Hour 1: Steelers-Ravens Reactions, Raiders Should Hire Cignetti, plus Jags HC Liam Coen

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0:31Rich Eisen:Every soda's got something to say Colas brag Probiotics give TED Talks Then there's Mr. Pibb No pitch, no promises Just bold cherry bringing the flavor Bold kick of cherry Hey yo Mr. Pibb This is the Rich Eisen Show 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. Happy New Year, boys.

1:16This is the Rich Eisen Show. It's a little late, frankly, for the Happy New Year, you know? Season on the line. Luke's kick is on the way. Luke missed it. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. On today's show, Jaguars head coach, Liam Cohen. Full NFL playoffs breakdown. Your phone calls, latest news, and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen.

1:45Rich Eisen:Well, hey everybody. Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show. Live on Disney +, the ESPN app, ESPN radio, Sirius XM channel 80, and more. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial right here on this Monday program. The National Football League regular season is in the books. The playoffs beckon Liam Cohen of the 13-win AFC South winning eight in a row. Trevor Lawrence is a real deal MVP candidate. Jacksonville Jaguars is going to be joining us in less than 20 minutes time. As we find out one hour after another, which coach in the National Football League is now on the coaching carousel out the door.

2:26Rich Eisen:An hour before we went on the air, the Las Vegas Raiders informed the great Pete Carroll that his services are no longer required. And during the open of this program, literally less than a minute ago, my coordinating producer, the great Mike Hoskins, gets in my ear to tell me Jonathan Gannon has been let go as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Last night, Raheem Morris let go in Atlanta. And then earlier this morning, Kevin Stefanski, six-year, two-time coach of the year during that six-year run as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns is all over. So there's lots to get to on all of those fronts.

3:01Rich Eisen:The wildcard weekend is set. Good to see you over there, Christopher Brockman, on this Monday morning. Man, oh, man. Great to see you, Rich. How are you? Or Monday afternoon, wherever you may be. Good to see you, Jason Feller. How are you? Got my clean slate Raiders hat. DJ Jefferson, good to see you over there. The candle does appear to be lit. It's lit. Wild card weekend for a wild season. Thank you, sir. No doubt about that. Way to put it. A wild card weekend for a wild National Football League season. I have been fortunate enough to do what I do for a living for, my gosh, it's coming up on my 30-year anniversary in March doing my first ever sports center.

3:41Rich Eisen:Now here I am on a show with my own mug. still coffee stain mug i might add um and um and then for the last 23 years my goodness coming up on 23 years for nfl network i can't recall a more wide open national football league season uh for the postseason i can't recall a wilder regular season as well i seem like to set a record in terms of our 11 year history this show of coming on the air over the last six weeks saying that was the game of the year no that was the game of the year no this was the game of the year uh and it only um makes sense because the stakes rise as the regular season dwindles and the way the regular season began with the ravens on a sunday night um after a philadelphia eagles win over the Cowboys and a Chargers win over the Chiefs to start the season on a Thursday and on a Friday.

4:42Rich Eisen:And then on a Sunday night, the Ravens go into Western New York and seem to have the Bills dead to rights until they didn't. The Ravens on the final Sunday night of the year seem to have the Steelers dead to rights. That's what happens when you line up your steady rookie kicker from 40 plus yards away with no time left to win a football game and then the most unpredictable season I can recall wildest season I can recall season chock full of games of the year that I can recall ends with a wide right to send the Pittsburgh Steelers to the playoffs as the AFC North champions and the Baltimore Ravens home in a season in which the Ravens entered as a surefire Super Bowl candidate and the Pittsburgh Steelers entered the season of well let's see what Aaron Rodgers at age 41 turning 42 can do and what we saw last night in the fourth quarter was game of the year type stuff because this was the first playoff game of the year well going for the one seed or not is always fascinating the NFC South was up for grabs on Saturday night for the Panthers and it wasn't for the Bucs if they won which they did because they had to wait for Atlanta to spit their last breath with Raheem Morris as their head coach at Tampa in order for the Panthers to survive this was the first playoff game of the year And what we saw in that fourth quarter after Chris Boswell gave the Steelers the lead with 4.28 to go in the third quarter was something to behold from Lamar Jackson turning into the Lamar Jackson of last year and the previous MVP years that we were waiting for Lamar Jackson to turn into this year finally hit.

6:39Rich Eisen:escaping a couple of Pittsburgh Steelers to step through and find Zay Flowers for a 50-yard bomb to explode in Pittsburgh in the end zone was holy ass type moment. And just when you thought that would be a wrap because the Steelers offense couldn't do a darn thing through the first three quarters except kick field goals and overtake a Ravens team that fell asleep offensively after their first drive all the way to the fourth quarter. Aaron Rodgers marches down the field and despite having problems with his helmet and needing fire off every darn near last time out they've got at their disposal to avoid delay of game penalties because they want to settle for another field goal down four after they didn't settle for a field goal with one second left on the clock in the first half deciding to go for it rather than kick a field goal only to get stopped and come away with zero points at the end of the first half they're gonna go for it and they did and Kenneth Gainwell dashes into the end zone for a two-yard run to take the lead again only to have Lamar a minute and 25 seconds later finds a flowers behind the defense again because he comes through the wash and somehow some way the Steelers defense doesn't pick up on the most dangerous threat the Ravens have at the receiver position for a 64 yard score only to give it back to Aaron Rodgers and have him come up with the go-ahead score to Calvin Austin because the Ravens slip on the turf in Accra-Sure, where the turf is never Accra-Sure for anybody.

8:38Rich Eisen:From defenders to pass blockers to pass rushers to, as we eventually would find out, it's never a sure thing in Accra Shore when you're kicking. And the Ravens march down the field with a fourth and seven at midfield. Lamar finding of all people, Isaiah likely to grab a catch to set them up for a game-winning field goal. The same guy who Ravens fans thought had the Steelers beat in their first game this year in the end zone only to have a what looked like touchdown grab knocked away before he got his third football act foot down same guy is now got the Steelers on the precipice again only to have Tyler Loop come out and miss the game-winning field goal with no time left and that's the way the season ended for the Baltimore Ravens and the regular season ended for all of us exhausted felt like we did our cardio right unbelievable leaving lamar jackson stunned that this season wound up a losing season not just in terms of their overall record but in terms of this win or go home game by the way the first ever of its kind in the history of the afc north did you know that there's never been a winner take all final regular season game in the history of this stout black and blue, if you will, division.

10:11Rich Eisen:This is what Lamar had to say afterwards. You know what the emotion, Jameson. Like, that's... We did all that, man. Come up short, bro, you know? Devastating. Furious. All the type of... I don't know. I'm everywhere with it right now. I mean, after you completed that last pass, it looked like this thing is... I mean, it's not over until it's over. But are you just, like, just still stunned right now? Oh, fuck. Definitely. definitely stunned, man. I thought we had it in the back. I thought we had it in the back, man. I don't know what else we can do. Well, what else can you do except try and find the words when you come up with a loss and you're the first quarterback in the history of the National Football League to throw multiple go-ahead fourth-quarter passing touchdowns of 50 or more yards and lose.

11:06that's what Lamar Jackson was last night and he and Zay Flowers were the first quarterback

11:14Rich Eisen:receiving duo in NFL history to connect on two go-ahead fourth quarter touchdowns of 50 or more yards in a single game that's a first and Derek Henry ran for 126 yards his 37th career game with over 125 such rushing yards including the playoffs breaking a tie for fifth most such games in NFL history with Emmitt Smith trailing only Barry Sanders Jim Brown Walter Payton and Eric Dickerson and if I told you all of that stuff would happen and the Steelers would win the game you would have told me you're out of your mind

11:55Rich Eisen:but the pittsburgh steelers have some old warhorses like cam hayward that dude is playing at the top of his game with gray in his beard tj watt holding on to the side of his surgically repaired lung during this game only to have a ball batted in his direction and him have the presence of mind in the middle of the wash of trying to sack Lamar Jackson to grab the ball out of the air and come up with the interception. And joining Julius Peppers is the only player since 82 with nine career interceptions and 100 or more career sacks coming after that three-game absence due to a collapsed lung. That guy was out there with Highsmith and the rest of that defense in support of a run game that has Kenneth Gainwell grabbing a team-high eight catches for 64 yards, and Jalen Warren coming up with 4.7 yards a clip.

12:58Rich Eisen:And then, of course, there's Aaron Rodgers, to whom one must give it up. Coming into this season, there was a ton of skepticism, and rightfully so, certainly coming off of two years in New York, one completely lost due to an Achilles, another year completely lost due to it being him coming off of the Achilles and the Jets being the Jets putting it all together he was what appeared to be a Hail Mary attempt for the Pittsburgh Steelers who as we all know waited quite a long time for Rodgers to clear himself of his mind his body and of course whatever was going on in his life to join the Steelers to the point where the guy who he strode off the field with with mike thomas every single year remember cam hayward was like hey you don't want to join the steelers basically pound sand remember he said something like that he didn't like the characterization of it post yeah and so rogers finally does join makes every start except the one that you pretty much think prior to the season he would say that's the one game i don't want to miss outside of the packers would be at the Bears, okay?

14:11Rich Eisen:He makes every start, has them in position after the Ravens went on a five game win streak to beat the Ravens, go on a three game win streak of their own, and overcome the loss of DK Metcalf in the final two games of the year because DK Metcalf loses his composure and mind with a blue haired Lions fan who he knew when he approached him had it in for DK. And I don't want to say anymore because I fear litigation. And on top of all of that, on top of all of that comes the responsibility of being a Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback in the era where Steelers fans have, you know, maybe I don't want to say collectively, but a large share of them, maybe the majority of them, but it feels like whenever I cape for this man, a majority of you don't like when I cape for Mike Tomlin.

15:09Rich Eisen:You're ready for the action of the Rooney family that you have been waiting for because it's just not going to work. And at the end of the day, who are the champs of the AFC North? Who is coming into the playoffs off of his ninth division title of his first ballot Hall of Fame career, who is making the 12th playoff appearance of his first ballot Hall of Fame career tied with Favre and yes, Big Ben behind only Peyton Manning and Tom Brady all time. That would be Aaron Rodgers. And the reason why you go get him is exactly what we saw in the fourth quarter and exactly what nobody thought we would see again in the fourth quarter of a win or go home game from Aaron Rodgers.

15:58Rich Eisen:That is to go 11 for 14 for 133 passing yards, a touchdown and a passer rating of 130.1 with the season on the line. The 133 fourth quarter yards, by the way, the most for Rodgers in any quarter this season. He saved it for the last moment and for that play to Calvin Austin. This is him breaking it down. You tell me how many quarterbacks can break it down quite like this. In multiple times in the huddle, I'm asking him on various plays, what do you want on the back side? What do you want on the back side? And he wouldn't give me a straight answer. And on this particular huddle conversation, I said, what do you want, Cal?

16:40Rich Eisen:He said, and somebody to my right, I don't know if it was McCormick or Pat, said something about, like, man, just go cook them or something. So I said, all right, Cal, you run a hitch and go back there. and I was really thinking the front side three man combination that we worked and had success with most of the night was kind of my first thought but I just peeked back to the left and saw number three slip and it's a gimme touchdown but I'm proud of Calvin and the line really gave me a lot of time all day, they played really well That's Aaron Rodgers breaking it down that's why you go ahead and get him which is what Tomlin said after the game and And that is how the Steelers head into the playoffs.

17:24Rich Eisen:And I understand. I'm sure I know what you're thinking. Maybe potentially what everybody's thinking. Hey, the kid from the Ravens should have made the kick. But at the end of the day, they were the ones that needed to come from behind to win it. Because the Steelers took the lead late in a game, in a season, that a lot of people were skeptical could period happen at all. and they are going into the playoffs against a stout Houston Texans team coming into their house on Monday Night Football. I cannot wait for all of that. But got to give it up. Pittsburgh Steelers get it done in a game of the year.

18:01Rich Eisen:Again, Rodgers doing it as he did in the fourth quarter, overcoming, may I repeat again, a future first ballot Hall of Fame running back doing what he did in Derrick Henry to the tune of 126 yards and Lamar Jackson finding his MVP form just in time to throw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter of 50 or more yards and becoming the first quarterback in history to do it to lose. That's what's going on. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. I just said what I said about the Houston Texans. They're on the road because they did not win the division. The Jacksonville Jaguars won the AFC South with 13 National Football League wins, reversing their 4-13 record from last year.

18:49Rich Eisen:And their bona fide, surefire Coach of the Year candidate is about to join us right here on the Rich Eisen Show, getting set to host a playoff game against the Buffalo Bills. Liam Cohen, the man of the hour in Jacksonville, along with the rest of the team, coming up next. the rich isa show podcast

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21:23Where we played really well in all three phases, I think that was something that When we won that game, it really looked at our team looked at it like, OK, we have an opportunity to continue to elevate and raise the standards. You know, we've done some good things, but that was a really quality, I think, team win, which gave our guys a ton of confidence to continue to move forward to say, OK, we can go on the road against Denver and we can compete with a really good football team. And we've had some quality wins, but playing your best football later in the season, as you guys know, December and January is really what matters.

22:01Rich Eisen:Absolutely. And again, I you're an honest guy. I am as well. I will just shoot you straight that when I was on that flight home from London and again, you were stressing prior to that game. We're making too many mistakes as a team. Your Wednesday segment where you you show a game breaker right to your team. You said you shared with us that you showed the Jacksonville Jaguars logo to your team. Like you basically were shooting your team straight up. We're breaking ourselves here. And then you had the same mistakes against the Rams. I thought this team is in trouble. And now I'm talking to you as a bona fide surefire coach of the year candidate.

22:39Rich Eisen:Your quarterback is a bona fide MVP candidate. Your defensive coordinator is a bona fide assistant coach of the year candidate. You got you got winners all over the lot here. and I'm wondering if there's a secret sauce that you can share with the audience here. I try to pinpoint an actual game moment, but is there a secret sauce here that you can share? Rich, I've been very fortunate to be around some really quality coaches along the way, whether you're coaching at Brown University or you're coaching for the Los Angeles Rams with guys like Sean McVay. You learn so much along the process, along your journey.

23:15I grew up in a football household. My dad was a college and high school football coach for my entire life, and that's all I've ever known. And so you get to learn from experience. You get to learn from others' experience and figure out, OK, when you're in that situation and this is how I'm going to maybe handle it. And, you know, we hired a very quality staff, as you mentioned. I think a lot of hungry, young football coaches that relate very well to this group and the players have taken to it. So, look, this is a talented group. This is a talented team. It's a very fun group to be around because they allow us to keep coaching every single week where we've won a lot over the last couple of weeks.

23:57But they allow us to keep coaching them hard. They're open to it. These guys practice their tails off. We don't have prima donnas walking around like, no, I'm not doing that or I can't do this because I've played or I've been there and done that. We don't have that going on. This is a group that's hungry and, you know, a lot of work getting started for us right now.

24:18Rich Eisen:And, you know, I don't want to say you unlocked Trevor Lawrence because he has had 4000 yard seasons beforehand. His twenty nine touchdown passes are a career best. And obviously he set a record for the franchise in terms of touchdowns accounted for. Just from my perspective, again, I know I'm not in the film room. I'm not in your building. It just feels different with him. It feels like he is a confident dude and he is he's seeing it and he's firing and he he knows when to take off. He's not making mistakes that we've seen him make. I'm wondering what you see from your perspective, coach. That's a great point, Rich.

24:56He's taking care of the football, but but also playing aggressive. and he's throwing the ball on time and in rhythm and accurately, but also using his legs as a weapon and being able to extend football plays, make plays outside of the pocket, which forces the defense to defend every blade of grass, right? There's nothing more frustrating to a defense that you can't get to him when he's in the pocket. Then he escapes. He's a threat to run, but also keeps his eyes down the field and makes throws. And he's executing third downs and red zone at a high level. And throughout the whole season, he's honestly done a great job, I think, in two minute situations, whether it's end of half or end of game.

25:37And, you know, these quarterbacks are judged by those moments, right? By two minute, by third downs, by red zone. And ultimately, does your team win? Do you elevate the team and the players around you to lead? And that's what he's done. He has complete ownership of the offense right now. He's making audibles, checks, cans, alerts. He's doing everything that you want a franchise quarterback to do, and he's doing it at a high level right now.

26:02Rich Eisen:And how does that change your daily conversations with him based on maybe even the first month of the season? How does that change for you? Yeah, it's a lot more, you know, less, I guess you could say, like coaching and more just conversational and allows me to listen and hear him out of things that he's seeing when he's preparing, when he's watching tape. as we're going through the week, little slight tweaks and adjustments that we make, we make together. I think Grant Yudinski, Spencer Whipple have done a phenomenal job working with him on a day-to-day basis. And it's been a collaborative effort, but he's earned the right to have those conversations.

26:40He's seeing it at a really high level, throwing it at a really high level. And the players all trust him. They know his preparation. They know what he puts into it each and every week. And there's not a lot of things on Sunday that are confusing him or surprising him. And that's credit to his preparation.

26:58Rich Eisen:And in terms of your offense as well, before we move to the defense and then and obviously this week, I've got Liam Cohen here from the Jacksonville Jaguars on the Rich Eisen show. Again, when you lost Travis Hunter in the middle of all of the transition from what the team was, I guess, one point oh this year, if it's fair to say, to what it is now. normally when you lose your second overall pick that plays two I can't even say there's nothing normal about him normally when you just use your second overall pick and don't get any production due to injury it it really hamstrings the team how how much did that lead you guys to go get Jacoby Myers and how has he helped you guys continue being that chunk play down the field aggressive offense coach yeah it was challenging losing Travis especially at the time that we did He had come off the end of that Rams game in London where he ended up having 100 yards.

27:51Trevor and he started to build some chemistry and continuity there. And then, unfortunately, gets hurt on the bye. And so we had to adjust, right? We had to have players step up, which we have. And then it gave us an opportunity to go get Jacoby, which has really spearheaded our offense, especially in the intermediate parts of the field. He's tough, physical, smart football player that Trevor trusts. I mean, there was an immediate connection between those guys when he came getting ready for that Houston week. We end up losing that game to Houston, but you just felt a little bit of a chemistry that was going to build.

28:29And what Jacoby's done in the middle of the field in some of those tough areas has allowed Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., Brenton Strange to go be themselves and to do what they do really well and attack the areas of the field that they are comfortable in and have success doing so. So it's allowed our offense to kind of unlock in some ways, especially in the intermediate middle of the field. And he blocks his tail off. Jacoby's a pro's pro.

28:57Rich Eisen:And now let's talk your defense and I guess turn it to this upcoming week. You got the league's leading rusher of 2025, James Cook, coming in your house. but you do have a defense that's the only the third team since 2000. They're not allowed an opposing rusher to hit 75 yards in a game. The Jacksonville defense under Anthony Campanelli is 85.6 yards per game. That's the NFL's best in rush defense. What has this coach done on that side of the ball and getting you ready for a game like this, this weekend, coach? Yeah, Campy deserves a lot of credit. and with the defensive staff. I've known Anthony for a long time.