It's Saturday. The leaves are piling up. The games coming on, and your fall cleanup could use a quick assist. Need a blower, yard bags, or a few more supplies? Express delivery from the Home Depot can get you what you need delivered in a snap.
Order in the app or online, and track it along the way, so you can wrap up the yard before kickoff. Get what you need in two hours or less with express delivery from the Home Depot. Subject to availability. Order select in-stock items by four PM. Restrictions and fees apply.
Rich Eisen here. At Hyundai, the SUV trophy shelf is getting a little out of hand because U.S. News and World Report named Hyundai the best SUV brand. That's five out of six years with hybrid SUVs like the premium and capable Palisade, the adventure built Santa Fe, and the tech infused Tucson. Which means at this point, the shelf will need its own structural support system and a dedicated construction crew.
Probably need those little visitor hard hats too. Visit U.S. News Best Cars at cars.usnews.com and visit. Visit hyundaiusa.com for more details. 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. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to three Eastern.
Miss the show? We've got a podcast, so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part: our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com/slashRichEisenShow, and you'll never miss. A moment.
Now, on with the show. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. It's been a while since I've been this pissed after a game, too. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Let me just go and sign Blade.
Ian Roberts. I understand being upset that you had a kickbox. Today's guests: Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, WWE Superstar The Miz, ESPN College Football Analyst Josh Payte, and now. It's Rich Eisen.
Well, hey everybody, welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show. We're live on Disney Plus, the ESPN app, ESPN Radio, Sirius XM channel eighty, and for those who are listening, I'm starting today's program wearing glasses just to make you think I'm that much smarter. And other than that, I've just taken my glasses off, and now we can start the show. I feel dumber. Excellent.
Eight four four two zero four. It is the number to dial on our Weather Tech Fan Line to have a conversation with us. Kurt Warner, Josh Payte. Normally on a Tuesday, he's on a Wednesday, and that throws my whole game off. It's really weird.
The Miz is going to join us. Oh goodness, yeah. Fresh off of his Browns losing to the Jets. And perfect timing. He's he's got he's got something football related to promote involving the you know WWE superstars and the Sunday game between the Cowboys and the Packers.
How about all that? He's joining us in hour number two at Team Power Rankings Wednesday, as always. Good to see over there, Chris Brockman. How are you? I'm great, man.
How are you, DJ Mike D? Good morning, Rich. How are you, Mike Dill? I'm doing well. Good to see you, TJ Jefferson.
Is the candle lit over there? Mike said that real quick, like he didn't want you to really ask how he was doing.
Well, here's the thing: for the last 20 minutes, it's been really silent in here, except for Mike talking to himself. What are you talking yourself about, General? Just General. I'm. You're nervous about the Dodgers tonight.
Yeah, you're nervous about Shohei Ohtani's ability to hit. Yep. Um. Apparently, he spoke to Dave Roberts, and Dave's like he's close. We believe we're a better team with him.
It's close. You know, you're you're you're hearing. Ohtani was going to hit eighth, or so. Is that what's making you nervous? Yes, you're all a flutter.
Yeah, Chris knew it. I knew it. Are you going tonight? Yeah, I may be going tonight.
Okay, hey everybody, and if you're going to be in Chavez Ravine tonight, Mike may be there.
So. If not, he's going to give away his tickets to a Brewers fan. That's the way you roll. Wow! Look at him wearing his Rams hat.
Wow! All right. See, I was planning on just going through the introductions, and now, now look what you made me do. Is another what I made for you. All right.
Let's start the show this way. Let's do it. Five weeks into the National Football League, everybody, I understand that we've got ourselves a big to do with the NBA coming next week, and Pablo Torre's apparently been put on the case by some NBA owners to say, "Can you look into this whole helicopter arrangement for LeBron and whether that's a mini khalai type situation going on?" I understand. There's all of that going on. This is a chopper.
We only got one. But we're we got football on the mind here. Football, and I'm starting today's program with the Cowboys. I don't even need.
Now you know what I could talk about. The Dallas Cowboys defense. I was just reading about that just ten minutes before the show because I'm a lead pipe wielding professional who prepares. Get your damn act together. That's right.
I've got a journalism degree. Oh, nice. From from Madill School of Journalism. Nice. Hi, Falutin.
Journalism. Listen, Big J. Listen, I could talk about the Dallas Cowboys. DeMarvion Overshown sharing. He was oversharing.
Overshown. Oversharing. That the Cowboys had a a players only meeting on defense, but that's not what you wanted to start.
So we don't need players are meeting. Mike Pettin is joining, and the coach is now kicked up to the booth. They don't want to see him. They just want to hear from him. Not going to do that.
Yeah, let's not. I'm starting with a top five list. Oh, my top five MVPs of the first five weeks of the National Football League, brought to you by Hyundai. Hit it, please. High five!
One, two, three, four, and five. Richest top five. Yeah, I've got a top five list. Write this down. These are my MVP candidates.
Word number five on the list. This guy is running the football left, right, up, and down. When he comes out of the backfield, this is one massive. You could call it a business decision; it's really a life decision. When the Diminishers coming out of the backfield for your four and one AFC North leading Baltimore Ravens, and if this team, if this team had not.
Lost to the Saints. By the way, the same way Christopher last year at the end of the year, everyone was like, "I don't know if the Patriots lose to the Raiders at home." Yeah, it was very confusing in their home opener. Yeah, very odd. I kind of feel like this is the way we're going to start looking back. You know, that the Saints win over.
Yeah, maybe come back in the fourth quarter on a Ravens team that's otherwise not lost. Derek Henry is the MVP of this team. I I know Lamar wasn't. Lamar's missed a game. Snoop comes in, right?
Does what a backup quarterback supposed to do. Lamar has MVP credentials, but through the first five weeks of the season, I'm calling this guy as the MVP of the Ravens. Number four on the list. You know it's a quarterback driven award, right? It should be MVPQ.
How long? We just keep the camera where it is. MVPQ. He is a guy who's fourth on my list. Oh, I don't know the foreign Ochi.
Oh, baby, he's already got a comeback player of the year. Wrapped. It's coming back from what he played in week 15. The idea of comeback is that you miss the whole year and then you come back. I needed literally missed the last two weeks.
The season, a full season. He didn't miss a full season. You go way. He didn't go play. TJ, you know a lot of people.
The number of people that come in. To this studio, who are like going back like a car seat with you? Yeah.
Okay. You know a lot of people about that life on both coasts. Cause you're an East Coaster, I'm internationally known. You're on the West Coast. Do you know of anybody who gets triggered by the words Patrick Mahomes more than that guy over there?
Anybody? Do you know anybody? Anything I'm triggered about? I'm sure mainly a Raiders fan, but I don't really. Comeback player of the year.
Even me mentioning that you 15. Even me mentioning that you get triggered by him got you triggered. Got you triggered. I'm not. Please keep proving my point again.
Of everyone in this room, I'm. The one that put him on Mount Rushmore after only one Super Bowl win. He should not win comeback player of the year. What, dude? He rehabbed his ass off.
He played eighty percent, eighty-five percent of last season.
Okay, so that is not. This is not a top five on comeback player. This is MVP. But I agree with Chris on this one. You got to go away, and you got to come back.
He never went away. Word. Everyone goes away in the off season. You need an injury that makes people go, "Oh, it's over." You are. Like Kyler Murray missed almost all of last year.
He took a football off his helmet, and his coach didn't want to see him anymore. He had an ankle. That's what he's coming back from. It was a foot, not an ankle, and his foot got hurt because he was chasing a ball that went off of his face mask. Patrick Mahomes had his knee done.
Get out of here. In week fifteen, what are we doing? At any rate, he's MVP candidate number four. I'm okay with that more than comeback number three. This team is five and zero, best team in the National Football League.
My power rankings are coming up later this hour. Brock Purdy, he was your offensive player of the month for September. Number three, he's number three on this list. Oh yeah, my higher register had him at one last week. Is that right?
Okay, I went higher. I put Brock Purdy at three, number one on this list. Number two on this list. For your four and O Kansas City Chiefs, Kenneth Walker the Third, this guy is the MVP of the Chiefs through the first five weeks of the season. Oh my goodness!
As he put the Chiefs in a completely different realm, I do believe Mahomes coming back from that knee injury, playing as well as he's been playing, is remarkable. This guy, what he's done is put the Chiefs on a totally different plane. I don't think we'd be talking about an undefeated Chiefs team, and we wouldn't be talking about a Chiefs team that looks super again without this guy doing what he's doing. And I think he's going to keep doing it. Coming off the bye, here we go.
Ken Walker, number one on the list is the guy I came into the season saying would be the MVP of the league, and he's done nothing but prove it. Josh Allen, oh my gosh, this guy! Did you see Dan Orlovsky's video that the run in overtime that set up the game-winning field goal that essentially ended the game, where he pirouettes from under center, doesn't hand the ball off to James Cook, but rather keeps it and runs to his left was. Apparently, it looked to him the way that the blocking scheme was supposed to be a run. A total, complete.
I'm taking the football moment. That's funny, Josh Allen, and I'm ending the game. You know, and that was his—that was his actually only designed run of the game. Everything else was scram. And Dan saying he doesn't think it was designed.
Interesting. Yeah, take a look at at his all twenty two breakdowns. Josh Allen is the MVP of this league through five weeks, as I thought he would be through eighteen weeks. And I guess I'm just back in my play right there. You have one more.
I did not know this. Oh, by the way, this heads up. Coop, let me know he's out. He has no school next two days, so you might see him here. Hey, Dad, I'm not coming.
He might do that live. He might do it live. Being here, but anyway. Neither here nor there. In the same way that I have two from the Chiefs at four and O, I'm going to give you two from the 49ers.
I think Mike Evans deserves some conversation here. I know receivers don't win MVP. MVP, they don't. Come on, dude. But what do you mean, but?
What? Name me another wide receiver other than Debo Samuel, who's now going to be out. This guy. He gets carted off one week with a with a taking one of the chops, and he comes to eat. And then he just keeps on ticking.
He's been incredible. He has been incredible. He's carrying my team fantasy wise, and he's carrying the the forty niners reality wise on on offense, as they're as I pointed out on on Tuesday's program. Clearly, clearly pulling back from using Christian McCaffrey as they normally have. To try and keep him fresh for a long run.
So those are my top MVP candidates through five weeks. Brought to you by Hyundai, named America's best SUV brand by U.S. News and World Report. Learn more at hyundaiusa dot com and view at cars dot usnews dot com. Why don't you?
Okay. Anything else? Because I was going back and forth. You know the only I just didn't want to name anybody from a three and two team or a two and three team. Kind of tough to.
And this this is listen if you're somehow just snapping this on right now. Just gave you my top five MVP candidates through five weeks, and I have. Baltimore Raven and Derrick Henry, two Chiefs, two Forty Niners with the one more. The Chiefs are Mahomes and Kenneth Walker and Mike Evans and Purdy. Purdy was in the top five.
Evans was the one more, and it's Josh Allen one. I and this may be part and parcel of what's going on in the NFL, and certainly where you're. Also, I think in this conversation we're about to have, mirroring what a lot of other people think, I could not for the life of me come up with a Viking for this list at five and zero. You know, yeah, I think that's pretty fair. I just could not, like on offense, if I had to name one, I'd name Aaron Jones.
Yeah, if you look at just the Vikings, look at the odds. Like Kyler Murray is a hundred and twenty-five to one.
Well, I mean, he, as you know, and he's just the quarterback got got knocked out of the Week One win. Yeah, and Dallas Turner is fourth on defensive player of the year odds.
Now he's been he would be the one on the defensive side of the ball, which is why the Vikings are five and zero. Yeah, um, big time. You can't name a defensive coordinator a an MVP candidate. Pretty funny, despite despite being as good as he is, coming from Brownsville. I read that.
Hey, why don't you reach out to Res Consulting? Anybody who's looking for coaching candidates will give you unvarnished, straight up evaluations. But at any rate. I mean, it would be Flores, right? Yeah.
Well, he's got to be assistant coach of the year so far, right? You'd have to say that. I mean, I there is such an award, and I would vote for Brian Flores on that front, right? Yeah, yeah. You know, but for the life of me, I could not sit here and go because I, I, the first order of business I had coming up with this list was look at the standings, right?
And then natural, and then. With two Niners and two Chiefs and no Vikings, I think that's an indication again of of how great a team, a collective, it is. Um, and who can come to the fore over the next twelve games for this team coming off of the bye? Um, that can come to the fore and. Grab this opportunity by the horns, and the opportunity is to win the Super Bowl with a Super Bowl caliber defense, and offensively be able to put up point for point with the Lions in your division, the Bears in your division, when Caleb comes back to put point for point with the Seahawks and the Niners in their division, and the Rams in their conference.
Pardon me, in their conference. You know, like the Falcons, if they can, you know, stay healthy. I think the only that's what I'm throwing out. I think the only person you could have put on this list realistically is Trevor Lawrence. Yeah, he's the one.
You know, I I was thinking about that too. Um, he's fourth in odds, and obviously they're four and one. Right. I I I thought hard about it, and then you just had to put two Chiefs on there. No, I just Mahomes is is playing out of his skull, man, and he hasn't lost yet, like Lawrence has, and Trevor Lawrence should have lost in London if they just Eagles just did the right special teams move.
I should have, could have, would have though. Understood. I get it. All right, we'll take a break. The man who witnessed that game.
In London, because he was in the booth on NFL Network in his usual Wednesday spot, he goes to London. He comes back from London, and he doesn't miss an appointed round. He's like the mailman of the Rich Eisen Show. Kurt is like a mailman through rain and sleet, very dependable and international business class. Yeah, he's made it through.
Kurt Warner here on the Rich Eisen Show, and we come back. 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. It's like having a true hiring partner, and you can chat with it just like you would a recruiter.
Hiring Pro listens, adjusts, and shows you the people that actually fit your needs. Eighty-eight percent of small businesses say they trust LinkedIn's candidate recommendations. Be confident in your hiring decisions. With LinkedIn Hiring Pro, post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/Isen. Terms and conditions apply.
Rich Eisen here at Hyundai. The SUV trophy shelf is getting a little out of hand because U.S. News and World Report named Hyundai the best SUV brand. That's five out of six years with hybrid SUVs like the premium and capable Palisade, the adventure-built Santa Fe, and the tech-infused Tucson. Which means at this point, the shelf will need its own structural support system and a dedicated construction crew.
Probably need those. Little visitor hard hats too. Visit US News Best Cars at cars.usnews.com and visit hyundaiusa.com for more details. Oh oh oh oh, O'Reilly. Check engine, ABS, or maintenance light on.
Take the guesswork out of your warning lights with O'Reilly VeriScan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE-certified master technicians. And if you need help, we can recommend a shop for you. Ask for O'Reilly VeriScan today. O O O O'Reilly Auto Parts.
The Rich Eisen Show podcast. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, everybody. Eight four four two zero four. Rich is the number to dial on the program. We'll take a call in a second.
Kurt Warner's logging back in right now to make sure that we got the proper internet. Hire right the first time with LinkedIn Hiring Pro. People get started by posting a free job at linkedin dot com slash Eisen here on the show.
So he mentioned he makes all of his appointed rounds, despite going to London and back. All right, let's take a phone call on the WeatherTech fan line while we wait for Kurt Warner to go from one spot to another, one wing to another. Let's go to Paul in Las Vegas, Nevada. What's up, Paul? Hi, Rich.
Huge fan of the show. Thank you, sir. I just wanted to comment on the Eric Jackson suspension. Yes, two games. I get it.
Two games. But Bradley Chubb getting away with nothing—that's unreal. A grown-ass man sticking his finger in another man's face—I just don't condone that. He he hit him, Paul. You know what I mean?
Like I understand, like. You know, I I'm always loath to get into the conversations like about this sort of stuff because you never know what was said. Did somebody cross a line? But the bottom line is, he hit him. I get it.
You know what I mean? Like he actually made contact with him. You can't have one player hitting another after a game. You just can't. I know.
I get it. But sticking your finger in another man's face. I hear you. I I I mean. Outside of football, if somebody did that to someone else, I, you know, but I get why he got the suspension.
I I understand. But Bradley Chubb not getting anything.
Well, that seems a little. Are you a Rams fan sitting there in Las Vegas? Huge fan. Been a Rams fan since. Eighty two.
Okay, so you are going to the game in two weeks. I, I live. I, I tried for the Vegas game. I am trying to get in there. I'll most likely try to get tickets to it.
All right, Paul. Thanks for the call. You hang in there. Let us know how it goes. Let's go to Mitchell in Pensacola, Florida.
What's up, Mitchell? First and first up, you should have been. What's up, Rich? How you guys doing today? Can you hear me okay?
We can. We got you. What's going on, man? All right, great. Yeah, I'm here in Vincola, Florida, doing hurricane cleanup right now.
It's a disaster.
Sorry to hear that. You know, we're all surviving. I just wanted to call and talk about the Jack, man. What an incredible win! Yep, I want.
I hope the Jaguars give Liam Cohen a lifetime contract extension. We can't let them walk. Just like Tom Coughlin did back in the day, it feels like the '90s again, baby. I wear my Marshburnell home starter jersey every game day, and it feels like there's hope. There's Super Bowl aspirations.
I'm pumped up about it. Let's go! This is a beautiful day, and what are your thoughts on the Jacksonville? Oh, well, I love that man. About this, Mitchell, as much as I think they are absolutely Super Bowl contenders, but Kurt Warner has just rejoined us right here on the program.
Kurt, I've got Mitchell in Pensacola, Florida, on the phone line. Did you? Or did you ditch him? Still here. He's still there.
Mitchell wants to know. Kurt, he wants to know: Is are his Jaguars Super Bowl contenders? You just saw him.
So why don't you give me an answer? I mean, I think they're in the mix. I still want to see a little bit more from them, a little more consistency across the board. I think we've seen games where we say, "Oh my gosh, they're as good as anybody," and then some other games where they're not quite as consistent, specifically on offense. And so, I think they're going to be in the mix.
I think they're a good football team. I think their defense does a lot of things really, really well, and they've got explosiveness on their offense. But the consistency is always key, especially when you get to playoffs time. All right. Hopefully, that's your.
Answer, Mitchell. Liam Cohen needs to start taking the points more too. You guys have a great day. Thanks again. There it goes.
There it goes. Back it. There goes our friend in Pensacola, Florida.
Okay, Kurt. Let's jump into it. Has Drake May gotten through those three weeks? He's he's back. Like the kid from last year, Kirk.
He looked the part this Sunday. To me, this was the closest he looked to last year all season long. Throwing the ball down the field, attacking down the field, not hesitating. I think the athleticism has kind of come back into his game the last couple weeks, where things aren't there. He's taking off and using his legs.
So I like what I saw this past week. But again, when you're five weeks into the season and and four weeks haven't quite looked like last year. I'm not ready to say okay. Let's throw all the issues out the window. He's back, but I love the way that he played this weekend, and that to me is how he's got to play: is get back, rip it, push the ball down the field, do those things that you did so well last year.
And he finally did that for a whole game this past weekend. And the rip it, just keep ripping it. Just see it rip it. Don't don't think about it. Just play like yourself.
Be instinctive. Is the conversation going on? Right now in Denver, that's what Bo Nix said in his media availability on Tuesday because they're playing Thursday to kick off Week Six against Seattle. My goodness, what a great game that's going to be with so much on the line already, just one third into the season. Anything that you saw differently with Sean Payton calling the plays in Bo Nix, Kurt?
No, not really. I mean, they they struggled offensively again. You know, it just and again, a lot of it to me falls to Bo Nix, just in terms of patience in the pocket. You know, I've seen it for years. It continues to be there.
At some point, it's like, okay, how do we fix this? How do we fix this problem? And there were a number of times again this past weekend where he hits the top of his drop and he's moving already, and it's before things even develop in the play. Gives him, you know, a chance to see what's there and make the plays that are in front of him, and you know, I don't know what the issue is because it's been going on so long, you know. And again, I I remember asking Sean Payton about it last year in one of our production meetings, and you know, he kind of just gave us the answer that, well, it's kind of who Bonics is.
He feels more comfortable with his feet moving, and okay, that's great. But if you continue to miss opportunity after opportunity. Because that's happening, something has to change, and at some point, he's got to, you know, figure that out, figure that piece out of it, where he can get back to his drop or time his drop better, so he can see what's going on and take, you know, some of these layups or some of these plays that are right within structure, you know, that that you're just not going to be able to live in this. Hit the back foot, run around, and think you're going to create plays for 60 minutes every week to win games. You've got to allow.
The system and the playmakers around you to make plays for you, and you know this has been a consistent thing throughout his career. The ironic thing is that when we get into late game situations, and he's got to make plays, he's shown that he can do it. He's shown that he can make all the throws and and make those reads and do those things. It's just why is it not happening early in games? Why is there more of a panic early in games?
You know, of course, he's forced. To it in the fourth quarter, but yeah, knowing he can play like that and having played like that in some moments, it just it's kind of dumbfounding that this continues to be the issue with him. In my opinion, and then watching that film for the Chargers, what would you counsel the Chargers to do to fix things and change things offensively? And I understand that could be a radical choice. Curry, but what would you counsel Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers to do now at zero and five?
I would just counsel them to get back to the base. Like Mike McDaniel's been very innovative with his offenses and what he's trying to do, and all the motions and shifts, and and creating you know certain opportunities for throws. And you know when I watch the film, there's a lot of times that you know I'm scratching my head, going, "What are we trying to do here?" And I almost feel sometimes like it's, "Hey, we're going to just try something that's really kind of off the wall and different because we've got Justin Herbert who can do it, or you know, we think that if we do this, the defense is going to do that, and it's going to look like a really good play because we're doing something different than everybody else is doing, and a lot of it to me. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't add up, or it's not playing out the way that they must think it's going to play out.
And for me, it would just be like, all right, let's go back to some basic football.
Some Jim Harbaugh going to line up, and we're going to run these runs. We're not going to try to fool anybody, or we're not going to necessarily over motion and and and hope we can get the defense out of position. Let's just play more smash mouth, you know, real football, and say we're going to beat you. Whether you know what we're doing or not, we're going to beat you by our physicality and our playmaking, and then do the same thing in the pass game. Is get back to some of those concepts that that Justin Herbert has done well.
That that you know, just kind of staple concepts that you see around the league each and every week, and see if that can you know settle things down and cause you to play more consistent football. You know, on both ends. Because to me, there's just so many negative plays. When you watch them, you know. When you watch a course of a game, is that there's just so much chaos going on that it's hard to be consistent.
If you're not staying on schedule and you're not, you know, just making some consistent plays, and one play might be our eye, then the next play you're losing yards and it's negatives and it's not working out. And to me, it's just a lot of chaos right now. And I would just go, okay, we're going to scrap some of all that stuff. We can come back to it at some point. Let's, you know, figure out.
What our identity is and what our base is, what we can live off of, and then we can start stacking things. Once we show some consistency in those areas.
Now, look, I'm sure it's not helpful that Rashawn Slater, Joe Alt, Lad McConkey, and Quinton Johnston are out. That's what happened against the Broncos.
So I understand that there's less than than what they're used to having for Justin Herbert to throw to. But is it fair to say? That what Mike McDaniel was brought in to do is something that Justin Herbert either is uncomfortable doing or just simply cannot do. And that's the ultimate problem. Is that fair to ask?
I mean, I think it's fair to ask, and I think it could be, it could be true. And again, the one thing I don't want to do here is just kind of throw all this on Justin Herbert and say, "Oh, well, you know, Justin can't do it, but everybody else could do it." I've been very outspoken that what Mike McDaniel's does in an offense is unique, and it takes a unique type of quarterback to really fit into. And specifically, I'm going back to to Miami because I'm not fully sure what they are in in in LA yet. But going back to Miami, that it takes a specific quarterback to do those things. And Tua was actually a really good fit when he was playing good football, and it's why he led the National Football League.
In passing one year, but that anticipation, the ability to have touch, the ability to turn and see and understand spacing quickly is a rare thing. I don't think there's a lot of quarterbacks in the National Football League that would be great at that. And so, I know we're going to look at this specific situation and go, "Justin Herbert can't do that." Whatever, he's not as good as we thought. I think there's a lot of quarterbacks that would struggle in that system, and so. That becomes the interesting dynamic.
Is you brought him in maybe to do some of that stuff, but if Justin is one of those quarterbacks that wouldn't thrive in that type of system, now what are we going to do? You know, how are we going to figure this out so we get Justin playing at his best, but we also get the best of Mike McDaniel and and and the creativity and the uniqueness of their offense? But right now, it doesn't seem like we have either. The other Mike McDaniel isn't like. Creating these easy, what I call layups, high hoppers for his quarterback, and then Justin doesn't look comfortable playing within what they're asking him to do.
You know, and I'll even say another thing because I talk about it a lot: this whole idea of pure progression versus you know full field coverage based read type stuff. And I believe that Justin Herbert has been more in the world of the coverage based reads, and they're you know what Miami has done. And that system has been more pure progression.
Okay, what what does that have to do with anything?
Well, I think a big part of the pure progression is coaches telling quarterbacks to see if their receiver is open.
Okay, so you come back and you're looking at your guy to determine can I throw it to my guy in a coverage-based or full field type read offense. I'm coming back and looking at defenders, and those defenders will tell me if that guy is open or not.
Now, again, this is all speculation here, but when I watch Justin Herbert the last couple weeks drop back and throw the ball right to a defender. Like numerous times, like we're all looking at these plays, going, what is he looking at? Like, how could he not see that defender that's right where he threw it? Like, hit him in the numbers. And I wonder sometimes if that's Justin not focusing on defenders and looking at his receiver and going, okay, I got to make this throw to the receiver.
And all of a sudden, as he's making the throw, the defender sitting right there because he's not focusing on defenders and he's focusing on his receivers again. Speculation, but I've seen it a lot in pure progression offenses where guys are looking at their guys as opposed to the opposing team's guys, and they're a bit oblivious, right? Because anything that we do, if you focus on one thing, you might be able to feel what's outside of you know that focus, but you don't fully know. If you're focusing on something else, then you know you have the chance, and that's what I mean by focusing on the defenders. You have a chance to truly see.
Where they're at, and dictate whether we make a different throw or whether we throw it to somebody else, and so that's some of the speculation that I I have, and I wonder because I know kind of the nature of pure progression type systems, and if that's something that may be messing with Justin Herbert as he's coming back and trying to find his guy and throw it to him and complete it to him, and he's losing sight of the bigger picture and what defenders are doing, and it's why we're seeing some of these. Kind of crazy interceptions that we've seen from him the last couple weeks. Man, wow! That's the only way I can respond to that.
So, even if Justin Herbert in this offense leads the league through five weeks in to use a word that you just used, obliviousness, and plays where it makes people go, "How did that happen?" No, for one. Hot second, the Washington Commanders took that mantle and, if you will, blew a win with it. What do you think happened at the end of the Commanders Giants game from your seat in London watching it back, Kurt? The only thing that I can imagine happened there was in that moment. Jaden wasn't given all the information in that moment.
You know, in terms of no timeouts, we're calling a pass play. This is what we're trying to do, right? Like, we don't have time to throw it incomplete in bounds. It's got to be a throw to the sideline. If it's not there, throw it away.
Stop the clock for like that. He wasn't given all the information in that moment. You know, even if he was given the information earlier in a drive or. Going out on the field or whatever, that in that moment, you know there was just a lot going on, and he didn't have all the information that he needed to make the. That's the only thing I can imagine.
You know, again, Jaden could have got the information, and as he dropped back to pass, and things got messed up a little bit, he lost. You know, he lost sight of all of that stuff and decided to run, and then realized that he made like that's possible. But I. I really feel like you see this all the time in in kind of two minute situations. Is that you know a play is called where you know you have to get out of bounds, so everything is called to the sideline, and you drop back as a quarterback and you peek at it, but you know the defense is covering the sideline, and you know your thought process is, hey, if it pops open now, throw it.
If not, just wing this thing out of bounds because you understand that scenario in a game at the end of you know half or at the end of a game that hey their Probably going to take this away, but we're going to call it if we get an easy one to get us five yards and get closer for the field goal. Take it, if not, launch it into the stands and we live for another day. And so that's the scenario that you know we've seen play out a million times. And so that's what makes me think somewhere in that communication in that moment, Jaden didn't get all of that information. Yeah, I know, but except Chris Paul, the offensive guard for the Commanders, said they.
Talked about it in the huddle.
Okay, I didn't hear that. I know, so but I know what it looks like from afar, and that's why I asked you. Could you? You obviously we don't know, but he said they talked about it in the huddle. They talked about the fact that they had no timeouts.
Correct, correct, correct. The exact exchange, just so you're aware. He was asked, was it talked? Did they did they know any timeouts that they had no timeouts left on the final drive of overtime? Chris Paul said.
"Quote unquote, yes, that was talked about in the huddle." End quote. In the huddle, and so and so. My question as well is because it took me honestly, it took me a while to watch it back because the way I described it on Monday's show, it was like a horror movie. Like you, you see the the guy in the chainsaw is standing there. You know, move faster.
Um and and it was tough to watch back, but I finally did, and then I watched it over and over again. It looks like Daniels gets stepped on by one of his linemen coming out, and it threw something off. And maybe he, last time that happened, you know, his his left arm folded like an accordion.
So I don't know. He kind of lost. Himself is what it looked like right there. Very easily. I mean, we've all we've all had that happen, and I'm with you.
I you know I just saw a couple replays, and I thought something funky happened too. Right when he was coming out from under center, like he you know fumbled with the ball a little bit, or as you said, I didn't see him stepped on, but that could have very easily been it as well. And and you know we've all been there where something happens and it throws our whole entire thought process off of what we were thinking. You know, two seconds before that, you know. And you would have thought in that moment, just in his head, was hey, it's a completion or a throwaway.
So as soon as something went wrong, it's it's turn and throw it. But you know, is there another scenario where in that moment, because it's he's like I'm in the pocket. What if I just turn and whip it, you know, out of bounds, you know? You know, without even thinking about it, you know, is there a penalty here? And all of a sudden, now I get a grounding call because I'm in the pocket again.
There's there's a lot of things that come up in the course of you know two or three seconds like that that you have to think about and consider. And and again, I don't know. You know, nobody's going to know except Jaden specifically what really happened in the moment. And it might have been just like you said. He had everything in his mind.
This is what I'm going to do. And then all of a sudden, he gets stepped on. He thinks he's going to stumble, maybe going to you know fall and take a sack. Right? What am I going to do?
And now all of a sudden he just loses his wits and and makes a play that he's going to regret. And then essentially takes a sack. He sacks himself. Yep. I still it it still blows my mind.
I got sixty seconds left. Quarterback that looked best on on tape week eight, week five to you is which. Jordan Love, you know, who hasn't necessarily looked great. Their team hasn't looked great, but against the Bears, he looked incredible. I mean, you just watch the tape, and it just bombs away.
He's just winging the ball all over down the field and making plays. He was he was awesome this weekend. I thought he was the the best quarterback that was out there. And did they solve their offensive woes with protection in the run game by just just throwing it deep, or or they just knew that the Bears were susceptible and and You know, with this rivalry, Lafleur is like just keep. Yeah, I mean, I mean, it was one of those things that a lot of the plays weren't really perfectly designed.
I mean, he just threw it up against the coverage and said, "Show me you're going to cover it." You know, the one deep post where Thiemann's back there, and you know his guy makes a play. They got another cover two look where he just throws a go route down the sideline. That safety should be there to make a play, and the safety squats and he just runs right by the safety.
So it was just to me, it was like a perfect storm. Everything went wrong for Chicago. Everything went why. For Green Bay, I'm not ready to say, oh, you know, Chicago should panic, and Green Bay's got you know everything put back together. This was one game where it just seemed to be out of whack from the get go, and we'll see where it takes these two teams moving forward.
But I'm just not ready to you know say Green Bay solved all their issues just because you know they got you know five or six huge plays in that game that that you know that they got you know. Took it away from Chicago very early. Kurt, you're the man. We'll chat again. All right, we'll see soon.
Sorry about the internet. Nah, it's all good. That's Kurt Warner, everybody. All right, we connected just like Jordan Love with all of his receivers. Today's forecast: falling leaves, football, and an eighty percent chance you are going to need a few more things for that backyard project.
Running low on yard bags? Need a leaf blower? Let Express Delivery from the Home Depot bring them right to you. Get fall project essentials delivered fast, so you can get it done with plenty of time left for the game. Get what you need in two hours or less with express delivery from the Home Depot.
Subject to availability, order select in-stock items by 4 p.m. Restrictions and fees apply. Rich Eisen here for Gusto. On my shows, we talk a lot about what happens in the spotlight—the games, the highlights, and the moments that get replayed and debated. But in any successful operation, what happens behind the scenes matters just as much.
Small businesses are no different. Payroll, hiring, onboarding, benefits, and all the details that keep things moving may not be the most visible part of the job, but they still have to be handled right. That's where Gusto comes in. Gusto is online payroll and benefits software. Built for small businesses, it's all in one, remote-friendly, and incredibly easy to use.
So you can pay, hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere. Automatic payroll, tax filing, simple direct deposits, health benefits, commuter benefits, workers' comp, 401k—you name it. Gusto makes it simple, and has options for nearly every budget. And it's all built to save you time with built-in automated tools for offer letters, onboarding docs, direct deposit, and more. Plus, you get unlimited payroll.
For one monthly price, no hidden fees, no surprises. Try Gusto today at gusto. dot com slash rich and get three months free when you run your first payroll. That's three months of free payroll at gusto. dot com slash rich.
One more time, gusto. dot com slash rich. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. Eight four four two zero four. Rich number to dial right here on the program.
When it comes to your home, Pella Windows and Doors are the experts at taking care of you and your home. At Pella, they find the products that meet your needs, and their experts install them. That means working with a company that builds and installs a quality product with real pricing, real simple, really beautiful. And when it trusts in them, Pella chooses to partner with the Rich Eisen Show. That says a lot.
Zero percent financing options are available. Certain restrictions apply. Find your local Pella Windows and Doors showroom today at pella dot com slash eyes and four details. Make life brighter with Pella Windows and Doors. When a team makes a massive change by changing coordinators, because it's a massive change.
When you change coordinators, you're bringing in a new system. You're bringing in, or you're bringing a new voice, and perhaps most likely a new system. And when Jim Harbaugh brought in Mike McDaniel, I thought that was a genius move. It's like, okay, the way we've done things here, we've hit our head on the ceiling a couple of times in the first round of the playoffs. Let's try something else.
And man, I thought that was going to be a perfect marriage. We even had our fun calling them the odd couple, right? Yeah, yeah. And it is, it has been a disaster. There's no other way to put it.
Herbert has looked. Pedestrian, at times, and that's the that is one adjective I don't think anybody's ever used for Justin Herbert. Pedestrian, mistake prone. Yep, and looks lost, and they're zero to five. Yep, and Kurt Warner's like, yeah, the system they're running.
Is not the system that Justin Herbert looks comfortable in, and I think the results have shown. The results have shown, and he said basically the way that he's being asked to look down the field and spot whether somebody's open is causing him to throw it directly to the opposition. That's a problem. Get back to basics. What do you do?
You tell a guy that you brought in with an intricate system, make it less intricate. Take the bells and whistles out. Take the trinkets off the tree. I just want to see the tree. Yeah, I mean it's either that or there's the door.
I don't think they want to do that. I don't think ownership wants to pay anybody off, and I don't think he just want to do that. You're basically saying instead of your system trying to change the quarterback, you now need to change your system for the quarterback. Isn't that how you should do it anyway?
Well, you're hoping that the new system. Helps the quarterback, and it clearly hasn't. 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.
Hockey on ESPN is blowing up. Hockey is back.
So, what does it look like now? The kids, Hughes, Celebrini, Shaper. That's hockey. Ovechkin, Crosby. That's hockey.
And with access to over a thousand out-of-market games, you can watch them and the rest of the league. Holy hockey! That's more hockey to love for more fans who love it. The NHL's best on ESPN. Watch all season long on ABC.
ESPN, ESPN Plus, and the ESPN app.
