Hour 2: Cowboys-Giants Reactions, plus the MMQB’s Albert Breer

15 Sep 2025 · 46 min · 20 chapters

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In short

Rich Eisen Show Hour 2 covers “Overreaction Monday” reactions to the Cowboys-Giants game, plus NFL news and analysis with MMQB/Sports Illustrated senior writer Albert Breer.

Guests

Albert Breer (Sports Illustrated/MMQB senior writer; long-time NFL reporter, previously covered the league in the Brady/Manning era).

Topic and key claims

  • Cowboys vs. Giants: Russell Wilson’s deep passing (7-for-11, 264 yards, 3 TD) and Brandon Aubrey’s 64-yard game-winning kick after a 65-yard career-long earlier in 2024; Dallas avoided an 0-2 start and improved to 1-1.
  • Giants’ overtime defensive decision-making is criticized (allowing Dak to advance in regulation).
  • Bengals: Joe Burrow’s toe injury is expected to sideline him about three months (torn ligaments/high ankle sprain), but Jake Browning can “tread water”; Bengals may consider QB reinforcements (Winston/Cousins) depending on trade cost and schedule.
  • Dolphins: players-only meeting emphasized accountability; narrative about star “running wild” and roster rebuild questions linger.
  • Eagles-Chiefs rule discussion: tush push/push-pull legality and officiating rationale.
  • 49ers: Brock Purdy likely out a short period (turf toe), with a return around weeks 4-5.
  • Lions: Dan Campbell’s Bears game message tied to communication issues and a chip on the shoulder.

Notable examples

  • Aubrey’s 60+ yard clutch record and 60+ kicks in final seconds since 2000.
  • Bengals’ December 14 target vs. Ravens as a possible Burrow return window.
  • Dolphins’ 0-2 start after losses to Colts/Patriots; upcoming Thursday vs. Bills.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

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Start of Hour Two: Cowboys-Giants Overview

0:04 to 0:27

Rich Eisen introduces the second hour with Cowboys-Giants reactions and upcoming guest Albert Breer.

“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.”

Start of Hour Two: Cowboys-Giants Overview

1:22 to 2:18

Rich Eisen introduces the second hour with Cowboys-Giants reactions and upcoming guest Albert Breer.

“Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.”

Joe Burrow Injury Discussion

2:18 to 3:21

Discussion on Joe Burrow's injury status and potential trades involving Kirk Cousins.

“the Atlanta Falcons to see just how expensive Kirk Cousins might be, or do they believe in Jake Browning as much as I do?”

Caller Reaction: Red Zone Commercials

3:21 to 4:32

Caller Jimmy shares his thoughts on Red Zone commercials and ESPN's involvement.

“That's line five for those scoring at home.”

Cowboys' Performance and Jerry Jones

4:32 to 5:40

Discussion on the Cowboys' performance, Jerry Jones, and kicker Brandon Aubrey.

“What do you think about your Dallas Cowboys, Jimmy?”

Cowboys vs Giants: Game Analysis

5:40 to 6:42

Analyzing the Cowboys vs. Giants game, including statistics and key moments.

“I don't know if we're going to get a drop of Jadeveon.”

Russell Wilson's Comeback

6:42 to 8:01

Discussion on Russell Wilson's performance and the criticisms he faced.

“I understand the tweet that got sent out last week when he put in mentally tough into all of our timelines.”

Dak Prescott's Role and Cowboys' Strategy

8:01 to 9:01

Analyzing Dak Prescott's contributions and the Cowboys' strategies during the game.

“Aaron Rodgers is the king of Hail Marys, and the guy right next to him is this guy.”

Field Goal Strategy and Game Decisions

9:01 to 10:01

Rich discusses the field goal decisions and game strategy employed by the Cowboys.

“And who thought that was going to happen after what we saw in Washington D.C.”

Impact of Win on Cowboys' Season

10:01 to 11:10

Discussing the significance of the Cowboys' win for their season outlook.

“The polar bear got it done, and so did Brandon Aubrey, and that's why this game should never have gotten an overtime.”
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Comparative Stats: Cowboys and Giants

11:10 to 12:18

Comparing Cowboys and Giants statistics, emphasizing Dak Prescott's records.

“And the Giants just let him let Dak just matriculate.”

Rich Eisen's Take on Russell Wilson

12:18 to 13:20

Rich shares his thoughts on Russell Wilson's performance and the team's dynamics.

“and his fifth made field goal of 60 or more yards in the final seconds of a game since 2000.”

Cowboys-Giants Game Analysis

14:01 to 17:44

Analyzing the Cowboys' performance against the Giants and Russell Wilson's comeback.

“The Cowboys have won each of their last nine matchups with the Giants.”

Injury Updates and Team Accountability

19:31 to 28:00

Albert Breer discusses Joe Burrow's injury and Miami's team dynamics after a tough start.

“Fast funds terms apply at SoFi.com slash debt play.”

Analyzing Team Performance and Rebuilds

28:00 to 29:41

Discussion about the implications of early season losses and team rebuilding strategies.

“And that sort of no show in that week one game against the Colts.”

Lions-Bears Game Insights

29:41 to 31:29

Albert Breer shares insights on the Lions' communication issues and their performance against the Bears.

“What message do you think Dan Campbell was sending yesterday, huh?”

Giants' Offensive Line and Russell Wilson

31:29 to 33:43

Discussion on the Giants' offensive line struggles and Russell Wilson's performance.

“And I think they all respect him, but Jamison Williams is a good player.”

Eagles vs. Chiefs Analysis

33:43 to 39:29

Evaluation of the Eagles' strong offensive line and the Chiefs' current challenges.

“and then Green Bay and Detroit and then New England, which may not be the usual.”

Brian Kelly's Post-Game Press Conference Reaction

42:00 to 46:05

Discussing Brian Kelly's response to reporters after a game victory.

“I mean, it's going to take a monumental final two months of the season to get him back in that conversation.”

Brian Kelly's Post-Game Press Conference Reaction

46:25 to 46:40

Discussing Brian Kelly's response to reporters after a game victory.

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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

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, compatibility and availability varies 18+. Class it up with Crocs. You know back to school is coming in fast. So why wait to find your new fave footwear? Step into a local croc store and step into your new look.

0:39Albert Breer:Try it. Style it. Make it yours. Because the right pair doesn't just show up. It shows off. First day fits, handled. Walk out ready for whatever's next. Visit your nearest croc store today.

0:54Rich Eisen:This is the Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody.

0:58Albert Breer: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. You've got to be kidding me. I can't believe what I just saw.

1:28Rich Eisen:Sock! Ball out in Atlanta! Scramble score! Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. 64 is...

1:40Albert Breer:Today's guests, senior writer for the MMQB, Albert Breer, and your phone calls, latest news, and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen.

1:55Rich Eisen:our number two of the rich eisen show is on the air overreaction monday our podcast is ready for you to take in on our youtube channel or wherever you get your podcasts uh 844-204-rich is the number to dial love looking down and seeing every phone line lit we'll get to your phone calls in a second albert breer of sports illustrated is going to join us in about 15 minutes time to tell us the status of joe burrow's toe and whether or not the bengals might actually make a phone call to the Atlanta Falcons to see just how expensive Kirk Cousins might be, or do they believe in Jake Browning as much as I do?

2:28Rich Eisen:That's how I started the program. And I think what Jim Moore Sr. said back in the day, and this is one of our favorite early drops. You have to go deep in the archives for this one, Mike DelTito.

2:38Albert Breer:Season is not over.

2:40Rich Eisen:What he said as he was covering the Saints from New Orleans a few years ago. Feels like you're ready to put in adoption papers on Jake Browning. No, no. I'm just saying I wouldn't jump and call Terry Fontenot of the Falcons just yet and say how much for Kirk Cousins.

2:54Albert Breer:But Rick, if you were a Bengals fan, I'm sure you wouldn't feel that way.

2:58Rich Eisen:Well, I think Jake Browning did very well in 2023 when Burrow went down. And I think he's got it. And it's not like Jamar Chase was waiting to get thrown a football yesterday. Okay? T. Higgins was making plays. This guy can get the football to the rock guys. And let's just see. Let's protect him. That's what I said in hour one. 844-204-RICH, number to dial. Let's take Jimmy in San Antonio. That's line five for those scoring at home. What's up, Jimmy? Adios mio. What's going on, sir? Jimmy, what's going on?

3:32Albert Breer:Okay, I have a quick overreaction. The Red Zone commercials, it wasn't that bad. I think people thought it was going to be Frank Thomas and Doug Flutie pushing pickleball pills. It was quick. They were little hits. I didn't notice a difference.

3:50Rich Eisen:Okay. And by the way, everybody blames ESPN for that. ESPN and the NFL, the deal is not, it hasn't been approved. ESPN has nothing to do with this right now. At all.

4:00Albert Breer:I know. And by the way. It didn't interrupt programming, and I'm sure the host got to go pee every now and then.

4:06Rich Eisen:And when the deal gets done, by the way, the NFL is still producing. Nothing's going to do it. Honestly, and if the deal does get done and ESPN takes over NFL Network and turns any NFL Network employee that they're hopefully going to take all of us. You know, Scott Hanson will be the last NFL media employee ever. So, you know what I mean? Like, everybody just piped down about that. But how about the Cowboys, Jimmy? What do you think about your Dallas Cowboys, Jimmy?

4:34Albert Breer:Okay, I'll get to Mr. Aubrey in a second, because you and I have a beloved hating of Notre Dame, and my Aggies put it to the Irish. Shane Gillis, you can suck it. Whoa. Well, sorry.

4:52Rich Eisen:He's staunch, and I'm a 12th man, so gig him, Shane. Okay. Jimmy, you know, normally I would join you in this sort of thing.

5:02Albert Breer:Oh, yeah, but not against Shane.

5:04Rich Eisen:Dude, the game-winning touchdown, I mean, the takedown of the defensive tackle that was somehow – Probably should have been. She probably should have been. Give me a break. And the quarterback standing right next to the takedown hold. And how are you missing that? Good Lord.

5:19Albert Breer:I guess I missed it. I don't know. Okay, yeah. Just like the officials.

5:23Rich Eisen:And then the Cowboys, man, the next day. Look at them, huh? Coming out with it.

5:27Albert Breer:Okay. So here's what Jerry Jones is going to do. He's going to make Aubrey the highest paid kicker in NFL history, despite Macca.

5:35Rich Eisen:Ladies and gentlemen, Jimmy and San Antonio, everybody. There you go. There you go. Well, there's a new guy in town. I don't know if we're going to get a drop of Jadeveon. Macca.

5:47Rich Eisen:Macca. That is a great drop. Ladies and gentlemen, Dallas Cowboys versus the New York Giants. What a game. I mean, did you know? Did you know? Because this game usually starts the season where they play it on a Monday night or a Sunday night, right? Or it starts the season for either one of them on a Sunday night. It was the first 1 o 'clock Eastern game in Dallas between these two since Drew Bledsoe beat Eli Manning. Oh, wow. Manning, Eli? Back in the day. Wow. In a game that went to overtime. Just like yesterday's day. And I'll tell you what, game should never have gone overtime.

6:31Let's just start with one thing first.

6:35Rich Eisen:a mea culpa. I want it all from all of us. You join me in it, I'll join you in it. A sincere apology to Russell Wilson. You've got to conjure it up, Chris. I understand the tweet that got sent out last week when he put in mentally tough into all of our timelines. Here we go. Everybody thought, okay, it's just like, is that the name of a new Subway sandwich? Like, is he promoting stuff? Like, what does he mean mentally tough? I honestly thought when you called that to my attention, it's that the Giants did indeed make the move to Jackson Dart. Because it looked that bad in week one. Go Big Blue.

7:20Rich Eisen:And we all thought Russ, once again, was going to disappoint. We all did. Except, I'll say this. you and I believe TJ Jefferson in the what's more likely segment on Friday. What if Russ balls out? And you, Chris said, yeah, but really, do we all expect that to happen? Does any of us expect that to happen? None of us agreed with you, but I think our silence said enough. Russell Wilson, ladies and gentlemen, he was spectacular in Dallas he was vintage Russell Wilson cooking in the 23 years that I've been associated with the National Football League thanks to my association with NFL Network I don't think I've ever seen a better thrower of the deep ball than this guy Aaron Rodgers is included in that regard You know?

8:28Rich Eisen:Aaron Rodgers is the king of Hail Marys, and the guy right next to him is this guy. Deep passing. That's a next-gen stat statistic that we hear all the time. 20-plus yards in the year, deep passes. He was 7 for 11 for 264 yards, three passing touchdowns, and a pretty bad interception in overtime. time. 66 deep pass touchdowns since 2018 now. That's the most in the NFL per the next gen stats. 10 more than anybody else. And who thought that was going to happen after what we saw in Washington D.C. last Sunday? Maybe him and his lovely wife and anybody else in his family. If you put the Giants coaching staff, I'll say it.

9:15Rich Eisen:I haven't spoken to them. I'm just assuming and we all know what that means. I might be the one who looks like an ass. But you put the Giants coaching staff on sodium pentothal, you put them in a meet the Fockers basement. And they would definitely not expect what we saw. Malik neighbors, a buck 67 and two touchdowns, and Wandale Robinson in the end zone. Boom! To put them up, I was, yeah, boom. I was watching with Cooper. We were both screaming at the television set. It was a great game. That's funny. Cooper was also noticing at the time, because he's Coop. T.J. Jefferson, your Mets were in extra innings living on the razor's edge against a team from Texas as well, while the Giants were in overtime with your Cowboys.

10:03Rich Eisen:And so T.J. Jefferson was sweating it out. Shout out Pete Alonzo. Sweating it out. The polar bear got it done, and so did Brandon Aubrey, and that's why this game should never have gotten an overtime. Greg Olson was wondering it, watching the game. He and Joe Davis on the call on Fox. why are the Giants backing up on defense when Dak had the ball last in regulation? Why are you letting them get close to midfield? You need to make the let. I'd rather be beaten deep because, you know, all Brandon Aubrey has to do is get to one of the points of any of the stars on that start. Doesn't matter if it's one pointing up right at Jerry's box or at the field goal that he's aiming for or the one pointing in the other direction or any of the other stars points.

10:54Rich Eisen:You've got to get one point of any of the stars and it's a bunny field goal for this guy. He's making it. Out of any kicker in the NFL who has kicked more field goals from 60 yards that causes an announcer to say that would have been good from 70. It's Brandon Aubrey. He leads the league in that stat. If it was such a thing. And the Giants just let him let Dak just matriculate. What are you doing? Go and get beat deep. And I'm not saying this facetiously at all, I swear to God. When the game was on the line in Philadelphia, Dak and CD couldn't connect deep. Take that chance again. No, just let them dink and dunk.

11:41Rich Eisen:Let them throw right over the middle so Brandon Aubrey can show up from 60 plus and be good from 70. and then he wins the game. He wins the game. Anyway, Brandon Aubrey, man. This guy is... Best in the world. He is the best in the world. 64-yard field goal as time expired in regulation. Seng has the longest made field goal of his career. He made a 65-yarder, good from 70 against the Ravens in 2024. and his fifth made field goal of 60 or more yards in the final seconds of a game since 2000. This is what he does, and the Giants just said, do what you do. And then, of course, it fell apart in overtime for him, but it was the first win of Brian Schottenheimer's career as a head coach, and he needed to survive six lead changes in the fourth quarter in overtime, the most such lead changes in fourth quarter overtime in NFL history, so he earned it.

12:53Albert Breer:We try it from 70-ish. I mean, we've seen him make those before. We always want to try to get as close as we can, but he's always like, yeah, I'm good. And, you know, that's pretty cool for Dax. I was like, hey, what's the line to make? I'm like, yeah, 50-ish. You know, yeah, 50-ish. He's like, oh, okay, well, that's like a 67-yard field goal. Like, that's cool. So there's really not one. But the confidence that you see the guy kick with is just incredible.

13:18Rich Eisen:And I showed you earlier the – we'll keep bringing it up – the statistical difference between starting 0-2 and 1-1. Since playoffs expanded in 2021, 0-2 teams make the playoffs 15 % of the time, 1-1 teams 40%. That was a massive win for the Dallas Cowboys. Massive. Super necessary. It was marvelous. You don't want to drop those division games at home, certainly against a team that you're used to beating. Dak Prescott has now beaten the Giants one gajillion times in a row. Actually, it's 14 wins in his career. Only Roger Staubach has beaten the Giants more 16. 14 straight wins. 14 wins, not 14 straight wins, sir.

14:04Rich Eisen:No, it's not? No. The Cowboys have won each of their last nine matchups with the Giants. Dak is now 5-0 in a week two following a week one loss in his career. How about this, TJ? The Cowboys have now avoided going 0-2 14 straight years. Second longest such streak in the NFL behind the Packers 19. And Dak got it done, man. He put the ball in the hands of George Pickens. He put the hands in the ball of CeeDee Lamb. And overcame a performance of the ages for Russell Wilson. dude do we apologize we don't apologize we can't you can't bring yourself to look in the camera and say i'm sorry russ i didn't think you could do it but you did it because i'll do that i'll do that you want me to do it for you i know you're a prideful man they lost okay i'll do it then russell wilson on behalf of all of us here at the rich eisen show rich eisen does not speak for me i will speak for you if you don't mind you do i'll just speak for myself i i i i am i doubted a man.

15:10Rich Eisen:We'll see if he can keep doing it. I don't know if he can. We might see Jackson Dart sooner rather than later. But he showed that there's a passing game and he can connect it and holy crap. Holy crap. Fourth time Russell Wilson in his career. Multiple fourth quarter touchdown passes of 30 or more yards. No other player has done it more than twice since Russ came off the campus of Wisconsin in 2012. And he had this to say, when asked if he wanted to spike the football on people, he said he couldn't do it.

15:43Albert Breer:Yeah, I think that you've got to respond in the midst of adversity. You know, I think, I don't think I know how talented I am. You know, I know what I'm capable of. I don't need somebody to convince me of that. I don't need outside, you know, praise or criticism to convince me of what I'm capable of. I embrace the noise. I don't run from it. And we've got to keep answering the call. Like, today we didn't do enough to win. That's all that matters is us as a team, us finding a way to win that game. You know, we believe in the guys in this room, the defense battling, the offense battling, special teams.

16:22Albert Breer:We laid it all on the line. You can't ask for any more effort and love and passion and energy and work than we just gave. So we have to respond back.

16:32Rich Eisen:Next up for him is the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. Well, the whole country will see if he can do it again. I'll just say this. That's my concern about your Dallas Cowboys because Yvante Williams is running it

Read the full transcript

16:45Rich Eisen:in a way that I didn't see coming. But that back end of the defense, Diggs does not look like himself, man. It doesn't look like himself. And if they're also banged up on the back end, because Trent McDuffie is going to be coming through that door on Sunday night in New York and New Jersey, and we'll see what happens. I proffer to say it'll be a lot tougher for Russ to get done what he got done on Sunday in Dallas. But I just, for the moment, just tip my cap. The best thing about us, though, is it's about us. Which is kind of crazy. Normally you're on the same page. It was an awesome game. He played phenomenal.

17:22Rich Eisen:He did. Feels like a one-off. But if they can do that against Kansas City, they have a chance to beat them. And then Jackson Dart can just marinate. and guys just to clarify when I said Dax won 14 in a row that loss Andy Dalton started that game that wasn't a Dak Prescott game so 844-204 Rich is the number to dial here on the program Albert Breer has checked in let's take a break so we can check in with Albert Sports Illustrated and the MMQB a must read on Monday we'll get it verbally best we can coming up

17:56Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show Podcast

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19:37Albert Breer:If, like, there's rule breaking on this or it's hard to officiate in that way, I think that adds another element to it. So I would love to, I think it was Jeff Schwartz, one of the former offensive linemen on Twitter, said something yesterday along the lines of like there's false starts on every one of these and i would i would actually like like to go back and take a good look at that too like is that happening on every one of these and it's just such a bang bang play that it's impossible to officiate whether somebody's you know got a false start here's the other part of it yes albert here's the other part of it yes they're not always pushing hurts like he doesn't always need the push So I don't know that the idea of going behind people and going behind the quarterback and pushing him would really materially change the Eagles' desire to do it.

20:28Albert Breer:I think they would still do it without the people in back pushing. So do you have to go even further than just having the push-pull rule in there? I don't know. I mean, one thing that was interesting from inside the meeting in March was how Rich McKay, the chair of the competition committee and the president of the Falcons, he had explained how when the rule changed in 2004 to allow this, it actually had nothing to do with what was happening at the line of scrimmage. This was about things happening down the field. And they thought it was too difficult to officiate this stuff down the field where someone would come flying in and it was hard to tell whether he was blocking an opponent or pushing his own teammate into the end zone.

21:14Albert Breer:So that's actually why that rule about pushing and pulling a teammate came out of the rulebook in 2004, something that had zero to do with what the Eagles are doing.

21:25Rich Eisen:Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated's MMQB is out there right now. We were just talking, starting on the Disney Plus ESPN app Everywhere side, about the tush push from the Eagles-Chiefs game being front and center. And now ESPN Radio, its audience has rejoined us. ESPN Radio presented by Progressive Insurance. Albert here. let's put a pin in the uh the eagles and the the chiefs and and pull that later on in our conversation let's start with joe burrow's foot and what's going on with it and how long you really think he's going to be out and what they might do about it i give you the floor i think three

21:58Albert Breer:months minimum um and this is a bad injury and i it's one of those unfortunate like it's like unfortunate how it's named because it doesn't sound that bad but it is you know it's like a high ankle sprain where it's um this isn't somebody like stubbing their toe like this is torn ligaments and he saw his second opinions and you know now he's gonna he's gonna have surgery it's gonna take him out for three months now um you know a couple silver linings here and the bangles are 2-0 so they have a little bit of a cushion um if you look at their schedule from now until and i i have it circled december 14th against the ravens is um i believe it yesterday was the 14th right so that'd be three months to the day yep um so december the 14th against the ravens could be a day they target for a turn and i i just have seen enough of jake browning where could he help them tread water like could they go because if they go because they had that two and oh cushion now say they can go six and five over that stretch now they're eight and five and if you look at their schedule down the stretch that ravens game's a big one but then it softens up after that that so um you know i don't think the bengal season is over and i think if joe burrow is a fast healer with this um and he can get back by mid-december um there is a chance that's they're very much in the thick of it um now the question becomes at what level do you go get reinforcements right like if you're the bengals um because jake browning's proved that he can he can help you tread water do you call the giants about james winston do you call the falcons about Kirk Cousins, like how much are you willing to spend to go and give yourself the best chance, the most important position on the field while Joe Burrow is out?

23:44Albert Breer:And I think that's an open question. I think they're discussing that today and what their plan is going to be. I would just say this, like, you know, I coming up in the league, coming up covering the league in the Brady Manning era, you know, I always think about how precious these opportunities are when you've got a quarterback like that and how it's incumbent on the teams involved when they've got a quarterback like this to make the most out of the opportunities they've had they have and so i think that's got to be part of the equation here for the bangles is this is you know you've got a rare rare quarterback in joe burrow and if there's a chance he comes back with uh with a shot to make it into the playoffs um then you have to give yourself every chance every every opportunity you can to try and get your team there in mid-December where you're still playing relevant games at the end of the season.

24:30Rich Eisen:I mean, it's silly to say, but it's seven weeks until the trade deadline. So that's a nice month and a half to try and see, you know, what Jake Browning can do. And we've already seen what Jake Browning can do. Not just the last time that Burrow was hurt, but I mean, I understand three interceptions will get you a little scared against the Jacksonville defense yeah but but brownie still winged it around man he winged it around dude i mean credit

24:56Albert Breer:credit to him though rich like i talked to him after the game and credit to him for throwing that pick in the fourth quarter and then and then turning it around and driving the team 92 yards and it wasn't like there was a big chunk play there they just sort of the old hank stram like matriculated the ball down the field and um yeah they had a couple breaks there there was the there There was the DPI on Travis Hunter that converted a fourth down. But, yeah, I mean, I thought Jake Browning showed everything about why the Bengals really like having him around and that he can step into a situation like that and he can ride bumps out.

25:35Albert Breer:And, you know, I actually think he deserves credit for riding the three interceptions out and being able to lead that 92-yard touchdown drive at the very end. They've got confidence in him in that building. And so, again, I just I look at their situation. I look at their schedule. I just don't think the season's over. You know, I think you're going to have to, you know, probably pull some upsets. Like you'll have to split with the Steelers, both the Steeler games or while Joe Burrow is out. I think that's reasonable to say, like, that would be one requirement. But I think they've got the team to do it if they can continue to improve on defense.

26:10Rich Eisen:All right, let's move on, Albert Breer, to the team that I mentioned in our number one is, I guess, of all the 0-2 teams, the one that's the hardest 0-2 might just be Miami with a team that gets blown out on the road to start the season. Two days later, they're having a team meeting. And five days after that, they lose at home by giving up touchdowns in almost all three phases to a Patriots team coming into a building that they've historically taken care of, even in the Brady era. So where do things stand in Miami right now? Certainly with a lot of people talking today about Tua's comments, Tyreek Hill needs to track his ball when he's throwing it, Albert.

26:52Albert Breer:Yeah. Well, let me take you inside the players only meeting last week. My understanding is that there was a message from the captains to the rest of the team about accountability. And it was about accountability to each other and accountability to yourself. And more or less, it was the NFL is going to judge you regardless of your circumstances, is regardless of your coaching, the NFL is going to judge you in a vacuum. And it's on everybody to take personal responsibility. And it's more or less closing ranks and saying this isn't about anybody else but the players. And sometimes that happens at the end for coaches.

27:28Albert Breer:So I think that message was received by the players in that building. The tough thing, I think, for McDaniel, and I really like Mike as a coach, and I've known him a long time. I think the tough thing for him is this narrative has been there for the last four or five months, like that some of the stars in that building ran wild over the last couple of years. And they spent some time this offseason in their roster building trying to clean all that up and that you would have this sort of issue after week one. And that sort of no show in that week one game against the Colts. And now you're 0-2. I think only further fuels the narrative.

28:07Albert Breer:The other thing that's just lingering out there is the fact that they're in the middle of a soft rebuild. Teron Armstead retired. They traded Jalen Ramsey. They've moved now from the phase where they had two on the rookie contract into now he's on a big second contract. And so they're going to be gradually relying on more young players over the next couple of years. And when a franchise does that, the natural question for an owner to ask is, are these the people I want leading the rebuild? And so if things don't go well early this year, those questions will naturally come up. So I think all of that is in play.

28:46Albert Breer:You've got a standalone game. You and I both know how that can affect things against maybe the best team in football on Thursday night in Buffalo. it's a lot and that's a big spot I think coming up this Thursday night for Mike McDaniel and another thing that's lingering here is the fact that his defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver is beloved inside that building and is seen by a lot of people as a future head coach so if there comes a point where this really goes the wrong way, could Stephen Ross say I want to take a look at Anthony Weaver as my head coach, I think he could eventually get there I don't think it'll be after Thursday night but I think they could eventually get there

29:24Rich Eisen:Yeah, I mean, ask Brandon Staley how a blowout loss in division on Thursday Night Football went for him a couple of years ago.

29:30Albert Breer:I mean, it shouldn't be a factor, but it is, right? The owners have to hear that. It's the only game on, and so it becomes bigger than maybe it should be sometimes.

29:39Rich Eisen:Albert Breer here on the Rich Eisen Show. What message do you think Dan Campbell was sending yesterday, huh? Against the Bears. And where do things stand for both teams?

29:50Albert Breer:I mean, what's so interesting about it, though, Rich, is like how like the whole we don't know crap in week one thing actually like kind of came to life with that because it's like if you if you put all of those pieces together okay the lions beat up on the bears and we thought the bears were pretty good because they hung the vikings but the vikings lost and then maybe the lions offense looking the way it did in week one was just how good the packers defense is because we saw how good that packers defense looked against the commanders so you're sort of putting some pieces together there um look like i i i talked to jamir Gibbs after the game and I thought one of them I thought the most interesting thing he said was our problem in week one was communication and if you think about it an offense on game day has three main communicators the quarterback the center and the coordinator and two of those three pieces have been pulled out right so you have you know going into Green Bay if you're Detroit a new center and a new offensive coordinator with Jared Goff back as the quarterback you're playing against a defense that is a new piece in Micah Parsons you have no idea how they're going to use them in a loud environment at Lambeau.

30:54Albert Breer:And so, you know, what Gibbs said was like our communication was really stressed and we didn't think we did nearly a good enough job of it. Then they come home, they have this motivation of everybody thinks we're dead now. Johnny Morton's got a game under his belt as the offensive coordinator and they have an opportunity to really put their foot on the gas. And I think there's this chip on their shoulder too, which I thought was kind of interesting. And I think you heard it when you, if you really listen to what Dan said during the week and after the game, you really heard it. It's like Ben Johnson is great and did an awesome job here.

31:29And I think they all respect him, but Jamison Williams is a

31:32Albert Breer:good player. I'm on Ross St. Brown's a good player. Panay Sewell and Taylor Decker are fantastic tackles. Sam Laporte is a great tight end. Jameer Gibbs is a really good running back. Jared Goff is a quarterback who's gone to conference title games with two different franchises i think there were a lot of players that felt like this was about us too this wasn't just about ben so i think it was a combination of you know the first two weeks of the season the adjustment and communication and then um and then i i think a a few guys at least a few guys in that building having a little bit of a hair across their ass about some of the perception on on how that whole thing was put together over the last couple of years interesting way of putting

32:13Rich Eisen:it right there uh did did russell i don't know if the dis your disney plus i think this is my

32:18Albert Breer:first disney plus appearance so i'm not sure if that's okay it's all good i think that line is

32:23Rich Eisen:in incanto too coming up uh listen um did russell wilson stave off jackson dart do we do we do that

32:30Albert Breer:or what what do we got yeah i mean i i i think what people aren't paying enough attention to here is the left tackle um the left tackle situation has really undermined where they thought they would be on the offensive line right now and you know obviously the offensive line didn't play great against the commanders in week one which I think screwed some things up offensively Andrew Thomas is still not back um so and they lost him after I think it was about six weeks last year they felt like their offensive line had made a lot of progress before then um so I just having talked to people there I'm not sure how willing they would be going to go to Jackson Dart anyway until the offensive line situation is sorted out, until they have their left tackle back.

33:14Albert Breer:But certainly, I mean, they've felt comfortable with where Jackson Dart is, and there's a quiet confidence to the idea that he could very well play pretty good, you know, as a rookie if they put him in there. And I think they showed that confidence by making him the second quarterback. You don't do that unless you're comfortable putting a rookie in a game. and it looks like in fairness like Russell Wilson really responded to a lot of that noise yesterday so best case scenario for the Giants is that that Russell keeps playing well and you know Jackson keeps developing and you know if Jackson looks like like he's really pushing him in week 10 week 11 and the team's winning that's a good problem to have I do have their schedule up though and I pulled this up when I heard you talking about it in the last segment Rich Kansas City, Chargers, at New Orleans, Philly, at Denver, at Philly, San Francisco.

34:08Albert Breer:That's between now and November 2nd.

34:11Rich Eisen:Right, and at Chicago, and one assumes that an eight-game run or nine-game run between Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams will eventually start looking like the Caleb Williams-Ben Johnson connection that everyone in Chicago is hoping for. and then Green Bay and Detroit and then New England, which may not be the usual.

34:35Albert Breer:New England could be a lot better December 1st than they are now.

34:38Rich Eisen:Right, so I don't know when you would do something like that. I understand. Albert Breer here on the Rich Eisen show. Before we get to the Eagles and Chiefs, before I send you on with the rest of your day, Brock Purdy, is this a one-week sit-down for him? Mac Jones, I know, looked really good. The Niners are 2-0. There's three 2-0 teams in the NFC West, by the way.

34:57Albert Breer:I was told two to three weeks. So my sense is like maybe it's one of those deals where he gets back out there on the practice field and does light work at the end of the week. But my sense is like that they wanted to sit him out at least two weeks and maybe the third week. And this is the less serious version of turf toe than what Joe Burrow has. But I think he'll – it sounds like he's going to be okay. And I really like where the Niners are too. I mean, I think, you know, to be 2-0, given the amount of injuries that they've already dealt with and, you know, some of the things they're working through, they won't have IU until week 9 or 10 at least.

35:37Albert Breer:You know, so they, you know, McCaffrey's been banged up, Kittle's out. You know, and then you look at the amount of young guys they're playing on defense. The cool thing about the Niners right now, I think, Rich, is they could really develop depth over the course of the next two months. And the impact that Robert Sala is having with some of the young players on the defense, they really feel like that's going to take as the season goes on. So they've got a relatively manageable schedule if you look at it. And I think this is a team that believes, like I just said this about New England, I think this is a team that believes it's going to be a lot better come Thanksgiving, come Christmas, than it is right now because the amount of young guys they're playing and the amount of depth they're being forced to develop because of the injuries.

36:25Albert Breer:So I think Brock Purdy is back probably, and this is a rough estimate, I would say week four or week five. And as they start to work some of these injured guys back in, I think the hope would be that they're going to have a deeper team. And Mac Jones is part of that equation, too. You hit the nail on the head there. He played really, really well yesterday in New Orleans.

36:46Rich Eisen:Before I let you go, Albert, I would be remiss if I did not ask you your impressions of Eagles Chiefs moving forward. The Chiefs 0-2 for the first time in Mahomes' time, and the Eagles 2-0 again, now moving on to take on the Rams next week. What a big Week 3 game that is. I give you the floor. Your takeaways from that big game is what?

37:07Albert Breer:So my number one takeaway is, I mean, my goodness, the job that Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni and Jeff Stoutland have done developing that offensive line and keeping it as one of the strongest units in the league at any position. Right. Like, and I, I say that because I think the Eagles offensive line influenced the way the last eight minutes of that game were played. And here's what I mean by that. They were able to churn out that first down, which was ended with a tush push, but they got the nine yards to get in third and one with a couple of Barkley carries there, right? That allows them to take another couple of minutes off the clock.

37:43Albert Breer:Then they punt it away to the Chiefs. The Chiefs wind up driving the field and scoring. So that makes it 20 to 17. And here's the key. The Chiefs decided not to kick away. And I believe it's because of the Eagles offensive line. I believe it's because the Eagle, they did not think that they would be able to stop the Eagles on four straight plays because they thought the Eagles offensive line would be able to lean on them and get into one of those third and two, third and one situations where you're then able to push that thing over the line and end the game. And that concern wound up becoming justified when after the failed onside kick, the Eagles did just that.

38:20Albert Breer:So, I mean, to me, it's so impressive. They've lost a starter every year. They lost, you know, last year, Jason Kelsey. This year they lose Makai Becton. But that was the thing that stuck out to me, even on a day when the offense had less than 250 yards that offensive line won that game for them at the end so that'd be number one um the eagles would be there at the end we know that and i'm not counting the chiefs out yet at all my but my concern would be how much patrick mahomes is running right now i know mahomes doesn't want to run andy reid doesn't want him to run i feel like when you see him run this much as he's run the first couple weeks of the season you were there in brazil for it um it means they don't have the answers right now um now i think that they're just i mean the the the same principles i i i used in talking about the patriots for 20 years i use talking about them i think they'll figure it out um but you know like this is going to be a process and and how do you survive and keep your record where it needs to be over the next six or seven weeks so you can get rashi rice back so you can get savior worthy healthy so you can get josh simmons the experience that he needs as your left tackle.

39:28Albert Breer:I think those are the big things. And I trust that, that, that Andy Reed and Matt Nagy and Steve Spagnuolo on the other side of the ball, be able to figure it out. But this is definitely a little bit of a different challenge.

39:40Rich Eisen:Albert, you're the man. Thanks for the time. Greatly appreciate it. Look forward to our next chat already. Everybody check out the MMQB on sports illustrated from the great Albert prayer. You'd be well, sir.

39:49Albert Breer:All right. Thanks for it.

39:50Rich Eisen:That's Bert. Everybody right here on the rich show. We'll be back on ESPN radio presented by progressive insurance with our live stream on Disney Plus and the ESPN app everywhere after this.

40:05Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.

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40:53Rich Eisen:Call 1-800-GRANGER Click Grainger.com or just stop by ESPN Radio is presented by Progressive Insurance Back here on the Rich Eisen Show Our friends at Hyundai wanted to let you know about the Hyundai, all new Hyundai Palisade It's an incredible SUV It's got a spacious interior that's comfy for the entire crew It can go off-road And it's over 600 plus miles of range It's the all new Hyundai Palisade Hybrid All that and more So much more than just another SUV. Visit HyundaiUSA.com or call 562-314-4603 for more details. That's 562-314-4603 for more details. Let's talk a little college football, shall we?

41:35Rich Eisen:LSU taking care of business against Florida. Four interceptions for that LSU defense. Boy, Florida, once upon a time after, remember we were sitting here saying after Arch lost to Ohio State, wait until they play Florida, it's going to be a big test. First of all, we're talking about Arch against UTEP. first and how it still doesn't look like him blowing the doors off of everybody. I think the Heisman Trophy conversation is definitely finished for Arch in Texas right now. I mean, it's going to take a monumental final two months of the season to get him back in that conversation. But anyway, long story short, we bring this up because Brian Kelly didn't like some of the questioning after the game, after they won at home against Florida in front of the whole country.

42:15Rich Eisen:He's feeling good about the way the team went. And somebody was asking him something that wasn't entirely positive about his team hit it. I know you love these immediate post-game sessions, but what are you seeing with your offense? Stop. Really? Is that the first question? We won the game 20-10. Try another question. What do you want me to tell you? I just laid it out for you. We played the game to win the game. We played the game to win the game.

42:44Albert Breer:Alright, how about third down then? What is going on with third down?

42:47Rich Eisen:It's one game. Last game, we were great on third down. You're micro. You're looking at this from the wrong perspective. LSU won the football game. Won the game. I don't know what you want from me.

43:02Albert Breer:What do you want? You want us to win 70-0 against Florida to keep you happy? No, I think people want to know why you can't run the ball. We can run the ball. Did you see the last play of the game? That's all you need. You just need one.

43:16Rich Eisen:There's some ridiculous questions. And I'm getting tired of it. That football team just worked their tail off to get an SEC win, and you want to know what's wrong. You know what? You're spoiled. You're spoiled. This team is 17-1 at night. 17-1. Give them some respect. How about that? Give them some respect instead of micro-analyzing every little thing. This is ridiculous. for a group of seasoned reporters. That kind of question is so out of line.

43:53Albert Breer:Coach Sean Spears, two interceptions tonight. It seems like he's worked into a role on... That's a great question!

44:01Rich Eisen:Thank you. Oh, my word. That was the only thing that was missing was hello. You don't play it, just play it. that's the great thing about sports oh boy i mean instead of you play to win the game he said we played to we played the game to win the game right it's it's it's a little bit more wordy than we play to win the game which is it's not going to look pretty sometimes but all we needed to do in one moment was just get two yards we don't need to go get 20 and i understand you know reporters are like it's still it's still not clicking but the reason why I wonder if he's going to get any blowback for calling them spoiled

44:46Albert Breer:that's what I was just going to say

44:47Rich Eisen:when you call someone spoiled although he did also did you see it's he paused to pick and choose the right word to not offend them as to what to call them what type of reporters he used seasoned is that the solid when talking about

44:59Albert Breer:reporters no seasoned reporters means

45:01Rich Eisen:that you know better you should know better than to just take the bait of your having trouble running the ball when all you needed to do was run the ball well that one time to win the game. And I'm sure the reporters were responsible if you ran the ball more consistently well, then you wouldn't be hanging on for dear life, potentially. Although LSU is ranked third at 3-0. 32-11 LSU under Brian Kelly. They are 3-0 in bowl games. But spoiled.

45:29Albert Breer:They haven't been in the mix to win a title since he's been there.

45:31Rich Eisen:But this is the SEC. This guy. Hey, not in Central Michigan anymore. Cincinnati. Or even Notre Dame. Yeah. You know? Even Notre Dame.

45:42Albert Breer:Played for the Natty, though, at Notre Dame.

45:45Rich Eisen:Alice, she was ranked third. Yeah, hello. That was the only word that was missing. Oh, I think we got ourselves a new rant. Oh, yeah. And the question about the interceptions was like, the Matt Leiner will be next. It's a very, very, you know, we are who they thought they were. Don't worry about it, Mike. We're out of time. Hour number two is in the books. Your phone calls in hour number three, and we'll talk about the rest of week number two. We'll get some Vegas stories, what happened there. Not exactly going to stay there from TJ Jefferson, who was there for the prize fight over the weekend.

46:20Rich Eisen:The Ridge Eisen Show Podcast.

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From the publisher

Rich reacts to the Cowboys’ thrilling overtime win over NFC East rival New York Giants in a wild game that featured Russell Wilson connecting on deep bombs and Dallas K Brandon Aubrey re-minding everyone that he has the best leg in the NFL.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer and Rich discuss the possibility the NFL banning the Eagles’ sig-nature Tush Push this offseason, how long the Cincinnati Bengals will be without Joe Burrow due to his turf toe injury, the ever-warming hot seat under Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel after on 0-2 start, Dan Campbell in the Detroit Lions hanging a 50-burger on the Chicago Bears and his former OC Ben Johnson, how long Russell Wilson is likely to hang onto the New York Gi-ants starting QB job, and his biggest takeaways from Philadelphia’s Week 2 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Rich reacts to LSU head coach Brian Kelly ripping a reporter in his postgame press conference af-ter beating Florida in Week 3.
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