Cowboys vs Eagles on Thanksgiving Is Gonna Smash Some Ratings Records, Right??

The NFL just put Cowboys-Eagles on Thanksgiving Day. Rich knows what it means. The 57.2 million-viewer record the league set last year with Chiefs-Cowboys is officially the floor.

"Forget this less is more stuff," Rich said. "Forget it. More is more."

The reasoning he laid out from inside the league's logic was the case the schedule-makers used to land on the matchup.

"Last year, if you remember, Mike North, who puts a schedule together for the NFL, said the reason why they were able to put the Chiefs on Thanksgiving in Dallas is because there were so many other marquee games based on the way that conferences were laying out," Rich said.

The Cowboys' 2026 schedule already had marquee road and home games covered. San Francisco at home. Baltimore in Brazil. Visits to the Rams, Packers, Seahawks.

"So let's just take Philadelphia and put it on Thanksgiving and break a freaking record," Rich said.

The opening Monday Night Football game also got released. Broncos at Chiefs.

Rich was direct about the read.

"The schedule makers feel Mahomes is going to be ready," Rich said. "That's how I saw that."

He worked through the alternative.

"They're not going to say first Monday night game of the year is Bo Nix coming back from his ankle injury and let's see what Justin Fields has," Rich said.

The lift in his voice was about being free of the schedule-release host role.

"I used to care. I don't anymore," Rich said. "NFL Network, we don't have the schedule release show anymore. That one's on ESPN."

The earlier Susie diagnosis on the air was that Rich was free.

"Oh, god. Do I feel free?" Rich said. "This used to piss me off to no end. I would come in here muttering and cursing like, this leaks. These leaks."

He kept the bit.

"I'm a lead-pipe-wielding professional," Rich said. "I want it to be a surprise."

The release of Lions-Bills as the first Thursday night Prime game got Rich and Susie talking about the new Highmark Stadium opener.

"Anyone who lives in Los Angeles want to go with Al to go to Buffalo first?" Rich said. "Lions in Buffalo. Big night. The new stadium."

The bigger conversation, the one that kept the bit alive, was the Lions getting put through the meat grinder early.

"It could be the first road game for the Lions," Rich said. "The Bills are going to start on the road for sure because this is the home opener. So I don't know where the Bills are going to start week one."

The actual point Rich was building was Chris Brockman's Top 5 hot-seat coaches list from Overreaction Monday. Dan Campbell at number three triggered a Pride of Detroit blog post.

"Analyst, ludicrously claims Dan Campbell's on the hot seat," Rich quoted.

The blog had a specific complaint.

"Analyst Rich's co-host believes Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell's on the hot seat. Here's why he is wrong," Rich said. "You gave this person paragraphs of copy."

The closing pivot was the Cowboys piece coming back around. Last year's Chiefs-Cowboys Thanksgiving game did 57.2 million viewers on CBS even with both teams underperforming.

"This means the NFL says that record's not good enough," Rich said. "We are going to try and break it all the way up."

Rich pulled TJ in for one more thing on the Cowboys schedule.

"TJ, what happens week 12 when the Philadelphia Eagles visit the Dallas Cowboys?" Rich said.

TJ resisted.

"I know what you want me to say," TJ said. "I'm not going to give you what you want. I'm just going to say we'll be two in one."

The "two in one" meant the Cowboys lose at home.

"What is happening?" Rich said.

TJ defended the call.

"I'm being real. I'm keeping it real," TJ said. "You're asking me May the 12th. That's how I feel. Now, once the season starts, I'll probably flip it."