Hour 1: Mahomes/Chiefs Reactions, Philip Rivers’ Return, Broncos & Bills/Pats Takeaways

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1:24This is The Rich Eisen Show. He says, Rob, you don't understand. I love to act. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Philip Rivers came off the couch and came out here throwing dimes. From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. McCarthy keeps it beautifully. Coming up on today's show, complete week 15 recap, Monday night preview, plus your phone calls, latest news, and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen.

1:56Rich Eisen:All right, everybody. Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show. We're back in our usual Los Angeles digs after an awesome week in New York City with our friends at ESPN. Back on Disney Plus and the ESPN app and ESPN Radio presented by Progressive Insurance Sirius XM Channel 80. Our phone number is still the same. 844-204-RICH to have a conversation. So much to talk about from this weekend in sports. It's on tilt off its axis, however you want to put it. leading to the Week 15 finale between the Pittsburgh Steelers trying to stay in front of the Baltimore Ravens, entering the final three weeks of the season against the Miami Dolphins team, trying to get back to.500 and giving themselves a chance at the playoffs that gets slimmer with each passing loss for so many teams in the National Football League.

2:43Good to see you over there, Christopher Brockman. How are you? Hey, Rich. I survived guillotine, so I'm doing pretty good. That's good. So did Coop. So did my son, everybody. Oh, the man who didn't is not here today. That's all good. At any rate, you and I just finished recording the latest episode of Overreaction Monday. That's sitting there wherever you get your podcasts for your ear gates. If you want to see it, it's always available on our YouTube channel, youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show. Hello, Mike Del Tufo. Good to see you. Good to see you, TJ Jefferson. Oh, boy. Oh, no. Oh, no. All right.

3:15We'll talk about that on this program. I hate football. Oh, man. We'll talk about that on this program later on. 844-204-RICH, number to dollar. Let's put a pin in that. But we have to start with my usual default of being

3:32Rich Eisen:sunny rather than cloudy. Being a glass half full. I look at a glass and I'm like, you know what, that's half full. Not half empty. That's the way I look at it, which is why last week... That's what I like about you, though. Yeah, you know what, I appreciate it. It's why last week, certainly when the delightful Paul Rudd was sitting on our set. I try to be positive. He's a diehard Chiefs fan. As you know, I've always been saying, won't quit the Chiefs until they're out of it. And I put out there the scenario. Chiefs win out. Have the Chargers lose two of their final three. You know, even though they just, you know, won two in a row since the bye and five of six going into yesterday's game in Arrowhead.

4:14Have the Colts lose half their games and make sure the Ravens and Dolphins don't win out. And the Chiefs make the playoffs at 10-7. Entirely possible. There was, however, a playoff elimination scenario. If they lost to the Chargers and the Bills beat the Patriots and the Jaguars beat the Jets and the Texans beat the Arizona Cardinals,

4:37Rich Eisen:the Chiefs would be out. And the Chiefs were up 13-3, and I'm thinking to myself, Hey, I'm looking at that glass. It's half full. They're up 13-3. Chargers aren't moving the football on this defense. And yada, yada, yada. The absolute positively most disastrous set of results occurred for the Chiefs, who, as they were driving in the final possession of the game, could look up at the scoreboard and go, oh, wait a minute, the Bills came back from 21 down on the Patriots. Oh, wait a minute. The Jaguars are mudholing the New York Jets. And the Houston Texans doing the same, the Arizona Cardinals. Oh, my goodness.

5:27Rich Eisen:If we don't push this to overtime and maybe win it like our last game against the Colts. If we don't maybe march down the field and score a touchdown here. We are going to be eliminated from playoff contention with three weeks to go. And this is a team that since Mahomes has been the starter, the earliest that their season has ever ended, is overtime in the AFC Championship game. And sure enough, Mahomes takes the field and gets his knee blown up. And they lose. And they're eliminated from playoff contention. Name me a worse set of circumstances than that. An ACL tear for Patrick Mahomes? so not only do you not force overtime not only do you not win the game not only do you not make the playoffs now you're staring into the abyss of patrick mahomes spending his entire offseason rehabbing a blown out knee that may not be ready in time for next year and even when everybody thought if the chief season could end somewhat prematurely or you prematurely in terms of when it usually ends.

6:36Rich Eisen:You're not thinking about, okay, is the dynasty completely over? Because what are you going to do now with Mahomes out of OTAs and training camp and everything else?

6:57Rich Eisen:Andy Reid stepped to the podium and had this all sink in on them after the Chargers swept them for the first time in over a decade and kept them from making the playoffs in 2025. Yeah, the guys are down. They busted their butt to win the game. And I wouldn't expect anything less. So it's not a great feeling. I wouldn't expect it to be after losing a game. I can't tell you I'm happy. So it's a tough deal there when you deal with that. But at the same time, we've got a few more games here we've got to take care of. I mean, that's what a coach is saying in terms of take care of. So he knows in terms of the toughest job he's had with the Chiefs yet, having them in the Mahomes era in this dynastic run that they're on, getting the guys to play games that don't mean anything except pride.

8:04That's a new challenge for Andy Reid in Kansas City, that's for sure. But at least he knew that was the case. Did you hear Chris Jones didn't even know they were eliminated from the playoffs? Yeah, I did see the clip where he was notified while he was speaking. Well, here's that clip. Roll it. I think you've already undermined it. You guys could be out of the playoffs. I think the score was 13-10, so still have a fighting chance. Are we out of the playoffs? We are. Okay. Man. Man, oh, man. When you're in the, if you will, for lack of a better phrase, football foxhole, you're not focused on the ifs, buts, candies, and nuts.

8:52You just know you've got to take care of your own business and hope for the results. And Chris Jones found out at the podium that he's not going to the playoffs.

9:06And just to take it one piece at a time here, part of the reason why they're not going to the playoffs, I mean, it's just, you can't put your finger on one thing. Nothing worked for the Chiefs since snap three of the season. I'm there in Brazil. I'm calling it. Xavier Worthy is going one way across the field. Travis Kelsey another way. They collide. Worthy's out for a couple weeks. And this team coming into the season was 100 % jacked up about Worthy and his speed outside. And we're going to get Rasheed Rice back in week six. And this offense is going to be as dynamic as ever. And they couldn't basically put enough consecutive flawless quarters together

9:53Rich Eisen:for a team that could do that pretty much in its sleep for over half a decade was stunning. And every single year, it's like, can they come up with enough big plays with Tyree Kilgand? Yeah, how about winning two Super Bowls in a row with Tyree Kilgand? Can they get enough running game going when they don't have a running game? Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. And then this year, it does. they don't come up with enough big plays they can't connect on it where either somebody's running the wrong route or drops a ball or Mahomes throws an interception that's uncharacteristic and then the run game they couldn't run it worth a lick either sometimes doesn't matter but the last thing you want is your quarterback to come up with the most touchdowns of 10 rushing yards or longer of anybody on your team Mahomes led the Chiefs, not just this year, but for any of the last five seasons, he had more 10 yards or longer rushing touchdowns by any Kansas City player in a season in the last five seasons.

11:07Rich Eisen:Don't want that. Defensively, penalties, it would just be one sort of fog, sleepwalk type moment after another that i did not see coming clearly i chose them to win the super bowl and then stuck with them on thanksgiving when it looked like they were beginning to turn a page we're always wondering when's the light switch going to be flipped not this year and i've been saying this for years now so i might as well repeat it since it does appear we've reached the crossroads that at some point at some point the Chiefs would have to figure out how to keep the dynasty rolling with other players and potentially another coach I don't think we're there with another coach yet I think Andy Reid is as invigorated as ever I might be wrong I don't know he might turn around in a couple weeks and say you know what I just uh want to hang with the grandkids don't know that i don't know but i do know as we watch mahomes do what he's done over the first decade of his career hasn't reached 10 years yet but he has reached the age of 30 he surpassed tom brady as a 20 something year old quarterback in terms of name any metric name it all pretty much he surpassed him yards touchdowns super bowl wins all of it all of it either matched him or surpassed him but at some point brady after winning three of his first four and then going through a dry spell but still making super bowls with the Patriots and the same coach, they had to do it with different players.

13:05Rich Eisen:When would that happen? Because at some point, you know, Mahomes is going to take a snap when Kelsey's with his lovely broad, doing whatever his next part of his career is going to be, probably more successful in his playing career knowing him. And then at some point, he'll have to take a snap without Andy Reid, which Brady didn't have to do without Belichick until he willingly left. with Arians. And I'm wondering if we've reached that point of his career that he's going to have to do it in his 30s if he wants to run down Brady overall. If he wants to catch Tom and run him down as the clear goat at the position in the history of the sport, he's going to have to have a Hall of Fame career and a dynastic run in his 30s.

13:52Rich Eisen:And then there's the matter of his 40s where Brady had a Hall of Fame career as a 40-year-old quarterback, too. Long way to go. But the crazy thing is, you know who suffered a knee injury and didn't make the playoffs in year nine? Tom Brady. Except he did it. Well, five minutes into the game. In game one. So he was able to come back the next year. Mahomes has now done it in game 14, week 15. Yeah. Middle of December. and the whole idea is like if he's not going to be able to make it back next year and you're Travis Kelsey and you're wondering do I want to sign one more year or not he might have already made this decision you know he might have already had this conversation with his fiance and had it sit down and go this is what we're going to do this is what I'm going to do how does he sit there as he strolls off the field in week 15 eliminated the Chargers who He's made a Hall of Fame career against them.

14:57Rich Eisen:They're the ones who put him in the 2025 pine box and shut it with their lightning bolt hammer. They're the ones who do that? How's he going to take this? How's the rest of the team going to take this over the next three weeks? What is Brett Veach going to do with a roster that has cap issues and is getting longer in the tooth? What's he going to do? Because if they want to, with Mahomes, run down the Patriots and Belichick and Brady, they've got to figure out a way to do it again. They still have terrific pieces there. But I think we might be at that crossroads right now. So I know this is an overreaction topic.

15:45Rich Eisen:Last week, they lose. Is the dynasty over? I don't think that this first part is over. The question is, can there be, will there be a second part? Because they certainly have the quarterback to do it. Although I didn't think they'd be strolling into it with a blown out knee. Brady did, came back, and then the rest of the team went to Super Bowls again. He won three out of five later on as a 30-something. We'll see. I think we've reached that point right now. I think that's very fair to say. Andy Reid's 68 years old, and it's just wondering, how much longer does he want to do this? The oldest coach to ever win a Super Bowl was 68.

16:29Bruce Arians did it with the Bucs. Obviously beat the Chiefs with Tom Brady. I just don't know. I just think if Mahomes is out a good portion of next year because this injury happened so late in this season, do you just chalk next year up to a gap year, and then you kind of reload for 2027? I don't know if the Chiefs are thinking gap year right now. Yeah. Who's going to be your week one starter? Most likely it's not going to be Patrick Mahomes. Who knows, man? Is it Garner Minshew? Is he on the roster? He should be back, though, before the end of the year. Never know. You would imagine. Never know.

17:05Nine months is pushing it. It is pushing it. And that's the question is, what do they do? But gap year, again, let's just all pump the brakes here. This is still a very talented team that just for some reason couldn't put it all together this year. unless I'm looking at a glass and seeing it half full. I believe it is. One last thing here before we take a break. Because I still can't quit him. No, Rich. Yeah, Brockman texted the group, you know, in the middle of the afternoon games, you know, late afternoon games. Rich is still not going to admit the Chiefs are out of it tomorrow.

17:40Rich Eisen:I saw it. No, no, no. I can read the writing on the phone. I thought that was a pretty good job. I found it funny. Well, and the math. I mean, they're mathematically eliminated. I might have clapped back about how you're texting my 14-year-old son where you're watching the Super Bowl with him in the middle of a 21-0 lead that evaporated for the Patriots over the Bills, which we'll talk about shortly. Say, let's talk too soon. No, no, no, no. I was really having fun in the first half yesterday. That's what I want to say on this front. That's why you have to wait until 0-0-0-0-0. That's what I want to say on this front.

18:06Rich Eisen:With the Kansas City Chiefs not making the playoffs, first time in the Mahomes era, you're going to miss them. you're going to miss the Kansas City Chiefs when the AFC playoffs are hitting you're going to miss the buzz you're going to miss the pizzazz you're going to miss Mahomes versus fill in the blank you're going to miss Mahomes versus fill in the blank with no time left you're going to miss something the AFC playoffs will have less juice to it without the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes And one day, all you Chiefs fatigers out there will admit it. You might have to go higher register. Leagues more fun when the Chiefs are good.

18:56Look, people are happy about their downfall, but we got to see a generational talent. We got to see things in this decade that we've never seen before.

19:05Rich Eisen:And I can't wait to see how they're going to come back and make it happen again. He's not done, people. And everything I just said is one big Mad Lib. You remember that children's game? Kids, there used to be something called Mad Libs where you would actually write with a pencil. I don't know. Well, he's educating them. I have no idea. Everything's on a phone and on a device now. I think Mad Libs means something else these days. Well, guess what? It's one big narrative. You just change the proper nouns of what I just said about the Chiefs. I'll say the same thing when LeBron's gone. You'll miss him too.

19:39Rich Eisen:You'll miss hating them. You'll miss hate watching them. Yeah. Some will miss watching them. There'll be less pizzazz without them. Same thing with these Chiefs. Nope. You're going to miss them. Nope. You're going to miss that kid. Nah, I'm good. He might not have won the trophy. And you're going to miss this guy. You're going to miss the Kelsey. Drake May will be lifting it one. All right. We can't get away with them. They're on every commercial. That might change, too. But guess what? You don't get on commercials with people who don't like you. The team playoffs minus the Chiefs will just have that less of an edge to it.

20:15Rich Eisen:Less of the buzz, less of the chit-chat. Man, how is this hitting in Duval right now? I don't know. Yeah. Oh, we'll give the Jaguars their due later on this show, as they might earn the right to be the proverbial we-don't-want-to-face-you team in the playoffs the way they're playing right now. But you're going to miss the Chiefs. That's my prediction. Let's take a break. When we come back, the Broncos and the Patriots on winning streaks, only one of them still is. Packers, are they in trouble? The Bills, are they coming on strong or what? And then there's Phillip Rivers, old man Rivers, coming up.

20:57Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.

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22:23Back here on the Rich Eisen Show on our simulcast ESPN Radio presented by Progressive Insurance is back. We talked about how the Chiefs are eliminated from the playoffs. We knew they'd be eliminated from the AFC West even coming into this game against the Chargers. And the Broncos are the team that we thought maybe on Christmas Day, Christmas night, on Prime Video would be the ones to maybe hammer the coffin shut on the Chiefs. The Chargers did that for them. And now with Mahomes out, that makes that visit to Arrowhead potentially that much more winnable for Denver. but the Broncos just need to keep taking care of business themselves and they entered this week in first place in conference despite having the same number of wins as the Patriots, 11 and now they take on the Green Bay Packers who are coming off of rousing wins in division against the Lions and the Bears and they're the ones coming in with Jordan Love on fire.

23:29They're the ones coming in with a whole lot more of crucible playoff type wins than Denver. They're coming in with the quarterback, yes, with more experience than theirs.

23:46Rich Eisen:And they're coming into Denver. And the Broncos just can't, unless it's against the Cowboys, no offense, put together four quarters of, as they say, complementary football. Offense and defense. Just can't do it. They'll pull something out of their orifice if they have to in the fourth quarter. But can they come up with a Donnybrook-type affair? You know Green Bay is going to make them play one of those. And sure enough, this game is a one-score game at halftime. and then the team that breaks it open is Green Bay. Just a minute and a half into the second half and off goes Josh Jacobs for a monster touchdown run.

24:37Rich Eisen:And the Green Bay Packers are up in this game 23-14. Two score game, just a minute and one seconds into the second half, a 40-yard dash for Jacobs. and that's when the Broncos turn things around and turn things to their brilliant quarterback in Bo Nix, who finds Cortland Sutton for a touchdown pass and then Troy Franklin for a touchdown pass. The defense stands strong, forces the Packers to settle for a field goal to make it a one-point game, and then R.J. Harvey, their rookie running back who's playing well with jk dobbins out for the time being maybe he even comes back my goodness and the broncos the team that everybody loaded the bandwagon for this year the team that everybody loaded the bandwagon for this year have won 11 straight football games they started don't forget one and two without trailing for a single second they've trailed again they've trailed more in their 11 game win streak than they did in the two game losing streak at the beginning of the season.

25:56Yeah zero right? They lost at the buzzer both times at the final gun as they say in the NFL. In Indianapolis and then against the Chargers. Man oh man oh man. Bo Nix four touchdown passes you have the floor. I was able to learn in college that you're not going to win the game in one play. You're not going to win the game in one quarter. You've got to piece it all together. And you may look ugly at times, but it really doesn't matter. And there's always a way to win the game. There's always a way at the end to win a game. There's always a way at the beginning. So you have to figure that out. And as a team, I think that's just what makes really good teams.

26:34Together, they figure out the way, and they just go out there and do it. a fourth career game for bo nicks with four more touchdown passes i think we have a graphic to support this the only individuals with more such games in the first two seasons in nfl history are named dan marino and patrick mahomes

26:58Rich Eisen:heard of them yeah in terms of in terms of more such games in broncos history the only ones who have that are named Elway and Peyton Manning. They're in the Hall of Fame. I know. Not too shabby. Not too shabby. And let's not forget when he says learning college, 61 starts in college football. 61. Think about all the kids being drafted in the NFL these days who come in and how long it will take for them to get 61 starts in the National Football League. That's how Knicks can avoid the sacks. He can make some plays. Obviously, he's going to have some playoff games and at home, one would think, to come.