of Stinking Truth right there from the host of the Stinking Truth podcast from Fox Sports.

Mark Schlereth here on The Rich Eisen Show. The narrative as well today about the Lions, I believe there's a little bit of a sprinkle of Dan Campbell is is too risky. That that that onside kick attempt with 11 minutes and 55 seconds to go blew up in their face.

But it was difficult for them to be stopping the line and the lines to stop the bills all day anyway. But the one that is, I think, is lasting now with the news that just popped as we started talking, my friend and our friend Adam Schefter reporting that there's an MCL injury for David Montgomery and the Lions might be without him for the rest of the season. And we already know how banged up they are on defense. The narrative is that the Lions, you know, 12 wins might be the high watermark in the very long run here because they don't have the horses to win it all right now.

Mark, what do you say to that? Yeah, I would say offensively, they still can win it all. They are still that good, even without David Montgomery.

And hopefully, you know, he heals up enough to be ready for playoff, a playoff stretch. But I think offensively they can win it. They've got a really good offensive line. They can be a very physical run team. They've got all kinds of talent so they can beat you with a finesse game. They run that, you know, the the trick plays and doing all that. I think the biggest thing is you've got an identity identity on the defensive side of the ball. And that identity has been playing a ton of man coverage. They leave the league and as far as the number of man coverage that they play at almost 50% of the time, they're playing man to man. They're bringing pressure.

They're doing all those things. And at some point with the injuries, I think 13 different guys injured right now on the defensive side, majority of those guys on IRR. I think at some point you have to decide we can't play this way anymore. And certainly some of the calls that Dan Campbell makes, you talk about the, you know, the onside kick a week ago.

He had five fourth down attempts, converted four of them. But if you're going to continue to struggle on the defensive side of the ball with injuries, at some point you're going to have to play some zone. You're going to have to get out of that man to man coverage. You're going to have to make people dink and dunk the ball down the football field and at least use up time and then use time on the offensive side of the ball. So if an average game is about 12 possessions with, you know, making teams drive the long way, dink and dunk down the football field and then possessing the ball, running the ball, doing the things you do on offense. Then you would have to think, can we get them down to nine possessions? Can we get them down to eight possessions so we can kind of bail out our defense? I think you have to start kind of changing the philosophical approach that you've had to football all season long, which is hard to do. But I think you have to do that because of the injury issues you have on the defensive side of the ball. Mark Schlerith here on the Rich Eisen Show.

Man, so many different ways to go with you here on this one. Let's talk Broncos, man. I mean, when Sean Payton turned Russell Wilson into the largest dead cap quarterback in the history or player in the history of the National Football League. Drafts Bo Nix, the sixth and final first round drafted quarterback. Did you see nine wins through 14 games coming? They're nine and five right now and they're going for the six seed right now. They're going for the five seed. I mean, this is really remarkable what I'm seeing out of Denver, and I'd love to get your thoughts on this subject. Mark, it is remarkable. And I told everybody who would listen to me, pound me over that Vegas had him at five and a half.

And I said, pound me over. They're going to win a lot more than five games, five and a half games. But I really didn't see them press in deep for a playoff run.

I really didn't. And you think about it now in regards to Bo Nix. And I had many, many conversations with Sean Payton about Bo Nix, long conversations. He was their guy from day one.

And they did an extensive search on all these guys or research on all these guys and meetings with all these guys. And you could pretty much take Caleb Williams off the chart because they knew he was going to Chicago. But there is no question that Bo Nix was the number one choice of Sean Payton. He was his guy from day one. There wasn't a quarterback that he would have taken over Bo Nix. I can confirm that.

I guarantee you that was the case. Now, they are winning the way they're winning defensively. They played great and their defense really bailed them out over the course of early in the season. And even yesterday, to some degree, their defense especially has really won them that football game.

But I'm telling you right now, think about this. They are doing this with no semblance of a running game. Their running game is beyond atrocious. And yet they put it all on the shoulders of a rookie quarterback and say, hey, dude, if we're going to win, it's going to be on your legs and your arm. And they're doing it with, you know, rookie receivers and no real tight end to speak of that's putting up any yardage. And, you know, one guy that they can really count on in Courtland Sutton and they're putting that all on the shoulders of Bo Nix going, go win us a game. And yesterday he threw three picks early and yet still found a way to throw three touchdowns late and stay in that game. And what looked like it was going to be an Indianapolis cult runaway until, you know, until they dropped the touchdown over. I'm sorry, the running back names escapes me, but they dropped the touchdown as he's going over to take a lead 20 to 7.

And the rest is history. Jonathan Taylor. Yeah, it just is remarkable what they've been able to accomplish with a rookie quarterback and zero run game to speak of.

It's it really is incredible. And what insight do you have on what Sean Payton's doing with Bo Nix? What can you tell me as to as to you said he wouldn't he didn't want anybody other than him. Obviously, he wasn't going to get Caleb or Jayden Daniels or Drake May anyway, too far down the draft order.

Right. But what has he been able to affect to get this kid up to speed here so significantly? Well, one, he was like from all the guys, just an A plus when it comes to his understanding of football, football junkie. And, you know, they give him essentially a large portion of a game plan to digest and they don't give it to him until like five o'clock in the evening.

They're meeting with him the next morning at seven or whatever. And, you know, most guys have some of the concepts down and some of the verbiage down like Bo Nix recited the whole thing. Like it was just unbelievable to them how much of it he knew, understood, could regurgitate the language. He already knew the language like it was like A plus from a learning aspect.

And then some other things that were probably under the radar. The guy never fumbled in college. I mean, he never put a ball on the ground at Oregon. So there was that unbelievably difficult to sack super quick release.

And, you know, we get into so many like I get this all the time to combine. You do a phenomenal job at the combine. When you cover the combine, you do a phenomenal job, Rich. But I hear it all the time from, you know, draft gurus and experts arm talent. Well, he doesn't have supreme arm talent.

Arm talent is the most overrated thing. How many times have you ever seen a quarterback in the National Football League unleash one from 65 or for 65 yards? Doesn't happen. A deep ball comes down about 42 to 47 yards. It's a it's off a five step drop because receivers can outrun the quarterback. So the only time you see a 65 yard or 60 yard pass in the air is when you're throwing a Hail Mary twice a year. It's it's one of the stupidest things I ever hear year in and year out about how to evaluate a quarterback being on time with the football. And I would argue that you can't be accurate with the football unless you're on time. And Bo Nix was on time, accurate with the football, quick release, incredibly hard to sack. And that's what really intrigued Sean Payton about Bo Nix is that dude does not take a sack.

He gets rid of the football and and is incredibly accurate and quick delivery on time with the football. Mark Schlerath here on the Rich Eisen Show. When you were winning your championships, I'm just wondering the locker room and the relationships, because the Eagles seem to they remind me of the Bronx Zoo a little bit, man, of my youth in the 70s. Like they're not happy unless they're arguing with each other. And that might actually make them better. I mean, you know, the whole business with A.J. Brown and the passing game and whatever. And then the passing game, he winds up poof, catching a ton of footballs against the Pittsburgh Steelers. And then, you know, they're all hunky dory after the game.

But during the game, I don't know if you saw this, you might have been on the flight back to Jacksonville. Nick Sirianni goes over to Jalen Carter. They seem to have a set to Clint Hurt and Big Dom out of step between them.

Then they hug it out. I mean, what can can you win under these circumstances? Like I did.

Did you have all these issues when you were playing to Mark? They were they were that talented or they are that talented. So can they win?

Absolutely. And I was talking about it, you know, on my show on Fox or FS1 Breakfast Bowl last week is just that. And like I understand wanting to get the football, but there's a way to do it not in front of the media and act like a petulant child right in regards to A.J.

Brown. So, you know, that's always one of those things that really bothers me. You know, it almost feels like you'd be happy if you got eight catches for one hundred and ten yards and you lost. But, you know, only have two catches in a win and be upset about it. But listen, I think the argument on the sideline, the dust up between Clint hurt their defensive line coach and Nick Ceriani, like that stuff happened all the time. And I'll tell you, man, like there was multiple times over the course of my career in Denver when we were winning back to back championships, where Alex gives my offensive line coach would get pissed off about something, walk outside, call Mike Shanahan into the hallway, and they would have a screaming match at one another.

No kidding. Or a screaming match on the sideline about how we should be running the ball. And Mike's calling something else. And so those things happen. They're just captured today's game more than they are back in my day when everybody is, you know, a reporter with the cell phone.

So, yeah, those things happen. I don't worry so much about that. I just worry about players not getting along.

And you don't want to always get along with everybody that you play with. But guys that are unwilling to sacrifice or create something that really isn't there, you know, when they come out in the press conference, is that what you wanted to see? Jalen heard said, you know, and, you know, we're fine. I told you, AJ Brown, it wouldn't have come up. We didn't create it wasn't a media creation. You guys created it by bickering on the sideline.

And then then Brandon Graham coming out and saying, oh, yeah, they don't like each other. We didn't create that. We didn't make that up. You guys brought that from your own locker room.

So don't get on us about the dysfunction that you guys have in your own locker room. Last one for you here. You were in Jacksonville calling the game on Fox with Chris Myers. I'm here.

You're there. And nine catches, one hundred ninety eight yards for Devontae Adams. Turn him back the clock. Hot tub time machining it with Aaron Rodgers. Did you get the sense that Rodgers is not done with the Jets?

Not done period. What's the general sense you got from that situation with three games left? Yeah, we'll sit with the Rogers.

I sat with the Rogers for a better part of, I don't know, 30, 40 minutes, 45 minutes, something like that. Right on Saturday night. And listen, he came to the Jets because of Joe Douglas, because of Robert Sola, because of Nathaniel Hack. And none of those guys are there are going to be there anymore. And so then it comes down to who's the new coaching staff? What's the right situation? Would Aaron Rodgers or will Aaron Rodgers play next year?

Possibly. If the right situation presents itself, whether it's the Jets or somebody else, I will say this, Rich. Watching him and studying the tape the last three weeks, man, he looks like Aaron Rodgers. And watching him practice before the game, watching him practice pregame. Dude, he still has elite level arm talent and elite level, you know, elite level discernment and understanding of the game.

So there's no question about that stuff. He struggled early in the season. He had a hamstring that was really bad that he pulled, had a knee injury that he talked to me about, had an ankle sprain that he talked to me about from that game in in London. But I'm telling you, he's movement skills aren't what they once were, but he can still move. And I'm telling you, he can still absolutely throw the football. Told me uncorked 165 yards in practice last week. So don't tell me you can't throw the football.

He can still throw it. So then it becomes who wants him and and is it the right situation for Aaron? So, yeah, there's a good possibility that he'll be back with the Jets or somewhere next year. There's also a great possibility that he'll drift off and nobody will ever hear from again. And and that's, you know, that's likely as well. You never know.

You never know. All right. Before I let you go here, you're putting what your marker on which team in the NFC Lions, Eagles. Any of the NFC North teams that are in second and third place right now, and the Vikings and the pack who had a terrific game against Seattle, the Rams and the Bucks right are surging right now.

Yeah, I'm going to tell you what you got. There's there's two teams. I'm nervous. Detroit's been my number one team since week one. I thought they the best team in football. This defense has got me really nervous. The injuries have got me really nervous. I think Philadelphia has become the best team in football that they've usurped. Detroit, I tell you, the team that nobody wants to play right now. If they get in, if they handle their business, they went out there and that's the Los Angeles Rams. Physical run in the football. Matthew Stafford, Cooper Cup, Pukadaku. People don't want to play them right now. So that would be those would be my two teams in the NFC that I think, you know, really have a shot in the AFC.

You put your marker where on the bills you do. Yeah, I think the bills of just the way they're playing right now. Thirty points in eight straight games. Josh Allen, just so much confidence offensively.

They're they're outstanding. Where are you going next week? Which games you what's your next game?

You know what? We haven't been given our game yet. There's there's so much up in the air. I'm with you. There's so much up in the air that we haven't given our game yet.

So I'm like, I'd like to start studying. But, you know, that's on them. I know. I hear you say hi to poolside for me. Will you please? I will let him know you said, hey, I love that story. Eighty five years up on the roof in Alaska.

Poolside, your dad shoveling snow, man. If you saw him, you'd think we were brothers. The guy is absolutely unreal. I love it. Great story, Mark. Always appreciate the time. Let's do this again real soon, brother. Appreciate any time, buddy. Take care. You got everybody check out the stinking truth pod with Mark Schlereth from Fox Sports right here in the Rich Island show. Great story.

Poolside. Just a quick aside. You know, I'm calling a game in week 17, right? Right. Those games are up in the air. We haven't been told yet which game we're calling because the NFL is making its decision based on what NBC wants. NBC could flex because they currently have Miami and Cleveland.

That ain't happening. So the options are Denver at Cincinnati. Cardinals at Rams. And I believe, yeah, Atlanta at Washington. So NBC, I think, is going to take one of those games, leave the rest on Saturday.

And then once those Saturday games land, then you figure out what the rest of those schedules are for week 16 and 17. It's up in the air. Also, an update to what you mentioned about David Montgomery, Rich. Ian Rappaport saying that's a torn MCL.

Oh, boy. That's it. Could be out for the season including playoffs.

More tests today to figure out just how bad it is. All right. We'll talk Lions. We'll talk Eagles. We'll talk Steelers. We'll talk with you.

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Shopify.com slash WestwoodOne. What is the furthest you've ever thrown a football, Josh? The furthest was in Wyoming, so I did get a little assistance from the elevation. Yes. But it was right around 83 yards. Right around 83? Yeah. Are we rounding up or are we rounding down at the 83, Josh?

We are probably rounding up just a little bit, but yeah, 83 was, that was the number. So, I don't know, I'm looking up to see if you're playing in Denver at all so you can play, you can get a little bit of some altitude. Can you do that in an NFL game, you think? I mean, there was one game, I think it was my rookie year against the Dolphins. I threw a ball, getting near as hard as I can, and I, my receiver was 60, 70 yards down field and I overthrew him just by a little bit.

You air-pailed him. I did, and that was just one of those, like, I didn't feel like I threw it as hard as I could, but my hip fired so hot and it just came out of my hand extremely well and it was spinning and it was a little warm in Miami, so it might have flown a little farther, but it's just one of those that just kind of even blew me off guard. So, something I've toned down a little bit, though, and I feel like I've got a little more control on my ball right now. Understood.

No, accuracy is something that you definitely have improved on, as we have seen. So, let's just walk me through this at some point during a game in your career. Let's just say it could even happen this weekend against New England, where you have to throw a Hail Mary to win it. At what yardage do you say to your coach, I still got this. Give it to me. Your own what?

Your own what? I know I can get the ball in the air and get it probably a good four or five yards even. I'm probably around the 35. Your own 35? Yeah. Okay, because, you know, you're probably gonna have to avoid a rush a little bit, even if they're coming at you with three man. You're gonna have to roll out a little bit, so right around your own 30-something yard line, you can get it in there. You think so?

Yeah, I think so. Unbelievable. Fun stuff on our YouTube channel, as always. Back here on the Rich Eisen show.

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I just wanted to talk about two things. It's MVP that Josh Allen supposedly is locking this up now, but first and foremost, congratulations to the Bills for putting up 48 points against the third and fourth string defense. How does he do it? But Jared Goff is being overlooked for this. Like you said at the top of your show, that Bills defense is all over the offensive line, yet he still came up with almost 500 yards. Listen, Nathan, I hear you, man, and I was talking about Goff mid-season as an MVP candidate for sure, and he deserves to be a finalist, but there's no, listen, and I know you were like, congratulations on, you know, putting up all those yards on the third and fourth string defense. He did it on the first string defense of anybody who's still healthy.

It was 14-0 to start. They came out and they hit the Lions in the mouth. They dominated the line, and as much as, you know, Jared Goff hung in there, I mean, you still have to give it up, and I just only hope, and thanks to the call, Nathan, I really appreciate it. He was at the game, apparently. That's what Adam, our call screener, was saying. Listen, we just heard from an upset Lions fan, and I don't blame Lions fans today for being upset, alarmed, certainly when they're no doubt hearing the Bills get their flowers, and they will understandably take it as a sign that they haven't gotten their appropriate amount of flowers. I get it, because I think right now Lions fans are really nervous.

They're nervous because they're seeing a defense give up a lot of yards, and they're seeing a defense that is a shell of itself, because I don't know what it is, man, but the football gods are kicking this side of the Detroit Lions in the nards with one injury after another. We all know our guy Hutch going down could talk about how, hey, if they make the Super Bowl all you want, that he could make it back, but dude had tib fib surgery. Like, that just ain't happening, and I know last year Jets fans were like, Rogers can come back.

He wasn't coming back. No, and now we're hearing David Montgomery's got an MCL tear, and he could be done for the year, and now you're beginning to feel like, is that win over Green Bay the high-water mark to make them 12-1? They win 11 in a row, and you're thinking this is gonna happen. They're gonna be the one seed. They're gonna make it. They're gonna win the Super Bowl.

They're gonna go, at least, and now you're beginning to think, will they even have the horses to do it? Then on top of it, you know, you see an offense come in and light it up, and the defense that came in dominates the line of scrimmage, which is great because the back end of the defense, two safeties were missing. Two safeties were missing for the Bills, and they were still up 14 nothing after one, and the rest of the game was not going your way, and you sensed it right from the jump, and then there was a weird moment where Dan Campbell was probably seeing the defense getting eviscerated and made one of those risky plays, which is to down 10 with 11.55 to go. They just scored. You even heard Jim Nantz with the call saying the Lions are back in it, and they go onside, and in this day and age, you've got to declare it. You can't have one of those surprises, which would have helped Detroit, by the way.

This is kind of the first situation where you're declaring it. It's kind of not to your favor, and they got a terrific kick where it was one of those skitters, and then popped straight up in the air, but Matt Collins made an incredible play to tip it to himself, and then almost take it to the house, and then the Lions score right away. Four seconds later, it's a three-score game again, and that's when you really sensed it wasn't going to be their day. So a risky play by Dan Campbell in the worst moment came up short. I just thought we'd get the possession, you know. I thought we were gonna get that ball, and it's one of Bates' best kicks that I've seen him have. That was a big kicker at the end, you know.

That thing took a good jump on us, and Hollis made a heck of a play on it, and you know, obviously now sitting here hindsight after them taking it down to the three yard line, yeah, I wish I wouldn't have done that, but it is what it is. Probably the reason why I wanted to play that sound-bot is you're hearing, you know, the quote, or you're reading it, Dan Campbell saying, I wish I hadn't have done that, but you can hear in his voice that was fully sarcastic, and now that you see the end result, but that's the point of these risky plays is many of us see the end result while it's happening, and if you dial it down to Spinal Tap 10 and not 11, and I'm wondering if they're gonna have to dial it down because they're without knuckles, Sonic might be by himself the rest of the season in the backfield, and the defense just keeps losing one big player after another, and after a while the question is, how are you gonna take on the Vikings at the end of the season when, guess what, that could be for the division. The Lions could go from a 12 win, 11 wins in a row, one seed, to at the end of the day as they visit Chicago and San Francisco next, and you know, those are teams that are not making the playoffs and might be backing up the U-Haul, but they're filled with prideful guys and offensive players that can score. You might need to win that week 18 game just to have a home game in the playoffs, and so as you're seeing the injuries build up and just this one loss to the Bills and hearing how the Bills are gonna be emerging as the Super Bowl favorites, not maybe Detroit, while the Vikings could join the 12 and 2 party with the Lions and the Eagles by the end of the night, and the Lions might wind up a five seed at the end because of all the injuries that are happening, I understand that Lions fans could be a little bit jumpy when they're calling this show or talking about football these days. Man, it's amazing how quickly things can turn around, but they are also a team that has been up to this point pretty damn stout on defense, despite all those missed players, but they've allowed 30 or more points in each of their last two games after allowing zero such games in their first 12, perhaps they can steady themselves with these injuries, win against lesser opponents in Chicago and in San Francisco, and show up against the Vikings and defend their home field and wind up being the first overall seed, getting that bye week that clearly all these injuries need, and then they come back healthy, and then everybody's going crazy, the roar is restored even just for this season, and off they go. That's entirely possible, but I can see otherwise why Lions fans today could be a bit jumpy and panicky. I get it. That's hour number one in the books, hour number two, we'll talk Eagles, we'll talk Chiefs and Mahomes' ankle coming up. See what I'm saying?

On that front? I do. And you know, back to Dan Campbell, that was an Overreaction Monday podcast topic last week. Yeah, that onside kick, it was one of those two where I'm sitting there going, why? I'm like, I understand the defense has been, it's tough to stop Allen, you're trying to steal a possession here, but these days, in this day and age, you're like basically... Having to declare it takes, it changes everything.

Doesn't it? It takes the starch right out of it, but they still got the kick they needed, and then the Bills got the big play. Mac Hollins with a great athletic play. Also, I need a better explanation than, I thought we were gonna get it.

Like, really? You thought a play that has a 5% chance of succeeding, you thought you were gonna get that? I need a better explanation, and this is why a lot of people have questions about Campbell's decision-making in big games.

They almost got the final one, too. The ball did hit off of Taron Johnson's chest and was resting on the turf. I think one of the players that was coming to blow him up actually kneaded into his chest and the recovery in the Lions, but even then, the Lions would have needed a Hail Mary to win it.

What a day. I mean, things just changed quickly. The Bills were like, oh my gosh, defensively, we can't stop anybody, too. Doesn't matter, because we'll just keep on rolling with our MVP quarterback, and the Lions went from, we defended our home turf, we just swept the Packers, here we go, and now they're banged up and coming off their first loss since week two. As we know, in the National Football League, there is no margin for error.

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Whisper: medium.en / 2024-12-16 14:47:40 / 2024-12-16 15:12:09 / 24

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