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One, two, three! This is the Rich Eisen Show. Next quick throw to Mims. Right side.
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Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Touchdown, Detroit Lions. Jameer with a boost from his offensive line. Touchdown, Caballé. Jaylen McMillan. Fifth game of the row.
Fire the cannons. Today's guests. Pro football Hall of Famer Kirk Warner. Plus, latest news and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Our number two of the Rich Eisen Show on the air. Live on the Infinity Sports Network for the first time. We're very excited to be back on terrestrial radio network style coast to coast. We say hello to everybody listening to us live through the Infinity Sports Network. You can also stream us using the Odyssey app, odyssey.com. There's Sirius XM Radio Channel 158. It's our new home there.
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And Amazon Prime. Prime Video, for instance, is going to have Steelers Ravens 3 on a super wild card weekend Saturday night. You can watch that on super wild card weekend. Thank you very much, Wile E. Coyote.
Appreciate that. On Saturday night. And it all does kick off between the Steelers and the, pardon me, the Chargers and the Texans. And the Steelers and the Ravens. And in terms of what's going on with the Steelers, with four straight losses, Kurt Warner is going to be joining us in the middle of this hour to give us his two cents on what happened to that offense.
And then we'll ask him which rookie has a better chance to win a wild, a super wild card weekend game on the road. That's also a subject matter that Chris Brockman and I chopped up on the Overreaction Monday podcast. That's right out there for everybody to take in because we recorded it before we went on the air here today.
844-204, Rich, is the number to dial. We'll get to your phone calls in a matter of moments as well. Listen, we just had a three year anniversary that I don't know if anybody was remarking. We didn't talk about it when we were on the air last Thursday on January 2nd. But it was January 2nd of 2022 in the final throws of the 2021 season where the Jets were hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and MetLife. How many people remember what happened that day about the final score?
Jets fell to 4 and 12, by the way, leading them to turn to Aaron Rodgers to save them. We all know what happened the next year, the year after that. But the reason why I bring it up is because it was on that day. Antonio Brown took off his uniform.
That was three years ago? And a topless Antonio Brown ran off the field three years ago last Thursday. He just left.
I'm out. And I have no idea what it is about dynamic wide receivers considered to be one of the best in the game choosing MetLife to sort of lose it. Because after the Miami Dolphins watched Aaron Rodgers turn back the clock on their defense and Snoop Huntley trying to win a second consecutive start to keep the Dolphins playoff hopes alive. Although all they had to do was look up at the scoreboard and see Bo Nix light up the Chiefs like the proverbial can of gas that they're really not getting the result they needed from Denver anyway. But be that as it may, Tyreek Hill took to the microphone after the game and basically quit the Miami Dolphins. A man who's known for throwing up the deuces on defenders that he is burning didn't do a lot of that this year at all.
And had this to say after losing to the Jets. As a captain, what is the message you have to these guys in the off-season if you don't feel this at the end of the season next week? I don't even know, bro.
You know, this is my first time I haven't been in the playoffs, man. So, I mean, for me, like I said, man, I just got to do what's best for me and my family. If that's here, that's wherever the case may be, man, I'm finna open that door for myself. I'm opening the door, like, I'm out, bro. You know, so it was great playing here, but, you know, at the end of the day, bro, I got to do what's best for, you know, for my career and, you know, what's best. Because I'm too much of a competitor to be, you know, just out there. Does that mean you're thinking about leaving here? If it is, hey.
Yeah, yeah. Before I give my two cents on it, Mike McDaniel went to the podium after that happened and was told about what Tyreek Hill had to say. You know, I think in regard to things that are stated, I guess it would be secondhand. For me, I hadn't heard that, but just in general, emotions are high, especially after a game like that. But, you know, I think, you know, there will be conversations that will be direct in the next, you know, couple days, which is kind of the process of the end of season meetings. You know, I'm not going to put, you know, too much weight on secondhand postgame disappointment statements and we'll see how, you know, the next couple days progress with those conversations with him and I. Only answer the coach could give, it's sort of a different version of that.
I got to look at the tape before I evaluate. Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah. But I mean, Tyreek Hill still blown off steam a couple hours later with his thumbs on the old X machine tweeted out, Love Fin Nation blessing y'all, open doors for the Hill family forever.
Nothing but respect and love. And then in terms of, you know, you think it might be unfair that I would equate him to Antonio Brown taking a shirt off, you know what I mean? Right.
Just if you think that's unfair in any way, shape or form, just take a look at Cheetah's header today. His new avatar is his head on the shirtless body of Antonio Brown in MetLife. OK, so he and I are kind of thinking about the same thing. I literally thought this when I saw that last night, two things. First, I'm like, what is with MetLife and receivers just sort of losing it? What is it about? What is it?
What is it about? I mean, what is what is going on in these brotherhood, New Jersey? What is it about New Jersey? Have you been in New Jersey?
Yeah, I mean, I grew up there. What is going on? You think and you think Tyreek last night was like doing some Photoshop like, all right, I got a good I got I got a good headshot of myself here.
I think that would look good. I will say this. The other thing I thought when I heard it is this has to be about money.
This one hundred percent has to be about money. I understand he didn't get a thousand yard season. I understand that they didn't make the playoffs the first time in his life. I get it.
I totally understand it. Because last year when he had seventeen hundred yards, almost eighteen hundred, seventeen ninety nine best in the league, he wound up being the first ranked player on the NFL Network Top 100 list as voted by Pierce as the number one player in football. And they got one and done last year in in Kansas City. And the two is better than Mahomes stuff is long gone. And I saw this team in Germany last year in the middle of their season and Tyreek Hill was hunky dory.
Now, obviously, as happy as he possibly could be in a 13 touchdown, seventeen hundred ninety nine yard season where he's eating. I get it. I understand that. But it's got to be about money. That's what I'm thinking. Did the Dolphins tell him he's not easy? Is he asked for another contract extension? Hasn't been told. I don't know.
I can't wait to get an information man or woman on this program to ask that question point blank. He's got a lot of cash next year. I know. But Justin Jefferson got the bag and Jamar Chase is going to get the bag. And I don't know what it is because it's just like, hey. You know, they gave a bag to Tua, who got concussed again, and now he got hit again with his hip, couldn't answer the bell.
What do you want? The team, by the way, damn near got the playoffs anyway after everything that did happen. And on top of it, too. You know, as he's trying to Jimmy Butler his way out of Miami, too, I guess. I don't know what's going on. What is going on in South Florida? What's going on in Miami? You know, he's trying to Jimmy Butler his way out. This is a team that gave up a one, two, four to six for him and then reset the receiver market for him. And one hundred and twenty million dollar contract for him and give a full throated rebuke of law enforcement after the way he was treated on the way into the building in week one in support of him. And they lose this game with their backup on the road in New York. Damn near making the playoffs and the entire team goes home and this is what he has to say afterwards?
If I'm a teammate, I'm sitting here thinking to myself, good riddance. Let's draft somebody just as fast and see if we can build him in the next Tyreek Hill that doesn't bring this onto our front doorstep. I know how talented he is.
Just as fast? That might be a problem. I don't know, dude. He'll be thirty one next year. He's owed twenty eight and a half million.
So. And Mike McDaniel has easily the biggest challenge of his young coaching career. Thankfully for him and Chris Greer, the general manager, they have a he has a patient boss, Stephen Ross, already sending out a release that they're safe.
They're not going anywhere. But Mike McDaniel first order of business is to find out what is going on there and try and how you salvage it. And he's he's not backing down. Tyreek put a photograph of him and his face on Antonio Brown's shirtless body.
And I'll just say this to Tyreek Hill, since he's been kind enough to call into the show every now and then. You don't want to start equating yourself. To this guy, you don't want to start putting your putting these two and two together for any other team that might want to acquire you.
And I know Brown found multiple places, including New England, for a brief bit to take him in. That's not a path I think you want to go down. But I saw that I thought to myself. It's got it's got to be like follow the money there has to be it's always about money. I don't know what it is. Money makes the world go round. And apparently, you know, he has a lot of mouths to feed. I don't know what is happening with him. Philip Rivers plan. I do not know what his situation is, other than the fact that that doesn't help anything or anybody. And is not is not if I was a teammate, I'm sitting here thinking, well, what's that about?
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Hyundai, there's joy in every journey. Craig and George, you're here on the Rich Isaac Show. What's up, Craig? Hey, Rich, how's it going?
What's on your mind, sir? Well, I'm a longtime Giants fan, man. Actually, I called a few years ago. I doubt you remember Daniel Jones' rookie year. OK. Everyone was calling Danny Dines and I called it and I said, let's just call him Daniel Jones.
I doubt you remember that. But, man, Brian Davis has got to be fired. He's a bad coach.
I'm sorry. I know everyone loves him. I know everyone mentions the coach of the year thing, but so is Matt Nagy. And players often love their coaches. But so many times over the last two years, I've seen just insane decisions on every level, whether it's the play calling issue last year. I don't know if you guys heard about that, but the New York Beat reporters reported every week he was changing who was calling plays.
It was either him, Kaska or Tierney, the quarterback coach. And then this year, just so many times, we didn't start running the ball with Thailand Tracy to the second half. Like the Bengals game, the first three drives, I think we ran the ball once. I think that at the end of the half, we'd run the ball nine times. And that was not a game that was a blowout. We were in that game. I don't see it. And as a longtime Giants fan, I'm sitting there going, I'm in Georgia.
Why would I pay $300 a year this upcoming year to watch this team, especially when the quarterback position is not going to get resolved? You just hit that now. Now you hit it, Craig.
Craig in Georgia, because I'll just quote John Mara today. Here's one of the many quotes he had to say. Quote, I think once you solve the quarterback issue, a lot of these other issues will improve. I have to agree with him there. And again, Daniel Jones, Daniel, again, we had Joel Klatt on this program the Friday after Daniel Jones was drafted. And he basically said the Giants just doomed their franchise. That's what he said. And for a burst here or there, Daniel Jones was doing it.
And then he did it in a major burst in a playoff game in a in a season in which Dayball was coach of the year. So, you know, it's still in there. And so the question is, is who would you rather have, right? Like you're going to go out and get another assistant that you've never seen do it before. You know, you're hoping Vrabel would come. I mean, like that that could be a way to go about it or or you stay the course.
And that was the question that that that that Mara and Tish had to answer. And you're exactly the fan that he's referring to is like, I know giant fans are going to like it. But yeah, I respect that. You know what I mean? I just I'm sorry.
No, no. Do you need it? Because I've got to throw to a break here. Do you need a hug before we go?
That's part of the Rich Eisen show, Rich Eisen consulting business. Do you need a quick bro hug? Just keep doing just keep doing what you're doing. OK. You guys are awesome. I love listening to you. Thank you so much. All right, Craig.
Thanks. See, Craig. Thanks, Craig.
Craig in Georgia didn't want to hug. I mean, he's like, I'm good. Those are those are.
World renowned. Yeah, I mean, we just again, it's just we don't linger. We just quickly embrace tap tapping and then we separate.
Usually works because. I will take a break. I'll be honest with you.
I'm a little a little. That's the first hug that's ever been refused. OK. Not everybody's a hugger. I guess. Yeah. Kurt, Kurt's a hugger. Kurt Warner, when we come back, what happened to to the Steelers offense? That's first up with Kurt.
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Limited availability only through participating Hyundai dealers in select markets. Excuse me, let me just hit RSPPS to the Fanatic Super Bowl 59 party. Okay, thank you. Hold on a second.
Wait, we didn't, Chris, you hitting me about that? What are the details on that? The details on that are TBD. Like, date?
Yeah, February 8th, 2025. The plus three situation? It says plus zero and it actually says tell your friends to beat it. That's odd. You're the worst. We didn't even beat her on the 8th anyway. How am I the worst?
You know, we get booted before the 8th. Well, because you're doing that thing. You're shaming us. Yeah. How am I shaming you? Like walking past. That's a you problem.
That's a wiping, not an empty one. Why would you bring it up? Why would you bring it up if you're the only one going? Excuse me, we talk about things that happen in our lives all the time.
Some people feed squirrels out of their hand that they've met outside of their apartment. Other people get invited to the fanatics party at the Super Bowl and RSVP, yes. Right, on air though? In front of everybody? Yeah, exactly.
But no, we talk about our stuff on the air all the time. Not like that. Not like that. That is wrong. That's wrong. That's wrong.
That's wrong. You don't want to go to a party. It's a problem if my BFF Michael Rubin says come, let's hang. Here's the problem, we're not going to be there. Like, we're going home the day before, right? So you can't make it. I'm going to be there. Well, we could be there if you would allow us to be there. But, you know, I'll go.
Rich, I'm staying. I'm with you on that problem and that was unnecessary. That was unnecessary.
How is that unnecessary? I'm just telling you. I received an email, it's a reminder, please RSVP. Oh, so you're just reading emails out loud? Yeah, let me read my emails in real quick. Hold on, let me read my emails.
Since that's what we're doing on the National Sports Show. I don't know if it's much of a content is what I'm, like what are you up to over there, Chris? What are you doing? Here's an email from Liz I got. I don't want to share.
I don't want to share because I might be rude and offend my friends. Yeah. That was rude. Yeah.
I agree. You know, whatever giveaway that is, I'll bring that back for you. No, don't want it. Nope. No, you do. Nope. Oh, you want it. Nope. Nope.
You know, I'm going to have to make some calls. Maybe I'll get that. Even if it's from your friend Mitchell or Ness, you don't want that? No, no, I don't want it.
Really? Nope, not anymore. No, I don't.
No, we don't. Too bad. 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 is the right product for you. Call clickgrainger.com or just stop by. If you're on hold at 844-204-RICH, number to dial right here on the Infinity Sports Network, Sirius XM Channel 158, or the Roku Sports Channel, or streaming us on Odyssey, please stay on hold. We'd appreciate it. Right now, joining me, my friend from NFL Game Day Morning and Westwood One Radio, where he calls only the biggest events, including the Monday Nighter of Super Wild Card Weekend. Super.
That's right. Hall of Fame great, Kurt Warner back here on the Rich Eisen Show. Kurt, Kurt, Kurt, would take us to the party up there. Hey, buddy. How are you? What's going on, Kurt?
How you doing? Kurt, can we come to the party with you? Yeah. Kurt, can we be your plus three? What were you guys arguing about?
I got into material land. What's the issue here? Gosh. Excuse me. He's rude, Kurt. That's real estate. It's valuable. All right.
I'm not going to gum up our real estate with your nonsense. I got invited to the Fanatics Super Bowl party, and I announced on the air that I was RSVPing Yes on live, and they got on live TV, and they got very excited. He's big dogging us, Kurt. Your buddies aren't excited for you? Thank you. No. You got invited to the party? No, absolutely not.
Did you get a chance to go? Not at all. No? No. We want to go, Kurt. You guys get to go with him? No. No, we don't. No, they do not.
And he was very happy to point that out, Kurt, that we don't get to go with him. Right. That was the problem. I got you. Okay. All right. I see both sides.
I see both sides. Chris is just upset because I seat shamed him from my first row seat about nine years ago on the plane. Yes. You know, I'd say he's still...
Right? He's sitting 1A, and you think you're better than that. Then Kurt, he tried to congratulate me on the Patriots win yesterday. Not happy about it.
Yeah, that's the first question. How great did Joe Milton look, Kurt? No. Okay.
That's just wrong, Rich. He looked good. He did, right? He actually looked good. He did look good. I really was.
You should be. He looked good. So let's dive into last night's game first, the final game of the regular season. The narrative, as you know, it's going to be that Sam Darnold regressed to some form of a mean despite having won 14 of his previous 16 starts. What did you see about what the Lions did that might have just been a one-off or anything that you saw Sam Darnold do that might concern you, Kurt? Well, I mean, I think the first problem we have is just putting this all on Sam Darnold is they got manhandled. The Vikings offensively, I mean, their receivers were locked down.
There wasn't a lot of separation. I wasn't a fan of some of the play calling, even though I think Kevin O'Connell always does a great job. But I think at times it fed into what the Lions were doing, playing press man and things they were doing in the red zone. But I mean, I thought it was just a great performance by the Detroit defense more than this was just an awful performance by Sam Darnold that was just missing guys all over the place.
I don't think that was the case. And so I looked at this as a Minnesota Vikings offense issue where they got dominated up front. They got dominated on the back end. You know, Sam didn't play great, but I don't think there was a lot of easy opportunities out there either that, you know, that most guys in the league or even the better quarterbacks in the league are going into that situation and having a great game with what Detroit did to him. So to me, I'm tipping my hat more to Detroit than I'm looking at Sam Darnold or the Minnesota Vikings and saying, oh, man, you know, you know, move on to next year because you guys aren't good enough.
I don't think that was the case. I mean, in two a man, all of us sitting on the set of NFL game day morning on Sunday, I even I even verbalized it point blank to you and Gerald and Mooch, like, hey, so is the narrative that the Lions are going to have to win every game 40 to 30 and make a defensive stop here or there? And they hold Vikings to the season low nine points using the guys that they have. And it's it's kind of scary for the rest of the NFC, I'd imagine, with what we saw on Sunday night.
Kurt? No doubt. I mean, I thought they won the trenches on both sides. And that to me is for defense is that's really where it starts, right? It doesn't really matter how good your back end is. If your front end can't win and can't win that battle, whether it's in the run game or even getting pressure on a quarterback, you're going to struggle on the back end. And that to me was what was so impressive is I thought the front of the Detroit Lions, you know, we've talked about injuries there.
And obviously Aiden Hutchinson, you're seeing him all that stuff. They dominated in the trenches on both sides of the ball. And that to me, when I look at the NFC, I say to myself, is the team that can do that is going to be the team, in my opinion, that's going to come out of the NFC. And so I think we look at Philly and we look at Detroit and say those are the two best teams in terms of controlling the line of scrimmage and then the explosiveness of the Lions on top of that. So, yeah, I think seeing that game, knowing, you know, kind of where Detroit is and watching them dominate the Vikings like they did.
I think you're right. I think everybody in the NFC is like, oh, we thought maybe they were going to be knocked back and we were going to be kind of in the mix. Lions to me are the team to beat right now because of the way they showed up physically and won that game last night. Is there anything that the Lions may have blueprinted for the Rams? You know, an interesting comment that a live mic picked up when the coaches met at midfield last night. You know, Torrico mentioned it and I'm sure the Rams will maybe bulletin board it a little bit saying, I'll see you in two weeks. You know what, two colleagues say one another is just a genial thing, I think, for Dan Campbell to say. But that said, is there anything that the Rams could utilize that the Lions did to blueprint it here?
What do you think? Well, I mean, I think if you look at their defense, you say to yourself, you can look at the scheme. I mean, the scheme is obviously the Rams have the guys up front that can win, can put pressure on a quarterback to do those things, I really liked their front seven. To me, the key in this game was, was the back end being able to physically attack the receivers of Minnesota, and, you know, not give them space and not let them run free in the secondary. And so the question becomes, do the Rams have the secondary players that can play man to man that can get physical with adjusted Jefferson and, and really mess up that timing to go along with the front being able to get after to Sam Darnold, I'm not sure where they have those guys. So it will be interesting to see what their plan is. But I thought Detroit, they've been a man team all year, so they've never shied away from it. They're confident in their man.
And that's what they did. They played a lot of man to man coverage, and they got up in their face, physically, you know, kind of manhandled those receivers. I'm not not sure the Rams can do that.
But you know, that's a blueprint, you know, to make it harder on Sam Darnold and not let Justin, Jefferson just have, you know, free reign with 10 or 15 yards of free space to be able to do what he does. It's just a matter of, and I talk about all the time, right, matchups become so important, come playoff time, and you know, do you have the right matchup against the opponent that you have to, you know, to go and do what you think you need to do to beat them. But let's also remember, Rams have already beat them, right? I mean, that was one of the things the Rams have already beat them this year, it's one of the teams that that beat Minnesota. So I don't think they're afraid of this team by any means. Yeah, they're the only team to hand Minnesota a road loss and that interestingly enough came five days after the Lions beat the Vikings for the first time. And now here comes Minnesota to Los Angeles after losing to the Lions once again, we'll see what happens.
Kurt Warner calling that game on Westwood one with Kevin Harlan, I'll be I'll be doing the studio thing for you as well, Kurt, hopefully from the booth, I think we're gonna work that one out. Oh, good. It's so fun. That's a good one. No doubt about it. And let's talk about some of the other super wild card weekend matchups. Let's start with the Steelers, the third team in NFL history to come into the playoffs on a four game losing streak. What are you seeing out of this offense and where the previous offense has disappeared from?
What, what can you say about it? Well, I think the biggest thing is so, you know, we can go all the way back for me is, you know, watching Russell Wilson play in Seattle and how great he was in Seattle, moving to Denver and having to become or I think he wanted to become and I think Denver wanted him to become more of a drop back passer, see the field dissected defense, get the ball out on time. I think what we saw in that experiment is that that's not who Russell Wilson is.
That's not his strength. So okay, now he goes to Pittsburgh and for a while it looks really, really good in Pittsburgh. But if you go back and dissect what he was doing most of the time offensively in Pittsburgh when they were having success, it was more about checkdowns and big plays, checkdowns and big plays. And so the key for their offense is about getting those big plays. Now they went through a stretch here without George Pickens, who's their biggest playmaker down the field. But I think when you see this offense without those big plays, that's what we've seen over the last four weeks. We've seen a team that struggles to move the football. You know, if you can really pin your ears back and go after the run game, and you say who's going to beat us on the outside, how are you going to beat us on the outside? Because Russell's forte is not, oh, let's just have a really good intermediate passing game.
And we'll just boom, boom, boom, and I'll pick you apart and I'll see what that's not who he is. And so they're so built on getting that big play and shortening drives for themselves, that when they don't have them, I just I don't know what they can really hang their hat on. And I don't know how they hold up against the best teams in the league. Now they played Cincinnati earlier in the year and scored 44 points. And you saw Russell Wilson getting big play after big play after big play. But that was really the only game that I've seen where they've really been able to establish, you know, a consistent passing game all year long. And a lot of them again, were big plays. It wasn't about, you know, Russell Wilson dissecting another team. And so that to me, is going to be paramount against, you know, Baltimore's don't give up the big play force the Steelers to work the field force Russell Wilson to make play after play read after read right decision after right decision to beat you because you know, they just haven't done it very well. And again, not just on Russell, I don't know if they've got the Pete like a George Pickens as good as he is in the big play area in the 5050 ball. He's not the most consistent route runner, and he's not the most consistent of being in the right spot, or we saw last week making every catch that he needs to make in other areas. And so, so the offense as a whole, I don't think is built on that idea of we're really efficient, you know, we're really pinned down on the details, and we're going to be good no matter what you force us to do.
They hang a lot on that big play and when they don't get it, they really struggle. Kurt Warner here on the Rich Eisen show, and the Denver Broncos eviscerated the Chiefs. You know, I chose the Chiefs on game day morning yesterday saying, you know what, the Chiefs are still got the you know, the backups Carson Wentz is going to use this moment to put on tape what other people can see to have him become the next Sam Darnold and the next Baker maybe he can be but certainly not based on what we saw and Bo Nix was just spectacular.
I mean, he was so very good. What do you see out of this kid that makes you think potentially he he can win a playoff game or, or get the Broncos to where they need to go eventually, if not this year, Kurt? Yeah, I mean, Bo Nix has played really well.
You know, I think sometimes like yesterday, you know, did so many good things. I think he set a Denver Bronco record for completion percentage. Now, you know, I go back and watch the tape and you know, sometimes I roll my eyes a little bit because so many of his throws were within five yards of the line of scrimmage.
And so I think sometimes we see the stats and they're not quite indicative of how players are playing. And so what I see with Bo Nix is that they're going to design a pass game that is about getting the ball out of his hands quickly. Sean Payton does a great job of creating a bunch of quick screens or, or easy RPO reads get the ball out of his hands, get these completions. And then the second aspect that is really good about Bo Nix is he uses his legs really well. When he doesn't see something open, he doesn't force the ball he creates and whether that's buying time with his legs to make throws down the field, which he can do, or whether that's just tucking it and going, you met, you know, two or three, you know, 20 plus yard runs yesterday on top of it.
So that's the second element. So they're going to play more small ball than anything and play efficient and try to win the early downs. And that's what Buffalo is going to have to stop and they're going to have to force him to throw it down the field. But you know, with all that being said about how they want to play, he can still throw it down the field.
Like I'm not saying, you know, that he can't do that. He made three beautiful throws down the field yesterday. It's just not a huge part of their offense. It's more of the change up the complimentary piece to all this, you know, short, uh, you know, stuff that they like to do, but, but he can throw it down the field and he can make plays. So I've been, you know, so impressed with his efficiency of playing the position of realizing as a rookie, I don't have to do everything. I don't have to throw it down the field all the time. Just play the play, just play what coach Peyton has given me and be a complimentary piece to our defense.
And we've got a chance every single time out. And so that to me is what I've really liked about bonics and what they've done offensively is they're not asking this rookie quarterback to do everything. They're not putting it in his hands every single time out.
Just play the position and he's playing the position really, really well. Few minutes left with Kurt Warner here before I send him on the rest of his Monday. Um, let's talk about some other news that's breaking right now. I'm sure you heard Tyreek Hill basically say he wants out of Miami that he's done. What do you think is going through to his mind right now?
If you were him, would you call him up and say what's going on or like, what do you think of this Kurt? I mean, I think you have to look at it two ways. I mean, the first thing is, is you hate any of your best players, um, to come out and when things haven't gone well and you didn't make it to the playoffs and, and say something like that after a game, because everybody's battling and everybody's trying to win and everybody wants to, you know, to, to, to be in the playoffs. Um, you know, so that's kind of disappointing, but I think also if you're too, uh, I think part of it you have to understand is the frustration with Tyreek Hill is that, uh, to, uh, hasn't been on the field as much as we need him to be on the field in critical moments, we have a chance to be in the playoffs and he doesn't play the last two weeks of the year for this football team. Tyreek Hill just in and of himself, doesn't have the impact or the success, um, in Miami when two is not on the field. So I think you have to see that side of it too, and the frustration of any, you know, playmaker and especially, uh, obviously a wide receiver when the quarterback is missing a lot of time, year after year after year, um, you know, that's something that, you know, I know every wide receiver would take into consideration, like, man, I can't be my best and we can't be our best without our quarterback, you know, consistently being on the football field. So I think that is a part of what we're seeing with this frustration of Tyreek Hill.
I didn't like it. I liked it after the game, but you have to believe that's a part of it and wondering, you know, what can we count on with our quarterback in terms of playing and being out on the field with us, um, you know, year in and year out. And then last one for you, Kurt, uh, as we are now in the coaching carousel portion of the calendar, um, and it's going to start spinning maybe more with more coaching news. Um, if the bears called you up and asked for advice on what, what do we need in the, in a coach for Caleb Williams? What advice would you give the bears for a hire for Caleb Williams? I think my advice for any team right off the bat is find a head coach, find a guy that can lead your organization.
That to me is where it all starts. Like would you love to have a guy that can lead your organization and bring an incredible offense and an Andy Reed type guy? Of course you would because Caleb's your guy and you're going to be attached to him and you want to bring him along because you know, your organization will go as Caleb Williams go.
And so I definitely think you'd love to have both of those pieces, but I just worry cause I've seen too often teams make the mistake of going out and getting, uh, you know, the hot candidate based on what they do on one side of the ball or the other, because, Hey, we want that offense and we want that element. So let's get that guy. But that guy is not the CEO.
He's not the leader. He's not the guy that you need to galvanize the troops and build a winning organization. And so that would be my advice to all of these teams, as much as I want to see a different offense for Caleb Williams, um, you know, and I've been outspoken about that all year long and some of my frustration of what they've asked him to do and how I think it's hurt him in his rookie year. I think the most important thing is you need stability and a guy that's a known leader, uh, that can take over your organization, share his vision and, you know, have a plan to get you to that vision, uh, is what I would tell any one of these teams and, and, and even, you know, specifically the Chicago bears with where they've been, um, you know, over the course of the last decade or so, and, uh, and knowing the pieces that they've got there. But that said, uh, you know, there's usually a side of the ball that somebody comes from John Harbaugh is a, um, an exception, I guess he's just because he was a special teams guy. So if the bears introduce the next head coach and he's a defensive minded head coach, bears fans, shouldn't go crazy is what you're saying, Kurt. I mean, like, again, I think it kind of depends on who it is that that coach is Mike bravely.
Um, no, I just, I think the bears fans should go crazy. Like you got yourself a really good head coach now, you know, what do you want from that? Because I think rainbow kind of comes from that mode of, Hey, we want to play really good defense. We don't want to turn the football over so that our offense can be a little bit more conservative.
So on and so forth. Well, I mean, you look at Jim Harbaugh, that's basically the way that he's come in to, you know, to the chargers and said, Hey, I know we've got this really shiny, talented piece at quarterback, but this is how we're going to win. We're going to play good defense. We're going to run the football and we're going to dominate in those areas and we're going to allow our quarterback to be a complimentary piece or when we need him to shine when we need him. And so, um, you know, I know we would like to see every one of our young quarterbacks go throw for 5,000 yards and 40 touchdowns, but at the end of the day, organizations want to win and you bring in the guy that can help you win and have a plan to win, even if it, you know, may not look one way or another. So again, you know, I think it depends on who it is. Uh, if it's a known commodity, that is a really good head football coach in the national football league. And even though he comes from the defensive side, I think the bears fan should be extremely excited about it.
If it's an unknown guy that comes from the defensive side that we don't know if he's going to be a great head coach, then I think any fan base, knowing that you've got Caleb Williams and what you need to do and what you want to build around offensively, you know, may have some questions at that point. Kurt, thanks again, brother. Uh, love you. See you, see you next week. And uh, you know, we're at that time, right? Playoff time.
And then you're going to start grinding up on Cam Ward and Shadore Sanders is a lot of teams have already turned their page and we're at that time of the year. So thanks for the time. It is exciting times ahead. I can't wait for the next few weeks. All right, buddy. See you soon. You got to at Kurt 13 Warner, check him out and check out QB confidential on YouTube to get all of his pearls of wisdom.
Lots to break down right there. Phone calls eight four four two Oh four rich number to dial. We'll take phone calls. Our number three is just for us right here on the infinity sports network. Welcome to auto zone.
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The Jim Rome show follow and listen on your favorite platform. What did it mean to you to lift this knowing again, your story, a lot of folks think they know your story, but the amount of time and effort you took to put in to, to never give in to those who said you can't all came to a head the night that you won this in this town. Yeah. I mean, you dream of winning that trophy and winning the super bowl and being a part of that. But for me, it was, it was so much more because it happened so quickly and it was that first year that I was starting and to go on to win the super bowl, um, you know, it meant more than even winning the super bowl. I think for me, because it was the journey and it was the people that said you had no chance and it was the moments that I remember sitting there with my wife going, is it just time to give up? Is it time to let the dream go? Um, how often did you have that chat with Brenda? Yeah, I don't know if we had a lot, but we had it a few times where, you know, you have those people that are in your life that want to support everything you do, but they give you that look like, you know, I'm supporting you, but come on dude.
I mean, really, it's probably not going to happen at this point. It's just, you know, so at some point you have to let it go. I mean, I think about that with my kids, you know, my kids have the dream of playing in the NFL and doing that. And you know, I've got one that's playing in college now in Nebraska, right in Nebraska.
And one that's, uh, you know, just 14 and freshmen. But I just think to myself for most people, it comes to an end at some point and I've got to be ready as a dad to go, okay, it's been great, but maybe this is the end for you. Um, the people, my parents, my wife, as much as they wanted to support me and, and help me along this path. I mean, you get to be 26, 27 and it's like, you know, I love you dear. And maybe the thing I have to tell you is it's time to let it go. And um, you know, and I tell people all the time that, you know, they say, well, how do you keep going?
You know, how do you keep going when you're working in a grocery store and you're doing that sort of stuff? The funny thing for me was that everybody looks at sitting on the bench for four years and getting cut by Green Bay and going to the grocery store. And all I ever looked at was every time I played football, every time I was between the lines, my one year in college, player of the year in our conference, you know, when I played in arena football, we went to two championships. I was the best quarterback in the league when I went to Europe. And so what kept me going was nobody's ever shown me, I've never stepped on a field and not being, been able to be successful. And so I think that's what would have just killed me is had I walked away, never given the opportunity to succeed, I didn't want to be that guy that was 47 years old sitting on the couch. Man, if I would have just got the opportunity, I could have done it.
So that's what kept me going was just, I need that one legitimate chance to prove I can play. And thank goodness it came from St. Louis Magic. Oh man, all of Kurt's appearances, including the one you just saw, if you missed any of it as well, go to our YouTube channel, youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show. Of course, this show re-ears every single day on the Roku Sports Channel. There's also, as soon as we're off the air, the Rich Eisen Show Fast Channel right here on the Roku portal to check us out every single day, 844-204-rich number to dial.
We'll take your phone calls in a matter of moments. Bob Kraft has spoken. There was a press, a press conference today in New England. We've got those sound bites, Jerry Jones, what he had to say after the season ending last second loss to the Washington commanders. Hasn't he said enough? No, sir. You're about to hear more.
You're going to hear some more and we need to hear from him because he hasn't made any specific definitive statement on his head coach whose contract runs out in a week and a day. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show radio network. The unexpected can happen anytime you need to think about things like life insurance in advance and Ethos makes it easy as one, two, three. Just choose your coverage, apply in minutes and you get covered in real time with no medical exam. Just answer a few simple health questions and you're on your way with up to $2 million of term life protection with policy starting as low as $2 a day. Ethos is approving over 2000 families a day for life insurance protection, all online and hassle-free. Get your free quote at tryethos.com.
That's tryethos.com. Gus in Florida. Gus. We're here on the Rich Eisen Show. What's up, Gussie?
The guest line. What do you say in Broncos country? What's going on, Gussie? How are you?
I'm great. We're celebrating in Broncos country. Bo Nix got the Broncos fast, the playoffs faster in real life than I was able to do it in Mavie, the glorious, glorious day. Only a man like Gus Ramsey could come up with a line like that. You must be jacked up, man.
You must be really psyched. Rich, I want to tell a quick little story if I may. I want to take you back to 2000, not February of that year when Bo Chapman Nix was born, but just a few months after that in May when you and me and Pete McConville went to the Showcase Cinemas in Southerton, Connecticut to see the movie Gladiator.
Yes, sir. It was a movie that had some buzz. People were talking it up.
Russell Crowe's Star was Burgeoning. We sat there for 155 minutes and turned that movie into our own personal mystery science theater. We did the jokes the entire time. We didn't get it. We weren't buying it.
We didn't know what would happen. Flash forward to fall of 2024 and Bo Nix has looked good in some preseason games. Sean Payton has anointed him to start in QB. Bronco Nation is ready to believe. There was a buzz and perhaps the Star was Burgeoning in Denver, but his first game was in Seattle. Not the place to begin a career. I think we would all agree with that.
26 to 42, 138 yards, two picks, wasn't pretty, happy feet, some off-target throws. But you, Rich Eisen, you saw something, you put it out there to the world on social media that you saw something. But the peasants on Twitter, the unwashed masses of X, they read your words and said before you like comedists and gave you a big thumbs down. Shaken, but not stirred, you texted me to confirm that you were not crazy and you were not. In the 24 years since we sat in the theater, you have evolved from a critic to a seer.
No. Simulated gobs of football knowledge. You couldn't see Maximus the gladiator, but you could see Bo the QB. So I'm calling to celebrate you, the seer, for your vision and positivity. And I celebrate with Bronco's Country that we have a coach in the QB moving us in the right direction. But both clear, I'm calling to thank you for your unwavering support of Bo to celebrate your Rich Eisen, a true seer, if ever there was.
If there's anybody. Wow. Gus.
Well done. Can't quit producing me. It's Gus Ramsey. Yes.
You want to talk about weaving a story. My long time friend going way back to the days of a sports center. Hey man. You want me on that wall. He gave me that line. You gave me that line, Gus.
You gave me that line. Yes. Yes, I did.
And you didn't. Do you remember? Do you remember going to that movie?
Dude, I've got to tell you. I hadn't seen Gladiator in years and when I was at home by myself last week, cause Susan the kids were off on vacation and I was at home getting ready to call Rams and Cardinals. I watched Gladiator for the first time since and the fact that you're bringing it up since that day. It's blowing my mind, man. Absolutely blowing my mind.
We were making jokes. I remember doing the rock and being like, finally, Maximus has come back to Rome. We didn't know what it was all about, but here we are years later and if Bo Nix can have the lasting success of Russell Crowe and Gladiator, then we'll all sign up for it and take it in Denver. No doubt, man.
No doubt. Gus Ramsey here, my long time ESPN producer. Hey, before I let you go, I've got a couple of minutes here. Two days ago, we lost Stu 10 years ago. Give me your favorite Stuart story. Your favorite one. I got two minutes.
What do you got? Well, I think I'll probably pick, a bunch of us got together to go play some touch football and, as you know, Stu fashioned himself someone who probably should have been in the NFL, probably should have played at North Carolina. So he showed up to the flag football in his Carolina shorts, the Kareem Goggles, the towels hanging from his hips, like he was in it for business. And we were on opposite teams and I caught a pass going over the middle and I turned around the field and there was Stu about five yards from me crouched down in DB form like he was going to take me out. So my self-defense in life has always been to jump because I used to be able to jump really high. So I just tried to jump over him and he came up and upended me and I flipped through the air and landed on my hip and got a hip pointer and was on crutches for two days. But he's the only dude I could play flag football against that I would have had that reaction knowing how competitive he was and how he could get caught in the sauce, as it were. That was vintage Stu. God bless him. Shout out to Taylor, his daughter, who's working hard on a documentary on him with ESPN, and to his daughter, Cindy, who's going to be graduating from Oxford in June.
Unbelievable. Yeah, by the way, I sat for that documentary two weeks ago. So I told all my stories. Gus, I love you. Thanks for producing this segment. Always a pleasure. Certainly, since it proves that I was right. Long time ago.
Absolutely. Take care, Gussie. Congrats on the Broncos.
They're one of the biggest Broncos fans I've known for a long time. Did you pop that tweet up again? Because you just grabbed it off of X Hoskins, viewed 1.3 million times. As well, I was sitting at home, there was a lot to like about him. He was getting his ass beat, and he kept on in there, and he didn't have that bad body language. And the response is like, he didn't throw a pass more than a yard down the field. He didn't do this. He didn't do that. I don't know. I'm like, there's a lot to like about him.
He had just this essence about him, this moxie about him. Now he's going to Buffalo to one and done Josh Allen in his MVP-type campaign. Don't read the comments under this tweet. Oh, it's terrible.
Did you watch the same game? Wrong. There isn't. No, you probably do want to read the comments and let you know how wrong people are. Come on now.
3.3 yard average. I'm sure at some point, if it's on X, there'll be some sort of Nazi sort of thing thrown my way anyway. That's our two. Hey, it's Rich Eisen here. Join me and my compadre, Chris Brockman, every Monday on the Overreaction Monday podcast. You're also saying the record's going to go down.
I'm saying the record's going down anyway. I don't think you're off on this at all. Like you're spot on here. I don't think this is an overreaction because we have no idea what we're reacting to. Come react or overreact with us. Overreaction Monday. Follow and listen on your favorite platform. It's game over. We'll be right back.
