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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen show, ladies and gentlemen. Here's the top ten, and who's not in it? From the Rich Eisen show studio in Los Angeles, I'm taping for Notre Dame. They are telling you put a competitive schedule together.
Today's guests: Pro Football Hall of Famer Ryan Kerr, the Ringer NFL Draft Analyst Todd McShay, plus your phone calls, latest news, and more. And now it's Rich Eisen. Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Welcome this edition of the Rich Eisen Show.
Could you imagine if I spent all three hours just saying, "Oh yeah"? As opposed to the first ten seconds, yeah, eight four four two zero four. Rich is the number to dial. Whether you are watching on Disney Plus or the ESPN app, or listening on ESPN Radio, or listening on Sirius XM Channel eighty. Week nine of the NFL campaign begins tonight.
Jaguars and Ravens. Meantime, it's an hour number two to talk about it. Brian Urlacher, the Hall of Famer, is going to be first up on this program. We haven't spoken to him in a while. We figured with the Bears coming up with a massive win to cap week eight.
That's what happens if you go from middle of my power rankings to the top of my power rankings. We've got to get a Hall of Famer on the program to talk about how well your team's doing. How about that from now on? That's the rule, don't you think? Great.
Okay. Making stuff up as we go along, right here on the program, and hour number three, Todd McShay will join us from the Ringer as we're we're looking over the steering wheel already to next year's draft.
Some teams are, and and we'll we'll hit all that. Good to see you, Chris Brockman. How are you? See you, Rich. I'm excellent.
Good to see you, Jason Feller. How are you? See you, Rich, and TJ Jefferson. How are you? Good to see you.
Thank you for that. Appreciate that.
Okay, very good. Cream rises to the so. Listen, the Ravens tonight. Ravens are four and four, and prior to the season, we thought, okay, they're Super Bowl contending team, and now they're starting a third string quarterback. We have no idea what Joe Faniano is going to look like.
But the Jacksonville Jaguars are coming in, fresh off of rampaging the Indianapolis Colts. Jaguars, and they are staring a six and two start of their own. To join the Broncos and the Bears and the Steelers, right, and to join the Forty Niners in a six-win club and the Vikings in a six-win club.
So, what's at stake tonight? The Jaguars essentially stamping themselves as AFC contenders if. They already haven't, and taking care of business in their division and in their conference, and just staying right there for the one seed in the AFC, while the Ravens are looking up at the rest of their division and losing touch, losing touch. Their four and four mark the same as the team that. Felt kind of hosed by him during the spring when they made a a deal for Max Crosby and then reversed course.
And the Raiders are kind of like, thanks so much because we're now four and four, just like you are. And wouldn't you love to have either one of our quarterbacks, any of them, as a matter of fact, in our quarterback room? And that's something that I don't think Ravens fans could have thought in a million years that they'd be a game behind the Browns. And they'd be a game and a half behind the Bengals, who scored 35 unanswered on him in the second half a couple weeks ago. Back when they thought, okay, Lamar's about to come back, not knowing at all that he was going to break his thumb in his first attempt in returning the next week against the Bills.
The Steelers at six and two, not great. They do go and acquire Jacoby Brissett. Because they take in the Rich Eisen show, clearly that's where, obviously, we mention on our Overreaction Monday show, which you can still get, even though it's kind of dated. Saying you know the Ravens should do something, and then they do it on a Tuesday, literally the next day.
So you could go ahead and still take in the whole program because we're right. But in all seriousness, the Ravens tonight need to bridge. To get to Jacoby Brissett, words that I don't think I've ever said before, and they need Derrick Henry to be successful against a defense that has only once this year given up a 50-yard rusher. You know, that's the they've only once did it, and here comes Derrick Henry. I imagine we're going to see what what would it be a minimum.
A minimum of eight in the box tonight. Yeah, you know what I mean. Make Joe Faniano beat you. That's it, and don't let twenty-two beat you. And let you know, Joe hopefully has introduced himself to Zay Flowers, or Zay to him.
Maybe it would be more accurate. Yeah, I hope they've spoken. Hey, listen, I'm Zay Flowers. Throw me the ball, right? Yeah.
Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. Get me the ball. I'm fast, very fast, and I'm good. If all you got to do is just put the ball in my hands with an opportunity to make more yards, lead me.
Correct. Downfield. That's that would be a way to start right there. Yeah. It's not like they don't have the pieces.
It's just the trigger man has got to accomplish. Oof!
So, hopefully for Ravens fans, it was just the fog of the Week Eight War up there in Buffalo. Where oh God, Lamar broke his hand. Oh God, wait a minute, Snoop now needs a cart because of his jacked up toe. Oh God, we're on our third string quarterback, who might have been like, oh God, I'm a I'm. I have.
I'm trying to go point for point with Josh Allen. Yeah. Hopefully that is the reason for the Ravens why they did not perform well on offense. Because it's not like they got blown out. It it just felt like it was one right.
It's not like Josh put up 90 on them. You couldn't stop him. It was a lot.
So let's see. What happens tonight? Stranger things have happened. It's a higher register Thursday as well, so maybe I should say stranger things have happened. That's what's at stake as Week Nine kicks off tonight, and we are at the halfway point of the campaign.
We're there, okay? Whether you played eight games or seven, you're you're at the halfway point. And there are some fan bases that are down and feeling like they're out. But this is the National Football League where anything can happen. And plus, I have a sunnier disposition than most.
My default is to see a glass and say that's half full. That's true. You know what I mean? That's what I I don't see empty seats in a stadium. I see fans who attend.
Right, right. I mean, if this past week in the real world shows you, you never know. You never know.
Okay, in the National Football League, one never knows.
So, in that vein, I am kicking off this program with a top five list. A top five list of teams that are not dead yet. Oh, brought to you by Hyundai. Five, one, two, three, four, five. Richest top five.
All right, and in case you're wondering, with the title of my top five being teams that are not dead yet, yes, yes, we've got the appropriate drops from Monty Python, all ready to go. You want to hit it? Thank you. First up, we'll do this. I need the drop before and after each team.
So let's start with it. Number five, go ahead and hit it, please. He's not quite dead. Thank you very much. They're three and five.
They're three and five, and they're not dead yet. They're not dead yet for various reasons. Look what they did last week when they were down by fourteen. They took this guy and said, "You are now our starting quarterback, Gardner Minshew, and your bucket hat, and your flowing locks, and your right arm, and those two legs. Let's go, Gardner Minshew, up into Seattle, where once upon a time you were playing in Apple Cups with Mike Leach, telling you don't go to Alabama." Don't go hold a clipboard in Alabama.
Stay here and lead the country in passing, which he did.
Now that guy is going to show up to Seattle. The schedule after that's a little daunting, which is why they're number five on this list. You got the Rams in Kansas City. All right, but the rest of it—it's a higher register Thursday. You never know.
Three and five Cardinals are. They're not dead yet. No, they're not. Not dead. Thank you.
Number four on the list for you, Jason Feller. Oh, uh-huh. For you, give me the drop, baby. Give it to me. Not quite dead.
The Raiders are not quite dead yet, are they? Hear that? Yeah, yeah. Three and zero, and then zero and four. But now what?
Yeah, you are one for one. Since losing four in a row, Kirk Cousins, Kirk D Cousins, is winging it around. Brock Bowers unguardable. Ashton Gentry, he's getting vultured a little bit, pissing people off. Mike Washington's pissing people off a little bit.
Doesn't matter. Trey Tucker's going off one week, then the next it's someone else. Max Crosby on defense. They're four and four, baby. Lowry returning it.
Lowry, yes. Speaking Lowry than words, everybody. Hey, who's next? Oh, at San Francisco, home for Seattle. At Denver.
Listen, come on, listen. You're four and four at the week nine part. You're you're not dead yet. I guess better than I'm used to. You're not dead yet.
Number three on the list. He's not quite dead. If I'm including the three and five Cardinals and the four and four Raiders, you know I'm going here. You know it. The Los Angeles Rams are not dead yet.
They are not. Dead yet? What? What are you? What are you so surprised about?
Who thought they were dead? You, Lieutenant Weinberg. You. I'm still going to games. I don't care if you're going to games or not.
You think they're dead? You do.
Okay, you know who else does? Everybody else is like, oh, where's Miles Garrett? Oh, Aaron Donald thought he came back for something bigger than this Garrett. Oh, Devontae Adams has an earbud and a torn hamstring. Oh, where's this?
Where's that? They're coming back. They're reconstituting. They know it's a marathon. We're not sprinting.
Yeah. Okay. Every single week, Kyron gets one, Belake gets one. They're at Washington. Here we go.
Blake Corum's going to look at Sunny Styles and say, "Hey, Sunny, when I was playing, I won these matchups." Listen, at Arizona, bye week. You two is playing halftime, week twelve. Come on, wow. It's a beautiful day. Not dead yet.
They're not dead yet. Number two. He's not quite dead. The New Orleans Saints are not dead at all. Two and five.
Normally, that's that's trouble. Then you look around the neighborhood. You know, those folks next door, those folks across the street, those folks around the corner. You're not concerned about them. You're right there.
You're right there on the the easement. What are we abutting? What you're the home guy over there? You're remediating. You know what I mean?
We're right there. You're right on the property line. Look at the NFC South standings. You may be in last place at two and five. You're half game behind two.
You're two. You're two of your neighbors. Two common walls. One game behind the neighbor that walks around the block saying, "Look at my car. Look at my lawn." We all know those neighbors.
Well, there's a data center in the neighborhood named the New Orleans Saints. They're making noise. I don't know. Look at their schedule too. Yeah.
Cleveland, Carolina, at Chicago, at Cincinnati, home for Green Bay. I see it. I understand it. You're not dead. You're there.
Great.
You're there. Coming off a bye. Let's go. And the number one team, not dead yet. He's not quite dead.
I'm saying the Texans. I can't quit the Texans. Can't quit them. Can't quit them. I get it.
Don't want to quit them. Whoa. Can't quit them. They're not dead yet. I don't know the path.
Okay. The other ones, I'm giving you paths. The path is kind of like a Back to the Future Polaroid right now. But man, coming off a buy at the Chargers, at Cleveland, home for Indy, home for Baltimore, they can make some hay right now before they wind up in Pittsburgh on a Sunday night in Week 13. A visit to Washington, that game at home against Jacksonville.
They're at Philadelphia. Their last game of the season is Tennessee. If the Texans of last year show up, dot dot dot, they're not dead yet. I'll give you. Not quite dead.
I'll give you one more too. One more. I did not know this. Fantastic. Oh my god.
Never had an Eric Idle Cooper Eisen back to back drop before, but we just did. Listen, dead. If I'm putting the three and five Cardinals in this list. One last time. One what last?
Oh boy! Wow.
Okay. Oh lordy. I don't know. One one more time. I mean, I kind of feel like I could do the whole Hamilton thing here.
All right. Gotti, we gotta get Gotti. We gotta do it. You're three and five. You're not dead yet.
You're not dead yet, TJ. Yeah, yeah. You're right there. You're two behind the G-men in division. I'm, and the problem is the wild card is so troublesome because of the North.
But the red, you're only one game behind the Bucks. I mean, one game behind the Rams and the Seahawks. Only one. You're not you're you're closer in the wild card than you are in division, which is wild. Let's go, let's go, and the Cowboys start this week at Indianapolis.
If you could somehow muster it up against San Francisco and get through that, Tennessee and Philadelphia are on the other side at home. Where there is a problem, there is some tough games after that. But you are not dead now. Right now, there is still a pulse. There is still a heartbeat.
They're still breathing.
Okay, you have more of a chance in AT and T Stadium for sure than the cart driver. I use the word embarrassing. I hear he didn't get fired.
So, oh, is that right? That's well, be nice. That'd be a very nice holiday.
So then, he's he's his. You're saying his job is not dead yet either. Not quite dead. I didn't know that. This is just what I mean.
Maybe the car driver is the a member of Monty Python here. I could be wrong. That would be special. My top five is brought to you by Hyundai. Get into the Hyundai Getaway Winter Sales Event and get away with a deal so right it almost feels wrong.
Visit hyundaiusa dot com for details. You know what is gone though. You know what is dead. What's that, Brian Urlacher's baldness? Come on, for now.
Coming up on almost a decade with the lettuce, huh? Get it, Brian Urlacher. Everybody on the state of the Bears, which, by the way, spoiler alert, is great. Hiring for a small business is hard. You don't often have a team of people helping out.
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O O O O'Reilly Auto Parts. The Rich Eisen Show podcast. Back here on the Rich Eisen show. There's many ways to introduce this next guest, but I think this is the most appropriate one. The 1999 Mount West Conference Player of the Year, Brian Urlacher.
Here on the Rich Eisen show. Good to see you, Brian. How are you? I like that one. Yeah, I like that one a lot.
That's a good one. Yeah, I mean, I could say you know Hall of Famer. Yeah, I could go you know one of the all time greats. Could do that. College Hall of Fame.
Hey man, you know Derek Carr was a Mount West Player of the Year once. Ashton Gentry did it a couple times.
Some good players. Hey man, you walked so they come around. We know that. We know that. Yeah, we know that.
Sure. How you been? How's it going? I've been really good. Things are good, man.
I'm playing a lot of golf. I go to about a hundred college football games a year. I feel like with my son, he plays at USC, so we're in LA or in with the Big Ten now. The travel schedule it's it's not easy. The East Coast games and the Midwest games are tough for us.
Were you just in the in the rain and in the Coliseum watching Ohio State them beat Ohio State? Were you there? I was at the game. I was not in the rain, but I was at the game. Oh yeah, I got.
Okay, I'm so sorry. I know a guy. I forgot how highfalutin you are, man. No, I mean people ask me to sit with them. I'm like, oh sure, I'll sit up there.
I don't mind. Yeah, it was nice.
Okay, there you go. Yeah, and they played great. Hey, I was I was rooting. How about that kid Bowman leaping over? Holy crap!
Nineteen years old, Rich.
Okay, Mosley, so Mosley, Bowman, the DN, Waiful. These dude, these dudes are they're different now than they were when I was a freshman in college. These these guys can play in the NFL right now. Look at that! Look at that!
Oh my! That got me off the couch screaming, especially since again, you know, I'm a Wolverine, so anything like oh yeah, where the Buckeyes are being leaped over, it's a metaphor. It's great. I love it. I can't get enough of it.
So did Lincoln Riley come to the Erlacker household? Did that happen? No.
So he started out at Notre Dame. Marcus came in. Yeah, Marcus came in.
Okay. And he committed to Notre Dame, and then you know the the transfer portal. They came and got him after his freshman year, and he went to USA. He's been there. Hopefully, he finishes there.
But I like Lincoln Riley. I like Marcus. It's just it's a different landscape these days of of the way the portal and college football works. What would have been like for you? What would your What would the Urlacher NIL deal in New Mexico have been?
At New Mexico, probably not great, but maybe if I thought I would have went somewhere else, there could have been. Hey, hold on. Yes, the Bobos are number twenty-two in the AP poll. Yeah, they are. We are good.
We played Michigan. Was it two years ago? And it wasn't. I mean, it was like thirty-one to twenty-one. It wasn't bad for us.
I thought you were going to go about Michigan this year, then we would have suddenly been out of time. You know, hey man, this is one of those years. You know, I hear five and three. You know, it's not great for y'all, but it's uh, you know, so you can still beat Ohio State and have a great season. Oh god, from your mouth.
From your mouth, from your mouth to the football gods' ears, man. That would be an incredible way to. Because you know they're already eating their faces off over losing the U.S.E. They're already eating their. They're that's what they do in that fan base.
Oh, I was at the airport leaving on Sunday, and this guy was telling me how they should fire Ryan Day. I'm like, dude, they lost one game in the Big Ten. You know, they lost to Texas. They're still. If they went out, they go to the conference championship.
I'm like, and they'll be in the playoffs.
So I don't get the the skies falling yet, Brian. Brian. That's what Ohio State fans do. We had a we had a caller call into the show and say it's time for day to go, and Mike Tomlin should take the job. And I'm like, why would you think Tomlin would leave the NBC chair where he's crushing it, and he he says he wins every week.
Why would he do that to go to a a college program where if you have if you dare to lose 14 games in nine years, yeah, want you out. Why would he do that? Or every week, if you don't perform to the standard that they're used to or that they've come accustomed to, your your job's on the line. According to the fans, you know you can't win that situation. I'm a big Ryan Day fan.
I think he's done a great job with the with the program. The expectations are so high there, you just you can never win. Brian Urlacher here on the Rich Eisen show. Let's jump into it, man, because Bears fans are out of their skulls. Right now, what do you what do you see when you're watching the Chicago Bears right now, Brian?
It's different watching them from from teams I've seen in the past. It just Caleb obviously big start there. I mean, there's there's guys that can throw the ball great at the quarterback position. There's guys that can run it pretty well. He does both really well.
And the thing I like about him, he doesn't put the football in jeopardy. Like his turnover numbers every year, even his rookie year, have been really low. It's hard to do at that position, but it's exciting. You know, they run the Ball great. I think Ben Johnson's commitment to the run game is great.
The time of possession, thirty-five minutes to twenty-five. They're just crushing teams. It's just. It's it's fun and then defensively, you know, you get a guy like Simmons and the Jeffrey Simmons in there. And how about Sweat?
The way he played the other night, you throw Simmons in the middle and Sweat, he has three sacks. They call two back because of the you know third and fifteen. There has to be a penalty on the defense somewhere. You can't have a you can't make a stop on third down and not be a penalty. It doesn't make sense.
So, I mean, I can go on and on about how good they're playing, how excited I am. Just it's great to see the Bears have a quarterback that it's like elite. It's it's amazing. Yeah, let's take it one at a time. Let's let let us start with Caleb because the thing that I think that is most exciting about him, as you point out, is he doesn't put the ball in harm's way.
And part of the reason why is he's so deadly accurate. He's he's remarkable where he'll sometimes throw a doozy open back towards the middle because that's where he needs to throw it. He'll put it in a spot on a deep ball that is only where his guy can get it, and he's doing it on the run, like on the run form throws. He's he he he is the real thing. That is.
He's no doubt the. How about the throw versus St. Louis last year in the playoffs to commit? Where he dropped it in the bucket over his shoulder in the corner of the end zone. I mean, just yeah, and he was falling backwards like forty-seven yards.
One guy makes that throw. Just yeah, the accurate. Oh, I'm sorry, L.A. Yeah, I know. Yeah, my fault, Brian.
You know, I'm all. I played against the St. Louis Rams. That's what they are to me.
Sorry. Anyway, yeah. Um, the dude is accurate on the run. In the pocket, his completion percentage has been way up this year. But the thing I'm most impressed with is the lack of turnovers, which is really exciting as a defensive guy.
And then you know you'd mentioned Jeffrey Simmons. Can you, from your position as a Hall of Fame defender, and also what you used to play the position, what he in the middle of that defensive line does, in your estimation? I mean, just to have up the middle pressure, I feel like is the hardest for the quarterbacks to to kind of fend off and be accurate with the ball, and that's what he does immediately. I mean, he's fast, he's strong, he gets up the field for a middle linebacker. Just it just defines things right away in the run game.
I mean, I don't care what gap you're in, as long as you go fast. Most of the time, they're in the right gaps, but as long as you do it quick, we can adjust off of you. He makes. Quick decisions up the field, just and you saw, like I said, you saw what he did for sweat on the edge area. Probably played the best game of his Bears career.
He did a great job. I know two sacks that call back, but it's he's going to make it easier for everyone. The linebackers, the secondary, just what a great trade by Ryan Poles. Very excited about that. Yeah, and then that because that also tells the the locker room, right?
It tells everybody we're trying to win. We think this is the moment. Like we think now is now. Right, a hundred percent. You give up two first round picks.
I don't think that's a big deal anymore, honestly, because you get a player like Simmons, and you give up two first round picks. You don't know what you are going to get with those picks. You don't know if they're going to pan out. And history wise, the Bears have not had great success with first round picks. Not, but Pols has done a good job.
But prior to that, they haven't had a lot of success with first round picks.
So why not give those two up? You get a player who is impact player right now, top two or three, if not the best at his position in the NFL. Just a great. Great trade by him, and then there is Ben Johnson, who you had mentioned in the middle of your your initial comments there, right? He's the real thing, also, and I I just see a certain intensity that I think matches the city and the fan base that they've been looking for.
That head coaching spot, I agree with it. And you look at like last year, the way they won a bunch of those games, they had no business winning five, six, seven of those games. They won in the fourth quarter there. But I think the belief that he has instilled in that team that we can win any game, any situation. I mean, they they believe they can win.
You you look at they're never out of an out of a game. There's they had no business winning the playoff game last year versus the Packers. They're down I think eighteen or nineteen points in the fourth quarter. They win. They did that a couple times during the season.
The belief that he Instilled in them and that they have in themselves is pretty apparent. But I like how sterny. I like the way he talks to the team. I like the way he talks to the media. Just very matter of fact.
This is the way it's going to be, and that's what they do. And he seems to push every possible right button. I mean, that seventeen play drive to throw the first punch in Seattle on Monday night, and then cap it off with a. A sequence on the goal line where they run it, and then they immediately get on the line to make it seem like they're going to run the same play again. Instead, what they do is they sneak Caleb out for a killer of a throw to burden in the end zone.
You know, yeah, and and you could see they're well coached, right? That they they know what they're doing. They don't panic. They don't blink. To use the phrase that Tomlin used on TV to refer to the Cowboys, Brian.
They don't do that. You know, they're prepared. You can see how prepared they are. Which is a big deal in NFL. That's seventeen play drive.
His, I mean, like I said, Ben Johnson's commitment to the run is unbelievable. He want they're getting three or four yards a pop. That's good. That's a win for the offense. You are in second and six, second and five.
You are gonna have a better chance to convert. If you do get to third down, it'll be third and short. Which on that drive, I think they had a third and eight early, and Colston caught a pass for a first down. But they just don't get in bad situations. You know, their offensive line is doing a great job as well.
They don't get enough credit. They've done a really good job. Getting that front better, but man, the commitment to the run and getting those third and shorts—I think—and on the flip side, on defense, they're the best third down team in the NFL. It's just they're doing a lot of things great. Brian Urlacher here on the Rich Eisen show.
A few minutes left with the Hall of Famers. The Bears are playing some terrific football. We had Tom Waddle on the show a couple weeks ago, and he said that he said that Ben Johnson's characteristics, some of them mirror Ditka's, is what he said.
Now I don't, I know you didn't play for Mike, yes, but you you got to give me your favorite Ditka story. You know, I'm sure you cross paths with them. Multiple times, you know. I saw the Waddle story. I mean, how about that?
By the way, cut him four times. Still gave him a chance. I mean, that was pretty awesome. I I enjoyed watching Tom talk about that because he he got emotional. But coach, this shows you what Coach meant to him.
I. The first time I play golf with Coach Dicko was at Bobling Golf Course in Chicago, and Coach Dicko doesn't matter what score he made the last hole. Coach Dicko's hitting first, so he gets up, hits his ball, goes to his cart, and drives off. We're still on the tee box waiting to hit, and Coach Dicko's. I'm like, is he good?
Is he?
So he goes up to his ball. Same thing on the second shot. Hits his ball, goes to the green. Literally drives, literally drives on the green. Doesn't care.
Drives up on the fringe. I'm like, dude. He doesn't care. I mean, he just—he's him. He does what he wants to do.
I think that's the same way he coaches as well. But I'm such a big fan of his. He always says what he when he spoke in the media in Chicago. I remember when I was playing, when he said things, he actually paid attention to it because he was honest. You know, he didn't make things up.
He didn't say things that that you didn't you didn't believe. Everything he said was honest, and he I wish I had more of that in me as well. But he just said things what he what he thought. Got away with it. Moving on, and people expected it.
That's just the way it was with Coach Jika. If your butt. Could tell his bust something tonight. What would it be about what's going on right now? He'd be he'd be very proud with the football they're playing.
He would be a happy dude because they're playing football the right way. They're winning the right way. Their players say the right things at the podium after the games. Coach Coach Johnson says, "I feel like they say the right things." You know, you watch Caleb talk. That's what I want to hear my quarterback say after the game.
You know, he's like when they win, he gives credit to everybody else. When they lose, I got to play better. Same way with Coach Johnson. You know, that's what we learned from Lovey right away when he got there. Was by the way, I love these videos after the game.
The Dan. As they do, and how much fun they're having. It's always fun when you win, right? But when you see this stuff, man, it's uh, it's inspiring. It's fun to see, and they deserve it.
You know, it's been since Lovey's left. It's been a long time coming for someone to get in there and do what he's been doing. You know, so listen, um. I'm from New York. I saw the Knicks win for the first time in fifty something years, and it really hit me, right?
Yeah. And I know this is an analogy that you know Chicagoans probably don't want to hear. The Brewers just won, right, for the first time ever as a Milwaukee Brewers team, the first time they made the the World Series since '82. The Bears winning it all. Right, like for the first time since the '80s, I'm already seeing your reaction.
Forty years, 41 years, and and we all know. Listen, Jordan, this and Bulls that. I get it. Okay, we we we we all know what time it is in the city of Chicago. It's a bear city.
So, what would it be like on Michigan Avenue? Because you'd be part of it. Oh man, part of it, dude. I want to be way as far as I could actually from it. I didn't win it.
I'm going to watch it, but I didn't win it. I want. I will be wanted. That's a big crowd right there, right? I can't even.
I mean, February. First of all, it's going to be cold.
Okay, but but people don't care in Chicago. They they love the Bears. They're going to come out to the games. They're going to come out for the parade. I can't imagine what it would be like there.
You know, when we went to the NFC Championship game versus the Saints, and then we did it again for the Packers in 2010. Right, they lost their minds for that, and we we didn't even win them in 2010. But they were so excited.
So they're they're hungry for a team to do this. What this team is doing, and you know, they're in a tough division. They got really good teams. But I'm going to go back to the quarterback play, and he's. Playing the best in that division right now, I think they have a leg up on other teams.
But yeah, I can't even imagine what it'd be like there if they not just get there, but if they win it. Wow! And but they have a great chance, in my opinion. They have a great chance to do it on both sides of the football. They're great.
Yeah, and and they. I mean, they just beat Seattle in all three phases too.
So which team? Seattle. Which team in the NFC do you think would concern you the most? Stand in the way here. That's a good question.
The Niners are still really good, right? And when they're healthy, especially, they're they're really good football team. How good is Fred Warner, Brian? How good? Man, what a badass he is, Rich.
I mean, six four.
Sorry to say that on your show. It's six four two forty five. Runs as fast as he wants to. Always in the right place in the passing game, running game, downhill, causes fumbles. He is fun to watch.
Linebacker wise, that dude gets to the football. Yeah, I know. Okay, so the Niners would concern you there. Who in the AFC would? AFC Bills.
I mean, Josh Allen. I mean, that dude is a beast as well. And I'm trying to think. Kansas City is always great with Patrick, but with Lamar being out, the the Baltimore doesn't concern as well. But I'm gonna say in the NFC, also Detroit and Green Bay concern me.
I mean, I'm gonna go Minnesota as well, but I think they're gonna fall off a little bit later on. But you look at our division. If we can win our division, that's a big leg up right there because that's a tough division. Could you can you believe the guy that you used to chase around towards the end of your career? Got a shot to take the Steelers to the Super Bowl, Aaron.
I know it's crazy. They look good.
Well, they five and two, six and two, six and two. Yeah, I'm not surprised. You know, he throws it so well. You give him any kind of protection, he doesn't move as well as he used to. That's what happens when we get older.
I found that out as well. My last couple of years. Yeah, but he throws it still really well. Still smart ahead of the game when it comes to a middle part of the game. I'm glad he's doing well.
It's fun to see getting back together with Coach McCarthy as well. Yeah, I know, right? I used to. That used to be something you were studying in the film room. Is how McCarthy was going to dial it up with Rogers after Favre was gone.
All that craziness, man. How lucky is Green Bay? They go from Brett to Aaron to Jordan Love. Jordan Love's not their level yet. Obviously, he's still young, but right.
Their fans are so damn lucky, and we finally and we finally got Caleb to to kind of rival what's going on up there in Green Bay. Yeah. Hey man, it's always great to catch up with you. You're definitely not aware of this, but I'll make you aware of this.
So this is a Thursday. Wednesday was the twenty-three year anniversary of the first time I fired up Bears Cam on the first ever NFL Total Access to interview you. On the first, I didn't. I knew was I was the first one. I was in a room kind of like this, like what I have in my house now, small little area.
I was in like a closet in house hall. That's right, which is similar to what I have now in my house. What I get for my podcast interviews, but yeah, I can't believe it's been that long. That's amazing. Three years, and you sounded like I was calling you on the moon.
You know, right? I know that.
Well, the only thing that's different that we know is the fact that you got a hat on your head covering. Unless it's not combed, I mean, I know it's. I need a haircut. I need a haircut really bad. That's why you know.
I don't know. For me, Brian Urlacher complaining about a bad hair day is something I still I cannot compute. I just can't compute it. Are you jealous because it looks so good? I mean, I mean, I don't.
I mean, for me, it looks bad. I haven't really combed it. I'm wearing a hat, so no, it's rough. Brian, the the emotion, you know, the glare is bad on my head. It's not.
It's not jealous. See, it's anger. It's anger because I because I have hair now. No, you left me on the battlefield. Not just me.
Brockman left Brockman on the battlefield. Not just Brockman. Jason Feller, our our our sound engineer. We he's also been left on the battlefield, Brian. Look, you got good Tennessee Titans coaching staff has been left.
He looks good. That's a good ball. And you got a little beard going. That's nice. But you guys, you guys made my year.
You guys got good bald shaped heads, so you should be bald. My head looked kind of weird, bald maybe.
So that's why I grew hair. Sure. Yeah, you grew it. Yeah, hey, it's my hair. It came.
Hey, listen, Rich. The hair is. It came from the back of my head. It's a donut. They relocated it to the front where I was really bald, and now just poof.
I gotta wash it every day. I gotta comb it. It's a, it's a process, bro. Oh, so sorry to hear that, man. When I take my hat off, I gotta try and make it look, you know, like it's not messed up.
Yeah, it's tough. Yeah, you can reach out to Trevor Lawrence for tips. You know, great hair, shampoo and conditioner in two. You know, or that's what I use. I use the one, just the one, the both in one.
It makes it easier. Eliminates more of the steps in the process. Yeah, good to see you, Brian. You too. Appreciate to have me on.
Go Bears! Yeah, right. It's action and good luck to your son and the Trojans moving forward in the Big Ten. Yes, we'll see how that works out. All right, man.
Let's stay in touch. You be well. Take care. That's Brian Urlacher with his golf clubs behind him, right here on the Rich Eisen Show, everybody. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, eight four four two zero four. Rich number to dial here. Meena Kimes is coming up next hour. Phone calls. We'll have more than enough time to take those.
It's a Thursday, and so we're going to get to it right off the bat here. Oh, normally we we tease it. We wait. But it's time for this week's edition of Higher Register, brought to you by Sonos. Hit it.
There's a chance the Rich Eisen shows that there could be Higher Register take of the week. All right, everybody, it's time for the Higher Register take of the week, brought to you by Sonos, where you got to go higher register in order to believe what we're saying. And trust me, if you're new to these parts for whatever reason. You will never ever go the rest of your days without noticing a friend or a partner of yours going higher register, and take note, Christopher. What do you got over there?
Going back to the well. Look, it's just you know it's November, man, and this team still doesn't have a win, and they're playing a team that I I don't know if they're good or not. Their record says no, but you know their past says yes, and their quarterback's playing well. We like their head coach. I just I I'm just choosing to believe.
Okay, this is the week. It all turns around. For Herbert and the Chargers, you sound more Seinfeld than anything else. I don't want to be a pirate. Try one more time, man.
Come on, you could do better. This is the week it all turns around for the Chargers. Justin Herbert sounds like you're being cattle prodded over there.
Well, it's hard to believe. All right, so this is the week. This is the week. You know, you kind of feel like this is the week. You got, you got defenses saying, "You heard throwing deli meat out there." I just heard about that.
You know what I mean? That would never.
Okay, I want to be a pirate. That's what it sounds like. I don't want to be winless. I don't want to have no wins. That's what it sounds like.
Okay, what do you got over there, TJ? Listen, I wanted to stay away from him this week, but I couldn't. I had to talk about your boys, Gaddy. Yeah, boys, and listen, Gaddy, the Colts. They're waving the white flag.
This Ray Brockman, it's over. They're throwing in the towel, throwing in the towel like Arnold Scholander did when the Iron Sheik had Bob Backlund in the camel clutch in '83, and he won the WWF Championship. Colts are waving the white flag. They're giving up, and because of that, that means this week the Cowboys are going to easily take care of business against the Colts on Sunday. I mean, it's.
It's a done deal.
So there won't be any talk other than just like, "Hey, you're back." I'm back. Four and five. Come on! I already said that in the beginning of the show that the Cowboys at four and five, three and five, are not dead yet. I'm completely confident we're going to win this, ladies and gentlemen.
Everything's fine. All right, I got this, guys. You guys, I can't believe you. You still, you still can't go higher, Reggie. It's hard to do the voice.
It's not easy. There's a chance. It might be. Here we go. I kind of buried this guy last show.
Oh, I did. You don't do that too, either. I kind of felt bad because I sit two seats down every Sunday from a human being who is the personification of "you never know" in the National Football League. I'm not saying this guy is going to put the team on a magic carpet ride. I think all he's got is one start.
Because the Ravens just acquired Jacoby Brissett, but tonight, oh, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, I kind of think Joe Fignano can give the Ravens a real shot tonight. I kind of think he can go out there and just complete a couple passes. You know, Declan Doyle is offensive coordinator. Just give him some easy shots, quick. Quick throw here, like let's get Zay Flowers a touch, like right away.
Little play fake to Derek Henry. Oh, what not? Up? You figured we're just going to throw it? We run it fifty times to Derek Henry?
Up? No, no. Here we go. Pass. You think I'm running?
No, I'm passing. You know? Sure. Quick touch to Zay Flowers. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Right. Put the ball in the. Quick touch to Bateman. Right. Quick touches.
That's all we want. Touch, touch, touch here, touch there. Then all of a sudden, we're running, we're throwing, we're winning. Kind of think Fignano's going to give you a game you're not expecting tonight on Thursday Night Football and give the Ravens a real chance at home. Short week.
Never know in the NFL. I mean Jacksonville basically had a bye week last week. Oh, I hear you. I get it. No, no, no.
Jacksonville's really good. I shouldn't. I should. Jacksonville's really good. Trevor Lawrence is like MVP level.
Okay, that's how you do high register guys. Even though I just kind of botched the name by telling you how it's done. Yeah, I don't know if that's how you do. Normally, I don't do that. High register brought to you by Sonos.
Love the sound, feel the system. Build your system at Sonos.com. Oh, that was a really good one, Rich. Thank you. Good.
See, I can do it. I don't want to be a pirate. That's what you just said. I know.
Okay, thanks for showing us how it's done. I don't want to throw deli meat. I want to win like a real boy. Throwing deli meat. Be a pirate.
By the way, that Brady said he threw what a half a meatball sub. Meatball sub, and now we got sub. That's not deli meat. I got to let Quentin Lake. No, that's not deli meat.
So, which is worse, a meatball sub or deli meatball sub?
Okay. Deli meat could be a delic a delicacy, man. Meatball sub, oh yeah, right now. Mina Kimes coming up next here on the Rich Eisen Show on a Thursday. 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. One last thing before you go: good hosting is all about making the right call at the right time. Pizza, wings, sliders—when it's game time, you need an oven that can adjust. Frigidaire offers ranges and wall ovens with over 15 cooking modes, including stone-baked pizza and air fry.
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