Hour 1: Cowboys vs Lions TNF Preview, Steelers Updates, plus Comedian Andrew Santino

0:00Are all batteries the same? That's like asking if all soccer players are the same. Take Messi, the most decorated player ever. Is there any other player who has achieved that? No, just him. Now take Duracell. Is there any other battery with Power Boost ingredients inside? No, just Duracell. Remember, goats only trust goats because they're built different. And Messi only trusts Duracell.

0:31This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required, compatibility and availability varies 18+. This is the Rich Eisen Show.

0:58Rich Eisen:Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of the Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. Ladies and gentlemen Get ready, check this out This is the Rich Eisen Show Chris Paul, is this the worst retirement tour in the history of retirement tours? From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles Today's guests Comedian Andrew Santino Senior NBA reporter Brian Wintors NFL Executive Vice President of Media Distributions Hans Schroeder And now, it's Rich Eisen.

1:57Rich Eisen:Well, hey, everybody. Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show, live on Disney +, the ESPN app and ESPN radio, presented by Progressive Insurance, along with Sirius XM Channel 80. Audience, we say hello to all of you. I've got everything that I need. I've got a fresh cup of coffee and a plum sweater. Honestly, name me another host who starts a show like that. Life is good, huh? You know what? It is great. and a great guest list, great friends here in studio. Good to see you over there, Chris Brockman. Hey, Rich, my shirt is green today. That's all good. Yeah. It's all good. You're just, we're on fleek.

2:31Rich Eisen:Thank you. How are you, Jason Feller? Doing great. How are you? We're already one drop in, 90 seconds into the program. That's my cue to slow down, huh? TJ Jefferson. Nice. TJ Jefferson. Hey, Rich, 38 years ago today, this little anniversary, Randy Watson and the Sexual Chocolate Band and played at the Miss Black Awareness. I thought you were going to say you graduated high school. I did not know that. I did not know that. Coming to America? Or the Cowboys were making their way to the NFC Championship game for the last time. Oh, man. 38 years ago. Close. It wasn't that long ago, Rich. Okay. Listen.

3:07Rich Eisen:Listen, bro. But TJ, TJ, TJ. Yes, sir. Tonight's the night. Tonight's the night. I haven't been this excited for a football game in a minute. You know what? You deserve it. Me? Really? Yeah, because the Cowboys deserve that sort of reaction from a diehard like you. They're playing that well. And tonight in Detroit, Michigan, a week 14 that has not won like tonight. Let me get the exact number right. I wasn't planning on saying this off the top, but later on when I do the full what's at stake for the week on this Thursday. Six games. Six. Between teams at 500 or better. Six of them. You've got to love it, right?

3:51Rich Eisen:And this is where rubber is meeting the road. This is the first full slate of games tonight all the way through to Monday night in which they're all played in December. This is what the NFL schedule makers were dreaming up when they came out with this schedule. To have a game like this. And tonight's game between the Lions and Cowboys means a lot. But it's also historic. How about we'll start with that one? Okay. We'll start with that one. These two teams, this shouldn't come as a surprise, have played the most games in the history of the NFL on a Thursday. On a Thursday because, clearly, these are the two hosts of Thanksgiving Day action for decades.

4:36Rich Eisen:And did you know, I don't have to play the music, don't worry about it. Did you know this is the first time they've ever faced each other on a Thursday? The Cowboys and Lions have never once played each other on a Thursday. Now, the Cowboys are Thursday kings just for this year alone. They played on a Thursday in week one. They played on a Thursday last week. They're playing on a Thursday this week. And Christmas falls on a Thursday. And they're playing the Commanders on Christmas Day, Thursday on Netflix. Which were the Thursday night delights. Wow. I just coined that. I don't like that. But I understand that you're coining and I appreciate it.

5:25But in all seriousness, there's a lot going on here.

5:31Rich Eisen:And the Cowboys are the ones coming in, playing the best football of both teams. which is something remarkable because the Cowboys were watching the Lions start 4-1, like the rest of the NFL, thinking this is now going to be the Lions' year to show everybody last year's 15-1 season can be followed up with another terrific season to dream of, even though they went 15-2 and 1-and-done. And the Cowboys were starting slow, while the Lions were starting fast. And now here we are, the first Thursday of December, and the script has flipped. As a matter of fact, the Cowboys are coming off of the first ever instance in the history of the NFL in which a team beat the previous year's Super Bowl combatants in a five-day span.

6:32Rich Eisen:Nobody's ever done that before. Cowboys just beat the Eagles and Chiefs in a five-day span. As a matter of fact, they're in the middle of what could be, if they win tonight, because their next game is against Minnesota, the first ever four-game sweep in the Super Bowl era of a team going 4-0 against the previous season's teams with the four best records. Wow. That's never happened in the Super Bowl era. As a matter of fact, the 1933 Giants are the only team in NFL history to go 4-0 in a four-game span against the four best teams by a win-loss record from the previous year. Again, Eagles, Chiefs, these Lions, who had 15 wins last year, and next week's Minnesota team that is a far cry from the 14-win team a year before.

7:27Rich Eisen:The Lions, however, are in the midst of a stretch in which they've won one and lost one in consecutive weeks for two straight months. They went 4-1, and after going 4-1, they lost to Kansas City, but won against Tampa. Off a bye, they lost against Minnesota, but won against Washington. See what I'm doing with my voices? It's a high register Thursday, but I'm showing you wins and losses and wins and losses. Then they lose at Philly, win against the Giants, barely, and then lose to Green Bay, which means this is the time in which they win because that's what they've been doing off of a loss, as a matter of fact.

8:06Rich Eisen:They have won 14 straight games after a loss, one shy of tying an all-time NFL record if they win tonight. The last time they had a two-game losing streak was way back when everyone's wondering if Dan Campbell really is going to bite anybody's kneecaps off ever when they lost five in a row between weeks three and eight of 2022. And as we know, it's all been upside for Detroit since then. No doubt. And in terms of tonight's game, we see not one, but both teams coming into this game ranked in the top three in both scoring and total offense. The last time two such teams met in December or later was when the Chiefs and the Eagles met in Super Bowl 57.

9:01Rich Eisen:Super. How about that? The last such meeting in the regular season

9:08Rich Eisen:was week 17 of 2016, when the Saints and Falcons hooked up, MVP eventual, MVP Matt Ryan, and the Falcons beat Drew Brees' Saints 38-32. Those Falcons went on to the Super Bowl, and 28-3, yada, yada, yada. Every team in this matchup, such matchup. Again, in which both teams ranked in both scoring in total offense in the top three in the NFL. This century, we have seen it. Let me get this right. One, two, three, four, five, six times. I told you the last two, right? The Super Bowl from a couple years ago and the Week 17-2016 divisional round. every single time the winner of this game reached the Super Bowl with the exception of the Colts and the Chiefs 2003 divisional round of the playoffs when Peyton Manning did beat the Chiefs but didn't make the Super Bowl because, you know, who was making Super Bowls from the AFC back then pretty much every year?

10:17Rich Eisen:That's what's going down tonight. It's rare to see these matchups, period, between the two teams on a Thursday, between two teams that are this great on offense, between teams that are as hot as the Cowboys against competition as tough as they've been in the previous year and on occasion this year, and then the Lions needing it because both teams coming in tonight have an 8 % chance to win their divisions. Same division. Odds. Both teams. And in terms of winning tonight, the Detroit Lions, who come into this game with a 42 % chance to make the playoffs, with a win tonight, that those odds would pop up to 59 % if they lose and falls to 22%.

11:09Rich Eisen:The margin between 59 and 22, we'll do the math, 37-point swing. That is the highest of any team in the NFC entering week 14 with a win or a loss. No other team can swing in such a large manner with a win or a loss in the NFC entering this week than the Detroit Lions tonight. And the Dallas Cowboys, they have a 17 % chance to make the playoffs right now, as well as they've been playing, because that 3-5-1 start is a tough anchor, man. With a win, it pops up to 31%. Hey, now. With a loss, it drops to six. Jeez, is it all on the line tonight or what? Don't nobody call me tonight. Well, you don't ever respond to texts anyway during games.

12:00Rich Eisen:One other thing to just keep in mind, the lines have failed on seven straight fourth down attempts. You know they're going to go for it tonight. It always happens. I kicked some field goals tonight, Dan. Come on now. That's the longest streak of failed fourth downs in the NFL this year and tied for the longest streak for the Lions this century. So keep an eye on that. And another thing, Goff. Goff. If he gets 89 yards passing tonight, one would think he will. Even with Amon Ross, St. Brown being questionable going in, I don't think a lot of people think he's going to play tonight. He gets 88 yards passing this evening.

12:40Rich Eisen:He joins Matthew Stafford as the only Lions players in team history with 20 ,000 career yards for the franchise. Dang. By the way, Goff had 18 ,171 with the Rams. He's climbing charts, man. He's putting up numbers. That is what's at stake tonight. Making the playoffs or not. Great odds with the win. Not so great with a loss. It's not as bad for the Lions. It's pretty crippling for the Cowboys. Cowboys are the ones coming in with the hot, healthy receivers and passing game. The Lions are not. The Lions, though, do not lose after a loss, at least not for the last three years. That's what's going down on Prime Video tonight.

13:27Rich Eisen:That's why you're jacked. It's delicious, I think. I once upon a time heard that sort of matchup. Seriously. Seriously. How much can I responsibly put in the Cowboys tonight, TJ? Come on. Look, man. Hold on a second. Everything I just said makes you think that? Yeah. Really? Why? My eyes work. I still have 20-20 vision. But the Lions don't lose two in a row. They don't. Yeah, but statistics have no bearing on what happens tonight. One last thing I guess I should throw in here, too. Why not? What the heck? Since Quentin Williams arrived, DeMarvy and Overshown showed up right behind him. Since those two things happened, the Cowboys are allowing nine fewer points per game and 85 fewer yards per game on defense.

14:18Rich Eisen:It's different. Quentin Williams is one and a half sack, seven quarterback hits, and 19 pressures in three games with the Cowboys. All wins. Oh, they're all more than he had in eight games with the Jets this year. That's surprising to you too, Chris. No, I've watched the Jets play football. You have eyes. I got it. Yada, yada, yada. Hutch, though, is right behind Quinton with 17 quarterback pressures since week 11. We're missing Tyler. QB's best time. Their head's on a swivel.

14:55Rich Eisen:So we've got Andrew Santino joining us, diehard Bears fan. In support, by the way, of the special Olympics event, ho-ho homers with Andrew Santino that's slated here in Southern California this Saturday. When Andrew was on earlier this fall, I'm like, come back on when you want to promote it. And he's going to do that later on this hour. Hans Schroeder, the top executive in the National Football League at the executive vice president level in terms of media distribution, is going to join us about all those ratings we saw from Thanksgiving. and that's in hour number three. He has no idea I'm going to negotiate my contract in full with him live on this program.

15:42That seems like a bold strategy. Don't you think? Don't you think? See how it plays out. Let's see what happens. By the way, you have no idea

15:49Rich Eisen:how I'm going to bring that up with him. Neither does he. So I'd stay tuned for that in hour three. You never see anybody, essentially, with the man he reports to, talk about a future contract and negotiate it. Get awful announcing on the horn. Are you sure this is a good idea? Oh, it's going to be great. Yeah, I'll alert them. Oh, it's going to be great. It's going to be great. Hour three. You got it. And Brian Winderhuis is going to join us in hour two. He's the one that went on ESPN radio in Cleveland and said, Hey, Giannis has asked for a trade already, which prior to last night's game between the Bucs and the, you know, would be if it weren't for the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA leading Detroit Pistons.

16:37Rich Eisen:He, Doc Rivers, met with the media because, you know, coaches meet before the game in the NBA. And he emphatically denied Brian Windhorst's report that Giannis, prior to the season, has already asked for a trade. hit it. There was a report today from ESPN about the conversations Giannis is having with the team about his future and whether or not it should be here in Milwaukee or elsewhere. So here we go again. There's been no conversations. And I want to make it clear just for the, I would say one more time, but for the 50th time, it clearly is not getting the one network for sure. Giannis has never asked to be traded.

17:23Rich Eisen:Ever. I can't make that more clear. All right. And, you know, Doc, you're the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. How would you know that? The thing I keep saying is I go to the source. I talk to the source every single day. Every single day. And he loves Milwaukee and he loves the Bucks. We have to play better. We have to win games. And, you know, until we start winning games, this is going to be out here. We rip off 10 in a row. My guess is it's magically going to disappear. You know, that's just how I feel. I just keep saying this. I've heard guys say they've talked to sources, and I talk to the source.

18:09And if I've learned anything in life, the source usually knows.

18:15Rich Eisen:I love him, man. Yeah, I mean, possible deniability. That could technically be true. Giannis himself hasn't said the words, I want a trade. Well, again, Brian Winter is going to join us at the top of the next hour, and we'll talk with him about this and Chris Paul's departure from the Clippers organization and the manner in which he was told we're done. And, oh, by the way, in terms of Doc saying it's all going to be worked out with a winning streak, they now have a one-game win streak after beating the Detroit Pistons and Giannis scoring how many points? Well, wait a minute. I'm being told he went down with what looked like an Achilles injury and scared the crap out of everybody.

18:58Rich Eisen:Well, it's not an Achilles that snapped, thank God, because it just went down out of nowhere. And it looked like one of those things where, you know, he had the look on his face that he knew he was injured on the spot. It's a right calf strain, approximately two to four weeks, according to Shams. Now, listen, how many times have we heard a calf strain and then the guy comes back and then it happens, right? It leads to the Achilles. Yeah, sure. It's just a calf strain. Comes back and then, boom. We watch it go. We watch the calf twitch and it's all over. How about Durant in the NBA Finals? Halliburton and the...

19:36Rich Eisen:Halliburton, yeah. It's just a calf strain. Let's see what can happen. So, in the midst of all of this, yeah, that it's not actually gone. That works. Well, I mean, then he got maybe a warning. And then they won without him. Which has not been a trend this year. Against the Pistons. Yeah. Against the Pistons.

20:04Rich Eisen:Listen, there's no secret here about my love for Doc Rivers. And, you know, I know the guy, and I root for him immensely. So does Larry David. and honestly, I'd love nothing more than for him to be the coach of Giannis Antetokounmpo and then Giannis does what he does with the newly constituted team and all. But, I mean, if Giannis does in fact want out, and you maybe say he didn't say the words to Doc, or he won't say the words to Doc because he's such a nice guy, he won't say it to the coach, even though the coach would know that the agent has said it. you know the agent could have said it to ownership or the general manager from yeah for sure long story short is we're going to talk about it all with our friend brian winhorst but when we come back the pittsburgh steelers at a crossroads aaron rogers spoke yesterday for the first time since talking about film sessions and and things of that nature and then uh a ghost of not so distant quarterback past of the Pittsburgh Steelers chimes in on Mike Tomlin's future.

21:18Rich Eisen:And where he thinks Tomlin maybe fits best. Spoiler alert, it's not Pittsburgh. It's been a while since Big Ben lobbed something into the whole mix, but that's happened. I have my top five teams that should finish strong. I've had my top five of teams that I'm worried about not finishing strong. Top on that list was the Indianapolis Colts. And unfortunately for Colts fans, I think I've been proven right so far. There's five games to go for most. Four teams on a bye. When they come off the bye, everybody's got four to go. One month to go in the season. Coming into this crucial week 14. Andrew Santino joining us at the end of this hour in support of how you can support him in the Special Olympics Southern California event that he's hosting coming up this weekend.

22:13Rich Eisen:844-204-H, number to dial throughout. It's a higher register Thursday as well, don't you know?

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22:52Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here. You can always tell when something big is happening in a city. I know what it's like when I'm traveling for big games and events. I remember being in Pittsburgh earlier this year and experiencing the beautiful architecture and passion those fans have for their home teams. That was so infectious. Now, it was a great trip. But you know what it's like dealing with the travel. The airport is packed. Hotels are booked up. Restaurants all busy. And when you have that kind of influx of visitors in your city, a lot of them are searching for a place that feels a little bit more like home during their trip.

23:25Rich Eisen:That's why this can be a smart time to think about listing your own space on Airbnb. If you've got plans to be away this summer, consider listing your space on Airbnb while you're gone and earn some extra cash. It's simple. You're already traveling, so your place doesn't just sit empty while your city is busy. And from my experience on the road, having a comfortable home base can change the whole experience of a trip. So whether it's a big sports weekend, a concert series, or a major event coming to your area, this could be the right time to list your space on Airbnb. Your home might be worth more than you think.

23:59Rich Eisen:Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host. The Rich Eisen Show podcast. Back here on The Rich Eisen Show, Disney Plus, the ESPN app, and ESPN radio, everybody, presented by Progressive Insurance, supporting you every step of the way. Progressive.com. Okay. Of the teams that are at the crossroads at 6-6, two of them are in first place because they share it in the AFC North. You got also the Kansas City Chiefs at 6-6, right? That's a crossroads, baby. Like both. Okay. Just to name three. But the Ravens and Steelers playing one another. Ravens had a win streak before Joe Burrow blew that one up on Thanksgiving night.

24:52The Steelers have just, once upon a time, 4-1.

24:56Rich Eisen:You know, you could do the math. 2-5, that ain't it. They're booing the coach. They're not even cheering during Renegade. What's going on? That's unbelievable. And people are saying, like, that is the low-water mark. Yeah, that's the ultimate. It's over now. We're not even cheering during Renegade. Yeah. So Aaron Rodgers was asked if it's time for his famous R-E-L-A-X message for his newest fan base. I mean, that was in 2012, I believe. 2014, maybe one of those two. You know, it's a different team, different time. And what you say needs to be authentic. In that moment, I felt like there was a major overreaction.

25:41We played three games. We played two potential that would turn out to be playoff teams, and we went one and two. And we went on an absolute heater after that, starting with the game in Chicago. So it's just feeling the pulse of the team. I don't feel like this team has a freakout or a panic that I need to, like, send a message out to the zeitgeist that everybody needs to just relax a little bit. We've been playing inconsistent football, that's for sure. We've got to play better. But I have confidence in leadership of the team. I have confidence in my guys and that we're going to put a better performance in the field this weekend.