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We'll do it live! From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Jacobs plowing the middle to the end zone. Touchdown!
This is the Rich Eisen Show. Josh Jacobs brings a dynamic. What does he bring in your mind, Jordan Love? His mindset, the way he runs the ball. He's a guy who wants the ball in his hands every play.
He's not going to let anybody bring him down. Today's guests, host of Pro Football Talk, Mike Florio, Boise State head coach, Spencer Danielson, senior writer for Sports Illustrated, Chris Mannix. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
That's right. Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show, live on the Roku Sports Channel. This Rich Eisen Show, terrestrial radio affiliate Sirius XM Odyssey and TuneIn. We also are available through the Cumulus Podcast Network. We also have a relationship with Yahoo Sports. You can check us out in so many different ways and the reason why we have terrific partnerships and so many different ways in which for you to consume us isn't because we've been here for 10 plus years or our content is great.
It may be that as well. I have received confirmation the reason why we are available through so many different ways is because our Madden ratings are through the roof. Oh, yes.
And that's why we're all here today. The Madden rating on my sweater shirt combination is 99. So there's that. Awareness through the roof. We'll talk about that on this program shortly.
For those who don't know what I'm referring to, get your Madden ratings up. You will. All right. Mike Florio is going to be on this program in about 18 minutes time.
We'll talk about all that with him. Good to see you over there, Chris Brockman. How are you? I'm great. DJ Mikey D is in Deez Nuts here on a Thursday. Good to see you.
TJ Jefferson, the candle's lit. Good to see you, sir. How are you doing, Rick? I'm doing fine. I'm doing great. Chris, Mike, I rarely say hi to you guys in the morning. Yeah, TJ, how's your Madden rating? You good?
I'm like an 82, 3 probably. No, you're getting traded. We'll get, well, not to the Jets. Yeah, the Jets won't take you. They have standards, sir.
They won't take you. Apparently. Okay, we'll get to all this in a second. The starting career of Michael Penix Jr. in the National Football League has been born.
Love it. And we went over this a bit yesterday, the way he was born as an NFL player, was something else, his journey in college, quite a bit. We all know. Way before he had two back-to-back seasons that were the stuff of legend in Washington, he had a terrific run at Indiana. Google it. And you could Google that way before people began Googling Indiana this year.
Google me. That's right. And then he got drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, eighth overall, even though they had already signed Kirk Cousins prior to the new league year even opened up, apparently. You know, I mean, it was just wild how Atlanta really wanted Kirk Cousins and got him.
And then seven weeks later he said, you know what, we're going to use the first overall draft choice on our succession plan. And who knew the succession plan would start in week 16 of the National Football League season, in which the Falcons were seemingly in a perfect pole position to win their division at six and three, only to lose four in a row and end that win streak with a win that was so unsightly on offense that that's when they decide that Kirk Cousins needed to be sat for production purposes. And now it's Kirk Cousins wearing the headset and the 24-year-old rookie, making his first career start for a 7-7 team that needs wins right now in order to salvage, one would say, a season in which they had beaten Tampa Bay twice because Kirk Cousins did have eight touchdowns and one interception in those two wins. And then for the rest of the season, 10 touchdowns, 15 interceptions against the rest of the National Football League.
Thus, Michael Penix's starting career in Atlanta has been born. And all he's got to do is do something that's never been done before, become the first rookie quarterback to make multiple starts and lead his team to the playoffs after his first start coming in week 10 or later for a team at 500 or below. Again, it's a very small subset for this statistic, but we've never seen a subset this small placed upon a rookie quarterback by a team that has otherwise playoff possibilities. There has been one instance of a rookie quarterback making his first start in week 10 or later for a team that was at 500 or below that did eventually make the playoffs. He made only one start, though, and we're assuming Penix is making more since he's been named the quarterback for the rest of the season for Atlanta. That quarterback was Jeff Rutledge in 1979.
Okay. Yeah, for the Rams. He made his first start in week 11 for a five and five Rams team that eventually did make the playoffs despite Rutledge losing that start, they went from five and six to the playoffs because Vince Ferragamo started the rest of the season. Remember Vince Ferragamo? He went on quite the run. I think you see him sometimes on TV locally or in Los Angeles, right?
Correct. I remember Vince Ferragamo was so famous, I don't know why I know this stuff. He was a star on Hollywood Squares once. And I'm like, wow, Vince Ferragamo made it to Hollywood Squares.
You know, you'll take him for the block because Paul Linden got his and then Wally Cox got their questions right. Rosemarie, I almost went Rosemarie. Long story short. Who's the guy that had the madam puppet? That's Waylon Jennings in Madam. Madam, Waylon doesn't matter. What else do you need, buddy? Whatever you want. Come on. George Golan. I'll keep going.
Charles Nelson Reilly. No, that was match game. That was match game, yeah. No, no, you went too far. Now you went too far.
Now you've gone too far. So bottom line is, Panics has got quite a bit placed in his bucket now and this is what he had to say when introduced as the starting quarterback of the Falcons yesterday. My previous coach used to always preach one and no, one and no mindset, and I'm really focused on this week right now, and that's all I can focus on right now is what we got in front of us, and that's the Giants, and trying to make sure I'm prepared to be able to do whatever it takes to help us win this football game, and we'll take it one step at a time.
I'm not looking too far ahead like, oh, this is a playoff game, but as long as we execute and do what we have to do, we'll come out with a win, and the playoffs, that's something that come with it, but I'm just trying to stay in the moment right now. Good news. Let's get some good news here. The good news is the kid's got his head screwed on straight. The good news is he's 24.
He's not like 21. The good news is he's got a ton of experience in college, and we've seen some quarterbacks with the extra amount of experience. They're the ones who succeed in their first go-round as starter in the NFL more often than not. Brock Purdy is one.
C.J. Stroud is another. Jayden Daniels is another. Bo Nix is another.
Just these are good problems, if you will, to have. Also, we had Andrew Whitworth and Ryan Fitzpatrick of Prime Video in our chairs to my right just yesterday, and Andrew Whitworth and Ryan Fitzpatrick saw Kirk Cousins throw for 500 yards this year in one of those wins against the Bucks on a Thursday night, and both of them said, going into that game, they were still wondering if Cousins was a shadow of his former self or growing into his former self, but he definitely wasn't his former self from Minnesota and the You Like That years, and they were talking to a bunch of people behind the scenes saying, this kid, Pennix, can spin it. In practice, Zach Robinson, the offensive coordinator who Whit knows from the L.A. Rams days was saying, this kid can spin it, and I think he hasn't lost his ability to spin it between that week five and this week 16, and I think the team is feeling good and confident about the kid who's got a great head on his shoulders, and he's also got Kirk Cousins in his corner because Cousins, to no one's surprise, is the professional saying yesterday that he understands the business end of it, understands what's up, what time it is. I mean, his stretch from weeks 10 through 15 were as brutal as you can get. I mean, his touchdown in the win against the Raiders was his first in 17 quarters, nine picks, one touchdown.
It's just you can't countenance that sort of stuff if you are in the NFL needing to make the playoffs, no matter how veteran you are. That said, he did offer a little pushback on the why. It's not a loss of confidence.
Hit it. Well, the results weren't good enough, but I think that from a confidence standpoint, I don't think that was changing. If anything, maybe you need less confidence to not try to force the ball into tighter windows, so I don't think it's confidence as much as you've got to make great decisions. You've got to make great decisions all the time, and if you don't, you'll pay for it. I didn't forget how to play quarterback.
Certainly, the turnovers were not what you want, but I didn't forget how to play. Yeah, I mean, that's a prideful man right there. Ryan Fitzpatrick, again, who's the king of throwing into tight windows because he had confidence thinking he could throw it into a tight window. He said this move had to be made.
Cousins wasn't done, though. Did you hear how he described calling panics? He called panics to say, hey, congrats, I'm here for you, which is nice. This is the way he described it to the media. Not to be redundant about this part of it, but why was it important for you to call Mike last night?
You know, I like to shoot elephants in the room, so I just wanted to shoot one. There you go. Wow.
Okay. Big game conversation right there. So he called panics, and, you know, obviously, Raheem Morris called Cousins as if the panic story, the way he was drafted, wasn't wild enough. The way he found out that he was the starting quarterback. Now, you've seen videos in the NFL where there's a camera in the corner, and the coach is telling player who's had a long journey, A, he's made the team, or B, he's made the Pro Bowl, and those are videos that get you dusty in the NFL.
That's one way to do it. In Major League Baseball, you've seen cameras planted in a manager's office to tell a minor leaguer, hey, you're going to the show, right? Unfortunately, I don't believe the Falcons had a camera planted in a local Costco.
Yesterday, for Michael Panics, roll tape. I was actually shopping. I was shopping with my girlfriend who was at Costco, and I got the call, and, you know, they told me that I was going to be the starting quarterback, you know, for the rest of the season, and, you know, as you can imagine, it was some nerves. It was excitement. You all get anything special at Costco after you've heard the news with a couple songs that you've heard.
Oh, man, so I did. I was actually getting a hot dog, and whenever I got the call, I wasn't hungry no more, so. I mean, honestly, you've got some players get a phone call from the team. You're drafted, first overall. Another, like Tom Brady, how he was born as a starter.
One minute you're standing on the sideline, next minute you're in the game, and then yada, yada, yada, you're the greatest of all time. Panics now has a story as old as time. One minute I'm buying a $1.50 hot dog, the next minute I'm not hungry anymore. Makes sense. That's a story as old as time. Well, certainly at Costco, where I learned it's been $1.50 since the 80s for a hot dog.
Did not know that. There's values that you can find. And I'm sure there are people out there who can call this show and cape for the Costco hot dog. Oh. I imagine. You will do that right now.
You don't have to call. We've all been there. TJ, would you text the group when the Costco hot dog subject matter came out? I was involved in that. No, I know. What did you text the group?
Oh, what did I text? I said. Are you here?
Are you there? Yeah. Okay, good. My goodness.
Do we need to wake you up over there? I misheard what you said. Okay. I said that the cinnamon rolls.
Ah. From Costco. The pizza. No, Joe. The pizza.
Pizza. I was at IKEA. The IKEA cinnamon rolls, right? Yeah. Smitched throughout the. Smitched throughout the IKEA one? Yeah. Okay, great. I can't remember. One minute.
I was involved in like 12 group chats last night. So, Michael Panics Jr. drafted by a team nobody thought would draft him, and then they make him a starter in week 16, and he finds out while he's buying a hot dog at Costco with his lady. But not hungry. He didn't get the hot dog. Well, now he's not hungry anymore. Well, literally, figuratively, he's very hungry for a win. Yeah.
But his stomach got turned into knives. He's like, whoa, whoa, I'm starting. Hey, now. Hey, whoa.
I wouldn't buy the TV or something. You know what I mean? Something to mark the occasion, Rich. Like, you got the call. Cheers.
Bye, Blinder. So, listen, Falcons fans, you might be like, this is crazy. This is nuts.
I mean, how crazy can you get? Well, the Jets are holding your beer, and I don't even know what to say based on what I read from The Athletic today. And it is mind-blowingly wild, if true, that the owner of the New York Jets, Woody Johnson, is in fact making decisions on the roster based on a player's rating in the Madden video game. This is one of many mind-blowing facts or facts that they have found through many unnamed sources and things of that nature that they put in to this article about the way the New York Jets are being run.
It's mind-blowing. That in this article, the Jets had targeted Jerry Jeudy for acquisition from the Denver Broncos. And Joe Douglas and George Payton, the general managers of the Jets at the time, and now currently of the Broncos, had a deal. And Joe had to call up George and let him know that the deal was off, because Woody Johnson had found out, and I believe the article says through one of his kids, that Jeudy's Madden rating was not up to snuff. This can't be real.
I don't know. Crazy. The NFL, as you know, you can't make this up type of league. And we all know Jeudy has had a 1,000-yard season for Cleveland, which has started three different quarterbacks. Jets have started just the one.
And there's many other nuggets in this story that would make fireman Ed's tears put out a five-alarm fire. And I don't even know what to say about it. There are no words.
I am without speech on behalf of all New York Jet fans. If this is true, there was pushback from unnamed team spokesperson throughout the piece, pushing back about how this is just all, everything that's in there that makes you go, really? That is wild. Oh my God, this can't be true. You have to be kidding me.
Every single one, it's just like, there's a good reason for it. It's just crowdsourcing within the building, crowdsourcing within a family group that doesn't really have that much say based on what some of these unnamed executives are saying. That there is a collaborative effort, that the owner of the Jets is just trying to get as many opinions as possible. People aren't tiptoeing around here, as some sources were telling The Athletic. And the thing that doesn't square on that is that when Aaron Rodgers recently, as early as a couple of weeks ago, was pointing out how there's not a lot of support for decision makers from ownership, and he didn't say the word ownership, but you know Rodgers always leaves you to glean, whether it's a glint in his eye or he will be somewhat passive-aggressive about it, it's obvious he was talking about how while you're not seeing the quotes about support, as a matter of fact, people are getting fired around here. That Q&A, that portion of the Q&A was not included in the transcript for the media, which kind of pushes back on, well, people around here can say whatever they want. I can't even put it into words other than to say if this is in fact the case, the rest of the NFL is laughing and the rest of the AFC East is saying, I only got to worry about two other teams here. That's just the straight up truth, straight up 100% truth based on this article that, you know, again, I know a couple of the reporters on the byline, Diana Russini and Michael Silver to begin with, and there's, bona fides for me are usually, you know, are terrific, not usually, they're spot on.
Yeah, if they're reporting it, then it is. And it is just something that leaves you speechless when you read it. So there's that. Later on in this program, Chris Mannix will join us.
We will ask him if there are any NBA teams building their roster based on the thoughts of Ronnie 2K. See what I'm saying, like when I say it like that, it sounds particularly absurd, does it not? Okay. Yeah. Uh huh.
Okay. Who has teenage sons in ownership? That's what I want to know. And Spencer Danielson, the head coach of Boise State will join us. We will ask him if he has any sort of recruiting plan based on somebody's ability to play a video game very well. I don't know. All right. I think I've made my point.
Mike Florio, who's 99 rating in my book, it's coming up. You are your family's biggest supporter, so make sure they're protected today with affordable online life insurance through Ethos, up to $2 million of same-day term life insurance coverage in as little as 10 minutes for as little as $2 a day. It's 100% online. There's no med exams, only a few online health questions. The mortgage, kids' education, and other costs could 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.com.
I'm late for Mike Florio, but then again, I mean, very rarely does a quarterback learn he's a starter at age 24 when he's buying a hot dog at Costco and an owner decides to make roster moves based on a Madden rating. That's next. As a business owner, you're always going that extra mile to pursue your passions, so you deserve partners who can help you go further with premium benefits and rewards. The American Express Business Platinum card offers world-class business and travel benefits, so you can get more for your business wherever it takes you. With the Amex Business Platinum card, you can earn 1.5 times membership rewards points on select business purchases, and you can get complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges worldwide, including the Centurion Lounge, so you can keep running your business while you're on the go. See how the Amex Business Platinum card gives business owners like you the tools and rewards to do more of what you love.
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That's oReillyauto.com slash eisen, O-O-O-Reilly Auto Parts. When you think about businesses that are selling through the roof, like Alo 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 ShopPay, that boosts 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.com slash WestwoodOne, all lowercase. Go to Shopify.com slash WestwoodOne to upgrade your selling today.
Shopify.com slash WestwoodOne. Back here on The Rich Allison Show, 844204 Rich is the number to dial. Let's bring in Mike Florio even before the radio audience joins. What's up, Mike? How you doing, brother?
Hey, what do you say, Rich? Tell me about your book, your e-book. What are you doing next week? You're giving away your e-book, your father and my e-book? Against all good advice and common sense and judgment on the 24th and the 25th as a Christmas thank you to all the people out there who inexplicably, easy for him to say to me after all these years still visit the website, I'm going to give anyone who wants it.
You don't have to take it. It's not going to be like that U2 album that just popped up on your phone. Also, it's not this book.
I just want to have truth in advertising. No, no, no. It's father of mine. Father of mine.
I'm sorry. I have somebody file a class action lawsuit against me saying, you didn't give me the free book you promised. Father of mine, free next Tuesday and Wednesday at Amazon. Anybody that wants it, don't have to read it. Just take it. And there is an ulterior motive.
I'm confident that if anybody does read it, they'll say, I'd like to read the sequel and then they'll buy that one. So it's kind of like the drug dealer who gives it away for free. Come on. Confident that. That's not the best metaphor, but what the hell? Let's ride it out.
Confident that they'll come back for more. Are you watching The Wire? Is that why? Is that on your brain? Is that what you said? Is that what's happening right now? The first hits for free.
Mike with the Honey Nut Cheerios as well. Okay. Very good. Well, that's awesome, brother. That's awesome.
So, and how can people just get it for free? Just go to Amazon, go to Amazon and the ebook is available for free. But father of mine is one. Next Tuesday and Wednesday. Right. That's the book that we showed. There it is. Ladies and gentlemen. We have it. Well done. We have it. The other books are available on Amazon as well. Fantastic.
But only that one. Father of mine will be free next Tuesday and Wednesday. We shall discuss this even more when the radio audience returns and that moment is occurring now. Back on the Rich Eisen Show radio network. I'm 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 clickrainger.com and stop or just stop by. Look who's joined us. It's Mike Florio, the creator and editor in chief of Pro Football Talk.
You can see his programs throughout the day on Peacock, which you can stream right here on the Roku portal. Mike, I will give you the floor on the two stories that are burning up the Internet at present starting with our colleagues at the athletic and what they reported is happening within the Jets front offices. Are you hearing the same thing that the Jets are making roster moves based on Madden ratings?
Mike? Well, that's a new one. Now, some of this stuff, it's funny, once it's out there, then you hear bits and pieces related to it like this idea that the trade for Jerry Jeudy was nixed based upon his low Madden rating. I'm not sure the coaching staff was given that information based on some of the things I'm hearing like there may have been a firewall in the organization like we really can't.
We really can't tell them this is the reason because there were people in the coaching staff that wanted Jerry Jeudy on the team and to have it fall apart because his Madden rating wasn't high enough is it's so ludicrous. And I say this I say this with one caveat. I don't want to get sued over this. And I think we're entering an era where people of power and money and influence are going to start suing people who say things they don't like.
We've already seen it start. And so don't sue me. I didn't report this, but it's so ridiculous on its face. How can it not be true? Like you couldn't make it up. It's so ridiculous that an owner would be influenced by Madden ratings to say we better not trade for this guy.
That that is like you think you've seen it all. You think the rubber band has been stretched as far as it can be stretched with the dysfunctional jets and they find a way to stretch it even farther. So let's I guess spin it forward then because if you are a prospective head coach and obviously the Jets are one of the 32 in the NFL and have an opportunity to make somebody a head coach in the NFL and that's very difficult to pass up. And you know I even think you know because the Bears are thrown out there as the most attractive job, the Jets have a high draft choice, they've got stud players all over the place, they've got a front office that's ready to be filled as well.
You know head coaches want to have that. That's why I was saying Belichick should even kick the tires on the Jets even though you know he kind of hates the organization. But so where does that leave the Jets as they're trying to find, where are the Jets right now trying to find people who will fill these roles, Mike? This is horrible timing. I look at it this way and every year there's a job or two like this, Rich, where if the final candidate that the team wants has any other option, that candidate should take the other job. Now you're always going to find someone who will convince himself hey you know my ship has come in, this might be the only chance I have, I'm good enough to overcome the dysfunction whatever it might be. I mean Dave Canales took the job in Carolina last year that I don't think anybody wanted but where else am I going to get a chance to be an NFL head coach and let's see if we can make this work.
So somebody will take it. But you think Ben Johnson is going to take that job? Do you think the top GM candidates whoever they might end up being are going to flock to be the Jets GM? And that's why I only say this somewhat jokingly about you know one of these owners is eventually going to sue a media outlet because this does do damage to the effort to try to find a GM and a coach because it makes Woody Johnson look like an idiot. And do you want to work for an idiot if you think he is fueled by this report from the athletic?
So it comes at a horrible time as Mike Tannenbaum with the 33rd team is trying to you know serve up a menu of candidates for this job. You might want to turn around and run or you're going to negotiate assurances in your contract that would insulate you from Woody Johnson or brick and jack the new frickin' frack. And here's the thing. Here's the thing. One of them is eventually going to run the team unless Woody sells it.
So get ready Jets fans. You get another generation of potential incompetence although I will give them a break. They're teenagers.
Maybe they'll grow into competent executives who would know not to listen to a teenager when the time comes to make decisions. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk here on the Rich Eisen Show. You're reporting on what happened in Atlanta for them to turn the page to a rookie in week 16. I mean it's unprecedented what we're seeing Mike. The way that that Penix was drafted and now the way that he's now elevated to the starters role. I've never seen anything like this in the 22 plus I've been with NFL Network.
And Rich here's here's the key. Michael Penix doesn't have to hit his ceiling whatever it might be once he has the opportunity to be the starter wire to wire from the offseason program through training camp etc. All he's got to be is a little bit better than Kirk Cousins for this to work. And Kirk Cousins has been so bad the last five games. One touchdown pass, nine interceptions. We had a reel today on PFT Live of all of the interceptions one after another. They were bad. I mean this wasn't some Herculean effort by the defensive back to track the ball. These are all bad throws, bad decisions. And I think it's as simple as this.
And I've talked to several different people about it just to make sure that I'm not barking up the wrong tree as I often do. The Achilles tendon injury, the rehab process. When you look earlier in the season there was so much effort from the rest of his body to muster the velocity on a throw, arm, other leg, torso, core. You're not getting the same launch from your lower body on the side where you're not pushing off the way that you ordinarily would, that right side where the Achilles tendon popped. You get to a point where your body can only take so much of all of the extra force. The compensation, the overcompensation elsewhere to make up for the protection of the injured area.
I think it's that simple. And at some point after the win over the Cowboys where he had four touchdown passes and no picks and the Falcons were six and three and everything was looking great, Father Time caught up with him. Father Time fueled by this overcompensation for the Achilles tendon injury. And the difference between him and Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Rodgers with that same injury, he doesn't need to muster the power from his lower body. He can flick his wrist and throw it 40 yards.
Cousins needs to harness the power from his toes all the way up to his fingertips to get the ball out. And when you take away his base, it's got to come from somewhere else. So it's gone.
And the question now is, Rich, will it ever come back? That's to be determined. You know, it's kind of crazy, Mike, if you had said to me leaving Detroit on draft weekend, OK, that you're starting rookie quarterbacks this year would be the top three. I'd be like, makes sense that any of the next three of the first round drafted quarterbacks, two of the three would start. I'd be like, OK, I got that.
Spencer Rattler would get a start. I'd be, OK, now you've got me intrigued here. And then you'd say that McCarthy would be the one that doesn't get the start because of a knee injury. Obviously, I'd be crestfallen as a Michigan guy to hear that. But then hear the fact that of all of them to potentially not start the next year, it would be McCarthy because Sam Darnold has the Vikings at 12 and two entering week 16.
I would then be what are you talking about? But that is a distinct possibility now, wouldn't you say? Oh, it is.
Mike, it is. Now, look, there are a lot of teams out there that are going to throw market value at Sam Darnold, if any. There's five or six teams are going to be looking for starting quarterbacks. And I think other teams will look at Darnold's performance this year and ask themselves how much of that is Kevin O'Connell and can this year be duplicated in another city? Again, some coach, some GM, some owner will fool themselves into thinking they can do it. And they'll probably offer to overpay Sam Darnold when it's all said and done.
A lot depends upon how far the Vikings go in the postseason. But but, you know, Rich, hey, even though Darnold has been there, done that with the Jets, I mean, Darnold's Madden rating seventy nine and 77 look at you know how Kirk Cousins is 78. Look at Geno Smith is 80. Look at you. Aaron. Sorry, Aaron.
We'd love to have you back. But that's 77. Doesn't get it done here. Look at you.
Look at you. But in all seriousness, though, I mean, I mean, the Giants and the Raiders are going to draft one. I mean, they're not. We all know that even if we're thinking that should do or Cam Ward, anybody who says, well, I mean, are they first second overall pick in the draft worthy? Well, yes, they are based on their skill set in college and how the teams were quarterback needier drafting there. They don't want to draft there again. I don't know where, you know, also the Jets, would Darnold even countenance going back there?
I can't I can't imagine you want to do that. Right. So I mean, Tennessee, the Titans, the Titans, you know, right where we're obviously Sam Darnold coming from the Shanahan, Kevin O'Connell world, Brian Callahan would be from that tree as well.
That wouldn't be a that wouldn't be a bad spot there. But also the Vikings. Do you think they're sitting there? And, you know, obviously this is they still have a lot of miles to go this year with Sam. Do you think that there will be a conversation when it is all said and done that that they they Jordan love McCarthy or or or what?
What do you think, Mike? Well, I think the Vikings are likely to do the same thing they did with Kirk Cousins, and they may not even go as far as they did with Kirk Cousins. They had a number that they were willing to pay Kirk Cousins. And their attitude was, if you can get better out there elsewhere, go do it. It might be that they don't even negotiate with Darnold and say, look, thank you for everything you've done for us.
It was a great year. We understand that you're likely going to get far more elsewhere than we can afford to pay you, given that we're planning to pivot to J.J. McCarthy. But if you don't find what you're looking for, we'd be happy to consider a situation where you would compete with J.J. McCarthy. And maybe Darnold goes out, you know, you got to figure that out on your own. If you love something, set it free. He goes out and he figures out that, yeah, I really don't want I don't want to go to the Jets. I really don't want to go to the Giants. Tennessee. OK, maybe. But they didn't offer me what I really want. You know, I'll just go back to Minnesota and I'll compete with J.J. McCarthy and I'm confident that I'll still start and I'll get better and better and better and maybe pursue a championship.
I don't know. I think the Vikings only play, though, is I think it would be it would be stunning if they do a long term commitment with something between 50 and 80 percent of full market value when they haven't even seen what J.J. McCarthy can do. But a lot of it depends on how this goes from here. You know, I got a weird feeling they're going to end up with the number one seed as this scrum settles over the next few weeks, whether or not that becomes a Super Bowl berth TBD. But there's still three chapters left in the regular season book and then three or four in the postseason. But, you know, it might it might go so well this year that in order to placate the fan base, they have to scrap their plan and find a way to keep Darnold around. I mean, it's been amazing. I mean, Kevin O'Connell told Donald, make the decision tough, right? You go and make your opportunity like Baker did in Tampa. And look what he's done, honestly, well-deserved kudos and flowers for everybody in Minnesota and the organization and the coaching staff and in that quarterback room.
It really has been something else. Before I let you go, tell me about your e-book. We were talking about it to our Roku audience.
I now have my radio audience here as well. Father of mine, your e-book just in time for the holidays is going to be what, Mike, what are you doing here? It is available next Tuesday, the 24th of December and Wednesday, the 25th for the low price of free. You can get it at Amazon, the e-book only, not the actual book.
The e-book will be free for two days only. It's a thank you to all the folks who spend more time than they should, especially while at work, checking out the things we offer at pro football talk dot com. We've been doing it 23 years. We've had many loyal viewers, readers over the years. So this is just a small gesture with an ulterior motive. I'm confident if you read Father of Mine, you'll be motivated to purchase Son of Mine.
And if not, oh, well, it doesn't cost me anything to give it away for free. Good for you, man. Well done, Mike Florio. I appreciate the time here before I do let you go on with the rest of your Thursday.
Last time you were here, you were just opining. Why wouldn't a team looking for the next head coach for their team as opposed to going into the free agent market or going ahead and giving somebody who's currently employed somewhere else an opportunity to rise from the coordinator position and be in HD for the first time? Why don't you just go ahead and offer draft choices for an established guy? And you threw out a couple of names, including Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. Then Kyle was asked about it.
I think I heard Troy Aikman even throw that one out there on Monday Night Football. Look at you, Mike. Look at. Well, it's so funny. Look at you.
And look, it's it's I mean, this isn't, you know, any big discovery. We always see teams go back to the same three categories. Coordinator who's never been a head coach before fired former head coach, college coach. And this other avenue that rarely gets pursued, a guy who's currently coaching another team. Make a phone call and see what happens. And yet after we talk about it, the the fire started, it kind of went out some when John Lynch, the GM of the 49ers, said it's rather comical to have that discussion, although it wouldn't be your call, John.
It's another guy whose name starts with J that makes that decision, not you. And then when Kyle Shanahan reaffirmed his commitment to the 49ers, it went away. Troy Aikman revived it on Monday night. There's been some discussion. Yes, there has, Troy. Oh, yes, there has. Yes, there has. There has been some discussion. I think the other J guy you're referring to wouldn't wouldn't let that happen.
I think the other J guy kind of likes the Kyle guy in question, right? You never know. This guy almost traded Jim Harbaugh after three straight NFC championship appearances and a Super Bowl wedged in between them. Yes, he almost traded Jim Harbaugh to the Browns in early 2014. So you never know.
Dysfunction knows no bounds and reasonable minds cannot always predict with accuracy the behavior of the irrational. You make the call. Hey, and I feel more strongly about making the call to Miami. If the Bears are interested in Mike McDaniel could be given Stephen Ross a lifeline out of that extension that he possibly regrets giving him because it feels like the Dolphins are bumping against the ceiling that they're not going to bust through anytime soon. So just spot this the places where you think the coach might be available. Make the phone call.
The worst they can do is laugh at you and hang up. That's Mike Florio with his ninety nine rating back here on The Rich Eisen Show. Thanks for the time, brother. Thanks, pal.
Happy holidays, everybody. You got it. That's Mike Florio here on The Rich Eisen Show. Giving us a little bit more food for thought going out the door. By the way, I think that again, the J he's referring to is Jed York, right? Of course, based on the way things ended in San Francisco.
Had the Browns made a deal for Jim Harbaugh, I think he might have arranged for the car to the airport, but I'm glad the only Ohio stent for Jim wound up being on the sideline of the Maison Bleu after a rocky start. Finish strong. That's all I'm saying about that.
OK, OK, four, four, two or four rich number to dial here on this program. I can't believe these are the stories we're talking about today. But that's the National Football League for you. College football playoffs.
Spencer Danielson, the head coach of Boise State on his bye week, will join us. This episode is brought to you by lifelock. The holidays mean more travel, more shopping, more time online and more personal info in places that could expose you to identity theft. That's why lifelock monitors millions of data points every second.
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I think that means we're done for the year. I love this bunny. He's the hardest working helper the North Pole has ever seen. And he wants all your gifts to have the power of the number one, longest lasting double A battery.
So this holiday season, stock up on Santa's and the elves favorite battery Energizer Ultimate Lithium. Well, I mean, and that's why I'm wondering why you would go by the name of Matty Ice, Matt. That's why I'm what I mean, that's a beer infused nickname and it doesn't fit anymore. Would you agree it doesn't fit anymore, Matt?
Are you the natural coming back or are we making a push for the natural here? No, I'm well, I'm pointing out that certain nickname that you've had for a long time. Just just I like beer.
I just grew up there. I do like beer. Right.
So when it comes to it, though, you just you're not you're not slamming them back, right? Is what you're saying? No, I guess I'm drinking responsibly.
OK. Something that would be a natural light of some sort, man. How are you? What are you drinking?
What are you drinking? It's been a long time. See, you keep making my point. Why won't you take the natural from me? Just why won't you do it? I mean, how many times do I have to ask?
How many times do I have to ask? Nobody else wants it. Are you aware I offered it to Stafford, your buddy? Is that right?
Yes. He didn't take it either. Well, I mean, he.
That's a no, Matt. Excuse me, I gave him full disclosure that it was a retread and that you had rejected it. Because I know you guys talk. I know you guys. You guys are tight, right? He forgot to mention it to me the last time I saw him.
I can't believe that wasn't top of mind for him. OK, so just just on behalf of all my loved ones who are cringing right now, just tell me to move on, Matt, and I'll move on. Just tell me to move on. You got to move on. You got to move on. I love you, but you got to move on. Thank you, Matt.
Thank you so much. Even if I gave you a T-shirt or anything? All right, Matt, I can take a hint after nine years or so.
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Get your free quote at tryethos.com. That's T-R-Y-E-T-H-O-S dot com. Again, so much made about this rookie quarterback class. Revisited again by the fact that Michael Penix Jr. will be the sixth starting quarterback from the rookie class this season. J.J. McCarthy, the only first rounder not to be a starter because he hurt his knee in the preseason and has been out the entire year.
Spencer Rattler being the sixth and he was the fifth round draft choice by New Orleans and again, six were chosen in the first twelve picks of the draft and then none all the way until Rattler. It was just wild. It was weird. It was.
From jump. What a draft. And again, so much made about Caleb Williams and his trials and tribulations more than his successes going from four and two to now having an eight game losing streak. The last first overall drafted quarterback to have that many losses in his first season in a row, Troy Aikman, who is, you know, quite eloquent during the game on Monday night about Caleb Williams and his issues. Jayden Daniels, much made of him, Drake May, right? We'll talk about Penix shortly, but out of all of them, who is the one who can clinch a playoff spot first and do it tonight?
His name is Bonex. And if he does it tonight for the Broncos on Thursday Night Football on Prime Video, which you can see right here on Roku, and he does it at the expense of the Los Angeles Chargers or he does it at all in the next two weeks, but tonight they have a win in scenario. He would make history because if he does it, the Broncos eight season long playoff drought would be over their last time they made the playoffs was Super Bowl 50 season in 2015. It's the longest playoff drought after a Super Bowl win all time. And Knicks, should he end it, that eight season playoff drought will be the longest in NFL history snapped by a team with a rookie as its leader in passing yards. The longest such streak in the history of the NFL was a seven season long playoff drought by the Cleveland Rams from 1937 to 1944.
Future Hall of Famer Bob Waterfield led the team to a 1945 championship run. The longest streak in a Super Bowl era was a four season long streak of a playoff drought snapped by rookie Robert Griffin III in Washington in 2011. That's what Bo Nix can do tonight. And he leads all rookies with 20 touchdown passes. The record holder in that regard is the guy he's trying to go point for point for against tonight.
Justin Herbert had 31 in the COVID year of 2020. The record though, the record held by somebody who then made the playoffs as a rookie quarterback is the guy he replaced Russell Wilson and a guy whose departure from Denver made it seem like the Broncos were A, without a clue and B, totally screwed because how are you going to draft a rookie and win in his first iteration of his contract when you're paying the position franchise money because Russell's on the cap over the next two years spread out the largest dead cap charge in history. And look who has a chance to clinch a playoff spot tonight. The Denver Broncos with Bo Nix.
How about them apples? It's not just Bo Nix obviously, or the coach that defense is sick. Nick Bonito is a bonafide defensive player of the year candidate few people are talking about.
Yep. That's all he does is pick six people, whether it's the quarterback or Josh Downs, as he did last week, he's really good. And it's all coordinated by Vance Joseph, who is a rarity in the business as well saying, I will be a coordinator for the franchise that fired me as a head coach. It's all working for the Broncos and if it works tonight, they are punching their ticket to the playoffs. That's at what stake this evening. Right here on the Roku portal, two of the top three defensive play of the year, uh, by odds, rich our Broncos, Patrick Sertan, as well, 10 a second in odds and Nick Bonito's third behind TJ watt.
Okay. The Denver Broncos tonight. And then if the chargers lose, I mean, it's still, I mean, there's a, a trio of six and eight teams that they would need a lot of help would need some help. One of them is Cincinnati. The good news is that the chargers beat Cincinnati recently for them. And the dolphins are home against San Francisco and uh, you know, the Colts Denver's beaten, but I mean, the Colts do have a winnable schedule for the rest of the way home for Tennessee at the giant's home for Jacksonville. So Cincinnati though, I mean, they would need, they would, I think they'd need LA to just lose out.
Yeah, correct. I just don't see that one coming. The first game of the triple header next Saturday is at new England, but new England, uh, shocked everybody beating the bears in Chicago, despite how poorly the bears have played going into that game and since, and then they shocked Cincinnati in week one. So you never know with them, man, but tonight, tonight, the chargers could essentially and everything. They do have a playoff clinching scenario.
They would need Miami and new Indianapolis to lose as well with a win by them tonight. Spencer Danielson of Boise state coming up. My world with Jeff Jarrett takes wrestling fans behind the scenes along with king of the mountain Conrad Thompson. I wanted to ask you about what you know, if anything on the new WWE ID program where they're apparently going to be working with some independent wrestlers, my encouragement to any independent wrestler out there, build your value and then understand your value and then you create your own leverage. There's no substitute for hard work and getting over my world with Jeff Jarrett, wherever you listen.
