REShow: Joshua Dobbs - Hour 3

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Learn more at discover.com slash credit card. Limitations apply. This is The Rich Eisen Show. This Michigan is our time. McCord fires! Intercepted! And Michigan will win the game! Live from The Rich Eisen Show's studio in Los Angeles. Touchdown! The Eagles win!

Hurts does it again! Earlier on the show, two-time Super Bowl champion and Greenlight podcast host Chris Long. Coming up, Vikings quarterback Josh Dubs, plus your phone calls, latest news and more. And now it's Rich Eisen. Hour number three of The Rich Eisen Show is on the air. What a show we've already had. So much to talk about from the world of college football and professional football.

Chris Long of the Greenlight pod was on in hour number one. We also chopped up the Eagles' victory over the Bills as well as the chopping of Frank Reich from the Panthers' staff after just 11 games. We also had a conversation with you at 844-204-RICH. I also had a one-way conversation with everyone else when it came to Michigan's win over Ohio State. That's three straight years of doing a soliloquy on that subject matter. From my chest and heart and gut.

What's Hall of Fame week going to be like? I might need extra security. I don't know. I told you I got you, man. But I mean, hey, they keep inviting me back.

I'm honored to do it. And they're the ones who start screaming OH at me as soon as I hit the microphone. I don't bring it up.

I'm happy to not bring it up at all. Because you know what? I'm a guest. I'm a guest.

Yeah, they are asking for it. OH and O. Oh, there you go. OH.

OK. Or maybe I should start it. UH. And they go OH.

Like that spells. Right. Uh oh. You could go TX. UH.

Yeah, that's right. Texas A and X, which is where they want to send their coach, apparently. I say keep Ryan Day right where he is. That's where he belongs. He does. He's a good coach.

That's right. Why would you want to get rid of your coach? That's how I feel about it's almost everybody. Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone. Lifetime contracts. Just leave him there. By the way, you don't have to say it. Cashman has it. That's true.

He's 56 and seven, right? Yeah. Come on. Like, how could you even know? How could you?

Oh, it's so great. Let's talk about the bills, man. I'm just going to shoot you straight about the bills.

That's exactly what I want to see from him. The result wasn't great. Yeah.

And there is some reasons why the result wasn't great. But that's the Josh Allen. We haven't seen him all year. And I know they they boat race the Dolphins at home.

But I'm talking about coming to your house. The elements are all against you, literal and figurative. That's the Josh Allen we've all come to know and love and talk about as elite and, you know, on a path to Hall of Fame greatness. That guy, you can't stack him. You can only hope to contain him, as Dan would say, right? And they couldn't contain him last night. They could not.

The Eagles could not. He was so tough to get down on the turf. He ran two of them in.

Four hundred and twenty. Total yards for him. I mean, good Lord threw it fifty one times.

Unreal, spectacular game by Josh Allen. And with a coordinator change, that's exactly what you want to see. Seems like Joe Brady's kind of dialed in him, right? Well, it seems like vice versa. Yeah, he's dominated the last two weeks.

This is exactly what you wanted to see. And this defense has taken an injury licking and keeps on ticking, man. And I understand the Eagles scored at the end, and I understand.

You know. I mean, if you want to nitpick here outside of the officiating, let's just remove that. And I know Bill's fans will say, how can you? I mean, you know, Eagles are getting all the calls.

We got no calls. I don't know how that was not a horse collar sack. Was that Hassan Radek taking down?

Yeah, yeah. Rip the front of his jersey, the front of his jersey, put it back. But I didn't. He didn't pull him down like the the typical horse collar tackle. He used it to take him down, kind of spawn, but he didn't pull him down using that. And they call it grounding. Well, they called grounding because it looked like he was trying to get rid of it when he was clearly going to get sacked. And there was nobody directly in in front of him whipped to the ground. That said, the thing that drives me, I'm sure drives Bill's fans a little nuts today is, you know, Sean McDermott using one of his two remaining timeouts to ice a kicker who was being iced by the elements to begin with, along with the circumstances in which he's being rushed out there to kick it. And you call a timeout to let him collect himself and then Jake Elliott, I mean, 61 yarder, what a missile, a laser, unbelievable kick to send the game 59, 59, 59 to send the game in overtime. And.

But it was only overtime because the Bills took a knee with one time out left with 20 seconds on the clock. And I don't say this to troll. I really do not.

It's just the truth that we've seen before. All you need is 13 seconds and a couple of timeouts. To get a game into position for yourself. So. So there was that.

And then the little mistakes cost. You know, the Allen did throw an interception. I just thought that was a great play by Bradbury. I mean, he comes off of coverage. He's he's out on the sideline and came in side to grab that one. You know, it's not like Allen threw it directly at at him.

I mean, that was I think you just got to tip the cap sometimes and I'll tip the cap. That's one of the few times the Eagles stopped Allen. He was unstoppable. The unstoppable Josh Allen showed up.

But the best part about it, I think for him and for Bill's fans is who he is and that last mistake that cost them a third down toss into the end zone in overtime. That was an option route. It looked like Gabe Davis and him were not on the same page. Not even Romo, who has a sixth sense about this sort of thing, could peg whose issue it was.

Because I don't want to say fault when it's an option route, these things happen. But that question was asked directly to Allen after the game because that forced Buffalo to settle for a field goal in their one possession in overtime. And then the Eagles now knew what they had to do in order to win it, and they did. And so it was asked of Allen what happened there, because had that been a catch. It would have been a touchdown. And again, I understand Bill's fans with their issues had the incomplete pass on A.J. Brown been ruled a catch fumble, as we saw in other games, including the Keenan Allen catch fumble in the night game.

That looked very similar, very, very similar. OK, that would end the game for the Bills benefit as well. But Allen was asked point blank what happened on that play afterwards. Can you explain on the last pass to Gabe, was it just a miscommunication? You thought he was going one way, he went the other, is that what happened? Yeah, it's an option route. We're in turn zero, so we max protected it.

Understanding they're coming to get me, I made a guess and I guess wrong. So at worst, he's taking responsibility personally. At best, he might be covering for Gabe Davis.

I love this guy, man. Because if he goes, yeah, I mean, do you know how many quarterbacks might be just like sitting there, ego this, I've been criticized that, sit there and go. Yeah, I mean, Gabe was supposed to go in and that's where I threw it. Or, you know, we practice it a million times, Gabe goes in about 90 percent of the time this time he went out, like where he doesn't really lay it on his feet. Right.

But like, hey, he saw the coverage I saw and he's supposed to go here. And that's where, you know, you know, right. Like we've called it before and Gabe goes in and this time he went out. Right. And then you saw, you know, Gabe slammed his helmet down. And again, that could just be.

Lack of communication, whatever. Again, I sit there and I just I love this guy, boy, Buffalo, do you have the right guy? You've got the right guy. And again. It's never going to it's just I mean, you're never you're really going to have to say never really going to have a clean sheet with him.

You really are. And I just, again, get the sense just one more time for for anybody who wants to count the bills out. Just a couple of years ago on this very weekend, Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, Tom Brady's Bucks fell to six and six after losing a game at home to the Chiefs. And they wound up playing each other in the Super Bowl anyway. And the result was different. Just throwing that out as the bills fall to six and six on the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend.

The issue for them, however. Is there's another six one team that's already beaten them in the Broncos at six and five. The division, the the Dolphins, you know, they've already beaten them like it's entirely possible you can somehow make up the two games on Miami before you see him in the last game of the season.

Is that possible? I mean, Miami does have a game against Dallas. And at Baltimore, do they slip up in a game that they should win?

Home against the Jets, home against Tennessee at Washington. That's a tall order. So then the wild card, is that a is that a way to get in?

It sure is. The problem for that is, is their schedule. Because this just got started.

They got to buy now. Take a breath, take a beat, get away from football for a couple of days if you want. Get healthy, obviously. And then come back. And man, you got to do what Philly just did, which is go to Kansas City and win. Then come home and take on Dallas. Before a visit out here to SoFi, where you started your season last year and ruin the Rams banner raising night against the Chargers, who are beatable, certainly when you're going to be physical with them, I think.

Home for New England. And then that game at Miami does not does nine wins seem crazy. You get three somewhere here, but it's nine wins going to be enough to make the play.

I think it may be in the seven seat. It may be maybe going to be tough. And then you don't want to see him. That's it. You just don't want to see him. That's the team.

Everybody. If you're in the AFC, you put up the standings one more time here. You're in the AFC and you're, you're a team about to win your division or maybe go on that buy or whatever. You know, you got a, you got a, a really good seed. You know, you're the two seed. You want to see the, the bills as just throw names out here.

Which team would you want to see least as the seven seed Steelers, Browns, Colts, Texans, Broncos, Bengals, Raiders, bills. Maybe bangles if Joe bro, Joe bro, I'm talking about this year's. Yeah, no, I'm just saying he's not walking through the door. He had surgery today.

I'm mad. I think we saw it yesterday with Josh Allen. You don't want to see him. You don't want to see him.

You don't want to see him. Eagles might've done the AFC, a huge favor in the same way that the Niners lions and Cowboys thought the bills were about to do them a huge favor. I definitely thought that Josh Allen is, is this, is this generation's farm though, right? I, I think so. I think he's better. I think he's better. No, he's going to give you a one or two a game, but you're going to have to stop him because he could get four and he's just unstoppable with his legs, but he's doing like Farve didn't have the legs. Right? Like that's what I'm saying. I mean, I think the, the reference to Roethlisberger is pretty accurate in the sense that this guy just, you can't bring this man down his speed and he's like big Ben with speed. You know, let's take a phone call for when he flops on the hit.

Like he did. Is that Nathan in LA right there? Yeah. Nathan, you there?

Yes. I'm here. What do you got in mind? Talk to you guys again. How are you? Well, great. Uh, how was, how was your holiday? Fine. Thank you.

What's on your mind? Uh, yeah, I wanted to talk about what you're talking about, which is kind of the paradox of this season to me, which is the looking at the bills and looking at the Steelers because the Steelers, if you put them on the same field, I think I'm pretty confident that those would beat him four or five times. And yet the Steelers are probably going to molds, not waltz, but with all due respect, they have a fairly easy path from here all the way off. Whereas the bills, like you say, may, if they make it through murderer's row the last few weeks, scrape in and be the seventh seed. And it's just strikes me this year that there's such a disparity between teams with winning records that aren't at all superior to the teams below them. And, you know, I mean, it's just such a striking paradox. No, I hear you. And that's just the luck of the draw sometimes too.

Nathan, thank you for the call and for hanging on and for your well wishes for Thanksgiving as well. Because, you know, the AFC North plays the NFC West this year. Would you rather play the NFC West or the NFC East, anybody?

I mean, because it's both are kind of top heavy. You could say that you'd rather play the NFC East because you've got Philadelphia and the Eagles and then Washington and the Giants. The AFC North is, I think, the toughest division in football this year until the quarterbacks started getting hurt. And then, you know, you could sit here and say that the Steelers have an easier path, but they had to play the Rams and the Niners and the Seahawks, right? And they have to play Seattle in week 17. You talk about the Steelers right now a little bit.

I mean, yeah, the path is easier, one would think. And they also have a chance to win this division because they've already beaten Baltimore. They have a better record than the Bills through 11 weeks, they're 7-4, and they have a chance to win the division. Unlike the Bills, I mean, just like the Bills, pardon me, the Bills have already beaten the team in first place in their division, just like the Steelers have. Now, the Browns have issues at quarterback and Miles Garrett left in a sling.

That's a problem too. The Bengals, unfortunately for them, I fear. Like Jake Browning's got to turn it on and turn it on fast. But the Steelers offense, so far, so good.

I mean, the fans are like, get rid of Matt Canada. We have not scored a lot of points and we just cannot break the 400 yard per game barrier. Think about that, Ben Roethlisberger sometimes in his career had 400 yards through three quarters and this team has not had 400 yards in a game in 58 straight games going into that game yesterday in Cincinnati. And poof, coordinator change, play-caller change, and their first game over 400 yards and you could see it. They were taking shots downfield.

Yeah. That was one of the reports someone had that the offense is going to focus on getting Gabe Davis, you know, Deontay Johnson, and Pickens, more targets down the field. Fryer Muth down the seam. Down the seam all day when he had 120 yards yesterday. Jalen Warren, Najee Harris, pardon me, Davenport. Best run game in the NFL. I mean, you could, listen, and the defense is clearly going to come lunch pail, but Tom had made the move. And Save their season.

Well, for the moment, it definitely looked better. And now they're winnable games in front of them. But first, Tomlin was asked about the coordinator change and what it means short and long term after the win. You know, we did what we needed to do to win. Guys like myself and Kenny, man, we're judged based on winning and losing and we don't run from that.

We run to that. And also he and I are winners today. I'm not trying to paint with a broad brush and act like Eureka. You know, we did what we needed to do to win today and we'll keep pushing. Kenny and I are winners today. We're not going to apologize for winning. You know, he's basically saying, yeah, I'm a winner today. I actually made the first coaching change here since 1941 in the middle of the season. And we're winners today. So good.

Good for you, Mike. And the smoke in the mirrors have them at seven and four. They're sitting as the five seed right now, right? They're sitting at the five seed right now, which would send them where to Jacksonville for no, no, no, no, Jacksonville's the three-seater Miami. I don't know how that's going to change.

Look at that. So they could win. They could win the division. One million percent win this division as the Ravens and a man, you know, we'll talk about them at the end of the show here. The Ravens are on a buy and then they've got some, they've got some games that they're going to have some tough times at Jacksonville, at San Francisco, home from Miami before they play Pittsburgh in the final game of the year in the bank, just keep winning. Pittsburgh's got Arizona.

Oh my God. I mean, it's amazing how you sometimes see Kyler Murray roar like a lion. And then he looks like Bambi when Aaron Donald comes out of the Rams, just have his number bounced him out of the playoffs, like a, one of those beach balls and Dodger stadium, you know, and so, and then home for new England at Indianapolis, which could be a Saturday game on NFL network that I'm also calling I'm finding that out next weekend, which one of these games on a Saturday, I'm calling home for Cincinnati at Seattle on new year's Eve. And then, then the big one Steelers are in it and they made that move. And so far so good. Let's take a break. Speaking of making a move, the Vikings made one the minute they heard that their quarterback was done for the year and they get Josh Dobbs and look, who's playing a big game tonight.

Can't wait to chat with this young man for the first time on our show, Joshua Dobbs. And we come back. All right, folks, let's talk about game time and let's talk about buying tickets to big time events. Cause it can be worrisome. It can be time consuming and it can be expensive. So game time is the fast and easy way to buy tickets for all the sports, music, comedy and theater events near you. You can see the view from your seat before you buy.

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Visit audible.com slash eyes and or text eyes into 500 500 that's audible.com slash E I S E N or text E I S E N to 500 500 to try audible free for 30 days. All right, back here on the program. Let's go to Brad and Boise, Idaho.

What's up, Brad? Yeah. Hey, thanks for taking the call. Right.

You gotta go blue and happy belated birthday to Blake quorum. No. Yes. 23. How about that?

23. I wanted to answer your question earlier when you said, why does this game mean so much to me? Okay. And in this particular game, rich, you and I know that this will be the last time this game will have this kind of effect on both schools this late in November.

We'll never see it again with the new big 10. Am I correct? I agree. And first of all, also, thank you for letting me speak before Jeff, where's Jeff from Detroit today? I don't know.

He hasn't chimed in. I've got about a minute left before I got to get to, uh, to Josh. So, so what do you, what else you got in mind, Brad?

Uh, two, two quick things, uh, I want to make sure you get ahold of Albert grayer on this. Okay. Okay. I'm sorry. I got him.

Don't worry on speed. And last thing you keep writing those checks the rest of this year for it to go blue out of boy, Brad and Boise. Well done, sir. He wants Brea Brea.

Where is Brea? Oh yeah. The one last thing too. You know, man, I would really be enjoying this Michigan run if it weren't for that pesky fine balm asterisk on Roku. I just said it because I got a lot of, you don't have to. I did that on the radio.

We're not on our radio, which I think Rick flair took care of on his Instagram seriously. Oh, that dreaded fine bomb asterisk. It worked. Whoa.

I like it. Rich working blues. I did.

I mean, I worked, I worked. I'll call Roku and apologize. Back here on the rich eyes and show. I'm sitting at the rich eyes and show radio network, uh, at the rich eyes and show desk furnished by Grange with supplies and solutions for every industry. Granger is the right product for you.

Call click Granger.com or just stop by. We've never had him on, and I can't wait to ask him a ton of questions about what's gone on in his life over the last two, three months. He's got a big game tonight on Monday night football, joining us, Minnesota Vikings quarterback, Joshua Dobbs. How are you doing?

Josh? How are you doing? I'm great. I'm better for having you on this program. I got to tell you straight up. I don't usually say this to start interviews. I just love watching you play just straight up. It's just straight up. It looks like you play with a certain joy, Josh.

I'm wondering if you could explain to me how you approach your business from that aspect of things. Yeah, man. Um, I love playing ball. You know, I've been playing ball since I was five, six years old.

Um, obviously the last, um, first part of my career, I didn't get the same opportunities that a lot of people had to play ball out there. So just to go out there on that field, man, compete every single week is truly a blessing. And so, um, I work hard every week to be prepared for the opportunities, um, that I've been given with. And I'm blessed to be here in Minnesota with a great team around me, a great group of guys that are competitive that love to go out there and compete as well.

So, um, yeah, I just enjoy going out there on that field and just playing, letting, letting everything hang and then, um, seeing where, seeing where the chips fall at the end of the day and then waking up the next day, trying to improve and go out and do the same thing the next week. Do you, uh, what, to what do you owe your lack of opportunities? Why do you think it's taken a while for you to get more and more start opportunities in this league, Josh?

Yeah. You know, I think when you're, when you're drafted behind a Hall of Fame quarterback, you know, the opportunities are going to be difficult, um, especially with the level that Big Ben was playing at during my time in Pittsburgh and obviously played five years of football during my time. And so it was difficult to get on the field due to the nature of that situation. And then from there, uh, leaving Pittsburgh, going to Cleveland last year, uh, my goal really from that point was to get on the field and get an opportunity no matter how, um, I had to circumnavigate the lead or, or, or how difficult the opportunity was, it was to get on the field, to go out there and play just because I had spent five, six years watching a lot of people play ball. And the day I went to see, you know, Hey, like, I feel like I can play a really good football NFL. I feel like I'm a starting quarterback in NFL, but I just need the opportunity. So I went on a little merry-go-round last year in order to get an opportunity to start. And that's led to me being here in Minnesota with, with a tremendous opportunity, um, this season with this team.

So yeah, you know, um, I think just the nature of the situation I was drafted into played a part into, uh, my opportunity, but, um, at the end of the day, man, like I just try to control what I can control and when I get those opportunities to go out and play good football. I'm going to ask this straight up, Josh. And it, I don't know how often you're asked this, but I'll, I'll ask it anyway.

And, uh, I'm interested in your answer. Do you think it's at, at been at all held against you that you're smart, I'm serious that, that, that in the league, you know, you can't be all about ball or loving ball because you got a brain inside that head of yours and that you, you, you may have other interests that you can't be all in on ball because of that. Do you think that's at all the case? Um, you know, I'm not going to say no, just because I don't know the conversations that that occur when I'm not in the room. Um, I've had, I'll be honest, I have had, you know, media members approach me and write articles saying, I'm too smart to be an NFL quarterback, which seems a little, um, a little backwards to me. And so I'm sure like, as a thought, um, that teams like may have, but, you know, I think if you just ask anyone that's got a chance to get to know me, it was my track record has seen me in the facility scenes, how I work and just seeing the priority that football has in my life. You know, they'll, um, they can speak to my work ethic and how much I truly love ball and going out there. And then look at the end of the day, the stuff that I'm interested in off the field, I'm not a lot of people are also interested in that as well as playing football.

So it does bring a lot of attention to myself and my story. So I'm not oblivious to that, but, um, how I love football, man, like this game has, has, has had a tremendous impact on my life and blessed me with opportunities, obviously on the field, but also academically and, and in my other interests off the field that, um, I wouldn't have if I wasn't a NFL quarterback or a starting quarterback at the university of Tennessee. So look, I'm sure there got my, there might've been some discussion earlier in my career, but I think at this point with the way I played, you know, this season and the op and the way I've taken advantage of the opportunities I've been given, like, I'm pretty sure I've, uh, kind of silenced that thought if, if it's been in anyone's mind. Yeah. I mean, I was just, I guess that I should have mentioned about your journey through your journey. Clearly you have, you have shown and you have proven and you are doing that with your opportunities plural, you know, but it does take a certain sense of smarts to be good in this league along with a physical, uh, skill set that you have seemingly, uh, coming out of your pores here, Josh, you know, and, and, and, and there's so few people that could say, you know, Hey, how can you, you know, perform so well when you're just thrown into a situation like say, Hey, go try and win a playoff game for Tennessee or Hey, start a season for Arizona or Hey, get into a game when you're just fresh to Minnesota.

And then you could literally say, it's not rocket science and know what you mean when you say that, Josh, you know what I mean? Like it's a rare combination you've got going on, right? Yeah. Without a doubt. Yeah. Without a doubt.

I know. Um, look, when in my time where I wasn't given the opportunity to start, um, I remember going through just about every single quarterback situation, you know, seeing where they drafted to that team. Uh, were they the first round draft pick or just studying the game, studying individuals, studying how guys got their opportunities, everything from a first round draft pick to an undrafted guy that was it been able to rise into a starting role in the national football league. And so during that time, I was able to see like a lot of the guys, unless you were that first round draft pick, like they got one opportunity out there. Um, I was able to see what they did with that opportunity. And so I took a lot of notes and I acknowledged that, you know, not being a first round draft pick, um, myself, that whatever opportunities I got, man, I was going to make the most of them because you go out there on that field, you don't perform and like, that might be the last opportunity you have to do what you love. So, um, I prepared just like that.

I work hard, I'm very diligent in my note taking and just how I take care of my body, but also how I prepare on the field so that no matter the opportunity, the circumstance, the odds that may be stacked against me, I'll be prepared to, um, look them all in the face and go out and still perform and play at a high level. Vikings quarterback, Josh Dobbs here on the Rich Eyes and show getting set for Monday night football. Let's, uh, let's get to the hearing now, um, starting with your acquisition by Minnesota, were you at all involved, kept up to speed about the trade deadline conversations surrounding you, Josh?

No. Um, it was a little crazy how it all happened, you know, during my time in Arizona, finished up the game in Baltimore and then ended up getting traded right before the trade deadline on Tuesday. Um, and so I know like a lot has, has come about just with, um, how everything went down in Arizona.

I do want to say like, I really enjoyed my time there and I drove my time with JG and Monty and drew and Izzy and that entire staff. And I was thankful for that opportunity to go out, compete and be a day one starter in Arizona because it's something that I dreamed of being, uh, but I know when the trade deadline comes, it's, it's all crazy. It's craziness. And so, um, I didn't know what was going to happen. I knew Kyler's return was very imminent in Arizona. Um, and so it just worked out, I guess, just with the timeline of the needs of the quarterback position here in Minnesota and what was going on with the team in Arizona, that an opportunity presented itself to come to Minnesota and be a part of the Vikings. And so it was crazy how it all went, went down, obviously, uh, from a non-football perspective, like life got crazier than it already was, you know, Cleveland, Arizona, then Arizona to Minnesota. Um, but yeah, you know, but it was another opportunity to grow and be able to continue to be a star in football and national football league.

So, um, I take it in a stride, like, um, I'm thankful to be here, honestly. I was just asking to know if, if there was anybody other than Minnesota that was knocking on the door for you to your knowledge. So to my knowledge, I heard it, my agent had texted me, it was going to be between Minnesota and Cleveland. Um, so that would obviously been, um, crazy going back to Cleveland, you just left Cleveland to start the season. But yeah, no, I'm glad I ended up in Minnesota. Obviously you're, you're, you've got a playoff shot here.

There's just no doubt about it. And the way that you're playing clearly your teammates are, are, are excited to have you. I mean, I love that video of you coming into the locker room after you won the first game you played. It wasn't your first start. You got thrown in there. And so my question for you, I have so many questions for you, Josh, but is it true? Kevin O'Connell was in your ear up until the last second pre-snap telling you about the play and also throw it here.

You got to curl here. You got this, they're like, can you confirm that that was actually happening? In your first game? I can't confirm. There was a lot of dialogue on the headset, um, a ton of dialogue, you know, just going to that game, obviously with Jaron starting, um, and Jaron getting the routes for the week.

Yes. I had taken a call sheet of the game plan. I spent a lot of time with Grant, our assistant QB coach and Chris, our QB coach going through the call sheet and just saying, Hey, like, this is what I'm comfortable with.

If something happens, I have to go in the game. Here are the plays that I know and I can execute. Here are the stuff that's a little fuzzy in my mind, just with it being a new offense and no reps in it. And so, but when you get thrown in there in the, in the second quarter, it's kind of like all hands are on deck and let's figure out any way to win this football game once you're out there. And so as I started to get a feel of the offense, get into a rhythm, you know, we were installing some things on the sideline, obviously I had never had a chance to go through a two minute drill with the offense up until the last drive of the game. So we're installing two minutes on the off, on the sideline, preparing for the situation. And so what was going on in the headset was like anything we just installed on the sideline KLC would just remind me of whether it was like the play call or what communication said to the line, or just, Hey, like, here's a picture of the play.

Like you have these routes on the right, this concept on the left, start your eyes here and then just go play ball from there. So just like simple reminders that were very comforting to have. Not because I didn't know the play, but it just reassured me that what I called and what I was seeing in my head was, you know, the actual thing that the receivers and the O-line was going to do. So yeah, there was a ton of communication, it was a very unique situation.

And so obviously when you win, it's cool to be able to tell the story of how we're able to conquer it. Were there some guys, you don't have to confirm names, but were there some guys' names you did not know their full complete names when you're out there playing? At that point, I'll be honest, yeah, there was a couple, there was a couple. It was a lot of information to try to get through in the first week. I mean, my first time saying the cadence to the starting O-line was on the sideline video. And so we had some kinks, we had to work out very quickly once we got into the live action.

But we were able to overcome the lack of names known on the field. Unbelievable. And I love your honesty. It's true, man.

I would too, you know, but I'm also older and I, you know, I'm not a scientist either on all of this. But in one last question before this, before you just turn the here and now and I'll let you go on with your day. What was it like for you to walk in that locker room and they were waiting for you? You didn't know, obviously you were doing media and, you know, O'Connell was talking to the team and the team is all fired up and they were waiting for you. What was that like for you and your journey leading to that very moment in Minnesota?

Josh? Yeah. You know, it was very surreal. Like I didn't know the situation I was walking into in Minnesota just because of how everything went down.

In Arizona, like my mind, my headspace was there. And so to come, you know, meet a new team, go through a week in the middle of the season as a quarterback where you have a routine, but now you're also trying to learn a new offense and learn new players, new teammates, and just get a new flow. Like there was a lot of emotions just throughout the week. And you know, I think like any player can speak on this, like when you get traded to a new team, signed with a new team, or even when you're drafted, like the biggest thing you want to do is not let your new teammates down, right?

You want to come in and make a good impression with your new teammates and allow them to get to know you, who you are, your work ethic. But also when you come into a team that's rolling, that's on a four game win streak at that time is, you know, playing really good football and you come in as a quarterback, like the last thing you want to do is be the one to stop, you know, the train from moving in the direction it's moving. So it meant a lot to be able to come in and contribute and play the role I did and be a good teammate to the guys that have been working so hard to play really good football here in Minnesota. So yeah, you know, it was a very surreal moment. It's hard to win in the National Football League. It's even harder when the odds are stacked against you based on the circumstance. So to overcome all of that as a team, have those guys rally behind me and support me through it all, man.

It was really cool to enjoy that moment with them. So what is your approach to the final few weeks of this season? Again, you've got an opportunity with a team that is playoff material. They were last year, right? There's even a shot at the division. The Vikings have yet to play the Lions. You've got a big division game against Chicago. There's also, you know, the future in Minnesota potentially could be yours, might not be.

You might have to move again. So what is going through your mind, Josh Dobbs, for the last month and a half of this regular season? Man, no pressure, right? Yeah. I mean, that's the situation. That's the situation. And so what's going through my mind is take it one day at a time, you know, put your best foot forward, prepare, because this is the greatest opportunity you've had thus far in your career.

So no stone won't be turned over. My preparation and how I just approach each and every day will affect obviously how I play on game day. And so it's, as I've always done, make the most of the opportunity, but now how does that do that? And that's in my process and how I prepare to go out and play each and every Sunday.

So yeah, it's taking one day at a time, obviously the most important game is the next one against the Bears at home division matchup, huge game for us as we get back in our stadium, Monday night football. So it's the next one, but it's the biggest opportunity because it's the next one. And so I'm excited, man, like I'm excited for this opportunity. I'm excited to go out to compete with this team, my teammates, as you said, like, you know, the balls in our court each and every week. And so we show up and play the football, we know how to play, man, we'll be set up very well for a postseason run, but we got to handle business week in and week out. Yeah.

Here's your short term goal, if you don't mind. And as a thank you to for you appearing on the show, I'll leave you with this Josh Dobbs, because I love the photograph that you've put out there on your socials. Your dad has had fun with it too, right? The moment in the history of television, right?

That you like to recreate from, you know, the fresh prints where you're standing in the room by yourself because you're moving a lot, right? So what you do is you make the playoffs, you get on Will Smith's, the actual Will Smith's radar screen by taking on the Eagles and knocking them out. And you make Will Smith's life a little bit difficult. What do you think about that, Josh? Do you like that? I love that. Let's make that happen. I'm just trying to, you know, you can do anything, man, that you've proven that.

And I'll be unprofessional one last time. How do I get an Astro Dobbs hat like the one you're wearing? How do I get one of those? How do we all get one of those here on our show? What do we do?

What do we got? AstroMerchPro.com is in my socials, in my bio. Just go on and click on it. You can snag one. It's a mom and pop business. So we'll say, you know, we're not Amazon Prime with our shipping. Parents are at games and having to go home. Okay.

So like literally today they're at home catching up on some orders from over the past couple of weeks. But yeah, you can go snag you one. Rich, I'll send you one.

You've been really... No. It's for your foundation, Josh. It's for your foundation. It would be my honor to contribute. Now, I don't want it for free.

I just want to know how to get one, even though, you know, my sense of being part of the media, if it's free, it's me. I want to be, I want to, your foundation is in support of who, what, who is it in support? Extraordinary Dobbs Foundation is in support of all the areas that have supported me throughout my career, starting with Knoxville, Tennessee, Alfredo, Georgia, where I'm from, Pittsburgh, where I was drafted. And obviously the city, the cities keep adding as, but man, it's, it's just promoting STEM education in those fields. You know, I've been blessed with a lot of support from those areas. I've been blessed, you know, to meet people at NASA, meet those engineers, but it all started with my love and passion of STEM and aviation. And so promoting those to the areas that are underserved is a great mission of my foundation. And so I've appreciated all the support over the past couple of weeks from everyone who's who supported man, but hats, t-shirts and stuff like that.

And as I said, mom and dad are working hard to get everyone's orders out. But yeah, I would love to see you rock it one day. I will do that. Well, I'm going to get for the whole crew here, obviously in support of that. And you know, like I said, I love the Pastronaut nickname. I love everything that's going on for you.

You have, you deserve it, man. I'm thrilled to watch it. And I can't wait to see what you do Monday night and beyond. Thanks.

No doubt. Thanks for having me. Appreciate y'all.

That's like a trip through Disney right there. That's delightful. Stream the NFL on Westwood One for free tonight, sponsored by AutoZone all season long as well. You can listen to every Westwood One broadcast of the NFL live on the NFL app by asking Alexa to open Westwood One Sports or on your Westwood One Affiliate Station's digital platforms. Kevin Harling, Kurt Warner and me all season long and tonight for free and get in the zone with AutoZone.

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AutoZone. Let's take a break. Wrap up this show and get ready for Monday Night Football and everything else in a moment. All right, folks, let's talk about game time and let's talk about buying tickets to big time events because it can be worrisome, it can be time consuming and it can be expensive. So game time is the fast and easy way to buy tickets for all the sports, music, comedy and theater events near you. You can see the view from your seat before you buy so you know exactly what to expect when you arrive. They have all-in prices that show you your total upfront so you know you're getting a great deal without hidden fees and how easy is it to use? You can buy tickets on game time in seconds with two taps and there's a game time guarantee which means you'll always get the best price. If you find tickets in the same section and row for less, game time will credit you 110% of the difference. It is so awesome.

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Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. The football season is underway and Believe Podcasts are talking about it. When he went home and went to sleep, Michael Parsons was just terrorizing him.

Love has podcasts covering all 32 professional teams and many of your favorite college teams too. And to be only producing 15 points a game, that's something that is definitely disheartening. Side line to sideline. End zone to end zone.

As a quarterback, I would expect him to be acting like that. Take the accountability. Put that on yourself.

Don't put it on your teammates. Search B-L-E-A-V podcasts wherever you listen. All right, so you sent me this photograph during a commercial break about an hour ago. Yes, sir. This is a photo of the flyover of the big game of the game, Michigan, Ohio State over the big house. Look at that. Wow, that's cool. Look at that.

That is cool. The flight, the plane that they used right there flying over is a Boeing P-8 Poseidon. You know what that is? It's a refueler. No, it's not, sir. It is not. It's a spy plane. It's a spy plane.

I would have guessed refueler. No. Very funny.

How great is that? Please tell me. For all my friends in Ann Arbor, please tell me. It's just not me. That was on purpose. Please tell me. I would say it.

Like, let's get a spy plane and fly it over. On equivocally on purpose, right? I can't... How can you say it unequivocally? I have no idea. I mean, it's... Oh, I'm loving it.

I'm loving all of it. Simply since, according to this report, the pilots of this plane are nicknamed the Stallions. I'm making that up. I was about to say that. That would have been... I actually... That would have been great. I was going to say. Okay. That would have been phenomenal. I made that up.

Using a spy plane to fly over. Please tell... Please.

All of my... Because, again, I want... I never thought it would be this way. Never thought it would be this way. Never thought it would be this way. Never thought it would be that... You know, the plucky Wolverines, man. After all those years of being beaten down, they've flipped it all. They've flipped the storyline, and now everyone wants to root for us. I'm all in on the versus everybody thing.

I'm all in on it. Never thought I would want to be. Fantastic.

Oh, look at Sharon Moore. That's me. I see you, Dave Avloff.

I see you, Dave, back here on The Rich Eisen Show. Game time tickets, everybody. You should download the app and check things out. Certainly in this time of year, when a lot of people have the same idea you do about going to the same sporting events or same music, concerts, comedy, theater events near you, a great way to find a terrific ticket with a great view, because you can already see, using the app, the view from your seat, and the best part about it, certainly when you're on a budget at this time of year, all in pricing. All in pricing. Get to see what your total is up front so you know you're grading a deal before you check out.

So you want to check out and go, whoa, wait a minute. You know it before you check out. Guesswork is removed when you buy tickets with game time. Download the game time app, create the account, and use code Rich for $20 off your first purchase. Restrictions apply. Visit gametime.co for terms. Again, create an account, redeem code R-I-C-H for $20 off. Download game time today.

Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. Derek in Missouri has been holding on for damn near the whole show. What's up, Derek?

Hey, Rich. How's it going? Thanks for hanging in there. What do you got in your mind?

My pleasure. So here we are once again. The Broncos are on the talks again, and this winning streak is still improbable, but hey, I'm not complaining. And second of all, I got to say, correct me if I'm wrong, it is overreaction Monday, right? We're doing the pod as soon as it's over.

It'll be posted in about an hour and a half. Yes, sir. When I say this, what is not an overreaction is that the efficient in the NFL right now is just awful.

I mean, from what I saw yesterday in the Broncos game, like what is Barrett Bryant supposed to do when he lays a hit on Dorian Thompson Robinson and this hit, I mean, what's he supposed to do? Derek, I hear you. Thanks for hanging on. Thank you for hanging on, and I appreciate the call. Just trying to fit one more in before the end of the program.

I'm sorry to fit you in at the end. Please call back. The NFL's got an officiating problem big time because a lot of people are talking about it, and rightfully so, rightfully so, and I don't know what to do to fix it. Maybe we should get Dean Blandino on the program to talk about it.

I think it's a good idea. That call, that hit that he was talking about, I don't know what the defender was supposed to do, like he said. It was one step hit, shoulder into the chest. The craziest one was not calling a roughing on Herbert after he's like, what, his foot was just... Clearly in the white. And then the offensive lineman who's defending his quarterback gets flagged. And he barely did anything.

The lineman just kind of shoved the guy away and he gets flagged for it. All right, last call. We talked about this before.

TJ, we now have a ZJ on the phone from here in Los Angeles, and he, if I'm not mistaken, is an Uber driver. ZJ, are you there? Yep, I'm here.

Can you hear me? Are you at work? Are you in the midst of doing your job, sir? Absolutely.

I am doing it right now. I assume you heard our conversation earlier, correct? Yes. Yes, I did. What's your two cents?

What do you got? So, Del Tufo, I'm sorry. I hate when people ride in the front. I can't stand it. I can't take it. I like when people sit in the back.

Of course. More comfortable. Especially with COVID.

Pre-COVID. I hated it, but Rich, I just wanted to say, I'm born and raised in Michigan. I love when you talk your ish. Go blue. We waited so long for this.

It's amazing. Keep talking your ish. Hey, ZJ, is that worth at least one one-hundredth of a point on my Uber rating to get me at least in the 4.6 range? You know anybody who could help me with that one? You got anything? You're a Michigan man.

You should already be at 5.0. I appreciate it. You know what it is? I've been driven by Ohio State people. That's what it is. That's what it is.

It's a conspiracy theory. Right, ZJ? Rich, maybe ZJ should be your personal Uber guy. Hey, now. Make sure that you don't...

I don't know. Look at us. Anytime. Look at us.

Anytime. But definitely, me sitting up front does not help matters, is what you're saying. Does not help, but I hate it. I cannot stand it. I like when people, when there's open seats in the back, it's the weirdest thing ever. It's so weird. That's right.

It's just... Thank you, ZJ. Bless you. Call back. Drive safely.

This is the highest rating. This guy. Yeah, but you can't argue with a guy who's a driver though, Mike.

I win. He's the driver. He's telling you... He just ended this conversation. He's ended it. One driver. He's just telling you how he feels.

Oh, I see. There may be other drivers who are like, please, Mike. Don't sit in the back.

No, first of all... Sit next to me. I sit up front.

When I say sit up front, it was when we had multiple people in the car most of the time. But you have told me... Excuse me. But I do. You told me... I ask. During COVID, when we were talking about my rating... No, I never did COVID.

Exactly when we were talking about it. No, no, no. COVID, you couldn't. They had it closed off. So you couldn't sit up front. But now that we're through it, you say sit up front.

Get in someone's car. Get out of here. That's nutty.

594. Thank you. He just scoreboarded us. He also just inflated his rating.

That makes sense. Thank you for taking in this show. Thanks to Chris Long and Josh Dobbs. We'll chat about the Monday Niner on Tuesday. How wrestling really works and how you get the ratings.

Eric Bischoff and Conrad Thompson explain on 83 weeks. Too much time is spent discussing talent's age. The younger demo is just as excited about a Paul Heyman or a John Cena or an Undertaker or a Becky Lanchard. I don't care what their birth certificate says. They're going to draw a younger demo because they're fun to watch and they're great entertainers. 83 weeks on YouTube or wherever you listen.