Hour 1: Bills Dramatic Press Conference Reactions, plus NFL Network’s Kurt Warner

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1:33Rich Eisen:From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Fernando Mendoza, the only social media site that he's on is LinkedIn. He basically told the Raiders, you're on the clock for me. Today's guests, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Kurt Warner. Host of Pro Football Talk, Mike Florio. Broadcasting legend, Bob Costas. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Well, hey, everybody. Welcome to this edition of The Rich Eisen Show. We are live on Disney+. We are live on the ESPN app, ESPN Radio, Sirius XM Channel 80. Hello to everybody that is out there taking us in. 844-204-RICH being that number to dial. Pleased to have a conversation with us.

2:18Rich Eisen:So much to discuss as the coaching carousel is spinning. Some pieces are landing. We've got Championship Sunday press conference day on this Wednesday. Everybody step into a podium to talk about the upcoming games for the right to play in Super Bowl 60 in both conferences. Whoever's talking and they say something compelling, we'll turn it around and play it for you. In between three guests, Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk right in the middle and two Hall of Famers around him. That's Kurt Warner first up in about 18 minutes time and Bob Costas in our number three. Bob will be joining us to talk about the new members of Cooperstown, the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and its voters announcing Carlos Beltran and Andrew Jones have garnered enough to be so enshrined.

3:08Rich Eisen:And it's the latest that makes you maybe scratch your head or you're saying it's the right stuff. And Bob also apparently has an axe to grind about NFL overtime. So I would stay tuned for that in hour number three. You also have the floor, as I mentioned, at 844-204-RICH, being that number to dial. Good to see you, Christopher Brockman. How are you? Hey, Rich. Good morning, my friend. TJ Mikey D is in his nuts. Mike Del Tufo in his chair. TJ Jefferson, good to see you over there, sir. Well, speaking of Bob, I want to welcome Lou Bob to the family of the New Yorkers. You want to explain what that hieroglyphics, verbal hieroglyphics actually means?

3:42Rich Eisen:What does that mean? Luis Roberts. Oh. Luis Roberts traded to the Mets. Okay. Isn't that lovely? Yeah. At least his team's doing something. That's right. trying making moves ours aren't doing making moves we'll talk uh obviously about free agency and who's signed and who's not and the dodgers owning half the planet um we're all playing for second really yeah speaking of speaking of uh if you're like me your timelines plural today have just been completely clogged with uh reactions to a new york billionaire speaking to the public and everybody wondering, what's he saying? From Switzerland all the way to Buffalo, New York.

4:26Rich Eisen:Basically.

4:30Let's stay in the sports lane for a moment.

4:34Rich Eisen:As your attorney, I advise that. Okay. As your comedy consultant, I got you. I know. Roll it with it. I'm fine. I have no opinion. I think I made my point. um terry pagula the owner of the buffalo bills very very rich man um and uh his new president of football operations and general manager brandon bean met with the media today just a couple days after surprising many by bouncing their highly successful after nine years head coach in sean mcdermott and in the same way that steve basciotti held a press conference and you're like hmm i didn't know uh steve had pretty much had enough of john harbaugh as much as um he was not letting on uh prior to letting john harbaugh go but boy uh john was pretty much toast there even though bashati was very emotional about parting ways with him and you know him basically saying uh hey if the kick had gone through the uprights would he have been the head coach there still uh for one more week says bashotti and in this way like hey if you had beaten the denver broncos would you still be the head coach there sean mcdermott and the answer obviously is yes you'd be ready for an afc championship game but you're still even wondering if that would have been enough based on Terry Pagula's demeanor and clearly still reeling from the loss in Denver and wondering if there would have been a loss in New England similar to the one in Denver if that would have been it for McDermott as well because it wasn't taking the Bills to the Super Bowl.

6:27Now, Pagula opened the press conference by mentioning McDermott's nine years

6:33Rich Eisen:of meritorious service. Didn't use the word admiral this time, but listen, he did say that this team has been left in a better spot due to McDermott. And then said this. My decision to bring in a new coach was based on the results of our game in Denver. I want to take you in the locker room after that game. I looked around. First thing I noticed was our quarterback with his head down, crying. I looked at all the other players I looked at their faces and our coaches I walked over to Josh he didn't even acknowledge I was there first thing I said to him I said that was a catch we all know what I'm talking about he didn't acknowledge me he just sat there sobbing he was listless he had given everything he had to try to win that game and looking around so did all the other players on the team

7:58I saw the pain in Josh's face at his presser and I felt his pain I know we can do better and I know we will get better

8:15Rich Eisen:now obviously emotions still running hot with the simultaneous catch that really was an interception as it was ruled on the field that he still feels it's a catch and i don't think anybody in buffalo new york's ever going to be told or believe differently about going to the ground it's a matter that joe burrow has come out and posted like that's as an obvious a call that they got right as possible. No one wants to hear from anybody right now. And that, you know, for Terry to be that raw emotionally, as you know, I always appreciate that. But you also need to get a little bit more here because if he said the first things to Josh Allen was that was a catch, and Allen might be so inconsolable that he's not even recognizing the presence of the man who signs the checks because he's so in his own head about his role in the loss how does that any of that have to do with Sean McDermott yeah nothing it's not McDermott's fault he's the one who actually fought for Buffalo stood up for Buffalo right how like this is all stuff that's out of McDermott's control so it's clear it's more than just this it's everything else i did not fire a coach based on a bad officiating decision if i can take you if i can take you into that locker room i felt like we hit the proverbial playoff wall uh year after year 13 seconds, missed field goals, the catch.

10:15So I just sensed in that locker room, like, where do we go from here with what we have?

10:26Rich Eisen:And that was the basis for my decision. it's just everything it's just i'm sick and tired of not making the super bowl so who's going to hold responsible he's going to hold the coach responsible and that's the end of that that's what it you know and so that then leads to the question about why are you elevating the general manager who has to have some role in this in the general sense of putting it all on josh he's got to wear the superman cape in order to get the bills as far as they get before the football gods seem to have a desire to keep kicking the bills and their mafioso fans in the in the nards um with brandon bean sitting right there he was asked about the roster and in keon coleman in particular and this is the one soundbite that is clanking all over the place like it was in Davos.

11:24And a lot of people out there believe you have failed in the free agent market, and that obviously with the Keon Coleman signing, which hasn't worked out, how do you answer the fact that you have not given Josh a good enough wide receiver thus far? Can I interrupt? I'll address the Keon situation. the coaching staff pushed to draft Keon I'm not saying Brandon wouldn't have drafted him but he wasn't his next choice that was Brandon being a team player and taking advice of his coaching staff who felt strongly about the player And, you know, he's taken, for some reason, heat over it and not saying a word about it.

12:19But I'm here to tell you the true story.

12:25Rich Eisen:Now, wow. Wow is appropriate. I understand what Terry Pagula was doing is to jump in and defend the resume and decision making of a guy who he trusts and really clearly loves in Brandon Bean. I understand he's like trying to own this on Brandon's behalf. Like I'm sick and tired of hearing how Brandon's not doing the right thing, not giving Josh enough, not this, that, the other thing. It's a collaborative thing. The coaches have something to do with it as well. I understand what he's doing, but now all that's done is denigrate a current player, denigrate a coach as he's going out the door, which you're trying not to do, and then now opening up to, hey, Brandon, how many of those picks are yours?

13:13Rich Eisen:Hey, how many are McDermott? And by the way, if Keon Coleman starts balling out next year, you can say the new coach was part of the reason to unlock him. But good thing McDermott stood his ground in that draft room and pounded the table for him. Like, it just opens so much up to questioning what is going on around there. You know, and if he's trying to cape for Brandon Bean, all the owners should know is like you elevating him shows that you've caped for him he'd let him handle his own business and answer and keep everything else in house you've opened a massive can of worms and he interrupted again in another moment where bean was asked if this was a power play meaning you know hey you have the owner's ear and mcdermott clearly didn't and so there's a perception maybe in western new york that Brandon Bean pulled a power play on the coach, and now he's still there.

14:17Rich Eisen:Coach isn't. Pagula hopped in in the middle of Bean's answer again. Can I help you about the power play part of that? I'm the kind of guy, if I sense you're on a power play, you're out. I don't like power play people. We have an organization that we work together, but any sense at all that he was on a power play, he would have been gone because that's not my kind of person. And Joe, like, that's hurtful to even hear that or say that. Like, I worked 19 seasons starting as an intern in Carolina and worked my way up. I came here, and I've never tried to do that. I would love for anyone who's making that accusation to walk in these doors and ask any person, player, coach, trainer, anyone.

15:16Like people can disagree with draft picks that I make or people I sign or I screwed up the wide receivers, whatever it is. Like those are harmful, harmful things that, you know, I walk in the door and my wife's got tears coming down her face for stuff like that.

15:40and I'm going to damn try hard to win a Super Bowl. Here I am. But for somebody to question my character like that is BS. And I've never done that.

15:54Rich Eisen:I mean, this was a really intense press conference. It's really intense. And then the last one, again, roping Allen into all this, Was he part of the firing? Was he consulted? He didn't have any input at all. I didn't talk to Josh about this. I talked to him afterwards, and that conversation will stay private, but he had no input in it. Pagula did say later that Allen will have a say on the new coach, which may be part and parcel of the news you're hearing today that we'll talk about with Mike Florio later on that Brian Dable has been requested to interview. It was the guy who was in his ear before the Giants took him with Joe Shane from the system in Western New York saying, come here.

16:48Rich Eisen:And Joe Shane is now in the same spot as Brendan Bean where he's kept other coaches gone and everybody in the media is like, really? Fair or not, that's the world that everyone lives in up there in Western New York. And everything I hear here about this, hard feelings, bitter feelings, you know, and tears from quarterbacks to clearly general manager and president of football operations spouses that they got to get this next coaching hire right. Duh, obviously. But they got to get this one right. because the previous guy left a mark, nine years of success, just not enough success, obviously, and then a pissed-off owner who's pissed off about the way he's running his business.

17:44You know?

17:46Rich Eisen:I don't know. This is probably too soon, but I'll go there anyway, Mike. I'm sorry. Hoskins are Buffalo Bills mafioso. Not liking power plays. Is that the hockey team, too? honestly I don't know if there's people up there in western New York that have just had enough

18:03Rich Eisen:enough and needing better and obviously Pagula is somebody who wants to bring a cup and a Lombardi to that town and they got to get this one right because there's a lot of people there questioning decision making now from above the coaching spot because the guy who just got bounced so many people think was a culture guy and it's been there and done that and hasn't been sure the results getting over the hump but the fact that he bears the entire brunt is unfair and there's a lot of again emotions going on there getting the coaching right where the fan bases all pulling in the same direction. I think at the end of the day, Bills Mafia will do so because they love their team and there's a new stadium coming.

18:51Rich Eisen:There's going to be a lot of excitement and new excitement if they get this hire right and then get the drafts right. Because right now, everybody's calling through the last draft choices of Brandon Bean saying, which one's yours and which one isn't? And why aren't the ones that are yours that didn't work out, not receiving the same scrutiny as Keon Coleman is? From the boss. I don't think I'm mincing any words here, am I? That's my takeaway from all this. You know, the Bills fans are all going to row in the same direction with the new coach and the new stadium and the same owner and now the new president of football operations when it's all said and done.

19:33Rich Eisen:It's going to be a big crucial draft in Pittsburgh, just down the road, just down the road. and if they get this coaching hire right then everything we just talked about over the last 17 18 minutes will be just like okay that was weird let's not do that again and if not it'll be like how much weirder can it get around here and there's at least one massive antidote of weird and his name is josh allen because that guy's just flat out normal which is what his reaction was after the game a normal reaction did you pick up the fact that he said he wasn't acknowledged more than once but like no i think but again like like no i here's how i would take that again tj because i understand the way you're receiving it it's like i'm the owner you need to acknowledge my presence here is that he was in such despair the guy that is the beacon of hope for the town and the franchise and everything else he's in such despair that he's not even recognizing what's happening i've got to do something here coach is gone that I saw that's how I'm taking that but I understand how you might take it now my second question to you is this I've always heard this from very successful businessmen that you never make decisions based upon emotion right there it seemed to me and maybe I'm off that that was an emotional decision feels like it which is why he said I wasn't doing it off of a cover of a bad call I was doing it off of a missed kick 13 seconds and over let's just the results weren't there.

21:05But

21:06Rich Eisen:your responses are what I'm seeing quite a bit in my timeline. They match a lot of what you just gave voice to. Kurt Warner next, right here on the Rich Eisen Show. Don't you go anywhere. Who better to ask about Jared Stidham's readiness than Mr. Magic Carpet Ride himself? The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.

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23:19Rich Eisen:Hosting on Airbnb just feels smart. Your home may be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host. Hall of Famer Kurt Warner here on the Rich Eisen Show. All right, in terms of Jared Stidham, Kurt Warner, we're going to rally around you right now and try and get an answer about how well you think he's going to play and what must be going through this young man's mind with an opportunity and a magic carpet ride, albeit just two games worth, sitting right there in front of him to jump on. Kurt? Yeah, I mean, obviously, you know, you want to reference back to my situation and you hate the injury part of it and what it means for the individual and for your team from that perspective.

24:06You're excited about the opportunity as well to have the opportunity to get out there and showcase what you can do. I mean, for Jared, I mean, in this situation with a chance to punch your ticket and start in a Super Bowl, it's pretty incredible. I don't know. I don't know. I haven't seen anything like this before. But with all that being said, I think there is a great deal of pressure on him. You know, when I took over, there was, of course, a lot of pressure on me, but it was more personal pressure, you know, than team and organizational pressure at that time. My pressure was, hey, you better perform well or this may be the last opportunity you have to ever play.

24:50His pressure is, OK, we got all the way here. We lost our starter. This is a chance for the Super Bowl. You know, this whole team has worked to get to this point, have home field advantage. And now all eyes are going to be on him. And not that it's right or wrong, but if he doesn't come in and play well, that's going to be the major thing that people look at and go, this is why they didn't go to the Super Bowl. And not that it's his fault because he's a backup and hasn't played in a couple of years, all of that. But that will be the narrative that we talk about. you know if anything happens in this game or if he doesn't play great in this game that's going to be the narrative and so that is a whole nother level of pressure to deal with and so you know it's a completely different situation from me although you know you understand that getting thrust in there and you know he's been there a couple years and so he knows the offense he knows what they're asking him to do, which is, again, when I took over, I felt very comfortable.

25:55I felt great in the offense. I felt like I could go in and perform at a high level, and the coaches weren't afraid to give me the opportunities to play. And so that, to me, is going to be the interesting part of this narrative. It's not just how he plays, but how does the team play? How does Coach Payton call this game for him? You know, he was up on the podium saying, I got great confidence in Jared and what he can do and just watch and just wait. But a lot of that will be shown by how does he come out in this game? You know, how did they play early? Does he give him opportunities to push the ball down the field or call plays that are, you know, that are supposed to push the ball down the field and make some of those plays early?

26:40or does he manage this game like I've seen him do with Bo a number of times and specifically early in Bo's tenure where it's a lot of bubble screens and a lot of quick designed throws and completions early, allowing everybody else to kind of do the work as opposed to the quarterback and leaving it to the defense. So I'll be interested to see how that part of it plays out. But make no mistake, there is a lot of pressure here on Jared Stidham in this moment just because of the magnitude of what it means for the other 52 in the locker room

27:12Rich Eisen:yes it's a great point Kurt that you know you had the full season to get to the point thankfully for you and your teammates to get to the NFC championship game and by the way face the Buccaneers with all those future Hall of Famers on the other side of the line of scrimmage and he's just like it's all supercharged it's all just the now it's kind of like our our current generation i want it now i want to go to the super bowl now well you're you actually have the chance and i guess the other difference too is uh sean payton wasn't crying about losing bo nicks like your coach just crying about losing trent green right right yeah like i said i i know he was crying because he lost trent i don't know if he was also crying because i had to go in like there was a whole bunch of things going on there i don't ask the question on why exactly he was crying.