Hour 1: Rich’s Top 5 Disappointing Teams, Dart Knee Surgery, plus NFL Network’s Kurt Warner

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1:22Rich Eisen: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. Check, check this out. What the hell is happening here? This is the Rich Eisen Show. What a disaster. What a disaster of a Monday night for the Giants. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Today's guests, Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, the ringer NFL insider Tom Pelissero, Pro Football Hall of Famer Bill Cower, and now Now it's Rich Eisen.

2:23Rich Eisen:Our number one of this Wednesday edition of the Rich Eisen show is on the air. Disney Plus, the ESPN app, ESPN Radio, Sirius Channel, number 80. Same thing with XM. That's the way we're rolling right here on the show. And for those listening, it is, in fact, the first day of the football season. I'm going quarter zip. Kind of felt like quarter zip day. You know, I'm watching baseball games on the East Coast. You could see October's around the corner. You know what I mean? 844-204-RICH is the number to dial, whether you're dressed for summer or fall. Two Hall of Famers, Kurt Warner and Bill Cowher.

3:09Rich Eisen:Kurt Warner first up. Hour number three, TJ, to use parlance you're used to. It's the Cowher Hour. Cowher Hour. Isn't that the Power Hour? Wasn't that usually Price is Right? Was it Power Hour once upon a time? I don't know, but that's how someone in Pittsburgh would definitely. Cow-hour. Cow-hour. Cow-hour. He's joining us on this program. Tom Pelissero right in between. Tommy P. Tommy P. Because, my gosh, do I have a lot of questions about who's hurt and who's not for week number three of the NFL. It begins on Thursday. How are you, Chris Brockman? Good to see you over there. You know, I'm okay.

3:36Rich Eisen:What? I'm okay. What? I'm just okay. You know, I got a lot of injuries and fantasy. Obviously, I'm out of the show guillotine. Yeah, you got chopped. I got to start Geno Smith, I think, in like half my leagues. Wow. So, you know, I'm just okay. Okay. Yeah, I'm just okay. Do you need a Rich Eisen show, Brohan? I mean, maybe check back in an hour or two. Okay. We'll see how things are going. Sun is up. Okay. Yeah, thanks. Thanks, Trevor. By the way, we got a great coaching drop just for you, Mike. Hey, Michael. No. Hey, Michael. Here he is. Keep it up, Peyton. Mike Del Tufo. Keep it up, Peyton. He's here.

4:12I am so stunned. Did that work? I can't. I heard you going over it this morning. I was like, there's no way that's going to work. There's no way he's going to get that right because he's the second best dropper on the show. That was, no. And he made it happen, so I'm just sure. Remember one thing. Uh-oh. What is this? Uh-oh. I taught Feller everything he knows.

4:34Rich Eisen:About drops. Not everything that you know. I know. Remember that. Hey. Thank you. Good to see you, TJ. No contest wrestling you and O'Shea Jackson Jr. later on. Yes. Okay. Is he going to be here? Is he coming in? I don't know. Oh, yeah. He has on his way. He's here most of the time. O'Shea's on his way. Even when it rains. He'll be here in hour number three of the program as well. So that'll be a lot of fun here on this Wednesday show. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial to have a conversation with us today. It's week number three of the NFL that starts tomorrow. Atlanta visiting Green Bay on Prime Video for our friends there.

5:12Rich Eisen:And so it's time to take stock. It's time to take stock. Because 0-2, back in the day when there was just 16 regular season games, I mean, that's a big problem. There's another one that's a little bit more runway here. Teeny tiny. But we're around these parts. As you know, we deal in absolutes. Whether it's the Overreaction Monday pod, please, everybody, check that out wherever you get your podcasts or on our YouTube channel. We're just a few clicks away from 350 ,000 views on that one on just YouTube alone. We deal in absolutes. You're either at the top of the heap or you're in huge-ass trouble.

5:53Sinatra said that. Okay?

5:55Rich Eisen:Yeah, exactly. Your hat. I was expecting that one. Direct hat. H-A-T. H-A-T. Your hat. Top of the heap. Huge-ass trouble. Or your hat. And in that respect, I've done this every year for 10-plus years now. Two weeks in, I've got a top five list. of the top five most disappointing teams through the first two weeks of the NFL season. This is kind of like the slow Fox music of the show. You don't want to be one of these teams. You don't want to be the guy on the ground when Fox music starts rolling a break on the piano and Tom Rinaldi's here to make you cry. Oh, no. You don't want it. You don't want to be that person.

6:37Rich Eisen:I don't want it. Rich Eisen was a good man. Top five most disappointing teams through the first two weeks of the season brought to you by Hyundai. Hit it. High five. One, two, three, four, five. Rich's top five. All right. My top five teams that have been the most disappointing teams through the first two weeks of this season. And the first one is a team that I'm not disappointed in as much as I'm disappointed for. A big difference in prepositions. Usually this is a I'm a disappointed in list, as you'll soon see. but the Washington Commanders I'm disappointed for. While as well disappointed in.

7:21Rich Eisen:That said, you know, I don't mind if Commanders fans would look at this as a disappointed in and say, what gives? At Philly? At Dallas? That's how we're starting the season? The schedule makers did us no favors. And then obviously I'm disappointed for them with what happened with Jaden Daniels' left elbow. Second ugly dislocation of that elbow in 365 days. And a freak injury coming off of a play call that I clearly Dan Quinn would take back. But I'm still mystified why they're going for a touchdown when all they need to do is kick a bunny field goal and they get to start the second half with the football and continue on and maybe take a lead against Dallas with Jaden Daniels, who is going to be out for who knows how long.

8:15Rich Eisen:I toyed with putting the New York Giants here because they're without their quarterback for arguably much longer than Jaden Daniels because he is going to have surgery and he's going to be out for the season. Jackson Dart, out for the season. He is having surgery as I deliver this top five list to all of you. so I'm obviously disappointed for Giants fans, but they're one and one with Jameis. We'll see what happens moving forward. The Commanders are 0-2 with the guy chosen after Jameis' drafting years ago and Marcus Mariota. Number four on my list of most disappointing teams through the first two weeks of the season, Houston Texans, 0-2.

9:04Rich Eisen:and you know defensively first week we may find out Josh Allen's going to do this to everybody but and we're going to find out maybe that the Cincinnati Bengals defense is going to do this to a lot of teams after turning over the Bucs four times in week one and holding the Texans just six points in week two but the Houston Texans just like the Los Angeles Chargers are 0-2 and they start at 0-2 at home on top of it all. However, the Chargers had much easier opponents in their house and Houston lost to Buffalo and Cincinnati and they visit Indianapolis in week three. A massive football game for two 0-2 teams.

9:49Rich Eisen:I don't have the Colts on this list here because of the way they performed in Kansas City, almost knocking off the Chiefs who I think we can all agree are quote-unquote back so I know I have a 1-1 team on this list and not an 0-2 team in Indianapolis I do want to give them credit for what I saw in Kansas City on Monday night and so pardon me on Sunday night and I want to I just the Texans are an 0-2 team at home number three I'm putting the Bucs here I think losing to Cleveland at home you could sort of give them not as much a pass, but a break for losing in Cincinnati to start week one. Not an easy assignment, to say the least, but coming home and losing to the Browns in the manner in which they did.

10:44Rich Eisen:And Baker Mayfield has not looked like the same guy this year. Ibuka, not the same guy, doesn't look like the same guy there. Kenny Gainwell hasn't done very much at all. We're expected to have seen him at least show up like he did in Pittsburgh last year. Not yet. Defensively, Deshaun Watson was a quarterback that comes in to their house and finds a wide open tight end to take the lead at the end of this game. Talk about disappointing. 0-2. but they're not even close to the most disappointing team in their division. No. Number two on this list of the Atlanta Falcons. Now, not cool when you got to be down to QB4 in quarter number eight of the season.

11:39Rich Eisen:I get it. And also, not great when you lose one of your top pass rushers because the guy couldn't control himself off the field for half the season. So I'm not saying there, by the way, none of these teams' seasons are over. I'm just talking about highly disappointing starts of the season. It was supposed to be Tua, if not Penix. It's not Penix and it's not Tua because his back gives way. And it's Cooper Rush who couldn't have been more disappointing. They just wanted half the Cooper Rush from Dallas to show up and walk through the door. And the Cooper Rush from Baltimore walked through the door.

12:13Rich Eisen:And then it's turning to Jack Strand and that's not great. highly disappointing start for the Atlanta Falcons, who hopefully are going to turn it around with Penix, who had this to say about when he thought he was coming back and getting his starting job back. I made a decision, actually, on Monday morning. I talked to Coach Sunday after the game, just let him know how the back end of last week went, and I was feeling pretty good. And, you know, Monday morning came around and, you know, I felt very confident with this week. I felt very confident in my knee and, you know, how it's been feeling, like I said, towards the back end of the week last week.

12:55Rich Eisen:So that's that's how it happened. Yeah. And I think, you know, Monday morning would be a perfect time to Monday morning quarterback what we saw to Jack Strand and Cooper Rush and say, you know what, I'm feeling pretty good. And the knee feels great. Oh, oh, it feels good. Yeah. Number one most disappointing team in the NFL through two weeks, and I think there's no argument here, the Los Angeles Chargers. Yeah, no doubt. You lose at home to Arizona, you lose at home to the Raiders. Justin Herbert is getting carved up everywhere, although all 22 mavens are coming to his assist by pointing out how many of these throws and problems against the Raiders were not his fault.

13:41Rich Eisen:Yada, yada, yada. Kurt Warner is going to join us in a moment with his thoughts on all this. But Mike McDaniel is supposed to unlock this guy, and instead he's just been locked down. The interior offensive line has just been terrible in terms of blocking for him from what it seems. And even Joe Alt had a bad day, as many people can do against Max Crosby. But to lose both at home to start the season, Jim Harbaugh has never been owing to in any spot, college or pro. Talk about highly disappointing. I mean, six fumbles, Omari and Hampton. you know, Daniel Jeremiah came on and said he thinks he could lead the league in rushing, and he's fumbling all over the place.

14:17So, L.A.

14:19Rich Eisen:Chargers' most disappointing team through two weeks. Yeah, one more. I did not know. That's my boy. Again, I'm so disappointed for Giants fans. Again, top story leading our show on Wednesday is Jackson Dart is going to have surgery and is potentially even under the knife right now as we're talking. Because the sooner the better. As you could see, Patrick Mahomes, he had surgery on his blown-out knee the night he blew it out. So doing it faster is better than not. But I'm putting a one-and-one team here that could easily be 0-2. I was sifting through it. I'm putting the Lions as my one more. As my one more.

15:02Rich Eisen:Again, we'll find out if the Saints are the team that beat the Ravens and almost knocked off the Lions, and it's nothing to hang your head over. But just the miscommunication that's being talked about on the back end of their defense that's banged up again, and then you're talking about an offensive line that we're still waiting to see blow open a little bit more running room for Jameer Gibbs. And offensively, Goff and Amon Ra looked good in Buffalo, but that bill was out of the barn by that point in time for much of that game. I'm concerned about the Lions, who are my choice prior to the season to win the division, but there's still more time to go.

15:42Rich Eisen:And that's my list of the top five most disappointing teams through two weeks, brought to you by Hyundai. Get away into the Hyundai Getaway sales event and get away with the deal so right it almost feels wrong. Visit HyundaiUSA.com for details. we'll unpack more about the news coming out of new jersey that the jackson dart injury suffered on monday night is in fact the worst possible scenario for their 2026 season that he is done for it and jamis winston is now the guy who's going to have to eat a ton of w's on behalf of the new york football giant fan base kurt warner next talk about that and so much more of a busy prior to week three Wednesday.

16:24Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show podcast.

16:29Rich Eisen:Did you know every 36 minutes a child in the U.S. is diagnosed with cancer? Which means some of the bravest warriors you'll ever meet aren't professional athletes or superheroes. They're the kids in this fight. That's why I'm proud to support Hyundai Hope on Wheels. For the past 28 years, with support from Hyundai, their dealers, and every new Hyundai sold, Hope on Wheels has contributed over$300 million to childhood cancer research, helping save more than 40 ,000 kids. Join our fight at HyundaiWarriors.com. Taking a quick break to tell you how Saturday's game time can get a little messy. Your crew just came over to watch.

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17:45Rich Eisen:Depot. Rich Eisen here. Running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire costs time and money, but the right one helps your business grow. The challenge? Finding that person without sorting through resumes. That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro comes in. It screens candidates so you can focus on conversations with qualified talent. With Hiring Pro, you can hire with confidence and build the team you need. Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash eisen terms and conditions apply back here on the rich eisen show 844-204-rich number to dial kurt warner our hall of fame friend is here on the rich eisen show good to see how are you i'm good buddy how are you i'm glad you're in the desk this week i'm glad you're not out with a little bit of leave you feeling good i like it i'm feeling fine you know what i mean i only missed two of these shows and none of game day morning hey you you play hurt man you know what i heard i i know i know how you do it you know i do appreciate you and i guess in terms of broadcasters i'm an american underdog you know what i mean okay i might be one of those hats yeah you're not that much of an underdog you've been on top you've been on top for a long time you're kind no you're too kind uh so the word is jackson darts can be out for the year kurt i mean you were there and you know in the radio booth i saw you on uh on on countdown beforehand on espn um my gosh i what i guess it's we're going to rally around jamis winston and we're going to win we're going to play football right i mean that's basically it i mean you have to i mean there's nothing else you can do this early in the season i was kind of with you guys when i saw it you know he kind of jumped into the air so he wasn't planted so i was hopeful even though you saw the movement of the knee hopeful that it wasn't going to be a long-term thing.

19:32But with all these young guys, you start wondering how much is caution at this point. Like, hey, don't need to throw them back out there before we need to, since this is a long-term thing with some of these guys that we believe could be franchise quarterbacks. But obviously disappointing early in the season, especially after week one. Such high hopes for the team. And you could just feel when I was talking to the coaches and the players before the game that they were building something. They were believing in what John Harbaugh was selling. And although they knew they weren't there yet, they felt like they were moving in the right direction.

20:07And obviously so much of that is centered around the young quarterback and what he brings and the confidence that he brings when he steps on the field. And so, yeah, just disappointing. And I think on top of that, I'm a huge Jameis Winston fan, believe that he does a lot of things well but uh he didn't look that part um you know the other night he didn't play very well at all um and i there i'm sure that just adds to it not that people in the locker room don't love jamis and don't believe in jamis but when you go from your starter to your backup and you see a definitive decline in the moment um that can really take the wind out of the sails of uh

20:46Rich Eisen:of an entire locker room the opposite though when jaden daniels went out i mean um marcus mariotta seem to be able to move that offense and in a way um the game was essentially over though but because Dak was so on point with CeeDee Lamb in particular um and then now we're going to wonder what's going on with Tyson Bajant in Chicago and he's in concussion protocol it could be Case Keenum but I'd be remiss you know I've got one of the if not the greatest um you know with Tom Brady backup take to the Super Bowl quarterbacks in the history of sports. What is the challenge here? Like, what is the challenge?

21:29Rich Eisen:You at least had a couple of weeks before you got out there. What is the challenge for any of these backups to try and get something going and people to believe, Kurt? Well, I think the challenge when you look at, let's look at Chicago and Washington specifically. specifically, the challenge is that the team is built around, and Chicago a better team than I think Washington is right now, but they're built around the playmaking of their quarterback. And that's the hardest thing to replace, is that you can get guys to come in, whoever it is, Case Keenum, a guy that's been in the league for a long time, Marcus Mariota, a guy that's been in the league and started a lot of games in the league, that can play good football and be a really good complementary piece to your team, but it's hard to find another guy that can carry your team.

22:18And so when you look at Washington, you say, okay, if we don't have Jaden Daniels running for, you know, the big plays that he ran for and making some of those big throws down the field, do we have enough on this team to sustain success week in and week out? And again, not that Marcus is a bad quarterback, but he's not going to give you the same dynamic playmaking as Jaden is. And the same in Chicago is Case Keenum can do some things for you and be a complimentary piece if you can run like you did in week one and you can get turnovers like you did last year. Yeah, you can have a semblance of success, but so much of these two teams, I believe, they're not great football teams, so so much depends on that quarterback doing something extra, giving us something extra.

23:03I mean, Chicago last year, what was it, seven games that they came back late where Caleb had to make those game-changing plays to get him a win. That's kind of who I see these teams are, and that's what's so hard. If you have a good, solid team, and now you just have to place in a backup and say, make a few plays for us here, make the layups, do this, and we can win, that's one thing. But I'm not sure any of these teams are in that position where they need their quarterback to do a little bit more, And that's the hardest thing of replacing, you know, a starting quarterback, a young star and playmaking quarterback with a backup.

23:41Rich Eisen:My guy, Kurt Warner here on the Rich Eisen Show. Let's talk about quarterbacks who are healthy, thank goodness, and are playing at the top of their game right now. Obviously, Allen and Mahomes are guys that we can point out. Lamar had a great week one, not so much week two. Who are we not talking about that you've been seeing balling out? at the quarterback. The biggest one has to be Brock Purdy. Brock's playing really, really good football. I did a breakdown on my YouTube page, QB Confidential, yesterday on Brock. The thing about Brock is, again, we're never going to talk about him like Allen and Mahomes simply from what we can see in the tangible things.

24:24Brock brings a lot to the table, but it's not being 6 '4 and it's not a cannon arm, he brings so much to the table in terms of playing the position. And my breakdown talks a lot about that is being able to set his feet, being able to throw with anticipation, understanding how to throw with touch when he needs to, getting through the processing part of it really, really quickly. It doesn't look like wow to most people. Most people are like, oh, anybody in the league could make that throw. But it's how he does it and the consistency by which he does it that makes him unique and special. I think I saw a stat the other day that in the first five years of their career, nobody has more 140 plus quarterback rating games than Brock Purdy.

25:07And that's who he is, is that he's going to be consistently good. He fits that style. He's going to make plays for you above and beyond the X and O's, even though, again, it may not look as special as some of the other guys. They're really special. And so I tried to do my breakdown where I really focused on those nuances that make quarterbacks great and consistently great that too often we don't talk about it and you know they get overridden by you know that the running and the jumping and the throwing by some of these other guys but Brock is playing extremely well at the position and he has since he come into the league it's just trying to really push you know the recognition that I think he deserves.

25:49Rich Eisen:Kurt Warner here on On the Rich Eisen show, what are you seeing that's not working with the Chargers and Justin Herbert and Mike McDaniel's offense? What is going on? To me, it's so much about flow, getting into a flow as an offense, getting into a flow as a quarterback where it's play after play, series after series, and you're just not seeing that with this team. It's really clunky. It doesn't seem to fit right now. And they'll make a big play here or there, a big throw, and it looks great. but there's just no flow in their offense. And this was one of my questions coming into the season was Mike McDaniel, genius by all rights, and people love what he does offensively.

26:29Justin Herbert, extremely talented, gifted, has done so many great things in the early stages of his career. Put these two guys together, and man, you're going to see the genius of Mike McDaniel, and you're also going to see everything that's been missing from Justin Herbert. I had a question going in simply based off of what Mike did. And I can go back to San Francisco. We just talked about Brock Purdy. That offense requires something different from the quarterback. It requires the ability to make different kinds of throws, to throw with anticipation, to layer balls up and over linebackers and that sort of thing.