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Okay, everybody, welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show. Disney Plus, the ESPN app. We say hello to you, watching us out there, to the ESPN Radio and SiriusXM channel eighty audience. I'm wearing one of my favorite blue button down. Shirts.
I'm not a button-up guy. I'm a button-down guy. Button-down. Eight four four two zero four rich. That's our WeatherTech fan line.
Eight four four two zero four rich. You can chat with us. There's so many different ways to get in touch with us. It's not funny. All of our socials at Rich Eisen Show on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube and TikTok, and that's the Rich Eisen Show because somebody for some reason squatted on the other name.
It's not. I mean, good to see over there, Chris Brockman. How are you, great man? What's up, DJ Mikey D? Is morning, Rich.
It's good to see you, TJ Jefferson. Candles lit over there. I have my Drew Barrymore t-shirt on today. Why? What do we got?
What? What's that all about? Just cause I just like Drew Barrymore, okay? Because you are a fire starter. Is that why?
By the way, I don't know why I picked that out of Barrymore filmography. I'm a Charlie's agent. We've got a great show in store for you. Mark Slareth returns in hour three. Ian Rappaport will be first up in hour number two.
Kurt Warner in about twenty minutes' time. Nice, fresh back from Paris.
So when we went off the air yesterday, the Colts. Fire sale, one might say, has begun. Has has begun, and you know, and it continued. It started with Quentin Nelson going from the Colts to the Seahawks at the end of hour one, yeah, of yesterday's program, and for a three and a five, three this year and a five next, and basically, if Quentin Nelson was going to walk out the door, um. In free agency, because he had one year left on his contract, the three is slightly better than the the compensation that they would have gotten from the NFL for losing a free agent.
End of the third round, they got a little bit better doing that, and then a fifth on top of it. Not bad, not too shabby. It's better than nothing, and then. Later on in the day, the Colts return DeForest Buckner to center. Once upon a time, former San Francisco Forty Nineer, then Indianapolis Colts.
He's a Forty Nineer again, and there's that. We're putting the Ian Rapaport post up there. He's again joining us in about an hour to talk about all this.
So the Indianapolis Colts. May not be a factor in the AFC South, but they're they're a factor in the NFC West. Boy, oh boy! And you know, in the same way that we were talking during the summer about the Rams acquiring Miles Garrett at the top of June, part of the Many reasons why that was such a great acquisition that we have still yet to see any, hardly any returns on, and we might be able to see him on the practice field this week as expected. We'll see if he does get out there against the Chargers, or it's another week to wait to see Garrett and Aaron Donald together on this defense.
But one of the many reasons why it was great is it happened so late. In the non-playing season, that the Seahawks and the Niners couldn't counteract it. Like, who are you going to get in the middle of the summer to counteract the acquisition of Miles Garrett? A good point. The answer is nobody.
Well, now there's a counteraction. Here's Quinton Nelson for Seattle. Here's also. Another big time player for the Forty Niners, in DeForest Buckner.
So now everybody's kind of gotten more ducks in a row. Unfortunately for the Rams, they're three and four entering this period. The Seahawks are four and three. They have yet to play each other. They play each other in weeks sixteen and eighteen.
And then you've got the Niners on a bye week at six and one. And they now get to Forrest Buckner for a defense that had been bawling out and putting pressure on the quarterback for much of the year until they went to Atlanta. Quite, quite frankly.
So this is all of interest, and the Colts are essentially saying we are done with this season.
Now you can sit here and say the rest of the fifty-three man roster would push back on that, and we will see them. They're not going to lose the rest of their games. They will win some games. They're not coughing it up. They're just removing some major bullets from their chamber, and we'll see just how potent they can be in the upcoming days.
And they have to get a bunch of draft choices. In their arsenal, because they don't have a first-round draft choice, which is wild. That if a team is so-called tanking, they can't even improve their own first-round draft choice because they flipped it to New York for Sauce Gardner.
So the Colts are doing the best that they can under some really extreme, unfortunate circumstances. Last year they were seven and one. Their quarterback pops his Achilles. The rest of the thing goes down the tubes. Losing streak that actually bleeds into this season.
And now the ineffectiveness and unfortunate game-ending moments, like what happened in they—they basically had the Kansas City Chiefs beat. And they basically had the Vikings beat, a team in the Colts are two and five, almost handed the first loss of the season to the Chiefs and the Vikings, who have yet to lose, and the long remaining undefeated team.
So we'll see how things play out. The Colts have entered the NFC West chat, and also the chat about what about the future, which leads us. To another new segment here, once again created out of whole cloth. About forty-five minutes, it worked out with for real or for gazy. We did that in the beginning of the season when we took teams that were one and one and two and two and asked if they were for real or for gazy.
But with a host of teams at two and five. Host of teams at two hosts, so many, and the trade deadline two weeks looming from this past week, this past Monday, I believe, the tenth. Oh, so two weeks from yesterday, as of this taping on a Wednesday, we now have a segment called to trade or not to trade, and I believe T.J. Jefferson. That is the question.
Over there, of course. Are you ready? What do you have over there? You have, do you have a skull? A little skull, and you've got a quill in your hat.
Is that what's going on here? Very Shakespearean.
Okay, but to sell or not to sell? What is it? To sell or not to sell? Should have, yeah, that's okay. Threw me off.
Written it down. I mean, if we came up with it forty five minutes, all right.
So I'll just say, TJ, what's the name of the segment, sir? To sell or not to sell. Is that TJ or was that little walking? Little walking, yeah, little walking. I don't mind walking.
Little, little Kevin Pollock is walking. I don't mind Pollock. I really wasn't. I'm walking there, but I will next time. Very good, Chris Brockman.
You've got a bunch of teams that we're wondering if they should sell or or or should not sell. Yes, let's start first with the New York Jets at two and five. The Jets to sell or not to sell?
Okay, pretty good. They should not sell, not sell. They should not sell. You know why? I don't know why.
Because the Indianapolis Colts are selling. Let them sell. Let them sell. Let's get that draft pick. Could be top five.
What do you need? You want to you want to sell away who? Garrett Wilson.
Well, I mean, no. Get a first for him. No, probably no. No, you do not sell Garrett Wilson because at some point for Garrett Wilson, you're going to get next year Trinidad Chambliss. Could be Drew Mestemaker, right?
Could be CJ Carr. Dare I say, for my poor Yorick over there, Arch Manning. Arch Manning. Is it possible with the Jets' three draft choices right now? If you could put the Draft order up once again.
The Jets currently are sixth on the clock, courtesy of the Colts. Part of me, courtesy of themselves, eighth on the clock, courtesy of the Colts, and twelfth on the clock, courtesy of the Cowboys. Yeah.
Now that I do believe is going to get worse. But the Colts one, I think, will leapfrog the Jets' own.
So let the Jets just stay the course.
Okay, you've got already. Ad Mitchell's looking decently when he's healthy. Omar Cooper, stud, nailed it. Mason Taylor when he's healthy. Yes.
Kenyan Cedek when he's healthy. And Garrett Wilson, Braylon Allen. Yeah, you got some young players. Brees Hall when he's healthy. You signed him.
Hang on to everybody. Hang on for dear life. Dare I say, finally get the quarterback right? What do you do? Defensively, you got Bailey.
You got all. Who are you going to trade?
Okay, hang on. Let the Colts do the selling, and let them put you in the top five, not yourself.
Okay. Who's next?
Next up, the Houston Texans at two and five. The Houston Texans. I lost my. To sell, don't let it stop you. Or not to sell—that is the question.
Did his quill break?
Well, the quill. That's not a. That's not a metaphor for anyone. For anything. Hopefully not.
Quill broke. The Texans should not sell. I think the Texans can go from two and five to the playoffs. Still, I'm not done with them. Really?
Yeah, they just got Marv Maserati, baby. They just bought. He played six snaps. They got a Marv. I got it.
They got a Maserati in the garage. He caught a touchdown pass from from Stroud. That you know, it happened. It happened. He caught it.
Did that get called back through the penalty? No, it happened. Yeah, come on. Nico and him—they're on a buy. Just take a beat, take a breath, come back.
Let's get everyone healthy. They should actually acquire some sort of help as well. Maybe old line throwing that out there because the run game is stinking on ice. Get that run game going. Should they get Jonathan Taylor?
Yeah, I was just about to say. I don't know about you know Jonathan Taylor will be a. Very high division, right? I get it. Price that if I'm the Colts, I would say you have to double to get him to stay in division.
Fair. That ain't happening. All right.
So they should they should not sell at all. Stay the course. Come back from the buy and see what hay you can make. Yeah.
Okay. Thank you. All right.
The management. Who's next?
Next. We just saw them on Monday night. The two and five, Philadelphia Eagles. Oh yes, the Eagles. The course of true love never did run smooth.
He's now googling. He's now to be well, not to be to sell or not to sell. Ladies and gentlemen, he's now googling Shakespearean lines. That's fine. I'm okay with that.
Oh man, I'm going to for the moment. Put a pin in this. Ooh, it's not to pin or not to pin. To pin or not to pin. Hold on, yeah.
Hold on. Hang on a minute. Hang on. Gave you an idea. We're wondering what's Howie Roseman thinking.
Yeah.
Ian Rapaport's going to join us in the top of hour too. Going to tell us. Eagles. Apparently, we're in on Quentin Nelson.
Okay. That gives you an idea where his headspace is.
Okay. And if he was still in on Quentin Nelson, obviously on Tuesday, this was after they just lost the Cowboys and dropped to two and five. They are not selling. If they lose to the Commanders and they're two and six, and then after that game, the Philadelphia Eagles take on the G-Men and they lose that game, and they're two and seven.
Now you are selling that buy week. Yeah, it's going to be interesting.
Okay, now you are selling, but right now you are not. Right now you are buying. That's why I am putting a pin in this right now. Whereas I was emphatic about the Jets and the Texans. You know, I don't need to see any more results between now and the trade deadline with the Eagles.
I kind of do, okay? Because if they beat Washington and then they take the take care of the Giants at home, they're four and five. And they're right behind the Giants in this packed division, so yeah. Then you're buying because you're not giving up. This Philadelphia for crying out loud.
Okay. What else? Let's go south. Yes. The two and five, Tampa Bay, a Buccaneer.
No, I'm. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still. Oh, pardon me.
We are not there because to sell.
Well, not to sell. I'm sorry, I stepped on the Buccaneers of Tampa Bay. I'm sorry, I stepped on the line. It's okay. Pardon me, Cassius.
It's okay. Okay. Um, no, I'm not selling. Really? Yeah, I'm not selling.
Coming off a win, I know this division's still there. Is it? Yes, it is. Of course, it is. It?
Of course, it is. Of course, it. You don't think it is. If a division falls in the woods, oh my god! Look at this guy.
A two Christopher. Listen, this division is open. It's open, and so who are the Bucks going to trade? They'd signed Vitavea. They're going to hold on to him.
They signed. They've signed Baker.
So what are you going to? They've got young studs all over the place in terms of wide receiver group that are going to grow. What are you going to sell, Bucky? One per one. One guy I would sell.
To be honest with you. Is Gainwell? They're hardly even using him. Don't even use him. I know he's Gainwell.
Went from like the the guy who was the man in the Steelers' offense last year to a third down back. He doesn't get used. He and and you know, Sean Tucker comes in on short yardage situations. You could use him as your third down back unless he doesn't pass protect as well as Gainwell. I mean.
You know, would probably take Gainwell back right now if they're still buying. Would be Philadelphia. Right? Laugh all you want. They're on the like they're.
Elijah Mitchell might start Sunday night. I know.
So I'll just still say no sell.
Okay. What else? The two and five, New Orleans Saints. Oh, New Orleans, the Saints of New Orleans. To sell.
Oh my goodness. Or not to sell. Great job, TJ. I don't think Mickey Loomis ever sells anything. That's probably the problem.
He probably doesn't even have a garage sale. Is he a hoarder? Is that what you're saying? I don't know. Like what moves they make?
Name me moves. What moves? Name me. You know what I mean? I'm trying to think.
Right? Have they?
Well. Will you do me a favor? Google deadline moves. Saints have the same history ever. No, they have.
I'm sure they have. But do they? I don't think they're gonna like. What move are they gonna make? What move?
Sell Camaro somewhere? They traded Jimmy Graham in 2015. I mean, I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna pass on this. Like, this not even. I mean, they did trade their coach a couple years.
Okay, very good. Very very good. They're not selling. Plus the division's open. If I'm saying the division's open for the Bucks, this is as well.
Okay. What else, Chris? Got one more. Yeah yeah. The two and five Arizona Cardinals.
Ah, the Cardinals of Arizona. Oh my goodness. Oh my. What is this? What is this to sell?
No, or not to sell. You're doing great, TJ. Um, I would sell Algea. Would you sell him? Yeah, I think teams should be calling for Algea.
They, right? Yeah, he's viable. Who else? They just traded, sold Marv. Yeah, I think Buddha Baker might be.
Oh man, he's a heartbeat there. There, there to get got. Yeah, I'm not gonna trade the young guys. I think them selling wouldn't be a bad idea. I think they have a few pieces they could sell.
Yeah, so sell, sell a couple pieces. Sell 'em all before they play Dallas. Yeah, right. Get 'em off that. Yeah, yeah.
They're coming to town, pal. Four in a row against your Dallas Cowboys. They, they, they. That's a nice. That takes a nice chunk out of the pie.
Do you think we need one? Oh, got one more. All right, we'll get one more. One more here. The zero and six.
Oh boy, Los Angeles Chargers. The charges of Los Angeles. Oh my goodness, to sell or not to sell.
Now that was that was that was Walken. Way to finish it off. Yeah.
Oh, Khalil Mack should be on a team by now, right? Patriot, Cowboy. Absolutely, they should sell. Who else though? Who else?
I don't know. I mean, I don't think they have any. I don't think they're they're in any position to sell off any of their offensive pieces. They need to hold on to that. You want to cut with Omari on?
That's not working. No, come on, dude. This is your two for him. They're not cutting. They're not cutting and running on him.
Well, I mean, who? I don't think there's any offensive pieces. I think Khalil Mack. Yeah, Khalil from House of Mack. Oh boy.
Two One Jones, family of Dallas. Oh, is that what you're saying? What if someone makes you a pretty good offer for Derwin James? Oh, no way, no way. I don't touch him.
No chance, no way.
Okay, there wouldn't have helped. James, that has to be like come to New England, friend. Oh my gosh! I'll see you on the morrow. You know what New England should do?
You should call up Indianapolis and say how much for Jonathan Taylor. Hell yeah, yeah yeah. Travion and a couple picks. Let's go. Hell yeah, yeah.
Let's do it. I do not like that, ladies and gentlemen. A very rousing first edition of to sell or not to sell. I promise I'll sell it better. I'll know.
The name of the segment.
Okay, come up with something more than an hour before. Yes, of course.
Okay, let's take a break, everybody. Kurt Warner, Sir Kurt of Warner of House of Warner. Warner, he's just logging in, saying, "What's what's happening?" Kurt is Eugene Warner. Hiring for a small business is hard. You don't often have a team of people helping out.
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The Rich Eisen Show podcast. Kurt Warner talking about the viability of the Steelers making a long run after having seen them in Paris this past weekend against the Saints. Right here on the Rich Eisen Show.
So based on what you've seen on film of the Sunday night game, which I think kicked off in the middle of the night, your time in Paris. Yes. Did the Seahawks expose the Chiefs and create a blue? To be used against them in any way, shape, or form. I mean, I would say yes if you're capable of doing it.
You know, when you watch the Chiefs up to this point in the season, it's really been about Kenneth Walker first, and then Patrick Mahomes and company second. And you know, I've had questions about this receiving core for a long time. I don't have questions about Patrick Mahomes, even though I thought that was one of the the worst games that I've seen Patrick play was Sunday night. I don't have questions about what he can be and what he's going to be every time out. I do.
Do have questions about the guys on the outside, and can they ever develop some consistency? Can they develop some route running where Patrick can count on them not just to get the big plays, or not just to throw at the line of scrimmage, but can win some one on ones in the medium area of the field? And if they don't, then yes, I think that's the blueprint. Stop Kenneth Walker if you can do that. Shut down the run game and force those guys on the outside to show that they can make play after.
Play after play, and the other thing is eliminate the big place. You know, so you you you force them to play in the intermediate area of the field, where obviously Travis Kelsey has always been the go to guy. But you've got to force it into the hands of those other guys and say, can you beat us? You know, we talked about the Steelers taking long drives. Can you force the Chiefs to make long drives and put them in situations where they have to throw the football?
And can those guys on the outside show up time and time again to do that? That's what Seattle did to them, and obviously they didn't get in the red zone, you know, in the game, which is you know unheard of for a Chiefs football team. But yeah, it's a great blueprint if you're capable of doing that defensively.
Well, Josh Downs of the Colts moments ago demanded a trade. I guess he's seeing everything that's happening there, and if he's on the block, I mean, would you say he would be a nice choice of the Chiefs to go out and flip some capital in the direction? Of Indianapolis, I mean, I like Josh Downs. I think he's a really good player. Again, I'm not sure.
You know, he's the guy that works the underneath area of the field. You know, kind of like a Travis Kelsey. And again, never bad to have two of those guys. No question. But again, I'm looking for a guy that can win the one on one battles on the outside.
The guy that can push the envelope with those fifteen to twenty yard throws over and over again. And again, not that Josh can't do that. That just hasn't been his specialty. And to me, not where. He's at his best.
He's been asked to do that a little bit more because Alec Pierce is is hurt in Indy, but still not his forte, and so. Any good player, you know, lifts the receiving core of the Chiefs without a doubt. But that, to me, is not the kind of player that I would necessarily be looking for to really, you know, ramp it up. I think they've got the guys, you know, worthy and Thornton coming back to stretch the field, and they've got the Travis Kelsey that can work the underneath, and even Rasheed Rice is really good underneath. I want that guy, you know, that can make those medium range chunk plays for.
Consistently win in route running, and that's the guy to me that they're they're missing. In the meantime, Kurt Warner, Quinton Nelson goes to Seattle, just to sort of I guess wrap up this portion of our conversation before we move on to put it in a bow. How do you think Nelson affects things in Seattle for the offense as a whole here? Yeah, obviously a great addition, a great football player for a long time. And you know, although Sam Darnold had a bounce back game on Sunday night, I thought he played really, really well.
I thought the key to that game was their ability to run the football and have success, and that was really what they were built on last year. Great defense, run the football, and then play action and allow the pass game to be a complementary piece, which is hard to say when you have JSN, who's the kind of focal point of the whole offense. But you know. It isn't about dropping back and throwing the ball thirty-five or forty times, is what I'm what I'm saying. And so they got back to that a little bit.
You had Quentin Nelson to the mix, interior the offensive line makes them better. Hopefully, they're going to get you know Price and and Charbonnet back here in the short term, and so they can get back to that blueprint that won them a championship a year ago. And so I think this is a huge addition. You know, assuming the guys get healthy and they kind of change. Their style to kind of what they were on on Sunday night and what we saw most of last year.
Were you ever on a team that that trade deadlineed their way and and got rid of pieces? Were you ever part? No, no, no. Yeah, never part of something like that. Because I can't imagine what it's like right now.
You know, in Indianapolis, right? Yeah, I mean, yeah, for sure. In Indy, where you know you start to see the writing on the wall, your GM is fired. You start giving away pieces. You got certain players, good players on your team, you know, asking for trades.
Like, hey, you know, we got nothing going here. We're you know playing for the future, not for now, which is always the challenge with any you know veteran players in a locker room. Is when you start you know making moves, whether that's you know benching your starting quarterback or start trading your key pieces. Those veterans in the locker room that are here. To say, hey, we don't have very many opportunities at this.
You know, I don't want to give up on a season only seven weeks in, and so you know that's the challenge there. But yeah, I mean, you have to believe that Indy saying, okay, we don't believe we have the pieces right now. I mean, forgot about Buckner. I mean, goodness gracious, you know, best defensive players.
Well, you know, we don't have the pieces right now to compete. We're not competing, so we have to play for the future. And it's a it's a really tough thing in the locker room for those veteran guys. You know that. Say hey, we've got you know all these games got ten games left, and you know everybody is basically saying we're giving up on the season, so to speak.
Is just a not not a fun place to be for a veteran guy. What do you think Kurt Warner is going on in the film room with Kevin O'Connell and Kyler Murray right now? I mean, I think what's going on is is just sitting back. And so, here is the thing with Kyler. I've watched him play a lot.
He was obviously in my backyard and took over, you know, one of my teams.
So I've watched him play a lot. And the thing about Kyler is he's unbelievably talented. He's a gifted, gifted thrower of the football. But where he's best is when your first guy is available to him. He's going to make that throw over and over again because he can.
When the first guy is not available, he is. Always struggled to work through his progressions to see the field and and to work from there.
So it's usually first read checkdown is kind of how he plays football. And so with the defense, obviously, it's led to an undefeated season at this point because he's not turning the football over. He's not taking you know bad chances with the football and feeding off the defense. But again, I just believe come playoff time that you have to at times win away from your strength. There are going to be teams that are going to score.
Some points against this Brian Flores defense at some point when you are playing against the best teams week in and week out, and your quarterback is going to be asked to make play after play after play. And checkdowns, just like I was talking about with the Steelers, usually doesn't get you there unless you are just so dominant on the other side that it doesn't matter. And maybe Minnesota is, you know, and maybe they can become that defensively. But that to me is, I am sure, what's being talked about is okay. Number one's not there, but look at this.
Look at the progression. We've got to get you to work through to some of those other things, or to see that number one's not going to be open, and change your progression and get over here where there's some available options with big plays that can change this thing for us. Because again, checkdowns never never bad to throw a checkdown, but when you're you're living off of checkdowns, it's just really hard against good teams and good NFL defenses to go 80 yards throwing checkdowns, and so you've got to. Be able to take what's available to you within the course of the offense. I'm not asking you to force it.
I'm not asking you to do dumb things with the football. It's you've got to play the play, and when there's something available on that play, you've got to be able to make that. You know, the majority of the time, if we're going to be a really good offense and an offense that I believe can challenge for a championship, do you think it's going to happen? You know, I gotta get the sense it's not. I, I, I don't know.
Obviously, that's so unfair for me to say, but I just my spidey sense is this is just not gonna happen. I'm not sure you're you know saying it's unfair is you know really a crazy statement because we haven't seen Kyler do that up to this point. We've seen him do the things that I'm talking about, and you know, times he's competed at an MVP level, so it lets us know what he's capable of. But I don't know if we've ever seen him put all those pieces together and be able to just you know consistently play the game inside the pocket, you know, seeing and reading and getting through his progressions and making those plays. And so, you know, I don't think it's you know unfair to say I don't know if he's going to get there because I don't even know what year this is for him, nine year nine for him or something like that.
Where it's like if it hasn't happened at this point, you know, can you know Kevin O'Connell? Just bring him in and change the way that he's always played, you know. And so that to me is is where I sit as well. Is like I wanted to see new surroundings. I wanted to see him with the Justin Jefferson and KOC that's done a great job with different quarterbacks, like a Sam Darnold that you know couldn't make it work other places.
But I'm seeing a lot of the same stuff that I have seen you know before in Kyler's career. And and and again, he can give you good quarterback play, but is it? Championship quarterback play. If you can't do that mid part of playing quarterback, that's I think remains the big question. And you know, again, new place, and we haven't seen it happen up to this point.
And again, you never say never. You know, some guys can figure it out, and KLC can get through them, and they can they can find an offense that fits Kyler and allows him to do that. You know, but seven games in, and I know he's missed a he missed a little bit of time. We haven't seen it. I didn't really see that consistently.
In Arizona, and so that remains my biggest question with Kyler moving forward. It's year eight for Kyler.
Sorry, are you a poker player, Kurt? I am not.
Okay, there's something in poker called flop lag.
Okay, where you've got a great hand to start, the flop comes and it's crap, and you have to fold.
Okay, but the next hand, the flop comes, and it was perfect for what you had the previous hand.
Okay, and it seems like the Vikings have flop lag with their quarterbacks right now. They had a great hand, you know. They wound up folding, and then here comes the next hand, and it was perfect for what you had. Yeah, and it seems like with JJ McCarthy's first start with the Giants, is this fair now to say that? No, I don't think this is fair either.
You know, again, the fair part is I just don't think it was fair to make this judgment on JJ McCarthy as quick as we did. If you go back to you know guys that talked about JJ coming out of the draft, obviously great success at Michigan, but he was a complimentary piece. He wasn't the guy that had to carry a team. He hadn't shown the ability to do all of that yet.
So when you drafted him, not that he shouldn't have been drafted where he was, it was. Just this guy's going to take some time, in my opinion. If you're going to ask him to play the game differently than he did in Michigan, and the NFL is different than it is in college, and what they were asking him in Minnesota was different than what he was doing in college, and so yeah, it didn't look great when he was out there, and that wasn't surprising to me. And then obviously he gets a new spot, and it's looked a little bit better, you know, here in New York, and they've won a football game. But I just felt like you know, Minnesota.
Soda gave up too quickly, and again, they see every week. You know, they see every practice. They know what what's there and why they made the decision. But I just think you know he needed time to grow, and still needs time. Like even after these two games, I know a lot of people you know, two hundred and some yards in the fourth quarter against the Saints.
Go back and watch that game, and I'm not sure they were all really good decisions. I think sometimes he was just picking a guy and ripping it, and and happened to get away with it. This last game, I think there. Was a you know more of that where you know he got some one on one situations and he made the throws. I mean, there's no doubt about that, and you and you commend a guy for that.
But you know what he had problems with when he was in Minnesota was when again, kind of like Kyler, when the the one wasn't open, progressing through on time and and and you know being able to work his technique and make those secondary throws. He hasn't really been asked to do that in New York, although it's looked good. He's won a game. You know, I think he brings something to that. As you see in the locker room speeches and stuff, but there are still questions about JJ McCarthy with me and whether he can be a true starting quarterback in the NFL.
But to me, that's okay because I knew it was going to take some time, and I feel like I've seen some growth from where he was when he started in Minnesota to what I've seen with the Giants, and now there just needs to be more growth taking place. And he's going to get an opportunity to to grow a little bit this year, and then get a chance to see what he is at the end of the year or moving forward. Forward with the Giants, or you know, if if they end up trading him because of Jackson Dart with somebody else. But I love the fact that he's getting another opportunity because I believe you know to write everything off on you know that one period of time that he started knowing what he was coming out of college was just the wrong move for a young quarterback that just wasn't ready quite yet. Last one for you, Kurt.
It does appear that we're nearing the decision in Las Vegas about when to insert Fernando Mendoza to get his feet wet, beak wet, however you want to put it. Clint Kubiak said earlier this week it's still Cousins for a visit to the Jets. And part of that also might be if you look at their schedule, their next games at San Francisco. We saw what Seattle just did versus Mahomes. What Denver might have in store for Mahomes this week, and at Cleveland.
And then there is a buy. When do you think, if at all, this should happen, Kurt? I think it's coming, but I think you know. And again, we can you know look back to the Colts. We just talked about it.
I could take you back to my my Giants time, which we've discussed on here. You know, after nine games, they made the move to Eli, even though we were you know quote unquote a playoff team at the time. I think what you look at here with this Raiders team is when do you feel the season is kind of lost? You know, early in the season, you start out three and zero, and now you've You've lost a number here. You've got some competitive games coming up.
I think there's a chance here to say, let's see, let's gauge our team against. You know, obviously they probably think we can beat the Jets, but you know, San Francisco and Denver and those quality football teams. Let's gauge our team, Seattle. Let's gauge our team against those teams. And if we can't compete, you know, no matter where we sit in the standings, that's to me the time where you start to go, okay, is it.
Time to you know kind of speed this thing up and get Fernando out there and and kind of let our veterans know, hey, we gave it a run, you know, we were competitive, but it's gotten to the point where we think we've kind of fallen out of the mix for the playoffs, and now we're going to try to get our young kid ready for next year and beyond when we can continue to build our team and be championship ready.
So I believe the time is coming, but I believe these next couple weeks will really determine where they think they are as a football team because. Again, the hardest part is the veterans, the Max Crosby's of of your locker room. You know, I remember when that move was made in New York, and so many of the veterans, you know, even came up to me and like, "What are we doing? Like, we're a playoff team now. We've got a shot." You never know once you get into the dance what you're capable of.
I don't have many opportunities. You know, that's what the veterans were talking to me about, and so I understand that aspect of things. Like, you don't want to throw away any season. In the NFL, because careers are too short and opportunities are short, but I think once they can see the writing on the wall that hey, you know we're not a champion, we're not a team that can push for anything, it's much easier to sell to the locker room, and and I think that's what this was about. Let's see how competitive we can be, which they were with Kirk Cousins, and now that maybe reality is set in a little bit that you know average team, but not not not a great team or a championship type team.
Now you have to start. Weighing all of those things and say, okay, when's the right time where we still believe we can have our veterans compete and push forward and and fight for Fernando Mendoza while making the move to build towards the future. Welcome home. Put the passport away, sir. Look forward to seeing you this weekend, man.
Yep, can't wait, man. I'll give you a hug. That's Kurt Warner, everybody, right here on the Rich Eisen Show, Hall of Famer. Let's take a break.
So much food for thought right there from Kurt, right here on his usual Wednesday spot. Get a free Mobil One oil filter with the purchase of five quarts of Mobil One Advance Clean Motor Oil at O'Reilly Auto Parts. Limits apply. Plus, receive a ten dollars O'Reilly gift card and a Tyler Reddick poster after rebate, while supplies last. Only at O'Reilly Auto Parts.
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Let's go to the let's go to the WeatherTech fan line right here. Let's go to where do we go here? Let's go Noah in Maine. Noah in Maine. Noah in Maine.
Maine, that's for you, Chris. Two oh seven. What's up, Noah? Hey, how's it going? Happy to be on.
I am in Maine, although I am born and raised in the great state of Minnesota. Ah, very good. And as such, right now, I feel like I need to be laying down on a therapist's couch, talking about the the woes which beset us as Minnesota Vikings fans. Because I know I should be happy at six and zero. I know I should, but It just as someone who lived through the Kirk Cousins era here in Minnesota.
Okay, I'm starting to fear that we may have a Kirk Cousins era at head coach here in Minnesota because. Before having head coach, that is the QB guru, former coach of the year.
Okay, there's an argument to be made that we haven't had a good offensive performance since 2024, since that last Packers game with Sam Darn. Yeah, right. And you start to wonder now. Of course, JJ McCarthy has to go and fling the rock. And I know he's your son, Rich, and you know you're gonna dawdle over him.
No, but. It is it is just starting to concern me a little bit, you know.
So I don't know. I don't know really where to go from here.
Well, again, what happened with Darnold was spectacular, and you know they tried McCarthy because they drafted him, and I understand. You know they saw what Wentz looked like, and they tried McCarthy again out of necessity. But you had to think that getting Kyler Murray for. One point three million bucks was worth the shot.
Now, was it worth trading away McCarthy already? That's a different story. That's a different story. But going with going with Murray, I thought was a smart play, and they're going to find out if he's the guy or not. And if not, you do have an outstanding play caller.
I mean, he he is an excellent coach. I've been around him. I've been around the staff. The staff is excellent. Um, and and they made they made a bet.
And thank you for the call, Noah. Because we're we're up against the the end of the hour, Noah. Um. You know, it's a tough, it's a tough thing to figure out, and even some of the best struggle at it. And right now, I use the phrase "flop lag," you know, for for poker.
Yeah, good phrase. You know, where you're you're just a hand behind. Yep. Um, and Murray may not be the guy, but the bottom line is they're six and zero. And they're going to make the playoffs.
They're not going to lose a whole bunch of games from here on out where they're going to miss it. And I understand Vikings fans have some, you know, history of feeling like great seasons have gone down the tubes. But let's just be patient here for American-made floor liners in a cargo liner that laugh in the face of fall weather. Visit WeatherTech.com today. Ian Rappaport coming up next on buyers and sellers and so much more on that front.
Hour two. 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. This episode is brought to you by State Farm.
Football has a play for just about everything. You can go deep, keep it on the ground, or draw up something nobody sees coming. And whether you want to run a flea flicker or the tush push, you need a plan to fit your unique situation. That's why State Farm takes the time to get to know you, so they can help personalize coverage for your life and budget.
Now that's a solid game plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
