REShow: Zak Keefer - Hour 2

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JALAIworld.com. Monday and Tuesday at 5 pm, Friday at 7 pm. This is the Rich Eisen Show. From the New England Patriots, he is Matthew Judon. What is your take on this Chicago Bears offense? They have one of the top running games in the league. Montgomery powers in. And then they also have a quarterback that's learning that Kiefer Fields for the touchdown.

No, I don't see that. The Rich Eisen Show. Earlier on the show, NBC Sports Patriots insider Tom Curran. Coming up, Colts writer for the athletic, Zach Kiefer.

From Cobra Kai and author of the new book, Waxing On, Ralph Macchio. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Our number two of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. 844204, Rich.

Number to dial. Yeah, we've been talking quite a bit in hour number one about the Patriots loss on Monday Night Football where it was all set up for Bill Belichick to become the second winningest head coach of all time. Passing George Hallis against the Bears of all teams on Monday night. The Patriots coming in on a two-game win streak.

The Bears coming in on a losing streak of their own. It was all set up to be a coronation. And then in the middle of the game, it was set up to be an anointing of Bailey Zappi as the new starting quarterback.

And everything absolutely crumbled. And yes, we talked about that in hour number one as if the Bears had nothing to do with it. That will change in this hour.

We'll talk about the Bears side of that equation. And then the Bailey Zappi Mac Jones of it all was the story of last night and totally wiped out for the time being. The news that took us all by surprise.

We came on the air at the top of hour number three yesterday like, whoa. So Matt Ryan's hurt, huh? Oh, wait a minute. He's benched, huh? No, wait, he's hurt and benched. And when he comes back healthy, he'll still be benched.

And for who? Matt McConaughey sending out tweets that Sam Ellinger's ready to roll? You know, he's built for the moment. That makes me want to pick up him right now.

Exactly. I believe. So in the same way that we sent out the bat signal for Tom Curran, or at least I did in the middle of the first half of Monday night football, we have not had this gent on, but hoping to make heads or tails of a shocking quarterback scenario. Coming out of week number seven is a guy who's been covering the Indianapolis Colts for quite some time after spending several years, seven years at the Indianapolis start.

Now covering the Indianapolis Colts for the athletic on the Mercedes-Benz phone line is Zach Kiefer. How are you doing, Zach? I'm good, Rich. How are you guys doing?

I'm doing fine. Thank you for answering our call to help make heads or tails out of this wild coin flip that happened. Why is this quarterback changing of the guard happening in Indianapolis, Zach? Because they can't figure this position out. And if I'll be completely honest, they haven't figured this out for five years.

You guys know what happened in 2019 and Andrew Luck retired. And this is just another chapter in the cycle. And this is where they are in the spot they're in. And to be honest, this move had been coming for a couple of weeks.

This was not something, I don't care what they say publicly, this is not something that was just made Monday morning. This was a reflection of this team's displeasure with Matt Ryan over the last couple of weeks and really since the start of the season. But they love Matt Ryan and it's easy to see why. He's really been the leader that they need, but you've got to win games and you've got to stop turning the football over. And they were just so inconsistent at quarterback. We're talking 24 sacks, that's on the offensive line. But the most turnovers in the league from Matt Ryan, the most interceptions, it's just been a mess. And so this was a collective decision. And the owner, Tim Mercy, had his say in this one just like he did last time when they kicked Carson Wentz out of time.

This was Earth Day saying, it's time to make a move. And they really want to see what they have in Sam Ellinger. So Ryan being sacked as much as he's been sacked, don't you think that has something to do with turnovers and fumbles and rushed passes potentially? I mean, I haven't watched every single snap of Colts football this year, as I'm sure you have. Walk me through the parsing of blame on this front.

Yeah, it's a situation where both things are true, right? I'm going to give you some of these numbers, and they're really ugly. They're really, really ugly. 80 quarterback hits, the most in the league, 110 pressures, that's the third most, and 24 sacks. 24 sacks is more sacks than they gave up in 17 games on Carson Wentz last year.

So that's completely on the offensive line. And Matt's done just about everything he can to avoid them. He's a tough dude.

He's taken some shots, and he's gotten back up. But what he hasn't done has helped himself. And so it's not an either-or. It's a both-and. Both are guilty. Like, the quarterback hasn't overcome the problems.

But here's the interesting thing, Rich. Drake, right yesterday, said, I need to be crystal clear about this. I told Matt on Monday morning when they made the move that we failed you.

We didn't deliver. When they made this trade in the spring, this made a lot of sense, right? Matt Ryan comes in. He makes the smart throws. He plays behind a great offensive line with Quentin Nelson and Drake Smith and Ryan Kelly. And he's got a great running back, right?

JT, Jonathan Taylor, 1,800 yards last year. On paper, it made a lot of sense. But what Frank Reich told Matt Ryan yesterday, we didn't deliver. And Matt Ryan didn't either, but it's impossible to put this move in context without explaining how bad, how much this offensive line has progressed in the last year. It's staggering, and it's really hard to figure out why.

It is. And I'll tell you what, Zach Kiefer, the athletic covering the Colts here on the Rich Eisen Show, I picked the Colts to win the division because of exactly what you laid out right there. You put Matt Ryan and his decision-making skills behind an offensive line, maybe the best he's ever played behind. You know, I mean, that has been the staple of the Colts since Chris Ballard has come aboard, despite the changing of the veteran quarterback guard, that the offensive line up front has been terrific. And that game against the Broncos, I mean, at one point, poor Bernard Ryman out of central Michigan, I mean, the holding calls and the pre-snap penalty calls on him, it was one of those want to get away commercial type first halves for him. So what has happened to this offensive line, Zach?

You know, it's funny. I think they were emboldened by the success they had with Phillip Rivers a couple of years ago. They were the best offensive line in the league that year.

I think they allowed 20 tracks the entire season. Part of that was Rivers' ability to get the ball out, and then they go get Carson Wentz last year. And Carson didn't get enough credit for this, but he avoided Zach all year long because he's a big athletic guy. Ryan's not able to do that, but that doesn't answer your question. What does is the fact that Quentin Nelson has regressed, and if you watch the tape, you can see it. Brian Kelly has regressed.

If you watch the tape, same thing. Brayden Smith, the right tackle. They're on their fifth different combination on the offensive line, and we're seven games in, which tells me they don't know what the heck they're doing. They don't have the answers. And the fact that they don't have a star quarterback and they don't have a guy who's going to overcome that.

Now, they used to, but he retired. It just spells disaster. And like you said, in that Broncos game, there was a point when Matt Ryan just lost it and started screaming, because every single time he touched the football, he's got three guys in his face. So, to be honest, it's not a surprise that Matt Ryan is dealing with a grade two shoulder separation right now. I'm surprised this didn't happen a couple weeks ago, because this is the most expensive offensive line in the league.

That's another part of this. We're talking three top two round picks, including two first runners in Ryan Kelly and Quentin Nelson. The most expensive offensive line in the league is playing like the worst offensive line in the league. And I don't care who you have the quarterback, unless it's maybe Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen or Patrick Mahone, no quarterback is going to overcome that much pressure every single down. In that regard, that's where they have failed Matt Ryan.

Zach Keefer of The Athletic covers the Colts right here on the Rich Eisen Show. Let's still linger on the decision before we turn the pages to what happens now. You said a collective, Ursay and Chris Ballard, and you mentioned Jim Ursay.

It seems like two times Ursay has asserted himself. The departure of Wentz, I mean, he was very vocal in placing the mess in Jacksonville and what happened in December and January last year, right on the lap of Carson Wentz walking out the door. And you said he had a say in this decision with Matt Ryan being benched. Is he running the show? Is he doing that right now?

What do you got for me on that front, Zach? He runs the show when he wants to run the show. Now he doesn't intrude on personnel decisions very often, but when it comes to the quarterback, he makes an exception.

And you're dead on. He called Ballard and Reichen to his office the night of that game last year in week 17 and said, under no circumstances will Carson Wentz return as the quarterback of the team. It's your job to find a solution. And remember, they traded Carson Wentz without having a solution. Matt Ryan was not on the doorstep. A lot of people didn't even know he was available.

And they thought that Matt Ryan would be the solution. And this is the second time when Ursay had an input. And honestly, Frank Reich's seat is getting warmer.

It is really getting warmer. And it's tough to judge a coach who's had five different starting quarterbacks in five years. That's got to be unprecedented. But now we're on to six, right, with Sam Allinger. And this is a tough spot to be because in a lot of ways, this team is built to compete right now.

A lot of people picked him to win the AFC South. I'm not going to go further than compete because they're a mess. But it's going to be up and down with Sam Allinger. Let's not call it anything like it's not because it's going to be some good and it's going to be some bad. He's a young quarterback without an elite arm. He's going to take his lumps. But the reality is Matt Ryan probably gives you a better chance to win in the short term. But they need to find out what they have in Sam Allinger. And that's probably going to, you know, get them a better draft pick in the spring. And honestly, the mood around town right now is enough of this garage sale at quarterback, enough of this trying to run on the QB carousel and find a new guy every single year. It's time to go find one in the draft.

The problem is they have 10 games left and it's going to be a lot harder to win those games with a young quarterback who's never thrown an NFL pass. Well, and I guess that's a perfect segue to talk about what's next. Because if you're saying that the seat for Frank Reich is getting warmer, if I'm a coach and my seat's getting warmer, then I'm going to go with a system and with a game plan that I know best and the one that got me to this spot with all, you know, outside of Josh McDaniels, you know, leaving the altar at the last second.

I'm going to go with the game plan that got me to this spot. And that's the RPO game. And that is clearly what Sam Ellinger does very well. And look who's the backup of all people.

It's Nick Foles. So, have we, like, is that what we're going to see? We're going to see a lot of the RPOs, we're going to see Sam at the mesh point with Jonathan Taylor and Himes and everyone else. Is that what we got going on right now? You think?

Oh yeah, absolutely. And honestly, I'm a little, I'm a little anxious to see what it looks like because, you know, this is a team that was built to win from the pocket with Matt Ryan. That was the entire offense.

And the guy can't, you know, he can't move because he's got three guys in his face. Now, Sam Ellinger, there's some spunk to him. Like, he's made some plays and I want to be very clear. He made some plays in the preseason against second and third teamers. And that's not the same thing as doing it on Sundays and week eight. So, it's going to be interesting to see, but they're going to run some boots, they're going to run some make-ups, they're going to move them around. And I think you're right.

I think you're onto something. The sad part of all of this is the Colts have one of the very best players in football who has largely been a non-factor the entire season. Like Jonathan Taylor. How is a team with Jonathan Taylor on its roster ranked 30th in a league in rushing? And it's not just because he missed two games due to injury.

It's because he's been bottled up because there's nowhere to go. And I think what Sam can do is Sam can pick up some third downs with his legs and kind of move laterally in the pocket and basically pressure the defense in different spots. I think that might open up a little bit more in the run game because I've never seen a guy make more three-yard runs, eight-yard runs, right? Like JT has nowhere to go and I think a lot of that is because defenses know the Colts cannot push the ball down the field.

Maybe Ellinger gives them another wrinkle, but at this point they'll take anything they can get because this offense is just a mess right now. So, the fact that Foles is two right now might be because of that grade two shoulder issue that Ryan has. Is your best estimate that Matt Ryan's taking his last snap as a Colts quarterback barring injury of everyone else right now? Yeah, that's the reality and honestly I think that's tough for a lot of people to swallow, especially in Atlanta because that was sort of the vibe was, man if this guy just had a better line he could still play. And we didn't really see a lot of signs of decline in training camp for Matt Ryan, but if you watch the games every week, I mean the two interceptions on Sunday in Tennessee were just inexcusable. So, barring injury, Matt Ryan won't throw another pass to the Colts this season and it was made very clear yesterday this is Sam Ellinger's team for the rest of this season. Wow, I got two more for you Zach Keefer, the Colts reporter and insider for the Athletic. The Washington commanders are coming in.

I'm very familiar with Lucas Oil Stadium having been there every single year for the combine for the last two decades, but maybe you might be able to help me here. Are there porta potties that they could stick Dan Snyder to watch the game? Is that the game plan?

Best you can tell? They're going to stick Dan Snyder. How fun is this going to be? I mean you've got the Jim Irsay versus Daniel Snyder storyline. I'm kind of disappointed we don't have the Carson Wentz storyline. Can't have it all Zach, can't have it all. Can't have it all Zach, can't have it all.

We do have Tyler Heinecky and Sam Ellinger, so who's not going to turn into that? What are you hearing about why Irsay said what he said at the owner's gathering a couple weeks ago and whether this is going to continue? What are you hearing about that Zach? The one thing about Jim Irsay that a lot of people in Indianapolis know that maybe not a lot know around the country is that he does not care about blowback. If you guys paid attention to what he said about Carson Wentz in the off-season, those are things that I reported early in the off-season and took a lot of slack for and then Jim Irsay basically came out and said everything in terms of why they made the move and I don't think I've ever heard an owner just so publicly criticize a former player like that.

He doesn't care about the blowbacks for better or for worse and honestly I think what he said is what a lot of owners think, so I think a little bit of credit goes to him for having the guts to say it publicly when a lot of people won't, but yeah I really do wonder where Daniel Snyder's seat is come Sunday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium. And you know in having you on for the first time Zach, you know we hit the Google machine, I'm not going to lie, to know your bio and your history and I'm kind of with a bit of trepidation asking this about anything that's on Google, but I do have to ask you one of the attributes of your seven plus years at the Star and covering the team that's highlighted here is you've written about Pat McAfee's poker skills, I'll bite, what do you got for me on that Zach? Oh we could go on for a long time.

What do you got? Pat McAfee, you know him, I know him, everybody knows him because of one hand of poker. I'll keep it real short, but this is a pretty epic story and I wrote this story years ago at the Star, but basically he was this no-name high school punter who went with a friend to a poker game in Pittsburgh one night, this shady seedy basement, and he took a hundred dollars and he turned it into twelve hundred dollars one night, pocket jacks, pocket jacks, won him all the money, he used that money to go to a kicking camp the next day, lied to his parents, told him he was spending the night as a friend, took that money, he wanted the poker game, went to a kicking camp, was noticed by a college recruiter from West Virginia, two days later had an offer from the school. That sounds like fiction but I promise you that's exactly how it happened and one of the more memorable stories I've written. Ask Pat about it sometimes, it's all true.

Well we've definitely had him on right years ago and about sometimes him not being completely straightforward about his skill set, you know, to get to get where he is. I believe everything about Pat and so my response shouldn't be construed that I think he's not telling the complete truth, but the most unbelievable part of that story is winning a poker hand with pocket jacks. That's ridiculous. I don't know how many times I've ever won.

I don't think so. I mean, that's a hell of a hand to use to bankroll everything. I asked him, I said, how did you become an NFL punter?

And he said, it's a really long story and then he told me the story and he couldn't remember the hand and then an hour later he said it was pocket jacks. So there you go. There you go. All right, last one for you, Zach.

I know I keep saying that but this is the fact. With everything going on and you mentioned how the quarterback situation has just been churning and churning and churning ever since that day in pre-season when my buddy Adam Schefter came out and said during a pre-season game that Andrew Luck was going to retire and he was standing right there on the sideline fully intending to retire but not having it come out in the middle of a pre-season game. Everything going on and on and on about this quarterback scenario. Any reporting, any whiff that the Colts have ever called up Andrew Luck to just kick the tires and say, you're sure you're done? Anytime.

What do you got? Yeah, yeah, they have. This is a little shameless plug but I put together a podcast series this summer for the athletic six episodes that basically explored the entire question of what happened to Andrew Luck. How did one of the greatest quarterbacks prospects of all time, maybe since John Elwinger, Peyton Manning, walk away from the game before he was 30 years old and there's a lot to it and, you know, uncovered a lot of old interviews with him and I actually met with him last spring to talk about it but no, it's not going to happen. He's definitely moved on from football. The Colts have reached out.

Absolutely they've called him. He lived in Indianapolis for the first three years after he retired. He was a mile from the Colts practice facility and very much the specter of Andrew Luck still hovers over this team because of what you just asked, Rich. I mean this has been a four to five year carousel. I mean they have just tried to go with these short-term stock gaps and it hasn't worked and until they find the next guy you're always left with that what if. I mean I met with Andrew and I couldn't stop thinking this guy's only 32 years old like he could still play.

He's not going to but 32 is not that old with the way quarterbacks are playing into their late 30s and 40s right now so yeah they've reached out but he has moved on. Door is closed but the door is now open for you here on this program. Great chat, Zach. You made me smarter and I was fascinated the whole way.

Look for more of my phone calls. Really appreciate it, sir. That was a lot of fun. Thanks, Rich. Right back at you Zach Keefer right here on the Rich Eisen Show at Z Keefer K-E-E-F-E-R on Twitter. He's about to get a follow from me.

That was very informative and I appreciated that entire conversation and clearly he and I just met because he just called a plug shameless to me. Like what? Does he know? Are you kidding me? If not who? If not us, Rich, who? And if not now, when? That has been our mantra since day one.

Yes, what are we doing? There's no such thing as a shameless plug. There's just a plug.

Just a plug. And you should do it all the damn time in any chance you have. Follow me on Twitter at Chris Brockman. You should just like I should I feel like I should call him back and say you know you don't shouldn't say this is a shameless plug.

You should just say you know I did a podcast this summer called Luck. It's available here. You can get it there. I did it because it's really good. You should check it out like this honestly.

Done and done. Go once you're just like I'm assuming Pat with pocket jacks just go on in. Have you ever won with pocket jacks?

I have. I was just being facetious but they always get cracked. Are you kidding me? Always. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?

Pocket jacks never hold up. Please. Somebody has you know a queen and and it you know or even worse somebody has a nine they're there and then the board pairs on you. Right. Straight. You know with an ace. Get out of here.

Please man. Yeah Pat told that story last time he was here. The punning story. Yeah we recall him telling me. By the way did I just give a hand that still would cause me to win with jacks? I think I'm doing that. Yeah you did that wrong.

But I just just I'm just coming up with any ways. It's been a couple weeks since I played. Usually it's just busy. Busy. Too busy you know. Last week I didn't play poker because I was too busy rehearsing for that game in Munich that I'm doing.

Coming up in week 10. See I didn't say that was shameless. I just went ahead and did it. Mooch gave it away. That's the way it's done Zach.

Right there I turned your poker story into a plug for me. That's the way it's done. When we come back we're gonna give our props to the bears. Yeah baby. We're gonna do it. And then sir I might turn to my right and talk about who's next.

For Chicago. Come get some. Come get some. That's called a come.

Not shameless at all. Stay tuned. 2000, 2008, 2022. When it comes to the economy those are some scary years.

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See terms and learn more at Discover.com slash online privacy protection. Back here on our program we just showed for our terrestrial radio audience we just showed a snippet of when Elizabeth Shue was here what was that about five years ago herself? I will tell you exactly. And she was here to promote the Billy Jean King Bobby Riggs movie that came out years ago. Remember that? Was Steve Carell? Was Bobby Riggs?

Yes. And Emma Stone was Billy Jean King and Elizabeth Shue played Bobby Riggs's wife in it and I just remember getting a call I think it was probably Liz Wailed saying you know do you want Elizabeth Shue and before she could say Shue I'm like yes yeah yes yes. I'm telling you out of all the interviews that I've conducted here one of my proudest when was this? It was September of 17.

September of 17. Um interviewing Elizabeth Shue I was in the zone. I was in the zone. I was in the zone uh I don't know if I was literally I don't know if I was here. Now you watched you watched me uh give a speech to the Michigan Wolverine football team years ago.

I blacked out right. When you were watching that you were like who is that guy right? You were like and it started a little slow and then you got really got into it and you were feeling yourself and like you were literally channeling Bo Schembeck or you left your body. That was me here interviewing Elizabeth Shue.

When you meet somebody and they meet your expectations. So delightful. Oh my gosh.

It was really the only word for it. She was very delightful. I don't think we talked even about Back to the Future right? Did we even hit that with her?

I don't even think we got on that subject matter here. Yeah because she was in two. Well she wasn't in one she was in two. I know that we got to get her back. That's all I have to say. Oh I'm I'm. That's the thing you ask for someone then they come. Oh is that right? Ask them and they will come.

That's how that works. Hey why don't you come on our show? They're like sure.

I have no idea. So um Bears fans I know how you're feeling. I know how you're feeling um because you're you just watched your team punk Belichick and the Patriots in Gillette on a Monday night.

It's fun you used that word. You just watched them do it and all everyone's talking about and we're guilty charged. Hour one it was all about zappy this and Mac Jones then. What's Belichick doing? And Mac Jones is a quarterback of the moment last year. He was a rookie last year and he was terrific and look at him now and you could basically say well our rookie quarterback last year look at him now. Look what he just did against Mac Jones. Why aren't you talking about them and I know how you feel.

Last week one of the greatest jet wins I can remember. Sitting on Aaron Rodgers lap. Quinnen Williams and everybody like it like Aaron Rodgers was a Santa Claus mall guy. Sitting in a mall like he's Santa Claus. Like bad Santa.

Like right. Sitting on his lap and all we're here is what's wrong with Aaron Rodgers? What's going on with the Packers?

Are they are they in trouble? Well what about the Jets? And so Bears fans guilty as charged coming on the air but now it's time to talk about the Chicago Bears. Yes a Chicago Bears team that right now is that ran against Bill Belichick and this is supposed to be the guy who takes away what you do best and you just came in to this game with a 200 yard rushing performance against Washington and we all saw that you had a shot to win that at the end but it was a difficult watch on that Thursday night but hey guys hey man you got yourself a 243 yard rushing night huh right? Domination. Last time the Chicago Bears had two straight games of over 200 yards rushing 1985. What did they do that year? Yeah I'm not saying you're winning the Super Bowl this year but it's been a long time huh? It's been a while.

You're seeing it. The defense. Four takeaways. Four takeaways for that defense. How many tipped balls last night? The reason why we're talking about Zappi and Matt Jones whatever is yeah Belichick had some plan that no one really understands about playing both but the reason why we're talking about how it totally backfired and it looked like they don't know what they're doing in New England is because the Bears made them look that way. They're taking kicks in the nards and then turning around and picking the guy off and benching him. Then he kicked them in the ding ding. Justin Fields.

Let's talk about him shall we? 179 yards passing 82 yards rushing. A touchdown in each throwing and running. 10 of 11 on third down they converted. 10 of 11 on third against Belichick and that defense when they were balling out.

As a matter of fact of the 10 first downs that they converted on third Justin Fields converted five of them throwing and five of them him running. Yeah man that's what we're seeing. That's what we're seeing and in case you might be wondering in case you might be wondering what's going on? I got one word. Eberfluss. Yeah man, Eberfluss. He's selling something and clearly people are buying it.

Clearly people in Chicago in that locker room are buying it and he's also being smart. You know on Monday's show I said we're gonna have a new segment saying I don't get it. I don't get it. That ended up being a pretty good segment.

Well thank you. I think we should keep doing it. I don't get it. One of the things I don't get in the NFL is coaches turning down field goals like it's nothing. Like the three points don't matter. Let's keep going for it. Let's go for it. What is it fourth and three? Who cares? Fourth and five? Who cares? Let's go for it.

Let's go for it. They played football these coaches in the NFL these days. Like again like they're eight years old playing Madden hopped up on a bag of Skittles. Oh dude, sugar rush from a bag of Skittles? Oh man. Oh yeah. Cage goes nuts with his chocolate milk. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. That's one of the few things Marshawn and I have in common.

Skittles are good. I don't understand what these coaches are doing. Like field goals don't matter. Last night, Matt Eberfluss. Eberfluss.

Here's a perfect example. It's 23-14 right? 23-14. You're up by nine. You're on the New England 37 yard line. 3.50 left in the third quarter. It's third and eight. You run it to Devon Singleton.

To you run it back. David Montgomery. David Montgomery. You run it to David Montgomery right? For five yards. Just had a little glitch in the system there.

It's all right. And you're thinking to yourself okay it's two down territory right? Two down territory. Why else would you run it? Why else you run it? No you're trying to get closer for Caro Santos. Caro.

Because his leg you keep building. It's fourth and three at the New England 32. How many head coaches in 2022 would say you know what? I'm going with my gut. Or you know what? The analytics say let's go for it. Because if I get it here I can keep the clock moving along and guess what? You know what sounds better than 26-14?

30 to 14. That sounds much better. Then suddenly you turn it over and Bailey Zappi starts turning things over and maybe it gets close enough that the plan to put Matt Jones back in the game happens. No no. Eberfluss took the three and I'm sitting there going yes. Yes you actually ran the ball. Troy Aikman pointed out you actually ran the ball to get closer for your field goal kicker. I can't believe such a thing happens in the NFL anymore.

Way to go Eberfluss. Keep stacking the threes. Stacking the threes. Stacking the threes until you get a pick six to wrap it up.

33-14. That's how you go into New England when nobody expects it. Everybody ready to pass George Hallis and watch Belichick have that moment against the Bears. It's such a nice neat story where Belichick plays both quarterbacks. So unconventional and it works out and he passes George Hallis and this team's now got a three-game win streak.

You know had different ideas. These Bears and I'll tell you what TJ next up is Dallas in Dallas. Another game where all four of us on game day morning. I'll be one of them. We're choosing Dallas.

As you should. We're choosing Dallas. All four of us will be there. Choosing Dallas. Stars on the side of the helmet.

Stars up on the screen. Four across. Me, Mooch, Kurt, and Irv. You know Irv's not taking the Bears.

Of course not. But they've got this. They've got the plan and they've got a kid. Justin Fields played his best game as a pro and you could see the OC Luke Getze's now getting it himself. Some of these runs that they're dialing up four fields. They're smart and they're well timed and you ran one in on one and he's taken off and he's finding the open receivers. He's playing slower while running faster.

I like what I'm seeing from him. That was a huggy drop game and he went into New England on a night where Bill Belichick was supposed to pass the founder of their team and everyone was ready to talk about it and he's like nope. Not today.

Like Game of Thrones. I loved it. I loved it and you know I wouldn't sleep on the Bears next week because that does sound like one of those games. One of those you gotta buy coming up. Feeling good Dak's back.

He's got he broke a sweat. Got that win against the Lions and here come the Bears man running straight downhill with David Montgomery, Khalil Herbert, Justin Fields. Why not?

Right Christopher? I didn't see last night coming so why not? Why not TJ? Well I can give you a list of reasons.

Yeah go for it. A list of reasons? Because you could have given me Matt Judon who was terrific last night.

You could give me Bella. I started with Demarcus Lawrence and then go to Micah Parsons and then we'd go to Leighton Van Der Resh and Trevon Day. Oh now you like Leighton Van Der Resh. It was just draft day I had an issue with him okay. Same thing with you at Mac Jones I guess. I was right. Well my displeasure was much louder than his I have to admit.

Well he's generally much louder than you when he's voicing displeasure anyway. I was screaming in AT&T Center walking down like Leighton Van Der Resh are you kidding me? But I just also gotten kicked out off the field. There was a whole.

You take things personally. There was a whole thing. I'm telling you man this Bears team is exactly the type of team you get a clunker every year in AT&T Stadium. It happened with Denver last year. It happened on Thanksgiving previous years against what Alex Smith's Washington football team. I mean you get a clunker every year where AT&T's filled with all those Cowboys fans and then suddenly things don't go very well and it's a morgue in there and then suddenly you lose. It would be totally on brand for us to be ready to say Dax back and Justin Fields comes in and plays a better game. Can I count week one's loss as our clunker?

Because it was a clunker and it was there and hopefully we got that out of the way. Maybe. Let's hope so.

I feel good. I mean who knows though. Any given Sunday right?

You just never know. Well last night it was any given Monday. Monday yeah so. Monday Matt Eberfluss.

That's his new nickname. Yeah this this Bears Cowboys game is going to be personal for me and some friends of mine. Hey man that was great from the Bears.

They did it all once again. Last time the Bears won in New England was never. Never where it was the first time they did it. Never. The first of never where.

The first of never worry. Oh yeah baby. I got a question for you.

For me? Yeah after the break it's a good one. Oh boy.

It's a really good one and more phone calls 844-204-rich number to dial. I'm really excited to ask you this question. I have a feeling I know where this is going. That's coming next. Don't miss this. It's another shameless plug that's not shameless.

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Back here on the Rich Eisen Show. Is that what you wanted to talk to me? No here's what I want to talk to you about. You just tried to offer me a trade in the commercial break.

Why not? What is it? Okay don't worry.

Whoa. What was that about? You're right over there. Let's go to Lonnie in Los Angeles California. What's up Lonnie? How you been sir?

Baby boy. You see my boys last night? You see my boys last night? Yes I did.

I did. I was so proud. I was so proud. Man I was fired up. My old butt sitting up here. I started perspiring.

I wanted to hit somebody. Right? Yeah they looked good man and it it looks dare I say repeatable.

If they don't. Man I was like yeah we got to get Aaron Rodgers. We got to get him. Well let's see when do you get him again because right now would be a great time to play him right now the way you're feeling right now running it the way you're oh you see week 13.

Week 13. We got we got to shut him up. We got to get him. We got to beat him down.

Yeah you got a few games between now and then uh including uh at the Cowboys. How do you think that's gonna go Lonnie? How do you think that's gonna go? Uh I think it's gonna be close. Okay. I think it's gonna be close because I'm the only person I listen to all these shows that had a funny feeling last night. Okay.

That the Bears was going to win. Okay very good. Now let's see uh if you'll be a little less measured uh when I ask you to scream the word Iberflus at the top of your lungs and then tell me how it's going to go next week. Okay let's let's give this a little try Lonnie.

You ready? Go for it. Iberflus. No no no no no no no Lonnie. Lonnie I know I know I know this is not part of your DNA to start you know messing around like this but do it. I want it I want it I want you get it in your gut like the way you came on.

Yeah he came on the call. Yes you did. Here we go. Go for it Lonnie. Iberflus. Okay one more time. Stretch it stretch it out stretch it out.

Go for it. It's like a four Lonnie. Here we go. Iberflus. Okay okay. It's happening next week Lonnie. Go Bears. Yeah yeah. I want to hit somebody. Bear down.

Thank you very much. Lonnie in Los Angeles everybody. This is our new thing we're gonna make every Bears fan who calls in scream Iberflus and I want to hear it I want to hear it from there. Bears fans call us right now.

844-204. I want to hear it. Come on Bears fans.

I want to hear it with their guts. Adam in the back is a Bears fan you were talking to one of your own. That's right.

Yeah that's true they can have a full conversation. So next week next week Bears Cowboys you're the biggest Cowboy fan I know not named Michael. I was about to say yeah. Chris can you name a Bears fan off the top of your head that you might know. Could you just name one like uh you know Charlie you up to the king of spring at the NFL Network. Adam Chudwin. Adam we work with him. He runs the whole uh Charlie runs the whole uh NFL Network production operation. This one was on the Manning cast I thought. Who else? President Obama.

That's a big one too. Ashton Kutcher is a big Bears fan. Yep. Do you know him? Is he an actor? Yeah.

Yeah I've heard that. Are you are you watching it in Ashton's barn next week? Where you watching that game?

We're gonna watch it. Well can I share a quick story with you? This morning I'm getting ready for work.

I just hopped out the shower. I'm getting a call on my phone. It's my my godson Bear who just got an iPad with FaceTime. So his name is Bear. His name is Bear and he's been FaceTiming the last two mornings to just say hi. So I'm like I'm running late I can't talk and then I felt I'm like nah.

Of course you gotta talk to Bear. I called him back I'm like yo what's up? He goes god papa the Bears won last night. He's six he's so hyped up.

How nice. About the Bears and I'm like okay I'm like so you know we got to watch the game together on Sunday right? And he's like yeah so. Okay so he he lives in town?

He lives in town. Okay so you're watching with Bear? With yeah. So Bear trumps Ashton? No Bear is Ashton's son Rich. Oh.

You gotta give him a little. With Mila. They have a child together and his name is Bear. Bear.

Yeah after the Bears. Thank god he's in route for the Jets. That'd be an odd one. Jet. That's a cool name though.

Jet Kutcher is kind of a cool name. JTT? Yeah. Okay. So yeah I'll probably be in the barn. You'll be there in the barn.

Normally I'll you know I like to leave the crib too much but I'll go up to the. No on Sundays I don't. Okay yeah. You like watching. So you do know Ashton?

Yeah we I've known him for a day. Oh that's on. The barn.

Oh this would be great. What are the stakes? We don't really do bets anymore. Oh there's got to be a bet. I thought you meant food. Well yeah steak will probably be involved. Yeah yeah.

EAK but I'm talking about AKE. A little tomahawk maybe. Allen Dallas let's take your call. What's up Albert? What's going on sir? Before I before I start popping pins in the balloons of the Bears fans here.

Rich are they going to get you a uh the building going to get you like a work helmet with all the work that's been going on behind you recently? I mean. Don't get me started.

Don't get me started. Thank you for watching on Roku. I appreciate that dude. I don't know what's going on.

I mean I can see this on the Roku channel exclusively at home of the Rich Eisen show but uh. Hey. You know. Yes I appreciate that. It's all.

The work is only in the five foot by five foot square space that's visible behind my right shoulder. Right behind you. I know that.

So another reason to tune in on the Roku channel and see what work's happening here in El Segundo. You never know. Absolutely. I was talking to a big Bears fan that I know named Adam McCallspeeder and uh to be honest with you Brock the Patriots are terrible. You can't lose to the Bears.

Yeah but 24 hours ago we thought they were a playoff team. Look at this guy no longer living in the glass house throwing his six and one giant stones right now at you right now. That's giant.

You want to talk about giant stones? How about that Al? Come on.

You know don't don't don't don't believe the hype right because it's just fine. I'm enjoying the season. I love it. You bet.

Love what I see but I'm not getting I'm not getting mesmerized. I mean the Eagles, the Cowboys they're the class they're the class of the NFC and it's going to be amazing. If we beat Seattle I mean they're going to be three teams three NFC East in the playoffs. It's going to be truly truly amazing but like I'm not I'm not getting swept up in it where you know Bears fans are calling and thinking they're going to beat the Cowboys. Brother you go into the pie at seven and one and then you got Houston and Detroit leading into the Thanksgiving game at Dallas.

Nice. Let's roll. I mean come on Al. Let's roll. Yeah I mean listen it's great.

I love it. We're going to make the playoffs you know and it's going to be fantastic but like I'm not I mean we're not this is no Super Bowl run here. I mean this this team is wide receiver challenge. Now go out and make a couple of trades before the deadline get some wide receivers or get those other guys to decide to show up and get off the IR. I mean maybe we could do something.

Maybe we could do something. Great phone call for Al comes on drops the friend's name like Adam you drop Bear he drops Adam you know and then he starts same starts calling your team crap from his previously glass-made house and MetLife right and then he goes higher register out the door well done. I'm all in on the Giants.

I got a ride with Danny Dimes now in fantasy. It's not just that too man but you are what you are and the Giants are six and one. What the Giants do is they come back on you.

They take your punches and then they don't make the mistakes at the end. You do. Yeah but that doesn't equate to fantasy goodness and that's what he's looking for. He's looking for 33 points this week. Oh he did?

Oh yeah okay. He rushed for 100 yards. Maybe you should take Justin Fields now. He available? Now he got picked up yesterday. Oh wow somebody won with him?

Uh no no no. You could pick up players in the middle of the week. Well he hadn't played yet but the week had oh boy wow Ralph Macchio talking karate kid and the best Joe Pesci story I've heard in a while coming up. Weirdly but the league like the week was already going. No you can also in my league if you drop somebody on a buy because they haven't been locked yet and you pick somebody up who hasn't played yet you can go right you can grab them.

Okay so if you could you could add Patriots and Bears. Do you remember when Adrian Peterson came off the couch last year and the Titans had him? I grabbed him uh because he was he he he it was announced on a Monday he was gonna play and I picked him up before any of the other guys in my league could and I dropped somebody on a bye week and they freaked out like they almost went Tommy Fam on me you know like full Tommy Fam.

He just rolled up and slapped you? That's all fair yeah. I know I'm like that's the rule. I did not break the rules.

Oh I know that's what they were saying. I did not break the rules. Hey what's up with Murph? How's he doing? Murph is just living life large he's actually returning to the poker table Thursday night we haven't seen him in months.

Still banned? He's just happy he's he you know life is great for him he's great he's great despite Wisconsin having an interim ed coach and my Jets beating his Packers oh yeah he's still fine oh when I see him Thursday night when I see him on Thursday the chest will say hello. That's the khaki pants what you call harbaugh harbaugh seven and oh and back to oh by the way I am just telling you it's difficult to get in this sleep last night I was thinking about the Michigan State game Saturday night. Yeah are you gonna lock yourself in the room alone for that too? No I'm gonna have people over because it's gonna go that well.

I got a facetime by this kid Bear he's coming over. Remember when she did the breeze hall with that arrogance? Uh-huh.

Wow. Hey gents let's talk Halloween for a second. What is your favorite Halloween memory?

One time I saw Nightmare Before Christmas performed live at the Hollywood Bowl. Walking with your kids. It felt so magical. And after they've got their candy and they walk away.

So pure. The dad inside the house is handing you a beer. My dad when I get home he would have me like empty out all the candy to make sure that it's safe. And it wasn't until I was about 35 that I realized what the f*** he was just eating my candy.

Rude. What's your favorite Halloween costume? One year I was Matthew McConaughey's character from Days to Confused. One year I was like I would like to be roadkill. The Halloween costume was a plastic smock and then a really scratchy plastic mask.

I mean you would style it if you had one of those. Aquaman the plastic mask cutting into your eyes and then you get that little hole in the mouth to breathe through all night long. What's your favorite Halloween candy? What's your fave candy Mandy?

Oh that rhymes. Anything Reese's Snickers bars. It's all the food groups.

It's a meal. You got caramel yes. Candy corn. Me too. Wait really? I'm one of the small percent of people who actually really enjoys candy corn.

It gets a bad rap. Thank you so much everyone. Happy Halloween. Happy Halloween. Happy Halloween from the Cumulus Podcast Network.

Make sure to subscribe and follow us at youtube.com slash Cumulus Podcast. Candy corn is terrible. It's atrocious. It shouldn't be allowed. It's not a candy. Happy Halloween.