Justin Jefferson: Sam Darnold Is Getting Comfortable With This Offense

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Visit amazon.com slash prime to get more out of whatever you're into. This is the Rich Eisen Show. When I first heard Bill Belichick was talking in the University of North Carolina, I thought to myself, okay, live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles, the Thornton Mellon of college football. He's going to triple Lindy his way to Chapel Hill earlier on the show, Texas head coach Steve Sarkeesian coming up Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, actor Rob Corddry, plus latest news and more. And now it's Rich Eisen.

That's right, everybody. Our number two of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. It's just mere coincidence.

I'm wearing purple and I'm about to interview Justin Jefferson of the Vikings. Total coincidence. I'm just realizing that.

I'm just realizing that. You know, I like making my guests feel comfortable. And our number three, Rob Corddry is going to join us in studio. So let's get right to him. Let's get right to him right here to kick off our number two. I've never been able to introduce anybody this way. I don't think anybody has because he's the freshly minted such player.

Only one player in the history of the National Football League has had 7,000 or better career receiving yards through their first five seasons. And there he is, Justin Jefferson, back here on the Rich Eisen Show. Good to see you, Justin. How are you? Good to see you. I'm doing great. I'm doing good. How are you?

I'm good. That jacket looks comfortable. Not going to lie. Oh, hey, hey, it's not as comfortable as outside right now. So I definitely got us warm. So this is not a fashion statement.

This is necessity is what you're saying. Nah, nah. I got to stay warm, man. It's negative degrees outside, man. It's cold. Got that wind chill.

You got to stay cozy, man. All right. So now here's Justin Jefferson, traffic on the twos.

What's the traffic? I'm just kidding. Last time I saw you was two months ago in London. And before you went 5-0, now you're 11-2. How different a quarterback is Sam Darnold now than when you and I last spoke, Justin? Yeah, he's definitely different. I would just say he's just, of course, more comfortable in this building with the guys that we have. Of course, him just getting used to the different players that we have on the offensive side of the ball. But him just being a leader, him being that confident quarterback that's going out there with the weapons that he have in that huddle. And he's just poised. He's just comfortable back there. And it shows just seeing how he works in the pocket, how he's moving, how he's extending the plays. So he's definitely getting used to and getting comfortable with his offense. And just in terms of poise and and being able to be comfortable to do what he just did, career-high five touchdown passes with Kirk Cousins back in the building, that to me is also a sign. Justin, what do you think? Oh, for sure.

For sure. I see it as a competitive spirit. He sees the other quarterback that was just with us the previous year. He's been doing pretty good on that side in Atlanta. So for him coming back into Minnesota, the fans, the players, everybody is just filled with that juice and that excitement of playing a quarterback that was just with us. For him to be as comfortable as he was, setting his career high with the five touchdowns, over 300 yards, only incomplete in six passes. So he definitely had a great game just from the start of the game to the end of the game.

Of course, there's little times where we all need to do a little bit better, but from an overall look of the game, he definitely was very comfortable and very confident going out there and throwing the rock. Now, obviously everything's going really well with you, Justin, in terms of yards. You did get in the end zone for the first time in over a month and a half, and you got in twice this weekend. And there's a lot of conversation in my end of the business of some wide receivers in our profession who are also doing well, but also complaining a bit about not getting the football enough. How do you handle not getting in the end zone? Are you vocal about it at all?

No, I wouldn't say I'm very vocal about it. I mean, I understand the way defenses have been playing me, especially in the red zone. I understand the amount of attention that I'm getting and drawing away from other guys on this offense. So, yes, it is frustrating at times. I mean, just like you said, it's been over a month, a month and a half, two months since I've even touched the paint in the end zone.

So that's definitely something that I don't want to happen. Of course, I want to score every game and put points on the board and be a big factor in this offense. But being a big factor of this offense, it comes with a little bit more attention than you would like. You get those extra double teams, those triple teams, especially in the red zone. So that opens up a lot for Jordan Addison, AJ, TJ, even Speedy. So those are things that you got to look at.

You got to look at the big picture, not just thinking of yourself selfishly. So, I mean, as long as we're going out there and we're putting points on the board, we're scoring, we're moving the ball. I might not have the biggest game, but we're moving the ball at a fast pace and we're moving the ball because of the attention that they're showing. Let's cape for your coach a little bit here, Justin Jefferson, as Kevin O'Connell became just the 21st coach in NFL history to have 31 or more wins in his first three seasons as an NFL head coach, now that you've won 11 so far this year. Take me inside meeting rooms, his role in Sam Donald getting to the point where he is and this offense with you and Addison and the rest of the group that you just mentioned being as prolific as you have been so far, Justin. What's his role here?

Yeah. I mean, his role is to be, of course, the head coach, to be a leader of this team, just trying to follow him and follow his direction into going where we would like to go. But as a coach, he's calling a play.

So in those meeting rooms, he's right there at the podium going over each single play, each route, just going over the different schemes, trying to get us to understand what he is trying to draw up or what he is trying to do on certain plays. And just like I said, there's those doubles, those triple teams that I'm facing every single week. So we're trying to find and figure out different ways to give me an open space, get me off the ball and off of those double teams.

So I feel like they're definitely putting in the work. They're definitely putting in the time and effort to stay long, long hours in this building to drop those different plays and those schemes to get us open and for us to be the dynamic offense that y'all see out there every Sunday. Now, you play Monday night against the Bears, Justin Jefferson. You'll already know what the result is between the Lions and the Bills.

Pretty big game there beforehand. Are you openly talking about running the Lions down in this division, Justin? No, I mean, the Lions have definitely done what they had to do to be in the position that they're in. Seeing the different games that they've been playing and seeing how they're finishing the games and just not giving up and just the effort and the attack schemes that they have on offense and defense side of the ball, those are things that we got to look at and things that we got to be prepared for. We played them the last game of the season. So especially with the division that we're in right now, it could come to the last game to see who's going to have that number one spot in the division. So that's not really something that we're really looking forward to, or we're trying to knock off the Detroit Lions or anything. Of course, we're trying to knock them off because they're in our division. But we feel like at this point, all we got to do is just come to play, be ready to execute at all costs and just do what we got to do. We don't feel like people are really doing a lot to really beat us. We feel like we've been beating ourselves the majority of the time. So as long as we're going out there, executing our plays, we're dialed in, having that energy all throughout the game. As long as we don't beat ourselves, we feel like we have a good chance with anybody in this league.

Yeah. You're in the mix for the one seed in the NFC for real. You're lurking.

You're not just lurking. You're right there in the middle. We're one game behind, man. We're one game behind. And we have, what, four more games left?

So a lot can happen in four weeks. Just like you said, they play the Bills. That's also in the playoff race. And they are what only lost two games as well.

So that's definitely a game that is important and definitely will come down to who's going to be the leader of this division. All right. Now let's just talk about you just individually, if you don't mind for a second. You're second in the league in receiving. Look who's in front of you. Oh, there he is.

It's Jamar Chase. You keeping an eye on him and what he's doing? Certainly since he just played the last Monday night and he dominated again. You keeping an eye on that, your teammate? Oh yeah.

I definitely keep tabs and I'll definitely watch the games whenever we're not playing or I'm just chilling at the crib. But just seeing the chemistry Joe and Jamar has and just Jamar's ability after the catch to make something happen and to create plays. And of course, everyone's seen the last play, the touchdown that he had. Just running a simple out route and taking it down and scoring.

That's something that makes them different. Just having that yak after the catch and of course, having Joe makes it a little bit easier. Just putting it to a spot that he can get it. Of course, Joe knows Jamar in and out.

So he knows where to throw it at, where to get him the ball to turn up field and just different stuff. Both players are tremendous and very dominant at their position. I'm excited to have played with those guys. But it's always going to be a competition, especially with me and Jamar. We're always trying to compete for the number one spot.

There's four weeks left, so you can't count me out yet. Well, I know that. And the one thing that you currently are leading him in is bank. And I know he's trying to chase you down in the bank, the bag.

Yeah, he definitely tried to chase me down. He's definitely making his point this year. He kind of was in the same situation that I was in last year. Just not getting that contract after the fourth year. Well, after the third year and was in those conversations to get that contract and not getting it before the season, but not letting that affect your play, not letting that just keep you off the field and kind of having a bad effect on you. No, he's going out there and showing that he needs to get paid.

He needs to be one of the top paid receivers in this league, as he should, the way he is playing and the things that he's doing out there on that field, especially this year. He's definitely making that statement. In the meantime, you make your statement, you can still ball out with heavy pockets too. You know what I mean? Without a doubt. Justin, I love catching up with you, man. It was great seeing you in London. Always right back at you. I always appreciate you saying yes when I come knocking.

Have a great Monday night and we'll chat again soon. Yes, sir. Appreciate you. You bet.

That's the great Justin Jefferson from the Minnesota Vikings right here on the Rich Eisen Show. How about this one? Let's talk about this.

What do you got? Much is made of the Chiefs being lucky, right? One possession games, it's a sign of their lucky nature. Who's saying that? Okay, I'm directing it at you. Notice I'm not looking at TJ as I address this subject matter.

Got it. The Vikings are seven and one in one possession games this year. The one being that one against the Lions. The Vikings in 2022 when they made the playoffs were 11 and 0 in one possession games.

I know your point is that their luck ran out against Daniel Jones, but this one's amazing. This leads the National Football League. As the Vikings enter Monday night football against the Chicago Bears, they lead the National Football League by a wide margin in this category. They've trailed for just two hours, 39 minutes and 48 seconds of football this year. And understand, understand, understand that one game of football is an hour.

Two hours, 39 minutes, 48 seconds. That's all they've trailed. So you could say, get up on them and see how they handle it. But it's also showing they're just jumping on you.

And Justin Jefferson helps the jump, even though he didn't get in the end zone. And they're putting you away. They are.

They're not letting you get back in it at all. And for Kevin O'Connor, since being hired, the Vikings are 24 and nine in one score games, including last year's non-playoff season. The 24 wins in one score games since 2022 leads the league more than the Chiefs. And it's the third best record in one score games by a head coach in NFL history. With the minimum being 25 games. The other two are Hall of Famers Guy Chamberlain. And I think you've heard of this guy. His name is John Madden, who was 40, 14 and seven in his career in one score games.

Wow. That's what Kevin O'Connell is doing right now. He has the same record in one score games as Sirianni. We'll talk eagles later on in this program. But that just shows you the reason why I bring up one score games is that's how you make the playoffs or not.

That's the difference. And it also shows you that you can execute when the game's on the line. The pressure is on the most. And it's not luck. I mean, I don't know how many luck you can make in one score games. And it's not luck. I mean, I don't know how many luck bounces of the football the Vikings have had. They're certainly not as famous as the ones that the Chiefs have had because they don't have the spotlight that goes along with being two time defending world champs. You mean playing every game in primetime?

Pretty much. The Sam Darnold performance is remarkable. The offensive performance is top notch.

The one score game results are top notch. But we live in the lions and eagles world, I guess. 844-204 Rich number to dial. We'll talk to Seth Wickersham in advance of Bill Belichick taking to the podium wearing his Carolina blue finest, I would imagine.

That's next. This is the Rich Eisen Show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. As many of you clearly know, I love going to watch football live. There's nothing like it, whether it's college football or professional football. There's nothing quite like the excitement of being in the stadium. And game time tickets and game time picks through game time is exactly your way and your gateway to getting the seat that you want and the experience that you'll never forget. Game time picks is a new curation feature that filters out the fluff to show you only incredible deals on great seats so you don't waste a single second searching through thousands of tickets. The all-in pricing feature, that's my favorite.

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See store for details. There's somebody on Twitter and it could be Bob, at real underscore Bob Costas. Then you read the Twitter bio and you begin to think something could be up. How are you, Bob?

I'm good, Rich. Late last night and then again this morning when I woke up, dozens of texts, some claiming it must be real, some saying this can't be true. And one said, this is the best indication that hell has frozen over since the old four red stocks or the 2016 Cubs. But I am here to assure you and everybody else that the fires of hell are still very much blazing because I am absolutely not on Twitter.

They have taken the bogus account down and I began thinking, you know, what would actually, what would I have to do before I ever deigned to be on Twitter? What, like binge watch the Real Housewives of Orange County? Make a return trip to Sochi just for the nostalgia of a pink eye episode? Star in a school to basketball?

Or just for you, just for you, Rich? Yes, Bob. Make a special trip to the NFL combo. All those things will happen before I'm ever on Twitter. Okay, so this is the real Bob Costas. We can confirm that now. Twitter needs that. Oh my gosh.

Your son tweeted it out that this is not you. When I saw the first screen grab that Keith sent to me, one tip off should be, look, I'm a reasonably humble and self-effacing guy, but would I knowingly shortchange myself seven Emmys? Get the number of Emmys right. Exactly. I said that.

I said 21 seems a little right. You got to pull a scam. Get your ducks in a row. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show radio network, sitting at the Rich Eisen Show desk, furnished by Grainger with supplies and solutions for every industry. Grainger has the right product for you.

Call clickgrainger.com or just stop by. He's one of the best in the business, senior writer for ESPN and author of so many books about the Patriots, including, if I'm not mistaken, that is one of the book covers with, that is being covered by many of the press credentials over his left shoulder. Seth Wickersham here on the Rich Eisen Show on the day.

Bill Belichick is going to be named the head coach officially of the University of North Carolina football program. Good to see you, Seth. How are you, sir? I'm great, man.

How are you? How to reach out and get your two cents. Read your piece today. And I wanted to bring some of that smart, intelligent and thoughtful, insightful stuff to hear. What did you think of when you heard Bill actually took the job? It's going to happen, Seth.

Well, thank you. I think that the bigger thing for me was when it even came into the ether that he was considering a place like North Carolina. And then he obviously went on the record and confirmed it last week or earlier this week and talked about like, you know, what the program would look like. And that to me was, you know, that was a lightning strike because it showed that he didn't think the prospects of getting a job in the NFL that he wanted and felt like he could flourish at and how he wanted to spend his remaining time in this profession. He didn't know if it was going to work out. And I immediately kind of wanted to know why and then what the appeal of college was for him.

And it's been fascinating. I mean, 2024 has not been the easiest year for Belichick. Right. He got fired. He got one interview out of the seven openings subsequently.

And, you know, as Don Van Natta and Jeremy, Jeremy Fowler and I reported, you know, he didn't finish in anybody's top three in the Atlanta Falcons. The Dynasty docu series comes out, which we're going to roundly minimizes his role in that, you know, tries to erase it. And former players come out, you know, in defense of him.

And then the season rolls around. So he's got all these media gigs that I think he did very well. But every week he and his former Patriots assistants, all of whom are out of the gig, are, you know, they would meet on Zoom and they would go through every team, every game, every situation.

They had incredibly detailed notes, you know, as only the Patriots did it. And the subtext of it all is what jobs are going to open, what jobs are going to consider Belichick and what jobs would he want? And I think that midway through this, the year, he asked the people on that call to look more into college programs, not, not excluding NFL programs, but also add college into it. And I think that the way he spent the fall going to a ton of college games, seeing his son Steven out in Washington a lot and trying to survey the landscape and think about how he wants to spend his last, you know, years coaching, made college more appealing. So let me dig into those Zoom calls a little bit more. So every week Bill would get the band back together.

Who was in the band? Who was on these Zoom calls that were staying as current as possible in the NFL or football trends, Seth? I mean, a lot of the people that you saw, you know, on his podcast, you know, adding in, you know, Josh McDaniels and Joe Judge at times, some of those guys.

But, you know, I think that like what they were doing was they were, you know, trying to stay current on the game and also thinking about what situation, again, might be best for them should it arise. So which gigs do you think they were targeting in the NFL that they thought were now out of the reach for Belichick to the point where, or not out of reach, or just be too dicey to pass up North Carolina's opportunity to roll the dice on, Seth? I think the general consensus was that the Bears were probably the best situation for a coach to go into. That said, I think there was severe skepticism that they were going to look at Belichick.

I think they thought, you know, that team's probably going to go offense to try to salvage, you know, Caleb Williams and give him a good shot at having a good career. Then there was the Giants and, you know, the Giants on paper looked like a great match. You know, Belichick going home, it would be a great story, but there's two things that happened there. Number one, Belichick has a great respect for Brian Deball and thinks that he should be continuing to coach the Giants. And number two is if they happen to turn to him, you know, that roster, I think they thought it was further away than maybe they realized. And this was going to be the third year that he was in coaching. So 22, 23, and then 25, if he had been with the Giants, that the press would have been at him. And a daily topic is whether he's lost his fastball.

And I think that's pissed him off, frankly, from what I've been told, and he's sick of it. And then you had these other situations, you know, Dallas, who knows if they're going to make the change and who knows if they kind of value the idea of a coach enough that they would want to bring in someone like Belichick. Jacksonville, you know, Michael Lombardi on his podcast kind of took a shot at Tony Khan, Chad Khan's child, about his son, about, you know, running the analytics department. I mean, Belichick and Tony have gotten along well, but again, it's impossible to know if he would have gotten any of these jobs. He easily could have ended up with one interview again, and who knows if he would have gotten it. And he was going to coach next year, no matter what, like he never wavered from it. He was going to coach. And as the college landscape came around, I think that a lot of the scars from the past year and, you know, situations where he would have had to compromise on some things and maybe wasn't as okay with that as he thought he might be, you know, I think it gives him a chance to run the program the way that he wants to run it with the people that he likes spending his time with.

And it's a new challenge. And, you know, don't count out a legend with a chip on the shoulder and looking for something to prove. I think he's going to do really well there. In that regard, let's turn the page. Seth Wickersham here on The Rich Eisen Show, ESPN senior writer. And I think the title of the book that's above your left shoulder is a perfect entree into whether this is a situation that Belichick can thrive in. The title of the book about the Patriots dynasty and the pursuit of greatness, it's better to be feared. And, you know, part of the germane aspect of that title is it definitely spoke to the way Belichick would run a program. Do you think that that's the way he's going to run a college program? Seth, what's your thought there?

So yes and no. I think that he is who he is and, you know, he's going to run his program, but he's so smart. I mean, he'll adapt. And I think that, like, to take a quick aside, in 2006, I went to see him speak at Southern Connecticut University where he was giving a distinguished lecturer type of speech. And it was like me and 400 college kids in this auditorium.

And I was, you know, kind of worried, like, what if this, the next two hours is just, you know, 120 minutes of his press conferences? And he was so engaged and so funny and so wise. And he really tried, he didn't use those kind of trite NFL metaphors and tried to use his experience as a football coach to help them, you know, deal with life beyond college and in the, you know, the quote unquote real world. I mean, he was speaking to them and he almost seemed to be enjoying himself reliving those years when he was their age. And, you know, the future was in front of him.

And he was so proud of the fact that he turned down a job in finance and instead went to work for the Baltimore Colts doing whatever they asked for $24 a week. I think he likes speaking to young minds in that realm. And I think that, like, he knows he's going to have, you know, obviously a ton of connections in the NFL and the players that can play in the NFL will get great recommendations, but the vast majority of those kids won't. And I think that, like, he's looking forward to just having a chance to shape them and use his program to help prepare them for life. I think that, like, that's an aspect of it that I think that people will probably not realize just how much he appreciates and how motivated he is and eager to do.

Yeah. I mean, he just loves football, loves teaching it, loves telling people you should be here. I mean, that's why his team was always so situationally brilliant more than most in the National Football League, if not above all, you know, and so now he can have that part and parcel, but that's why a lot of people have left head coaching positions in college to take offensive coordinator positions in college or leave college entirely as a head coach to be coordinators in the NFL is because it's not just about the coaching.

It's about everything else in the college world for which there aren't any uniform rules on NAL and portal and things of that nature. So how do you think Belichick's going to set up his system in North Carolina, Seth? Is it going to be like that Godfather II line? He's going to have a lot of buffers. It's going to be a lot of buffers between, between the Don and everyone else.

What do you think, Seth? I think someone like Pete Thamel could answer the ins and outs of that better than me, but I think that, like, he is going to, he got what he wanted. You know, this negotiation has taken a little bit, you know, it's taken a couple of days. It's taken a bit of time here and he got what he wanted. And I think that, like, one thing with college sports, especially in college football, especially is that, like, there's a big culture personality and a lot of the coaches who don't, haven't quite reached that cultural place where, you know, their, their name and aura is, is a draw enough, are the ones who are trying to get out.

Cause it, cause a very demanding and kind of miserable, if not well compensated place to be. And just to go back to what you said earlier, I mean, watch ballot, watching Belichick in his media roles this year, where he peeled back the curtain a little bit on his staggering knowledge of football. It became a little embarrassing almost to watch, if that's the right word, when he would be asked to explain these situational debacles in games that, you know, this is stuff that he knew how to do in his sleep. I mean, think back to the Malcolm Butler interception with the clock ticking down team on the one yard line in the super bowl. They haven't won a super bowl for a decade. He not only not calls time out, he's looking across the field, sees confusion, finally sees their personnel package signals in his own personnel package as an answer. The first time all year, they've run that exact personnel package with three corners and a goal line front and Malcolm Butler executes exactly what they had practiced and they win the super bowl. And I mean, he's sitting here on TV, having to explain Eber flus in that debacle against the lions.

I mean, it became embarrassing. Like why isn't this guy in the league? And I think that like, I'm not sure that he wouldn't have been in the NFL this year. You never know how these things go, but I do think that like, as he surveyed the landscape and he's thinking about the rest of his career, this challenge just seemed more eager.

And the more he looked into it, the more eager he got. So then what is your best guess based on your reporting, along with Jeremy Fowler and obviously you and Don Van Natta have been all over this thing. What happened to the politics of the NFL that Belichick is saying, you know what, I'm going to just go back to school.

You know, I'll be the Thornton Mellon of college football rather than just sit around and try and chase down Don Shula because I might not get that opportunity. Why, why did things turn into this for the NFL and Belichick, do you think? I mean, from my reporting, I think he, he feels like there's a lot of like lack of accountability and that just doesn't exist, you know, within his program, within the way that he was raised and he believes to the fiber of his being in, you know, huge levels of accountability. And obviously there's inconsistencies within that, but that's broadly, you know, a major ethos of his life. And I think that like last year he gets let go by the crafts after, you know, changing their, their lives and legacy.

He goes and meets with Arthur Blank twice. And it looks like he's the favorite for that job and things changed in a hurry and the, the decision makers in that group, not only didn't want him as the head coach, as Don and Jeremy and I later reported reported, he didn't even finish in the top three of anyone's choices. And I think that even though Belichick was willing to work with new people and to adapt his system and not have, you know, the total control that he had enjoyed for most of his career, I think that like, as he reflected on it more, I don't know if like, that's necessarily what he, what he wanted. I think that like, he wanted to work with people and spend his days with the people that he really enjoys spending days with.

And, and they're philosophically aligned. I don't think he wanted to sit in meetings and argue with the GM in front of the owner about why his strategy for drafting a certain player, you know, might've made more sense than the previous guy or the current guy or whatever that might be. Why owners don't just want this guy, all of them can come up with an excuse that seems rational. You know, he's too big. He's intimidating his years without Brady weren't great.

He's too old, whatever it might be, you know, there's a lot of like plausible explanations out there, but like why none of these guys said to his existing GM, look, I'll hire, you're going to keep your job. I need you to work as closely as you can with Belichick. We're going to let him do things as he wants until he gets the record. And he retires off into the hall of fame.

And I want you to learn every single thing you possibly can. Like the NFL player agent, Mike McCartney had a quarterback in Denver who was like a rookie and Peyton Manning was in the quarterback room. And Mike McCartney told this player, whatever you do, write down every single thing that Peyton Manning does all day long.

Like you will never get a better education. And like why no owner said that to some of these guys is really, is really beyond, you know, I guess my, my expertise, because again, the explanation seemed really rational, but at the same time, you're talking about a guy who's an eight-time super bowl champion. I'm going to give you a spinning curve in the zone in the few minutes I have left with you, Seth Wickersham. I know the answer to it. I'm just going to give it to you.

I'm going to give you a cookie here and give you a cookie here. Cause what you just said, cause what you just said, when you said, how come an owner didn't tell an existing general manager, guess what? Do your best to work with Bill Belichick and learn, open the books, just you work with him and you learn from him and you glean from him. And the other way that you could hire Bill Belichick in the NFL is if your franchise is so down and out, you've got to hand the entire culture over to him, choose your GM bill, choose the groceries bill.

I'm handing the entire culture over to you because it just hasn't worked out here. And we've got a high draft choice. If that situation could have already had a quarterback, like say the Chargers did with Harbaugh. You bring in your system, you bring in your GM, you got Justin Herbert, let's go win.

The best spot for Bill where the owner is just out of options, just out of, it's just hasn't worked to say you handle it would be the Jets. There's your cookie, Seth. That's not happening. There we go. Yeah. Right. One of the more enjoyable aspects of this year watching Bill on television is, he'll never fully go there like he would in private, but seeing a little glimpse of his edginess and he had a good time with Woody Johnson after they let Solomon go. Man, every platform that he was on and he was on a lot of platforms, he had fun with that one. Yeah.

He said ready, fire, aim was Woody Johnson's way of going about his business. But I'm serious. There's never any chance, right?

In a million years because of the way it all went down years ago. I mean, right? Is that it? Is that the history here, Seth? Well, he had issues about Woody Johnson before Woody Johnson was even the owner of the Jets and Belichick was technically the head coach of the Jets. The team didn't have an owner at the time, as you well know. And one of the reasons why he wanted out of that situation was because the owner was either going to be Johnson or Jim Dolan and he was unimpressed with both of them.

And that has definitely not waned. And I don't think that the way that Woody Johnson has run the team would give anybody any optimism that Belichick had it wrong. In a couple of minutes I have left with you, American Kings, a biography of the quarterback is your next book.

It's coming out in September, available for pre-order right now. What's this one? Obviously it's about quarterback, but what's the log line here, Seth? Man, I just wanted to know, it's such a unique American job and has such unique responsibilities, both in the huddle and beyond. And I wanted to know what it's like at every level from high school to college to rookie to franchise quarterback to Hall of Famer and retired Hall of Famer, what it's like to live with this particular mentality and skillset and way of living and lifestyle in ways that it's incompatible with everyday life. I wanted to know how this thing became cool.

And it turns out the answer goes back to 1885 and comes through close to where you are in Los Angeles in the coming decades. And this job just holds a unique cultural place and it's a lifestyle as much as a job. And I wanted to take as big an ambitious look as I possibly can. So it's featuring a ton of guys, current guys, Hall of Famers, retired Hall of Famers. It features players who aren't even alive right now and people like Arch Manning and Caleb Williams who want to be the next ones. And so I'm really proud of it.

A hell of a lot of work and I had a good time working on it and yeah, it's available in September. I pre-order right now wherever you get your books. Last one for you, Seth. Your best guess as to what a Bill Belichick University of North Carolina program's going to look like. Is it going to be like there's LT and Richard Seymour and over there and Jon Bon Jovi over there or is it going to look like Alabama? Is it going to be more Saban or more Dion?

Like what's it going to look like, Seth? I think way more Saban. But I think that like one of the things that Belichick will be interested in, and I write about this a little bit in my book, is like the performance inflation in college. You know, the fact that you have quarterbacks who are throwing for such staggering numbers, way more than like John Elway ever put up.

And you know, then obviously are learning the basics of the job once they get to the NFL. I think that like him as a defensive mind and coming up with game plans against Davos Sweeney and people like this is an underappreciated aspect of it. I think he's going to have a really fun challenge, you know, just trying to throttle these kind of runaway college offenses and almost serve as a counter to what the college game has become.

I mean, Belichick is so good at thinking unconventionally and it's going to be fascinating to watch that transpire on Saturdays rather than Sundays. Seth, you're the man. Appreciate the time. Love your piece today.

Everybody should go check it out on ESPN.com or on the ESPN app. And let's stay in touch. Appreciate it, brother. All right, man. Great to see you. You bet.

Same here. The one and only Seth Werkusch from here on the Rich Eisen Show. Use the same word as Sarkeesian. Fascinating. Yeah. That's two guests now. Fascinating.

Yep. And we've been saying the same thing. I love hearing from Seth on this. I love reading anything he has to say because he's locked in. He's locked in. So many people talk to him, you know, in that organization and around Bill's circle that, you know, you don't normally hear from.

So it's great to get all that insight. Who's going to be Bill Belichick's first quarterback at North Carolina? That's big. Is he on the roster? Is he going to be entering the transfer portal?

Is it NIL purchased? Using Michael Jordan's money? That's what I mean, TJ. I can't wait to see Bill in the jumpman. Like, what are the first shoes he's going to wear? I want to see Vince Carter room in the sidelines. Like, is he an 11s guy?

Is he a three guy? Like, what are we talking here? The whole sweatsuit's just going to be, oh, it's going to be great. I'm all into this right now. That's the definition of all in. Unk.

Uncle Jerry. Unk. UNC.

Unk. That's what I'm saying. If Dion was the head coach at North Carolina, you know, Jordan would be at the first practice, right?

Like, that's the sort of stuff. And I'm just wondering how much of that program is going to have that sort of glitz and glamour that you, that does differentiate you in this era where kids will want to be part of it. They've got enough superstars. I mean, I'm a Duke fan, so obviously I've never really liked Carolina, but they got enough superstars. That's what I'm saying.

He can roll it out from the NFL and, and basketball and just life to say, come here. Right. It's going to be an experience. Not, not, not a, not just a, a laboratory, but it's an experience, which is exactly what you have to, I think, portray. At least that's what I, I think that that means a lot in this.

That's how, that's how you differentiate yourself. Rich, think about this 17 year old, Chris Brockman. He's a quarterback in high school. He's unsure.

All of a sudden, Ms. Mary Brockman walks in his room. Chris, there's a Michael Jeffery on the phone for you. Give me the mic. Talking on behalf of Bill Belichick.

And then you could get free bifocals from blenders. We'll take a break. 844-204-RICH.

I'm going to dial Rob Corddry coming up. When you think about businesses that are selling through the roof, like Allo or Skins. Sure. You think about a great product, a cool brand and brilliant marketing, but an often overlooked secret is actually the businesses behind the business making selling and for shoppers buying simple for millions of businesses. That business is Shopify. Nobody does selling better than Shopify with shop pay that boost conversions up to 50%, meaning way less carts are going abandoned and way more sales happening. So if you're into growing your business, your commerce platform better be ready to sell whatever your customers are scrolling or strolling on the web, in your store, in their feed and everywhere in between. Businesses that sell more sell on Shopify. Upgrade your business and get the same checkout Skins uses. Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at Shopify dot com slash Westwood one all lowercase. Go to Shopify dot com slash Westwood one to upgrade your selling today.

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Learn what Amazon Q Business can do for you at AWS dot com slash learn more. Oh, my peeps, it's 2015 and I am ballin' as in big ballin', shot callin', sippin' Cristal and Capri Sun and the G550. Yes, y'all in. Not that ham radio basic cable crap Rich Eisen is rockin'. I am talking straight up big league ballin'. Not since Arliss have you seen ballin' like my ballin'. I'm jacked. I am jacked because football is back and the NFL is ballin' right here with me.

Beast mode, ballin'. Aaron Rodgers, ballin'. DeMarco Murray, ballin'. But you know who's not ballin'? Tom Brady.

No, no. Thomas Edward Patrick Brady, the greatest baller of them all. Sure, he's a three-time Super Bowl MVP, got a face chiseled by the gods and more rings than a gypsy hooker, but shame on him for not being generally aware the Indianapolis coats are a doormat on which you wipe your cleats before going to the Super Bowl. It doesn't matter though. It doesn't matter because this season is off the hissy with all this ballin'. It was briefly on the hissy.

Quick side note, but then the hissy got savagely depleted and driven into the turf and now the hissy is listed as questionable with a partially torn brain. That's ballin' for you. The first time Rob Corddry ever appeared on The Rich Eyes and Show. He was ballin' and we've had that drop for nine years now.

Maybe one of the oldest drops we've ever had. Rob will return to The Rich Eyes and Show, not for the first time, but coming up hour three in studio. Ethos, check it out. Your family's biggest supporter, that's you. So make sure they're protected today with affordable online life insurance through Ethos. Up to two million dollars of same-day term life insurance coverage in as little as 10 minutes for as little as two dollars a day. It's 100% online and there's no med exams, only a few online health questions. The mortgage, kids education, and other costs could all be covered through Ethos.

Straightforward protection for the people who matter most. Get a free quote at triethos.com. That's t-r-y-e-t-h-o-s dot com. Tonight on Prime Video, right here on the Roku portal, you can check out Andrew Whitworth and the gang. Andrew with some great preview conversation on What the Football with Suzy Schuster and Amy Trask.

Check that out on our our YouTube channel or wherever you get your podcasts. It is the 17th all-time matchup between Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan and we were there for the first. That's right, The Rich Eyes and Show emanated from inside the field of jeans in Santa Clara, California. I forgot we used to call it. Oh yeah, inside Levi's Stadium. We did our radio show from that day. Oh yeah. And DTV flew us back, I believe, on air muscles, was it? Air Chris Long?

I don't know. We were balling. We were balling. We were there that day having no idea what would unfold that very night and what unfolded that very night in a color rush game.

Mustard versus ketchup. Rams versus 49ers. The first ever matchup between McVay and Kyle Shanahan and Todd Gurley. There we are on the set of NFL Network's postgame coverage.

You'll see Prime Video pretty much follow that rundown segment for segment tonight. We'll see if Karen Williams shows up instead of Todd Gurley. Rams would take that, but that night was 41-39 final score. Sammy Watkins, two touchdowns. Todd Gurley accounted for three for Jared Goff. Ryan Hoyer, 39 points.

Ran one in for the Niners that night and I remember I turned to you on the sideline that night, Chris, and I'm like, if this is what McVay versus Shanahan's gonna be like. Give me this for a decade. And we're closing in on it.

I know. This is year eight for the two of them. And the Niners have a 10-6 advantage, including playoffs. The Rams, McVay won three of the first four, including that night. Shanahan and the Niners won the next six. Then the NFC title game broke up that streak for the Rams. They won the Super Bowl.

Shanahan won the next three. And the Rams have won the last two, including this year's week three, which is what tonight, which has led to what tonight is all about for the 49ers, who come in this game off, yes, a rousing win against the Chicago Bears. The Rams come in off of, yes, their best win of the year against the Bills. They looked like their Super Bowl year of offense. And that offense had Odell instead of Pukka and, you know, a conglomerate at running back instead of Karen Williams, who is dynamite. And because the Rams won, if you remember, week three was when the Niners didn't have McCaffrey and no Ayuk.

Name everybody. They were all out. And the Rams didn't have Pukka or Cup or their line. They were 0-2. And they somehow won this game despite being down 13 in the final seven minutes of that game. 13 unanswered points in the final seven minutes of the game. And they won by three. The Rams only led for the last two seconds of the game.

That's it. And it started a very frustrating streak of division games for the 49ers, who lost that one. They then lost at home to Arizona. Then they lost at home to Seattle. And that's the rub coming into tonight, despite winning in Seattle in week six.

That's the rub. Because if the Niners lose tonight, you can kiss the division goodbye. As a matter of fact, they're in such dire straits at six and seven in last place in the division because of losing to Arizona. The Niners can actually win out and still not make the playoffs.

But losing tonight, you could pretty much put the nail in. That would be all she wrote because they would be two behind the Rams with the Rams having swept them. And the Rams tonight, they enter in eighth place in the conference, just behind seventh seeded Washington, the old next gen stats.

Usually we do the old gen stats here. But the playoff probability from our friends at next gen stats has the Rams making the playoffs as a wild card at milk 2%. However, at 25% to win the division. In order to do that, they've got to win tonight. Want to talk about what's at stake? Must win both teams.

That's it. Short week. Isaac Garendo apparently is going to try to go tonight, which is some interesting because it is the beginning of fantasy football playoff weekend for many.

A buy for some. But that's what's at stake tonight. That's what's at stake tonight. On prime video right here on Roku this evening. I'm going Niners tonight.

I don't know, sir. I think the 49ers are not the better team. How does that sound?

Brock Purdy prime time. I got the NFC West. I got it. The Niners have held a lead in all four of their NFC West games and lost three of them. Rams let down. Wow. Okay.

I don't see it. Short week road after a huge win on Sunday. Puka might be the hottest receiver in the NFL. I'm not doubting any of that. They might get Tyler Higby tonight too.

I'm not doubting any of that and how well they look. But Purdy's coming in hot. Kittle leads the 49ers with 800 receiving yards. He's been terrific. Juwan Jennings with a you know. Where's Deebo? He had three.

Jennings was the one who kept the Niners in that game. This feels like a Deebo game. We haven't seen much from him. Well, as you know, he was very vocal.

He was being Francium. And if look, if Garendo is less than, we're going to see Deebo in the backfield. He's going to get a lot of touches tonight. They need to have Bosa out there and that's in question as well. Agreed. Well, I think we're going to see Deebo in the backfield.

Agreed. I mean, they're 11 and 11 without Bosa on the field. Six and 0. I mean, the defense with and without Nick Bosa with. Their opponent passing touchdown interception ratio is 11 and 11 and without.

Six touchdowns, no interceptions. He puts the pressure on. You know who is back tonight? Dre Greenlaw. We'll see. Oh, baby. Must win material for both teams.

Rob Cordray, an hour three in studio coming up. As we know in the National Football League, there is no margin for error. One mistake can change the outcome of entire game, season, careers. Science proves quality sleep can help boost reaction time, recovery time and overall athletic performance. That's why 80% of NFL players have a sleep number smart bed. 80% of the Chiefs have a sleep number smart bed.

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