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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen show. Touchdown, Carolina! T. Max career game.
Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. His third of the day. Devontae Williams, Patriots regain the lead. Earlier on the show, ESPN NFL analyst Marcus Spears. Coming up, Monday Night Football preview, your phone calls, latest news, and.
And more. And now it's Rich Eisen. Hour number two of the Rich Eisen show on the air here on a busy Monday. Chris Brockman already had a busy morning out here on the left coast. Overreaction Monday is in the hopper for a week four edition.
Always appreciate everybody taking care and taking time to check that out. Whether it's on our YouTube channel, over one point one five million. It is up. It just hit. It's up there.
It's out there. It's in there. RSS feeds as well for those who are listening to the Overreaction Monday podcast. Although you're missing two very handsome bald guys, chop it up wearing blue shirts. Oh yeah, we were.
It's they're a little off, little different. Yeah, mine's longer sleeves. You've got going on, right? All right, guns out. Marcus Spear is going to join us shortly here from New Orleans.
It's Falcons taking on the Saints tonight. Great game. Yep, and. Listen, if you're out there, I understand Atlanta fans won't care, but boy, does my son need 23 points from Chris Olave tonight? Because if Cooper doesn't get it, he will be so upset.
It it. Sadly, have imbued in he cares in my youngest son cares a little too much fantasy stuff. Yeah, you know, and then he hears about your parlays and he goes, "It's gambling." And I'm like, "What do you think your fantasy stuff is?" The exact same. He's not a gambler. This is my old youngest son.
I'm like, which is great. Not yet. Not yet. Let's go to the phone lines while Marcus Spears is checking in right now. William in Topeka, Kansas—a name that sounds familiar to us here on the Weather Tech Fan Line.
What's up, William? Yeah, well. I thought I'd call in and apologize to Raider Nation for telling them for saying that they were fugazy. That game yesterday wasn't really good for my heart. I should be used to the Chiefs winning games like that, but I'm not, and I don't think I ever will be.
In my opinion, I think the Raiders are probably the second best team in the AFC West, and to be honest, they're probably going to make the playoffs. And I'm with you, William. You know, and I appreciate you calling in as a member of Chiefs Kingdom and telling Raiders Nation a good game. That's that I think is it's high class of you, and also appropriate. And thank you for the call.
That's William in Topeka, right here on the WeatherTech Fan Line for American-made floor liners and a cargo liner that laugh in the face of fall weather. Visit WeatherTech.com today. You know, and listen, our caller from Topeka, Kansas, who is a diehard Chief fan, who said the Raiders are on all that they're fagazi, and then they calls back after the Raiders are anything but to apologize. I think just goes to show you right now that one thing that we know: one game shy of four games for everybody, and the Chiefs are on a week five buy, so the buy weeks have finally hit. One thing that we can say for sure is there is no clear cut favorite.
Yeah, the four and O team and the Kansas City Chiefs had all they could handle with the Raiders. All they could handle with the Colts at home, right? The four and O Minnesota Vikings can keep you off the board, but. Man, listen. I know I'm biased when it comes to JJ McCarthy.
It's like, really, you could just send a quarterback away. You know, you know what I mean. You get a quarterback, yeah. You know what I mean. Like our quarterback, we could send him away.
In the middle of all this, we've seen enough from Kyler, and we know what Carson can do. We'll take a fifth for somebody, and I'm watching Kyler run this offense. And I'm thinking to myself, okay, when's he going to turn into Sam Donald, or even JJ McCarthy on occasion? When's he going to show up as nine? Yeah, I'm going to use that.
Ah, no, listen, it was it was a field goal palooza, and they played with fire with the Miami Dolphins. They played with fire, and most people's um. Survivor pools. If you're still in one, they're four and zero, and the Niners are four and zero, losing one player after another. When is this gonna end?
With the Niners, as we're waiting to see if Kyle Yousechek is significantly injured. Schefter said a few weeks, hyperextension.
Well, that's good. No major ligament damage. That's great to hear. But. Everybody that's four and zero right now, and it's it's a dwindling pack.
I mean, you could see they're really good, and you could see they have the potential to be great. But on any given Sunday, I don't think we're at the quarter post point thinking one team is above the rest. And you got to look at three win teams and two win teams as Super Bowl contenders. One month in, I think that's what I'm gleaning. Rich, did I start a new trend with that collar?
Which what? A new trend of giving your ops props. Ops props. You know, Chiefs fans giving your opponents. I was giving.
I was reluctantly giving my ops props. Maybe that's something we do, Chris. We we try to start some of fans will. No, you don't like that. No, I'm not doing that.
Of course you wouldn't. Because I don't want to call opponents ops, but I appreciate your moxie. No, they are ops. I appreciate that. Yeah.
You know what I mean? Like you're you're you're looking at the NFC North, and one thing that the Vikings have is a defense that can absolutely win every game that's on their schedule. Their offense? Would you be surprised if Carson Wentz takes that thing over by a? Halloween?
That surprise you? No, no.
Okay, think so. You know, I I don't I don't see that as a world beater. But right now, if I told you, Chiefs Niners Super Bowl, or the field, a field for the matchup. Yeah. Oh, I'll take the field.
T.J. Jefferson. Chiefs Niners matchup or the field? Hmm. Ah.
I mean, it's. I have to go the field, but I was not going to be surprised if those are the last two standing. Would you be shocked if I told you the Rams are still Super Bowl? I had Chiefs Rams. Rams are still the favorites prior to the prior.
Pardon, I had Bills, Rams prior to the season. Yeah, and they're the two favorites right now. Ram six to one, Bills plus seven fifty. That surprise you? Rams still favorites?
No. Let's talk about the Rams while we're waiting for Marcus Spears to to join us. I thought the Rams were it. It had one in three for them written all over it. Yeah, all of it.
Because when you look at the Rams' losses, even in last year's remarkable season, it featured a Matthew Stafford turnover, and it featured special teams implosions, and both were happening in the Philadelphia rain. Oh, by the way, add Philadelphia to the mix, and you'd be like, "Oh, that's got a Rams loss written all over it." You know. Weird stuff happening. Weird stuff happening. You know, like gifting points to the other team, and it was going down.
And then you saw Sean McVay gather everybody on the sideline during the third quarter on the offensive side, and I don't. It didn't look like a riot act, but he was definitely delivering a message. Animated, damn. He was definitely delivering a message to him, and you know, at the end of the day, at the end of the day, the Rams got it done on both sides of the ball. Aaron Donald and Miles Garrett have yet to play a snap together.
Puka Nakua missed a couple games; he showed up again. Matthew Stafford made the throws. Kyron Williams with a remarkable run to put them up for the win, and Sean McVay had this to say after the game for the Rams. You try to, you know, do a lot of things that we're not in alignment with what is winning football. But you can't win it until the fourth quarter, and our guys came alive when they did.
A lot of gutsy efforts, and I have a headache from hell right now. But I am really proud of this group. I think a lot of teams would have folded in those situations, but our defense kept giving us a reason to believe. That is right. That is right.
The defense kept giving them reasons. To believe, and this is a moment that if the Rams do in fact fulfill the prophecy, correct, Christopher? Right. They're they're they're still the if you will still the Super Bowl favorites.
Okay. This is the game we'll talk about. This one right here, because it was dead to rights over. Yeah, the first dead to rights over. And then a massive comeback, where the defense did its job, the Rams kept getting the ball back, and then marched down the field for a win.
It's Stafford, though. I mean, fifty-one attempts is still too. That's many, too many, man. Too many. Kyron got it done.
Eighty. Yards on the ground and two touchdowns, including that one that I was referring to, and then ten catches for sixty-seven yards. Wow! He brought him through. Puka had another rushing touchdown.
So Stafford with no touchdowns and two interceptions—that is the recipe for losing in Philadelphia. As is the miscues again on special teams, missed field goal, and then kicking the ball bounce. That look on on McVeigh's face said it all. Said it all. And so the Rams salvage.
They do not start one and three. They are two and two, which is crucial because the Niners. Improved to four and zero with a gutsy win against the Denver Broncos, and now comes a game against the Rams to wrap up. Game against the Bills on a Monday night to wrap up Week Five before a so-called softening of the schedule. Two games against Arizona, sandwiched around a visit to Vegas, a home date with the Chargers, and then visiting Washington, which we assume will feature a more healthy Jaden Daniels.
Otherwise, it's Greek food for Miles Garrett, who should be back by then. If Miles eats Greek, listen, you could sit here and go, okay. Rams just took care of a diminished Eagles team. Let me tell you something that they couldn't do in Philadelphia. I guess for the last twenty-something years, which is the Rams go to Philadelphia and win it.
Take it as you get it. And now the Eagles can't wait to hear what Marcus Spears has to say. He's going to join us next segment. Hey, second straight game where they disappeared after halftime. Second straight.
We all know what happened in Philadelphia and in Chicago on that Monday night. Um. But Hertz just totally disappeared, and this offense totally disappeared after halftime. Shutout after halftime. Shutout.
Nothing. Ninety-three yards and two touchdowns for Hertz. You know, and Darius Cooper. Man, if you had him on your fantasy team, two salute. Caught both.
No Devonte Smith. No Dallas Goddard. No AJ Brown, obviously. No Saquon. He goes down.
Yep. But is anybody in? But in the first series, is anybody going to sit here and cry them a river, or give them a break in Philadelphia? It never happens. Never happens.
So after the game, Hertz was asked, "What gives after halftime?" Poor execution. Poor execution. That's yeah. Poor execution. What were the issues on on the third down, especially when they put poor poor execution?
There's no, I think there's any other way to put it. When the Rams blitzed Jalen Hurts, four of fourteen for twenty-eight yards and a sack. That's it. Dickerson's out. I mean, it seems you know the reports of Lane Johnson.
He did not play due to a personal matter. He said, and there's word that he might never play again. Yeah, I don't know if that's fair not to just throw out there. Yeah, really. Yeah, I've seen those.
That's everywhere right now. Yeah, and we're hoping whatever caused him to miss the game yesterday, he is fine. Hundred percent. But the line is not the same, and the roster is not the same, and pointing the finger, Jalen Hurts is still the same, and a new offense that's being coordinated right now, and and I know I keep telling Eagles fans to relax. Their pass rush is not the same.
Their coordinator is the same on defense.
Next up, they are in London against Jacksonville, and if they cannot pack Saquon Barkley for that trip, that is going to be another ugly one. And then they come home for Carolina, and if the Carolina team that just showed up against the Lions shows up, I I am you know a very very. Optimistic when it comes to the Eagles, and I'm like, I believe in the roster. I believe in that general manager. The coach wins more than not.
They love the adversity. They just soak it in and breathe it like it's oxygen.
So I always come here and say I preach patience. But right now, I am genuinely concerned. They are hurt. They are banged up. They are not the same.
So normally I'm telling Eagles fans relax. I will just say this: if I'm like, "Hey, New England's two and two, Lions are two and two," it's just one month. Everybody just take a break. Everybody just breathe. I'll do the same here again for Philadelphia.
But new coordinator on offense and no points after halftime two straight weeks. Essentially, here. I don't know. You're going to pick them against Jacksonville, Carolina, or Dallas the next three weeks. I again, them against Jacksonville in London is really tough.
But things are weird over there. Just ask the Commanders. Things go weird, and then you know, Dallas has got to love this dysfunction. They got to love it. Eight four four two zero four rich number dial.
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Oh oh oh O'Reilly. The Rich Eisen Show podcast. Just chopping it out with Marcus Spears talking about the 20-year anniversary of the reopening of the Superdome, and just two plays later, then the loudest I've ever heard a building because Steve Gleason blocks the punt. Curtis Deloach returns it for a touchdown. Returns it again.
It was as if the city was officially back there. You know how sports works. You know, Rich. The reality was every person. That had anything to do with football was a Saints fan that night, and I bet if you had to nail down Atlanta Falcons fans, that they were okay with not winning that game and the way that that game went.
Now they'll never say that, and they'll never want it to happen again. But I just think in totality, like when you go back to that to that time, you realize, like, man, it was. First of all, I felt like it was divine the way the way it went, but more importantly. Just the city needed every bit of how that happened and what transpired that night, and it's a rivalry. Like Atlanta and New Orleans is really a rivalry, right?
Like these teams, you know, they've struggled, been down a little bit, but this game, I'm here now. This game is—it's Atlanta Falcons fan everywhere. Obviously, everybody loves coming to New Orleans, but I just think it's super cool that you know. Twenty years later, we sit here and this game is happening on Monday Night Football on our network, and we can revisit and talk about how this city was revived through football, man. Yeah, yeah, and that game was on, and you know, ESPN that night twenty years ago, and I'll never forget it.
You know, and just your point before we move on, Sean Payton, just this past preseason. When the Broncos were spanking the Falcons in a preseason game in Atlanta, he was joking about how so many empty, you know, fans of the Falcons showed up as empty seats tonight.
So he's gone from the Saints, and he still feels that way about this rivalry. You know what I mean? It's real. It's a, it's a, it's a rivalry. Very few talk about because we're.
I certainly it's it's Packers Bears week. I don't know if you saw Ben Johnson and and breaking down the team after the win against the Jets. He just looked at the Bears. He goes, "You know what week?" Is I have to say, you know.
So we're going to be focused on that rivalry, but tonight's a, it's a pretty good one for the NFL. Build one, man. It's a gold. All right, so let's jump into the rest. I was just talking while we were trying to connect with you about how this four weeks in we still don't know who the best team in the NFL is.
But if you want to put your marker down on somebody, who is it? Who is it? Stephane.
Okay, I think it's San Francisco. Look, and and even with some of their guys being out, you know, just the impact of Brock Purdy is one playing well. This this probably was his worst game, but still played well. But you see, George Kittle, obviously the impact of him. Christian McCaffrey is still there.
Mike Evans with Real condition that looks painful every time he caught the football, and then what I think is one of the most unsung signings that that could end up in the biggest dividends is Debo Samuel back in Kyle Shanahan's offense. It changes everything about what they do. They're so dynamic, and with Debo and Christian on the field offensively, it feels like you have two guys obviously that can do a lot of the same things from any position.
So I think just looking at San Francisco, the way defensively they were able to stay with it. Dray Greenlaw had obvious and obvious vendetta against against the Broncos in that game, but I think this team is. I think they are as complete, and they have a number of ways in which they can win games. And if their quarterback continues to play like this, and like we talked about, Rich avoid the injury bug as much as possible because the the normal thing is you're gonna lose some guys throughout the season, but they've just been hit catastrophically at times. If they avoid that and Brock Purdy stays consistent and continues to build, I was I would have to say the Forty Niners right now.
And you know there are some teams now that we're four weeks in for them, Marcus, where we're wondering if the offense, the defense, is going to be able to come around. Yeah, and I'm going to give you some choices. Let's start with some offenses first. Which offense do you think has the best chance? To turn around, Vikings, Eagles, or Chargers?
Which one? Vikings, Eagles, Chargers. Their offense can turn around. I would, I would, I would have to go Vikings. Um.
One because Justin Jefferson is there. I know the quarterback situation can be super inconsistent at times. Aaron Jones is there. They got a really good tight end, and defensively, they're going to. I got to bring defense in, Rich.
I know they're going to have a lot of opportunities than most teams because of what Brand Flores and that side does.
So just being able to get the ball as much as possible. Helps that offense as well. But what's wrong? What what's going on with them right now? I mean, is Kyler just getting up to speed, or I think that I mean, Rich, like we expect number one for Kyler Murray to come in, and obviously we thinking about Kyler when he's playing at a very high level and from from his days.
But inconsistency has kind of followed him. And that's where Kevin O'Connell comes into into play. With how can he formulate, I guess, easy options give him more of what Kyler Murray likes to do within the structure of what Kevin O'Connell does. I mean. You look at Ben Johnson right now, dude.
Ben Johnson has called plays for three different quarterbacks, and they all look like they go into the Pro Bowl.
So it's a real thing when you can. It's a real thing when you can design and tailor a offense to. What you have specifically at the quarterback spot, I think that has a lot to do with it. And then, two, like just the connection, right? Like we talk about preseason, that training camp, Colin missed time.
Then, obviously, missed time with with the concussion. But getting on the same page because the one thing Minnesota does have is weapons. On the outside, we know that.
So I, I probably I deal with a little bit more confident than that. And their offensive line to me is not as abysmal as the other two you mentioned.
Okay, so now defensively, you put your marker on which defensive unit will be able to turn it around: Bills, Cowboys, Lions. Marcus Spears. I want to say Bills, but I think it's the Cowboys. I'm still optimistic about. I'm optimistic about the Cowboys continuing to get better.
There was there was possessions in that Houston game, and I know what the score ended up being, but you know they got out of halftime with sixteen points. Two six of those points were field goals from fifty plus. They had a field goal blocked, so that that score would have been a little bit closer. They made critical stops at times in that game to get off the field, so you could see a little bit of of progression now. We gonna always talk about it over arching, right?
Like they gave up this many points, and we saw the downfield passes to Nico and and and all of the other guys at wide receiver, and you know those will kind of be the talking points for what Dallas defense is. But I think when Dallas goes into film, they realize like, hey man, we got to. Just, just continue to have more communication. You playing with a new guy now again in the secondary with Joy Porter coming over, who I think is going to make them better. Brings the physicality to that secondary as well.
But I think Dallas still has a tremendous amount of room for improvement, and it's just. Popular to say because they've been so bad the last couple years that nah, it's the same old Dallas defense. I think this is a young defense that's going to continue to get better as the season go go about.
So I hold I hold that hope out, and now we're starting to see. Quinn and Williams kind of put his imprint on games. This the second week in a row where I felt like he was disruptive. Rashawn Gary made some plays up front. You saw some pressures that got home and caused CJ to be uncomfortable at times.
So I think Dallas has that chance to to improve dramatically as this season goes along.
So what's your opinion on what it gives with the Texans' defense, Marcus? The only the only word I can attribute to it, to be honest with you, is complacency. And when you look at it, though, Rich, honestly, yes they they they one they they one drop away from beating Buffalo for an interception with Kamari Lassiter. And look, I Dallas played phenomenal on offense, and that catch the George Pickens, that throw to George Pickens and catch Kamar Lasser. They can't cover that any better.
Like that's just sometimes in this league you get beat, and a lot of that last year they won. They turned the ball over a lot last year. Dag didn't have any turnovers. I don't believe. I think I'm recollecting right.
They had a lot of strip sacks, a lot of strip sack fumbles, a lot of change of possession defensively, and those things just haven't been the staple that it's been for them.
So again, I still think the Texans are going to continue to get better. Defensively, to be honest with you, and then Nico was a big boost for that offense. I know they zero to four, but I don't want people going in there thinking the Texans going to be a easy run because of their schedule, and we know how this league is. That it could turn around in a minute, you could find your you could find your your zen in a minute. I think that's a really good win for the Dallas Cowboys, but I think the Houston Texas defense is going to continue to get better.
They just it's a little bit maybe of complacency, and when you play that good and historically like they did last year, sometimes the details get a little bit lost because you think you can just run it back. And I think it's just a recalibration, and and and obviously D'Amico is going to have to make sure he gets that message across. But that's still a good defense because if you look at that game and you break it down film wise, it was a lot of pressure on Dak. It was a lot of uncomfortability with him in the pocket. A large majority of that game, Dak just played out of his mind.
Every Friday on this show, Marcus Spears, because you come here every Monday. Every Friday we play a game. What's more likely?
Someone to do that with you here.
Okay, because I like giving you choices. I don't know if you've noticed that this has become a staple of our so many choices.
So many choices. All right, that's what life about, Rich. Need choices. What's more likely to happen this year? Chargers get rid of Mike McDaniel.
I'm going to talk about midseason here. Mike McDaniel, you say in midseason? Yeah, like it's going to happen, right? Because because because things just boil to a point where there's no choice. Mike McDaniel, they turn to somebody else.
Kelvin Shepard, the Lions turn to somebody else defensively, or Sean Payton takes the play calling back from Davis Webb. Those are your three choices. What's more likely to happen this year? Marcus Spears. Gun brings the play calling back.
You think so? Yeah, I know it's. I know it would be popular to say McDaniel out or Kelvin Shepard. I think. I think Shepard would be probably be second, but the injuries in Detroit and and some of that matters factors into it.
I believe Sean Payton thinks he has a really good offense, and it's just not getting maximized. And what what was that score? Twenty two seventeen in that game, I believe. San Francisco in a Denver. What what was the final?
Rich, I've been watching a thousand games. Yeah, somebody this the the Niners Broncos game. You're referring Niners Broncos. What was the final score in that game? Yeah, twenty four fourteen.
Twenty four fourteen. Um, I believe Sean Payton. Is going to start believing I'm good for two touchdowns. I'm just telling you. I'm just telling you, man.
Uber competitor, you know, Sean. Like it's not gonna go. It's not gonna go this way when he knows or he thinks that they can be explosive with him. Behind the calls, and look, shout out to Davis Webb, man. Sean giving them an opportunity, but it gets to a point in this league, and we all know we can talk about things when we're comfortable.
But when they start to get uncomfortable, or when you start to talk about it's do or die now, we know that things change quickly, and I just don't see Sean sitting back. And allowing this to go on too much longer, with you not having the offensive output consistently that you want to have. I mean, this team, this team was in the AFC Championship game last year. Yeah. So, Sean is not fooled about what they have the potential to be.
You know, I got the standings. I lead at them. I hear you. I've got the standings here in front of me, and it's amazing how, you know, obviously. How many two and two teams there are, but how differently you feel about it, right?
Depending on how, if you just became two and two from one and two, or two and two from being two and one, like the Patriots are two and two.
Okay, look at us right now, right? Colts are two and two.
Okay, we were zero and two.
Now look at us now, right? The Cowboys with their gaudy, right? They're two and two. They're feeling good about themselves. The Packers, you know, despite everything going on, they're five hundred going into Bears Week, and it.
Looks like it's going to be Tyson Bajen coming up the toll road, and the Panthers after what they did against the Lions, we're two and two. Rams, look at us, you know. I'm sure they they're not terribly happy at the end of the day being two and two, but it's better than one and three. And then you've got the Lions at two and two, the Eagles at two and two, the Broncos at two and two, the Steelers and Bengals at two and two. You see where I'm going with all this?
Yeah, I see where you're going. Who's who's real and who's not. Correct. Correct. I'm putting in my.
Yeah. I'm using my other. I'm using my other device. Yes, sir.
So I could pull up these. Use that other device. Pull up these games. Use that other device. Yeah.
So, so Rich, here's the thing. All right. All right. So let me let me kind of let me couch this in this way. You can be optimistic about teams that have played a style of football that you think can.
Be repeatable, okay, and transferable, right?
So when you look at when you look at the Colts, let's take the Colts for example. You feel like the Colts are going to be able to take Jonathan Taylor to any stadium and have success, right? But you worry about quarterback play. Just I'm gonna just leave it at that. Sure.
You look at Who's my who's my other team? How about this? How about this? Well, you're talking about quarterback play. Should we can be concerned about the Bengals' quarterback play, Marcus?
I know my guy across the way over there, Chris Brockman, is pointing a finger, saying that he's not he's not all that. You know, at the end of the day. What do you think, Burrow? Nah, he's he's built enough credit right now.
Okay, very good. Yeah, yeah. I'm not going to interrupt your flow then.
So we take the Bengals and throw them out. I'm not going. And you lose, you lose a guy that changes the game. Like let's let's be let's have some reality.
Okay, about what happened there. You go in Cincinnati. Who else you said? Rich two and two, two and two. Give me in terms of having gotten there with a loss or a win.
You are talking about with the Patriots at two and two. Drake May, the Pats, yeah.
So we believe in them. Talked earlier. I don't know if it was me and you. Yep. I talked earlier some last week.
I said the the Bills are the team on upset alert because at some point Drake May was going to get out of that funk. Like I just feel I feel like he's too talented. Yep. To be to look that bad, and for you to expect them to continue to look that bad as you go along, I have concern with the Packers. All right, a three point win against Tampa, who's hampered.
Which I don't know if I'm on board with that, bro.
Okay. Like, and and and I can't. I still can't get over Bijan having 194 yards rushing, and Drake London almost having 200 yards receiving. I I I'm not over that yet. Um, because we were ready to kick at we were ready to move Atlanta to the Canadian Football League before that week.
Um. So again, like I just, the Rams are what right now, two and two, yeah.
So, and that's with that's with Puka just returned. We saw that pay dividends against the the the Eagles. Even though I thought the Eagles did a pretty good job for a large majority of that game, but Puka returns, and you still AD didn't play. Miles still not there. They'll be fine.
They ran it well. That's a two and two team that I'm not necessarily worried about. And then tonight's winner is two and two. You know what I mean? That what a big game is tonight.
Big game down now.
Now here's what you could say about tonight, please.
So the Saints have played tough. I know it's not reflected in there in their record, but they have played. And and I'm sorry for the people that's looking at us on TV. I'm not looking at the screen right now, Rich.
So you got a ball. You got a you got a Saints team. The worst loss is obviously the Detroit loss, Week One. But Week One is you know they still put up 30 points. The Baltimore loss was when we were like, oh, I mean, the win.
We were like, oh, what's going on with the Saints? Like Tyler Shipp playing well, they beat the Ravens. We got high expectations for the Ravens, and then we got to Week Three where they lost to the Raiders, and it kind of cooled down.
Now I'm gonna ask you this, Rich. You interview me. I'm interview you right now. Yes, sir.
After what you saw from the Vegas Raiders last night, Amen. How does that change your opinion about that Saints game? One hundred percent a week ago. One hundred percent. I hear you.
I'm with you.
So that's the NFL, man. Like I had concerns about Buffalo's defense prior to them going. With their record being good, what you wanted to be prior to them going to the Patriots game, we have to sometimes we can sometimes play this game of the general reaction and response to what happened on Sunday, and we can talk about this team is good, this team is bad, this team this and this and this. But then there is an element to when we're watching these teams play, where we have to think about: okay, is this transferable? Is this something that we can count on more than we cannot?
And that's why you just asked me about Joe Burrow. With Joe Burrow, with Jamar Chase and T. Higgins on the field, history has taught me I can count on that being more productive than it was. At the end of that game against Jacksonville, and that's not taking anything away from Jacksonville. Jacksonville has taken the ball away from everybody in the red zone so far this year.
Correct. So they are a good football team, but there's there's other games that's going to give us more information about teams that we may be high or low on. It's just like I heard Dan and Stephen A. and Michael Irvin this morning talk about. They were talking about the NFC East and could the Dallas Cowboys win the NFC East?
And Dan went. He said, "Well, right now the Giants and all of that. Do you feel more confident about the Giants or the Cowboys right now?" Cowboys.
Okay. And and and I'm just giving you an example of the lead, Rich. I'm taking you somewhere. You just gotta stay with me. A week ago, we saw Marcus Mariota beat the Seattle Seahawks.
Yep. So again, like you can take.
So, do we think that the Washington Commanders are good and they can be consistent? But we just watched them again this week.
So the league will tell you in a knee-jerk reaction, "Oh, we here and we doing what we need to do." But then when you actually and and that sometimes is the disconnect with what I do and what we do as analysts sometimes. Watching the film and not having the reaction to what the feeling is about the game. It's watching the film and realizing that Houston had a high ass pressure rate against Dak Prescott this game.
So I'm more encouraged. About Dak, responds him being under that pressure and being able to play. He being able to play the way he was able to play, and not turning the football over. I'm also looking at the Dallas game and saying it was some critical third downs where Dallas defense got off the field, which in turn may have caused them to be able to win that game. Obviously, it did.
But again, that's how sometimes the prisms they get obscured because we just want to react. Oh man, the Commanders beat Seattle, so Seattle bad, or you have somebody say, "Well, damn, Drew Lock should have played in the game." No, it's just one of those weeks. The Raiders, right? Everybody was like, and then we have those ones that literally give you like, okay, this is a seminal week where we'll understand more about this team. The Raiders just went toe to toe with Kansas City.
We all believe Kansas City is a good football team, like one of the teams that's going to be there in the end. I'm telling people right now, the Raiders are a problem. This ain't the same Raiders. I'm with you.
We've been watching. I'm with you.
They're they're in New England next week.
So yeah, man.
So look forward to it. Yeah, I know. I know. I'm talking Rich, but you got me excited. Cause I love it.
I'm just getting ready. Yeah, man. I'm just I'm just priming you for Scott. I know it. I know it.
Have a great broadcast, Marcus. You're the man. We'll chat next week. All right, fam. Y'all take care.
Marcus here Monday night countdown six to eight Eastern. We're back on the Rich Eisen Show in a second. Hiring for a small business is hard. You don't often have a team of people helping out. That's why LinkedIn built Hiring Pro.
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Again, I do look forward to ESPN's coverage tonight. It was, I believe, it was Tarico and Gruden in the booth twenty years ago. Wow! In the Superdome, and like I said, I'll never forget that night sitting next to Marshall Faulk. Vick fumbled it out of bounds because again the Falcons got the ball first.
The ball was loose for a while, and I thought that the Saints' defense was going to turn the Falcons over. And out comes Drew Brees, and instead they forced a punt, and we saw what happened after that. It's now been memorialized in front, and you know, it was just a wild night. And the place was just ready to party all day. You could sense it, and then all night, Marshall's like, "We're you want to go out afterwards?" And I'm thinking to myself, "Going out with Marshall Falk, Mister New Orleans, in this town on this night, one thousand percent yes.
I just want to see what it's like." And I went up to Mariucci. I'm like, "Steve, you want to come out?" He goes, nah, I'm tired. I'm going to go back to the hotel. I'm like, dude, all time bag fumble. I'm like, I'm like, we talked about it during a commercial break yesterday when we were promoting this game during our pre and halftime and post game show of Colts and Commanders on NFL Network.
And Mootch is like, remember what I told you? I'm like, yeah. Do you remember what I told you? He goes, yeah. I remember I told Steve.
I'm like, you know what?
Next time the hurricane of the century nearly wipes this town off the map. Then you'll go out the night it comes back. The next time, next time, all time fumble. He went back to his hotel room, man, and I stayed out with Marshall till three in the morning, and it was a night to remember. It was just fun seeing New Orleans all lit up that night, for sure.
Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast. You can watch and listen to the Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to three Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
