Hour 1: Rams-49ers Reactions, plus NFL Insider Tom Pelissero

0:01Rich Eisen:This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required.

0:22Tom Pelissero:Compatibility and availability varies 18+.

0:26Rich Eisen:As soccer takes center stage this summer, Comcast helps bring the experience home to America as the exclusive Spanish language home of the tournament in the U.S. Telemundo is set to present its most expansive coverage ever 700 hours of programming live on-site presence at all 104 matches and with multi-view and real-time 4K Xfinity will deliver the most innovative and immersive sports viewing experience for fans watching on Telemundo, Peacock, Fox and FS1 Learn more at ComcastCorporation.com 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.

1:05Rich Eisen: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 richeisenshow and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. This is The Rich Eisen Show. From the Rich Eisen Show's studio in Los Angeles. Today's guests, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr., actor and comedian Jeremy Piven, and now it's Rich Eisen. okay welcome to this friday edition of the rich eisen show and as i always shoot you straight coming straight on the air to let you know uh my lower back has reached the taking steroids face uh of all of this stuff so it's i am this is a performance enhanced edition of the rich eisen show everybody can you send some of those my way um i don't know i don't know if i i can spare a square uh at any rate uh call us at 844-204-RICH number to dial uh we're here on disney plus not usually disney plus information uh the espn app everywhere and espn radio presented by progressive insurance we're on sirius xm channel 80 we say hello to our podcast listeners you're just as important as those who listen to us live and we say hello to everybody who likes to maybe catch up on stuff on our youtube channel uh our interview with our celebrity true or false with charlie sheen is taken off there on uh on the old youtube machine oh it was a fun a third hour yesterday um and today jeremy piven's gonna be dropping by we're gonna go down some memory lane with him uh entourage heat um the larry sanders show uh he's uh coming in support of his new stand-up tour so jeremy piven in hour number three is also a bears fan they're on a bye week we chatted with roman dunze the other day uh with xavier worthy and jackson smith and jigba on thursday and then uh today travis etn of the jacksonville jaguars taking on the kansas city chiefs in the final game of uh week five on monday night football on these families of networks uh of the wonderful world of disney good to see you over there chris brockman how are you rich and what's up i'm what's up i'm great what's up are you sure i'm actually not great i mean i i switched my survivor pick in a couple pools to the rams i started them in fantasy uh and then uh i don't think there was a baseball game yesterday so i'm good there uh yeah not great we might hit that on this program not great good to see you the jay felly how are you what's up rich good to see you what's up and then a man who stopped following baseball earlier this week good to see tj jefferson how are you well apparently there was an explosion about four miles from my house last night i know crazy slept through it oh good for you oh my goodness good for you oh my god well It's on brand because you slept through it because the Mets slept through most of September.

4:11Rich Eisen:So that's great. Good to see you over there, TJ. Oh, I'm on fire today. Wow. That was so unnecessary. I'm on steroids. I'm on fire. Thank you very much. I just got an email from Disney. You're getting suspended for two weeks for steroids. That's okay. It's okay. It's okay. I can't believe it. It's okay. I'm on a regimen. That's going to last into the London week. I'm telling you that. I'm just saying what the mouth is saying. Traveling international. Okay. yeah right let me tell you something guys let me tell you something everybody the san francisco 49ers are a revelation officially uh you know i knew i i said over the the um summer that i needed to see it from the niners before i could believe it and what i'm seeing i cannot believe they are like the the dark knight of monty python's holy grail one after another losing one limb and just saying it's just a flesh wound as they sit there in a bloody mass on the floor and you're thinking well that's the way that one goes and they are not dead they are the opposite of not dead yet they are quite alive right now leading the nfc west through five weeks having not one not two but three of those five wins being division wins and two of them being on the road at seattle and now at the rams which are the two one would think toughest places for them to go and win certainly when in week one they're without George Kittle halfway through.

5:34Rich Eisen:They don't have Ayuk at all. We're wondering where they're going to get some of this production now that Debo is in Washington. And Brock Purdy finds a guy named Jake Tonjes in the end zone. And guess who scored another touchdown last night? Jake Tonjes. This one from Mac Jones. And of the five wins of the 49ers, not one, not two, but three have come courtesy of Mac Jones. who who's like the undertaker coming off of the mat let me tell you something let me tell you something mac jones i saw mac jones finish as a quarterback of the new england patriots and be finished as such as well i called the game in frankfurt you sure did where he threw not one but two footballs directly at indianapolis colts to the point where belichick's like we we've got a we got a zappy this guy and they did it was the bailey zappy show after that and yada yada yada belichick was no longer coach of the new england patriots mac jones fell completely apart the minute josh mcdaniels took the job in vegas and the uh the mac jones project was left in the hands of this is crazy to say this about the greatest nfl coach of all time um belichick Joe Judge and Matt Patricia.

6:53Rich Eisen:Well, they ruined him. Well, he definitely, I will never forget it, seeing that. And I'm like, what happened to the guy who was gritting all over the Pro Bowl after his rookie season? That guy wasn't in Germany. That guy wasn't with the Patriots. That guy is with the San Francisco 49ers. And they are 4-1. They are a revelation. they are playing lights out football on the defensive side of things as well all you would hear from a 49er fan in the same way that matt jones wasn't the same the minute josh mcdaniels took a head coaching job elsewhere the san francisco 49er fans every single one of them will tell you the defense wasn't the same the minute robert sala left to take a head coaching job elsewhere as well look who's back look who's balling out look who stopped the rams on the goal line in regulation as karen williams is getting set to score his third touchdown of the night but first on the ground ball popped out recovered they go three and out to make the rams burn all their timeouts rams force overtime the niners get the ball first in overtime stop me if I've heard that one before.

8:12Rich Eisen:And they score just three. Stop me if you've heard that one before. And then the Rams march down the field in overtime with another, you know, one shot to Puka, one shot to Devontae, and then a big shot to Tutu Atwell. That's the way it's been going. Ask the Colts how it went with Tutu Atwell last week, and then four out, four and out later, game over, because they stopped Kyron Williams on fourth and one defensively. Sal is on the turf he's going nuts the entire crowd's going crazy because Brockman sold his tickets and so did Del Tufo I'm sure everybody's I mean the the the uh SoFi is a secondary ticket market for the 49ers every time they come down here and it was the Niners house after all and we got to stop looking at this team as yeah they're they're they're they're about to fall apart even though they did against the Jaguars at home just four days before this was a Stones win this was a gut check win this is a win that obviously Kyle Shanahan is proud of and he was proud of Mac Jones getting it done last night I was real pressed you know he played he played his

9:31Tom Pelissero:ass off man was unbelievable in the first half got banged up a little bit there in the second half and battled through it and protected the ball going against that defense and throwing the ball that many times and not having a turnover and protecting like he did i can't say enough good

9:47Rich Eisen:things about mac 33 of 49 for 342 yards two touchdowns a passer rating of 100.9 second most completions and pass yards in a game in jones's career his six passing touchdowns in the first three games with the 49ers have tied jim plunkett for the most passing touchdowns but and an ironers player in his first three games of the team. Christian McCaffrey's all over the place. 30 touches. So they, you know, short week, they're like, screw it. We're going with Superman. 22 carries, 57 yards, eight catches, 82 yards, and a touchdown. He's unbelievable. And then the Rams turnovers. My guy, Blake Corum, took one right off the hands on a flip play.

10:30Rich Eisen:The Kyron Williams one was an absolute killer. I would love to get this stat. The number of teams that have fumbled on the one-yard line in a football game. What is going on with that? And then gone on to win.

10:46Rich Eisen:That's a tough one. Cardi had a rough night? Another blocked extra point. Another blocked game for them. But he at least got one at the end. I thought they were going to block that one, too, and then we wouldn't have overtime. So Mac Jones stepped to the podium to talk about the inevitable question. That always happens whenever there's somebody who performs well as a backup quarterback. It's the higher register question of like, well, maybe you should be the regular quarterback around here. Mac Jones about taking the gig.

11:19Tom Pelissero:I think, you know, they brought me here to play as a backup and that's my job. And Brock's the starter of this team. And right now he's dealing with something. And for him to go out there last week and play when you know he probably wasn't a full health, like he cares about this team. So I'm just trying to get some wins for him so it helps us down the line. And at the end of the day, that's what it's all about. Like, I've been in his position. I've been a starter. And you want your backup to go in there and win because at the end of the season, that could be the hit or miss between a playoff or not.

11:50Rich Eisen:He's unbelievable, man. Nice jacket. Nice jacket. Radio audience, half of it red, half of it black. Don't ask any questions, but Harvey Dent is an outstanding backup. That's right. Two-faced. All right. Good one. Who wore it better? Tony Lee Jones. Who wore it better? who wore it better i mean again the uh the two-faced aspect of this again was the uh the scarred part is the the 40 the uh the new england quarterback and then the happy face one is is the the san francisco quarterback i'm telling everybody when we saw mac jones prior to that game in frankfort that turned out to be his last start as a patriot when we saw him there he looked completely lost in our broadcast meeting and he was just needing a hug i'm not kidding the guy just needed a hug and it looks like Kyle Shannon's given that hug.

12:38Rich Eisen:And one thing that is not going to happen here, if Brock Purdy is healthy, is Mac Jones is the quarterback there. What he's basically doing is putting on film and everybody to say, I'm the next Sam Darnold. That's me. Next year's job. I'm next year's hot free agent. He's one of the 32 best quarterbacks in the NFL. Hands down. Well, what he he's, he's dealing. He's confident. He's hitting a back foot and throwing. and he knows where to go with it. The number of times he had Kendrick Bourne last night, I forgot, I can't remember. That pass to Tongass for the touchdown, when you watch that, just like, bam.

13:16Rich Eisen:What a great throwaway. Mark Chase wishes he had Mack Jones. Career high, 10 catches, 142 yards for Bourne. Most receiving yards in a game by a Niner since Brandon Ayuk last year. But he's not the starting quarterback. And listen, I understand the Niners are the absolute avatar in the National Football League of what a mess the quarterback situation is while they go to the Super Bowl at the same time. What a mess, man. Jimmy G's, like, what are they doing with going ahead and drafting Trey Lance? Oh, God, when are they going to put Trey Lance in? Oh, God, that's when they're putting him in? Oh, God, they can't trust him.

14:00Rich Eisen:Oh, God, they got to get Jimmy Garoppolo back. Oh, God, it's now Brock Purdy's time. Oh, God, we're in the Super Bowl. It's unreal. So now they signed Purdy to all this money. Mac Jones is doing what he's doing. And I'm sure there's even one person who's in our studio that's sitting here saying, why pay him all that money when you could just do it with Mac Jones? Well, it's too late now. It is too late. And the fact that maybe Purdy didn't look that good against Jacksonville, he shouldn't have been out there yet. Or, like I was saying a year ago, he could have made Purdy play out his last year, decide if he's the guy or not.

14:41Rich Eisen:Oh, wait, we already have a guy. That wasn't going to happen. That's what the money is for. Because you can't. Great job. Great first to ever use that job. But the money is for him. hitting the market and you can't sit there and go we got mac jones get out of here no no no no you say we have we have me kyle shanahan i'm the guy that can make it all work yeah well guess he has proven it over and over and over again with guys that you wouldn't think are top tier quarterbacks guess what in the meantime it's a moot point brock purdy has been paid there is no way they're going to get out of that contract no way that nor should they want to at this point in time nor should they sit there and say anything but this is what mac jones is for to win these games to keep us afloat to go into sofi on a short week shorthanded and come out with the win and now they got a mini buy and now the kiddle could potentially come off of ir iuk might be around the corner and you got juan jennings and ricky pierce all getting that short week off now they've got the mini buy to get back they're at tampa home for atlanta at the texans at the giants last place schedule so they definitely have shown me a lot and what they have shown the rest of the league is they are 3-0 in division 4-1 overall and the two games that they've won in division already of the three are at the spots of the teams that you think are the only ones that could beat them this year with all due respect to Arizona well done indeed and every single time you're gonna sit there well Niners aren't this Niners aren't that Niners don't have this Niners don't have that then you look at the standings okay you know about seven weeks ago I said there There were seven teams that I thought could win the Super Bowl.

16:44Rich Eisen:They were one of them. Niners were one. I got destroyed. I know you said don't read the comments. I got destroyed in the comments. Talk your talk, TJ. For putting the Niners on there. Yeah, put that banner up in week five. Look, man. You're doing all this, missing all these players. No doubt. What's going to happen when everybody's back healthy? This is going to be a problem. Outstanding rhetorical question, because I think we know the answer. It's going to be a problem. And McCaffrey, this dude, he's amazing. He really is. Do we talk about him? as a Hall of Fame trajectory? It's a little early.

17:15Rich Eisen:McCaffrey? Yeah. No. On a trajectory for the Hall of Fame. You say no? I say absolutely. As of today, the 3rd of October? Do we put him in now? No. That's why I use the word trajectory. Yeah. Trajectory. If he keeps doing what he's doing. Because guess what you do when you don't have your wide receivers? You turn him into one, and they did. Because I remember him at the Combine. He ran the Rattree better than every other receiver at the Combine. Wasn't it DJ that said he was the best receiver? He was, and he did say that. Yes, sir. I said the Lions were going to win the division. Okay. You guys are great.

17:50Rich Eisen:And I'm glad that we're all on the same team. I mean, that sounds so dismissive right there. No, because I said I needed to see more. And the Rams, you know, we'll talk about them later. I'm sure people are ready to discard them, having lost two of three. Just a bad fourth or one call. Stafford was balling yesterday. He is balling. We'll talk more about that. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. Cam Schlittler was throwing balls last night. Jeez. Oh, my God.

18:17Tom Pelissero:What was the meme? I was unfamiliar with your game. I was unfamiliar with Cam Schlittler's game.

18:22Rich Eisen:Well, we'll talk about that series and the one that ended in Chicago with the San Diego Padres barking at the umpires as they left the field. With every right to. The Tigers survived the Guardians and the Dodgers are just smoking them if you got him getting ready to throw Otani at the Phillies. We'll talk about the baseball playoffs. But when we come back, Bucky Irving, is he in? Is he out? What is going on with Lamar? Everything else that you need to know for week number five. Tom Pelissero just checked in. Tommy P. And the flow looks outstanding. That's next. This is the Rich Eisen Show.

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21:24Rich Eisen:We're back on ESPN Radio presented by Progressive Insurance. Okay, I looked down during my commercial break at my fantasy team, as one would, and I saw the word out next to Bucky Irving. No! Is that a fact?

21:39Tom Pelissero:He has officially been ruled out now. Todd Bowles said that after practice. Not a surprise. He was in a walking boot for that foot injury through the early portion of the week. Bowles didn't completely shut it down, but he said he'd have to be out of the boot today to have a shot. Usually when that's the case, plus you're flying all the way across the country to Seattle. I don't know if that's a five, six-hour flight. That can cause issues if you're still in a boot just because of the swelling and things. So not a surprise. We'll see if Bucky Irving can go next week. But for this game against a really salty Seahawks defense, Rashad White is going to get, it seems like a big part of the load here.

22:15Rich Eisen:Okay. And then Sean Tucker would be the backup in that regard. So you might get more run, literally, figuratively, from him. What's the scoop with Lamar Jackson, Tom?

22:27Tom Pelissero:He's not on the practice field. They're out there right now for the Ravens. Certainly seems like they'll announce it in a few hours, but I anticipate that he's ruled out. You never know with Lamar just because he's a little different character. There are a lot of examples over the course of time where he's not out there Wednesday, Thursday, and you're going, well, this guy's not starting. And all of a sudden, Friday, he shows up and ends up playing in the game and playing well. But all the signs were pointing, Rich, toward this being the outcome for this week. You're talking about a hamstring injury that happened in the third quarter last week.

22:56Tom Pelissero:For everybody out there saying, oh, he just didn't want to play anymore. They pulled him out. John Arbaugh said there was no way he could go back into the game. When you hear that about a hamstring, that's not like a little twinge. That's something significant enough that if you were to roll him out seven days later, you'd run the risk of potentially suffering a setback. they could have Lamar Jackson hobbled or out for the long haul here. So take a look at the schedule. They got the Texans this week. I believe they have the Rams next week. Then they've got a week seven bye. The prudent way to go about this would be hold Lamar Jackson out of both these games prior to the bye, give him almost a full month to recover from the hamstring injury, and then have him ready.

23:36Tom Pelissero:Like I know that the Ravens, they need a win here, but they need a healthy Lamar Jackson for the long haul even more. This is why they went out and they spent some money on the backup quarterback position, which they really hadn't done in the past. They had drafted guys here and there. They'd kind of cycled through the Snoop Huntleys of the world. But they gave Cooper Rush two years, and I think it was$6.2 million with upside, because they felt like they needed, hey, if something happens to Lamar, we want a guy who's proven within the league that can go out and win a game. Cooper Rush's play style could not be more different than Lamar Jackson's play style.

24:07Tom Pelissero:But Lamar also has developed as a pocket passer over the course of time. So it's going to be on Cooper Rush to get the ball into the hands of his playmakers, at least offensively. You know, those guys are available right now. And they might have to put up some points in this game, because if you look at what's going on, Rich, defensively for the Ravens, Nnamdi Matabuke is out for the season. You're going to have no Marlon Humphrey, no Roquan Smith this week. Neither of those guys is practiced. Kyle Hamilton hurt his groin in practice Wednesday. Hasn't practiced the past couple of days. I know Nate Wiggins was banged up.

24:38Tom Pelissero:Jadobia Wouzier was not out there today. I mean, they are playing with, I hate to call it a JV type of defense, but you're talking about five Pro Bowl-type players who are not going to be out there this week, and we'll see whether or not a Texans offense that, at least in the fourth quarter last week against Tennessee, showed some signs of life, if they can get after these guys and try to force Cooper Rush and that offense without Lamar to put up some points on Sunday.

25:00Rich Eisen:I don't know. Maybe the theme of the week could be the banged-up teams you don't expect to have much of a chance to go ahead and win, as we saw on Thursday night with Mac Jones becoming a 3-0 backup quarterback for the now 4-1, having won two of three division games already on the road at Seattle and at the Rams, San Francisco 49ers. That's what we saw on Thursday night. Now, you know, TJ even mentioned in the first block that what happens when the other guys get back? They're only going to be better. What can you tell me about the other guys now that we're through five weeks? Kittle's IR stint could be over.

25:39Rich Eisen:There's Ayuk maybe around the corner and then the other guys that are hurt. What can you tell me about the Niners who now look terrific in position?

25:46Tom Pelissero:Well, in the early portion of the week, it sounded like Juwan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall at least had a shot to play on Thursday, which would indicate that those are probably not long term injuries for them. With Brock Purdy, he obviously aggravated that injury on the bottom of his toe and just wasn't able to make it back. We'll see if he's able to get back next week, but no IR in that case. It's not long-term for Brock Purdy either. Kittle, you're right. I know the optimism was that once he went on IR that he'd get back pretty closely after that IR stint is up. Brandon Ayuk remains a bit of a mystery because even through the offseason, that was a significant injury.

26:23Tom Pelissero:That just wasn't just your regular old ACL eight to nine-month recovery. It was going to be a long haul for Brandon Ayuk. It doesn't sound like he's close at this point, maybe sometime in November. Potentially you could get him back. And then obviously you got a bunch of guys like Nick Bosa that are not going to be back this season. I mean, it's a credit to Kyle Shanahan and Robert Sala to go out last night because for Kyle, with a backup quarterback in Mac Jones, who's playing like the guy that a lot of people thought was going to be the number three overall pick back in 2021 to San Francisco, he's shown exactly why Kyle really liked him through the pre-draft process.

26:57Tom Pelissero:He's a better athlete that people give him credit for, at least when that brace isn't digging into his knee and calf and causing the types of issues that he was having last night where it looked like he was doubled over about to lose his dinner on the sideline there. He's playing at a really, really high level here. Kyle's gotten him ready. He's thrown to a bunch of guys. Think about who he's throwing to last night, Rich, beyond Christian McCaffrey, who's doing most of his damage through the air. Demarcus Robinson was suspended at the start of the season. Sky Moore wasn't on the roster. Kendrick Bourne was not on the roster.