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Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations. Subscribe at YouTube.com slash Rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.
Today's guests. Bears head coach Ben Johnson. NFL network insider Tom Pelissero. Actor Sean William Scott. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
Yep, can confirm. Sources say it's me. Welcome to the Rich Eisen Show, everybody. Right here on the Roku Sports Channel. Right here on the Infinity Sports Network.
Right here on Sirius XM Channel 375. We're all good in this Friday neighborhood. It's a what's more likely Friday and not just any what's more likely. It's a conference championship, National Football League Conference Championship Weekend edition of it.
844-204 Rich is the number to dial. So much to discuss. The world's youngest teenager since Dick Clark just got hired as the new head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Pete Carroll is back in the National Football League. He's in 8C and he is Tom Brady's choice to be the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. We will discuss that on this program.
Again, 844-204 Rich is the number to dial. The newest head coach of the Chicago Bears. Ben Johnson will be calling us and zooming into our program. Tom Pelissero at the 411 and what's up with Pete Carroll and the offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Is he reverse pivoting and out the door and saying, I'm moving to Northern Florida to take the head coaching position of the Jacksonville Jaguars. What's up with Liam Cohen there? And then, of course, the Dallas Cowboys are the ones bringing up the rear. It appears in terms of making sure that their head coaching future is secured.
That's all with Tom Pelissero. And then the man who played Stifler back in the day, an American pie, Sean William Scott, will be joining us. He's in a new show, Shifting Gears on ABC. Good to see you over there, Chris Brockman. How are you, sir?
Rich, man. I'm ready for these games. Let's go. DJ Mikey Diaz and Deez Nuts will once again close up our shop on this program later on with the weather report. OK, well prepared. Mike Del Tifo, good to see you.
How are you, TJ Jefferson? Why do you have the finger of blame on your right hand? Because it needs to be pointed at a lot of people. It needs to be pointed at Jerry Jones because we ain't got a coach. It needs to be pointed at Scott Boris because I ain't got a polar bear.
I'm just pointing this finger at a bunch of people. What do you mean? The polar bear's gone? Well, not yet. Rumors are... Where's he going? Toronto. Oh!
There is less pie. See, you won't be staying in the Mets town of New York City. I'm pointing this at people, Rich.
OK. Point that at Steve Cohen. Giving all the money to Juan Soto. The New Yorker. Eating all the money over there.
The guy from New York. All right. Let's talk about this. This is Conference Championship Weekend. I need music, Mike. As always, I need my music. I need my music because I always set the stakes for you. The stakes couldn't be any higher for Conference Championship Weekend.
Hit the bell. It is so great when it's time to find out who's going to make the Super Bowl. There's four teams left and we start with the way the weekend's going to start. The NFC East Championship game that happens to be the NFC Championship game. It is on and cracking for the third time this year between the Washington commanders and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Washington commanders are in the NFC Championship game after being second overall on the clock.
You don't see that too often. As a matter of fact, the commanders of the 11th team to make their conference championship game in the season following a last place finish in their division since division realignment in 2002. The commanders of the fifth team in the last 25 seasons to have four or fewer wins and then reach the conference championship the following season. Each of the last two teams made the Super Bowl.
They lost. But that's the Bengals and the Niners. The 2017 Jaguars and 06 Saints did it. They didn't make the Super Bowl.
Which one will the commanders be? They're the first team in NFL history to be last in point differential. They lost by a combined 189 points last year and then make the conference championship game in the following season. They're the first team in NFL history to be last in scoring and total defense and then make the conference championship game the following season.
Is this the greatest turnaround we've ever seen in the NFL with the greatest rookie quarterback we've ever seen in the National Football League in Jayden Daniels? Fact. This is adding a lot to my Dan Quinn should be coach of the year argument from yesterday. Fact.
These are all facts that I'm spitting. A 4-13 team and then number five says, guess what? You choose me second overall in Detroit, I won and done a 15-win Detroit team to send us back to Philadelphia. And I'm the only quarterback all season long to throw for more than three touchdowns in a game against Philadelphia. I threw five the last time we saw them. As a matter of fact, if it wasn't for me, Philadelphia would be entering this game on a 14-game win streak and we might not even be here.
That's what's going on here. And then Jalen Hurts can become the fifth quarterback in the history of the National Football League to lose their first Super Bowl appearance and then return to the big game the following two seasons. Last one to do it was Jim Kelly. We all know he lost both of those. He's the only quarterback to win in the second appearance.
Only quarterback to win in the second appearance, by the way, was Bob Greasy. He can be the first to do that. That's what Jalen Hurts can do if he is, in fact, healthy enough to do it.
Is he? Will he have to rely on his running game? And if he does so, Saquon Barkley will take front and center. This guy, this guy is the man and not just the man against the Rams.
He's the man against the Washington commanders. This guy ran for 296 yards and four rushing touchdowns in the two games against the Washington commanders. As a matter of fact, this is only the sixth time in the first in a conference championship game, all time, that a player has had 250 or more rush yards against an opponent in a season and then later on to face them in the playoffs. Only one of the previous five players had 100 yards rushing in the playoff game against the team that he's already seen and had 250 more yards against.
And that was last week Saquon Barkley against the Rams. He could do it twice in as many weeks. And it's entirely possible he can run the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl after the Giants told Philadelphia to take them. You want to talk about the coaches and what's at stake here? Dan Quinn could become the eighth head coach to take two franchises to a Super Bowl. Joining a guy he could face in the Super Bowl and Andy Reid. The other ones are Bill Parcells, Dan Reeves, Dick Vermeil, Don Shula, John Fox, Mike Holmgren, who might make the Hall of Fame on Super Bowl weekend. Nick Sirianni could become just the third head coach in NFL history to make two or more Super Bowls in his first four seasons as an NFL head coach. The only two to do it are Mike Tomlin and the guy who did it with the team he's trying to beat, Joe Gibbs. That's what's at stake. The Philadelphia Eagles could make it back to the Super Bowl in the town where the Eagles made their first Super Bowl. The same building, the Superdome with Vermeil and Ron Jaworski back in the day. And the commanders can make it with Jayden Daniels.
Holy cow. This is what is at stake on Sunday when it all kicks off. And then it leads to the game that I believe most people feel is the filet mignon of the weekend. With all due respect to the NFC Championship game and Fox, Tom Brady is going to be in the booth for this because he would know when he and Peyton Manning face each other.
It was the piece of filet mignon. And I appreciate the music change, Mike, because Peyton Manning and Tom Brady faced each other five times in their career in the playoffs. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes are about to face off in the playoffs once again for a fourth time.
We're seeing some generationally brilliant play from them as well. No quarterbacks in the history of the NFL have had more offensive touchdowns. Pass, rush. And yes, in terms of Allen, you've got to talk about receptions. No quarterbacks in NFL history have had more offensive touchdowns than Mahomes and Allen before turning 30 years old. Mahomes turns 30 this September. Allen turns 30 in May of 2026.
Youth is serving. They've led the NFL in offensive touchdowns since 2018 when we all know Allen got drafted and Mahomes started starting and has made a seventh consecutive AFC Championship game now. And Josh Allen is doing things that we haven't seen the Bills do, as we all know, since Jim Kelly.
And all Allen could do by winning this game and finally vanquishing the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes in a playoff game is get the Bills back to the Super Bowl for the first time since Jim Kelly did it, beating the Chiefs in an AFC Championship game. Just like Josh Allen can do it. The question is, can he? Yes. Will he?
That's up in the air, as we all know. Mahomes stands in his way as he looks to join Tom Brady and John Elway as the only starting quarterbacks in the history of the NFL to reach the Super Bowl five times. He'll be the only quarterback to start five Super Bowls before the age of 30 if he wins this one. Brady's fifth Super Bowl start came when he was 34 and Elway when he was 38. You see where I'm going with all this? If Mahomes wins and makes the Super Bowl, that would give him nine straight playoff wins, second best all time tying.
Wait for it. Bart Starr, your MVP of Super Bowls one and two. That would put him one behind Tom Brady, who started his playoff career with 10 straight wins. He would, if he makes the Super Bowl on Sunday, break the time, Mahomes, with Joe Montana for second most playoff wins all time by a quarterback. That would give him 17 behind Brady's 35. It would also give him a streak of consecutive seasons with two or more playoff wins in it of six, doubling, doubling the record of second best of Brady Favre and the aforementioned Bart Starr. The Chiefs, as we all know, in terms of what is at stake, could be two wins away from the first ever three-peat in the history of the National Football League. Mahomes versus Allen. Travis Kelce in this game, chasing down records that only Jerry Rice has set in the history of the postseason. Andy Reid looking for career dub number 301 against a guy who used to be on his staff in Sean McDermott. There is so much at stake on the line. Bill's Mafia wanting one before they die. The one being a Super Bowl win, taking on a team looking for their third Super Bowl win in as many years. We've never seen it before. This is what's at stake in the AFC Championship game. Can't wait. Can't wait to be on NFL Game Day morning for six hours on NFL Network, leading off the coverage with a host of Super Bowl winners and playoff competitors and friends to take you to kick off of the NFC Championship game.
You, of course, see that on Roku as well. That's what's at stake. Obviously, I left some crumbs on the floor. There are some others out there. Bobby Wagner for the commanders. Speaking of a day that Pete Carroll's back in as a head coach in the NFL, can he get a ring with two different teams? We'll talk about Pete Carroll later on. We've got Tom Pelissero on this show. The very funny Sean William Scott will be strolling into studio in hour number three. This is his third appearance ever on the show, and one's more hilarious than the next.
844-204-RICH is the number to dial here on the program to get your two cents on everything. But let's take a break. And when we come back, guess what? Ben Johnson, the new HC of the Chicago Bears, young enough to be Pete Carroll's son, will be joining us on this show.
We talk about the oldest coach now joining the National Football League ranks and one of the youngest in Ben Johnson coming up. Let's talk TurboTax people. You might be sitting there going, wait a minute, Rich.
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Get an expert now on TurboTax.com. This episode brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game?
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Terms and points can't apply. Learn more at AmericanExpress.com slash Amex Business. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show. Looks like there's some more media availabilities today for the players, because I'm still getting some quotes from the NFL Network desk.
Jayden Daniels, I think he met today with him. One more time. I let my play do the talking, he says. Well, it's been doing a lot of talking this year. Yeah. On winning road games and not responding to trash talking fans. Quote, I let my play do the talking. Great.
Is that the 21st century of these boots are made for walking? Know what it is? Nobody under the age of 40 knows that song. OK. Mike's laughing, that's all I care about. Mike's almost 60. Wow.
What do you care? By the way, you know what, man, you're an ageist. Yeah, I am an ageist. And I think that's OK. Is that really? Yeah.
He's getting old, too, Rich. I am. You are. Are you on the north side on your 40s or you're in the midpoint?
No, no, no. Where are you? Closer to 40.
Where are you? What are you, 44? Yeah.
He's halfway there, Rich. Yeah. Yeah.
Almost halfway to 50. OK, very good. Still the youngest person in this room. All right. Is that true, T.J.? Yeah.
OK, so I'm the tallest person in this room, so I'm the shortest. We've got commanders fans calling in. They're very excited, but Bears fans are just as excited. Oh, yeah, I know a bunch of my friends are Bears fans. Adam's our call screener and, you know, he's a Bears fan. He's like, you're talking to my guy today. I've got I've got a Bears group chat, Rich, with two of my Bears fans. Why don't you know, you can say his name, whatever.
But yeah, they're excited. Oh, who's that? My buddy Justin Mooney. Oh, and who's who's the other one?
Who's your other friend? Just a guy I know. Ashton Kutcher. You mean one of the most world famous actors?
I mean, he's on it, too. I mean, if you if you name one of the most famous Bears fans. Yeah.
Your godfather was child named Bear. Can confirm all of that. And the above. Back on the Rich Eisen Show radio network on the live stream on the Roku channel at the same time as well. I'm sitting at the Rich Eisen Show desk, furnished by Grainger with supplies and solutions for every industry. Grainger has the right product for you.
Call clickgranger.com or just stop by. Look who's stopping by. The new head coach of the Chicago Bears, kind enough to zoom into the show with no doubt being pulled in many different directions, including his own family, trying to move into town.
Ben Johnson here on the Rich Eisen Show. Good to see you, coach. How you doing? I'm doing great. How are you doing? I'm doing fine. You still learning, you know, the Hallis Hall ways and the hallways and stuff like that?
Pretty much I imagine learning the place, learning the names. I got some work to do, but we're getting there. I'm sure. No doubt about it.
And you already have a photo of a bear behind you. Is that your choice? No, I know.
That was a gift from Ryan Polz. It's it's awesome. Is that what you see here? Here you go. Here's a here's a photograph of a of a bear.
OK. It looks like he's lurking. Is that bear trying to bite off a kneecap, Ben?
We're not going there. I must have missed that part of your press conference. You know, seriously, seriously, though, how much of Dan Campbell is in you? Because obviously you've been around him for a long time.
Two different franchises as well. Ben. Yeah. Listen, I love him to death. He's he's been awesome to me, to my family. He's a great friend of mine. And sure, we have a lot of shared experiences.
So that that does rub off on each other. And I like to think I have a little bit of him in me organically, but I'm not him overall. I don't have his playing experience, certainly. So I'll be a completely different head coach than he is. And I look forward to embracing that. Well, I mean, so what type of head coach are you going to be? You know what I mean?
Like, so what what what can you tell Bears fans who they are getting in Ben Johnson as an H.C. here? Yeah, I mean, anywhere I've been, the head coach's personality and demeanor really trickles down to the rest of the team. And so what I fancy myself as is a super hard worker determined. I just want to continually get better myself. I expect that out of the players and the team as well.
I'm unselfish. There's really no ego here. It's all about the team first. And that's everything that we're going to talk about and be about.
And then finally poised. We're not going to panic. We will be able to handle pressure and and we're not going to beat ourselves at the end of the day.
So really, those are the three qualities I like to I like to think I possession will end up carrying over to the team as well. Sure. And then how much how much are you going to be involved in the defense to write?
I mean, so what what is your plan here? Again, H.C., you are the H.C. of the Chicago Bears here. Yeah, that's right. It's everyone likes to be tagged offensive guru or leader or CEO of type.
No, it's not that way anymore. Every step along my path, whatever my role has been, I found a way to excel at that role. And now it's just a different role, responsibility. Now you're the head coach of the entire team instead of one unit. And no, my presence will be felt in all three phases. And I look forward to to getting that job done.
Sure. And so who are your mentors? Who are your mentors? A number of them. Yeah, a number of them. I go back to college. I had the first guy that got me into coaching was a guy named John Shue, who was actually a coordinator here a long time ago in Chicago.
Very inspirational. He's a he's a heck of a guy. But since I got in the NFL, a number of West Coast guys. Mike Sherman was in the digit system with Bill Lazer. Adam Gase had the Peyton Manning system that that Denver system. He brought that over.
And then Darryl Bevel up in Detroit. And and really all these influences came together when we built the Detroit offense a few years ago. And so a lot of different influences. And it's really helped shape me.
And then how how did your shaping come about again? Just to circle back to Dan Campbell, because Dan got the interim job when everything was going haywire in Miami. You were there on that staff and then you were already in Detroit when when Dan showed up and then wound up seeing something in you that had you elevate quite fast to the offensive coordinator role. So how did all of that shape you for this big moment in your life?
Yeah. He and I go back. It was 2012 that I took my first NFL job in Miami. He was already on staff there and we hit it off right away.
He just he has a way of gravitating towards getting people to gravitate towards him. And, you know, so I latched on and I learned and I soaked with with him and his knowledge and the rest of that staff. And it really grew from there. You climb the ladder and things happen. Seven years in Miami ended up getting let go and was on the street there for a few months and ended up being really the best thing to ever happen to me, because when something you love, like the game of football gets ripped away from you and it hurts, it stings. And you come back with a renewed passion and vigor for the sport, for the job. I started from scratch all over again as quality control up in Detroit and was able to climb my way up when Dan took the job. He kept me on as tight ends coach.
And, you know, things happen within the building and ended up getting promoted to coordinator from there. So it's been a whirlwind. It's just to me, it's just a testament of keeping your head down and working hard.
And when opportunities come your way, looking to capitalize on it. And I heard you say, why the Bears? You know, listen, I've been in Wrigley Field, too, on a beautiful summer day in that town with the lake. And nothing beats Chicago. It's one of the best cities, obviously.
And I loved hearing that, that you enjoyed, you know, with your family to spend some summers there. But you did really have a choice, Ben. I mean, that's all I've heard from all of my colleagues is over the last two years, you had choices.
And your choice was to stay in Detroit last year. Why now? Why this team?
Why this job, Ben? Yeah, it's certainly the place. Played a huge part of it. The people here.
I'm talking about George McCaskey, Kevin Warren, Ryan Polls. I really felt a great vibe on the interview. And the longer it went, the better I felt about the situation there.
They're here to support, provide all the resources necessary. I saw a vision. I saw a direction. It gave me a lot of confidence that I was coming into a great situation as a first-time head coach. There's a great roster already in place here.
We'll look to accumulate even more talent and build it out from there. But no, just the whole situation, it felt right. And just knowing the place, it helped out as well. But you go through the process a couple cycles and you're not sure exactly how you feel about things. And this spring and this summer, thinking about it, dwelling about it, was able to get ahead, just in my mind, how I'd want to run things if I got the opportunity.
So really, the stars aligned. And I feel really good about where we're at right now. Now, obviously, you've got a young, talented quarterback as well.
And that's that's the way you got to win in this league. You clearly know that firsthand, having been in Miami where they're searching for the next Marino forever and a day while you were there. And then obviously being there in Detroit and having Jared Goff come in and having so many questions about whether the Rams were just dumping them in Detroit and how the Lions might just bridge him to the next one.
And he turns out to be the one in your care. So your plan for Caleb Williams that you can tell Bears fans is what, Ben? Well, we'll take the same track and mindset that we had with Jared, which is we're going to build this thing around them. And the offense conceptually, schematically, we're going to really spend a lot of time together and build it from from him in mind. We're going to build the rest of the unit, whether it's offensive line perimeter players with him in mind. And we're going to we're going to accentuate his strengths and we're going to make sure that we are working to improve his weaknesses. So we'll have a great detailed plan. The end of the day is we've got to sit down and we've got to get to work, though. It's going to take some time to get to know each other, establish that trust and look to build from it from there. But I've been really encouraged with our conversation so far and the spring can't get here fast enough to where we can hit the grass.
Yeah, right. And, you know, again, because I listen to you know, I'm fortunate enough to be sitting next to someone like Kurt Warner on NFL Network and sitting in a chair like this one, talking to so many smart guys who watch film and talk about somebody like Caleb Williams. And I'm wondering where you are, Ben Johnson, philosophically on having him in a playbook and hewing to reads and hewing to knowing pre snap. You got to look for this guy first and go through a progression as opposed to just saying play free.
Just get out there. And obviously you've got to be in a construct. But you've got a guy who who might be even better when when the play's broken down. Right. And so my question for you is philosophically, where do you stand on bringing a young quarterback along on that front? There's no question that one of his superpowers is his ability to create and extend plays, and that's not something that we want to take away from him. We're going to encourage that within structure as well. The perimeter players have to be in tune with when a play breaks down and he breaks the pocket, how we're going to respond to that so we can capitalize on big plays outside of the pocket. But in terms of the structure of progressions, it's hard to say without truly sitting down and watching tape with them to know where his starting point is.
And so that's why I'm so encouraged so far. He's been very receptive. He wants to be coach hard. This will be a different experience for him than what he's ever had here in college or so far in the NFL.
And we'll see how far we can push the envelope with them. That's that's the fun part about coaching is you get a young player that's really just a lump of clay here, but full of potential and see if we can't make something beautiful out of this. Well, what's your definition of coaching someone hard? Telling the truth and always being honest, there will be times where that can come off abrasive at times, but it comes from a place of love ultimately. And that's where the trust level has to be at a high early and often here.
And so the relationship aspect of it is something we're going to work to develop and and we'll get a feel for each other. And really, it's not just him. It's going to be the entire team. The bar is going to be set high and the standard is going to be set high, but the support is going to be high as well around them.
So we'll challenge, we'll push, but we're going to give them everything they need to hit the mark. I couldn't help but notice, Ben, you know, there was a little verbal salvo sent up the toll road by you there during your press conference towards Green Bay. I noticed that, Ben. Were you with that?
Was that off the cuff? Was that something? You know what? I'm going to I'm going to say I'm embracing the rivalry.
That's all. There's there's a lot of love. I have a lot of respect for everybody. I've been here years now. A lot of their excellent coaches, their excellent players.
I want to say there's 17 pro bowl players in this division as of last year. So, listen, a lot of respect and just stir in the pot just a little bit. So you got some stirring in here because, again, I'm just getting to know you because obviously I know I know your your your style. I know you got a bag of tricks.
I know you don't mind using them. So that's in your sort of bag of tricks as a coach. Getting ready for for this rivalry is what you're saying. Yeah. There's a little bit more personality within myself than what might be portrayed here at this point. That's all I'll say.
OK. And just a couple more minutes left with you. How do you respond to people who are like watching your offense and you'd pull out a trick up 20 in like week 11? And I would see here from some fans like, hey, save that stuff for when you're down, save that stuff for later on.
How deep is your bag of tricks, Ben Johnson? Man, we go into every game and there's certain plays we want to get off the call sheet. So honestly, I don't necessarily look at the score, whether we're up or we're down. I want to say last week we called a reverse with down by 10 and ends up going 60 plus yards for a touchdown.
So that's really not not part of my thought process. It's we're going on the field every time we do so. We're looking to score a touchdown until it's a four minute situation and we're looking to run the clock out. So all everything on that game plans up and available. And it's just the course of the game, what we're feeling in that moment, what call ends up coming out.
But no, we find ways to attack each opponent and we want to use utilize those every week. Did Ryan Polz or McCaskey or Warren at any point during your interview process ask you if you were going to ask Caleb Williams to purposely act like he's fumbled a ball like you did against them? Ben, did that happen in your interview? That one didn't come up, but we'll see. We'll see what we got for next year. I just have a feeling that might have been a resume builder for you with this team. You know what I mean? Like they they saw it right in front of them in right there in Soldier Field.
And maybe they're just hmm. Did you really ask Jared Goff to purposely fumble the ball during the process of creating this play? Ben, did that actually happen at that point? Yeah, I just it was just it's just a thought. And Jared quickly shot it down, which was entirely fine.
You know, but listen, you give them a general idea. You trust the guys to make it come to life. And they did. They took it and they ran with it. And really, it became one thought. And the guys just loved it.
And let's all the trick plays. They're great, especially when they work. So that's really the key to it all. And those guys took ownership of it. And, you know, they really felt empowered. And that's why all those things where I trust the heck out of all the guys that coach, too.
So we don't do anything if we don't feel really good about the success rate. Right. Hey, congrats on the gig, Ben. You know, if I had told let me get this right here. I don't know, because Wikipedia can be off sometimes.
Let's get this here. If I went up to the guy who worked at E.Tella next. Is that the name of where you worked before you got back into coaching, got into coaching?
Is that where you worked down in North Carolina in Durham? That sounds right. OK. If I told that guy he was going to be the head coach of the Chicago Bears one day, he would have told me what? He would say, who are the Chicago Bears? That's what that guy would have said. Is that really right? Is that what you would have said? Ben, for real?
That's how far out? No, no, no. I'm saying that's what the owner of E.Tella next would have said. Oh, you had that type of boss, huh?
Is that what you're saying? OK. But if I told you.
It's a different world there. If I had told you, though, you're sitting there working and you're you're you know, you left football and you're you know, you're wondering maybe what's going on in your life. And if I'm not mistaken, you were you already were you already married to your your wife? Your high school sweetheart? Were you already starting out in life?
Like, you know what I mean? We were together. We were together, but we had no no idea what was in store for us. We wanted adventure.
And I sold her on that. And so we hit the ground running up in Boston College down to Miami. We kind of been circling the world a little bit and we haven't looked back since. So it's a surreal journey. But it's this game. This game gives you so much that, man, it's such a blessing to have a job in this league. It's such such a blessing to be able to coach these players that it's not one I take for granted, especially having been out for for a little bit that I was after the Miami gig. You know, this is just this is. This is really special.
And it's pretty cool. You're the head coach of the Chicago Bears and you have a lot of people putting a lot of faith and hope in you. And and I look forward to watching you deliver. Coach, thanks for the time.
Appreciate that. Pleasure seeing you there. I'll see you in the combine. I'll see you in Indy.
Sounds good. You got it. That's Ben Johnson, the head coach of the Chicago Bears joining us here on the Rich Eisen Show. So Wikipedia was right. After college graduation, Johnson spent a year not in football, working instead as a software developer. And Durham, North Carolina, for the company E-Telenex. OK, and now he's the H.C. of the Chicago Bears.
Hey, everybody's journey starts somewhere. Hey, man, I worked overnight at Target. Oh, I mean, Kurt worked at the Hy-Vee. I was I worked at the Walbaums and, you know, I worked at, you know, Pathmark.
I wash dishes in the seafood restaurant on Long Island. Is that right? True story. That's the East Coast now. That's literally the year you're surrounded by water that makes it the coast.
Long Island, as you like to say. I crashed a cop car, so it's all good. See, why'd you have to go there? Now look at him. That's what happened.
He's in a similar position. I didn't crash a cop car. I crashed my own car, number one. Get it correct. Keep forgetting.
I didn't crash a cop car while I was working. Coach isn't watching, listening. As you know, he's already gone.
It's like, what are these idiots talking about? You delivered a baby, Mike? You've had it all.
No, no, but it's just, again, it's amazing. I just love stories like this. Yeah, me too. Origin stories are kind of my favorite.
Where, again, you know, you're just wondering and you're like, OK, I'll get into coaching. And as he said, you know, he sold his high school sweetheart on a journey. They go on the journey together.
And now they're as the family. Did you see that moment where he walked into Hallis Hall and everyone's, you know, on the second and third story, just giving him a round of applause? Like, OK, we're getting this guy from the Detroit Lions. It's fun. And I was just taking a stab there. Like maybe at some point, Ryan Polz is like, yeah, that play you ran against us.
You know, where Jared, you know, faked a fumble. And that that might be because, again, you know, we always use the silence of the lamps phrase. You cover what you see.
Yeah. And the Bears saw that. And boy, if they can just get Caleb Williams to play free and and have the idea of a construct of an offense around it. Because that's what who's one didn't. I think Kurt told that to Susie and Amy. No, it was it was Daniel Jeremiah who went on what the football and said that the Bears were doing Caleb Williams a disservice by with the scheme that they were having him run. And and Kurt Kurt's more of a Mike Martz guy.
You know, in the fact of. That offense and the way it worked and how it's knowing the defense, but no guys know where they need to be and he will not just read it pre snap and go, all right. These guys, I need to just look at one side of the field and that's it. Martz has just a different offense and sure enough. You know, the way that Mike played with Kurt, you look at the guys who. According to Wikipedia that he uses as his his coaching philosophy, he's cited his offensive scheme as being influenced by a bunch of people on the very end, you see Mike Martz. So if Kurt's like, I think he'd be better in a Martz system.
And now here comes potentially a system rooted in Martz. Just throwing this all out there for people is food for thought. Hey, Rich, next time coach calls in, which I'm sure will be soon. Yes. You got to bring up the the carry on rolling bag. Oh, I should have done that.
I completely forgot about until I dang it. And I want to interrupt it because we were saying, like, what gives right. Let's call him back. Yeah.
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I did not approve this, but you know, that's that's part of me delegating to you our social media grand maester. You put out on Instagram a photograph. It says breaking bears trading for Russell Wilson. And what's today's date? What's today's date? It is April 1st. And that is what? It is April Fool's Day.
So it's five minutes to air. My phone's on the desk and it's buzzing. And yeah, and I see it is, you know, it's it's it's Jeff Garland. And of course, you know, well, I connect with Jeff and he's very he's very upset. He's definitely one of the biggest bears fans that I know.
And he's always been very kind to show up on this show. I think he's very pissed off. As a matter of fact, I think he's not only so very pissed off that he cursed on our Instagram page in response. Yep. Yep. We have to we have to we have to black it out right there. Go fill in the blank yourself. I will have my revenge. Is the caller there? Is the caller there on the.
Jeff Jeff from Chicago. What's funny about it? Nothing's funny about it.
Nothing is funny about it. Not a thing. Let me tell you something.
I want to make this clear. Yes. Today is a beautiful, wonderful day. I had a delightful day filming Curb Your Enthusiasm.
I am in a great mood. And then our friend Doug Robinson text me. Yes. Capital.
Russell Wilson. He says, you know, Rich doesn't usually get the scoop out of the office. Well, that should have made me suspicious.
But no, I have so much respect for the rich eyes and show that I know that they have connections that nobody else has. That's true. Well, you know what, Rick, I'm not going to swear, but I got to tell you, you're a little social media boy. He's going to get it. T.J., you traded off our gravitas, our brand of being a trusted name.
And by the way, you're saying that kind of joke. But the reality is, you know, your show gets respect. Thank you. T.J., do you have anything to say to Jeff Garland? Yeah. Happy April Fools Day.
All right. Hey, T.J., you don't know what you brought down on yourself. You don't even have a clue. I'm ready for it. You know the powers that I have, especially in practical jokes. I'm going to nail you so hard. Pause. You know what? I hope you enjoy your testicles right now because they're going to disappear.
No, but I need them. Ah, yes. And as it turned out, Russell Wilson didn't go to the Bears. And Russell Wilson wound up playing with Justin Fields anyway. Crazy.
Black and gold. Here we go. This league is nuts, man. Yeah. It's crazy. There's nothing like it. I know the NBA is this, NBA is that, whatever's going on with Jimmy Butler and he's suspended again. And it's a total meltdown in Miami right now involving Jimmy Butler. Nothing compares.
Nothing compares. To you. OK. No one over the age of 25 knows that song. No one, no one, no one under the age of 30 knows that song. I mean, I'm playing in my audience. That's the first rule of performing. Nothing like a Sinead O'Connor reference to start us off at the third segment of Hour One. Back on the Rich Eisen Show, everybody. That was a Prince song first.
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Get a free quote at triethos.com. That's T-R-Y-E-T-H-O-S dot com. Matt in Virginia hanging on here on the Rich Eisen Show. What's up, Matt?
First in, first up. Hey, Rich. First time, long time. I've been listening to you since the Rich Eisen podcast.
Whoa! That's the story I wanted to get to at the end. Actually about Jeff Garland, something from about 12, 13 years ago when I was listening. But first I just wanted to say, born and raised the Skins football team, Commanders fan. I was born a month after their last Super Bowl win. I've known nothing but just heartache with football my whole life. I remember Sean Taylor's passing. I remember Big Daddy Wilkinson returned in an interception for 88 yards.
Daryl Green blocking for him. I remember Jim Zorn, everything. The worst times of my whole life have been with the Red Skins. But the whole community around here, if you're wearing burgundy and gold now, it really is true that they've awoken a sleeping giant.
I've never seen anything like it. The whole community is behind this team, and it's going to be a good one. I don't think anybody in this area has ever been this excited about sports, probably since the Caps or the Nats a couple years ago.
Well, I mean, Dan Quinn, I don't know if you're aware, during his press conference today, said that they just had their best Friday practice of the season is what he said. It's going to be a good one, Rich. I mean, I'm really looking forward to it. I mean, win or lose, our window is here. We've got at least a half-decade more control of Jayden Daniels, and I can't wait.
I mean, this is probably the worst this roster is going to look for the next five or six years, and it's pretty scary to think what we're going to do with all this Capra. You said you have the Jeff Garlin story. Is that what you said?
I do. So around spring 2013, Jeff Garlin was on your show. I think it was around the time the Goldbergs was starting, and he put out kind of a request to listeners that people keep changing his Wikipedia page, but it always gets reverted back to normal, and he challenged listeners to try to put something on that page that's going to stick. So what I did was I looked at his film roles. One of his first film roles ever was in RoboCop 3 called Donut Jerk. So I put a little one- or two-line thing in his Wikipedia page.
The way he was discovered for that role was by exiting a Krispy Kreme donut holding two dozen donuts, and a casting person on the set saw him, pulled him on, and said, hey, you'd be perfect for this role, and that's how he got the role. It's now been on his Wikipedia page for 12 or 13 years and has never been changed. Oh, it's a celebrity false.
Where is that? I'm on his page right now. His name was Donut.
It'll come up on some other random website as if it's, like, fact, and it's just a complete fabrication from listening to the Rich Eisen podcast. Yeah, as a matter of fact, Jeff Garlin's Krispy Kreme habit, he mentioned that on Conan, but yeah, Jeff Garlin as Donut Jerk in RoboCop 3. Yep. So you said that it's because he got Krispy- The story, I don't know, it's on Wikipedia still, but if you go to his career, and it's right there, it's one of the only things that doesn't have a hyperlink at the bottom, like a citation, and it just says- Here it is.
I have it. He had a small role- Two dozen donuts. Yeah, he had a small role on RoboCop 3 as Donut Jerk after a member of the casting crew saw him eating a donut while leaving Krispy Kreme with an additional two dozen donuts. That does not have any attribution. That's amazing.
Exactly. That was me on my phone driving cross country from Oregon to Virginia about 12 years ago. I was at a hotel room that night and just thought, you know what, I'm going to try to follow up with that and plug that in there, somehow got past the Wikipedia editors, and now over a decade later, it is somehow Wikipedia fact. Matt and Virginia, solid work out of you. Unreal. Thank you for the call, Matt. We'll tell Jeff about that. So that's a celebrity false.
Celebrity false. As put in by one of our Rich Eisen podcast listeners over 10 years ago. Back in the day. Shower curtain, let's go.
Damn. Fits in Dallas. You're here on the Rich Eisen show. You there, Fits?
Oh, gosh. What's up, Fits? What's up, bud?
Hey, nothing much. First of all, guys, I believe in prayer and just want to let you know I've been keeping you, your families, friends of mine out there and every other resident. Thank you. You know, in my prayers with respect to the fires. So just heartbreaking. I also want to give a shout out to a dear friend of mine who passed away earlier this week and his family. So Rob Merkland, his family, if they're listening. You know, prayers with you.
Sorry, got a little caught up. I heard that. Yeah.
Condolences. So I want to get Arias's consulting opinion on this. What do you guys I have a feeling that Jerry is going to make his announcement within the two week break of the Super Bowl.
Do you all have a problem with it? No. Mr. Brockman, could you tell me what the latest odds are?
And then, TJ, one last question. Who are you favoring? Well, you want Dion, right?
I mean, look, I don't think that's going to happen. I agree. So I'm it. If it's Kellen Moore or Brian Schottenheimer. I'm into the Schottenheimer thing, believe it or not.
You are. Yeah. You know, his dad, you know, he comes from a, you know, an all time great coach. I think we'd all say that about Marty Schonheimer.
So he's been coaching for, you know, well over two decades. So, you know, hey. OK, so you're you're coming around. I got no choice, bro. Appreciate the call, Fitz.
You know, appreciate it. We got 30 seconds before the end of the hard out. You got the odds over there, Chris?
They're from a few days ago, but Brian Schottenheimer was a big favorite, minus 250 at least. Looks like you're going to get him, T.J., because he. You know, he's he's been there. He gives you some continuity. Don't know if that's going to win the press conference in the same way Ben Johnson did in Chicago, but we'll hear from Tom Pellicero with the latest on all of that coming up in our number two. I'm far more concerned about winning games and pressers, though, because we have an owner who's going to win every presser anyway.
In terms of, you know, his dad did it. I wouldn't want me to teach a French class. True.
But but, you know, I haven't spent 40 my entire life in teaching French. True that. But now look at the flip side. Look where your seed is, your middle seed and see where he's going. He's following you. Are we talking about the NCAA tournament? Are you referring to my children as seed? Yeah, they're seeds. Aren't you from Strong Island?
This isn't the 512 matchup. Aren't you? You're from you're from Staten Island. That's home.
That's the language that they use at your seat. Yes. OK, my goodness, man, I got to teach you everything. All right. So, yeah, I'm not from the north shore of Staten Island. I'm from right in the middle of my point being that your son could potentially follow in your footsteps.
It's possible you couldn't have learned French, but he's learning all about sports, as we know. OK, so so let him let him coach the Dallas Cowboys. Listen, man, it's it'll be that would be a hire that nobody saw come in.
And who knows if it works? Honestly, that's the whole thing with these with these coaching hirings that you're like, oh, I love it. I think it's terrific.
Oh, no, I think that's terrible. They overreach. They don't know what the hell they're doing. OK. Dude, end of story in this regard is when the Yankees hired Joe Torrey, he was the retread of retreads, the retread of retreads.
Why are they doing that? They just had a brilliant young guy and Buck Showalter and you bounced him. So you're going to hire the retread of retreads and have Don Zimmer sit next to him? Worked out fantastic.
You bet it did turn out to be the perfect guy for the moment. Yada, yada, yada. He's in the Hall of Fame. Here's the thing, too. It only matters about the quarterback. If Dak doesn't get hurt, Mike McCarthy is probably still the head coach. Maybe so.
That's probably a fact as well. It's all about the QB and all these jobs. Drake may flops. Mike Vrabel is getting fired. That's just how it goes.
I don't think you're wrong. And Ben Johnson needs to make sure Caleb Williams does grow. Exactly. And does show some progress. Caleb flops in four years. Bears are going to have a new head coach. And everyone else.
The house will be clean like poltergeist. That's just the way it goes in this league. And I think Ben pointed that out in his press conference, man. It's a quarterback league. It's all that matters.
If he's good, you're going to be good. Case in point. Washington commanders. Right. And this is a preview of what we're about to discuss.
I mean, who's going to be Pete Carroll's guy in Vegas? No idea. And that's the question. You know, that is the question. And we'll talk about it in hour number two with you and Tom Pellicero. Don't go anywhere. The Inside of You podcast. Follow and listen on your favorite platform.
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