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Now. On with the show. To taste some hill. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Be back with his first career touchdown.
Live from the Rich Eisen Show studios in London, England. Daniel Jones to touch. Tyler Warren, touchdown, touchdown to Kaelin. Today's guests, NFL Network Insider Mike Garifolo, plus latest news and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
Well, hey, everybody. Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show Transatlantically. Joining you here on Disney Plus, the ESPN app everywhere and ESPN radio presented by Progressive Insurance. I'm your humble host, Rich Eisen, sitting in the ABC News Studios in London, England, trying to put on my best Peter Jennings for you to talk about everything that I witnessed with my own two eyes and my bleeding eyes, watching the Jets and the Broncos on NFL Network and the rest of week number six, hanging out with you for the first hour of this show before Tom Pellisero takes over the rest of the way. Pleased to be here.
You should call us at 844-204, Rich is the number to dial. Good to see everybody else back home in Los Angeles, California. Christopher Brockman, along with Mike Del Tufo. Good to see you guys. Hey, hey, hey.
Good to chat with you guys. I am hanging in there. And TJ Jefferson, is the candle lit? I can't tell all the way from over here. I can't see it at all, but the candle is lit.
Okay, so I'm just going to go ahead and get this out the way. Oh gosh. Hello everybody. Cowboys. Oh, boy.
Well, that's the drop that we play. We play the Stephen A drop every single time the Cowboys drop one. And they drop one in Carolina. I'm sorry about that, T.J. Jefferson.
But. Yeah. I am. Rich. No.
You don't know. Just let me be polite. What's up, bro? I'm trying to be. How are you?
Good to see you. I'm just trying to be polite. Everyone around here is so polite. Your backdrop, it literally looks like you are. It literally looks like you're here.
If I didn't know you weren't here, I would think you were still here. It looks like you're here. I am. Again, I'm sitting in the ABC News studios in London, all part and parcel of being part of the Disney family.
So I'm here. You're there. And wherever you are. Again, if you're eager to take in the Over Reaction Monday podcast, guess what? Chris Brockman and I have already recorded it.
It's already up there and out there and in there. Oh, by the way, happy 1 million followers who are subscribers to everybody out there. On our YouTube channel, we went over 1 million. We went over 1 million followers over the weekend, and we greatly appreciate every last one of you million folks out there. And a million people should be able to get that YouTube followers.
So.
Well, Rich, Rich, we appreciate most of them. There's a few that are mean, but you know, every last one of them. Every last one of them is going to help us get that plaque for the studios. But anyway, Overreaction Monday, the podcast is available for everybody to take in. The half-hour version of it is coming up at 4:30 Eastern Time on ESPN 2.
And the first hour of this program that we're recording right now will show up at 5 o'clock Eastern on ESPN 2 after that. Good to see you guys. You too. We'll talk about that Denver Jets game coming up later on in this hour. But I do want to start with the Sunday night football game since it.
was a match up. between the two teams that I predicted prior to the season would be playing in Super Bowl 60. And I will say this, if the game that we saw on Sunday night showed up on Super Sunday, I think we'll be on the edge of our seats a little bit. Maybe we prefer something a little tighter. Maybe something a little cleaner after the game.
Maybe Bad Bunny will have to stick around and break up the parties afterwards. Separate them all. Um but um I I thought it was an entertaining football game and in terms of the defending. American Football Conference Champion Kansas City Chiefs, the team that has played in the Super Bowl for three straight years. And hoping to play in the Super Bowl for a fourth straight year.
The only other team, as we know, that did that was the Buffalo Bills back in the day. I proffer to say the team that we saw last night. is the type of team that can play in the Super Bowl once again. And I know I did say that they had turned a corner. As they headed into Jacksonville, Florida, and then made a ton of mistakes on the road on Monday night football.
But they did come back on a short week on a Sunday night at home against a team that had won four in a row in the Detroit Lions and was playing the best football in the National Football League. And they fell behind early 10-6 after Harrison Butker. Uh missed one. Wide left. And um they came back.
And what they needed to do is exactly what happened, which is, number one, Make the other team's mistakes there. moment of springboarding themselves into success. Taking advantage of your mistakes and hitting you over the head with it. That's the type of team we did not see in the first two weeks of the season of following 0-2. And as a matter of fact, the point I was making after the Eagles came into Harrowhead in week two and beat the Chiefs was the Eagles were now that team to take advantage of mistakes that, say, the Chiefs were making and beat them over the head with it, like, say, Mahomes and Kelsey not hooking up on that pass to the goal line.
And it turned into a darn near pick six for the Philadelphia Eagles who won the game. springboarded them to success off of that mistake. Last night, Travis Kelsey and Patrick Mahomes were connecting to the tune of Seven targets, six catches, 78 yards. Best game of the year for Travis Kelsey. The Kansas City Chiefs' offense.
Is now looking like the team that we're used to seeing. As a matter of fact, the three-game Total that they have had Week four against Baltimore, week five against Jacksonville, and Sunday night, 95 points. The Chiefs have now scored over the last three games. That's the most in the three-game span within a season. Since the final three weeks of the 2021 campaign, when they scored 95 points on the way to making the playoffs and hosting an AFC Championship game that they did lose.
To Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Chiefs committed zero penalties in a game for the first time this year. No mistakes there. We know they've committed 13 penalties six nights before. In Jacksonville.
Patrick Mahomes, his second game of the season, accounting for four offensive touchdowns. He also had four against the Baltimore Ravens in week number four. He had only one such game with four offensive touchdowns in a single contest in the two previous seasons. Combined.
So we're seeing what we're supposed to be seeing, and in terms of taking advantage of mistakes that you're making. and beat you over the head with it. The Detroit Lions in this contest. Had a 10-6 lead, had the ball. on the Kansas City 44.
With two minutes and 46 seconds to go, it's a fourth and two. You knew Dan Campbell was going to go for it, and he did. Jared Goff was rushed by Steve Spagnola's marauding pass rushers. We knew that was going to happen. Jared Goff made a nice, accurate throw, which he usually does to Amon Ross St.
Brown, and somehow, someway, the sun god Drop the football. Hit him right in the hands. Tough catch, tough play. But the Detroit Lions gave the ball back to Kansas City on downs, and what did Kansas City do? He scored a touchdown right before halftime.
Got the ball to start the second half because the Lions. Won the toss, took the ball, could not score touchdown on their first drive, even though Jared Goff. Got it in the end zone on a Touchdown reception only to be taken away by a procedure penalty. The Chiefs. Got the ball, thanks to the deferring of the football by the Lions.
They got it to start the second half, and what do they do? They scored a touchdown, two eight-play drives to flip the game. Suddenly down 10 to 6, they're up 20 to 10. And when the Lions scored a touchdown to make it a one-score game again, what did they do? A nine-play touchdown drive.
That's the Kansas City Chiefs team that we're used to seeing, guys. And I thought I'll turn it over to you for your two cents. I thought that was a Super Bowl-worthy team that we saw. On Sunday Night Against the Lions. Yeah, Rich.
Yeah, Rich. I said it on overreaction, too. It felt like a team that we're going to see. On Championship Sunday, you know, in the last couple of years, the Chiefs haven't been this high-powered, high-flying. Offense that we were used to in the early Patrick Mahomes days.
If they scored three touchdowns, maybe got to 24 points, that was a good day. And they relied on the defense and the run game, and they just kind of made enough plays to get a win. The last couple of weeks, though, I think you had the stat on the pod, 95 points in the last three games. That's what we're talking about. Patrick Mahomes looks like the MVP from his coming out party 2018 season.
He's doing everything.
Now, look, he's still the leading rusher on the Chiefs, which is obviously not sustainable. But Isaiah Pacheco has looked really good the last couple of weeks where he started the year slow.
So that aspect is coming around. Kelsey looks like he's shaking the rust off from obviously a crazy offseason for him. And they look like, you know, the team that's been not only in the Super Bowl, but hoisting the trophy when it's all said and done. If I'm the rest of the league. I'm kind of scared what Kansas City looks like right now.
And oh, by the way, their best offensive player, you know, skill-wise, Rasheed Rice, is coming back next week. That's right. And Hollywood Brown just scored two touchdowns, TJ, right? That helped you in fantasy. In multiple fantasy leagues, listen, man, I don't care what their record is.
I've been saying this. As long as number 15 is playing football, the Kansas City Chiefs are always in play, right? And this kind of reminded me of. Remember the Olympics against France? Steph Curry was off for a little bit, and then Mellow started talking to him from the stands.
And Steph hit that three, and he ran down the court. He was like, Don't worry about me. Don't worry about me. That's how I feel about the Chiefs. I'm not worried about them.
I know 15 is there. I know Andy Reid's there. I know Jones is there. I know Kelsey's there. I know they can play.
plug and play Any number of different wide receivers, Chris, into that offense. A couple backs, Kareem Hunt running people over, looking like Earl Campbell at one point. You know, Pacheco is still a hard runner, and he's going to get into his groove a little bit. I don't know, man. The Chiefs are still a problem.
The Homes is out there running the option play for a touchdown. And then, you know, Brian Branch, he got into it after the game, and he looked at Brian Branch and kind of wipe off after he wiped and flexed, and I'm like, look at him, just laughing him. He's just toying with everyone like a cat just playing with a mouse. And that gets you. And you think about it.
You don't want to be when you play pickup basketball back in the day, when the best player, there's always that guy, right, who's just dominant, right? But then when that guy starts yapping at you, too, and it's just like. What are you gonna do? You can't do anything and it makes it even worse. And that's what that was.
Yeah, wiping and flexing. That's what you want to see from your quarterback. And just to bring it all full circle, TJ, you mentioned 15 gives the Chiefs a chance to win.
Well, number 15 currently leads the National Football League in offensive touchdowns with, wait for it, 15 of them. And it's the most from Homes through the team's first six games since he had 17. in his twenty twenty two season, That he won the most valuable player.
So he's going to be in the mix for that conversation. Certainly, Baker Mayfield, who we'll talk about later in the second segment of this show. Um, is the front runner in that department? Um, as for the Lions, let's hit on them for a second. They were my number one ranked team in the power rankings, and for good reason, four straight.
wins. They were destroying opponents. They were destroying their will. And last night, as I mentioned when I was talking about the the Chiefs making the most of an opponent's mistakes, man, that drop that that that let's put it this way, incompletion with Jared Goff darting one With the rush in his face on fourth and two, with two and change to go in the first half, Amon Ross St. Brown couldn't corral it.
Chiefs score on either side of halftime, flipped the momentum of the game, and the Lions just couldn't somehow. get back on track even though they did make it a three-point game top of the third quarter it was difficult for them to stop the kansas city chiefs and i'm just going to chalk it up to this you can't win them all and you can't win them all on the road arrowhead's a tough place to win so is lambeau field there is no shame in losing in both of those spots the lions are used to winning in that spot and they're used to winning under the spotlight their seven game prime time game win streak and five game sunday night football game win streak that has now snapped those were the longest such streaks in the nfl kansas city took care of Of that for the Detroit Lions. My only question that I would have is the way that the game ended and the way that things ended for them after when it's all said and done. I understand that Goff had an issue throwing the football in the second half. The Chiefs' defense just sometimes you got to tip the cap.
I think Chris Jones had something lit underneath him after he stood like Ashton Genty waiting for the snap of a football, watching Trevor Lawner stumbling around. looking for the football himself. And That Monday night moment, I think, lit something under Chris Jones, which is unfortunate for everybody else. And Aiden Hutchinson is as good as they come. He's a defensive player of the year candidate.
I'm concerned about the Lions. on defense with their health just like last year. But I'm looking at Detroit's next game against Tampa, and that is a massive one. That's a massive one in terms of an ability for the Lions to win their division. And I know that the Bucs are not in their division, but they are now at 4-2 with the Packers now 3-1 and 1.
They've got a bye week after that. Hopefully, they can rest up, have Minnesota at home. Before some big games at Washington, at Philadelphia, going through the NFC East. We see the big game obviously on Thanksgiving to kick off the triple header against the Packers on week 13. That's just down the road for the Lions with tough visits also in division, finishing up with three and four on the road.
But none of them appear to be, as we could take a look, other than Chicago. anywhere cold at Philadelphia might be one in week 11, middle of November. I'm not concerned about them. I think they can still win this division, and I think they could still win the conference as to whether the games are going to be in Ford Field or elsewhere.
Well, I'll tell you what, those games I was just talking about against Philadelphia, against the Rams, and certainly the one that's coming up next against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, those are the things that would concern me if they've got to go on the road to potentially make the Super Bowl. But I'm not going to sit here and say the Lions are done or there's a big problem, something's been exposed. I'm just going to chalk it up to can't win them all, certainly can't win them all on the road. And it's tough to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead, certainly multiple times in a row. We know that this whole run that we've been Excited about for Lions fans started a couple years ago on a banner-raising night in Arrowhead.
I'm just gonna chalk it up to can't play them all, can't win them all. Perfectly, and I'll just say that about the lines before we go to break. I do want to talk about what happened after the game. Um 'cause I I I I watched this game back this morning. because I'm professional.
Um because the game kicks off, by the way, at 1:20 in the morning here in London. Which is, you know, by the way, to all the London NFL fans, the London-based NFL fans who stay up and watch these marquee events, like. Tip the cap to you. You guys remember when we were in Munich, right? Oh my gosh.
You were watching Thursday night football in a bar at 2 in the morning. Yeah, no, at 4 in the morning, they kicked us out. I cut an Uber at 2:15 in the morning to go meet Brockman and then some people at a bar. The bar closed at 4:30. They kicked us out right before the fourth quarter.
Right.
So Brawl, Brawl looked.
So I didn't. Once I watched it back this morning, once, you know, once victory formation, once it was all over, I just clicked out of it on the Game Pass. Yeah, of course. And then clicked on threads, and then I began to see. what we see on the screen here.
Uh which is Brian Branch. Fighting everybody in a red uniform. He was pissed.
Well, I mean. Mahomes went up to go dap him up, and he wanted to know a piece of that. And Judrey Smith Schuster saw that and went in Branch's face, and Branch then went and threw. uh a hand at of Juju Smith Schuster, who had shoved Brian Branch in the back on a run play as the Chiefs were running this game out and the clock down with three and a half to go. Have you guys seen the play that Branch was upset about?
Have you seen that? No. Yeah, so Branch is realizing it's a run. He's on the left side of the play. He's realizing that there's a run to the right, and he's trying to somehow, someway, get involved with the tackle, although.
He was very far away from it, but he jumped across the line of scrimmage, and Judreo Smith Schuster is right behind him and shoved him in the back and shoved him right over. The refs did not see it, didn't call it. Oh, I'm watching. I mean, he he went straight down. And didn't see it coming and obviously was pissed about losing, pissed about getting blocked in the back, pissed about Mahomes scoring and flexing.
Wiping and flexing, right? Was that he did the wipe? Flexing. And then flexing. It wasn't him reporting as eligible and also pointing out how he did his bicep work earlier in the day.
Did some curls? You can't touch me, and I'm the. Ah, thank you. Uh for those signing at home.
So after the game, it was a lot of pushing and shoving, and there'll be some fines, and who knows how steep the fines will be. I imagine they shall be, because if this is Sunday night football, it was, and the whole audience that watches that is seeing this sort of mess after the game, league will pay some attention. And somebody's going to be getting some FedEx letters. And after the game, We have Brian Branch first. This is Brian Branch explaining what's going on.
Here is what happened. I did a little childish thing, but I'm tired of it. People doing stuff in between the play and reps don't catch it like They trying to bully me out there, and I don't Set an updated. But those chocolates. What happens if people?
Right, good work. What are you referring to? I got blocked in the back illegally and It was running the rep, the ref didn't do anything. and just stuff like that and That's I could have got hurt off of that, but It's still I sh I still shouldn't have done it.
So a contrite Brian Branch, and then afterwards, what seems to be a Um Well, I say irates but 'cause he he's He's not outwardly screaming and yelling, but you could tell Dan Campbell wasn't pleased. I love Brian Branch, but what he did is inexcusable, and it's not going to be accepted here. It's not what we do, it's not what we're about. I apologize to. Uh Coach Reed and and the Chiefs and uh You know, and Schuster, that's not okay.
That's not what we do here, and it's not going to be okay. He knows it, our team knows it, and So That's that's that's not what we do. And uh let's get Mahomes. Here was Mahomes on the uh the set two after the game. Yeah, I mean at this point it just kinda is what it is.
You know, you just kinda move on. I mean we we uh we won the football game. I thought we played a play did a great job and played played well, but now we we're on to the Raiders.
Okay, so him saying it'll get handled when it gets handled.
Well, I mean, he handled it, is what his point was.
So, him saying we're moving on. And and we won the game. Is that wiping? And then flexing? Like he's wiping away, like we're we're moving on.
We won the game. You know what I mean? Is that what I'm understanding? Did he do that? He wiped and flexed verbally.
That was a verbal wipe and flex, is what he did right there. Hey, guys. Yeah. massive Super Bowl sixty between these teams would be. Oh yeah.
You know what I mean? Talking about this moment all week. This moment all week. What happened in the game? You know, Lyon Branch does have a point.
He did get blocked in the back. That should have been a flag. He did, but the game's over at that point in time. The other thing is, like, there were people I rate about this. I had a friend who she FaceTimed me wondering if Branch was going to get, you know, suspended for the rest of the season.
I'm like, you can't expect these men to get in between those lines and be savages and then just turn it off just like that. It's not how it works, man.
Okay. Who is that? Was it Nina Dobrev? Who else do you know? Who's FaceTiming you about this?
Is that Ariana Grande? Who's FaceTiming you about Brian Renevin? Demi Lovato? Was she FaceTiming you about Brian Arrival? Let me tell you, man.
Let me tell you, man. We'll be talking about how, oh, the Chiefs held the run game down. Will the run game, will Sonic and Knuckles be able to come up with a Super Bowl turnaround? You know, Hollywood Brown had two, but Rashi Rice didn't play, but Jameson Williams did well, and I'm on Ross St. Brown dropped the ball.
It would be a big time. Oh, yeah. Monster Super Bowl 60. Guys, we haven't even talked about it. Especially because the trick play that got taken off.
Oh, the trick play. If that stands, do you think it's a different game? Could be. I don't know, man. It still was so early on.
It's just a four-point difference anyway. And this final score was more than just four points. It was a two-possession victory. Yeah, but doesn't that take the airplane? It would be so big.
It would just be so big Super Bowl 60 between these two teams based off of what we just saw. On Sunday night, and then on top of it, it would mean that I was right, which I'm hoping for. It would mean that I nailed it. All right, let's take a break. When we come back here from London, we'll talk about Baker Mayfield, what's going on in Miami with Tua letting a lot of dirty laundry.
Sit out there on the On the Fence for everyone to see. Don't go anywhere. Back with more in a moment. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. This episode is brought to you by Navy Federal Credit Union.
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I'm in London. The guys are in Los Angeles. Tom Pellisero waiting in the wings. He's going to host hours two and three. In the bullpen.
While I go meet Suze for dinner. Suze just landed here, so it'll be a good time. Me and Tommy Piggy had dinner last night. Oh, thanks for the invite. Oh, is that right?
What was that? At the hotel by here. You don't live around here. I'm just saying so. Yeah.
Oh, did you guys both commute from behind the airport today? Is that what you did? No, Tom stays about. You pick him up and Mila's hoopty? Is what you doing?
Mila Zoopty. By the way, I'm selling. You break that down. Mila Zoopty. Are you selling it?
I'm getting ready to sell that car.
So if anyone wants Mila Kunis' old Lexus, you know. Stop, you're in there. Is she approval for you to sell this? That's not a metaphor for anything.
Okay. I mean, it's sort of it. Be careful. Be careful, man. You got to go to the barn tonight, watch the Monday night game of the Bears and the Commanders.
I'm sure that's where you'll be taking it.
Okay. Uh let's talk about our favorite guy. Let's talk about our favorite guy, one of my kids, if you will. One of my adopted children. Ladies and gentlemen, Baker Baker Mayfield.
Pardon me. Say it right now. Pardon me. I messed up his name. That's right.
No. His middle name is. Is it Reagan or Reagan? It's spelled like Ronald Reagan. Yeah, I guess.
Sure, Ronald Rowdy.
Okay. So let's just say he was named after Ronald Reagan.
Okay. We got to ask him. Baker. Fragan Mayfield cannot leave out the F when it comes to Baker Mayfield. He is just killing it.
Now listen, I was talking. About Baker Mayfield as the MVP through the first five weeks of the season, because all he was doing was winning games in the final moments when they were either tied or trailing. As a matter of fact, the first uh four wins of the season. For the Buccaneers, were when the Bucks were tied or trailing in the final minute of regulation. And each and every one of 'em.
And Baker. On the razor's edge. Just Took that razor's edge and shivved everybody with it. And on Sunday, With the banged up, and even now, more because Fred Warner's out for the season for crying out loud banged up 49ers. And with this team...
Getting all it can handle from Mac Jones. and Kendrick Bourne. And all of these guys that you need name tags for that are buzzing around and bawling out for Robert Salas' side of the football. And what you could see from the 49ers and Kyle Shanahan on offense. With all of that coming at Baker Mayfield.
What does he do? For the first time. With Christian McCaffrey in that house and everybody doing what they were doing, What do you do? He did not trail. The Buccaneers did not trail for a single second.
in the second half. Led all thirty minutes after halftime. Although, at one point in time, The 49ers scored their nineteenth point of the game off of a field goal to make it twenty to nineteen. And Baker Mayfield. without a mecca ibuka.
And without Mike Evans. And without Chris Godwin. And without Bucky Irving, without his top three wide receivers, and without his running back, what does Baker Mayfield do? He fades back to pass on third and 14 with 421 left in the third quarter. On his own 41 with a one-point lead after the Niners had just kicked a field goal.
What does he do? It looks like the play is over. It looks like he's about to be sacked. and he gets out of the sack and somehow, some way, Picks up the first down. With his legs.
Exactly what he did to the Houston Texans on that Monday night in week two. It's exactly what he's done all season long. When you think the play is over, this guy. Let you know the play is truly Just beginning. God, do I love watching Baker Mayfield.
Play football because he is out of F's to give. As a matter of fact, the only F that he gets is what I'm giving him to put in front of his middle name to. call him Baker Fragen Mayfield. God, I love watching this guy play football. And what he does after picking up.
that first down with his legs is two plays later. goes up top to Tez Johnson. Tez Johnson, a seventh-round draft choice. And throws an absolute dime that Johnson does reach out with his fingertips and make a terrific grab on. It was just a little bit, maybe, too long, but guess what?
He let his receiver make a play. And the kid makes a play, and it is a 45-yard touchdown that wouldn't have happened if Baker had given up on a play two plays before. and didn't pick it up with his legs. That, sir, and gents and ladies, is what an MVP does. without his top three receivers and without his top running back and also without some of his top offensive lineman.
I understand you got to give it up to those. who are filling in and the next man up, pretty much. If your name was Johnson, you were catching a touchdown. It was like Blazing Saddles. You know what I mean?
Everybody was named Johnson, and everybody's raising their hands. And Howard Johnson was the only Johnson that didn't catch one. Cameron Johnson, by the way, I thought it was a camera. Kay Johnson wearing 19 catching a football for a buccaneer. I'm like, is Keyshawn out there?
There is. It's Tez Johnson. By the way, Cameron is an undrafted player from last year's draft. He had a 34-yard score in the second quarter. And then Tez Johnson got it done.
Baker Mayfield, please, round of applause and take a bow. This is what he had to say about picking that first down up. Yes, let's give him a round of applause. Take it away, Baker Mayfield. I truly, genuinely trust the guys that are in there.
They're ready. We talk throughout the week. Guys are on the same page, and that's real. I trust these guys, even though some of them might not have played a whole lot of ball, but if we're on the same page, good things happen. You don't have to have the perfect play when all your guys are fighting for each other and are on the same page.
And that's an example of that. Defense played great, special teams as well, and so that's complimentary football. Yeah. And rightfully so, they were chanting MVP in the stands. Baker was asked about that.
He's just like, okay, yeah, I heard it. That's very nice. But it's only week six and we got a big one next week. He's not wrong. It's the Lions coming off of that Sunday night loss to Kansas City, welcoming Tampa into their house.
What a massive week seven game this is for the NFC, and for obviously both Goff and Baker Mayfield. Mayfield is 100%. The MVP through the first six weeks of this season. I don't think there's any argument on that. And the MVP chance led to the best soundbite.
Of the entire weekend. Here's Tez Johnson on hearing the MVP chants, and apparently he thought it was for him. When I score and I hit MVP chant I'm thinking they're talking about me. And so I asked Shep, I'm like shit, they was china MVP. And he was like, Yeah, I was like, I ain't do nothing this year.
And then he was like, They talking about Baker Test and I was like I was like, Well, that explains it. But he is the MVP. The one he got the first down on, he was he said he blacked out, but I mean, that's just Baker. The pump fake it everybody. I'm just like, oh my god, he's a dog.
I don't know what he eating, he's putting a cereal before the game. Like, but. That guy wanted every s every single week.
Well, we need more tests, Johnson, right? We need more tests. Right? We need more tests. That's amazing.
I don't see it. Maybe Tez and Scatterboo should do a podcast together. I mean, I need more of those guys. I need more. I think one of my favorite stories that came out of this, and I know I put it in the group chat, and I probably did hear this during the draft, but Tez Johnson and Bo Nicks are brothers, like legit.
Yeah. Adopted. Tez is adopted. And it was like stories. like that we need more of man like i didn't i didn't even Realize that that was a thing, that that was true.
So just, you know, there's so many great stories in this league and great players that we don't know about. No doubt. Baker Mayfield has 12 passing touchdowns and just one interception. That's the best ratio among any quarterback who's played all six games so far this year, and it's the third best such ratio in a team's first six games. Of a season this decade, the only ones better was Mahomes at the top of the decade in 2020 when he had.
An MVP campaign that finished in third place, and then last year Josh Allen, who won the MVP. Baker Mayfield. You're the man. Before we take a break though, I want to quickly talk about the Miami Dolphins. who lost to the Los Angeles Chargers at the final gun essentially yesterday.
And Tua threw three interceptions. It was, you know, Tua versus Herbert. We all know that They were drafted in the same Day in the same draft, in the same round, just a couple of picks apart. And we're all wondering which guy is going to have a better career when that day hit. And now here we are in 2025, and it sure looks like it's Herbert over Tua.
Still lots more of the career to go, but this year. The Miami Dolphins fall to one and five. And After the game, Tua let a lot of dirty laundry air. and sit out there on the uh cord for everyone to see hung up. I think it starts with the leadership in helping articulate that for the guys, and then what we're expecting out of the guys, right?
We're expecting this. Are we getting that? Are we not getting that? We have guys showing up to player-only meetings late. Guys not showing up to player-only meeting.
Like, there's a lot that goes into that. Do we have to make this mandatory? Do we not have to make this mandatory?
So so it it's it's a lot of uh It's a lot of things of of that nature that We gotta get cleaned up and it starts with the little things like that. Oof. Wow. Wow, is right. It's tough to hear that from anybody.
And I don't know how it's going to. Listen, I'm not in that locker room, and Tua is. Nonstop, always the guy who raises his hand and says, you know, I'm at fault. It's part of it, it's my bad. I don't know how that's going to play in a locker room after he had three interceptions.
I'm assuming that should play well enough with those who feel the same way as he does and those who he knows he's calling out. I imagine that will not play very well. at all. I do hope it does get cleaned up. for the Miami Dolphins because this is exactly the way a coach gets got.
And I'm a fan of Mike McDaniels. and I root for him. And I hope that this thing can work in Miami, but they're one in five. They aren't closing games. And part of the reasons why you don't close games is because your locker room's not tight.
Sometimes A lot of it is circumstances. But after the game, you know, this was brought up to McDaniel, whose hot seat is apparently hotter than ever before. Roll it. Player-led meetings are extra things outside of what I demand. We've been very accountable to me.
It sounds like there was something on his mind with regard to the specific meetings with a couple individuals that he was trying to get corrected by being with direct communication. You know, I I think that's that's uh the only way to lead. As far as where we've been at as a program, I think we've open the air on all all of that and it's very um clear what our what our uh Uh How we hold people accountable, and you know where my what's non-negotiable. uh with all those things so um it Clearly he's uh sending a message. But from my standpoint, Um you know the The Uh Everything that I've asked of asked of the guys, they have delivered on.
And so I'm sure whomever he's talking to, they'll deliver. as well as he's a direct communicator. with his with his teammates. All right.
Well, here's the scoop. In the same way that Baker Mayfield, right, was once upon a time brash and immature and. Classless, and now he's got full of Moxie and somebody who's brash in a winner-type way. It's the difference between winning and losing, right? One way everybody's sick and tired of and thinks that is indicative of your lack of ability.
And the other way is, you know, when you win, it's like, oh, You're you're awesome. And as a matter of fact, you're a leader because you you're so brash. Um Mike McDaniel's way of speaking. uh when it's winning is quirky. And when it's not, it comes across as somebody who doesn't have a grip.
On his current situation. And when the quarterback, who he once upon a time threw his arm around, and said, I've got you. Comes out and says what he just said about leadership. And the problem is in the locker room when players don't show up for players-only meetings. It sure puts Mike McDaniel on the spot.
And I don't know if this thing can get cleaned up internally. Um quickly enough to save Mike McDaniels job because they're one in five. And I just don't know what is going on down there. All you hear about is Stephen Ross is being patient. But there were a lot of empty seats in Hard Rock on Sunday from all the people that I know that went to the game.
Here's this game in Cleveland. Uh I I proffer to say the spot where Mike McDaniel once coached. I I'm hoping for his sake they come up with a win. Because if they lose to Dylan Gabriel with Tuatungo Vailoa, a guy... who has got a $55 million contract.
Yeah. a little bit taller. than Dylan Gabriel. And this third-round pick comes up with his first career win against the Miami Dolphins. I don't know what's going to happen next.
I'm concerned about that situation.
So my two cents on a on a shocking soundbite. You don't normally hear that sort of stuff. But I do hope Tua's leadership skills can actually lead the way and connect with Mike McDaniels' leadership skills in a way that brings the Dolphins back. We'll take a break, we'll come back, we'll talk about the game that I called here in London. And for the TV audience, an outstanding harbaugh files based on the Chargers win.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Okay, guys. All right, Rich. Let's go.
Do I look older to you than the last time you saw me?
Well, I mean, I didn't want to say any dates. One, two, three, fellas. Because calling the Jets Broncos game aged me. Yeah. It aged me.
It aged me. It aged me. I felt for all of the Brits here for whom that might have been their first NFL game. Mm-mm-mm. And somebody's going to have to explain how somebody with 45 yards passing in Justin Fields winds up with negative 10 passing yards at the end of the day because you take the sack yardage and subtract it from the personal yardage.
So it was negative 10 passing yards for the Jets on the day after nine sacks of Justin Fields. Um And the thing that I just wanted to express while calling the game with Kurt. was just how difficult with both teams. I mean the Jets defense balled out. And, you know, and also got a takeaway, a gift wrap takeaway on the first drive of the game by the.
by the Broncos. Um but man, the Jets offense made you your eyes bleed. And um the the worst part about it was was the end of the game. I mean, the end of the first half, when the Jets had absolutely. Actually, called a fake punt to Brees Hall.
Our cameras, our crack crew was showing the special teams coach Darren Rizzi of the Broncos going nuts on the sideline with Sean Payton. Like, they saw the thing coming and they couldn't stop it. Brees Hall. Move the chains for their first down. They had only two first downs in the first half.
And then what did they do with the fresh set of downs before the half was run it? and then let the clock run out.
Well, they were out of timeouts. The Broncos let the clock run out with no time left. They just walked off the field. And I noticed on camera that we saw Garrett Wilson just being real demonstrative with Aaron Glenn being upset. This was Glenn saying after the game, why?
They made the decision to just let the clock run out at the end of the half.
So I knew he was getting the ball back, and I think it was like third and seven or third and eight. And at that point, we didn't know if we got the first down or not because I know one ref was saying yes, no, it was no.
So, once it got the fourth down, guys, I'm not about to sit there and try to get a playoff, and they will get the ball back. I think they had a timeout left and give them a chance to. To kick a fig, though. I don't think that's the smartest thing to do.
So let's just. In the half, we get the ball back and see if we can get a chance to score. No, I understand that, and that's what Garrett Wilson said after the game. He understood it as well. The thing I didn't understand is like if the clock's winding down and it's fourth down.
and you're at midfield, why are they not trying a Hail Mary? Why weren't they just launching it into the end zone? to try for a Hail Mary. I know you don't want to give the ball back to the Broncos, then don't. Then just try at least to get some points before the end of the half.
Certainly, if you fake punted to get the opportunity to do it. And you know The Jets the Jets were trying really hard. They almost still won this football game. Yeah. You know That was beyond.
Um Awful. And Fields looked terrible. The guy in week one that we saw almost beat the Steelers with tons of different ways to score on you. isn't there right now. They're 0-6, and the Broncos, they're lucky to get out of London with a win.
And have a piece of the AFC West lead entering week seven. But that was brutal, and the decision-making was awful, and it's not going to help Aaron Glenn. I hope his seat isn't hot. Because the guys are trying. The U-Haul isn't backed up.
But the thing that was absolutely beyond difficult to watch was this offense. on Sunday. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
