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Now. On with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Adversity makes you dig down even deeper. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studios in London, England.
Go on, home run. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Today's Gasps. NFL network reporter Sarah Walsh. Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner.
11-time Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald. And now. It's Rich eyes said.
Well, hey everybody, live from London, England. It is this Thursday edition of the Rich Eisen Show. Thrilled to be here streaming with you. From London on Disney Plus, also on the ESPN app, where you can get anything ESPN. Everywhere, and this show is a testament to that coming from you to you from London.
We're also on ESPN Radio, presented by Progressive Insurance. As always, 844-204-Rich is the number to dial right here on the show. I've been out here for over a week, called last week's Jets Broncos game that doubled me in age, and getting set to call the Rams and the Jaguars, which we can only hope will be a better game. And as a matter of fact, it's a very low bar to clear.
So, that's going to be coming to you on NFL Network on Sunday. Sarah Walsh, who's doing the sidelines of that game with her top-notch reporting, will be on this show coming up in just a couple of minutes. And then Kurt Warner will be on this program, Top of Hour number two. He will be in the booth with me for that contest. Liar Fitzgerald will be on this show long after Kurt has already left.
To go apparently to the theater tonight because he's a very cultured man. The voices you hear are, in fact, Chris Brockman and T.J. Jefferson, who have made the flight across the pond, as we're mandated to say as American sports broadcasters. Calling this What We Know, which is a transatlantic show. Good to see you guys.
How are you, Chris? Great to see you, friend. Great to be here. Got my pinky out up, TJ.
Okay, you got your tea? Governor.
Okay. And is Del Tufo in his spot? I don't know if we have a camera on him. I guess I should. Here he is!
Yeah. Have fun, you guys. What's up, Mike? How are you guys doing? Thanks.
Oh, thanks, Mike. We were actually having a terrible time, but now we've got the green light. Thank you. I know it's fine. I'm glad you're allowed to have you.
Glad to see you, Mike. You could still chime in, still do your job and have the drops. Still not hit drops. No, no, no, no, don't say that. We've got.
A lot of catching up to do on the show. And I want to thank Tom Pellisero for expertly steering the ship all week long, and Susie for hosting the show last Thursday as well. I did not do Tuesday and Wednesday's show. We notice. We noticed.
So, no overreaction Monday on a Tuesday.
So, we'll have Overreaction Monday on a Thursday for the first time, I believe, later on in this program. It's a higher register Thursday. Absolutely. And it's also a Power Rankings Thursday. We are playing the heads.
We have the Power Rankings on Wednesday. We're just catching up. We're just catching up. So that's how we're rolling. Again, 844-204-Rich is the number to dial.
Sarah Walsh will join us shortly in studio here in London.
So lots to talk about with week number seven afoot. There are five games that feature teams above 500 against teams above 500. And one of those games, thankfully, is a game that I'll be calling on NFL Network this week between the Jaguars and the Rams, both four and two. There are three division games. Three division games this week.
The Commanders and the Cowboys are facing one another. The Commanders just ate it against the Chicago Bears. Um who have won three in a row. And they're going to go for four in a row by taking on a Saints team that comes into Chicago one and five. But I mentioned Commanders and Cowboys because that's also, as I mentioned, one of three division games that's going down in week number seven.
First time, Dak. And Jaden Daniels will have facing off against one of them. Because Dak missed both of those contests. In Jaden Daniels' Stella rookie season. His sophomore campaign is off to an injury-marred three and three start.
The Raiders and the Chiefs are playing a divisional contest in Kansas City as the Chiefs are looking to go above 500 for the first time this year. Raiders, however, are coming off of their first win against the Tennessee Titans, who fired their coach. And now, The reason why I'm bringing all of this up is to preview tonight's Thursday night football game, the third divisional game of the week, the Steelers at the Bengals. There's a lot at stake in this contest. And it's very simple.
If the Cincinnati Bengals have any desire to turn their season around after starting 2-0. and going O and four. Since then. With three Jake Browning starts leading to one Joe Flacco acquisition and start. and four straight losses.
If they have any desire to turn their season around, Tonight is what we would call A must-win game. Because two reasons. One, you don't want to lose a division game at home. That's... easy, but it's very um obvious.
That said, you can always state the obvious when it's easy. And it's important. Because if they lose this game, they're two and five, and they lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers at home. And the Steelers are the only team that has a chance to win this division. At present, with the one in five Ravens off and the one in five Browns getting set.
To start Dylan Gabriel for another contest, taking on the Miami Dolphins, hoping for them that they can win this game. The Dolphins, however, need it just as desperately. But the Cincinnati Bengals. Need to win this game, and on top of it, I have this handy-dandy chart, Jen. Oh, oh, look at that thing.
What's it got there from NFL Network Research Department? The statistics that you've acquired. If you go, if you start two and four. And you go two and five, you have a 6.3% chance of making the playoffs. You have only 11 teams that started 2-5.
out of the 174 since 1990. to start that way, have made the playoffs. I'm shocked it's that many. If you go three and four, you pop up to 19.2%, a one and five chance to make the playoffs as opposed to a 6% chance of making the playoffs. The math Does not math very well if you are the Cincinnati Bengals.
And then on top of it, You've got the Pittsburgh Steelers, as I mentioned. Right now, at 4-1, they're the two-seed in the AFC entering week seven. They are the only team above 500 by far and away in the AFC North. As a matter of fact, the four wins for the Steelers are the exact amount of AFC North wins from the other three teams combined. Two from the Ravens and one each, pardon me, two from the Bengals and one each from the Ravens and the Browns.
And the Pittsburgh Steelers in the past when they take this big of a lead in division. Mike Toman, a two and a half game lead entering tonight's contest. He's been two two and a half games. abo uh above the field in the AFC North. In five different seasons in his tenure as the Pitt Spriggsteel is head coach.
They went on to win the AFC North in three of those four previous seasons.
So they would have a three and a half game lead if they win this game tonight. And then, of course, there's just an interesting aspect of this evening as well. Which is Two 40-year-old guys going after that. And I believe Cam Hayward's what is calling this the icy hot bowl. The icy hot bowl.
Okay. The icy hot bowl, the cold tub bowl, whatever you want to call it. Break your hip bowl. They are the break your hip bowl. That's not bad to do.
I love it. Ah, good drop. Tell two foe, you're listening. Lodgers and Flacco, a combined. 82 years and 226 days old.
That is the fifth oldest combination of starting quarterback matchups in a game since 1950, including the playoffs. Tom Brady was involved in the other four. older than that. The three times Brady faced Drew Brees in that 2020 season, including the playoffs. And then Brady taking on Rodgers in week three of 2022.
That was the only other times we've seen an older gentleman match up in this contest. It is the fourth time that Flacco and Rogers have met as starters. Rogers is 3-0 in this department. Also, you could see how Rogers has a milestone moment this evening. Yes, sir.
What is that, Christopher? He's 115 yards behind Big Ben for fifth all time on the career passing yards list. And he's interestingly enough. as I got this stat just before we got in. How many yards is he shy?
115. 115. He's 115 yards shy of Ben Rofflisberger exactly on the most passing yards on Thursday night's all time list. At 4,000, 2,022 behind Big Ben, exactly in that category. That's why I thought we saw the same stat.
No. Of course, Tom Brady leads all of that. And in terms of some other interesting aspects of this evening, Um Quarterbacks with most passing touchdowns to the most different receivers in the history of the NFL. Joe Flacco broke a tie for fifth place on the all-time such list with Matthew Stafford when he hit both Tanner Hudson. and Jamar Chase for touchdowns.
last week. Vinny Testaverdi next on that list. Rogers is 10th on this list with 60. And Brady leads 96. But here's the one that Brady truly leads more than ever and will never get caught.
Rogers. Last week. When he threw for that touchdown pass to DK Metcalfe, who's gotten a touchdown pass in four straight games. And as a matter of fact, he's got seven touchdowns on Thursday nights, which is the most of any player since he came into the league in 2019. Aaron Rodgers threw his 38th touchdown pass as a 40-year-old.
That's third all time. Behind Drew Brees is 51. Tom Brady leads this list. You want to guess? 130, something?
I'm going to say two. How about 193? Oh, jeez.
So we'll see what happens tonight when these two elderly gentlemen have at it in Cincinnati. This is a must-win game for the Cincinnati Bengals. If they lose it, they're two and five. And you're now wondering why they went ahead and made this trade, which is exactly another side. aspect of of tonight's contest.
Mike Tomman. Being as vocal as he was about Andrew Berry trading a quarterback in division, you could see like he's. Pissed that he's taking on Flacco tonight. Yeah. I mean, not that Flacco's, you know, maybe in his mind, appreciably better than Jake Browning, and he wanted to take on a guy that was.
Having difficulty finding his own receivers in Jake Browning. I just think. It made Tom on just... Angry just as a coach, just as an old school mentality coach in this league. We did yesterday with Tom the whole opening segment about this yesterday because we didn't really hit on it earlier in the week.
Because I think Mike said this on Monday, right? And you could just see, and that was kind of our consensus yesterday, that Tom went in a rare moment of just pure honesty where he was just.
So upset, you know, taking mentioning first off, you don't see a head coach mention another team's general manager. Tom said he's in there by name. Right. And then just the look of disgust on his face. Like, I can't believe it.
Because again, you have to wonder if he was good enough, as Tomlin said, if he was good enough to be your week opening starter, then he's suddenly bad enough that you could trade him away, but to your own indivision at an a a position of need and then they immediately start him.
Well, here's the status to why the Steelers should win tonight. Um and we'll see i if somehow, some way the Bengals could do any better. But you have the team that leads the league in the NFL. and yards after the catch. 71%.
71.8.
So say 72% of Pittsburgh's passing yards in 2025 have come after the catch. Against the defense that is allowed the most yards after the catch in the NFL. Oh, man.
Okay. So. You've got the team with the most yak. And then the defense that's given up the most yak. And so, yak it yak, it does appear that the Steelers are.
positioned to win this short week game. coming into week seven. And if they do, they're five and one with their... Feet up on the desk watching the rest of week seven, including the Colts having to visit the Los Angeles Chargers. as I'm wondering if A.D.
Mitchell's gonna have, you know Little bit of flashbacks go walking back into SoFi Stadium, which is where he flipped the ball too soon. Might have some stick him on his hands. The Colts, if they lose that game, the Steelers could wind up being the one seed entering week number eight in the NFL. which is exactly where you want to be. And there are no pictures in the standings, and say what you will about the Steelers, and we'll talk about them on Friday coming off of tonight's game.
But they are set to be five and one, and the Bengals 100%. Need to win this game. It is must-win territory already.
So we're off and running here from London. England. Later on in this program, you guys went off the air before Tuatungo Vailoa spoke and apologized for his shocking shock. You want to talk about honest comments from the podium on Monday calling out teammates of his who blow blew off Players only meetings in his response. In an apology is an interesting thing that will play back for you and give you our two considerable sense on that.
Kurt Warner will be joining us. We'll ask him about that in the rest of week number seven. And then, of course, Larry Fitzgerald, on top of it, 844-204-Rich is the number to dial. And on top of that, overreaction Monday on a Thursday, our higher register Thursday is going down as scheduled. And then a day late, but definitely not a dollar short.
My power rankings entering week number seven. Rich, it's a pound short. We're on the rank. I forgot the conversion rate. Thank you so much.
All right. We're off and running here or galloping. Oh. Sarah Walsh coming up. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
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Back here on Disney Plus, the ESPN app and ESPN radio, presented by Progressive Insurance, as I mentioned, my colleague from NFL Network, who will be performing her terrific duties on the sidelines of a game that will have. More first downs than we promised than ever before for the Jaguars and the Rams. Sarah Walsh here from NFL Network. Good to see you, Sarah. How are you?
Thank you. Performing. I'm like, you know, and I kind of feel like you deserve a raise having been on the sideline of the Vikings and the Browns. Prior to the Jets and the Broncos, you have been here for. Coming up on three weeks, right?
Yeah, three weeks. You know, it's a cool caveat to that is two weeks ago when I was here, so before you and Kurt got here, Greg Newsom was here with the Browns. Yes. He's coming back with the Jags. That's right.
Which is wild.
So think about this. And I talked to him.
So he gets home from London. He's like, I knew I was going to be tired because they didn't take the buy. The Browns did not take the buy. He's like, I knew it was going to be a long week. He told me he gets a call Wednesday night from his agent late and he goes, Oh, I'm getting extended.
Like, this is my extension. And he's like, Hey, you're being traded to the Jags. He's already like tired. Gets on a plane the next morning, goes to Jacksonville, plays for the Jags, gets on an international flight back here.
So you want to talk about, I mean, I've been here, but I've been, you know, that's one flight over. This guy has now made two international trips in three weeks, two different teams. That's a wild story. That's a lot of frequent flyer miles for sure. And so.
You know I I guess there's many different ways to to to To start with you here, but you know, the Rams at 4-2 could be 6-0. We had that conversation with Sean McVay today when we were chatting with him in our broadcast meeting. The Jaguars started off at 4-1. They come off of this loss, and they kind of know each other pretty well because. Cohen comes from the McVeigh staff.
They're They're um Their general manager comes from the Rams front office, so they're kind of in a similar mode. If you look at these two teams, yeah, definitely. And even just talking to Sean about Lee, I mean, he said he's talked to him. Throughout the course of this regular season, but not this week, obviously. One of the things I think that's interesting about Liam, and I was talking to one of his guys about it, Foya Luacan said, like, he's got an edge to him, which is, and he's like, he's got something to prove, which is, you know, he's coming in.
This is his first job as a head coach. And so I thought it was interesting that he's coming in. He basically said, like, with a chip on his shoulder and wanting to prove stuff and feels like this isn't, he told me. They get the sense from him. Like, he doesn't feel like, well, I'm working my way through some of these like first year head coaching things that he comes in with this mentality of like, no, we should win now.
But I think the Jags are really interesting because while there's pieces there, their offense has been weird in terms of getting in a rhythm. This is potentially a bounce back for them, probably a heavy dose of ETN. But I don't think that they have hit their stride. But again, this is all a new system. I saw the Bucs deal with this with Liam a year ago.
Right. And so I definitely don't think Jacksonville has hit its stride in terms of feeling like Trevor's in rhythm. Like, I mean, he got sacked a ton. We saw, obviously, we saw a lot of sacks last week, but Trevor got sacked a ton. Ton a week ago.
And so I think this is an offense that's still really trying to either one, learn under Liam and find its rhythm.
So clearly, Sean and Liam have a familiarity with each other. I'm not sure where the Jags are in terms of how comfortable they feel yet in this offense, which I think is still evolving, right?
Well, they have a chance to win their division because we're entering week seven. I mean, with the Texans coming off of a buy and still under 500, taking on Seattle on Monday night, one of those two games on a on a Monday night to wrap up this weekend, you know, and And the Colts at 5-1 are sort of running away with it right now, if not for Jacksonville.
So they really have a chance to do that. And then speaking of Monday night football, Tampa Bay at Detroit is just. Biggest game of the week. And you just mentioned, again, Liam Cohen leaving Tampa. It is, I mean, just how good is Baker Mayfield, right?
I mean, he loses Canalis, then gets Cohen, has a better year, now loses Cohen, and is having the best year of his career. He's unbelievable. There is this narrative we talk about, right? Consistency. And for the longest time, it was like, poor Baker, he doesn't have any.
Maybe Baker doesn't need consistency. I mean, maybe the key to Baker is like, bring him in, bring him in, line him up, and I'll get these guys going. He has turned into a head coach maker.
So when I was talking to Josh Grizzard, his latest offensive coordinator, and you know, let's go back.
So Dave Canalis is there. It's his, he gets this shot, and it's like, oh my gosh, he's never been an offensive coordinator even before. How's this going to go? He does so well. He goes to Carolina.
And then it's the same story. Oh, Liam Cohen, now here's your shot. This last guy, he was here for a second, gets a head coaching job. Is the same going to happen to you? Like, haha, like, that's probably not going to happen.
It happens. And so then, Grizzard, before the season started, I go, hey, man, like, no pressure, but this is. It's kind of awkward if you don't get a head coaching job next year, right? Like, it's a little bit awkward if you don't. But I have to say, I think he is doing by far and away the best job of the three.
And this is no disrespect to Dave or Liam, but neither one of them had to deal with the injury situation that they are dealing with in Tampa. And I know every team's going to say they're injured. It has been Monstrous. I mean, they started the year, the line complete disarray. They're signing practice squad guys from their practice squad, from other practice squad guys to play line.
And then you take out, if you look out a week ago, no Mike Evans, no Chris Godwin, now no Omeka Abuka, who's come out of, well, I don't want to say nowhere, he's their first-round pick, but he's sort of taken over. Sure. No Bucky Irving. They started the year without. These are like, let's just go down the list of stars that they have all out.
And They find a way every week. I mean, in fairness, every week, I'm like, there's no way, how are they going to pull this out? And it's Baker. I mean, that is Baker putting the team on his back, making receivers that you didn't even hear of two days prior touchdown makers.
Well, I mean, some of these third downs that Baker's picking up with his legs is kind of the personification of what you just said. Like every single week, you think, how are they going to get out of this? And it's the same thing about these plays. Week two against the Texans last week, third and 14. How's he going to get out of this?
And he does, and he just keeps leading everybody down the field. And interesting how you said, you also just said, Sarah, I got Sarah Walsh here, NFL Networks, Sarah Walsh on the Rich Eisen Show. Interesting that you just said what you just said that. Um that he he's a coach maker. And that's like, well, honestly, I really like that.
But he used to be a coach killer. Like, that was his reputation. That he's brash, he's obnoxious, he's immature.
Now, as he was even joking about from the podium a couple weeks ago, now I've got Moxie, now I've got an Edge, and now I've got a dog in me, and he's now a coach mate. He hasn't changed. He hasn't changed. And you keep on mentioning, like, what is the constant? He's the constant.
He is the constant. We're just all changing. Around him, and thankfully for him, the circumstances of his career have changed. I gotta tell you, I did, I think, his first start in Cleveland years ago. And I remember he came into the production meeting, and this idea.
This idea that he was cocky and he's this, I mean, he has a swagger about him. I always took my meetings with him. I'm like, I like this. Like, this is the guy I would want. I didn't take it, I never took it the way.
Like, I'm sure there's certain things in Baker's career, he'd be like, Yeah, maybe I shouldn't have done that, but he owns it. He's never shied away from it. He is when you talk about people being like phony or fraudulent, he is the most real person. Like, I mean, he is who he is, and he doesn't try to be somebody he's not. And I just remember in Cleveland, and I was at this game, and he wins this game, and he just has this energy, he fires up people around him.
That narrative, I can tell you when he got to Tampa, that this guy was cocky, and they loved him the second he walked in that locker room because he, the way he takes care of people around him, and I don't even mean just like players, I mean people on staff, um, I mean, PR folks, he looks out for everybody around him and makes people better around him. And that comes from inside that building, that comes from things I've observed.
So, it's not surprising that he has. Doing what he's doing.
Now, some of the plays, I mean, it's just, it's snowballing to the point that it's now ridiculous. Like, you just, I mean, there was one where he should have been sacked. He had multiple, the plays over, and it's not. But I can't tell you when this guy, and it happened a couple of times last year, when this guy gets up and kind of gives somebody a shove or lowers his helmet, like, and he shouldn't, right? Like, puts his shoulder pads down, and they know he shouldn't do it, and they don't want him to do it.
But what that does to that stadium there and to the guys around him, it is a game changer. It is motivationally a game changer, and that's what he does. And you're just seeing, they've always been close, but they're closing out anything that's close. Yeah, and this weekend's again, Monday night game on ESPN and ABC. Those two games are pretty huge.
Houston at Seattle and the one that I'm referring to. And if the Bucs pull this one off. and go to six and one with wins Against everybody but Philadelphia. You know what I mean? And so they would be able to say: okay, we beat in Atlanta.
We've beaten Seattle, we've beaten San Francisco, and we've beaten Detroit. Those are teams that they're going to maybe have to face off. Um later on in in the the winter but At the end of the day, have to face off in terms of a tiebreaker where the game is being played. You know, and it could, these are all massive wins that they'd be able to post. And I just think about so, even the Eagles game that they lost, the fact that they were in that with who they were missing, right?
I looked at that and I'm like, that's not a loss. You know what I mean? Like, you're the fact that they have gotten to where they have gotten with the pieces that are missing, and I get it, every team's going to say we're missing some pieces. They are missing virtually like every star on offense and a line. And we all see how important these lines are and how that changes everything.
Carson Wentz had very little time to throw when he was here two weeks ago and I saw him. They had a remade line. I mean, they are making something out of nothing in a wild manner. And so, again, and also I would say this. It's so much Baker, but Todd Bowles deserves a lot of credit.
I mean, this is a guy that, like, you know, Todd doesn't get excited about much. Todd doesn't get, he doesn't get high. He didn't get low. He's just like cool, calm, and collected. But there's always an answer.
These guys have had an answer for everything.
Well, it's the same way. And again, that if you win, you're no longer cocky. You've got an edge. Yeah. And the same way, if you lose and you have Todd Bowles' demeanor, you don't have a pulse.
Yeah. There's no emotion. He's taking hits with that. And now, you know, when you win, it's just like, wow, everybody's. How cool is this coach?
Yeah, he just keeps us cool under pressure. It's amazing how that works. Yeah. Well, Baker, I mean, him pointing him out, he nailed it. And that's us.
That's perception, right? But I do not think that this man has changed from. From what, I mean, look, even when he was in high school, I mean, he is who he is, and uh, and it's working. Yeah, I mean when you w again, when we we look at this this week's schedule as we're laying it out. We've got a game, thankfully, where both teams are over 500.
This game that we just talked about, Bucks and Lions, is another one of those. And then the Eagles and the Vikings are one of them as well. And the Vikings are coming off of a buy, off of the win that you were on the sidelines for against the Browns. When you were talking to Kevin O'Connell. And about J.J.
McCarthy, the general sense from outside the building in the media is that this ankle injury is just to give him a breather because the First two games for him outside of the fourth quarter on Monday Night Football Week One. We were just so overwhelming for the kid. What did you glean in the broadcast meetings and some of your conversations, Sarah, about? How they view J.J. McCarthy going forward for this first year for him as a starter?
They think he's their guy. As of right now, he's, you know. this guy that that they expect to I mean It's still such a small sample size, right? I think overall, it's not, look, those numbers aren't great. Like you can, you can look at those numbers and go, but it's not like this kid has had a full season.
And when we say kid, like he's still so young. He's a baby. He's he's a baby. He has a baby, too. Yeah, crazy.
I did talk to him coming off the practice field.
Well, he was standing around. He wasn't practicing. And he was like, everything's progressing. He's like, this has been, he's like, this has been hard, obviously, having to sit here and take these mental reps. again.
He's like, it's allowed me to prepare for the Eagles.
So when he was over here, which now feels like a lifetime ago because we've done a couple games, but he was like, it's allowed me to prepare for the Eagles. You know, Kevin O'Connell and those guys are. Positive. I feel like it's so young in his career. Yes.
There was no reason for them not to be. I don't think, I think the line is a real problem for them. And hopefully, they're healthier than when I saw them a couple weeks ago because they came over here, were dealing with injuries, continued to get hit with injuries. And it was, they were in a situation where they were going two and three on the steps chart and shifting stuff around. And, you know, that was a game that like Cleveland controlled most of the game.
We thought Cleveland was going to pull that one up. Dylan Gabriel didn't make mistakes. He didn't do anything to lose that game, right? And the Vikings, if it's not for Justin Jefferson, and we've all heard this narrative before how many times, if not for Justin Jefferson, like pulling out a couple of huge grabs and then Jordan Addison going down the field. I mean, this was a last second, last drive to win the game sort of thing that could have definitely gone another way.
So it's not like. the alternate version was lighting it up, right? They've had some real protection problems.
Okay, so seeing the the league through the prism of the bucks, since that's the team that you're you're covering mostly for NFL Network, the best team in the league. You can include the bucks through seven weeks and whatever you've seen, you know, like the rest of us. And the AFC. Without a doubt. They are.
Without a doubt, the Bucks are the best team in the NFL. No, no, no, no. I thought you said I could include them.
Okay, you can include them. Yeah, yeah, I would include them up there because I just think we haven't even seen. what this seam could be. Healthy, and they haven't even been close to being healthy. I mean, anytime you take in the past, anytime you take Mike off the field, Hugely detrimental.
And I think I don't know the stats off the top of my head, but if you looked at the stats last year when Baker didn't have Mike, it was a problem.
Well, last week was the first game he's won without. Yeah, there you go. Yeah. And so I just look at if they played the Eagles the way they played them. And Without everyone, and they've been doing this now for weeks upon weeks upon weeks.
And you, I just keep thinking, like, at somewhere this is going to crash. And when we're pulling out guys that are just scoring touchdowns that coming into the game didn't have a catch or have never had an NFL catch before last weekend, and then finding the end zone, yeah, I think you have to put them up there. I think they have to be up there even more so if you really know what they still have coming in terms of Bucky coming back, Mike coming back, Tristan's just getting back and his feet under him.
So, yeah, 100%. Your favorite story that you're eager to unpack for us on Sunday is what that you've had come across in prepping for. Uh ramps, jaguars. Other than other than I guess Greg Newsom. I like the Greg Newsom one.
for another team two weeks ago and then gets traded and comes back. It's tough to beat that one, but anything else that's crossed your notebook? I like that one the most. I'm not done, Rich, with my preps have not been. Yeah, my, you know, digging journalistically on this game yet.
I mean, I think the way that the Rams are doing this week is so intriguing. We talked about just being on a baseball field, and you know what it is, in the menagerie. I was aware of how that was. I love the picture of Stafford throwing off the mound. Yeah.
He said about it with them. Yeah, that was about it. He said his curveballs got bite. He was throwing curves off them. Did you guys know he went to the high school of Clayton Kirkhorse?
I did not know that. Interesting. I'm sorry. He was great about that. He was great about that, too.
Talking about that they were kids playing together. when he went to visit Kershaw at the end here. I just think, I think too, when you break up monotony and you know how all these guys are about just they just want a week to look different somehow. You put these guys, you would think that you gave them like they were five-year-olds, you gave a toy store. Do you see them coming out onto the field at Camden Yards for the first time?
I mean, it's so exciting to them. I mean, the grass is still grass, but just the fact that they're in a different environment, it's like they're having a great time. Camden does have that feel too, though.
Well, I mean, and they also are pointing out the reason why they spent the time there in Baltimore all week. And they are, as of right now, still in Baltimore. They're not flying from Baltimore till tomorrow. They are treating this. McVay said he's treating this like they're going west to east.
So if they were playing a game one o'clock Eastern on the East Coast, They wouldn't leave till Friday night and arrive on Saturday either. And because they're You know, acclimated to the East Coast time zone. It's the same thing. It's just that Baltimore is going to become the west coast of their situation. Sure.
And London is now the one o'clock Eastern. time of their scenario and You know, and when Devontae Adams sat down with us today, He had just sat down and he volunteered that That McVay was just telling them all about why they're doing this planning. He's just like, I'm going, I'm still trying to buy it. That's what I said. You know, trying to buy that.
It's going to all work out. But that's why they're. Yeah. I've never heard of that. Like, sometimes I feel like we make too much out of the travel schedules because now we've been doing this for so long.
So I do think it can get a little monotonous where we're like, when did they travel in? Did it? Like, because they're all doing it. But this is unusual. Like, I've never heard of someone traveling the day before a game.
They are arriving Saturday morning, the day before a game, flying overnight. That's different than just doing the usual schedule thing. I think it's really intriguing how they're doing it. And then Matthew Stafford, when I asked him about that, saying, I've never been in the second quarter before thinking, ah, I should have gotten a couple more hours' sleep. I mean, so I think at the end of the day, adrenaline is it, I mean, kicks in.
It'll do some things for you. How many times have we done these games when it's just like, I don't believe they traveled like that? That's going to be a big problem. Oh, yeah, we're wrong. Boat race, the team that's been here for a while.
Week. We were on that in Munich, I remember a couple times. Over and over. It makes me doubt. Like, I get a vibe, you know, before the game, but it makes me doubt it because I've seen it.
I've been at a practice overseas where you see a team that looks like, you know, just so dumb. Bucks look like that in Munich. And then when we saw Pete Carroll bounce off the buses with Seattle, they're playing music out there. They're dancing midfield. We're like.
The Bucs are in trouble. They don't have this kind of energy. They felt the same exact thing because they were going bowling for Drew Locke's birthday. Remember that? Like, having a great time.
That's what they were having a great time. And the Bucs looked like they were just. 100% not happy to be there or around each other. And then they had their best game of the year. Yep.
So, I know.
So, I don't. That's that exact scenario that makes me never like trust that. But I believe Stafford's right. You can feel, I mean, you know, even doing games, like, you can feel like dragging, but adrenaline and doing the job and being in the moment. And again, he's like, I've never been in the second quarter thinking about what sleep I didn't get.
So. When you say, I know what it's like to drag during a game and then use your adrenaline and get through it, is it just last week that you're free? No, I'm not sure. By the way, I didn't have to do that much because honestly, what's the depth of the report on? It stinks down here.
Back to you. I had like all my reports. All my reports were literally, I had so many good offensive reports. And the producer would be like, Do you want us to go to you? He was so nice.
Barry landed shot. He was so nice. And he's like, Sarah, can I get you in here? And I'm like, I don't really think like Justin Fields felt really good coming into this game. Like, you gotta go.
And he's gonna do the thing about the social media, how he's gotten rid of social media and he doesn't want to hear it. And then I'm like, I don't know, this probably isn't. Like, I would take a knee for appropriateness. You know what I mean? Like, I'm like, this is not the right time.
And Barry, to his credit, no one's ever tried to get me in more. And I was like, it's just not working. You were turning down opportunities. I was. You know what?
I was like, I was like, let Rich and Kurt have more time with the Telestrator because I know they would love it.
So I was like, Like, let them have the television time. I was begging for Kurt to just circle anybody. I even told him, like, circle anybody. He didn't know what to do. Please, he didn't know what to do.
He froze. Oh my God. All right. You're awesome, Sarah. I will see you over the next couple of days, obviously.
We're working together.
Okay. Sarah Walsh is here, everybody. Kurt Warner's making his way to our set. 844-204 Rich is the number to dial to his apology and all what's going on in South Florida when we come back from London. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
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I love them. You will too. Sonos, they look as good as they sound. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial. If you're on hold, stay on all.
We'll take your calls from London, England, where we're doing our show. For the next couple of days, Kurt Warner is making his way to our studio for an in-studio visit in hour number two. Don't ever miss what he's got to say. He'll make you smarter. He sees pretty much every snap-on film.
He's awesome calling games with. He's coming up shortly.
So. On Monday's show, I did the first hour from here, and one of the things we talked about. Because I'd love to have talked about the entire week six up to that point in time. Only had one hour with you. The Tuatungo Vailoa sound bite after the Miami Dolphins lost.
In the final throws of week six against the Los Angeles Chargers. And one of the reasons why they go down, not the full reason why, but it's always difficult to win football games in which you turn over the ball. And certainly your quarterback throws three interceptions. And then he kind of fumbled, walking to the podium and talking about how some of his teammates are not appearing at players-only meetings. They're late or blowing them off.
And when a quarterback strolls to the podium, And the first words aren't, it's my fault, off of a loss. Even if it isn't, okay? It Creates an issue. And, but, Being honest is something we in the media want. It's not like we want you to come up there and give us the rote answer.
We want you to be honest with us. And he clearly was. But the problem is, when you're being that honest about what's going on behind the scenes. and your coach is on the hot seat. and you're saying it starts with leadership.
and leadership is off. And you're also somebody with a C on your chest. You're sending about a bunch of messages That could create, as he points out, rightfully so, a lot of noise.
So when Tua stepped to the podium on Wednesday, he had this to say. As a leader of this team, of the Miami Dolphins. you know, the comments that had been said. Uh I would say I've I've made a mistake and I'm I'm owning up to that right now. Um You know, I've talked to guys on the team about it, talked to the leaders about it.
And uh Yeah. They know my heart. They know that. The intent was right, but no matter the intent, um. You know, the intent can be right, but...
When things get misconstrued or However The media wants to portray it. You know, that leaves a void of silence and a lot of questions for the guys on our team.
Now, being one in five. You know, we talk a lot about All right, we gotta get this going, we gotta get this going. come in excited to go to work. Forget about the noise. And I feel like I just added onto that for our guys.
You know, for myself, I got to look at myself as the leader. protecting the team. I don't feel like I I did that. to the best of my abilities. I felt like I let the emotions of the game get to me after the game.
And uh You know, that's something that I can learn from as a leader on this team. And what happens in-house should be protected, and none of that should have gotten out. Want to publicly apologize about that. Want to move forward and now want to focus on Cleveland Browns. I mean, well said, well put, with the exception of, you know.
How the media is construing things. There is nothing else to construe other than the fact that there's something going on behind the scenes that involves leadership. And it involves commitment by the players. Like that. 100% when your head coach is on the hot seat.
And you say stuff like that, you are going to add more fuel to the fire. And I don't know, like... Publicly shaming, maybe he felt like that would be the last resort or something like that. I guess, but when you say something like that, again, he may not have intended this, but he's calling out his head coach and he's calling out himself. He's the captain, he's the leader.
He's a captain, he's the quarterback, he is the face of this franchise on the player side, and you just can't go up there post-game and start airing it out like this.
Well, I mean. You can if Part of the reasons why you've lost is because The lack of chemistry, cohesion. playing for one another is is gone. And you've had it up to here. And you want things to change.
And the only issue is that You're now calling into question all 53 men and not everybody maybe feels the same way and aren't as. Um or or are as committed as Tua. And the problem is if the head coach who's the one who threw his arm around you to start your career is in such trouble and you're basically coming out and saying, It's a holy heck of a mess around here. You folks have no idea. I can't even get my teammates to show up for a players only meeting.
or they're blowing it off. you're only going to create a bigger problem And um I can't imagine. Maybe you don't want to do it after a game when you throw three picks.
Well, again. as Kurt will say when he when he comes here or I don't know if we'll bring this up to him. If we do, he will always say the first thing you always say: if it's if we won, it's because of a team effort. And if we've lost, it's because of me. That's what a quarterback always needs to do because it keeps all of everything that needs to stay in-house, in-house.
And it also keeps things at a temperature that hasn't. overboiling. Tua did the exact opposite of that.
Now, I don't want to be one of those members of the media that then throws him under the bus for being. honest with us. But what he did only serves to make everyone question the commitment of his teammates. And his coach's ability to to be a leader of men. which when you're one and five is as red hot as it possibly can get.
Kurt Warner's coming up hour two. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
