In short
Hour 3 of The Rich Eisen Show covers Week 16 NFL games and playoff/CFP implications, plus Rich’s Top 5 wild moments.
Topic
Patriots-Ravens recap and AFC East/seed scenarios; Browns-Bills key moments; Panthers’ late-season turnaround; college football playoff 1st-round reactions; Rich’s Top 5 Week 16 insane plays.
Guests/backgrounds
No guest interviews in this hour. The show references earlier guests John Elway and Kurt Warner (Hall of Famers) and focuses on host + callers.
Key claims
Patriots’ win over the Ravens keeps New England in the AFC East/one-seed hunt; Ravens’ late-game decision-making with Derrick Henry drew criticism; Browns fans are frustrated with Kevin Stefanski, while QB Shadour handles media questions carefully; Panthers’ resurgence is “destiny in their own control”; CFP expansion to 12 creates predictable blowouts and “Frankenstein” scheduling.
Notable examples
Drake Maye’s late drives; Derrick Henry’s 100+ and then being limited; non-call on pass interference; Miles Garrett nearly gets sack record; Bryce Young comeback and rookie milestones; Rich’s Top 5 includes DK Metcalf vs fan incident, Seahawks OT two-point conversion, Packers-Bears late chaos, Steelers-Lions no-forward-progress TD, and Steelers comeback swings.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VORecap of Previous Guests
0:34 to 0:54
Rich discusses past guests and invites listeners to call in.
“That's the energy State Farm brings to insurance.”
Recap of Previous Guests
1:27 to 1:50
Rich discusses past guests and invites listeners to call in.
Patriots vs. Ravens Game Recap
1:50 to 3:21
Discussion of the recent game between the Patriots and Ravens, highlighting key moments.
“We also had John Elway on in hour number one, Kurt Warner in hour number two.”
Derrick Henry's Performance
3:21 to 6:30
Analysis of Derrick Henry's performance and its impact on the game.
“and infuriated that he's about to taste the guillotine this evening.”
Playoff Implications for the Patriots
6:30 to 7:54
Discussing what the Patriots need to do to secure their playoff position.
“And that's how the Patriots are now back in the mix for the AFC East.”
Ravens' Late Game Decisions
7:54 to 11:40
Examining the Ravens' decisions in the final moments of the game and coach Harbaugh's comments.
“The schedule has broke the Patriots' way in the final two games against two teams that have seemingly given up on the year, so that's certainly favorable.”
Ravens' Playoff Chances
11:40 to 13:32
Exploring the Ravens' chances of making the playoffs and upcoming games.
“it could have been thrown actually and it was given, you know, and they ended up stopping that and grab three yards on that one.”
Browns' Impact on Playoffs
13:32 to 14:00
Discussion of how the Browns can affect the playoff picture for the Ravens and other teams.
“Rodgers puts the Bears in the playoffs and the 49ers, the team that didn't draft him and left him in the draft room, right?”
Ravens and Browns NFL Dynamics
14:00 to 21:00
Exploring the implications of recent NFL games, particularly focusing on the Ravens' need for help from the Browns and Miles Garrett's performance.
“What are you going to tell Miles Garrett?”
Bryce Young and Panthers' Resurgence
23:24 to 28:00
Discussion about Bryce Young's performance, the Carolina Panthers' playoff chances, and coaching dynamics within the team.
“Back here on the Rich Eisen Show on ESPN Radio presented by Progressive Insurance.”
Show all 20 chapters
NFL Coaching Changes and Player Performance
28:00 to 30:00
A discussion on the impact of coaching decisions on player success in the NFL.
“outside of the fact that he was helping Baker Mayfield ball out after Tom Brady left.”
Fan Interaction and Officiating Concerns
30:00 to 31:20
A caller shares thoughts on officiating issues and fan interactions during games.
“So just a note to whoever feels like, oh, four or five seed, we'll just go to Carolina and we'll just roll over them.”
Debate on NFL Officiating Improvements
31:20 to 33:20
Discussion on the need for better officiating and the potential role of technology.
“You were blessed to meet her in Dallas one day, and it's great.”
College Football Playoff Critique
33:20 to 39:40
A critical look at the current college football playoff system and its implications.
“Who's this fellow on the final line from Connecticut?”
College Football Playoff Critique
40:43 to 41:14
A critical look at the current college football playoff system and its implications.
“But this summer, during the FIFA World Cup, it's an invitation, America.”
College Football Playoff Critique
41:16 to 41:49
A critical look at the current college football playoff system and its implications.
“The cinematic sound that pulls you into every holiday movie from game day audio It'll put you right in the middle of the action, right in the middle of your home.”
Rich's Top 5 Wildest Moments of Week 16
42:00 to 43:59
Rich shares his top five wildest moments from NFL Week 16, including player interactions and game highlights.
“And also maybe the one seed, who the heck knows, it's going to be awesome.”
Detailed Breakdown of Top 5 Moments
44:00 to 46:39
A detailed discussion of each moment, including major plays and player performances.
“And as you can see, he's getting cupped on his bicep?”
Final Thoughts on Top Moments
46:40 to 47:17
Rich wraps up the discussion with additional thoughts on significant plays and their impacts.
“It was Kenneth Gainwell's touchdown catch that was sort of like a he did what moment.”
Final Thoughts on Top Moments
47:40 to 47:54
Rich wraps up the discussion with additional thoughts on significant plays and their impacts.
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Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Thinking about refreshing the carpet in your home? Now's the time to do it. For a limited time at the Home Depot, get 10 % off installed carpet projects on trusted brands like LifeProof, LifeProof with PetProof Technology, Home Decorators Collection, and Traffic Master. Plus, with installation starting at just 49 cents per square foot, upgrading your space is more affordable than ever at the Home Depot. Offer valid June 11th, 2026 through June 28th, 2026. Exclusions apply. For licenses, see homedepot.com slash license numbers. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. You know those friends who support your preference for podcasts over music on road trips?
0:38That's the energy State Farm brings to insurance. With over 19 ,000 local agents, they help you find the coverage that fits your needs. So you can spend less time worrying about insurance and more time enjoying the ride. Download the State Farm app or go online at statefarm.com. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. 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.
1:17Subscribe at youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show
1:35Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles Earlier on the show Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner Still to come Your phone calls, latest news and more And now, it's Rich Eisen.
2:23Rich Eisen:this particular program. 844-204-RICH, number to dial. We also had John Elway on in hour number one, Kurt Warner in hour number two. Hopefully you're a Hall of Famer because you're their guest in hour number three when you call into the program. Honestly, if you wish to be enshrined, have a take and don't suck. Is that the way you're supposed to say it? And we'll rack you. Epic. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial on the show. Hey, Chris. Hey, Rich. My son told you to stop yapping about the Patriots on our text chain yesterday. That's not exactly what he said. Well, I mean, he said that last time you hopped in during the Bills game saying, hey, when are we going to the Super Bowl together?
3:04Rich Eisen:He's a very, very superstitious young man. He'll grow out of that. I don't know about that. I don't think you have. Good point. Okay. Because he just wants the Patriots to win, man. Well, just sit back and relax. It's crazy. It's happening. He's locked in. Yeah, it's fun. and infuriated that he's about to taste the guillotine this evening. Unfortunate. I know. He had Trevion Henderson hoping for something. Yeah, he had him and Josh Jacobs was unfortunate. Oh, gosh, yeah. So, at any rate, the Patriots showed up to Baltimore last night and looked to be in trouble despite Lamar Jackson taking a knee to the back, being knocked out of the game, and that's because Snoop Huntley came in and kept matriculating and then wisely the Ravens decided to hand things off to 22.
3:57Always helps.
3:58Rich Eisen:And Derrick Henry came out with his 25th career game with 100 or more rushing yards and two or more rushing touchdowns, including the playoffs. That is now tied with an individual named Jim Brown for most all time, one behind LaDainian Tomlinson, and the Ravens are going to need maybe one, if not two more of those out of Derrick Henry in the final two games of the year because, for some reason, the Ravens stopped giving him the football and, in fact, took him off the field in the next drive in this game. After the Ravens scored that touchdown to go up 24-13, the Patriots scored once as Drake May just never stops coming at you then the Ravens had six plays and out no Derrick Henry then a touchdown put the Patriots on top 28-24 and in that span when the Ravens were on the field for six plays Chris Collinsworth was like should the Patriots send a thank you note to the Ravens for not putting Derrick Henry in the game?
5:07Rich Eisen:He literally said those words. The answer is yes. And the Patriots got two touchdowns around the three and out after Derrick Henry made it a two-score game. And then getting the ball back after the Ramondre Stevenson score. Two plays into that before they could put Derrick Henry on the field. Zay Flowers put it on the ground, and that was all she wrote.
5:40Rich Eisen:And the Patriots move on. Last week, they had a 21-point lead and blew it in the second half. This time around, they were down 24-13 at the top of the fourth quarter. Let me get the exact time that was remaining when Derrick Henry creased the end zone. 12.50 to go. and all they did was a seven play 73 yard drive in which man drake may's deep ball dude that third of kyle williams man kurt warner calls it like a handoff that dime williams who made a great catch for 37 yards then a two-point conversion succeeds to Ramondre, then the six and out, then that nine-play, 89-yard drive, capped by the 21-yarder by Ramondre.
6:31Rich Eisen:And that's how the Patriots are now back in the mix for the AFC East. That's how the Patriots are back in the mix for the one seed. And in that regard, if the Patriots beat the Jets and Buffalo loses to Philadelphia, that's the AFC East for New England as they now have 12 or more wins in a season for the first time since the 2019 season the last year that Brady went to the playoffs with the team a season ended by Mike Vrabel's Titans I might add as for the 1C Denver still holds that tie break they can't be tied with Denver with the same number of wins so because of the Raiders lost in week one.
7:21Crazy.
7:22Rich Eisen:So that's the way it works right now. If Buffalo wins and New England wins and New England wins out, New England would have a better division record. Patriots are 12-3 and the Bills are 11-4 right now. So, there you have it. Stay in front. Win the division. Get a home playoff game. Maybe the one seed. Yeah, it's kind of been the story all year. Jim Harbaugh does you a favor in the final game of the year. Yeah, it's been the story all year. The schedule has broke the Patriots' way in the final two games against two teams that have seemingly given up on the year, so that's certainly favorable. Great bounce back, man.
8:04Rich Eisen:Needed it. You've now won at Buffalo and at Baltimore, easily your most impressive wins of the year. Yep, at Tampa too. Right, at Tampa as well. 7-0 on the road this year. But I guess if you look at it in terms of the way college football would work at it, that's less of an impressive win weeks later against the Bucs. But the Bucs, again, are a tough team, and that wasn't a winnable game for New England entirely outright until they started pounding the crap out of Tampa. Yeah. Drake Mays got the gumption, man. He's got the it. He's got the, I mean, this just in. He oozes it, yeah. As for the Ravens, man, I mean, you had them going to the Super Bowl this year.
8:44Rich Eisen:I did. A lot of people did. I did. I was not alone there. I mean, a Derrick Henry fumble in Buffalo in week one switched everything up. He fumbled last night, too. That's been an issue all season. It was. But it led to, I think, another turnover by New England that the Ravens wound up cashing in.
9:07Yeah, Drake May fumbled in the aftermath.
9:09Rich Eisen:You know, and so the Ravens' defense was doing what it needed to do. And without Lamar, Snoop was doing what he had to do. and then it was 20, as I mentioned, 24 to 13. It felt kind of over to me watching it. When Derrick Henry scored? Yeah. I figured they'd pound Derrick Henry the rest of the game. The Patriots have had issues stopping the run the second half of the year with Milton Williams out, and it just seemed like they were going to grind it out. Maybe they could get it to one score, but not enough to come back and take the lead, and for some reason or another, 22 not out there. And they also had the benefit, the Ravens, in that final touchdown drive of the game for New England, getting a non-call on pass interference on Keyshawn Booty.
9:59That was a Booty call by the refs, who apparently told Drabel after the game that Booty didn't survive the ground to catch the ball. It's like, hey, that's not the question about whether he had the ball or not on a catch.
10:12Rich Eisen:And the reason why he didn't survive the ground is he shouldn't have been on the ground at all because, you know, the defender didn't play the ball. It was the played, played the physical receiver. That was that was insane. He got tackled well before the ball even got there. And you but I texted you in the group, you know, that TJ wasn't being responsive to that. Don't worry about it the way that May is playing. It's just going to maybe help you by taking more time off the clock, which you did. You did say that, which you did. But that's a situation where Sky Judge has to be able to throw a flag there.
10:46It's never going to happen. Sky Judge is never going to put a flag on the field, ever. Everyone can see it. The booth, Collinsworth, and Tirico were losing their minds over that non-call. Sky Judge will never put a flag on the field, ever. I disagree. I think that's going to happen. I don't think that's one part of our lives we're never going to see in football. But let's for another day. This is the day where Ravens fans are asking, where was Derrick Henry? and this was the answer John Harbaugh gave after the game. I'm happy with the play call. First down pass there. You mentioned Keaton getting a couple carries, but don't you let Derek Henry in the game at that point?
11:20I mean, it's kind of... Yeah, I mean, yeah. I mean, I look back and I say, yeah, you know, play call is the play call. You know, if it works, we're thrilled about it. If it doesn't work, we're not happy about it. We try to first down run the second part of that drive and got nothing. So, you know, those get stopped too, especially when they're all up there in the line of scrimmage. So we had an RPO call that ended up being, you know, it could have been thrown actually and it was given, you know, and they ended up stopping that and grab three yards on that one. So I don't like the drive at all.
11:50Looking back, would I rather have Derek starting the drive? Yeah, but, you know, Derek was kind of ready for Keaton to start that drive. And then he was planning on coming in next. So they were working that rotation. You look back on it, I think it's pretty easy to say, hey, he should have been in there or shouldn't have been in there. but we're rotating those guys throughout the game as two backs, you know. But, yeah, game-winning drive. Do I want Derrick Henry on the field? Sure, I do want him on the field. I mean, it was at least a very honest answer right there. You know, it's kind of a hallmark of just the head scratchers in late games with the Ravens where it's just, why didn't they run the ball?
12:29Remember a couple of years ago in the playoff loss to the Chiefs? Yeah, an AFC championship game, six carries. For Henry in that game. And then the opener the next year in Kansas City, I think he got six carries in the first drive. Yeah, that was, yeah. Right? Made a point. And now the Ravens have got a win out, and the Steelers have to lose out. Otherwise, the Ravens don't make the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
12:57So there's that. Their next up is at Green Bay Saturday night. That is not going to be easy. I don't know if Lamar's playing. If you just look at Lamar's postgame, did you see him talk in front of his locker? He's wincing the entire time. That knee to the back. Knocked him straight out. He got a kidney shot. Three and six at home for the Ravens because their last two are on the road. At Green Bay, at Pittsburgh. So all they got to do is win their last two and hope that Pittsburgh loses at Cleveland. They got to have Cleveland. How about this? How crazy is this, man? Rodgers puts the Bears in the playoffs and the 49ers, the team that didn't draft him
13:42Rich Eisen:and left him in the draft room, right? Because he's a kid from Central, you know, from Chico, California, right? So Rodgers punches the ticket of the Bears and the Niners. The Phillip Rivers could punch the ticket by losing, which he doesn't want to do, of the Chargers. the Patriots do Aaron Rodgers a favor by beating the Ravens okay and at the end of the day the team that can help save the Ravens is Cleveland Cleveland could do the Ravens a favor by beating Rodgers you can't make this stuff up let me repeat this. The Ravens need a favor from Cleveland. That ain't happening. Good luck with that.
14:36Well, I mean, it could happen. What are you going to tell Miles Garrett?
14:40Rich Eisen:Lay down, Miles? That's funny. Did you see that moment also? Let's hit this. Let's hit the Browns here for a moment. So, if you don't mind, get that Shador sound bite ready.
14:59Rich Eisen:so wild moment in the Cleveland Browns game against the Bills Miles Garrett needs one sack in order to break the record single season Allen retreating to his own goal line loses his balance goes down so whoever touches him gets the sack Garrett is right there he leaps for Allen but Mason Graham touches him first. He has no idea where Garrett is. But he's got to put his hand on Allen because it's possible that it's a safety. Right. It wasn't. But that's how close Allen was to being the guy that gets sacked for Garrett's record. No quarterback wants to be that, by the way. Yeah, but Miles Garrett...
15:46Because that's going to be shown forever. Did he get a half sack on that play? Nope, he didn't. Do you think Miles Garrett would want that sack? I mean, I know he wants it over. Yeah, but I want it over. Because then you're going to get the Michael Strahan thing. No, listen, this was different. Alan's not, by the way. I'm just saying when she's on the ground, it's different than if he just literally blasts off and blasts him.
16:08Rich Eisen:The reason why Strahan got grief and Favre got grief is it looked like Favre literally gave him a cookie. Chris, you read the comments every day. You know that there would be a large group of people. Who cares about comments? Yeah, but he's going to get at least one in the next few games. You don't know that. Yeah, he will. I don't, I'm assuming. Unless something happens to him tonight. No, he'll get it, and it'll be like a real sack. I just saw that. I don't know why you're – all you got to do is just get up and touch. Oh, Garrett did get a half a sack for that play? I think he got a half a sack for that, yeah.
16:39Rich Eisen:At the time, during the game, I mean, J.J. Watt, who was in the booth, was like, let me explain to you how this works, people, because obviously him as a sack guy going to the Hall of Fame, He knows exactly how the official scores make it work. That was wild. And then just the usual stuff where Shador balls out in a way that you're surprised by or people are surprised by. Making a play here, making a play there, having an opportunity to maybe win the game. The Bills were just like basically at times ineffective to the point where they're keeping the Browns in it. that Browns defense are doing its job.
17:19Rich Eisen:And there were some decisions that Stefanski could have made differently, blah, blah, blah, that, you know, I think Browns fans, at least the ones that I know, are done with Stefanski. Yeah. Yes. Well, the only Browns fan that I know that you know would be Prime, so you're saying that. No. No, that is not. I have not spoken to Dion in a few weeks.
17:46Rich Eisen:But the number, I've lost track of the number of times that a member of the media asks a question of Shadour that puts him in a position of having to criticize his coaches, decision making or play calling. It's absurd. It's absurd. But he's so savvy and so smart at this young age that he doesn't fall for the banana in the tailpipe. He handles it with grace and A plus 10 out of 10 every time. Yep. Maybe that's growing up being a Sanders and not falling for the okie doke, or as you put it, banana in the tailpipe. But here was that moment again yesterday. I know you can't be asking me that question, man.
18:29Come on, man. We can't see that. That's like the thing. If we want to change the narrative, change the franchise, if we want to help, we got to speak. life you can't those type of things is like separate us like a lot a lot of the players like get these type of questions and then we we want to be working with y 'all we want to be proactive but like when you ask questions or when questions are asked to us players and it's like you pinning stuff against each other it's like come on now you know it's like it's like a thing in a locker room like you know we we're not gonna be able to talk to them for real we're not going to be able to give them what they need because that separates the team that don't help anything in any situation no matter how you answer it
19:18Rich Eisen:now again it's not the media's job to stay out of any potential food fights that's not it but how many times who would have the temerity to ask Aaron Rodgers a question about Mike Tomlin's play calling Mike Thomas not calling the offensive plays. Or decision-making. The question here was talked about going for it on fourth down or something like that. Or not going for it on fourth down. If it's relevant to wins and losses, yeah, I think it would be asked. I don't know, man. I think this kid's getting more than not. I don't know about that. I've seen a ton of press conferences over the last few weeks.
19:57Rich Eisen:I watch almost every one of him with him. And it's absurd. And he handles it every time. Oh, yeah, you know what? I thought we should have gone for it. I don't think we should have gone for it. And then it's just like, hey, Shadour is trying to run the team. This, that, the other thing. He doesn't take the cheese ever. Nope. Which is good for him. Another reason why you want to have a quarterback like that, too. I don't know what their decision is going to be. Deshaun Watson's on the books. He's coming back. They might go with him. Makes sense, too. Certainly if you're not going to draft one. Because the draft class isn't that good as everybody's thinking right now, at least in the current state of affairs.
20:35But I thought that was interesting, that exchange right there. 844-20, and he's next up for Aaron Rodgers. Shador versus Aaron Rodgers to try and do a favor for the Baltimore Ravens. What a world. What a football world. What a time to be alive. 844-204-RICH, number to dial your phone calls, and so much more from week 16, setting up Monday Night Football finale tonight. Big game. We'll talk some college as well. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
21:33Rich Eisen:We'll be right back. It's already here. Next starts now. Hyundai, an official partner of FIFA. Rich Eisen here. You ever notice what happens when something big rolls into your city? A major tournament, a can't-miss concert, a high-stakes playoff game. Suddenly, fans are everywhere. It feels like everyone's trying to get in. Streets are packed. Hotels book up fast. And finding a place to stay? Not so easy. That's exactly why this can be a smart moment to think about your own space. If you're planning to be away, you can list your space on Airbnb while all of that's going on and earn some extra cash at the same time.
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23:24Rich Eisen:Back here on the Rich Eisen Show on ESPN Radio presented by Progressive Insurance. 844-204-RICH, number to dial. I lone-wolfed two teams yesterday that hit. I lone-wolfed the Jaguars. And I lone-wolfed the Carolina Panthers. Look at you. Hey, man, they were my sleeper team coming in. I'm like, they play better at home. I saw what they did against the Rams. I know they hadn't beaten Baker Mayfield yet, and Baker's pissed about being on the scout team defense from years ago, and that guy holds a grudge, as we know. And Bryce Young did it again. The it being a fourth-quarter comeback. I don't know if you know about this particular statistic.
24:04Rich Eisen:Let me give it to you. Number nine of the Carolina Panthers has a knack for this sort of thing. he led his sixth game-winning drive in the fourth quarter in overtime this year that's the second most in a season behind jake del holmes seven in their super bowl season of 2003 when nfl network was born would you believe it's his 12th career game-winning drive i would not the only individual to have Moore prior to turning 25 since the middle of last century is Justin Herbert. In terms of your first three seasons in the NFL, Matt Ryan's 13 along with Herbert and Dak Prescott 14 and the only ones with Moore and Bryce Young.
24:53Rich Eisen:Wow. Who didn't get any run game to support him yesterday. The Bucs held Dowdle to 29 and Chuba to 27 rushing yards. The first time both of them played and had fewer than 30 rush yards all season long. So it was Bryce, you're all we got. And he found Ted Haroah McMillan. I guess he's like, don't call me Ted. Is that what it is? He doesn't like Ted. T-Mac I think he's okay with. Okay.
25:25Rich Eisen:He surpassed 900 receiving yards. the only other rookie to do that in the history of the franchise is Kelvin Benjamin. I remember him. Who had 1 ,008 yards in his rookie season at a Florida state. I thought he was going to be the man. Well, I mean him, him and Cam together, you know, could, then he went to Buffalo could, you know, block a shot by Wemby, you know, put one on top of the other in the shoulders and McMillan. I just went higher register. He's got five games now with a receiving touchdown. Good. He's now a big favorite for, I was about to say, he's tied for most rookies. Like, he could win Offensive Rookie of the Year now.
26:02I think it's likely that he does.
26:03Rich Eisen:Because Ibuka had only one catch for 40 yards. And Travion Henderson was kind of up there, too. He hasn't caught a touchdown in the last six games. So he's cooled off, to say the least. Tyler Shuck is second in odds right now. Tyler Shuck. Let me give you this stat, too. Remember last week I told you about he's the first rookie quarterback in Saints history to win a game? Anybody told you that? Yeah. The Saints start a rookie and win a game with the rookie? It's never happened before. Wow. He just came up with the first 300-yard passing game in the history of the Saints by a rookie. He's the greatest rookie ever.
26:43Rich Eisen:Bobby A. Bear didn't do that? No. Nice. But the real, I mean, and they messed with both Carolina and the Bucs in the middle of all this. but didn't knock either one off the horse, if you will. The Bucs lose that game yesterday. The Panthers move on. We got Dave Canales, former Bucs offensive coordinator, talking about the Panthers having destiny in their own control now. Hope, belief, everything's right in front of us still. And to give ourselves a chance to continue to play meaningful football this time of year, they've earned that. They've earned that because of the work. They've earned that because of being accountable to each other.
27:27And, you know, my message to them was like, we've been playing playoff football for a really long time, you know. And because of our record early on, every single one of those games, you know, for the last month have been so critical for us to be in this spot. And so we get another week. We got another opportunity. And we have to be able to make sure we take the lessons from this one and move forward and try to find our best football.
27:47Rich Eisen:Remember the narrative was that the owner was such a hothead, he couldn't find anybody to take his job that he was offering to people? to be the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. He was cycling through coaches. Had to find some guy named Dave Canales that few people had ever really heard of outside of the fact that he was helping Baker Mayfield ball out after Tom Brady left. And then they hire him. And then just a couple games in, he benches Bryce Young to the point where everyone's saying, Bryce, you need to leave there. There's no chance you're ever going to be successful there. And now this is happening.
28:17Just a lesson for everybody
28:20Rich Eisen:to not have such a knee-jerk hot take reaction, of things in the world. I remember, again, we called the game in Germany last year between the Panthers and the Giants. Turned out to be Daniel Jones' final start as a Giant. And Dave Canales said, we will know we're succeeding the minute that the players show their personality on the field. It comes out in their play. And that's all we've seen, man. And they drafted well. And speaking of earning it, as he said, that they've earned the ability to play meaningful football at this time of the year. If they win the division, they will have earned it because the Bucs are in Miami next week where Quinn Ewers didn't have that terrific a first start.
29:04And we'll see if there's any chance that Zach Wilson gets this start
29:08Rich Eisen:or they'll try again with Quinn Ewers. Either way, the Dolphins just got boat raced by the Bengals. The Bucs go there to try and snap a losing streak and this fog that they've been in going from 6-2 to 7-8. And if the Bucs win that one, then the final game in Tampa between the Panthers and the Bucs will be for the right to win the division because the Bucs have the tiebreak on Carolina, who, while the Bucs are in Atlanta, have a home game against Seattle. The one seed's coming off of the mini-bye and the big win against the Rams, and all they do is fly to an Eastern time zone, early windows start and beat the team hosting them.
29:54Rich Eisen:That's what they do for a living, essentially. So Carolina will have earned it if they host a playoff game.
30:06Rich Eisen:So just a note to whoever feels like, oh, four or five seed, we'll just go to Carolina and we'll just roll over them. you know that may be the path of least resistance if you don't want to go to say places like philadelphia or chicago to play your wild card game and you probably don't to be honest but pretty cool stuff congrats to carolina fans for having meaningful football playing we had derrick brown on the show a couple weeks ago we're in new york big w 844-204-murich number to dial here on the program. Al in Dallas. Let's go down our memory lane with Al. As always, what's up, Al? First and foremost, happy holidays, happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.
30:54Thank you, sir. To all my boys. Thanks, brother. They're on the Rich Eisen Show. Thank you. Again, another great year. Thank you, sir. The success that you guys have had have been spectacular, and now on the worldwide leader, it's only getting better and better. Thanks, pal.
31:09Rich Eisen:Appreciate it. Sound like you mean it next time, if you don't mind, Alan. My goodness gracious. Good Lord. Yeah. And then another thing is that, Richard, if you could believe this, it is my 25-year wedding anniversary today. Oh, happy anniversary, brother. Yeah, it's unbelievable. That poor woman. You were blessed to meet her in Dallas one day, and it's great. So we're experiencing that. Okay. So it's been unbelievable. Okay. the officiating, just when you think it can't get any worse, that no call in the New England Patriots game, I mean, could have been tremendously impactful. And that is the worst.
31:54I mean, they have to do something about this officiating. They just have to. I mean, eye in the sky, like my man Brockman was talking about before, something, that is absurd. I don't even know how they could rationalize it, the lack of call.
32:12Rich Eisen:I'm with you, Al, but you're never going to see Sky Judge put a flag down. You're just not. Although, I'll be honest, I think they should be able to put flags down if they see a player punch somebody, whether it's somebody on the field or, say, have an altercation with a fan. They should be able to do something like that. And I'm wondering if that's going to be taken on by the competition committee, which has absolutely laid down the law about taunting and things of that nature to remove it out of the game. But you're never going to see Sky Judge go, you missed pass interference, because that right there was blatant.
32:53Rich Eisen:It was a terrible miss. There's just no way to put it. It was absurd. It was terrible. Whatever adjective you want to use. but if you're going to put it down on the field via sky judge or replay assist as its official moniker is then why why not for anything that is hand fighting or something that looks close yeah you know what i mean like you can't you can't do it they'll never do it they just better do better on the field i'm with you i mean uh great great post yesterday uh instagram post yesterday regarding uh i don't even know who this kid is on the jets but they she should have been cut right away that was terrible on in light of the metcalf thing this guy's cursing and screaming oh no that was that was michael that was i put that on my instagram feed that was michael clemens from a couple years ago i actually find that funny i find that funny yeah i i wasn't really kind of paying attention and uh last thing i'm going to say richard is regarding uh your school I mean Biff has you know obviously zero F's given so I think he would be the perfect guy to steer this school for a couple years get it back right on track because it's gone off the rails there obviously you see the story that came out all the stuff he would be a guy that you could just have straightened out the program until you could find the perfect guy to take over that program and set them back on their course I appreciate it Al thanks so much I enjoy the gig that I have here.
34:21Happy anniversary to you and your wife. Who's this fellow on the final line from Connecticut? I don't see a name there. Ryan in Connecticut. You're here on the Rich Eisen Show. What's up, Ryan? Hey, Rich. I'm coming off of a pretty good weekend watching my Chargers get a chance to get back in this division race. My JMU Dukes, who I would remind everyone, were in the SCS four years ago. Getting a chance to play in the playoff was pretty sweet. Well, Ryan, you know, first of all, I appreciate you showing us your lightning bolt from the nutmeg state, but I'll be straight up with you, man. JMU acquitted itself nicely.
34:57What they covered, they backdoor covered, you know, not to go all bad pelt on you. But seriously, though, man, the problem is that JMU and Tulane did no favors to this college football playoff committee. None. No, I would agree. And I would say my topic of discussion for you is the playoff, but not the group of five. We do not have 12 teams that deserve to be in contention to play for the title. I would say we never have. It's such an overcorrection, in my opinion. We went from two teams on a computer system, and that left out a lot. It was weird rematches with Alabama getting in despite having not won a conference title.
35:38Then you go to four, and it always felt like we left one out. So this is such an overcorrection to me to go to 12. Never had 12 teams that were good enough to win a title. And now we have all this weird committee stuff. We've made all the bowls irrelevant because all the bowls are playoff games now. It's just how would we not go to six? And now we can't put the cat back in the bag. We've got this massive system. The money's so big. You can't possibly downsize. So we're just going to add to this Frankenstein.
36:08Rich Eisen:Well, I think you're going to get 16. Yeah, I think you are. Yeah, and we don't have 16 teams that are working well. I don't know about that. I mean, again, in order for this to have happened, they had to come up with the rules to bring a group of five teams in. And the intentions are well and good where you want to have Cinderella. You want to have a team like JMU go on a run for the ages. It's just football is different than basketball, though, man. It's a totally different creature, a totally different sport. Thanks for the call, Ryan. And you're just, you know, even if JMU had beaten Oregon somehow, someway, Tulane had come within, you know, umpteen touchdowns with Ole Miss, would they have done it the next week or anything like that?
36:58Rich Eisen:Right? I know UMBC didn't last very long either after bouncing Virginia. Right. But there are in college basketball, like a team, say, like Miami, that could go from an eight seed on a run to the final four. Those are possible. And I think that's what they're looking for. But two years in to this expanded playoff and the first round games have been, I mean, Oklahoma, Alabama was interesting for a while. I didn't think anybody expected Texas A &M and Miami to have no touchdowns until the final seconds, right? but everybody could see Tulane and JMU coming. Yeah, the blowouts were easily predictable.
37:44Rich Eisen:You know what I mean? And college football playoffs first round shouldn't be watching, you know, a group of five team get flattened and just to see how long are they going to last and have first quarter moments of going, hey, this isn't, you know, they're kind of hanging in there. Like that's not what the college football playoffs should be for. And I'm sure BYU and Notre Dame were sitting at home going, what the hell? But the reason why they were left out is the only reason why this entire format could be created based on what I've been told is, is the group of five had to be led in. Otherwise they'd have sued everybody's heads off.
38:15Rich Eisen:So come out. I think I saw Nick Saban either say on game on a college game day or on Pat show. If you're not top 15, doesn't matter if you've won your group of five conference, you're not in. It's just that simple. So there's smart enough people to figure this thing out. And, and I'm just upset when I say to Greg Sankey, Like, let's just figure out a way to get enough people in the room with the same set of problems on NIL and the same set of problems on a transfer portal front and the same set of problems about revenues and come up with your own world and make your own rules and separate it from the other sports.
38:54Rich Eisen:And he basically said, yeah, that's just that is that's not a fix. the realities are aren't because every other team that you kick out there's congress people who have a problem with i mean i'm tough i don't i don't think you could tell the united states government tough certainly at times like these you know and and and um you know and then today the news that usc and notre dame couldn't figure out how to keep playing each other that's insane they're gonna like well we'll revisit in 2030 it's it's like well why would they play each other Why would they? Notre Dame. No, under this system, you shouldn't play anybody good.
39:31That's the problem.
39:32Rich Eisen:On top of it. Let's hope the quarterfinal games are worth a damn. 844-204-RICH, number to dial. ESPN Radio is presented by Progressive Insurance. Take the next step forward in your career with great benefits and an award-winning workplace. Apply careers.progressive.com. Week 16 was insane. I've got a top five list of the most insane moments of week 16. I wouldn't go anywhere. We're going to finish up strong, as they say, on this Monday show in a sec. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
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41:14Rich Eisen:We're brought to you by Sonos. This season, make your home feel alive with Sonos Speakers, people. The cinematic sound that pulls you into every holiday movie from game day audio It'll put you right in the middle of the action, right in the middle of your home. It streams everything you love, music, movies, your favorite sports show, all in one place. And the Sonos Holiday Sale is on now through December 28th. Get in while the getting's good right now at Sonos.com. You will not regret it. Discover how easy it is to bring every room to life with Sonos. This week of football, good luck to Monday Night Football to live up to the billing.
41:49Right. But Phillip Rivers in his first Monday night football game in forever and a day against a 49ers team that's got its ticket punched and still has a chance to win the division if they keep winning.
42:01Rich Eisen:And also maybe the one seed, who the heck knows, it's going to be awesome. So best of luck. And here are the top five wildest moments of week 16 to live up to, presented by Hyundai. High five. One, two, three, four, five. Rich's top five. it's unfortunate to start this list this way but i've never seen anything like what dk metcalf did with the fan in detroit um and it's tough to comment on not go full mike tomlin on you but we haven't heard from dk yet i'm sure the league is looking into it i have no idea what was said between the fan uh and and dk metcalf the fan who was interviewed by the detroit news saying uh he called dk by his full birth name and that's what got him upset full government um Chad Ochocinco went on Shannon Sharpe's pod and said what apparently Tom Pellicero is referring to here in his tweet, saying a source close to Metcalf said the fan who identified himself to the free press, pardon me, as Ryan Kennedy called Metcalf's mom a derogatory word and called Metcalf, quote, something we both know you don't call a black man, end quote.
43:05Rich Eisen:Oh, well, yeah. And apparently Metcalf had already reported this fan to security. last time he was in previous times in Ford Field so my question would be why even going up to the guy but the whole thing is terribly unfortunate I think regardless of what's happening the league's going to look into it and you know my goodness certainly in Detroit you know fans and players you're making contact that was wild and by the way kudos to CBS to show the video that's news you know like they're like that's news we're showing it like we're covering this as a news event which the news division should take some cues from.
43:43Rich Eisen:The sports division. Number four on the list. Seattle winning its week 16 kickoff on Thursday night on the first ever successful two-point conversion attempt in the history of overtime in the National Football League. And Eric Saubert being the one to grab it in his only third target of the season. Wow. And as you can see, he's getting cupped on his bicep? I don't know what the hell's going on here. It was a wild finish to a wild game. And by the way, Al Michaels was on it. I'm calling a game this Saturday. I hope I'm lucky enough or have a spotter good enough to help me identify the player in two seconds flat.
44:30Rich Eisen:He was on it. And that was an incredible win for the Seattle Seahawks. Incredible. number three of the top five wildest moments of week 16 i mean it's three in itself but i'm just saying the entire last two minutes of the packers at bears game they recover an onside kick romeo had it couldn't corral it then the bears get it march down the field score a touchdown the kid who caught the touchdown had only eight snaps on the season prior to this game and he was wide ass open by the way i used that on saturday uh sunday morning game day morning at nine in the morning maybe a little early you know what but it's the truth and then forces overtime the packers get the ball first whatever the odds are of recovering an onside kick it's eight percent way less on having a quarterback fumble a snap from center on a must-have fourth downplay.
45:31Rich Eisen:Willis fumbles that, then gives the ball back to the Bears, who just a couple snaps later say, screw it, we're going for it. Let's just end this thing and get to our cars. And Caleb Williams and DJ Moore just connect. And the pass to DJ Moore is over the defensive back, Keyshawn Nixon, that intercepted Caleb to beat the Bears in Lambeau Field two weeks before. Number two on the list is the final play of the Steelers at Lions, where an offensive pass interference happens and no forward progress is called. And Amon Ra flips the ball to Jared Goff, who scores. And then the officials, after sorting it out after a two-minute conversation, start the announcement saying the ruling on the field is a touchdown.
46:16But the game is over.
46:19Rich Eisen:And then the wildest moment of week 16 is for sure. the Seahawks two-point conversion that wasn't until it was when replay from New York buzzes in and says, we think it's a backwards pass. Let's take a look at it. And even though there was truly, in my estimation, no clear down the line or over the head down the line replay, they call it a successful two-point conversion. And that was the end of that. And the comeback was on. That is the wildest play of week 16. You have one more. I did not know. Sure. Just one quick one more. It was Kenneth Gainwell's touchdown catch that was sort of like a he did what moment.
46:57Rich Eisen:And by the way, that led to a 45-yard touchdown score at the end of the half for Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers to make it a 10-10 game instead of a 10-3 game. And by the way, all three touchdowns of the Steelers, that one and both Jalen Warren touchdowns were all 45 yards in length. That's wild as well. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast. You can watch and listen to The Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
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From the publisher
Rich recaps the New England Patriots’ Week 16 win over the Baltimore Ravens, and weighs in on the Buffalo Bills’ surviving a close call against Shedeur Sanders and the Cleveland Browns, and the Carolina Panthers’ key NFC South win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Rich ranks the craziest moments from a wild NFL Week 16 that saw insane comebacks, stunning 2-oint conversions, and Steelers WR DK Metcalf putting hands on a Detroit Lions fan mid-game.
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