NFL Week 14: Chiefs & Ravens are Cooked, Colts' QB Plan, are Packers Class of NFC?

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0:33Rich Eisen:Oh boy, an overreaction Monday with the full slate of December games for week 14 in the books, with the exception of the Monday night are here in Los Angeles between the Eagles and the Chargers. Rich Eisen along with Christopher Brockman. It is a total rubber meeting for so many of the storylines we've been following for months and months and months. Good to see us here. Great to see you. What a Sunday. What a week 14. All right. Let's hit it. Go ahead. Go. That was terrible. That was crap. That was garbage. This play sucks. Overreaction. Mondays. Monday. All right. You want to get the Chiefs one out of the way?

1:11Rich Eisen:Because you've been waiting to bury the Kansas City Chiefs forever. Ever. Rich, here's the thing. I don't mean to be. I don't know what's on the paper. You don't. You don't. Again, Rich Eisen has no idea what's printed on this paper. I'm not going to do the thing you want me to do. I don't want you to do anything. I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to do it yet. Okay. I want to start with the winners, rich. Okay. History is written by the winners. What a game in arrowhead, the Houston Texans, CJ Stroud, tough as nails, the, maybe the best defense in the NFL, right? They're going to be playing in the AFC championship game.

1:50Rich Eisen:Hmm. I'll just call that an overreaction since they're eight and five. And yes, they've won. half as many in a row as the Patriots and the Broncos. Yeah, but you don't want to play this team right now. Well, you don't want to play the Broncos defense either, do you? You know, and you could make the case that Bo Nix is playing better over the last two years than C.J. Stroud has. Now, you're making me nitpick now because, you know, the Texans and the Broncos have played each other. you know and the broncos did beat the houston texans yeah but that was back when they were no i know i know football it's all about what have you done now and how are you finishing now they're worthy enough to finish in the afc championship game they may have to go on the road though because the jacksonville jaguars are a game in front of them and they split unbelievably the jaguars if they had held on to that 19 point lead in houston back in week 10 then this thing would maybe be a wrap with the Colts falling apart.

2:59Rich Eisen:Yeah. And the Jacksonville Jaguars having just beaten them. And that loss in Houston for Jacksonville is the only one that they've lost in, uh, since losing in London in week seven, they've beaten Vegas. They've beaten the chargers in Arizona and Tennessee and now Indianapolis. And they take on the jets Jacksonville next. So Jacksonville has, had they held on to that 19 point lead, then two things. They'd have swept the Texans and the Texans now current five game win streak that started with that comeback might not have happened. AFC South, sneaky tough division. I can't sit here and say with certainty that they're going to be playing for the right to go to the Super Bowl.

3:45Rich Eisen:They could. Wouldn't surprise you. Well, I guess it would surprise me that the Patriots and the Broncos aren't going to be playing that in that game. Maybe one of those teams is in it. And then you got the Buffalo Bills. Suddenly, we're going to run the football as well as they have and now be able to stop it. Well, as they have, they can't really stop much. They stop the run. They can stop the run. I've got numbers to support it. We'll talk about the bills. Then we'll do that later. I'll have that later. I'll just call this. I'll just focus on Houston. CJ Stroud had taken a lot of crap this year.

4:16people forget that this guy has won a playoff game in each of his first two seasons. And he was taken hits in the second half of that game. And he was making throws on third down when it looked like the Chiefs were

4:28Rich Eisen:going to get off the field. And the Texans have won the turnover battle by three or better now in four games this year. That's one behind the bears for most in the league. CJ Stroud, as you pointed out, made those nice plays. Nico Collins has come on strong 90 and more receiving yards. four of his last five. Woody Marks had 26 carries, all of them very tough but important yards. And the Texans defense essentially ended the Chiefs reign atop the AFC West. They're out of that running with four games to go. And it was in week 14 last year that the Chiefs clinched the AFC West. So the script is flipping and the Texans making it past the divisional round to get to the AFC championship game for the first time in this D 'Amico Ryan's era.

5:23Rich Eisen:And I don't even know if they've ever played in the AFC championship game, actually. I don't think they have. So that's a tall order, and I'll just call that an overreaction for the moment. All right, all right, all right. Now I'm going to do it. Okay. Sunday night was the end of the Chiefs dynasty. It's over. I can't go there yet. But why? What more do you need to see? that again, the, the roster is not good. Andy Reed got pretty out coached last night. He made some pretty critical blunders that we're not used to seeing out of the hall of famer. Travis Kelsey is absolutely cooked. No, I can't say that.

5:57Rich Eisen:He's had, he's got five touchdown receptions. It's it's, it's the most on the team this year. Yeah, but their weapon, their weapons are so less than you would take so many other teams. Team cooked. They're not, listen, they're cooked for the AFC West. this year. Oh, their season, their season is their season does appear to look cooked right now because just to, you know, look at it with clear eyes and a full heart. Well, okay. That, um, that you look, no, you look at the AFC standings now. And as I kept saying, they needed to win this game against the Houston Texans to have not one, but two tiebreakers against whichever team that may not win the AFC South that may finish second in the AFC South, whether it was the Colts, which we thought would have Daniel Jones for the rest of the year at the time, or the Texans if the Chiefs had beaten them.

6:49Rich Eisen:That would be the way through to the playoffs by having important tiebreakers in their back pocket for a wildcard appearance. Now, now they're in a mosh pit at six and seven, two games behind a team that's sniffing it in the Colts. and I think now the problem with the Colts falling apart, they're not going to be in a wild card position for the Chiefs to cash in that tie break. I don't see a path that is legit that I can sit here and say they went out. They go 10-7. They're going to go to the playoffs. It's really looking bleak. This entire time that I've been seeing them dominate over the past almost decade, right?

7:37Rich Eisen:I know it's been nine in a row for them, but since Mahomes came in. Yeah, of course. There's always going to be that moment where when will they have Mahomes for him to catch Brady, which is what this is all about in terms of dynasty. He's already surpassed Brady in terms of accolades and accomplishments before the age of 30. Brady, as we all know, had Hall of Fame careers in his 30s and his 40s. So how can Mahomes reach that level? We knew at some point there was going to be a page turn. How will they go ahead and get their second bite at the dynastic apple? Just like Brady and the Patriots did with Gronk, all right, et cetera.

8:22Rich Eisen:Just trying to use shorthands here with Gronk, because Gronk is the avatar, I think, along with Edelman for what that second dynastic run was at New England with the same coach and the same quarterback. And it's the same thing here is at some point, Andy Reid won't be there either while Mahomes is still playing, one assumes. So I can't sit here and say, this is the end of the chief's dynasty. It feels like it's the end of the first run at it. Sure. And in terms of what happened last night, it is just part and parcel of everything that we've seen all year long. I was sitting there in that booth in Brazil with Kurt Warner on the first Friday night of the season calling that game between the Chargers and the Chiefs and it was just three snaps into the game in which Kelsey collided with Xavier Worthy knocking Worthy out of the game and for the next couple of weeks and ever since then it just feels like this Chiefs season has been in a fog has been cursed in a way there have been now a couple of crucial Kelsey drops to refer to you he's not cooked but the one on the screen here was thrown behind him and had he caught it it would have continued to drive that the Chiefs crucially needed we all know there was one on the goal line that popped up also for an interception against the Eagles in week two to make the Chiefs own to Rasheed Rice last week against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day had one right over the middle that they needed to get in order to continue a drive to keep the game alive and he dropped it and that led to the Cowboys getting a two-score lead on the Chiefs they couldn't overcome last night it's fourth down ball hits him right in the hands he drops that we also see some defensive lapses and last night what we also saw was Andy Reid making a dreadful mistake going forward on fourth down right in the middle of his own territory and his defense is balling out, kick it.

10:23Rich Eisen:Keep playing the same way that you are and get the ball back and try and win it there. Instead, it all unraveled. They keep making these mistakes that we have not seen, and they're all coming in bunches, and they're all coming in a season that I wish, I think they wish they could have a mulligan on. Let's go back to the third snap of the season in Brazil. Make sure that everybody's running at the same depth and let's go. But Chris Jones on that night, he took a path to Justin Herbert that allowed Herbert to escape and slide for the game ceiling first down. Yeah, they haven't gotten the bounces.

11:06They haven't gotten the breaks. They haven't gotten the calls. You know, it's just one of those seasons. The roster is not as good as maybe, what, a third of the league. It's just one of those years.

11:16Rich Eisen:In the same way that Joe Burrows says that the Bengals will always have a chance to win the Super Bowl because he's there. He is the window. He doesn't play defense either. He is the window is what he basically says. And I'll say the same thing, obviously, for Patrick Mahomes and even the Chiefs haters out there, the Chiefs fatigues who are very pleased with the results so far of the Chiefs now no longer being the kings of the West and maybe not even making the playoffs at all, that you're happy right now. but you have to admit that Mahomes still being there and Reed still being the coach for as long as he's going to be and other players who are there, that the window for them to be dynastic again is still around.

12:00Rich Eisen:It's still there. So I'll just call this half of a reaction that's proper and half that's not. I'll split the baby, which I know is normally not what we do around here. What else you got? If you look at the AFC picture, I think the AFC is set, right? Well, we can get that on the flagship show, but I think the AFC is pretty long. Unless there's a six and seven team that comes on strong. But yeah, I think right now you look at the seven spots and you kind of think this is it. Yeah. Yeah. And the NFC great game in Lambeau yesterday. Speaking of a team that's coming on the Green Bay Packers and Rich, I said this after week one, and I'm going to bring it back because I think it is true.

12:40So this is a 13 week old topic that I'm bringing back because I think it's locked the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC. goes through Lambeau Field?

12:48Rich Eisen:Um, I don't know. There's still a spot that's just down the road for the Los Angeles Rams. O 'Reilly Auto Parts can help take the guesswork out of your vehicle's check engine, ABS, or maintenance light with O 'Reilly Veriscan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE certified master technicians. Ask for O 'Reilly Veriscan today. As you know, managing maintenance, repair, and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Granger has your back. From professional-grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly.

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13:35Rich Eisen:Call 1-800-GRANGER, clickgrainger.com, or just stop by. You know, Matthew Stafford is slated to be a guest on our Monday flagship show. So I'd hold off on that. And that half game might be a problem for the Packers down the road. That tie against Dallas, unbelievably. You know, it's amazing how these first month results always simmer and then come home to roost when it's time to decide who's in and who's out or who goes where or who gets a bye or who wins a division. You know, that tie against Dallas back in week four is something that may prove to be a problem for Green Bay. Unless Seattle beats the Rams.

14:21Rich Eisen:Well, then it's a problem again because the Seattle Seahawks would have the same number of wins as the Rams pretty much. I mean, the Seahawks and the Rams are the two teams in the NFC right now with double-digit wins. Even if the Eagles win on Monday night, they won't be there. so that Packers time might prove to be an issue and you know what it also does that week one Patriots lost to Vegas is a mutual common game with Denver that counts against New England because New England's 0-1 and the minute Denver just had a single win against the Raiders already puts you guys in the hole on that front but I'll just push back and say yes they look impressive they're doing exactly what they need to do to finish strong.

15:08Rich Eisen:And what they need to do is have Jordan Love go touchdown passes. Yeah, he's coming on, man. Two games in a row now with three touchdown passes. His first touchdown pass at home, the one that he found Christian Watson for the first of two times. Yeah, Watson is... It was his first home touchdown pass since week six. Dang. So you got that. You got Christian Watson now having receiving touchdowns in consecutive games for the first time since two years ago. You got Josh Jacobs with 20 carries, 86 ruts yards, and a score. And then the defense doing its job with Micah. He was just all over the place, right?

15:42Rich Eisen:So you're seeing what you need to see from Green Bay, including holding off a red-hot Bears team. And if you see the photograph that's on the screen right here, it is of the game-sealing interception in the end zone of Caleb Williams. Man, if Caleb throws that right away, that's a touchdown. It's the same exact play that the Bears use to wrap things up against Philadelphia on the Black Friday game where Caleb rolls to his left. He's got Swift here potentially or DJ Moore, who was flipping out because he was wide open on this play or commit in the end zone. It's the same play they use to nail the coffin on the Eagles.

16:20Rich Eisen:And instead, it was one that was picked off to end the game and nail the coffin on the Bears here, who I thought, you know, got a terrific fourth quarter and second half out of Caleb. You know, it was where he was beginning to get all groans up again. He's got some obvious issues in terms of accuracy from time to time. But the bottom line is the road to the NFC North now goes through Lambeau. As for the NFC, there's still a couple teams that play out West in the NFC West that would raise their hand and say this is an overreaction. NFC is stacked. What else you got? Wouldn't shock me why the Super Bowl team comes from the NFC.

16:52What else you got? Josh Allen, we got to talk about that game in Buffalo, man. It was everything that we wanted it to be. It lives up to the hype, the snow. That was so awesome. And Josh Allen is still the most dangerous quarterback in the NFL. And the bills are going to win a playoff game.

17:07Rich Eisen:I don't think, I don't, I don't think that's an overreaction at all. I mean, I'm not going to push back and say, Josh Allen is not the most dangerous quarterback in the NFL. He's the best player in the league, right? He could just show up and say, I'm going to account for six touchdowns today. And you'll be like, oh, okay. I get it. oh i'm gonna i'm gonna be the one who who runs it in in the rent zone oh oh okay i'm gonna be the one who extends a play i'm gonna be one who extends a play and just you know connects in in the smallest of neck gen stat centimeter by centimeter windows you know what i mean so you can't push back on that and now you look at the standings in the afc the bills are now going into the Monday into football game, the fifth.

17:52Rich Eisen:They're fifth. Yeah. And if they finish fifth, what, you don't think the Bills could go on in the winter of the AFC North and one and done the Steelers or the Ravens? That's exactly what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. That's why I'm sitting here saying, if you're fifth, you're playing the AFC North winner. Or even if you're sixth, you're playing the AFC South winner and it's against a team that's, if it's Jacksonville, they've been there and kind of done it against the, by the way, Chargers against Jacksonville for another playoff game. and a rematch of the wipeout that the Chargers suffered a couple weeks ago would be of interest to me.

18:28Rich Eisen:But Bills, as your five seed, going into the AFC North winner and one in Dunning them is absolutely possible. And then if the Bills are now the road team and divisional playoff weekend, you know, I don't know if Denver or you want to see them for a third time. Not particularly. No, I don't think so. Or it's not. No. So you could even add Josh Allen is the, the, the still the most dangerous quarterback in the game. The bills are winning a playoff game and will prove to be the most dangerous team. You don't want to be led into the playoffs. That's a lot to fit on the third. I'm just verbally adding it, not graphically adding it.

19:04That's what I'm saying. Yeah. I think that whoever doesn't win the AFC East is going to be the five seed. And I think they absolutely go into Pittsburgh or Baltimore and win that playoff game. I think you're winning the AFC East.

19:14Rich Eisen:It would be a massive collapse that I don't think New England has in front of them because their last three games were against the Ravens and then the two lower half teams in the AFC East and then the Bills. The Bills still have to play Philadelphia. They do. I mean, it's possible, but I still think this is a proper reaction. Rich, I want to talk about this team. I know they had a bye week, but it seems like if anyone won the bye over the weekend, it was the Carolina Panthers. The NFC South is their division to lose. I don't know about division to lose, but it's their form. I mean, the fact that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose in the rain at home to New Orleans.

20:00Listen, you know, they're getting Mike Evans back on Thursday.

20:04Rich Eisen:Might be too late. I don't think it's too late. It's definitely not too late. They're tied with Carolina. Come on, a home game to the Saints? It happens. It happened to Tom Brady, didn't it? All the time? Yeah, but it's not supposed to happen when it's right there. They're a two-win team. You got Baker Mayfield. Bucky Irving is back doing Bucky Irving type things. You got to handle business. I understand where you're going on all of this. Because they were 6-2 coming off of the bye, and they were just not the same team since coming off of that bye. They are now 1-4 since coming off that bye. They were six and two.

20:40Rich Eisen:They're now seven and six. They were four and one in one possession games before the bye, one and two in those such games since then. The only reason why they're still in first place right now is they beat Carolina in the current common games tiebreaker, five and four against four and five. They have Atlanta on Thursday night, and they have Carolina twice with a visit to Miami in there. um so but the panthers you take a look at their schedule the rest of the way it is two of three against um you know uh against tampa but the middle game of those games is a home date with seattle which is going to need it by the way i might be calling that game i'm waiting to hear which game it is that i'm calling oh fantastic on nfl network on that final week 17 it could be that one of course it could be chargers and texans as well here equally as fun i don't know we'll see but um it's it's it's the panthers it's both of their division divisions to lose it's right there but i mean if you really want to talk about the team that won a bye week uh in in in football this weekend it would be the miami hurricanes wouldn't it wow we're sitting at home hold on wait a minute oh hey what's that our resumes will be compared with notre dame after all Oh.

22:04Rich Eisen:College football playoff. And we're just sitting at home, and we were out for weeks, and now we're in. Just hold it for like four more minutes. So, there's that. Just wait one more. I mean, you're talking about winning a bye week. I just needed to point that out. Sorry, we didn't win a bye week. Look, if you're talking about who's playing better, who's trending in the right direction, I like what Carolina's doing, and I wouldn't be shocked if they swept Tampa to bring this home. Again, Mike Evans is coming back, okay? They're getting healthy on all fronts. Certainly if they can get Kalijah Kansi back, let's just all wait and see.

22:36Rich Eisen:Something's up with Baker. He's missing throws that he's not accustomed to missing. He might not be healthy just like Lamar right now. But we shall see. I mean, the ball hit Ibuka in the hands for a touchdown. It was a little high, but I hear you. I'll just call this an overreaction because you could put the Buccaneers name in there just as well. All right, let's talk about Baltimore. Man, oh, man. so good so good so good new markdowns up to 70 off are at nordstrom rack stores now stock up and stay big on shoes tops dresses accessories and more must-haves for summer join the nordy club to unlock exclusive discounts shop new arrivals first and more plus buy online and pick up at your favorite rack store for free great brands great prices that's why you rack This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome.

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23:59Rich Eisen:well he's not playing like a top five quarterback right now and we'll find out if he's just if he's hurt he's beginning to find that second gear um and you know running it which is a good sign um but in the same thing i mean this is just the same thing that's that uh the chiefs are are I guess trying to overcome, which is just too many mistakes, too many mistakes. You just don't normally see. And I don't know. Is it the aggregate of playing long seasons one year after another, after another, I honestly don't know how to put my finger on it because the Ravens won five in a row and then had back-to-back home games against division opponents and lost them both.

24:50Rich Eisen:Yeah, pretty surprising. Lost them both, you know, on Thanksgiving night, which means they had an extra mini-buy to take on the Steelers, and they did not look fresh. It was the Steelers who looked fresh with a 42-year-old quarterback and a cast on his hand who's running one in and throwing one in. It wasn't Lamar who ran one in and threw one in. It was Rodgers who did. Yeah. You know, and the defense was the one that was balling out more than the Ravens defense. I mean, they couldn't stop the Rodgers to DK Metcalf connection that suddenly got 12 targets in. I mean, we haven't seen that in a while.

25:28That's a good sign for the Steelers offense.