We're bringing everything we got to this game. Intercepted, Kirby Joseph.
Purdy air mailed it. This is the Rich Eisen Show. We're going out to play and win this game. Intercepted by the Lions. Picked off by Kirby Joseph. That is a huge play by that Lions defense. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Touchdown Detroit Lions.
Jamir Gibbs breaks it for 30. Today's guests. Bucks running back. Bucky Irving. Fox Sports College Football Analyst. Bruce Feldman. Plus latest news and more. And now it's Rich Eisen.
That's right. Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show. We are live on the final day of 2024.
I am in the state of Utah. Decided to meet the fam on the final throws of their winter vacation. Since, you know, I was hanging out waiting for the Rams and the Cardinals to play last week. So I decided to get out of town and I meant it. I'm sitting right here, though, for the next three hours with you. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial. I am here and the rest of the guys are back in the Los Angeles studios.
Chris Brockman and TJ Jefferson and their spots. Good to see you, gents. How are you? It's all right. We're here.
You're there. Bless the Internet. God bless the Internet.
How would we have done this in 1977? This is real cool. Well, and I do want to say hello to DJ Mikey Diaz and he's not sitting in his position. Always good to see you, Mike Del Tufo.
And, you know, just want to set the stage. We're here for the next three hours. I'm here.
They're there. You're where you are watching on the Roku channel. Watching basically live streaming every day from 12 to 3 Eastern Time. If you're listening to us on our Rich Eisen Show radio network, we greatly appreciate it. Appreciate that Sirius XM Odyssey tune in and more. And we've got our guests, Bucky Irving of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are one home win against the New Orleans Saints away from making sure that they are in the playoffs and being the NFC South champs and clinching that playoff spot.
He's first up. And then we've got Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports in the Athletic joining us because he's not going to be on Wednesday. That's a big college football day, to say the least. There's a big game tonight in Arizona.
The Fiesta Bowls tonight between the Boise State and Penn State. That's all good in the hood. But outside of that, you know, I'm remote and I am hanging out with the fam.
And so I'm just giving everybody back in the Los Angeles studios a little bit of a heads up. There were dogs in this place. My children are around here. It's an active household.
So I have no idea what's going to happen. And it's particularly active. It's an active household. It's particularly active because right now, as I am talking to you, as we are doing this show, Michigan football is kicking off against Alabama and the Relia Quest Bowl in Tampa, Florida.
Look it up. I don't know what it is, but it's where my son Cooper is going to. We're going to put the I guess the reliable and reliant quest, whatever the hell it is in him. He's going to come in every now and then and give updates.
Oh, nice. I'm not watching this game. I'm doing the show.
Well, you're also three score dogs, Rich. So you probably don't want to watch. By the way, they were great. I think did they open for Janis Joplin? Yes.
Once in a time. Is that OK? Yes. Will you look that up? That's definitely correct. Michael Altamon. I think three score dogs.
And then it was and then it was Janis Joplin, I believe. OK, so that's we've set the stage right here on the program. So, OK, the Detroit Lions and the San Francisco 49ers. What a fun football game that was on Monday Night Football in Santa Clara. And once again, as we were talking yesterday, the proverbial nothing left to play, just playing for pride. And a very prideful bunch in the defending NFC champs. They have basically one more month to say that they're defending NFC champs and somebody is going to go to the Super Bowl from this conference.
It's not going to be them. And the team that they prevented from going to the Super Bowl from that conference last year in that very building in the NFC championship game was coming into their house with a big fat Dan Campbell size chip on their shoulder. And the chip on their shoulder is nobody believes in them. They are playing that card. They are playing that card. Even with now 14 wins, they're going to be playing that card. Nobody believes in them because everybody believes they don't have enough players on defense to win the Super Bowl, let alone get there, let alone potentially even be the top seed in the conference, let alone even be the NFC North champs in their own division. People think that they're not going to be able to pull that off because in come the Minnesota Vikings next week and yada, yada, yada, the Lions put up 40 points. Anyway, they got just enough on defense.
Kirby Joseph with two interceptions, very key picks from that remaining healthy defensive player that you've heard of basically on Detroit. And guys, I think that is the formula here. This is the formula for the Detroit Lions is just get Jared Goff cooking, get Jamir Gibbs cooking, get the ball to all of their wide outs, have Ben Johnson get in his bag like a nice little hook and ladder from Amman, Ross, St. Brown to Jamison Williams, get that stuff going and then get just enough of a defensive stop here and there and win basically 40 to 30.
That's basically what I think is their formula right now. And last night it worked. And to the point that I'm making here, it was the fifth game for the Lions this year.
Last night, fifth game for the Lions in which they've scored 40 or more points without a turnover. That's the key as well. They don't make the mistakes.
You make the mistakes. They don't give it away. They try and take it away with as many remaining players that we've heard of on defense doing it. The Lions are averaging 33.3 points per game that would set a new franchise record. And last night they set a new franchise record for wins in a season. But those five games that I mentioned of 40 or more points without a turnover, that is the most by any team in a single season in the history of the NFL. And the Lions have scored 40 or more points in six games this year that leads the NFL. One of those games, they actually did have a turnover.
So that doesn't count in this regard. They are doing exactly what they need to do and certainly doing it on the road, which is interesting that this team is 8-0 on the road now. And we're talking about how crucial it is for them to get that bye week and to get those games coming through Ford Field where all the fans are going crazy and things of that nature.
It's kind of crazy, guys. And then I'll just open the floor to you that this team is 8-0. It's the only team in the NFL that is undefeated on the road. And yet the home field advantage for them is considered crucial, I believe, in the fact that for everything that we've been talking about at the Lions this season, feeling destined, looking destined, having Jared Goff, by the way, since his five interception game, everyone's wondering how he would bounce back from that five interception game that they still won in Houston.
How would he bounce back from that? Well, how does 19 touchdowns and one interception since that game sound to you? He is being the MVP quarterback that they need because, again, they need to win 40 to 30 right now, at least that's how it looks, and not turn it over and be efficient with the football.
Once again, he started nine for nine last night on a Monday Night Football game in which he went 18 for 18 in his last appearance there. But it's interesting that we're all talking about how important it is for this team to have home field advantage, but they're just as good as ever on the road. It's just that if they wind up on the road, if they wind up being that five seed going to, we assume, Tampa and then having to continue to play these games on the road, it would be maybe the toughest mental blow I've seen delivered to a team to have 14 wins and have everybody talking about how destined they are and having the MVP quarterback and having everything go through Detroit as everyone was assuming the entire year unless Philadelphia could catch them.
And it's the Vikings who have a chance to actually catch them. And then Detroit would not even win their division with 14 wins and go on the road. I know they're a mentally tough team. You can't be 8-0 on the road without being mentally tough. But that one, when you're thinking, we're going to get a bye, we're going to get everything going through our house in Detroit, we're only going to need to have to play two games to get to the Super Bowl.
No, no, pack your bags. You got to play three on the road to get there. Most likely three on the road. But doesn't it feel like that's the type of stuff that Dan Campbell would thrive on and he would be able to spin that into the ultimate positive like we saw from the Eagles a few years ago, the underdogs and the dog masks and all that. It feels like they were still the one seed, but they were still the one seed that year. And, you know, and they did play that card. And yeah, Campbell could play it.
I just find this is what I would just consider, you know, ironic. The reality of the situation is, is we've got a big, huge ass football game next week. And both teams are 14 win teams and both teams have a chance. You know, usually you don't want that last game of the year to be a game in which both teams have already clinched the playoffs.
But it is a huge difference between being the one seed and getting to the playoffs is the one seed and having everybody come through your house and winning the division or having to go on the road to start just the very next week. That's going to be huge. And to your point, Dan Campbell's already using it to his advantage and he is fired up for it. Check it out. This is what you're in it for, man. I mean, this is this is ultimately this is it. I mean, you couldn't you couldn't write a better scenario.
You couldn't come up with this. The fact that that both teams are sitting at 14 and two, and it's for the division and the one seed, it just doesn't get any better than this. Like this is just fairy tale stuff. And so I mean, it speaks for itself. Our guys are excited. I told you the hardest thing was not to overlook what we were getting ready to do today. And now that it's here, you know, we spend the next whatever, six hours on the plane, like just this is great, man. This is just it's as good as it gets. And and so we're looking forward to this.
It is as good as it gets. And it's just amazing. The Lions season long storyline arc, right, guys? It really is amazing how it started against the Rams, same team that they started their playoff journey against last year.
That game goes into overtime. They win that one, then they lose to the next week, to the Bucks, the team. But they bounced after they bounced the Rams in last year's playoffs, and then they lose that game. We're all wondering what type of team the Lions can be, and they rip off all those wins in a row only to get boat raced at home by the Buffalo Bills and get, you know, a big, huge blast of reality in their grill, not just in that game, but in all the games that they were winning, having one defensive player after another after another get IR'd from Aiden Hutchinson. You know, they're still hoping that Anzalone can come back just to name a couple.
And yet here we are. They're a 14 win team. They have the most wins in the history of this franchise in a single season. They are the best Detroit Lions team ever. You could make that case. And I know that there's a lot of folks out there.
Remember Bobby Lane, et cetera, et cetera. But they have a chance to be really special or have a what of Vikings acts just put right in their chest at the very end, like the Overlook Hotel. And it's just going to be on. But what we saw last night, essentially, just to wrap up the Lions conversation, what we saw last night is the reality. They're going to have to win by putting a ton of points on the board. They're going to have to get a defensive stop here and there.
They're going to have to get a little bit lucky. My guy from Michigan, Jake Moody, yet another shaky night kicking the football. If he had made all of his kicks, I think the 49ers would had a much better chance to win. They would have had more points than the Lions by the end of the game or by the end of regulation or as it was coming down to it. All that said, the Lions, that's the formula. Jared Goff playing on point. Jamere Gibbs doing his thing, Sonic doing his things, hopefully they get Knuckles back.
Ahmaan Raas, St. Brown doing his thing. The rest of those receivers doing their thing, the line doing their thing to protect. And then the defense is doing just enough. Will that be enough to win the NFC, let alone the Super Bowl?
What a question. It is awesome. And it is a great feature of the 2024 season. The 49ers, we're going to talk about them later on. Brock Purdy's potentially going into his contract year.
Next year would be his walk year, but could he go into his contract off season injured? What is going on with him and the 49ers? We will discuss that team later on.
It's an overreaction Monday on a Tuesday. Lots of college football going on. But let's take a break because I've been told Bucky Irving's going to join us early. The rookie sensation and the two of us have something in common. Guys, do you know what we have in common?
We're rooting for Oregon. Coming up tomorrow. Pick up or next day delivery restrictions apply. You met Lala Kent on Vanderpump Rules. Now Lala and her friends share everything on Give Them Lala. Bagel, everybody says I say that weird. It is ruined by a proposal story. How Jason proposed. And she was like, he brought in a bunch of bagels.
I was like, I have to stop. I will punch you in the throat. If you ever tell this story again and call it a bagel. Let me tell you. Now when I tell the story, I go, he went and got breakfast. There you go. Bagels.
Yeah. Watch what Lala is talking about on YouTube or search for Give Them Lala wherever you listen. Back here on The Rich Eisen Show on the Roku Sports Channel. Radio audience will rejoin in a second. And that's when we'll bring in Bucky Irving of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I spy out of my little eye to the left right here.
What's going on in the Roliah Quest Bowl? Come on over here, Cooper. My 13-year-old son. Here it comes. Here it goes. Yeah, great. I see. Great news. Gotta talk, dive in here.
There's Coop. So on the first drive for Alabama. You can lean in. It was fourth and four and Kalen DeBoer decided to go for it. Oh, where did he go for it from? Um, like from like the 40 for, I think Michigan.
Okay. Wink lit him up and they got the sack. Wink lit him up has been called guys. Right now we have the ball on the 45. Oh yeah. Davis Warren's on the plus side of the field right now. Yeah. And we're past field goal range now.
So let's go for Michigan so far. Thank you very much. That's Cooperizing Wink lit him up. Wink Martindale, a defensive coordinator for the university of Michigan.
Is the, uh, I can translate for you. Wink lit him up. You know, that's what Wink likes to do is like people. Of course, of course.
We're all fired at night, dude. If we, if we beat Ohio state and how about that? That would be surprising to say the least. Do you think the amount of joy? He takes. Oh my God. Honestly, field goal.
That'd be something right here. Field goal attempt for your guy, Zvada. Oh, is that right? You're, you're way ahead of us. Yeah, we're ahead.
45 yarder. Okay. Here we go. Snap is down. Kick is up. This guy's money. I don't even have to know.
This guy's right through the uprights. Okay. Doink doink. Get out of here.
I don't even need to see that. Very good. We got it going on. You're up early. How about that? Yeah. See, we got phones going off. I told you it's an active household here in my water. So, okay, very good.
All right. So we are back here on the rich eyes and show on Roku, back on the rich eyes and show radio network. I'm sitting at the rich eyes and show desk furnished by Grange with supplies and solutions for every industry. Granger has the right product for you.
Call clickgrange.com or just stop by. I would bring in this guest, but he didn't win me the rich eyes and show fantasy league. And it's inaugural season. Chris, do you want to do the honors since he put you into the championship circle? Chris, do you want to do that?
Absolutely. Joining us now, a member of Genital Uppercut. You know him from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is a fantasy football champion, none other than Bucky Irving. There you go, ladies and gentlemen, Bucky Irving. See, Bucky, you're letting one of my friends and colleagues talk smack, which normally I don't like, but congratulations, Bucky. Bet you didn't think that was going to be the open to this conversation, but I'm sure you've heard from a ton of people about fantasy football, right, Bucky?
Yeah, I mean, that's all I heard. They'd be like, oh, you carry my fantasy. You carry my fantasy. That's like, I appreciate you. I was like, man, I'm just out there having fun with the game, dog. Well, in terms of your ease with which it looks like you're going to be in the game, your ease with which it looks like you're playing, has this game slowed down for you in a way, Bucky? Oh, yeah, I pretty much just sound like coming from the combine training, then going to rookie mini camp, then going to OTAs and training camp. It could be pretty long, but once you just put your head down and grind down, also being thrown in there in the preseason, you know, once you first get to a level like you transfer in from college, from high school, going up to college, and then the NFL coming from college, and then it's just a big transition where the game pretty much start off pretty fast for you. But once you just take a deep breath and let it all just settle in and you tell yourself that it's football, things pretty much slow down for you and you just get to having fun with it. Then that running back room is filled with guys that want the football and can do a lot with it.
How is that adjustment? What was that like from the very beginning with Rashad White in there and the rest of the guys, Bucky? Well, I mean, I had came from a running back room where it was multiple guys that was being there that was pretty good. So we always had that mentality that we're going to play for one another. And when your number is called, you got to go out there and compete for your brother. So I think we still got that motto in this room where when your number is called, you just got to go out there and do your thing. When did you realize that your role was going to get expanded? Was it verbally expressed to you or you just started realizing you were in the game, getting the ball put in your gut by Baker Mayfield more and more?
No, I just pretty much, like I said, just go out there when my number is called. We pretty much got a rotation. Our coach do the rotation, but pretty much just being able to have them guys trust me with the ball in my hands. And when the ball in my hands, I just got to be able to make plays. What does Baker say to you? Walk me through what it's like talking and communicating with your quarterback. Well, like a regular play or just like communicating with him on a daily basis. On a daily basis.
Give me the daily basis. Man, Baker has our relationship have grown over the time. I mean, that's a guy like I always say, I love him to death.
We're getting pretty close here. I'll go over there and hang out with him, watch the games. But that's a guy that you want around, man, full of energy. He want to win football games. And then the type of guys that I want to be around, because I truly love the game and I don't take it for granted. Well, what do you what do you mean hanging out? Do you watch games? Is what you said you go to watch games together to go over his house, have dinner with him.
Yeah, we're getting pretty close. Okay. Do you bring something over or you don't? That's you just you just show up.
Well, we use the order of the door dies. I don't know how what are you ordering? What what is what?
Walk me through. I'd love to know what it's like to go over to Baker Mayfield's house and order in the food and watch last night. Last night we had some milkshakes. I had an Oreo milkshake. It was pretty good. My God, you're having Oreo milkshakes and having a thousand-yard rushing season. The hell are you made of, Bucky? What the hell got it those milkshakes enough from time to time. It's not everyday thing though.
That would put me on the shelf that that is for sure though. So when you were watching last night, I mean the Sunday night game where you were you watching with him a Sunday night game was pretty big for your team. Yeah, we was all watching and we was I was watching him.
I mean they had kicked that field goal and I end up walking out of the house and then I realized that that he had missed it and I ran back in the house. What is what? Say that again.
Walk me through that again. Watching the game together. We was watching the game together. We was watching the field goal and we pretty much thought that he nailed the field goal.
So I end up walking out of the house and then we realized that he missed it and I ran back into the house. You get what I'm saying? I do. I know now I get what you were saying. So are you are you one of those superstitious guys?
Are you superstitious? Is that what you're saying? You don't want to watch anything or you feel like you're? No, I didn't. I wasn't really watching until they was about to kick the field goal actually.
Okay, I see. And so now you guys have the the destiny to control back. You've got that back. What is what is the spirit around your team right now knowing your one home win away from a home game in a division title Bucky?
Well, I must say it's really just treating every game the same. We know it's a big game coming ahead. But long as we just have a great week of practice and then just go out there and execute on Sunday. I got Bucky Irving here from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. You are the first rookie in Tampa Bay history with a thousand yards in a season since the great Doug Martin there in 2012. And you lead all rookies in rushing yards right now. What what do you think of when you hear the Bucky?
Oh, I mean, it's a blessing, man. I always give credit to them guys up front. They do a fantastic job every week, giving me great looks and practice, opening the holes for me.
When I trust my track, good things happen, but I give all credit to my old line. What were your goals coming into the season? I'm not really a guy that set goals, man. I just want to be able to get on the field, take advantage of every opportunity that I get. And when I get my opportunity, I got to take advantage of it.
Okay. And so let me ask you this. Who are the people in your life that you lean on during the season? Like who's in the circle here? I pretty much it's pretty tight with my Uncle Jeff. He the one that introduced me to football when I was four years old. He took me into the front yard and made me go against my cousin that was probably like 10 years older than me, pretty much introduced me to the game. And I just lean on him because I know he was there when they all started.
So just being able to talk to him about ball, even when things are not going good, just being able to lean on him. And that's the guy that always been there for me whenever I needed him. Is this in Chicago?
Is this in Illinois? Your uncle? Yeah.
You're talking about? Okay. So, okay. So you're saying Uncle Jeff.
Did I get that right? That's who it is? Uncle Jeff? Okay.
So Uncle Jeff takes four-year-old Marquise. I don't know if you were Bucky yet. Were you Bucky yet? Yeah.
Okay. You were? You were Bucky at age four? You were Bucky? Yeah.
Okay. So he takes a four-year-old Bucky Irving and says, that's a 14-year-old, go beat him. Is that what you basically, is that what I'm saying? No, we used to have like a big field in the middle, in the front of our house and put me on this side. He put my cousin on this side and we was both laying on the ground.
They used to call it like Oklahoma. And then we both got up and then he made him like hit me hard to realize like, this, you sure this is what you want to do? And I was like, yeah, I mean, it was fun, but it kind of hurt it, but I ended up going back at him again when I got older though. Well, I mean, so that has helped you make you the Bucky Irving that you currently are, huh? Yeah.
After that, after that, I wasn't scared to go against nobody else after that. I imagine so. So a linebacker coming across the middle of the National Football League, it's nothing when you're going up against a 14-year-old cousin who's age four, Bucky Irving in an Oklahoma drill.
That is unbelievable, Bucky. So in the few minutes I have left with you here, how did you get to Oregon? You went from Minnesota to Oregon, right? That's correct?
Yeah. So I had entered the transfer portal in 2021. I was originally about to go to USC. I had took a visit up to USC and then Coach Atlanta had called me, but I didn't tell him I was up at USC because like, I didn't want him to know I was up there, but somebody had took a picture of me and sent it to him, showing him that I was up at USC. And then he had called me and was like, yo, we got to get you up out of LA. And then I was about to go visit Tennessee, Washington, and then Oregon. So Oregon was going to be my last visit, but they had ended up finding out I was at USC and then moved my visit up to the next week after I left USC. And then I went on a visit to Oregon. And then when I got there, it was just like, the people, it was like, it felt like home and it was like a no brainer. And I just committed on the spot.
On the spot. Did you ever meet with Phil Knight? You ever meet him? Oh yeah, I met Phil Knight.
Okay. What's that like meeting with Phil Knight, Bucky? I mean, it was great.
I mean, I used to always see him like just around the Nike things and things like that, but just being able to put our eyes with a face and being able to meet him, it was a pleasure. You're going to win the Rose Bowl tomorrow, Bucky? Is that what's going to happen? What's happening tomorrow? Man, them ducks coming to play, man.
I don't want to talk too soon, though. We're just going to go out there and play hard-nosed Oregon football. You know, I'm a Michigan guy, right, Bucky?
I know I seen you over there cheering for me. I know you don't like Ohio State, so you must be an Oregon guy tomorrow. What do I need to do?
Bring me up to speed. How do I root for Oregon? What do I need to do? Do I need to quack? What do I have to do? Do I have to wear green? Walk me through tomorrow, Bucky. How do I help you?
You don't have to do none of that, man. You just got to sit back and watch a great game of football. They're going to get the job done, I promise you. Tell me about the quarterback. What makes him so good? Dylan Gabriel.
Yeah, yeah. What do you think about him? I mean, that's the guy that came in and had to fill some big shoes from Bo Nix leaving. But that's the guy that's been there to get it done with his legs, been there to run, been there to throw the ball down the field to his dynamic receivers that he got. You got Evan Stewart, Tre'Shawn, Taz Johnson, Gary. I mean, he got a lot of playmakers.
He got his great offensive line that I had last year. Them guys, I mean, they got it all around, man. They just got to keep their head down. Don't get satisfied.
Don't get comfortable and keep their foot on the gas. And I'm sure you're not surprised at how well Bo Nix is playing for the Broncos, right, Bucky? I imagine. Tell me about him. What makes him tick?
What makes him so good, Bucky? I mean, that's a smart guy, smart guy. That's a guy that loves football also. And that's a guy that want to win games.
Like I said, them the type of guys that I love to have in my circle because they truly care about the game and them guys that I go to war with any day of the week. OK, I'm rooting for you tomorrow. Big time. I'm not going to lie.
I mean, I'm a spiteful man, even though Michigan's beaten Ohio State four straight times. I'd like to see you happy, Bucky, since you were kind enough to zoom into this show and tell some great stories for me and for all my viewers and listeners. I appreciate it. Tell Baker I said I said hello.
Then I send my best. And I guess, you know, are you going to hang out Saturday night, night before the game, watch some of those games? Or when's the next hang out with Baker? Is that on the books? Yeah, I'll probably go.
I'll probably go over Saturday and hang out with him. OK, let me just let me bring bring something for the kid, you know, bring something for the little baby. You know what I mean? Like that, that just, you know, I don't know what it is. Just, you know, just a couple bucks.
Just a couple of bucks, you know what I mean? Like, certainly, I assume he's picking up the he's picking up the food, right? Right. Oh, yeah.
Like I told you, we usually order out and had a food delivery. So I love it. Bucky, you take care of yourself, man. Thanks for the time. Great to meet you and good luck against the Saints and beyond.
If you are so fortunate. Thanks for having me on. Appreciate it.
You got it. That is Bucky Irving, everybody right here on the Rich Eisen Show. Love, sir. Love that dude.
Shattin' with the rookies. Man, I got Bucky Irving in two teams. He's going to be a keeper next year for me. That dude is a beast.
Man. And I think a lot of people overlooked him too, Rich. You know, he's a fourth round running back.
He was down in the 120s. And I think that matters to people when they look at who's kind of to watch for coming into the season. And he's behind Rashad White and that offense to start the year. You don't know what his role is going to be, but you could see every time he touches the ball, TJ and you and I have talked about this. That dude is electric. Every time he touches the ball, you can't bring him down.
Yeah. And you know me, I hate giving you props on something, but you were on the Bucky Irving. You were on his bandwagon literally from week one of the season because I had White Rashad White, you had Bucky and you were hyping him up to me all year. So you deserve to win the league because you rode the coattails. No, he doesn't stop. Dude average 20 points a game in the playoffs.
Guy was a beast. He does not deserve to win the league. What's the matter with you, TJ? I understand you're trying to be classy. You're trying to be classy. I didn't mean it.
I don't know. Please take that back. Take that back. He was Bucky. Bucky was his guy, man. I came from first of all, either of you guys have an uncle that put you through an Oklahoma drill at age four.
That was the craziest. I was like, and when he was like, yeah, but 10 years old or my cousin, I'm like, what guys? Both of my uncles used to just Oklahoma drill though. Not necessarily Oklahoma drill, but they were very physical with me growing up because they didn't want me to be quote unquote soft as a kid because I was always with my aunt.
I was always around women. So they were like, oh, we got to toughen him up. So bro, my two uncles, you take me in the backyard, bro.
And just brutal. Oh my gosh. Hold on a minute.
While everybody's getting thanked for credit and congratulations and this and that, and who was the first on that guy? Mike Hoskins just sent me a text. I'd forgotten about this.
I had Bucky Irving on my top five underrated players at the draft list. Nice. Good job.
I'd forgotten about that. Well done. I thought you were going to say Michigan just scored a touchdown, Rich. It's 13 nothing. Well, Cooper is just jumping up and down like crazy. Coop, you want to come over here?
My, my son, uh, Cooper eyes. Hold on a minute. Give, give, give the drop. Here we go. Here we go. Hold on a minute. Coop. Let me get sure you can hear everybody. Okay. Cooper, come on in.
Cooper, uh, Cooper Eisen. What was the update? What just happened in the rely quest bowl?
A lot has happened. So after the, the fourth down, Michigan would score a 45 yard field goal. Then the play after Alabama got the ball back, fumble recovered by Michigan. Then Michigan kicked a field goal. The next play, Milrose intercepted by Michigan and then, uh, eight yard touchdown, passing touchdown, which is being reviewed right now to Frederick Moore. So if it stands, oh, it did stand.
So it was 13 nothing. Ladies and gentlemen, Cooper Eisen delivering good news. It is exactly the sort of stuff I want to hear. Um, and, um, I, I love that boy.
Thank you for the update. Chris, uh, Brockman, your thoughts, you know, that's how people, you know, that's how people lose their job. Rich, you were placement. Just come over and I know, right. I got to say, well, it's a, I don't know if Coop has told you this, it is like a rainstorm at this game in Tampa. And so that's really affecting, uh, Alabama. The conditions, Michigan's still an underdog in this game, despite having a 13 point lead. So the money line was the place for what you're saying right now. That was the play before the game.
We could have had a nice little return there if this score holds. That's just so everyone understands. I was, uh, while we were preparing sacked scoop and an almost score Michigan to the five. Yeah.
So wait, you're ahead of me. So Coop is just, it's going to be great. This is going to be a lot of fun.
It's about to be 20 to nothing. Oh my word. This is unbelievable. No row is about to pull a cam ward and just be like, I'm done with this.
Oh my gosh. What is going on right here? This is hilarious that we're, we're alive on the rich eyes and show and Cooper's just about to go crazy.
Yep. Coop, look up, get off, get out of your phone. Look what just happened. This is what's happening.
Like 13 year olds and phones, dogs are barking. What the hell is happening around here? So let's take it. Actually, let's take a break because they do have a couple of thoughts on, on Bucky Irving and in the running back groups in the national football league, we're getting ready for more college football.
It's an overreaction Monday on a Tuesday. That was a blast talking with Bucky Irving. We'll take a break. We'll be back with more. Bruce Belvin is going to join us in the news. Phone calls eight four four two oh four, which numbered down. I got a recruiting story. You want to hear it?
Please saying hard boss crazy. So I'm recruiting right for Cal. Is that fire real?
It is definitely not real. So I'm, I'm, uh, it's a television set. I'm recruiting back in Minnesota and it's like January. All right. And it's snow and it's cold and everything like that.
The HC of Cal. So we're sitting around at a home visit, right? Family visit. Yeah. So the kids there, the mom and dad, little sisters are there. Grandparents are there and we're just kind of having hot chocolate, right? Yeah.
And so, um, it's kind of, you know, we're talking about let's go to Cal, you know, great school, the best in the world and all that stuff. Yes. And so when you sit there for several hours, sometimes the conversation's good and sometimes it drags. All right. So, so it started to drag and I was running out of things to say, if you can imagine that. Yeah, right. And so there, it was snowing out and it was cold and it was cool. It was just awesome being in there, you know? And there was a cat sitting over by the fireplace, right? Just like this fire.
Just like this fire when it was a real fire, Rich. Yeah. And it was a cat and it was all curled up and it looked so cozy. So awesome.
Yeah. And then conversation was dragging a little bit. I went, ah, wouldn't you just love to be that cat right now? And, and everybody looked at the cat and just as I, just as everybody looked, it rolled over and started licking himself all over the place. I didn't get that kid. All right, that cat just kind of screwed me over a little bit.
Well, I mean, it looked like it was screwing itself over cozy for a while. Oh man. I love which check out our entire 10 plus year history on our YouTube channel. We greatly appreciate it.
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And one of our most popular models with 0% APR and zero payments for 90 days only during the Hyundai getaway sales event offer ends January 2nd call 562-314-4603 for details. Back here on the rich eyes and show I'm sitting here in the state of Utah. The boys are back there in Los Angeles. We just chatted with Bucky Irving of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
And I need to be fair and balanced here. Cause you, as you all know, um, I, I am a caper for running backs and particular running backs, free agent, pushing 30 year old running backs. I will always Cape for them.
I will always be there for them. And this year, the free agent running back class, the greatest free agent running back class, perhaps ever when you've got the number one leading rusher in the national football league sitting on 2000 yards. And I think that's all he's going to get with Saquon Barkley, Derek Henry, who's going to be 30 years old this coming week. He has 1,783 yards. He is second on the list. Kyron Williams is third. Bijan Robinson is fourth with 20, uh, 1,299 and 1,286 rushing yards a piece. But right behind them is Josh Jacobs.
It's 1,285. It's only seven yards. Um, Sep, pardon me, only 14 yards separating Kyron and Josh Jacobs right there. So yes, you can pay running backs and get a return and not only return. You can get a playoff spot. You can get a division title. You can get a Superbowl. You can get an MVP candidate. You can get an offensive player of the year. And you can push back with me on the whole mindset that you shouldn't pay running backs, that you shouldn't pay running backs that are pushing 30.
The reason why some people push back on it and rightfully so is because of Bucky Irvin. You get him in the fourth round and he's got 1,000 yards rushing. And, um, and, and, and that's, that's why you don't pay running backs in a way.
It's it's, I've never seen a more cannibalistic, you know, approach from a position. It's not like one guy is pushing the other one out, but you know, the part of the reason why some top running backs don't get paid is because you can get production at the, in the fourth round, fifth round, sixth round. I understand it, but I still think that there is a premium for somebody like Barkley. Somebody like Derrick Henry, someone like Josh Jacobs, where they not only can provide the production, but they provide something else in the locker room and essence plugging directly into their style of play, plugging directly into their fan base. In the case of Saquon Barkley, you take him from your closest geographically closest rival.
There's something to it, but I did want to be fair and balanced right there. Yeah, I also think Rich too is a perfect storm for those guys. I mean, Saquon Barkley, we knew how explosive and how dynamic he was. And then he goes to the team with arguably the best offensive line in the league and a team that wanted to run the football first, really. So he was really set up for success. Same with Derrick Henry goes to the Ravens, a team that's run first with Lamar, the two way threat there. Who are you going to guard?
Who are you going to cover? And so he was set up for success and same thing with Josh Jacobs. So those guys were really, you know, they were in great spots. They landed in great spots and they were set up to have really good years if they stayed healthy. And they did.
So kudos to them. I don't know if this is going to be a trend moving forward with free agent running backs, but it really worked out for those three guys. And it's someone who did Cape so hard and does Cape so hard for the running backs. That's why I hope you can understand why I was so confused by your staunch push back against Saquon going after this rushing record, because what would kind of plant the flag more that the running back has value, that the running back is back to go out in a year where people are trying to say that they're not that important to have a guy go out and break the all-time single season rushing mark. I get the point about keeping them healthy, but I guess I was a little shocked. The fact that you wouldn't want him to do that to kind of solidify the fact that this running back position is. No, and two things.
First of all, I'm off. Derrick Henry is 30. He's going to be 31 on January 4th.
So this coming weekend, he is going to be 31 years old. But when it all comes down to it, these are two separate issues, whether somebody should be paid what they deserve. And certainly when you take a look at the value of the position, Josh Jacobs is a guy that the Green Bay Packers hand the ball to so many times in the first quarter, because it's a tone setter. It sets the tone for the entire team. It sets the tone for the defense. It sets the tone for the offense.
It sets the tone in spirit for the entire franchise when they do that. Derrick Henry, what he has done, certainly with Justice Hill now out, what was Justice Hill or somebody else, Zach Moss, if they had beaten the Bengals to the punch on Zach Moss, would the Ravens still be in a position that they're in? Could Joe Mixon have done what he's done in Houston for Baltimore?
Probably. I'm just trying to point out of where these teams are based on the guys that they got at the running back position compared to how the running backs are paid compared to wide receivers who are far more ball dependent than running backs and aren't guys that you turn to when you need to score in a four minute drill to win a football game or a championship or a division title. That's one thing. The other thing that I'm talking about with Saquon is you're trying to win a championship. Last thing you want is Saquon to be nursing some low, high ankle, something tweaked with this or that, a bruise here or there. You don't want to be dealing with that sort of stuff when he's already got 2,000 yards. You know, end of story, certainly because, you know, again, I guess it wouldn't matter if it meant that much to Saquon, but there would be an asterisk next to it.
I mean, the fact that the fact of the matter is, is Eric Dickerson did it in 16 games and this guy would have had an extra game to do it. That's, you know, that's why I said what I said about that front, TJ. But are you now, TJ, still of the belief that Derrick Henry wouldn't have been able to plus the Cowboys up significantly enough that you didn't, he wouldn't have been as good behind this line, seeing how this team is playing with Cooper Rush over the last six weeks, definitely improved this game. You know what I'm saying? Rico Dowdle has been rushing for over 100 yards every now and then.
What else was I going to say, Rich? The entire season just stunk. I had to have some argument. My only pushback was, look, he wouldn't have been as good with us. And I still don't believe he would have been as good with us as he was Baltimore. But look, I predicted Rico would get 1,000. He did. Would we have been better with Derrick Henry? Of course we would have, but I was hurt, Rich, and I'm still hurt. And I had no other argument.
I had no other argument, so I had to come up with something. Rico Dowdle, 1,007 yards. I called that.
But that also goes to your point, too, Rich, on the pushback. Nobody saw Chuba Hubbard getting 1,200. Nobody saw Rico Dowdle getting 1,000. Najee Harris was it. I mean, he wasn't even the number one guy coming in this year. It was all about Jalen Warren, and he got to 1,000 yards.
Joe Mixon, Chase Brown, James Cook, Alvin Kamara, they all could get 1,000 yards. It's just how you value them. If you want to value the superstars, go ahead and go for it. Pay these guys. You see that they paid off this year. If you want to kind of be a little more thrifty and find a Bucky Irving in the fourth round or a Rico Dowdle, that can also pay off for you.
It's just depending what your strategy is. Yeah. You know, and soon what we're going to have a conversation about is the value of having a running back in your quarterback as well. And if Mahomes keeps winning the championships, right? If he keeps winning these titles, and let's just say someone like Goff can actually beat him this year, right? Or Sam Darnold could beat him this year, or Jordan Love can beat him this year, then we'll have a conversation about, oh, well, it's great that Jayden Daniels is currently 20th in the rushing rankings right now, or Lamar Jackson currently 21st in the rushing rankings. That's all well and good to get yourself a division title. Is it enough to win in January? These are the conversations you're going to start to see now that we're seeing more and more kids coming out of college.
Well, I mean, obviously, Lamar's not a kid anymore. But the premium of, well, this is a quarterback who can use his legs, and what a backbreaker that was on third down, what a backbreaking touchdown run that was for Lamar against Houston, so on and so forth. But when it all comes down to it, how valuable is a running quarterback? Are we going to get there?
Is that what we're heading towards right now? And look, Brock Purdy, Patrick Mahomes, those guys aren't up at the top of the rushing for quarterback lists like Jayden Daniels or Lamar Jackson or even Josh Allen. But Patrick Mahomes does have 300 yards rushing this year. He can do it in spots on a third down, on a third and long. He can use his feet.
And that's kind of the mix and the balance there. You do need a running quarterback, I think, to win a Super Bowl now. But is it a guy that rushes for 800 yards, or do you want more of the Mahomes type, where it's 300, 400, but picks the spots? I'll take the Mahomes time. Rich, just one last thing to put the Saquon thing to bed.
I understand. But when you said about the asterisk and the games, just statistically, Saquon has 34 less carries on the season than Eric Dickerson had. So I think the argument about the games might get thrown out, because if he were to break it, he would do it in fewer carries. But I don't think Saquon's going to play. Okay, I don't think Saquon's going to play either. I don't think he should play. And I guess that that would be the conversation, is he would do it in fewer carries, but he would have fewer games, he would have more games in which to have done it. How many times did Jalen Hurts, was he tush pushed 34 times? You know what I'm saying?
I hear you, TJ. It's always going to be that way, even to this day, even to this very day, anytime OJ Simpson's name is mentioned in regards to statistics. 14 games.
Yes, exactly. 14 games. It still is to this day. That's the mark for me, honestly.
Honestly. And when we saw the NFL add an extra regular season game, you knew that that was going to be a conversation about records forevermore. And when they add an 18th one, really, it's going to skew things. But at least 16 is the mark, because it's been 16 for so long.
I'm just wondering, knock on wood, we live long enough, people will start forgetting that sort of thing. But when it comes down to it, the Philadelphia Eagles, certainly when you see the Lions now having to win games 40 to 30, the Eagles, if they have the defensive day, they can beat the Lions. They have enough firepower to go point for point with them, and they have a far better roster on the defensive side of things.
That is a fact right now. We will see if the Minnesota Vikings, they have the offense to go point for point with the Lions. They did that before. They just made the mistakes at the end of their game. The Lions did enough in the first time they faced one another. The Vikings have that opportunity on Sunday night to prove they have the defense that is much better than the Lions currently right now, and an offense to go point for point with that.
If you think the Rams are in that category or the Packers in that category, so on and so forth, I say all of that to wind up and finish with this. The Eagles cannot run the risk of messing with their offense that can go point for point with the Lions just so Saquon can record chase. End of story. That's why Nick Sirianni is there to be the adult. And I think Saquon deep down knows it. And again, if Sirianni sits there and feels the need that he needs some help in this regard, just tell Dom anytime I tell Saquon to get in the game, you pull me back.
It's that simple. That's the end of our number one right here. Bruce Feldman, college football, and so much more coming up. Rich, asking Nick Sirianni to be the adult.
I mean, that's pretty tough to ask. He's been adulting more, I think. I think he's been adulting more ever since he shaved his head. I think he's been adulting more. Have they lost since he shaved his head, by the way, too?
They just did to the Washington commanders before. No, they were undefeated before that. Yeah. Yeah, that master monster win streak.
Yeah, 16 nothing. It was like the sun's out, too. It doesn't look like it's raining. Your advantage might have gone away with the weather. Oh, yeah, baby.
First down, near me afield. So, Rich, you beat Ohio State and Alabama in the same season. To finish up, yes. To finish up, yes. You're going to be hard to deal with is what it was. Well, no, I think we should be put back into the college football playoff mix. There you go. Yeah, we should change things up and say sorry.
Whoever's got the bye week, you're out. Yeah, yeah. I don't know.
Strength of victory, right? Don't you think? Turn the machines back on.
Turn the machines back on. So, if somebody gets blown out, you could just take their spot and then come back in. Who says no? Everybody? Everybody.
Oh, my gosh. All right, fun first hour. I'm sitting in Utah.
The boys are sitting in Los Angeles. Bruce Feldman's coming up. We got phone calls. We got so much more to talk about from the draft order to what we saw last night from the San Francisco 49ers. I see those who are on hold. Stay on hold. The Rich Eisen Show will be back with our number two in just a matter of moments. I am just, it is cold in here, guys. I might have to, you know, get some cocoa in the break. Words I've never said before. My World with Jeff Jarrett. Wherever you listen.
