FOX Sports’ Mark Schlereth Talks Broncos, Pats, Ravens, Chiefs & More w/ Rich Eisen | Full Interview

FOX Sports’ Mark Schlereth Talks Broncos, Pats, Ravens, Chiefs & More w/ Rich Eisen | Full Interview

from Fox Sports. Ladies and gentlemen, Mark Schler back here on the program. Good to see you. How are you, bud? I’m doing good, Rich. How are you, buddy? Hanging in there, man. Uh, it’s kind of crazy. Uh, I’m looking at, you know, some facts that NFL Network Research sent me about what’s going on with the playoff picture 11 weeks in for in 35 straight seasons, at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs after failing to make the postseason the year before. And currently, there’s six such teams in playoff spots. Six. Not four. Six. There’s more. I I can’t tell, right? Like, can you tell who’s who’s even going to be in a final four in each conference, let alone the Super Bowl? I’m serious right now, Mark. It’s wide open in a way. I I can’t recall. There’s not there’s not one dominant team. I mean, you look at even you look at the Rams who I thought, okay, the Rams, I was I I I gave them the best team in the league kind of designation last week. Me, too. And then they they beat Seattle, but they get four turnovers, they get four short fields, and they score 21 points. Like you should beat Seattle by 21 points if that’s what you get. And you end you end up beating them by a score of 2119. And so like even in a loss, like those are those kind of losses, Rich, you you walk away from as a player and you’re like, “Hey man, we really screwed this up. We cost oursel this game and we did this on the road. We’re a damn good football team. And you know, for Sam Darnold, I know there’s a lot of talk out there out there. Can he win the big one? You know, does he choke in the in in kind of the critical moments? And I think ultimately, you don’t have to prove it anymore. There’s nothing you have to prove. You’re a damn good quarterback. Just be judicious with the football and making decisions. You don’t have to prove to us that you’re our guy. We paid you. You’re our guy. We believe in you. And so I think you walk away from that game with a level of confidence even in a loss if you’re Seattle. No doubt when you if you’re Seattle, you walk out of that building um saying when we see them in week 18, what are the odds that Sam’s going to throw four picks and we’re going to settle for four field goals? You know what I mean? Like what are the odd like even let’s turn even one of those field goals into a touchdown, right? Let’s turn one of those interceptions into a longer drive, maybe for another field goal, right? I mean, like Seattle’s got to feel good if they can about the way that they lost. Is that fair to say, you know? Yeah. I, you know, it’s it’s funny. In my own career, I went to Kansas City once and we lost a game late on a like a 54 yard field goal, last play of the game. And um and you know, you walk out of that game going, man, losing sucks, but we’re a damn good football team. And I think that was I think that actually was uh uh the the our first Super Bowl year where we were a wildcard team in Denver when we went in there and lost that game in 1997. And I remember walking out of that game feeling like man we’re a damn good football team. If you can go into Kansas City and play them that way because it was such a tough place to play. Yeah. You know you you’re just a really good football game. Really good football team. Mark Sler here on the Rich Eisen Show. We just were chopping it up on the Disney Plus ESPN side of our simal cast. We’re also now back on ESPN radio presented by Progressive Insurance. Talking about a wideopen league right now, man. I mean, and the Eagles as well um haven’t been lighting it up on offense in the way that we’re accustomed to seeing from last year, but their defense I I mean, I I was talking about it with Chris on our overreaction Monday podcast. This may be again, I know Denver won Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara where Super Bowl 60 is taking place and Von Miller was the Super Bowl MVP uh of that of that game. We might see another repeat, right, where a defense carries the day uh maybe against an MVP quarterback like they did against Cam Newton in that game. Uh the defense carries a day and a defensive player is going to win Super Bowl MVP because the defenses we talked about it last week are still entering week dozen seemingly ahead of the offenses in this league. Yeah. Yeah. It’s been incredible to watch, like you said, Philadelphia, what they’re doing on the defensive side of the ball, what the Denver Broncos are doing defensively, hell, what the Rams are doing defensively to be able to stop the Seahawks on, you know, four drives and make them kick field goals. like like that’s that’s been um that’s been kind of a theme throughout this NFL season as some of these dominant defenses and the way they’re playing and and you got to remember in Denver’s win against Kansas City last weekend um not only did they not have JK Dobbins their starting running back but Single uh Singleton their their middle linebacker who’s the play caller he’s the extension of Vance Joseph the defensive coordinator and the best quarterback on top of that in in the National Football League and Pat Certan. And so they did that and had that defensive performance of five Kansas City Chiefs only converted five of 16 third downs. I thought like that that third down defense by the Broncos. That was a masterclass in coaching and execution by the Denver Broncos defense. And it was come get a taste defense. We’re going to line up and play you manto man and you can’t beat us. I don’t care if you have Patrick Mahomes. I don’t care if you have your receivers healthy. I don’t give a crap. We’re gonna play the way we’re going to play. We’re going to bring pressure and we’re going to play manto man across the board. Um, it was, like I said, it was an absolute masterclass in playing defense. And, uh, the Broncos are are big- time legit going into this thing, you know, and it’s kind of wild, you know, uh, back in week four when Baltimore was at Kansas City, um, that that wound up being uh, one of the last games that uh, Lamar Jackson emerged from. uh healthy even though the Chiefs beat the crap out of the Ravens and we’re thinking Chiefs are back. Here we go. And now both are five and five with Lamar healthy uh entering week 12 and we feel completely different about each of these teams and how they arrived at getting to five and five. Right. So let me ask you this. Starting with the Chiefs at five and five like the Ravens and now the Texans are the Chiefs at five and five. How concerned are you that they’re not going to be able to flip a switch this year or you’re unconcerned, Mark? Uh, no. I I am uh I’m concerned. I mean that like I’m concerned. I still think, like you said, the Baltimore Ravens are on the uptick. They’re they’re rising. Um Houston doesn’t have enough offense. Their defense is exceptional. I just don’t think they have enough offense. Uh, I don’t believe right now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, even though they’re sitting there right now. Um, I just haven’t seen enough improvement for Trevor Lawrence to think that Trevor Lawrence and the and the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to figure it out. Um, so I still think the the Chiefs are viable for a playoff spot, but man, they got some tough games coming down the stretch here. They’ve got a, you know, obviously a first place schedule and um and they haven’t played enough uh consistent football, especially on the offensive side of the ball to make you feel super comfortable. I I just think that the other teams ahead of them right now are, you know, are are very flawed and that’s why I think they get in as a wildcard playoff team. Okay. So, the Chiefs eventually force the issue on whoever welcomes them into their wildcard house to say, um, we’re the ones who are finally going to put the nail in your coffin before the Super Bowl. First one since basically Joe Burrow, right? Like, um, yeah, you know what I mean? So, that’s that’s that’s what we’re you you see as the Chiefs, uh, January path here from you. Yeah. I mean, I think they’ll I think they’ll get in. You can never you can never discount Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid and and Spags because they’re they’re damn good, you know, and and they have they have a track record. Pelts on the wall. They they understand what they’re doing and they understand what playoff football is all about. I mean, they have more experience than anybody, right? They’ve been to what, seven straight AFC championship games. So, um, you know, even if if they get in, they’re they’re one of those teams that if they get in, you’re just like, “Oh gosh, here we go. It’s the Chiefs.” And so, that’s, um, that’s always going to be tough and they’re going to have a, you know, they’re going to have an opportunity to win it as, as a wild card team. So, um, you probably just assume they keep struggling down the stretch here and not get in if you’re another AFC team. But, they do look they do look a little flawed. They do look a little spent right now. And and like I said, um the Broncos straight up in critical situations said, “Hey, manto man, we’re not afraid of your quarterback.” And uh it was an impressive and it it’s just impressive the way they played the Chiefs. Mark Sarah here on the Rich Eisen Show. How far the Ravens go? What do you think? I think the Ravens I mean I think they’re going to win that division. So they’ll, you know, they’ll they’ll win the um AFC North. And then it just depends like health-wise. They really struggled early with their health on defense. Um you know, they they they still have a couple of guys, you know, Matabuk is is out, you know, he’s he’s done for the year. Uh who was really their best defensive lineman, but I think I think the I think the Ravens are going to get in the playoffs. I think the Ravens could make a lot of noise. They’re going to win that division. Um, and then offensively with the way they do things to run the ball with Lamar, uh, as dynamic and as multiple as he is, um, they’re another one of those teams that that in the playoffs I think are a scary team. Mark Scharth here on the Rich Eisen Show. Okay. Um, who emerges from the AFC? I give you that choice right now. What do you got for me? Wow. Um, who wins it in the AFC? What do you think? What do you think? cuz we just we just talked about how the usual front runners are the ones who are fighting to make it as a wild card if not for the Ravens winning their division and then you got sitting at the top Patriots, Colts, and Broncos. What do you think? I think I think the Bills are lurking still. Yeah, I think the Patriots are playing great football right now. I could see I you know, it’s it it all lines up. You mentioned Santa Clara and it makes me think, you know, the last time the Broncos went to the Super Bowl, it was in S Santa Clara. You talked about it, them winning Super Bowl 50, Von Miller winning the championship. Who’ they beat in the AFC Championship game? Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Denver, Colorado. How about that as a rematch? I’m I’ll take the Broncos. Mostly just because I live in Denver, but uh it feels it feels really it feels really good just saying it. No, I I hear you. Um, New England’s got um they they have all the the feels though, right? They got the feels right now. And it’s not just that. It’s just Drake May’s playing out of his skull. And it it doesn’t appear to be anything but uh a an ascension of somebody maturing and crushing it before our very eyes with a coach who in his second time around um is doing well um in terms of uh recasting himself and having a a better sense of things as a second time around coach. Um Josh McDaniels coordinating the offense. Does this does this sound familiar? It’s a familiar story to you. And and in terms of the Brady Bellich, McDaniels era, uh the Patriots are getting things like, oh, when we face a difficult team or a team that has a terrific player on it, that player just somehow is either a injured or b like Jamar Chase suspended like he won’t be there when they’re playing on this. That that’s this reeks of of of previous Patriot years when you discount them. Now look at them. So, you can’t discount the nine and two Patriots from doing it this year, Mark. You just can’t. As we’re saying, no. And listen, man, they they shut people down on the run. One thing about Braves is like there’s certain football things, you know, that never go in and out of style, right? They don’t go in and out of vogue. And controlling line of scrimmage is so big. When you sit down and talk to Bradel, it’s like this is what football is. And you look at them as far as defending the run is concerned, man, they do a phenomenal job defending the run. They have one of the elite level cover corners in all of football. So, it creates an opportunity, you know, defensively to have options on the back end from a coverage standpoint. That’s Christian Gonzalez, who is outstanding. And then what they’re doing on the offensive side of the ball, you can say whatever you want about Josh McDaniels, you know, in his head coaching tenure, u, you know, with the Raiders and with the Broncos. The bottom line is that dude can orchestrate an offense and he gets young quarterbacks to play exceptionally well. Well, remember when he had M. Jones, M. Jones went to the Pro Bowl, although it I I think is an alternate, but he went to the Pro Bowl and played really well his rookie year. And then, you know, Josh McDaniels leaves to go to the Raiders and and you know, Bill Belchic has this wonderful idea to bring in both Joe Judge and Matt Patricia to be co-coordinators and you know, the rest is history. M. Jones falls off a map. I will tell you that Josh McDaniels is phenomenal as a play caller, setting up plays, and it’s not just calling plays, Rich. He calls an offense. So, he sets his offense up. He sets his players up. And his quarterback is is playing exceptional football. And I give Josh McDaniels a ton of credit for that right now for the ascension of Drake May. Mark Sarah here on the Rich Eisen Show. Um, let me just linger a little bit here on uh the Jamar Chase suspension and what happened with Jaylen Ramsay? Uh, yeah. Were you uh in the stadium when Bill Romanowski spit on JJ Stokes? You were there that day? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Okay. You have any recollections that you want to share that uh might teach the kids something about how this has been going on for quite some time or Yeah. Yeah. You know, it’s it’s not something that that happens a ton. And I mean, we started the season. That’s right. You know, right? We started the season with was it Jaylen Carter that spit toward Yeah. That spit toward Dak Prescott. Um, this is just one of those things that um, you know, I mean, it doesn’t happen very often. It’s It’s complete and total disrespect. There’s no question about it. I was thinking about my guy Ake Tib. If it would have happened to Akee, he would be suspended for life because he probably would have uh he probably would have tried to end Jamar Chase’s life in that situation. Well, let me ask you this then. Uh cuz again, um you know, Ramsay got the gate um and Chase is uh you know, he’s suspend he’s he’s going to appeal his suspension. I don’t know if that’s going to work or not. Do you think the NFL now knowing what it knows or it is alleging should tell Jaylen Ramsay um our bad for for ejecting you or because you know what I mean like I don’t think he was going to and and I understand Chase is like hey I was cheapshotted by Jaylen Ramsey. It’s not like Jaylen is completely has the uh the angel you know halo over his head here. Uh, and but but the reason why he get he got ejected is because he got he got his face spitted, which as you pointed out is beyond disrespectful and unprofessional. What do you think? Yeah, I think uh I mean you can never take the uh ejection back, but you can give him his money back and say, “Hey man, like I would love to see that. Our bad.” And you know, and and then as far as Jamar Chase is concerned, like in my time, if something happened to you during the course of a game, like you got cheap shoted, you just tallied that, you put it in the tally thing and and then uh you had some Frontier Justice on a couple plays later, you know, and that’s that’s how we policed ourselves like that. It got to the point where everything was policed uh through Frontier Justice. And that’s just the way it worked. and and it was that that’s the way you were coached to do it. And um and I miss those times. So So that’s I think that’s the way it should go. Frontier Justice. It sounds It sounds like you administered such justice at some point in your career, Mark. Oh, yeah. I not only did I minister it, but I had it administered to me uh on on on several different occasions. I can remember I can remember more than a a couple of times where we threw an interception in a game and that was always frightening because you know I’m holding somebody on every play. So every single play somebody’s pissed at me and all of a sudden you got to uh you’ve got to you know circle out of there and go try to chase this interception and I had two guys that knocked me ass over tea kettle. I Bruce Smith hit me on an interception so hard in Buffalo once that I mean he my feet off the ground. He hit me so hard my head snapped back and snot shot out of both nostrils and I got up and I was you you’re trying to act like it didn’t hurt right and me meanwhile I’m like like seeing stars. I’m dizzy and I’m trying to wipe cuz I thought my nose was bleeding and I’m stumbling to the thing and like I thought it was my nose. I mean, just so much snot hanging all over the place. And it is like when you’re holding somebody on every play, they’re going to get you. Lesie O’Neal got me like that too one time where u you know that’s why you have your head on a swivel when you get uh when you throw an interception because you know somebody’s going to try to lay you out. Was Elway ever trying to get the guy who’s picked him off or he was he he stayed out of that fray, Mark? No, back then. Back then the rule was as soon as a quarterback threw an interception, defensive line tried to attack the quarterback because you could back then you could hit them, you could block them, right? So yeah, they went after quarterbacks uh at that time. Um which again was just uh that’s the way it should be. You threw the pick, you deserve to get hit. And plus that old Rich Stadium turf was not like a pillow either, right? I mean it was a December game. Rich December game. freezing. There’s snow. I mean, it was awful. I a story, Mark, I’ll share with you before I let you go. Marshall Faulk told this story to me multiple times cuz I asked him to retell it over and over again. Um, is that, you know, he always thought, and rightfully so, he’s Marshall freaking Faulk, that he could do whatever, you know, he that he could succeed to his Hall of Fame ability against anybody. And so, he was very confident. But he remembers the first time when he was playing in Rich Stadium and Bruce Smith came out of the tunnel and it was he said a warm day. So you saw the the um Oh, and actually no, it was he said it was it was a kind of a coldish day. So you could see you could see the heat rising from the turf. Yeah. And he was all greased up coming out in his sleeves and the place was going nuts and it was like the field was a crown so you could barely only see you only see the top half of him. Yes. and he remembers thinking, “Oh, s uh that guy.” Like he’s one of the few guys that actually caused him to have a little hitch in his pregame giddy up. Mark, that guy. Oh, yeah. We used to we used to my offensive line coach, Alice Gibbs, used to say I put he because he thought Bruce Smith was the best defensive player like ever. Yeah. Um Sure. And he said he goes he he used to say when I rate when I rate players he goes I put I put Bruce Smith one notch above or one notch below Jesus. He’s like Jesus and then Bruce Smith is right there below him. That’s how good that player was. And and he was man he Bruce was unbelievable. Um just an unbelievable talent on the edge. Played hard and could flat rush the passer. That sounds like a South Park episode certainly when you’re talking Colorado. All right Mark thanks for the time. greatly appreciate it. Uh always enjoy our chats. Uh you be well. Let’s do this again uh next week if not real soon. Thanks, buddy. Sounds good, brother. I’ll talk to you next week. Ladies and gentlemen, Mark Scharath, a Fox three-time Super Bowl champion right here on the Rich Eisen Show. I just love when he goes down memory lane. Hey, you made it all the way to the end. Thanks for that. Check us out every single day streaming live on Disney Plus and the ESPN app.

NFL on FOX analyst/’Stinkin’ Truth’ podcast host Mark Schlereth tells Rich Eisen why the Seattle Seahawks should still feel confident despite Sam Darnold’s 4 interceptions in their Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, why dominant defensive play is the top storyline of this NFL season, if the Kansas City Chiefs or Baltimore Ravens (both 5-5) has a better chance to make the playoffs, if he sees the Denver Broncos or New England Patriots representing the AFC in the Super Bowl, and how Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers CB Jalen Ramsey would have been handled by “frontier justice” back in his playing days.

Tune in to the Emmy-nominated Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from Noon to 3PM ET on Disney+, ESPN+, ESPN Radio, and streaming on SiriusXM channel 80.

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