Hour 1: Cowboys-Cardinals Reactions, plus Ravens RB Derrick Henry

0:00Rich Eisen:Heat up your 4th of July at The Home Depot with our wide variety of grills under$300 and make every gathering one to remember. Give your outdoor space a glow up. Whatever your budget is, with savings on seasonal plants starting at$5. With the grill fired up and your backyard set to perfection, you'll be able to invite friends and family over to kick off the party. Start celebrating with low prices guaranteed at The Home Depot. Prices may vary by store. Exclusions apply. See Home Depot.com slash price match for details. Laminya Maul steps into McDonald's, looks left, sees Pulisic, looks right, sees Jimenez.

0:35Gives a nod to Ronaldinho in the corner with a FIFA World Cup meal. Ronaldinho sees Son in the booth. Son finds Beckham going for extra Big Mac sauce. He's got Davies at the table just behind him. Davies going for his collectible cup. A steal by Henri, who pulls his own collectible cup. Collect one of nine legendary cups with a FIFA World Cup meal.

0:55Rich Eisen:At participating McDonald's for a limited time. While supplies last. All rights reserved. 2026 McDonald's. at FIFA World Cup 2026. This is The Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. 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. How about the Cowboys? It will address our shortcomings.

1:36From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. He may want to cancel that trade. I don't think one player from what I've seen tonight is going to make a difference. Today's guests. Ravens running back, Derrick Henry. North Texas quarterback, Drew Mestermaker. Chargers safety, Derwin James. And now, it's Rich Eisen.

2:00Rich Eisen:That's correct. Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show, live on Disney +, live on the ESPN app, live on ESPN radio, presented by Progressive Insurance, Sirius XM, Channel 80. We're live on our podcast whenever you choose us to be live. That's the beauty of taking us in however you do that every single day, wherever you get your podcasts. We say hello to anybody who might be watching on our YouTube channel later on. because you like catching up on stuff that you miss here. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. Good to see you over there, Christopher Brockman. How are you? Rich, what's up, man?

2:32Rich Eisen:I'm great. Fresh back from the parade. Mike DelToon. Yes, what a blast. That was such a great parade. What a great parade. I think you know which drop that you're about to play, correct? Mike, do you know this? Hang on a second. You had no idea? No, there's no because. TJ Jefferson, the candle's lit over there. Good to see you. How about them? How about them, Cowboys? That's right. The candles lit. Larry Jones' sweet mate. The candles lit, and yet there's no light. I can't explain it. Isn't that ironic? Just sign the paper over. It's like rain on your wedding day. TJ, you can change teams. Didn't think I'd go Alanis Morissette to start the program, but hey, it's a crazy world.

3:08Rich Eisen:I'm not surprised. Nine weeks into the National Football League season. Listen, you know, I usually don't like taking this bait. I don't. I really don't. because the Arizona Cardinals just won for the first time since a damn near feels like last year. They had a highly impressive victory. They went into Dallas, the Metroplex on Monday night, and thumped the Cowboys. Thumped them. A thorough thumping, I might add. I'd say a different word. In almost every phase. I mean, they did have a punt blocked. But when you lose the Dallas Cowboys, you kind of take a backseat. certainly when the Cowboys are at a crossroads of their season.

3:53Listen, you know, I always like seeing a glass half full around here.

4:01Rich Eisen:I always try to be that sunny disposition individual giving you the nuance, not the hot takes, not the it only can be this or that. There's no in between this or that. There just isn't. it's just one way or the other in the sports world i don't like doing that i don't so and that's why people like you i appreciate that tj i appreciate that um that's why i came on the air a couple weeks ago before the dallas cowboys were going into denver after beating the washington commanders at home and saying listen um there's a path to them winning this division because the philadelphia eagles aren't that far in front of them and the eagles are about to take on the giants right and you know maybe the Giants could pull off their first sweep of the Eagles since 2007 but even if not I said all Dallas had to do is win in Denver because they have a Monday nighter at home against Arizona which hadn't won since it felt like since 2024 and then they have a buy and then they have a Monday nighter at Vegas before the Eagles come to town and the Eagles are taking on the Giants before they have a buy while they're taking on Arizona on a Monday night And then they come back on a Monday night at Green Bay and then home for Detroit on a Sunday night.

5:20Rich Eisen:And if all those results come in, Dallas would be able to welcome in Philadelphia to their house with a chance to win and, you know, either get within a half game of Philadelphia or even leapfrog them. That's what needed to happen. And all that had to happen was, you know, winning in Denver to start it. and Denver um what's the words for it laid it on thick on the Cowboys and um rendered Dak inoperative and this is a guy that had MVP numbers written all over him and he winds up with his lowest passer rating of the year and his fewest passing yards for the year and then led to his head coach talking about how offensive stats can be placed where the sun doesn't shine.

6:15None of us have done good enough. You know, I mean, coaches, players, head coach, none of us have done good enough. That's real. I mean, our scorecard is what it is, you know. And that's not just, you know, defensively, that's offensively. You know, we're a football team. That's 3-4-1. You can take the stats on offense and as far as I'm concerned, I mean, is what it is. We want to win, you know, and people talk about MVP and this and that. Dak Prescott doesn't want to win MVP. You know, he wants to win a Super Bowl, and that's what we want to win. And we're not there yet. We've not played that consistently well enough to certainly be in that discussion.

6:49But it doesn't mean the journey stops. It certainly doesn't stop.

6:52Rich Eisen:It's just you get more focused, you get more intentional, and we've got to do it together. Well, the journey stopped last night on a dime when their only touchdown deep into the game was a special teams one. Because the offense is still in that spot where the sun is not shining. Arizona did a terrific job on defense last night and let their quarterback play in Jacoby Brissett outshine that of Dak. because Dallas's defense has issues, to say the least. And they come up with 10 points on offense, just 10 points on offense, fewest this season. They averaged 30 points a game in the previous eight weeks, and that included what happened in Denver last week.

7:44Rich Eisen:They lose at home for the first time all year, which gives you shades of the previous few years where they had trouble in that building. They're now 3-5-1. They are now deep down the NFC standings.

8:01Rich Eisen:And you've got to wonder where this season is going other than a lost season for the Dallas Cowboys. They're on a bye. Yes, as I laid it all out, Philadelphia has two very tough games before they visit Dallas. Dallas has that bye, and then they go visit Vegas, which you can chalk up like, yeah, hey, that sounds like a win, but I don't think you can chalk a thing up for the Dallas Cowboys right now. No. You certainly can't. And then after Philadelphia, look at the stretch after Philadelphia. There's the Thanksgiving game against the Chiefs. Then they visit Detroit on a Thursday night after the Lions and Cowboys, as we know, play on Thanksgiving.

8:43Rich Eisen:So they'll have a full complement of rest to kick off week 14. A home date against the Vikings. who I'm assuming is just going to keep improving, but we all know it about assumptions. And then, you know, a home date with the Chargers before they visit Washington and New York to finish it. This certainly doesn't look like, TJ, you're going to get your NFC Championship game drought finished, and it certainly doesn't look like a division championship, and they'll be lucky to make the playoffs. Playoffs? I understand. You can laugh all you want. I mean, 3-5-1 is still in the mix. Crazier things have happened.

9:21Rich Eisen:but, you know, two fumbles lost on offense by your terrific tight end and your terrific running back. You know, Ferguson and Williams put it on the ground, lost them. I mean, they're 3-5-1, one-half game in front of the Cardinals who now have a tiebreak on them. They're 11th in the conference. and you know Dak had this to say about the offense still being in a darkness retreat if I had that answer we wouldn't be struggling to be honest with you and not to

10:01yeah not to leave it at that but that's what this bye week is for we've got to figure it out me personally hope everybody on this team individually and I know for sure as a staff in an organization. It's going to be about how can we improve and fix these last two weeks that are nowhere close to anything that we want to be.

10:18Rich Eisen:Well, that's one to root for, by the way, as we all know.

10:26Rich Eisen:Maybe the pressure's on them because they know the defense is going to give up a ton of points. And Jerry Jones went on, I believe, Stephen A's Sirius XM radio show before he gave Stephen A. some free food and drink in his suite and said that a trade was made, but we haven't. Stay tuned tomorrow. And Jerry did the same thing after the game last night. We still can? Yes. It wasn't dependent on this outcome? Again, again, understand what I said. Absolutely, we'll see how tomorrow goes. Today was all about tomorrow. You shouldn't do anything. You should wait and see what we do tomorrow. Well, tomorrow is today.

11:12Rich Eisen:And yesterday, when today was tomorrow. I think I got that right. My troubles seem so far away. We were saying, hey, this trade, you know, probably is not going to turn the tide. Even Troy Aikman watching last night when Jacoby Brissett was dicing up the Cowboys defensively. whatever that trade is they should reverse it Troy said because one trade's not going to help anything and I thought to myself and again this is why I'll have such a sunny disposition what if our conversation from earlier in the day is right and it's Jeffrey Simmons you know why I know that wasn't going to happen which is what you said yesterday during the show when today was tomorrow but today is today and that was yesterday and and now today is today and you know your spidey sense was uh accurate a little bit well i mean today is still not over no so Simmons could wind up in Dallas yeah less than four hours and we'll keep an eye on everything oh yeah throughout this three-hour program that's now 10 minutes underway and Derek Henry's about to join us but listen um uh TJ It is, in fact, a defender coming to Dallas.

12:35Rich Eisen:His name is Logan Wilson. And all the Cowboys had to do is just flip a seventh in next year's draft to Cincinnati. And they send a linebacker to Dallas. And he's a 29-year-old who was a third-rounder in the 2020 draft. good enough for the for the Bengals to actually open up their Velcro wallet and and give him a four-year 36 million dollar deal in 2023 he's had 100 tackles in each of the last four seasons but he lost playing time this year to Barrett Carter who was a fourth rounder selected in this year's draft out of clemson i believe so i don't know how this is going to land um he could turn into um with dallas i believe jerry jones as you know he always likes selling you the old ice in winter um because he's a salesman we all know that um he compared on uh he compared he said on 105 three the fan he compared wilson to leighton van deres a pro bowler and fan favorite so who knows right no laugh all you want man crazy things have happened the only issue is again optics optics optics which is you know what the cowboys are accused of always being concerned about optics over the winds jerry admitted much steven hey i've been telling you that for five years and the optics doesn't look great where he's conducting interview with the wall street journal and he's like i got a hundred million dollar oil deal hundred billion hundred billion dollar oil deal i'm sorry i didn't mean to downgrade it which is just it doesn't it doesn't sound great when the cowboys fans are like wait a minute i thought you're all about the cowboys as if this man can't multitask um but you know he's got people to figure out the trades while he can figure out the hundred billion dollar deal and but even that even that the optics is if i had given you the dallas cowboy fan the one team you wouldn't want defensive help from in the national football league out of the other 31 franchises in the national football give me the one team you could say yeah we're good not named trey hendrickson i was gonna okay um i i'll take uh i'll say who are the cincinnati bengals you see what i'm saying because uh numbers don't lie either, nor does the eye on the sky.

15:25Rich Eisen:The Dallas Cowboys defense could use the help for sure. They are 31st in the league in total defense, just a hair shy of 398 yards per game, and scoring defense just a hair shy of 31 points per game. Junior's 32nd in the NFL in those categories. I'm going to say the Cincinnati Bengals? So Logan Wilson is just upped himself by one. I mean, I don't mean to poke fun or anything like that. Well, it seems like you do. I mean, I do. No, this kid could show up and ball out. He could show up and ball out. Sure. Like I said, crazier things have happened. That would be it. You know, change of scenery works for quarterbacks.

16:06Rich Eisen:Why not linebackers? Yeah, when I heard Cincinnati, I was like, yeah, Trey. No, Logan. Okay. I mean, honestly, the one team that you're like, and you flip a seventh. And again, Logan Wilson can work out. He's had 100 tackles in the last four years. He is just 29 years old. He is also under contractual control to the point where the Cowboys feel like this is that has value as well. There's I'm not saying this is valueless. No, but I'm just saying that here's a team that famously, historically, I just told you a stat from a did you know that ended our first hour yesterday, that they're the first team to lose back-to-back games when they score 38 points and give up a certain number of yards with zero takeaways.

17:08Rich Eisen:First team in the history of the NFL where they're like,

17:16Rich Eisen:your playing time is cut because we think you can't be helpful to help us. And they're that bad. And that's the guy the Cowboys are like, sold. Sold. We'll take him. Maybe it can work out. i'm just saying this season looks lost again right now it's only nine games in they've got eight more to go kind of looks like they got to win at least seven of them to make the playoffs in this conference where you look at everything one more time with the nfc standings the eagles of course sit back on their bye week and watch everyone else lose around them and so they're atop the conference entering their game against green bay which falls to four in a highly competitive nfc north the nfc west just got a little tighter where the cardinals are raising their hands saying don't forget about us and they're just a half game behind the cowboys at 11 i mean the lions are the ones that are the closest to anybody in the sniffing it category and they're five and three and i think they're way better than that this just reeks of lost season again and if i'm the cowboys i know you won't like it and i know that everybody else in dallas doesn't like the optics of what's going on nor the record but they keep showing up over and over and over again they keep they don't vote with their feet or their wallet it doesn't appear and so if i'm the cowboys i don't do anything the rest of the day I don't do a darn thing the rest of the day.

18:59Rich Eisen:Do I not? Serious people. Exactly. Exactly. It is a succession, isn't it? It is. At some point. Yeah. Good call, Mickey. So, I just don't know if anything that they do. I kind of feel like what Troy Aikman said is just like, Jerry should reverse the trade that he's sitting on right now. getting ready to reveal it like Logan Wilson's going to show up on camera with all sorts of hats in front of him and pick it like he's a five-star recruit that we're all on the edge of our seat, how it's going to turn the Cowboys season around. It doesn't look like it right now. That's how demoralizing I thought that loss was last night.

19:44Rich Eisen:But let's take a break. I can't wait to hear your thoughts, TJ. Those are mine. Derrick Henry's waiting. Let's get to him. Derrick Henry's waiting, was 1-5, now 3-5. They take off, I mean, Ravens at Vikings is a massive Week 10 football game. Huge. You know how happy he is that the Cowboys didn't make a move for him last year? Well, I mean, listen, Javante Williams is running the football very well. They're not the reason why they're 3-5-1. I mean, the fumble last night certainly hurt when they were already a possession down 17, team not going for the field goal but going for fourth down not getting it keeping it a three possession game they're already a possession down with that sequence they couldn't afford to lose any more after that derrick henry's on this program you know what we're going to be fair and balanced oh yeah because there is a terrific football story in the state of texas uh the north texas quarterback drew mestemaker is maybe the best college football player you haven't heard of and his with the best college football story or football story of making something of out of yourself that you haven't heard of either we heard about it and we're like let's get him that was last week and then he went and beat navy for north texas to be now eight and one and by the way just to give you a little hint this guy before getting the start in last year's bowl game because the North Texas quarterback transferred to Virginia.

21:19Rich Eisen:He balled out in that game and then he got that starting job this year and prior to that bowl game he hadn't started a game since ninth grade at quarterback. He was a safety and an all-district punter and walked on at North Texas and look at him now. He's coming up in hour number two. Derwin James in our number three for the Los Angeles Chargers, our neighbor across the way. Yes. As both Los Angeles football teams currently have six wins and hoping to give Mike Del Tufo another day off for a parade. Yes. Like yesterday. 844-204-RICH-NUMBER-DOLLATS and also an overreaction Monday on a Tuesday. And we've got breaking news with trades to tell you about throughout this three-hour show as well.

22:14Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.

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22:54Rich Eisen:But you know what it's like dealing with the travel. The airport is packed. Hotels are booked up. Restaurants all busy. And when you have that kind of influx of visitors in your city, a lot of them are searching for a place that feels a little bit more like home during their trip. That's why this can be a smart time to think about listing your own space on Airbnb. If you've got plans to be away this summer, consider listing your space on Airbnb while you're gone and earn some extra cash. It's simple. You're already traveling, so your place doesn't just sit empty while your city is busy. And from my experience on the road, having a comfortable home base can change the whole experience of a trip.

23:32Rich Eisen:So whether it's a big sports weekend, a concert series, or a major event coming to your area, this could be the right time to list your space on Airbnb. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host. MLB.tv on ESPN is your home for every out-of-market game, live or on demand. Catch your favorite teams and players, plus MLB Network and ESPN app features like Multiview, syncing your stats, key plays, bets, and fantasy all in one place. Sign up now for MLB.tv in the ESPN app. Separate subscriptions required, blackouts, and other terms apply. Visit stream.espn.com slash MLB TV for more information.

24:20Rich Eisen:Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, everybody. 844-204-RICH, number to dial on ESPN Radio, presented by Progressive Insurance. Derek Henry's about to join us, but TJ, I would be remiss if I did not give you a minute or two. what is going through your mind as a Dallas Cowboy fan at 3-5-1 today? Are you just numb? Are you comfortably numb? Are you page-turned? What are you right now? I'm checking the text messages because I think it's 6.09 and a half hour time. The shot of PM. It had to be 9 Eastern. The shot of Jerry and Stephen A. popped up on the screen. By 6.10. I'd taken that screenshot. Sent it to the group chat.

25:00and said every day I get close to the signing that yes paper uh yeah you have your number one op right the person who talks the most trash about you your team your fan base who has made a living off of just disparaging you you're number one op and you have them in your suite hanging with you that's like LeBron having Skip in his suite right that's like Allen Iverson having a suite and hey tim donahue come on in you know like it's i don't know man but but just so you know tj as i hold the

25:37Rich Eisen:release of fandom paper that is still waiting for your signature um that stephen a and and jerry like are our friends like jerry knows that what stephen a is doing and stephen a knows what jerry's doing and they yeah because they can still respect each other but i understand you as a fan again that's the whole thing i was mentioning he's talking trash about me every time a microphone's in his face. And yet, here you go. You're going to allow this dude up into your palatial suite, which I've been in. And let me tell you, it was a good time. But yeah, as a fan, I can speak for Monica. But outside of that, outside of outside of.

26:11Well, outside of that, what else can you say? Like, I told you we were going to lose to Denver earlier, right? Because they always have our number. Told you guys we're going to lose this game. There was like no shock to me because like, you have hope, right? You said you were seeing the cup as half full. Nah, man. I think us as a fan base, we see it for what it is. This team isn't serious. We traded, our big move was trading for a player who played the same position as the player we traded. Well, I mean, you gotta fill

26:43Rich Eisen:the spot somehow. Yeah, we could have kept the spot as it was. That's true. Now we've got a spot that's less fortified, less strong than the spot that was already there. I don't even allow, I'm not gonna sign the paper and I'll tell you why. because it's not worth investing as much into another team as I've invested in. What am I going to do? Spend all my time learning about their history and their players. It's not even worth it. They can help you. There's AI for them. Yeah. But, you know, it's like you said, you brought up numb. I am numb. I can sit there and watch them now and shake my head without allowing it to, like, ruin my night anymore.

27:23That's where I'm at. Man.

27:25Rich Eisen:Resigned but not signing. Yeah, what's the point? Okay, very good. Because here's the deal. With my luck, I'll pick another team and then they'll end up sucking. I ain't got 40 years left, I don't think. Well, let's knock on wood. You don't want to tell us how old you are, so I can't. One more time. I hate this team. I don't need to stop on it. I'm sorry. That young man from New Jersey speaks for a lot of people. And if I could speak to him, get out, bro, and it's not worth it. You have a long life ahead of you. Well done, TJ Jefferson. Let's turn to our friend right now, back on the Rich Eisen Show, courtesy of State Farm.