Matthew Stafford: We're Making Sure Everybody is Safe and OK (from the Wildfires)

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Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states. Subscribe at YouTube.com slash Rich Eisen Show, and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. This, this is The Rich Eisen Show. Live from The Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.

Kick on its way, and the kick is good! Today's guests, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, Viking safety Harrison Smith, NFL network insider Tom Pelissero, host of NBC's Dealer No Deal Island, Joe Manganiello. And now, it's Rich Eisen.

That's right, everybody. Welcome to this edition of The Rich Eisen Show, live on the Roku Sports Channel, and also this Rich Eisen Show radio affiliate on the Infinity Sports Network coast-to-coast Sirius XM channel 158. We appreciate everybody checking us out every single day, whether you're streaming us on Odyssey or maybe through our YouTube channel, YouTube.com slash Rich Eisen Show. Our podcasts are all out there for you to listen to all three hours every single day over Reaction Monday. On Mondays, What the Football with Suji Schuster and Amy Tresk. On Tuesday, Stephen A. Smith was their guest this week.

No contest wrestling with O'Shea and TJ every single Wednesday. The Jim Jackson show was off this week due to everything that's going on right here in our, in our fair city of Los Angeles. We'll talk about the game on Monday Night Football being moved. Not only with you at 844-204-rich, number to dial, but I had a chance to chat with Matthew Stafford yesterday before that announcement. And after a fire just broken out in the area of the Los Angeles Rams facility. And it's just a crazy time here in L.A. And just again, want to start this show thanking all of the first responders here in Los Angeles. If they're somehow watching or listening today in a break and, and I'm sending my thanks to every single first responder across the country that's watching us or listening to us. Thank you. My goodness.

In advance. Harrison Smith of the Minnesota Vikings will be joining us on this program as well, to be fair and balanced about the Super Wild Card Weekend finale on Monday Night Football. Tom Pellicero is going to join us. What a ton of stuff to talk about with him with the latest news coming out of Dallas on their coaching front. We'll get to that in a second. Everything going on with the Las Vegas Raiders and the Jets are interviewing a ton of coaches.

Same thing. Coaching candidates, including, by the way, the latest one, Mike Locksley, the head coach of Maryland football, who is a terrific football coach. That's an interesting out of the box interview request for the Jets. I kind of dig that idea. It shows you that they are really checking out every possibility for trying to finally get some stability and turn things around.

For that playoff hungry, win hungry fan base. So there's lots to talk about with him. And then later on in hour number three, I kind of feel like we should remove the guest chair and put in a couch for a therapy session with Joe Manganiello, diehard Steeler fan and the host of NBC's Deal or No Deal Island. Two hour premiere hitting this past Tuesday this week.

And then there is a What's More Likely Friday. I got a top five list. My God, there's so much to talk about. Good to see you over there, Chris Brockman. Hey, Rich. Good to see you, man. D.J.

Mikey Diaz and Deez Nuts. Good to see you, sir. Back in your chair. T.J. Jefferson, good to see you, sir. Appreciate everybody being here today. Now, last night's college football playoff semifinal game between Notre Dame and Penn State.

Now, that's the stuff. Now, Texas and Arizona State played an exciting football game. Outside of that, the college football playoffs have not been very competitive.

Agreed. And last night would have been had these been the four teams that the college football playoff committee taken, if this was under the usual way of doing things. And that's making a huge leap because schedules would have been different. And maybe Ohio State would have been one of the four and Penn State wouldn't have been.

I don't know. Who would have made it? Who wouldn't have made it? But let's just say Penn State and Notre Dame would have been.

Two of the four. Well, that looked like a college football playoff game last night, didn't it? Now, that was something. And that was a superb defensive battle.

And both of these defenses, again, I know it was 27-24 in the very end, but both of these defenses. Terrific. Let me just say this about Penn State's number 11. We're going to see Abdul Carter do professionally.

Do work. What we saw him do collegiately. I don't think there's any question about it. I think he might be a top five pick. Last night, Chris, you were texting like Notre Dame's offense can't do very much. And I'm like, that's what happens when you're going against a Pro Bowl pass rusher.

You know what I mean? Not an all-American, a Pro Bowl pass rusher. He looks like a Pro Bowl pass rusher.

Oh, my God. Is he going to be there at four, you think? That might not be a bad selection.

Dude, that might not be a bad choice for the Patriots. He's amazing. What a beast.

And that's Tyler Warren, number 44 as well. And Drew Aller had a terrific season. His final pass of the night was just one that I think is unfortunately going to be living with that kid today. And for the immediate future, obviously, he's got a bright future ahead of himself.

We'll see what he does moving forward. But that set up Notre Dame for the game winning field goal. And Riley Leonard played a terrific game last night, I thought.

And, you know, the the interception at the end was as costly as they come. And it set up Mitch Jeter, the transfer from South Carolina to win it all with his dad shooting the game winning field goal on his phone and then putting it in his pocket and then beginning the celebration. His father, as Sean McDonough kept mentioning, a chiropractor who had helped his son nurse his son back from injury. If this wasn't Notre Dame, I would have thought that was a that's a very Jewish story. If it wasn't Notre Dame, that sounds like half the people I went to camp with.

Oh, my dad's a chiropractor and he helped me out. But congratulations to Notre Dame and this this fellow, Marcus Freeman. I mean, Notre Dame, you could say, is a very 21st century college football team. I know they play like a champion today, Rudy, Newt Rockne. I know they're old school, right?

For the Dipper. But you've got a team full of transfers from Duke and Clemson, Marshall, South Carolina. We kind of went through all that after Notre Dame advanced to the college football semifinal because of. Of how many transfers they have and how that minute and a half period that Notre Dame got against Georgia to get through with a sack force fumble by a Duke transfer to lead to a Duke quarterback to throw to a Clemson transfer and then a Marshall transfer.

Let off the next series after that touchdown, after halftime, with a return for a touchdown. And Mitch Jeter, the aforementioned field goal kicker, is a South Carolina transfer. The transfer portal has helped Notre Dame get to where it is now, along with obviously a terrific recruiting process and a head coach. You want to talk about a 21st century college football story. Brian Kelly decides to leave for Greener, apparently, SEC pastures in LSU. And he does so on the eve of the announcement of the college football playoffs. He left in late November of twenty twenty one and then on December 2nd, twenty twenty one, Notre Dame turns to their thirty five year old defensive coordinator who had been with the program for all of less than one year. Because Brian Kelly hired Marcus Freeman from the staff in Cincinnati to be his defensive coordinator. He doesn't have a Notre Dame history at all. He's an Ohio State Buckeye as a player. Wouldn't that be an interesting final?

And which it very well could be. And he was at Notre Dame for less than a year. And the players start, you know, tweeting out that they want him. And Notre Dame, to its credit, says, all right, we'll go with a guy who's never done it before at the high at the highest level of head coaching.

We'll go with a guy in his mid 30s. The kids love him. We see him.

And I guess they knew at the time what we're all finding out. He's terrific. And in this day and age of transfer portal for kids and head coaches, he takes the gig and look where they are now. They're playing for the national championship, which even as is as recently as week two after losing it home to northern Illinois on NBC. You want to talk about, I guess, late 20th century, early 21st century story, which is the home of Notre Dame football, which is why they're independent because they got a they got their own deal with a television network.

Just one with NBC. They made it after losing it in northern Illinois. They're playing for college football's greatest prize against either Texas or the Ohio State Marcus Freeman's alma mater. This is the coach after the win last night.

You know, I often tell them in your lowest moments, you find out the most about yourself. And we've had low moments, but we had a really low moment. We know week two and these guys battle. We've got great leaders. We've got great players that chose to put this university and this football program in front of themselves. And that, to me, is probably the single most the single thing that I'm probably most proud of is how we have a group of individuals that truly put Notre Dame football in front of themselves.

Like I know Riley and Christian truly would rather be in that locker room celebrating and being up here. But that's what it takes. It takes one hundred and twenty guys saying, you know what? Who cares how many plays I get?

Who cares what type of individual praise I get? It's all for Notre Dame and to make sure we achieve team glory. And we have a locker room of guys made up of that. And that to me is a reflection of what you saw today.

The guys that did whatever it took to find a way to make sure we achieve the outcome we want. And speaking at a personal level about what I believe Marcus Freeman's greatest achievement is, as he's been on here multiple times. We had him on after he took the job. He's been on multiple times. He was on just before the college football playoff, right? When it looked like he might be playing Tennessee. Remember that?

The final week. He wound up playing Indiana on a personal level. I think Marcus Freeman's greatest achievement is me when I watch this team.

I kind of like Notre Dame football. I've been hearing that a lot. I mean, I just, I can't believe I just said those words. Traditional haters say it.

Let me just say this. When I was a senior in college and I finally got, I finally got to cover the Michigan football team. Bo Schembechler's final season, didn't know it at the time.

But, you know, you work hard. You work the beat, you know, of other sports. For years at the Michigan Daily, the greatest student publication in the United States of America, if I may say so. At any rate, sophomore year, junior year, I finally get into that press box. Sitting there on a 50 yard line, which is where, again, they put the University of Michigan, put the Michigan Daily reporters. I'm sitting there, first game, Notre Dame at Michigan. And I'm like, this is the greatest day of my life.

I can't believe that I'm here, finally here, and let's go. Michigan can win it all this year. And then a guy named Rocket Ishmael comes out with his golden dome and runs one back for a touchdown. And apparently, on a kickoff, Bo Schembechler, as Lor says, went into the locker room and said, we're going to kick it off to that effing rocket and you're going to put that effing rocket down on the ground.

And what he did, he ran back the other way for a touchdown. Two of them. Ruined the day, and then you host, you start talking about the connection. And I despise Notre Dame football. And Lou Holtz is one of my least favorite people to root for. Ever.

Anywhere. Couldn't even watch him on TV. I, well I'll say it again, I watch Rudy hoping he pops a quad at the end. Maybe it's a different story at the end.

This business, you know, it's all good. It's like, actually, oh God, like the deities created this program. That was always the sense of Notre Dame. Better than you.

We're better than you because do you have God on your side? Right. That is always the implication. Always has been the implication. Leprechauns and all this stuff. Oh, I had no idea. I had no idea. You want to talk about the 12th man. My goodness.

And this guy has a totally different approach. I almost, almost texted congratulations to Jerome Bettis last night. Oh, come on.

Do it right now. He's not that big of a man, though, is what he's saying. Not yet. Come on. I'm growing. You've not heard me over the last two minutes. The fact that you even thought about it.

That signifies growth, Rich. Thank you. Stop it. Tim Brown, Jerome, Brady Quinn. Come on.

Not as many I've met and I like. Stop it. You. Zach Martin.

People who never went to the school, but you know, just root for them. Stop. Now I take umbrage with that. Shots fired, Mike. Okay. Not all of us could get into Notre Dame.

But Mark is framing these. Honestly, you look at that team and their performance and their heart and their grit and their smarts and their coach and you go, I can't believe I'm saying this. I know. What's not to like?

I agreed. I'm having a hard time with this. I'm telling you.

What's not to like? He's going to get interviews over the weekend for NFL openings. I don't think he's going to do that because he can't.

There's 10 days until the title game. I know that. And you can't do that right now. He won't do that right now.

You have to ask permission to do it. It would be public everywhere. He's got 10 days to go. He just talked about putting Notre Dame football in front of everything else. And he got the job based on the fact that somebody bolted in between their final game. He wanted, he coached the Fiesta Bowl that year. That was his first game as head coach of Notre Dame was a bowl game. It could have been a college football playoff game for all Brian Kelly really knew when he went off to LSU.

Now, he may take, he can interview you starting January 21st if that's what he really wants to do. But right now, I don't think so. But man, congratulations to Notre Dame fans. You're playing for it all.

And if it's Denver versus Ohio State, I really don't know what I'm going to do. But have you noticed what I've done over the last couple weeks is I've started talking about a college football playoff game professionally and then ended unprofessionally? Yes. That's a special gift you have. Thank you.

I evolve and then completely devolve. But that makes me human. All right. We'll take a break here. The Dallas Cowboys apparently with Mike McCarthy are going to do. We'll be right back.

No, I don't know about that. Tom Pelissero, who's breaking news on that front, is going to be joining us in the middle of hour two right after Harrison Smith joins us. But coming up next, we'll talk about the Dallas Cowboys and my conversation with Matthew Stafford.

That's next. This is the Rich Eisen Show on a super wild card weekend Friday. This episode brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game?

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See store or sleepnumber.com for details. You know, and another thing. The thing that drives me nuts about the Ohio State people is how they take credit for absolutely everybody that's ever done anything for them. Ever.

Even for a split second. Joe Burrow is theirs. Quinn Ewers is theirs.

And they went elsewhere to get theirs, right? Tell me I'm wrong. No, you're not wrong. Okay, thank you.

It is pretty annoying. And the leader of this department, I don't care. I'll use this. He knows I love him. Breer. As soon as the Notre Dame wins. There you go. There he is. Congrats to him, Marcus.

And he's got him as an Ohio State Buckeye. Will he tweet that same thing out on the night of January 20th if Marcus Freeman's the one standing in his way? Definitely not. I don't think so. I don't think so. And was he tweeting out on the night that they lost to Northern Illinois? Boy, I hope we fire Ryan Day and get him. Unbelievable. Love you, bird.

It's kind of ridiculous. Oh my God. Oh yeah, he played for a rollout of state. I think Marcus Freeman was a fifth round pick, but he never played it down in the NFL.

Let's see if I got this right. I saw somebody tweet out, who did he get drafted by and play for? He got drafted by the Bears.

That's it. But then he was waived on September 4th. Then he was signed to the Bills practice squad and released on October 5th. And then he signed with the Texans and then he retired in 2010. There you go. Wow. With an enlarged heart condition.

I did not know that. And then he wound up as a grad assistant at Ohio State. And off he went.

Kent State, Purdue, Cincinnati. And then he gets a call one day. What a rocket ship.

I guess Brian Kelly asked him to go to LSU and he stayed put. What a rocket ship. Honestly. That's awesome.

And now he's truly one of the hottest coaches out there. Period. End of story.

Unbelievable. 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 is the right product for you.

Call clickrainger.com or just stop by. And it is truly a sign of respect and love I have for you, TJ, is that I have not given a single split second of Rich Eisen Show real estate to Mike Del Tufo to talk about how great the Notre Dame win was since you're a Penn State fan. Out of respect to you. Since when has my teams getting crapped on stopped anyone here from speaking about it?

Speaking of which, the Dallas Cowboys have made news. Oh, yeah. See what I just did?

Like a glove. I think this is not a bad move, though. Because what are you going to do? Just rip out the entire system and start new? I guess you could.

I guess you could. But according to Tom Pelissero, after several days of discussion, a lot of deliberation there, man. At the bedside of Monty Miller, right? Is that where this conversation took place? Is that the character's name?

Is that Jon Hamm's character's name? Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy remain open to moving forward together. And the sides are expected to open talks today on a new contract to keep them in Dallas. Now, that's, I mean, that's basically saying, you know, a lot without nailing it down, saying he's going to be the next head coach.

But they're open to staying together and they're going to start talking. They have until Tuesday, because after that, then the Cowboys have no more leverage. So we'll find out how badly McCarthy wants to stay. I'm wondering if his team is kicking tires around the league, saying who would hire Mike?

I mean, nobody, I would think, right, anywhere else has indicated this person is definitely getting their job at this point, correct? You're also going to have to wait to see what Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn and the interesting thing that I've seen is the number of people who have asked for Steve Spagnuolo. That's one way to mess with the Chiefs is take that guy away or have him spend even a split second distracted by an interview.

Yeah, man. And the Cowboys, as you know, have not made any of those moves. They've sat back. Well, everybody else, I mean, are the Bears, they put out a list of a baker's dozen number of people that they have gone and talked to. I don't know how many the Jets have talked to.

It's got to be at least two dozen, right? It's high. The Jets seem like they're ahead of everyone in terms of the number of people.

It makes sense since they were ahead of everyone in terms of firing their coach. Right. The reason why I bring all that up is twofold.

One, this is exactly what the Cowboys don't want to do. Is that. Oh, God.

All right, let's get a list of like 12, 15 people. Jerry's zooming a lot these days. You know what I mean? Like, no, I don't think he wants to zoom. I don't think he wants to sit there at the star and have a whole bunch of people come in when he's got a guy that did win 12 games in three seasons back to back to back.

And it had a bunch of guys play hard for him after Dak went out this year. And deep down, he could basically say. If he does have that sense of self-awareness. He has a lot of fingerprints on this past seven and 10 seasons.

And so McCarthy coached an entire year with his staff, an entire year with no sense of their future. Can you imagine what that's like? Just think about it for a second. You're walking around in your town where you've lived for a while. Your spouse is happy there. Maybe your kids are happy there. And every single time you go there, I have no idea if I'm going to have this five months from now, four months from now, three months from now.

And then you go to work and you try to compartmentalize that. That ain't easy. And they never quit. You could say that, right? TJ, they never quit.

You never got the sense watching your Cowboys that they stopped playing for this guy. Most definitely there were a few games where it seemed like the team quit. You didn't really think so? I mean, just look at the, yeah.

Okay. I'm not saying they didn't quit on the, but yeah, I mean, look. The Detroit game, the New Orleans game, I mean. Oh, well, but the New Orleans game and the Detroit game were played when Dak was healthy.

So, you know. So you're saying in that sense? So obviously that was a very disappointing start of the season. And you could maybe lay this on that on McCarthy. And that maybe I am using the fact that their quarterback got hurt as a way to forget about the first third of the season. That caused a lot of people to think this was the end of the McCarthy era for sure. But when, you know, when things really got particularly troublesome, they perform well. But the reason why I also bring up the list of all the other candidates is that if I'm a McCarthy representative, I'm calling all of those teams saying, if Mike was available, say starting next Tuesday.

Random days. Would you have him in? Would you be interested?

How interested are you? Because that information informs how I talk to Jerry Jones. Absolutely. And again, this is just the latest example of if you wanted him and the hay was in the barn, why are we spending days, you know, turning it up? And then we're now we're open to moving together. And now we're going to start signing late. And maybe McCarthy gets more money from you than you were going to give. But it's his money.

It's a very Dallas thing to have. That's what I'm saying. And it seems like the latest example of just waiting till the last minute. And we tell our kids all the time, don't wait till the last minute when you know you got to do this assignment. That's literally what we say to our kids all the time.

I don't mean to equate an 80 year old man who's in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, you know, to one of my kids. But it is wild that we're in this position again. It's it's a surprise that an NFL team would operate this way, but not when you're talking about this team. I don't think we're surprising or we like surprise, surprise. I don't know, man. It's like you were saying, like if you like it, then you should have put a ring on it.

Like Beyonce said, why are you waiting? It makes no sense. But it's Cowboys, the Cowboys way. But as Stephen A. Smith said on what the football with Suzy and Amy, it's the offense hasn't been their problem. I mean, Kellen Moore at a top five rated offense and this offense when Dak is working, you know, it's it's a it's a well, the offensive problem is is a roster problem. Like who other than C.D.

Lamb can you get? Like Michael Gallup was the only other threat. Brandon Cooks, when he's healthy, can put a scare in you. The running back situation.

We don't have to go down the hall. Like literally the number of times we've mentioned Derrick Henry here. It's just enough. Yeah. But. It doesn't surprise that they get in this direction, and I know some Cowboys fans would love to see somebody else.

Who is it? Because Belichick's already gone. Yeah. Pete Carroll. OK, really interviewing for the Bears. He's out there.

Or do you just stay put? Make one deal and you're done. You're not zooming with anybody else. And you're certainly not looking for another general manager. We know that trade for Mike Tomlin.

Look, we I was completely under the. Pretend said he would be our coach next year. I didn't see a change happen. I don't see a change happening now.

It's going to be the same thing next season. Tom Pellicero, who sent out that story, will be joining us in a little less than an hour. Yesterday, when I left here, went home and. Just to be honest, you know, Susan, I did leave our house for a 24 hour period.

It's crazy around here, folks. And so Matthew Stafford and I were set to zoom and a fire broke out in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles, which is right in the Rams area. And a lot of Rams live in the Malibu Thousand Oaks Woodland Hills area up there.

And there's been fires all over the place. So I was pleased that Matthew Stafford kept the appointed round, which meant that, you know, things were as copacetic in his personal life that he could do it. But truly, a half hour before he sat down, a fire broke out in the Rams area. And this was an hour and a half before word came that the game was moving to Glendale. So that's my setup for my conversation with the great Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams.

I'm here with Matthew Stafford getting ready for yet another playoff game for the quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams. Hey, man, I appreciate you doing this at this time. Really do. Yeah, absolutely.

Thanks for having me on. I mean, I know I just asked this off the air, but I'm sure some people would be curious. Everything going all right in your world. What's going on with the Rams and all these fires and everything else going on?

Matthew? Yeah, I mean, there's a lot going on for sure. You know, once we get in this building, it's football all the time. We understand that. But at the same time, we're not you know, we're human beings. We know there's stuff going on outside.

Some people in the building obviously being affected. You know, there's new fires kind of popping up at any moment. So, you know, just hoping that that when I get home, there's there's stuff there and, you know, we're able to sleep there tonight. And I appreciate you, like I said, taking the time to do this in the middle of all of it. So I guess how how do you compartmentalize?

I mean, how do you how do you guys do this? I'm sure you're all talking about it once you get in the building right before you get down to work. I imagine. Right. Yeah. I mean, you know, that's that's something that you don't want to say you're trained for, but it's something that we're exposed to when you play this game for a long time.

Right. There's a lot of distractions, things that can go on some more meaningful than others. Obviously, this one very meaningful. But, you know, for as long as I've been playing this game and it's hey, you're in a meeting room, you're in between the white lines.

What you care about is what's in front of you. And that's football at the time. And, you know, the second it's over with this week, more than others. Yeah.

We're probably trying to take care of a business off the field to make sure that everybody's taken care of, safe and OK, while still trying to help out people that are in need. Right. You know, it's it's a it's a heck of a situation going on right here right now.

But we're a tight knit group. We'll stick together and be ready to roll. Matthew Stafford here on the Rich Eisen Show.

All right. Let's let's get to some football here. What is going through your 16 year veteran brain as you get set to quarterback on Monday night football against the Vikings?

Matthew? I'm just I'm cherishing these opportunities. I played 12 seasons in Detroit.

We got to go to the dance three different times. You know, obviously been lucky enough to go three times out of my four years here. And just every opportunity you get to extend your season, play playoff football, play meaningful football this time of year. It's it's something I don't take for granted.

It's something that I know our guys on our team don't as well. And, you know, we've earned this one. It wasn't a great start to the season. We battled through a bunch of injuries like other teams. But, you know, we came out the other end of this thing with a successful season. And, you know, it's it's it's on from here. Here we go. And I guess it's only, you know, again, I deal in storylines and narratives.

You deal in and in everything else, the actual between the line stuff. But it's it's interesting to me, Matthew, that the team that you're facing in this home playoff game is Minnesota, because if I'm not mistaken, it was that Thursday night game one and four, like who the heck knows what could have happened with your team if you went to one and five? And it kind of started on that Thursday night against that team.

Is that an accurate way to to to phrase it? Yeah, I mean, I'll tell you what, at one and four, they were all pretty darn meaningful after that. We didn't put ourselves in a good situation.

But yeah, I mean, on a short week, got to go. Here we go playing a really good football team, you know, 14 win football team in the regular season. And it's it was a huge challenge for us. They've got great players on offense, great players on defense. And, you know, I was proud of the way that our team responded and fought and played and obviously got the win. It's going to take a similar, if not better effort on Monday night. You know, they've gotten better. We've gotten better.

But you got to go out there and play better in those three hours. And, you know, we do everything we can throughout the week to prepare to get ourselves ready to go cut it loose, have no fear, have fun and try to come out on top. Well, I guess the good news also is your division champs, which means you obviously did well against opponents you've seen twice in a year. Right. Like that's a division opponent. Now here you have seen this opponent twice. Is there any benefit, do you think, in that regard?

I don't know. I mean, whatever benefit we have, they have to, you know, they're going to get a second chance at seeing us. But like I said, I mean, it's been a while since we played.

It's not a three-week turnaround. You know, we've evolved as a team, had, you know, injuries or guys come back or whatever it is. The lineup we'll put out there will be different and so will theirs. So, like I said, I mean, we're going to do everything we possibly can to go put ourselves in a great position.

And then you got to go play good for three, three and a half hours. That's what it boils down to. If we can do that as a team, we're going to give ourselves a good chance to be, you know, where we want to be at the end of Monday night. And the biggest challenge against the Flores defense is what? Picking up the blitz, handling the blitz, see what you think is coming and being ready for it? Yeah, absolutely.

No, he does a heck of a job. I got a ton of respect for him as a coordinator. Obviously, they've got great players as well. Guys that, you know, when I was back in the division, the Harrison Smiths of the world, guys that I've played against for a long time that I have a ton of respect for. So, you know, it's scheme, it's players, it's all of it, right? You don't get to, you don't get to 14 wins with just scheme or just players. I mean, they know how to execute what he wants done.

They do, you know, at a high level and it's going to be a big challenge. It's interesting I'm chatting with you today because just hours ago on my show, I had Calvin Johnson on. And, you know, he had the same smile and look on his face when I brought your name up. And, you know, and I'm just wondering, you know, what that kid who's strolled in there after they go 0-16. You know, what if I told that kid that, you know, you'd be in year 16 doing this thing for the Los Angeles Rams, you know what I'm saying? What are you thinking?

I'd be pinching myself, you know. It's an unbelievable blessing to play this game. I feel so, so lucky. I have such great respect for the history of this game, the guys that came before me, the guys that will come after me, coaches, players alike. I mean, teams, organizations, it's just – it's a special thing to be a part of.

When I came into the league, it was less about who you are as a brand and a person and more about who you played for and the players in your locker room and all that kind of stuff. And that's, you know, just some nostalgia that I love this game. And, you know, when I came in in 2009, Calvin was the best receiver in the game and I got to play with that guy and I had so much respect for, you know, what he did for my career. Hopefully, he feels that I helped him out a little bit, threw him a couple of good ones and he made me look good a few times for sure.

But just love playing this game, love getting to be a part of this game and the history of it. Yeah, he had nothing but kudos to say about you. When I brought up the 329-yard game against Dallas, he remembered who scored the game-winning touchdown. Yeah, that was a gutsy one. I'm not sure that I was – He said he wasn't surprised. He said he was totally surprised that you called that sneak, you know, right after he got – Well, I was thinking about just clocking it and just, you know, had enough space there to, I think, get it over.

And, shoot, I'm glad it worked because if it didn't, it'd be a tough way to end it. No doubt. And, you know, obviously, he's the first of triple crown receivers that you've thrown to Cooper Cup being the other. And now you've got Puca, you know, in the couple of minutes I have left with you. Any sort of – I understand, you know, Calvin's a 6-foot-5 Megatron Hall of Famer. But, you know, and obviously Cooper has a special quality about him.

What about Puca? Is there any Puca qualities that do remind you of Megatron at all? I think it's physicality, yeah. You know, Calvin put the pads on, walked out of the tunnel, and everybody went, oh my goodness, what is that?

I got to try and guard that today. You probably don't get the same with Puca, although he's a big guy, but it's not, you know, some 6-foot-6 guy that can run 4-3 and all that. But after he catches the football or in the run game blocking or at the top of routes, his physicality is – it reminds me of Calvin. You know, guys just kind of bounce off of him, you know, at the top of a route or after he catches a ball. And you throw a slant to Calvin, you catch it, and next thing you know, you get 12 yards, and you're like, I just threw him a slant.

You know, he's dragging a guy for 6. And Puca does some of those same things. So his yards are hidden sometimes, I feel like. You know, you come at the end of the game, he's like, you know, Puca had 10 for 129 or something like that.

And you're like, wait, what? You know, there wasn't some over-the-top 60-yard ball. It was just, hey, that 5-yard completion turned into 9. That 7 turned into 15.

And the physicality that he plays with, I think, defends his feel. Right. And so last one for you, you know, because I kind of asked this of you when I had you with the rest of my colleagues in a meeting room in your facility before the Cardinals and the Rams asking you about, you know, year 16 and how much longer you want to do it. So I'm going to ask you that again. How much are you thinking about that? What goes through your brain in year 16 before the wildcard weekend?

You said about opportunities. How much longer do you really think you want to do this, Matthew? I don't want to put a time limit on it, but I definitely think about that way more now than I did in 2009. You know, I've got a family. I've got young kids I want to make sure I'm there and be a part of. I feel like I do a good job, you know, during the season being as present as I possibly can.

But I don't want to miss too much. But at the same time, I feel like I'm playing at a high level. I love playing this game. I love competing, you know, so hopefully I can hang around here for a little bit longer. All right, man.

Go home to your kids. I really appreciate the time, Matthew. Thanks, Rich. Appreciate it, man.

All right, brother. That's Matthew Stafford here in the Rich Eisen Show. We're back here on the program, and that was just that was an interesting chat I had with Matthew. Then he went out the door, like gone.

Got in his car and went home. That's wild. Wow.

Crazy. And now the game is going to be in Glendale, Arizona. We'll talk about that with Harrison Smith when he joins us next hour. But let's take a break.

844-204-rich number to dial. Breaking news in Cleveland and Philadelphia in the NFL front as well. My gosh, news are popping everywhere.

Healthcare just got less painful. Follow and listen on your favorite platform. When do you make that decision to go for it? I mean, look, obviously you and Les Snead are known for your aggressiveness. It's not like we haven't seen something like this before, certainly out of out of Les before your tenure as the HC of the L.A.R.

So at what point, you know, did you make this decision that maybe it wasn't working out with you and Jared Goff in L.A.? Well, I think when you look at just the landscape of the league and the amount of conversation that evolved and revolved around the quarterbacks that could be available, that maybe went out that don't, you know, he was a guy that's in that upper echelon of the league and performed at a high level that was really the only one that was truly available. You know, the Lions had said, OK, we are going to allow you to seek a trade.

Everything else is speculation. And so when that became kind of publicly known that he had talked to ownership and Rod Wood and they granted that permission, now we're saying, all right, let's do our due diligence, really study the player. Fortunately, I do think that some of the relationships with Brad Holmes was helpful in facilitating a lot of that dialog where not getting out.

But there is, you know, a certain level of mutual respect and trust on both sides. And really, it was as soon as, you know, it was made known that he was available, that we kind of started exploring it and the dialog started. And, you know, like like then kind of reported, Rich, both Matthew and I were in Cabo and everything finalized. And, you know, as much as I don't think anybody would believe it, it is true that it happened by coincidence. So you weren't like, let's go vacation and and jump into the twenty twenty one season together that those things are mutually exclusive, is what you're saying? Yes, I'm saying, you know, we're on vacation and then then it's known that, hey, Matthew Stafford and his wife, Kelly, and a couple of their friends happen to be at the same resort.

I said, you've got to be me. I cannot believe that. No kidding. Wow. So you didn't just like go to the spa together and run into each other in terry cloth bathrobes.

It literally was somebody just told you that and you reached out and then all of a sudden you're now coach and quarterback. I guess so. I mean, Cabo, it was a pretty it was a pretty unique spot. It was one of the few that wasn't restricted. Right.

In terms of, you know, being opened up. And, you know, I ran into Drew Brees was down there. I think Sean Payton, Coach Nagy at some point. It was an NFL.

We had the league meetings in Cabo early. Wow. YouTube dot com slash Rich Eisen Show for the Rich Eisen Show entire archive.

Ten plus year history of us right there on our YouTube page. I thought his comments about how Pukos got the physical attributes to remind him of Megatron. How about them apples? Not that not in terms of being six five, but in terms of people bouncing off him. Seems like he has a couple plays like that per game where he'll go up, get the ball in traffic. He's really worked on those ball skills and then you can't tackle him.

Pukum had the way he's taken his game to the next level. He's top five receiver in this league, right? No question about it. And the fact that he was saying that it's not like he's got the 60 yard chunk plays. He just turns five into twelve and nine into twenty. Right.

You know, you see that all the time. Top five wide receivers right now. Go. Justin Jefferson, Jamar Chase, Amman Raas, St. Brown, Pukunakua. A.J. Brown. Are you going to leave?

You can't leave C.D. Lamb out. Yeah. Yeah. Right. There's six.

Look at the stats. No, no, no. You need one more? You can't just say 30 seconds. You know what I mean? Why not?

Well, we just did it then. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show radio network, the Infinity Sports Network, along with the Roku Sports Channel stream. If you're your family's biggest supporter, make sure they're protected today with affordable online life insurance through ethos up to two million dollars of same day term life insurance coverage in as little as 10 minutes for as little as two dollars a day. It's 100 percent online, nomad exams, only a few online health questions. The mortgage, your kid's education and other costs could all be covered through ethos.

Straightforward protection for the people who matter most. Get your free quote at triethos.com. That's T-R-Y-E-T-H-O-S dot com. It does appear that Sean Watson blew out his Achilles again. Three months after having it surgically repaired, he's blown it out. Ian Rappaport says he could now miss all of 2025.

And here's the scoop. Back in late December, the Browns and Deshaun Watson added two more voidable years onto a deal that already had two voidable years on it. To try and extend a cap hit out and interesting. It definitely kept Watson on the team in many ways, shape or forms his contract, because if he was just released pre June one designation, it would have triggered a dead cap of one hundred seventy two million dollars.

Obviously that wasn't going to happen. So Watson knew that. But I guess just to give the team a little bit more flexibility, a team that traded three first round picks for him.

He did it. The reason why I bring it up is that means that of the two years left on his contract that were guaranteed money coming to him, there's now one year left if he does not play in twenty twenty five. And right now, right now, for that contract, he's played just nineteen games, nine and ten as a starter. And that's going to be his record going into twenty twenty six, it appears because of the injury to his Achilles. What has happened to this man's career is just absolutely stunning from off the field to the fact that he cannot stay healthy now on the field.

His tenure as a Cleveland Brown is crippling. He turns 30 in September. He'll be thirty one next time he plays football. Well, that's still that's still young enough for him to stay healthy. But when you think about Cam Newton's career ended at that point.

No, I understand that. But, you know, we just talked about Matthew Stafford in year sixteen. That's true. You're talking about a bunch of careers that, you know, running backs, that's that's that's a death knell. Quarterbacks, he can still come back and still have a career. But in terms of the Cleveland Browns, they must move on and they are sitting second on the clock. And Watson blowing out his Achilles is one hundred percent a draft affecting injury. Titans need one, Browns need one. There are the Giants sitting there at three going, come on now, really. How do the Browns not take a quarterback if they fall in love with Cam Ward? They fall in love with Chador Sanders. How do they not do it? You're sitting there at two.

If you feel like they are the real deal, you got to do it. What are you going to do, add Abdul Carter or defender for that defense? When Deshaun Watson's not coming back till twenty twenty six. You just saw what DTR Jamis Jamis looked like Joe Flacco two point oh. And then suddenly he's a healthy scratch. They were done with him. That ain't it.

That ain't it. How do you not take a quarterback here if you're the Cleveland Browns? Unless you look at the quarterbacks and go, they're not that good enough. You evaluate it and say, we will take a more game changing player.

Let's bring Travis Hunter there. Let's I don't know. And do what and try to get Kirk Cousins or Aaron Rodgers or something? Sam Donald. I don't know.

I don't know what the answers are going to be. But I think this now one for sure, I think I should result in the Browns going quarterback and the Titans go quarterback and the Browns go quarterback. And there are the Giants sitting there at three Raiders sitting there at six.

At least you got yours last year, Christopher. Thank you. And you wanted to go quarterback quarterback if you're not going to be the first overall pick in the draft, which you're not anymore, and then move out to get a king's ransom. The best scenario is quarterback quarterback. Go for it.

Yeah. Just like what happened with the Cardinals last year. We don't need a quarterback. Let's let Marvin Harrison Jr. drop right to us.

We don't have to move anywhere and I'm moving out when I'm moving up. We'll get a we'll get a very talented player. Suddenly Abdul Carter looks amazing. You got to give him Drew Bledsoe's number, but that's OK. What a major piece of injury news this is. We'll talk about it with Tom Pellicero coming up in our number two. Also, the injury news. We'll talk about that as well here for Super Wild Card weekend. And Harrison Smith of the Vikings is coming up next.

Still here on our Roku Sports Channel. Hey, talk about quarterback. One of the guys who was supposed to enter this year's draft, Carson Beck entered the transfer portal yesterday, just committed to the University of Miami. Is that right? So he's now going to take over for Cam Ward there? Yep. Man, it's crazy.

Crazy. Is it entirely possible that the two quarterbacks, that two of the four quarterbacks in the college football playoff semifinal, would go pro, hit a portal? Penn State wouldn't have Drew out or go, right? He would be the guy still there, correct? He has said that he is returning. Adam wants him to go. Adam not happy this morning. Yeah, after last night. Adam wants him out. Because of that last throw? Well, it was before the last throw, according to Adam's text messages. He was complaining a lot last night. That last throw, I just was like... Yeah, that was particularly galling.

That's like truly the last thing you can do. Well, a lot of talk about Quinn Ewers maybe entering the portal. That's what I'm saying. That's why I'm mentioning the... Riley Leonard is a portal. He's a transfer from Duke. Will Howard came in after Kyle McCord entered the portal and went somewhere else.

Yeah. Hey, at least he won on November 30th. Kyle McCord, right?

Kyle McCord won a bowl game this year, baby. I am a minister of culture part two tonight, sir. You'd wear a cowboy hat and a bolo tie? I have a rakish hat. I don't have a cowboy hat. Do you have a cowboy hat? Because now I've been told you're coming over tonight.

That's news to me, so I'll look for one. All I'll tick was your son, your beautiful son coming in here and then me texting a picture to Susie and then suddenly, boom, Cage is coming over. I know.

All the chaos is going on. I left the house this morning without my backpack. I do have the Deadwood hat. Yeah, the Deadwood hat. You can wear the Deadwood hat.

Why not? Because you might be cursing like that if Ohio State wins. By the way, Cage...

I will have my choice of curse words on the hat. Well done, Mikey. By the way, Cage and I were over here putting before the show started.

I know. I took a picture of it. I thought I was going to take a little pocket change from him. That's a nice hat.

Cage ended up beating me for three dollars, Brockman, over here putting. I love that photo. That's the rakish hat. I don't think that works for tonight. That's not very Austin, Texas. That's more having a friend over for dinner. Sorry.

Not that version of it. A lot of burnt orange tonight. Yeah, that was great, you and Cage. I can't wait until one day he understands if he's on Netflix, you're going to jump into his camera space. You have no recourse, man. And I'll do it again. Harrison Smith coming up. Hey, it's Rich Eisen here.

Join me and my compadre Chris Brockman every Monday on the Overreaction Monday podcast. You're also saying the record's going to go down. I'm saying the record's going down anyway.

The guy. I don't think you're off on this at all. Like, you're spot on here. I don't think this is an overreaction because we have no idea what we're reacting to. Come react or overreact with us. Overreaction Monday. Follow and listen on your favorite platform. It's game over. It's game over, man.