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Now, on. On with the show. Let's talk about the Cleveland Browns. Who's in first place? This is the Rich Eisen show.
Four and six. I did not think I'd be up here addressing that question from the Rich Eisen show studio in Los Angeles. What's the identity of this team right now? Yeah, we're figuring out. On today's show, ESPN NFL analyst Marcus Spears, plus latest news and more.
And now it's Rich Eisen. Our number two of the Rich Eisen show is on the air here on Disney Plus, the ESPN app, ESPN Radio, Sirius XM channel eighty eight four four two zero four. Rich, call us. We'll take your calls as soon as we say farewell to our next guest joining us from the San Francisco Bay Area, where tonight the Forty Nineers will try to stay in the ranks of the. Unbeaten and undefeated, taking on a Washington Commanders team that just wants to turn the page rather than turn back the clocks, or the maybe both.
Ladies and gentlemen, Marcus Spears in the program. Good to see Marcus. How are you? What up, man? What's up, my brother?
What's going on, man? How are you? You well? Good. Good.
Let me take these out. This is big reflection. Yeah. There we go. I'm doing great.
Rich, great week. Football is football is catastrophic, but it's so fun.
Well, let's start with the the good side of things, and I'll put you in a spot right off the bat. You got to put your marker on the Bills or the Chiefs. Who do you put it on? Right now, Chiefs. Why putting it on the Chiefs defensively?
Right now, I'm still concerned about Buffalo a little bit, giving up what they give up on the back end. And two, you know, there is a level in which Josh is playing that that you say many can't reach. I think Mahomes can. When, when need be, and you look at what K nine is doing, and I don't believe that they they are going to. There will be some games where they just can't ride being able to run the football this successfully.
But until that game happens, keep riding it, riding it all all the way on to the sunset. But we know that fifteen is waiting on this moment. To make sure everybody realizes that I'm still that guy in regards to playing at the highest level at the most important position in football.
So right now, I would give the nod to KC. Yeah, and that's that's that's where I am now. And and two, as good as Josh has played past couple weeks, we saw some of that that sporadic. Rear's ugly head behavior.
Now I don't think that's going to be consistent throughout the rest of his year, but we know that that's still in there somewhere. And obviously, there are other teams in the AFC that are performing well and have done so over the last month. The AFC North is wide open. Right now, to me, the Browns are in front. Obviously, at four and two, yeah, to having beaten the Ravens and Steelers now at home, we'll see what they can do when they start packing a bag.
As they're going to do for the next three weeks, the Bengals are coming off of a bye. Yeah, who do you put your marker on on that division through six weeks, Marcus? I'm still a little bit holding out hope for Baltimore. The Derek Henry fumble concerned me because we know what we saw last year with some of those critical fumbles that he had. The way they lose that game, but also, you know, Lamar Jackson didn't play, and I think that's the biggest indication of where this team can continue to ascend.
Now, obviously, Cincinnati. With with what Chase is and what T Higgins is can be obviously in that conversation. The defense has kind of tapered off from what it started at early this season. I'm sitting there, I'm talking about, but I still think they can be a team that's relevant. And then too, sneaky good Aaron Rodgers right now.
This offensive line in Pittsburgh is is physical. They have success running it. I know they had to come back on Tampa, but they did and were able to win that game. But right now, I would still lean Baltimore, and that's a soft lean, Rich. Real soft.
Well, where are we on the Bengals? I know you were really high on them through the first three weeks.
Now that we're three weeks later, they're coming off of a bye, three and two. Where are you on on the Bengals on this? I'm still high on them, and I think they have a ceiling offensively that no one can reach. In the division, if they get it going and have success in that regard, it's two things about Cincinnati that that that breaks my brain at times, and that's if if if Zach Taylor is going to be willing to run the football. When it's when it's needed, and not have Joe Burrow dropping back fifty times a game.
Now I know that's your bread and butter, and you got elite wide receivers, and Gaseki is playing really really well right now. But I want to see a well organized team, and do it in certain games where it's a necessity. I'm not telling you to get away from your identity offensively, but it also it protects Joe Burrow as the season goes along. It also gives confidence to your offensive line. Where they not under a complete amount of stress to always be in pass protection, and two, I think it helps your defense.
We know how elite they can be, we know how explosive they can be, but I would like to see them be a more well-rounded offense when it comes run pass. And I think if they do that, and they allow this defense not to be on the field, if you have those games where it's all passing, quick three and outs, and you get your defense overexposed, is when I get concerned about Cincinnati. But if they if they find some semblance of a balance, we need be. I think this team is the most dangerous when it comes to offense. I think everybody would agree with that.
Marcus Spears getting ready for Monday Night Countdown tonight in San Francisco or San Jose, Santa Clara area. We wore the blue today. Oh yeah, look at us. We didn't coordinate this. By the way, got the memo.
Yeah, we did. Yeah, and you know, very very same haircut. Yeah, yep, yep. Very very and very very dashing. Isn't it amazing the perspective on being two and four?
Right. I mean, yeah. You know the the Texans are two and four. The Colts are two and four. Just in that division, the Cowboys are two and four.
The Rams are two and four. Eagles are two and four, and we're sitting here thinking: Do you think the Texans have turned it? You think they turned the corner? Marcus, I think they're getting there, and I think our confidence lies in the way that they've lost. They've been in every single game they played in, and some of those they haven't been healthy.
Nico Collins, in addition to Marvin Harrison Jr., but also we just we still can't forget about what we saw defensively from them, and think that that's going to some that at some point.
Now I hope we're not sitting here week thirteen saying, "Man, the Texas defense is going to get better." But I still believe that unit is going to like turn a corner and become. Very, very high level, and this could be this could be that line of demarcation of winning two games, and especially beating Jacksonville because Jacksonville was rolling and playing well and in your division.
So I think Houston looks up right now. When you look at the other two and fourteen, Dallas is going to be relevant this year when it comes to win. I don't I don't think that's fixable to to make them relevant in the conversation of a team that could be a true contender. The Rams right now are in in in. There are some concerning things on tape.
Protecting Matthew Stafford, Sean McVay is really not on his A game. I don't like that they abandon the run at times in games. I think they can be a dominant running football team, but they, you know, obviously want to throw downfield because Puka and obviously Devontae is out there, and I get it, I understand it, but it's a little bit of what I was saying about Cincinnati, and then you get. I I would say Houston. The Colts obviously just fired Chris Ballard, so we know where they are.
They they're probably in a complete redo organizationally and trying to figure out how they move forward. But Houston has looked, and sometimes, Rich, you notice. The the record is the record, and everybody has to has to to live under that bubble. But it's also how you play and how you look. And there's an argument for Houston that out of all of these teams that we just mentioned, their quarterback is playing better than all of those other places.
That's a big deal. Yeah, Stroud looks like his rookie year self. He looked phenomenal. Looks phenomenal. Yeah, but it's also having guys out there.
That that you can be confident in and pushing the ball down the field. Noel stepped up, obviously. Nico is there. Marvin Harrison and look, everybody raised the eyebrow about. Oh, why would they get Marvin Harrison Junior.
because their quarterback was already showing that he was playing at a high level.
Now you add another weapon, and maybe until that defense turn around, you got to continue to to put points on the board, and they've been doing it in droves. All right, so let's let's linger Marcus Spears on two of those two and four teams. You just said the Cowboys will not be relevant in the 2026 season, for real, huh? Yeah, I'm I'm serious about it. But isn't the division wide open right now?
The division is wide open, which speaks to more how bad they are. This team. Predictably, when we were talking about it before the season, I think it was on your show, Rich. I told you though, one concern I had about Dallas was his secondary. They can't cover anybody.
This that is that is free access back there. You can make an argument. Green Bay should have scored forty. And I know what people. Oh, they looked a little bit better.
Nah, nah. That that was a lot of that is breaking film down and realizing that Matthew Golden catch two more passes, those are touchdowns, and that score is probably out of pocket. But the most disgusting part of what's happening right now is that this offense looks bad. Dak under pressure the last two weeks. Tampa Bay, you know, I came on and I vented my frustration about them not knowing Todd Bowles was going to send the kitchen sink at them with a backup quarterback you needed to steal possessions.
And then this week, Gannon did a phenomenal job of pressuring, and they didn't have any answers. And I will say this too: like we know how talented CD Lamb and George Pickens is, but who else scares you on Dallas's offense? Like as far as an individual playmaker, I've always been a proponent that, and I know Turbin is is banged up, but I've always been a proponent of having him implemented in this offense. I think he's the guy with that touches the ball and can be super explosive. I think he's super impactful on offense when to help those other guys.
Jake Ferguson hasn't been what he needed, what he's needed to be this this season. Javante Williams is fine, but it's not. Anything you go into the game saying he can wreck out game, so it was about Dak, C.B. Lamb, George Pickens, and this offensive line, and and they they not that's not working right now either.
So that makes them irrelevant because the defense is just bad. The Rams, you said there's stuff that's concerning on film. What put some more meat on the bones there?
So, so when you look at We continue to say, "Well, let's wait." We wait, and they got to get healthy. Puka got to get back. Miles Garrett got to get back. All of those things. The Rams get ran on.
They're bad run defense right now. I know Ad made some plays and TFls, but Arizona had success there. And then offensively, it's like they want to force. Three hundred and fifty-yard passing games. You know, I was critical last week of Sean McVay of not going for it.
You got a fourth and one in this game, and you hand it off to the fullback instead of letting Kyron Williams getting the ball in one of your really good playmakers' hands. I know what people say.
Well, it's one yard. Marcus can't get one yard. Should be on the football field. Where it's a difference when the ball is in somebody' hand for one yard as opposed to someone else.
So I don't think McVay is coaching at the level in which we've grown accustomed to, and I think right now we just don't want to acknowledge.
Well, they don't want to acknowledge that they're not just going to line up and puking the core and Devontae Adams and Higby are going to destroy and wreck games. Right now, the passing game is still good; they can throw it, they can have success downfield. I don't think they lean into those running backs and that offensive line enough, and this the big old defensive line and saying, "Hey." Man, they need the runner to let the big uglies do their do their thing. But the reality is, Matthew Stafford under duress is a bad quarterback. And the way you stop him from being under duress is you get the running game going and let his accuracy, but also his rhythm and timing and his protection, be there.
And then we know how he can car people up.
So I'm just concerned about the Rams from a philosophical standpoint of not acknowledging who they are offensively right now, and then defensively they still giving up a lot.
So you're not ready to throw them on the scrap heap of irrelevancy like the Cowboys? Nah, nah, not ready to throw them because we've seen we've seen moments of brilliance from them, and and two, like I'm not. I'm not going to be naive to think that Miles Garrett is not going to improve that defensive side of the ball. Like I just, you know, everybody.
Well, you get to the point where you are what you are. But well, I mean, players make a difference. They get they get certain people hundred million dollar contracts because they. Make a difference in a major way, like Green Bay is waiting on Micah Parsons, who's actually playing really good defense right now in Green Bay. Right, and Josh Jacobs is set to return.
It appears, and the Lions had a really good week in Arizona before hitting the buy. The Bears get Caleb back. He was superb. Marcus thirty of thirty six. Vikings coming off a buy at five and zero.
I might ask this question of you every week, so I beg your pardon. Who's the best team? Put your yeah, yeah. Put your marker on the champion of the NFC North through six weeks. Oh man, look, I know what Minnesota is doing defensively, and Brian Flores.
Obviously, they beat Chicago earlier this year, and I want to say Minnesota. I think the offense is still going to get better. They they they continue in the work. But man, I just—I mean—to be dismissive of the Bears when Caleb Williams is playing quarterback, it—it feels crazy to me.
Now I know sometimes defensively they'll make you nervous and duck your head a little bit, but. I I just think I said before the season he was going to ascend in the superstardom, and I think it's happening right in front of our eyes. Obviously, the injury derailed him, and we missed him for some weeks. But to come back against an Atlanta team that had been playing well and actually playing at a very high level, and to look like that in your first game back to be that efficient to make to to make just normal quarterback plays as well as the rollouts and. Phenomenal plays you make.
It just was a. It was. It reminded me of how important that position is now. Minnesota man, what Flores is doing defensively, I think people, I think people kind of we we love talking about offense and we love the quarterbacks and all of that. Just like I got off of Caleb, he is dictating entire games right now with the way that he's playing defense and the way he's confusing guys at the line of scrimmage, the way he's making quarterbacks like a Caleb Williams look.
Look like they don't know what the hell they seeing and what's going on throughout the course of a game, so that's hard for me to dismiss. But I still think I'm gonna give the edge to who I believe the best quarterback is in the in in that division right now because it's so tight. And that game was only what nine six, I think. Yeah, I mean, obviously that was week two, and and yeah. And you know circumstances have changed.
I mean, we were talking on our Overreaction Monday pod. One of the subject matters that Brockman threw at me was that Jordan Love should be in the MVP conversation the way that he's been playing for the last month. And I, I said if we do that, and it's totally viable to do that, then you got to include golf too. I mean, golf's been out of his skull. Yeah.
Right. Yeah. And I think look.
Some of the losses have been so ugly for Green Bay that you know the Atlanta loss, how bad that was, and then you know obviously Detroit. You know we were talking about the defense, but that's not on those individually. Those guys are playing at a very high level, and then what Jordan Love did to Chicago. And and the amount of times he went downfield in this last game, he should have threw for almost four hundred if it wasn't for drops.
So I'm I'm taking a lot of stock into the last two weeks of of what Green Bay has done, and now you get Josh Jacobs back as well. Jordan Love should be it should be ascension for the rest of this season with him as far as continuing to play at a very high level, and that's what. The Green Bay Packers are gonna need from him. The other, the other, Jared Goff. Like Goff has had to overcome.
Obviously, you know my dog Kelvin Shepard, my LSU brother, got mad when they asked about the Detroit Lions' offense having to carry the defense. But the reality was they had to, and Goff has been playing at a very high level. I think what happens with Jared Goff though is we see this, and then we see the tail off.
So people are apprehensive about saying. This is going to be consistent for the rest of the season, or even if it's not a tail off, critical games, critical situations where they end up on the wrong side of it. But right now, those two should be in that in the conversation.
Okay.
So, what happens tonight? What needs to happen tonight? What do you expect this evening, Marcus? I expect San Francisco to dominate this football game. Um.
I know the commanders want to turn the page. I. I just, this is not a get-right game. From what you did last week, this is the best team in the NFL at home. I know Mike Evans is questionable, and they might not have everybody, but the physicality in which San Francisco is playing with, and I don't think this defense led by Raheem Morris is getting enough credit for what they've been able to do.
Too, they they putting people lights out. Seattle, they put they put Seattle lights out with takeaways and giving setting. This offense up, and then obviously the way that Brock Purdy is playing, MVP talk about MVP conversation.
So again, I just think I think Washington is running into a buzz. All you travel across the country as well with a team that's hot that looked like the one thing I will say about San Francisco too. Because Rich, you know, you asked me this a couple weeks ago, and I said, man, I'm I think San Francisco is the best team in the league. But the thing that I like about San Fran, too, like one of the intangibles, is it always seems like, and it's been a staple for Kyle. But it always seems like they're ready to play.
And I know, Marcus, what you are saying. That should be simple. Everybody should be with. No, that's not the case all the time.
So, I think this is going to be a really good night for San Fran. If the Commanders can make some plays, maybe Jay Daniels brings some magic. But I just don't. I don't see the commanders being able to deal with what San Francisco has been putting on tape the last few weeks. All right, last one for you before I let you go.
I am just taking some notes here because I just came up with this as we were talking. Can see all the prep I've done. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Okay, so here we go. Eleven teams started one and two, like the Pats did last year, and they made the Super Bowl.
Okay, here we go. Rams, Saints, Cowboys, Cards, the Patriots, Commanders, Falcons, Packers, Jets, Colts, Panthers. Out of all of them, that could make a similar run to the Super Bowl like the like the Patriots did last year. Who do you put your marker on to do that? Rams, Saints, Cowboys, Cardinals, Patriots, Commanders, Falcons, Packers, Jets, Colts, Panthers.
What do you got? Patriots. Again, yep. One look, I know there's a lot of concern about how AJ looked, but AJ's not gonna look like that the rest of the way. And two, Drake is back, and we know how important that was for this team to get going.
And one of the unsung units in the league is their defense, and the way that they've been able to get after quarterbacks, take the football away. And they've already beat Buffalo, um, in their division.
So, I think if I had to put my hat on anybody, it would be the Pats because I, you know, as far as as as far as me knowing that the Rams should get better and continue to play at a high level, Seattle and San Fran and Arizona, who just beat. Beat the Rams is all in that division, so I would say the I would say the Patriots, and then in terms of, and then in the NFC, you've got the Rams, Saints, Cowboys, Cardinals, Commanders, Falcons, Packers, Panthers. You got to choose one to go from one and two. The Super Bowl would be Packers. It'll be the Packers.
Still waiting on Michael Parsons. Just getting Josh Jacobs back, and we're we you know we just talked about Jordan Love and the way that he's playing right now. Receivers catch the ball in Green Bay. Stay consistent. That that offense.
Coupled with the way this defense is playing, I don't want them to get missed because we, you know, as far as good as we thought the the Cowboys' offense would be, that defense played out of their mind again. They did a phenomenal job of having those guys prepared. The Packers. All right. I mean, just as a little pushback here, because you know, I'll stay on brand.
The Rams are getting Miles Garrett back. You want to talk about receivers staying consistent? Devontae Adams and Puka Nakua. Yep. Right.
Yep. Look, look, Rich. That's not recency bias, Rich. Yes, they have not looked good. They have not.
The Rams have not looked good.
Okay.
Should I have confidence in McVay and Stafford? Yeah, because of what they've done over time. But right now, it's a it's it's a big part. And remember what I said. Is this how me and you go to court?
This how we argued. Their division, their division, their division is a big deal in my eyes because I don't think. Even with miles back, they're the best team in that division. I think that belongs to the Forty Niners. Yeah, and if the Forty Niners win tonight, they're four and a half in front of the Rams, and and the Packers are two in front of the Rams right now.
So I hear what you say. Have a great broadcast tonight, Marcus. We'll chat next week. Always a pleasure, my brother. Talking Sooners in his usual Monday spot on the Rich Eisen Show Monday night countdown tonight from the field of jeans a Hyundai.
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The Rich Eisen Show podcast. Back on the Rich Eisen show. Let's go to the WeatherTech Fan Line right now. Matt in Texas is on the WeatherTech Fan Line. What's up, Matt?
Hey, Rich, how you doing? I'm well. Thanks for hanging on. What's going on? You know, I know you guys do overreaction Monday.
Correct. It's out there in your industry. A Charger fan living in Texas now. I grew up in San Diego, so I've kind of been through it for the last 32 years.
Okay.
The Chargers got to start over at the end of the season. What do you mean by that? I mean top to bottom. I think, I think management. I think if you want to go head coach, really talking.
Maybe I don't know what they're saying in the facility about McDaniel right now, but obviously, nobody's more shocked than Charger fans because we had all these big expectations about Justin Herbert getting unlocked. Correct. And here we are. He's the most hit quarterback in the league. I think.
I think. I think something's got to something's got to change here, Matt. I I understand. Oh, and six is what we would call unacceptable. Certainly, since the other winless teams, one's on a buy, and another one just came up with their first win.
Left the Chargers is the only winless team to lose again. Although an assignment like the one of coming off of a Kansas City coming off of a bye and hosting them, you could see it common. I appreciate your frustration, Matt. It is very frustrating, and the first step I think is you know even though he's a friend of the program, everybody's kind of a friend of the program up. But I kind of have to say this because I I hate talking about jobs because I have been so close to this thing for a quarter century.
I just know what it means. It means families move. It means families have to pull kids out of school. It's just awful. It really is.
But that's just you know the nature that you know it's the old Hymen Ruff line. This is the business we've chosen.
So you know. Bottom line is, it's not working with Mike McDaniel. It just isn't. Owen six is not the answer. And thanks for the call, Matt Jim Harbaugh.
For the first time, when he was asked the question about McDaniel still being allowed to call plays, left I think a little bit of daylight. We're gonna look at everything. I mean, the job I'm doing. I mean, it starts with me. The plan is to.
You know, we'll watch this and get with the get with our offensive coaches, and you know, I see the I see the effort, I see the you know the work being put in in the meetings on the practice field, and you know, to get that to translate to to the field is is what's necessary. Listen. Let's be straight up. It doesn't help that the quarterback is still getting hit. Doesn't help that you know Slater and Alt were out a couple weeks ago.
Doesn't help that Lad McConkey gets concussed and has to leave the game early on after he comes back from being hurt. And I understand, you know, short of a seance, what do you do? What do you do? But whatever's going on with the offense, as well intentioned as it was to let's bring in somebody, new set of eyes, completely different system than the one that Jim is used to running, and handing it off to Mike McDaniel, it's just not working. It's not working.
And if fans are going to demand a change, I don't think it's going to be at the head coach. I just don't. I don't. And I also don't think that they're going to be paying dead money to Jim. That one I don't think either.
So the problem is again they're not healthy, and then whoever is healthy, like where where are the horses that he can throw to? The run game is just dreadful. I mean, Omari and Hampton should be a banger here, and he has yet to bang. Yep. Right, a lot of Keaton Mitchell.
The receivers don't scare you. Nothing about their offense is scary.
Well, the problem is what they're supposed to do is dominate the line of scrimmage. That's the first order of business, and instead of doing that, it's just all over the place. You know, now they're in a bye, so at least that's something that you have to figure out. How are they going to come out of the bye? And then it's just two Los Angeles teams that have just been disappointing.
One more so, obviously, winless. Six red rectangles on our screen, looking at the Chargers' record. Then they're home for Houston, which has had their number when they were good, when they were heading to the playoffs with Justin Herbert. Then a visit to Baltimore, which I thought was like one of those games where Jim's coming, saying I'm going to do this for my brother, he's got to do it for him first and foremost. And then the two teams from the East Coast, Jets and Patriots, back to back.
That Sunday nighter, I mean, I would prop for to say is that's that's going to get flexed. That'll get flexed. I mean, this is a lost season. At zero and six, best you can do is try and rip some off to get as close to five hundred as possible. Then the question is, if they wind up top five, I mean Jeremiah Smith is the answer.
Did you see that fifty-fifty ball that Julian Sain threw up before his arm got blown up? It was. I. I. I.
I. Um. He's so good. I. Threaded out like fifty-fifty balls for him, or more like ninety-five-five.
Feels like it. Like that's what the Chargers need for Justin Herbert.
Now you could sit here and say, "Well, so many things are wrong, other than that." But you'll never hear me call for Jim's job. Like that'll never happen. I'm sorry, you're coming to the wrong place for that. It's just never going to happen. Never.
I get it.
So. You know, mock drafts have Jemez Smith number one to the Chargers.
So, first order, first order business is because I don't think the Dolphins would do that. I think they'd go for the quarterback if the Dolphins wind up undefeated and get the first overall pick over the Chargers. They go for the quarterback, and the quarterback is is. I we're just assuming Justin Herbert just completely lost it. I don't know.
He keeps throwing it directly to the other team, and you heard Kurt Warner and Daniel Jeremiah give you the reasons why he just doesn't jive with the offense. It's just he hasn't gotten it yet, and it's not. For lack of trying, I'd imagine. But that's the thing. What is the appetite to give it a whole year, or does Mike?
I don't think you'll eat it on the bye week. The appetite would be to give it for the whole year if they're two and four, you know. But zero and six is just something that the last time they were that, you know, what it was, was when the quarterback room was Ryan Leaf, Moses Moreno, and the current head coach Jim Harbaugh.
So I don't know. And I don't know if this is this a fan base out here that there's demanding answers to the point where, you know, somebody's got to get somebody's got to go. That's more of a like a northeast thing. Yeah, I shouldn't say that. I mean, place in the Midwest in Indiana and Indianapolis just bounced their GM.
I don't think that's that's going to be an answer either. For American-made floor liners and a cargo liner that laugh in the face of fall weather, visit WeatherTech.com today. Then the more things change, like say, oh, and six, Los Angeles Chargers, the more they stay the same. Look who's atop the American Football Conference after all through six weeks. That's next.
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Now, listen. I just I'm seeing a lot of people having fun because I've been caping for the Rams. I mean, back in plays of the preseason predictions that they were the best team in the NFL, had the best roster, and just roll the footballs out and they would win games, right? Seeing that. One of the last times I received a flood, a torrent of, okay, Rich, you're drinking the juice.
Was when I said last season we're going to miss the Chiefs in the playoffs. That the playoffs are better when the Chiefs are in it. A lot of people push back on that, to say the least. You know, a lot of Chiefs fatigue.
Well, look who's back! It's Kansas City Chiefs. They are back, and they are stout because they've got a running game for the first time in forever. To use the frozen phrase, going to say, "Good job," because it's not frozen yet. Kenneth Walker the third.
Has this acquisition worked out, or what? Has it ever? As it ever, it's a rhetorical question, but I can give you some answers here. And Kenneth Walker, coming off the buy, nineteen carries, one hundred and twenty-eight yards, and two touchdowns. He leads the National Football League through five games with six hundred sixty-five rush yards.
So we were wondering: Is Kenneth Walker going to get the ball enough to give Patrick Mahomes his first thousand-yard rusher since Kareem Hunt's rookie season? And this guy is currently three hundred and thirty-five yards shy of giving it to him. And we're going into Week Seven, and those rushing yards. Are the most in a player's first five games with a team in NFL history. He surpassed the previous record of 645 in five games when Eric Dickerson broke in with the Rams as a rookie in 1983.
He's the second player in the Super Bowl era with eight or more touchdowns in the first five games of the team in the first since the aforementioned Eric Dickerson. In his first five games of his career in '83, he had nine with the Rams. He's the first player with four multiple touchdown games over the first five games of a season since Calvin Johnson in 2011. The last Chiefs player with multiple games of a hundred rush yards and two rushing touchdowns in a season, as he's now had two of those. Was Larry Johnson in two thousand six?
So when they acquired Kenneth Walker, when they signed him, we thought, can this work out? What will it look like?
Well, did we have Eric Dickerson, Calvin Johnson, and Larry Johnson all rolled into one? Did we have that on the bingo card? Throw it up, TJ. We did not. We did not.
But that's what we're seeing, and most importantly, when a player comes back from a knee injury, when a quarterback comes back from a knee injury, how often do we hear, "Oh, it's going to take some time for this player to get up to speed"? Right, he won't look the same until maybe midway through the season.
Well, thanks to Kenneth Walker, certainly in this particular case on Sunday. When Mahomes wasn't all that, we don't have to see it yet, because Kenneth Walker's carrying the day for the most part. Certainly, he did on Sunday, because this had the usual: throw the records out, two teams in the same division. They've got Mahomes' number on occasion. Usually, the answer is Travis Kelsey is telling the Spanos family, "I'm owning the Chargers today." That didn't happen.
But thanks to Kenneth Walker, it doesn't matter. Holy crap! And then the defense is doing its thing too. They turned over the Chargers twice, but that's gives them fifteen on the season. That's the most in the NFL.
Good Lord! And the Chiefs are the only undefeated team in the AFC, and they're back. And the Bills, at the same time. After spending a week in Southern California, go to Las Vegas and tell the Raiders not yet. Because seventeen is so freaking good.
They're four and zero this season when allowing thirty or more points. No other team has more than one win in that card category. They're the first team in the NFL with four wins when allowing thirty or more points through the first six games of a season. The NFL record for an entire season is five. By the twenty eighteen Rams, they already have four because of seventeen.
Occasionally, four number zero is coming to the four. Eighty six is coming to the four. They didn't have DJ Moore either. Zero is Keon Coleman, eighty-six is Dalton Kincaid. On occasion, ten Khalil Shakir can do it too.
James Cook didn't fumble, which is good because it seemed like his coach was coming for him in his carries. Exactly, although not harball for Scatoo like, but enough. We'll talk about that later. Seven hundred sixteen yards from scrimmage for James Cook this season, most by a Bills player through five games since. You want to name him?
Go for it. Go to the tippy tippy top. OJ? No. Oh.
Thomas. Thurman Thomas. Yeah. Thurman Thomas. Yeah.
So, and then Josh Allen, at one point avoiding a sack, and with Max Crosby crashing on him. Decides to flatten out and not run for with with with green grass in front of him. I thought for sure he's in the red zone taking off, and good luck stopping him. Yeah, that's how many times we've seen that this year. Yeah, but I guess he's done taking hits all the time, even with Max Crosby on him.
He flattens out to stay behind the line of scrimmage and then flips the ball. Damn near all twenty yards, right? Yeah, just shoot. Normally, and it's a shovel pass. He shoveled it into the end zone for a touchdown.
Good luck with that. Bills are on a buy, which means no matter what happens with Kansas City next Sunday night in Seattle, the Bills at five and one to coming off of a buy. The Chiefs and Bills will be one and two. In the American Football Conference, coming out of Week Seven, so after all of this, and the AFC North is all above five hundred, and the Texans, once upon a time zero and four, now two and four after a very nice win over four and two Jacksonville, and the Broncos at four and two, despite Bo Nix disrespecting the craft of quarterbacking, according to Ryan Fitzpatrick, who had a great clapback on Akeem Talib on his Instagram account. Oh, check it out.
Your Patriots, once upon time, one and two.
Now they're yep up and running at four and two.
Okay, so. Despite all of that, we're in a Bills-Chiefs world after all. And Allen had this to say about his flip touchdown: I saw him, I saw him. But once it comes out, you know, you kind of get hit and tumble around, and it's so hard in these away games, which feel like home games. Once you hear the crowd go crazy, you're like, I don't know if it's a touchdown, I don't know if it's an interception.
So, again, he finds himself in the right place at the right time and finds a way to get open. Right, can't tell these games as he said on the road in Los Angeles and Las Vegas as to whether they're cheering for him or the home team. Can't attest.
Okay, right. My gosh, that flip pass touchdown! Allen's the MVP of the season, I think.
So far through six weeks, it was my choice coming out of week five, going into week six in my top five last week. Number two is Kenneth Walker. I'm keeping them one two there as well. I mean, Mahomes has not had to do all these Mahomes things. He had to do it on occasion against the Colts, I think.
Um, certainly that overtime. Right, just looking at all the other Kansas City games off the top of my head. But he's at Miami, at Vegas, Chargers. Just give it to Kenneth Walker. Let him do the work.
He's got what eight hundred total yards. Just let him do the work. Let him be the MVP, and we'll go undefeated. And our defense will get better. And good luck.
We'll see on Thanksgiving night, taking on the Bills. Once again, winner that one's going to be in the pole position of the AFC, just like you know, the last decade. Days like a bubble. That's right, unreal. 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. 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 Car.
At cars.usnews.com, and visit hyundaiusa.com for more details.
