This is The Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere.
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Now, on with the show. At which point did you look at your phone and feel the need to call Puka Nakua a goofy ass? This is the Rich Eisen Show. Don't say nothing about my teammates. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.
Of course, I had to respond to an old teammate of mine. Today's guest: Pro Football Hall of Famer Kirk Warner. ESPN Senior NBA writer Brian Wintors. Basketball Hall of Famer Dwight Howard. And now, Rich Eisen.
Hour number one of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air here on ESPN. Here on ESPN, the app at Disney Plus. Yeah, what's up? It feels like you're going full Dicky V right here. We're awesome, baby.
Listen, I'm just telling you where we're on on ESPN Radio, on Series XM Channel 80. I've just got to top things up because literally during the open, Susie ruined Wordle for me today.
So, you know. How dare she? Still doing Wordle, huh? I mean, every day. It keeps your family together, Chris.
What's the matter with you people? Wordle guy. Yeah. Never done it. Yeah.
Yeah, right. Interesting. All right, cool. Actually, our three, the Wordle is ESPN 2. That's where we're on on hour three.
I'm going to put that out as a poll. Rod Woodson is on tomorrow's program. I booked him for today, but I. Yeah. I'm a moron.
It's Kurt Warner's final day of his regular season and postseason appearance. Can we clip that for a drop down? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
So, Rod's on tomorrow's show. Kurt Warner's on today to review Super Bowl 60. Great problems to have, though.
Well, we got a Hall of Famer coming in at hour number three. That's how you do, man. That's how you do it.
Well, tomorrow, Hall of Famer Chris Weber is going to join the program on the day that Rod Woodson Hall of Famer joins. Today, Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, hour number three, Hall of Famer Dwight Howard. But we're not talking basketball with him. No, no, no, no, no. We're talking about the curb stomping.
Wow. He received a celebrity wheel of fortune. At my hand. All right. We'll talk about the All-Star game.
It's All-Star Week here. And in that regard. It wasn't the first time ever in person. On this program, making his way to the Rich Eisen Show studio. Ladies and gentlemen, Brian Winhorst will be here.
Everyone knows it's Wendy. I don't think I've been as excited as our studio guest in quite some time. It's great stuff, man. And we've had Al Garter in that chair not too long ago. Not too long ago.
Winhorst stands up and Dwight Howard sits down. It's not a game over here, folks. Oh, you know, it's not a game when I also have my final power rankings of the season. Oh, yes. CG Peters, baby.
I can't wait to see you. Wait till you hear who's number one. Oh. I think we all can guess, Chris. I think we all, obviously.
Good one. Or the Chiefs. I mean, one of the Chiefs. Can you imagine I make the Chiefs number one on my counter ranking? I could imagine.
That's the thing. Oh, stop it. Give me some credit. Go with Mike Del Tufo, TJ, and Chris. Hello, everyone.
Hi. This is what happens when Wordle gets ruined for me before during the open. You were done. Oh, what was it? I'm not telling you.
I'm ruining it for every day. Oh, come on. No, no, no. There's a legion of people who watch and listen to this program who are like, don't do it, Rich. I'm not going to do it.
Cooper does it every day, and Susie does it every day, and we're on a text chain.
Sometimes Taylor does it. Anyway, it's been ruined. Is it like Scrabble? I don't want to get any. I want to.
I don't know. I don't mean to go full Signetti here, but Google it. Google it. Mm-hmm.
So Hi everybody. To the victors, go the spoils. Today there is a parade for the Seattle Seahawks in the beautiful Emerald City in the Pacific Northwest, where they don't want you moving there because the traffic's terrible. They want to talk about how bad the weather is. Don't go there.
Although, what a sports season it was up there, correct? With the Big Dumper. Bringing the Mariners to so very close. The NBA apparently is close to announcing, it sounds like a return. of the NBA to Seattle.
We'll talk about that with Brian Winhorst when he joins us shortly. But listen, the Seattle Seahawks going from let's see what Sam Darnold can do for us here to, oh, Sam Darnold is a Super Bowl champion in a span of about you know, 10 months is really unbelievable. And don't forget, this point last year, we're talking about how the Eagles are potentially dynastic, making the Super Bowl two out of three years, winning once, losing once. Jalen Hurts looking great in both of them, and they're going to run most of it back. And sure, they're losing their offensive coordinator, but how can that possibly hurt?
And then we all know what happened. And now the Seattle Seahawks are talking about how. Dominant, this defense was and potentially can be, but to the victors also go the losing of coaches. And the offensive coordinator For the Seattle Seahawks showed up yesterday in Las Vegas, Nevada, after my stellar NFL network colleague Stacey Dales, in her post-game interview, I don't know if that kind of went viral on the field in In Santa Clara, where she basically asked Gary Kubiak about the future. She's like, Can you confirm?
That you're going to the Las Vegas Raiders. And I think he said, hell yeah, or something like that. Hell yeah. You know, Clint Kubiak, pardon me.
So, Gary Kubiak, his dad, now Clint Kubiak, is the new head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. And he showed up yesterday. And what can he bring to the equation there? What he can bring to the equation is, oh, look at that photograph. I have not seen this one.
Yeah, a bunch of legends.
Okay.
Okay.
Look at that. They brought them all out. There's Marcus Allen. There's Mike Haynes. There's Howie Long.
Oh, boy. And Klink. The Howie's like back there. You know, like a like a balloon, you know, like he's just floating back there. They got shoulder on Howie Long.
How about Jim Plunkett holding up the jersey with his left hand? John Spitek, the general manager, Charles Woodson. Rich Gannon.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
We see you. Nice. We see you. Fun. And Kubiak holding up the number 26?
Because I guess is he the 20th? I was reading was the 25th head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Year, I guess. I guess 26th.
Okay, good enough. There you go.
So he's the 25th head coach of the Raiders. And what he can bring is the hope. that he is The guy that they were looking for last year in Ben Johnson, the young. up and coming coordinator. On the offensive side of the ball, who they can attach to a quarterback of the future with them having the first overall choice, a lot of Hope that they can build this roster around.
Whoever they draft first overall, it does appear to be Fernando Mendoza on everybody's minds. As we head to the combine, by the way, uh two weeks from from today We'll be in our second show at the Combine from the Convention Center. in downtown Indianapolis. And the day before, everyone gets out there. And two Saturdays from now, Fernando Mendoza will be out there basically saying, I'm not throwing.
But we hope that he will throw. On NFL network, I shouldn't speak it into existence. He seems too nice to turn down. Uh this Cheddar is still cheddar at the end of the day, and usually first overall selections don't go out there and throw it when you basically can say, L did you see what I did? Uh look at the tape.
Look at me with my arms bruised and bleeding, jumping for the end zone. for Kurt Signetti. And making Indiana a national champion, an undefeated one at that, unlike Ohio State. I added that last part. And so.
Um at any rate. This is What he can bring, hope. To a franchise, if you wouldn't mind putting that photograph up one more time of him with all the legends who helped put the three trophies that they have out there in front of him. Lombardi trophies. I don't know which is which.
But the most recent trophy is On the screen for the Raiders organization is four years older than their 38-year-old head coach. Super Bowl 18 was the most recent Trophy. I was at that game. Were you really, Mike? As a young kid.
Hey. Oh, bro. I'm glad that you said that you were a young kid because I wouldn't have guessed. First Super Bowl I ever went to. Super Bowl 18.
Wow. You never told us that. Yeah, that's cool, Mike. As Cooper might say, fun fact. I did not know that.
That was a little fun fact. That's how long it's been. The 38-year-old head coach is four years younger than their most recent Lombardi trophy. And one other thing that he can bring is. Uh from all accounts, Clint Kubiak is a smart cookie.
And the reason why I'm saying that is not only because I've heard that, I've never met him. I don't think. Yet. Yet, right. But he's.
clearly smart because He did what I've counseled him to do from this seat. First things first. Is call Max Crosby and say what's up. First order of business is called the best. Player on the team, the most important player on the team, the one guy who.
just oozes out of its pores rater. The autumn wind, he's the pirate in that autumn wind, and he is out. Standing. And I will also say this too. I voted for him as a first-team all-pro guy.
He didn't make it. kind of was off kilter on that, I guess, with the rest of my uh voting group He is awesome. He is great. And if you want to win football games, And make stand up what Clint Kubiak can cook up offensively. You need him.
Just look at what we just saw in Seattle.
Okay.
The defense. You did lose the offensive coordinator. The defensive coordinator happens to be the coach, it appears. in Seattle. And so, first order business, he calls Max Crosby, but he did one better.
Apparently they met for coffee. Hit it. You know, I got to drink a cup of coffee with Max this morning. Loved talking ball with him and look forward to continuing those conversations. He was the first one in here this morning working out, so that fired me up.
We want him to be a part of our success going forward. There's no doubt about that. You know, he's he is one of the best players in the NFL.
So you That's a no-brainer to get to work with Max and see him continue to have success with this organization. Damn straight, man. You say that again.
So two things that I picked up. Had a coffee with him.
Now, he also said he was the first guy in the building working out.
So, if he says he doesn't want anything to do with the Raiders anymore, is he there physically working out?
Well, a free gym membership. I guess. I guess you'll do anything for a free gym membership. I don't think he would have a problem affording that. No, I saw he probably has got something in his house.
Doesn't he have a basketball court in his house? I'd imagine there must be some gym equipment from the amount of scratch he's getting.
So the rumor is he's already told them I want nothing to do with you anymore. He would stay home. work out there, but he's in the building. And then secondly, Is there like a is there like a a coffee machine there? In the radius facility?
You like your coffee silver and black? I know. A little espresso. You know what I mean? Yeah.
What do you what do we got? Any sugar in there? How many lumps? Lumps. We're doing another peak puma reference.
It's a Looney Tunes reference as the day is long, sir. You're picking up what I'm putting down. And Awesome. Great way to do it. Understated.
I want to work with him. 100% if there's any bridge to be to be mended or Any gaps that need to be bridged? Any bridges, he should be building it to that guy and basically saying, Great, whatever happened before, even if it was the general manager telling you you're not playing at the end of last season and you're so. You're so lion-hearted. That you are Demanding to play even though you are not fully healthy in games that don't matter anymore, and the fact that you didn't play would kinda help us maybe get that first overall pick.
Um Yeah. Let's mend fences here. Great idea. Oh, and you know it's another great idea? Stick out Tom Brady's number when you can.
Yeah, yeah. Get it. Really excited to work with Tom. And he made the mistake of giving me his cell phone number, so he might wish he never did that, because I'm going to be calling him a lot. What I'm excited about is that we're really at different, we have different offensive backgrounds, how we're going to, you know, how we can pull ideas from each other.
But obviously, he's the greatest that's ever done it. In the interview process, Just the passion that he spoke with on all things football just got me excited about the opportunity to work with him. Um so Yeah, I know. You know, um plenty plenty has been said and speculated about, you know. How that relationship's going to go, and that's one of the main draws to come here: to get to work with him, to get to work with SPY.
You know, these are great football minds. That if we collaborate the way we're supposed to, then we're going to pull the best out of each other.
Okay, let's see what happens. Let's see what happens. Broncos are ahead of the game. The Chargers are ahead of the game, and the Chiefs, even with a down year, ahead of the game. even with Mahomes coming off of an ACL.
Head of the game.
So Okay. Got a lot of work to do. I think they draft Fernando Mendoza. They try and figure out free agency. Before all that, how to get maybe a weapon here.
Well, really, I'd hit the line in every way. Yep. I would hit the line in every possible way. Patriots hiring Milton Williams last March is a perfect example of how you can change. things really fast.
with the right smart Higher. in free agency. Hit that line. Get the kid. And maybe draft some more weapons.
Take a look at what the Bears did too, drafting weapons like Burden and Monongai. Just a name two. Things can change fast when you've got a young Smart mind at At At the head coaching position, attached to a young quarterback. And also exuding some new sense of confidence and hard-nosed confidence in your building. And we'll see what happens.
We'll see what happens. You know, Mike Vrabel had more experience, obviously, taking the Patriots job, than Clint Kubiak as a head coach. Four wins 14 wins in a Super Bowl, one year. Yep. And and the weaponry You know, in New England, didn't already have Brock Bowers.
and Ashton Genti.
Okay.
They did go and sign. Stefan Diggs, they did have some other young wide receivers right there. They did. Draft a running back. in Trayvion Henderson.
They had Ramondre Stevenson, and off they went, even with an offensive line. That wasn't It's strong suit. We'll see. But it's an interesting hire. It seems like a good one on its face.
And good move. Hey Max. Cappuccino? Is that how you started? Hey, Max, nice to meet you.
I think so. What's up, man? Pew, pew. Pew pew. No, no, without the pew-pews.
Should I make one of those little hearts in your coffee? That's right. No, no, raider. Pirate. Yeah.
That's pretty pirate. Hey. Clink Kubiak knows how to design. That's why he got the gig. That shows you're willing to go the extra mile, bro.
That's like a heart. Yeah. Make me feel like you want me. That's right. It's a heart.
We both like our coffee, silver and black. I don't know. All right, let's take a break. Kurt Warner called Super Bowl 60 on the radio. He also knows what he sees on film.
What does Super Bowl 60? Resonate. How does it resonate with him? My Hall of Fame friend, Kurt Warner. It's coming up next.
Brian Windhorse is probably on the 105. Mm. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. If you're ready for an oil change, trust the professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts to recommend the best products for your vehicle. Right now, get five quarts of Valvoline full synthetic motor oil and a Wix filter for $35.99 and receive a $15 O'Reilly gift card after rebate.
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Call 1-800-GRANGER, clickgranger.com, or just stop by. Kurt Warner is here on the Rich Eisen Show. Our radio audience rejoined, and I appreciate their indulging us, starting the conversation already on ESPN. Disney Plus and the ESPN app with my Hall of Fame friend here with Kurt Warner.
So, before we do move deeper into what you saw from Sam Darnold, looking at the film. And talking about it on QB Confidential, your YouTube channel, were there throws for Drake May to make? It looked like he was being smothered and everyone was being smothered. But did you see plays that he could have made that he just didn't make for whatever reason? And what are those reasons, Kurt?
I mean, this was one of those games where You know, it's not just blame on one person. Were there some opportunities for Drake to make plays? Yeah, there was. You know, there were some opportunities out there that he didn't make, whether he was holding on to the ball too long in one spot, whether he missed something that popped open right in front of him and was a little bit late setting and getting it. Yeah, there were some of those opportunities.
There were other times where opportunities. Theme to be coming, but Pressure got there too soon. There were other times, like I just mentioned, where there could have been opportunities had they designed and schemed things to me the right way, specifically versus pressure.
So, to me, this was one of those games where you could point the finger a lot of different places, and each play. Probably had different blame on it.
Some for Drake, some for the offensive line, some for Coach McDaniels. I just thought it was one of those things where nothing really went right. For this New England team, and nobody played their best football in the biggest game, and that's always the disappointing part. I did that in one of my biggest games where our team and I didn't play my best in those moments, and those are disappointing because you know they don't come along. Very often, and you want to put your best foot forward.
New England didn't do that, I don't think, in any facet.
So I hate to just say, well, yeah, Drake had some things out there and make it seem like it was about him. This was about an entire team that got outplayed, outschemed across the board. And, you know, and that's why it looked like it did. And they could hardly move the football until that fourth quarter. All right.
So then let's break down Sam Darnold's performance. Kurt, because you already gave an example how his first throw of the game, if it was off by a yard, it's a pick six. Instead, it was a first down because he threw the dart. Because he's been. Boy, has he been terrific since that Thursday night fourth quarter and overtime performance against the Rams in week 16?
I give you the floor on what you see from Sam. Good. Yeah, again, it was not a lot of wow throws, but critical throws, throws that move the chains, throws that could easily, you know, have been a win for the defense. You know, a couple naked bootleg throws where he's on the move and there's pressure right in his face, and he's able to get around the pressure, make a great move, flip his hips, and make a second-level throw that moves the chains and creates a positive when it looks like the defense should have won that particular down. You know, on the first drive, we mentioned the first throw.
The second throw, the overroute to Cooper Cup, who makes a nice catch on it, but puts the ball perfect placement because, again, Jones is right there underneath it. That a little short, that's knocked away. Maybe that, you know, that determines whether they get three points on the first drive or not.
So there was just a lot of those great throws. The big third down throw that, you know, before they had that one offensive touchdown, there was a third and nine right before that. He delivers a perfect throw to Cooper Cup, and Gonzalez is right there to take him down. If that's not a perfect throw to keep Cooper on the move, he may not convert that. And it's another field goal to make it 15 to nothing.
Instead, very next play leads to the touchdown pass that he throws over the top to Barner. And, you know, that makes it a three-possession game.
So there's just a lot of those little throws that I know people aren't looking at and going, it's a great performance. And a lot of people are looking at it like, well, you know, he was just, you know, riding on the train. Everybody else won this Super Bowl for him. That to me was not the case. Without Sam Darnold in this game and some of those critical throws, I'm not going to say they don't win because they dominated the game, but they're not winning the game the same way.
They don't have the same lead late in the game that they do. And so I just want to bring attention to that because oftentimes, you know, there's certain people's performance that can get lost when they don't have those big, wow throws. I mean, there was even a couple. more, you know, the long Post route to Shaheed, where Gonzalez just makes a great play and knocks it away. Otherwise, that's a difference-making throw.
There's a late one where New England comes with a blitz zero and a great job by Seattle to pick it up, and Sam to hang in there and throw the deep post again to Shaheed. And I thought he got grabbed just a little bit by Carlton Davis to slow him down. And they just miss on what would have been a A kind of game-ending play there.
So, even on top of that, it was good decisions and good throws that were denied a little bit by some really good defensive plays by New England.
So, I just thought when you put the body of work together, if you go back and watch it, Play by play. The stats didn't necessarily say Sam played very well, but I thought he played a really good football game. Yeah, and I don't know if you saw the New Heights pod with the Kelseys, Kurt. They had Cooper Cup on. And the Barner touchdown cup said that the play call Um Wa the formation was flipped.
and cup realize that Barner didn't know that? After the snap, and Kopp adjusted his route to what it needed to be, so Barner. Got the touchdown. You know what I mean? Like in mid-route, like that, you should seek this out, certainly, since you're breaking it down and watch that.
Watch that play one more time. I think I'm recounting it appropriately, but Barner had no idea that something was off. Cop realized it as he's running his route and changed it to what it needed to be so the play was working as designed. And you know, you can't beat that sort of stuff, man. You know what I mean?
Like, that's the sort of stuff you need in these Super Bowls, but you also need guys. like Cup. And certainly with JSN being out and Darnold finding Cup over and over again and Kenneth Walker having a heck of a game and the this this team just Just had a vibe to it and a connectivity to it. Certainly over the last two months that. uh did prove to be second to none.
You know, you're exactly right. I mean, it took everybody. And, you know, I broke down a little bit my MVP vote for the game. And I think everybody saw the defense and said, okay, they're the star of the show. You know, who should we give it to on the defense?
But kind of to your point as well, I thought everybody. Had their role in that defensive performance. Different guys getting interceptions and Witherspoon on the pressures and Derek Hall having his moments. And it was just, it was everybody across the board just stepping up and complimenting one another. And when they needed a big play, somebody made it.
It wasn't always the same guy, but somebody made it. I felt the same thing happen offensively for them as well. And really, that's what it takes. I mean, I know as well as anybody that when you get to those moments, as much as we want to make it about the quarterback and it's a quarterback stat and all that. Teams win championships.
Teams win Super Bowls. And putting a team effort together, Seattle did it unbelievably well. New England on the other side did it really well. You know, defense could have been Super Bowl champs. They played really good football, but they didn't have it on the other side.
And that's what it comes down to, which team can put 60 minutes or the best 60 minutes together for three hours because we know it's not a best of seven. You got to do it for three hours. And that was by far the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. All right, Kurt, let's enter the sports talk radio portion of our conversation, which I know you love. I know you love answering questions that there's not all the information for you to use.
We don't know free agency. We don't know draft. But How sustainable are these Seattle Seahawks to get it? Go in again and do it again and potentially turn into a Dynastic squad, Kurt. What do you think here?
Yeah, I mean, I think it's sustainable. I think they've got a lot of young players. On this football team, you know, a lot of guys within that four-year range and less. And as you said, free agency and contracts, how does that all workout. JSN obviously became a superstar this year.
Two headed monsters at the running back position. What happens there? But you got Sam Darnold on a pretty favorable contract for a Super Bowl winning quarterback. I do think it's sustainable. And, you know, because I do think they have a lot of young pieces.
I will say this: I think they have to get better if they're going to be a dynasty, in my opinion. I don't know if I felt they were. You know, a great team, you know, on both sides of the ball the entirety of the year. I thought they were a good offense, not a great offense. I thought they were a really good defense or a great defense.
But I do think it's sustainable when you look at the pieces and the fact that they don't have a bunch of household names, a bunch of guys that you go out and say, oh my gosh, that's a guy that's going to demand huge money and free agency and all of that. I'm not sure they have those guys. And I think that was the beauty of this team was there was a bunch of guys that contributed, a bunch of guys that are really, really good players without a bunch of guys that you come in and say, okay, who's the best player on that defense? I guess you could say, Kurt, I guess you could say losing Clint Kubiak might be the biggest. Uh, question mark going into next year, right?
I mean, you could, well, yeah, I think we've seen you know some teams that you know lost their offensive coordinators, right? And as much as it sounds like, oh, just plug another guy in because you've got the pieces, and ask the eagles, ask the eagles, yeah, I mean, ask the eagles, man. It doesn't always work like that. And so, yeah, I think that is a big piece there. But I think they've built this the right way.
They've built it and had success with young guys and key critical components.
So I do believe there's a chance for this thing to stay together for a while. And does that mean they can turn into a dynasty and become a great football team? It'll be fun to watch.
Okay.
And now that I've opened the door to asking you questions that you chafe at answering. Wh where do you place the Patriots in the AFC going into next year? Kurt? Yeah, I mean I don't put them at the top and you know When I I looked at kind of the way this played out, and I don't want this to come the wrong way. But I felt New England getting to the Super Bowl was ahead of schedule.
And when we were heading into the Super Bowl, I don't know if I considered them. What I would normally consider a Super Bowl team. Like, you know. A team that's good enough to run through the playoffs. I think they were fortunate to get some breaks in the playoffs.
And again, they earned the right to be there. You play the games in front of you, you play who's in front of you, and you have to beat who's in front of you. And they did all of that. And so, you know, they deserve to be there from that standpoint. I just didn't know if I felt, you know, from top to bottom that this team was ready to compete.
On that stage, so young on offense, a second-year quarterback who had an unbelievable year, struggled in the playoffs, and all of that stuff kind of came to fruition in the game. I thought they did a really nice job on defense. I thought Christian Gonzalez was maybe the best player on the field. And thank goodness for him, because if he doesn't play as well as he does, this thing could have been even more ugly. Yeah, he made a number.
That's what you're referring to before about him breaking up this Rahid Shihe. Exactly. And also, by the way, I thought Darnold had JSN for a touchdown right before the end of the first half. And Gonzalez undercut that ball and knocked it away. He almost picked it off.
That almost was zero points for Seattle at the end of the first half. Yeah, that was one of the missed throws that I thought Sam Darnold had in the game because he had JSN there. He did. He did a nice job looking off the safety. Just to me, threw it too flat, should have thrown it up over the top.
But you're right. Gonzalez was able to recover from getting beat and get back in there and make a play.
So I thought New. England was a good team. I didn't think they were a great team. And so, with that being said, and with that playing out throughout the playoffs and into the Super Bowl. Um I I don't put them on the top of my list.
In the AFC.
Now, that doesn't mean this young offense can't make great strides and next year be a better football team and be a better offensive football team. But just knowing what we have on the AFC side, You know, they were able to squeak by Denver, but that was without their starting quarterback in Bo Nick.
So I think Denver is going to be back. They were number one seed this year. We know Buffalo is going to be around, and you have to believe that Baltimore is going to be back, and Kansas City, assuming Patrick gets healthy. You know, all those guys in the mix and all those quarterbacks in the mix makes me drop New England back a little bit, even though they were the representative in the Super Bowl. And I'm going to have to see more from their offense next year and more key components kind of step up.
To think that they're going to go into the season or somewhere in the season, move back into that number one spot. And of course, I'm asking you this the Wednesday after the Super Bowl. Let's just say, and again. at this point last year The Seahawks didn't have Darnold or Cup, just to name two. And clearly, if I had asked you about the Seahawks' chances after last year's Super Bowl, you'd be like, get out of here.
What are you like, what's your malfunction? And for like and just to throw it out there, let's just say the Patriots somehow pull off a trade and get A. J. Brown for Drake May or um Will Campbell comes back stronger. And they hit the line in the draft, and they hit gold there, too.
You know, everything you just said clearly can be enhanced.
So I'm trying to help. Cover the tracks of me asking you a sports talk radio question like this, Kurt. But I think you're right. I mean, they were just a very young offensive football team, and that youth. Showed up whether it showed up in the game plan that they had to have in the Super Bowl, because it's like.
We can't pull out all the stops. We can't add a bunch of stuff for the Super Bowl, which is maybe what Josh McDaniels does if he's got Tom Brady and a bunch of veteran guys there. They had to keep it more simplistic and they had to try to do what they had done all year. And, you know, we always say that, you know, players make their greatest strides from year one. to year two as they get acclimated with it.
So, you know, Will Campbell had some struggles and obviously we know now he had an injury that he was dealing with. And so, you know, you feel like he's going to get better.
Some of the young receivers on the outside.
So again, I'm just going based off of what I saw and how it finished this year. But I think you're fully right. This was a team that won four games. A year ago, and now they win 14 and they find themselves in the Super Bowl.
So, to think that they can't make a huge jump. Forward or a leap forward is crazy. I'm simply just going off of, you know, last time on the field or the stretch in the playoffs, what I felt as their football team going in. When do you start grinding tape on the kids on the quarterback class? Have you already started digging in or no?
I have not. You know, you know, I'm all NFL during the season. I'm going to take a couple of weeks off. My wife's going to drag me away for a couple RR vacations just to kind of lay low. But then, you know, but then we'll get back into it and start diving into some of the top guys.
And I know a lot of people thinking maybe a couple guys at the top and then a whole bunch of guys in the mix in the middle. And so I look forward to diving in and see what we have there and see how that all plays out.
Okay.
You know, Pittsburgh.
Well, you let me know when you're ready for that to come back on here because the last person I went across on planet Earth. by asking for your time as Brenda Warner. Yeah, you know that. Yes, she gives us six months. She gives us six months.
And then she says, I know. They were up three minutes ago. They were up three minutes ago. So I don't. Exactly.
Exactly. You're the best, Kurt. I love you, man. All right, buddy. We'll talk soon.
Take care, everybody. That's Kurt, everybody. If you're on the Rich Eisen show, there he goes. All right, we'll take a break. Will Campbell spoke yesterday.
As you know, he did not speak to the media right after Super Bowl 60. That's next. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Brian Winhorst is in our green room, people. The Rich Heisen Show, the podcast.
We're on ESPN, our Disney Plus and ESPN Plus, an ESPN app audience every day, 12 to 3 Eastern. Same thing with our podcast, all three hours, wherever you get your podcasts. We say hello to our radio audience that's rejoined us. I just went in our green room. Brian Windhorse is back there.
He pointed out we've never met. I've never met him in person. No, that's what I'm saying. I mean, yesterday I was like, I'm so excited. He's been on all the time.
But he has legs. Oh, he does. Yeah, normally we just in a box. Yeah. And he still had his IFB clipped to the back of his shirt.
That's a true pro, right?
Well, I think he just came from doing first take. Yeah, I mean so he didn't like I'm like you don't need that he didn't even know it was on professional that's come on so I'm psyched we're psyched but he's our one of our favorites and so Brian Winworth is gonna come out here and And talk some hoops. Listen, Will Campbell's a 22-year-old kid.
So when he gives up 14 pressures in a Super Bowl, and he knows, he, I mean, listen. This offensive line group in New England, it was reported in the Boston Herald leading up to the game. They find each other money. If their name gets mentioned by the coaches or in any meetings. Offensive linemen want to remain anonymous.
And when you get. Mm-hmm.
When you get basically christened by a defense like the the Seahawks did. Really, the phrase that I've picked up in the 20-some-odd years I've been around football all the time. I think Marshall Falk was the first one to use the phrase. They call it being: it's your birthday when you get. Punched like that.
It's your birthday. Lit up. It's your birthday. And it was a brutal day for him. And the fact that he didn't speak to the media, when I heard that he didn't speak to the media, I was like, I get it.
But he did face the music yesterday. Um and you know This was him talking about his night, and I kind of dig the accountability that you hear from him, from this LSU tiger with his draw. When I get emotional, I think I have no mind. Uh And that's not the way that I need to approach this thing. And like I said, I know.
Myself. And if I would have spoken After, I would have said something that I didn't need to say.
So I slept on it, I watched it. I know what I got to get better at. And move on. Uh Right? Can you blame him?
Listen, I know we in the media want to hear afterwards, but not at all. Like, If he's emotional and he's going to say something, listen, we say, Susie and I to our kids all the time: like self-help, self-care. Like, you know, you don't want us to tell you what to do. All the time. Recognize what you need to do for yourself.
And And do that, right? What you know, I don't want to be that guy, but right now someone's sitting at home watching this going, Yeah, but not everyone else is afforded that same opportunity to go home. I know they've got to come up with something. I got it. The mics and the phone.
I know. You have a bad show. There's nobody here with a camera, but I that that is what you get when you are part. Of the National Football League. I get it.
And you're delivering grace in your own way. I'm doing it as well. The online world is Something certainly a 22-year-old it's difficult to avoid. This is what he had to say about the online criticism. It comes with the job.
When you don't perform, obviously, you know. I was take a I ate a lot, so people expect a certain thing and I expect more of myself.
So whenever I don't perform, I don't expect you know, everyone to be like, it's okay, buddy. Oh. I mean, obviously, it sucks, but it doesn't suck for anyone more than it sucks for me.
Okay.
I mean, that's true. I don't mean to laugh, but it is when you put it in such plain Plain spoken way. I mean, he's getting roasted. Yeah, absolutely. He was asked about what he needs to do to get better, being asked to self-scout here.
I don't think one performance defines a season. Uh I think I did some good things this year. Uh Obviously there's room for growth. In every aspect of my game, I'm 22 years old. I have a lot of room for growth in every aspect.
uh as a player, as a leader. Uh Whether that's Strengthen conditioning, pass protection, run blocking, whatever it might be. I have growth for everywhere. I'm young, I'm learning. I got a great coaching staff around me.
I got great veterans around me.
So I'm grateful for that and I'll be ready to go when we get back. Yeah, well he seemed to be holding back. Listen, it's going to be on that coaching staff and those veterans to rally around him. to make sure he doesn't go in the wrong direction. He's a talented kid.
You don't Just get drafted top five. without being talented. He just He just played in his worst game, in the biggest game, and his green. Um His greenness got exposed in front of the second largest Viewing audience in the history of the National Football League, and it cannot be easy to process that. And so it's going to be up to his quarterback and his teammates.
And his coaching staff to rally around him, and every single time. I've had, hey, Will Campbell, I've had experiences being handed a cardboard box. And also being told by the people who used to own this place that we're done here with the show, and each time we've come back stronger. Every time. Failure is not the end, it's just the beginning.
That's the way I look at it. And by the way, the people who handed me the cardboard box. Have given us this first hour of the show here in the spot where we used to be owned by the people here. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
