Hour 2: NFL Power Rankings, Drake Maye’s Struggles, plus Rich Pays Off a Debt to George Kittle

0:00Hockey on ESPN is blowing up. Hockey is back. So, what does it look like now? The kids? Hughes. Celebrini. Schaefer. That's hockey. Ovi and Crosby. That's hockey. And with access to over a thousand out-of-market games, you can watch them and the rest of the league. Holy hockey. That's more hockey to love for more fans who love it.

0:21Rich Eisen:The NHL's best on ESPN. Watch all season long on ABC, ESPN, ESPN Plus, and the ESPN app. 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 richeisenshow and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. A grand slam by Ben Rice. They've blown this baby wide open. The Rich Eisen Show. It's gonna go!

1:10First pitch home run, Fernando Tatis Jr. Earlier on the show, pro football hall of famer, Kurt Warner. Coming up, actor and author, Joe Manganiello. Plus, your phone calls, latest news, and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen.

1:31Rich Eisen:Hour number two of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. Kurt Warner and Arrow One, a great chat, talking about everything going on in the NFL, and quarterbacking in particular. Joe Manganiello, diehard Steelers fan and now author. His memoir is out called Bloodlines. He'll be here in hour number three. Steelers with a big game to kick off week number three. And in about 20 minutes' time, I'm paying off a bet. George Kittle, who did in fact send me his game-worn helmet from his days in Iowa for me to wear because Iowa beat Michigan, and this is going to happen. And I've got to spend 10 minutes. He gave me some marching orders.

2:10Rich Eisen:I'll walk you through that. 20 minutes from now, get to a TV if you've been listening on ESPN Radio. And if not, we'll paint the word picture for you. The adjective will be miserable. That'll be the word picture. For whom? Me. I will be miserable. Oh, for you. Yes, I will be miserable. Oh, got it. I will wear a helmet for 10 minutes with a chin strap and everything. If this is from Georgia senior season, that's 2016. Thank you. Ten year old. Ten year old. By the way, I have to tell you, though, because you did take a close look at it. Yeah, this is an artifact. It's like a museum piece. No doubt.

2:43I was just scanning the comments on the YouTube video of this. Someone was like, that's probably worth a pretty penny. You know, that's Georgia's game used game worn Iowa helmet that maybe he had all four years. I don't know.

2:54Rich Eisen:Put on the desk here. I don't know if people can see it. At the very least, his senior year. Here. You got it zoomed in there, Hoskins? I don't know if you could see on that. You could see that right there. Hey. Right over there. That's where he's got his name etched in. I don't know if you can see it. At any rate, there it is. It's great. It's a helmet. I'm putting it down. It doesn't have to be ever present. We're going to have a great day today. Okay, thanks, Coach. Kurt Warner spoke at length about Drake May. kid missed the mvp award by one vote last year one vote and he has played like anything but and he's his confidence appears to be shot that's what kurt says yeah and the only way out of it is to practice like you mean it and it's not the problem with him it's not like he doesn't practice like he doesn't mean it he just can't bring it in a game whatever he's doing in practice AJ Brown's not walking through that door for at least another two games either.

3:57Rich Eisen:Could be another month. And that was the guy that was supposed to lead him through to the next level. To the point where they take Keyshawn Booty and say, go to Houston. It's nuts. And they're going into Western New York to take on a Bills team that has been putting up points like they're going out of style. But defensively, they're giving them up. They're giving them up. A little better this week against the Chargers, who have been struggling to the point that they haven't won yet, but that offense still hasn't clicked like they had hoped. I mean, the plans for the Chargers going into the season was just like, Justin Herbert's going to get unlocked by Mike McDaniel and the run game's going to get unlocked and we got our two all-world tackles back.

4:50Rich Eisen:Let's go to work. Not so much. And the plan for the Patriots was, let's get Drake May, A.J. Brown, let's get that offensive line more solidified by taking the Jets' best offensive lineman from the past few years and get him, Elijah Vera Tucker, and get Will Campbell a little bit more up to speed, stop that turnstile out there at left tackle, and let's go to work with Travion Henderson, who didn't answer the bell in week one because he was hurt, and can't stay on the field, I guess, on third down because he has trouble pass protecting. And the question is, who's going to catch it now? With A.J.

5:25Rich Eisen:Brown on the shelf. Romeo Dobbs, let's get him in here. He dropped a big one that would have really led to, I kind of feel, a different result in the first one. I think he, not hyperbole, if he catches that, Pat's win the game because the very next throw was an interception. That's right. Yeah. Yeah. Mike Vrabel on his local radio show on Monday put quite a fine point on it after he got a little pointed with Greg Hill, who was questioning him about May. I think quarterbacks want to make plays. I think they do. I think they want to throw touchdowns. And I think sometimes, you know, when Greg and I go golfing, we really want to make a good score, right?

6:08Sometimes we're so focused on it that we try to choke the life out of the golf club,

6:13Rich Eisen:and we're squeezing it so damn tight that the ball has no choice but to go sideways. And we need to stop trying to choke the life out of every single play. We need to relax. We need to settle in and go play football and not try to force things that aren't there. So that ball that he's trying to throw to Chisholm in the end zone, he just believes he believes that he's going to be able to I don't know you'd have to ask him what he believes you know what I'm saying like you guys ask me a question about what he believes well then ask me what my assessment is what's your assessment of it that it's a terrible decision yeah I love the northeast man it's just sports conversations you just don't hear in other places yeah that's true so here's what I would do because he's referring to the Ephraim Chisholm target in the end zone that just looked like he was throwing it right to Travis Hunter for his first career interception I wonder if he got that ball I would just I don't know you just show him the video from last year's game in Buffalo game 5 for the Pats you know remember they started 1-2 they dropped a 40 burger on Carolina in week 4 and they're 2-2 going into Buffalo on a Sunday night, and May was spectacular.

7:3922 of 30, 273 yards.

7:43Rich Eisen:Didn't throw a touchdown, but, man, he made the moves, you know? He made the right plays at the end of the game. Defensively, they got Josh Allen a little bit turned around. 23-20 final. Yeah, from that game, too. They lost only one game the rest of the year. It's the one where he's rolling to the right and he kind of throws it and Stephon Diggs comes in and you're just like, wow, where did that throw come from? That's a Josh Allen type throw. They went from one and two, lost only one game. They lost to Buffalo at home. That's it. Rest of the season. And lost three games, 14. And that game was 35-30.

8:21Rich Eisen:So just show them one cut up after another. Like, dude, because I'll tell you this. This is what's bad. is if I understand what Vrabel's referring to to May kind of gripping because he just described my golf game. That's not good for your quarterback. Because I understand what it means. Like every shot, like you're just, you know, it's a counterintuitive game golf. You want to hit it further, swing easier. You know? Like that's a problem. You think that it's going so bad, so I need to try and I need to lock in and I need to be even more focused. But by doing that, I mean, it's just paralysis by over analysis and over effort.

9:10Apparently that's what's happening. And it seems like that's what's happening. And I said this kind of in the break, just kind of tongue in cheek, but I think maybe there's something to it. TJ, you wondered, hey, how bad would this all be going right now if he had actually won MVP last year? And I kind of think that it wouldn't be happening at all. Because you talk about a lack of confidence. Maybe he feels like, man, I was so close and we were so close and everyone's killing me for playing bad in the playoffs. Maybe if I had won the MVP, I would have that confidence and I would have that belief in myself.

9:40And I wouldn't be trying to hit home runs on every single play and over making the most perfect throw and the most perfect read. And he'd be playing a little more free and a little more loose. And you see it through the first three weeks and it's the exact opposite.

9:54Rich Eisen:it so the mental aspect of the game that we'd be like i'm the mvp of the league i'm i should i'm more comfortable i'm more comfortable more confident i don't know maybe he's just trying to overcompensate for not winning the mvp i have no idea what i mean getting in the mind of a 23 year old it's not anything i want to be in the business of just yet cage is only six but i don't know maybe there's something to it maybe it's not but it just feels like everything that could go wrong this year has he's just been god-awful and there's really no explanation for it i don't know i mean he was clean sheet going into the fourth quarter in his first three quarters is not the mvp and then yeah but it's not like bad decisions i mean they only had right and then you know new england in their win against pittsburgh i mean he didn't play well but it didn't cost them the game they're one and one going into against pittsburgh and then the roof caved in against jacksonville and i i i just think that against pittsburgh you know again and then he i mean he only had 14 completions i know but it it he didn't cost them the game like he did in seattle or at least walking away feeling that way i don't know those stats are also kind of inflated 208 yards because one of them was a 60 yarder to get to Dobbs like I would I don't know show him the cut-ups of last year that's the guy you're still him you recognize that guy Drake because we were two and two and you were just beginning to get your footing and then you went up to one of the toughest places to play against one of the toughest opponents to try a match point for point and we won the defense balled out you did the job when the chips were down you made the throws you were the one that was difficult to sack you were the one who didn't make the mistakes i don't know it's as simple as that eight interceptions all of last year he already has six and three games if they don't pull that off and they're one and three and then they welcome Vegas in.

12:13Rich Eisen:Maybe 4-0 Vegas? Dude. And then the Jets, who would just love to just stick it right in New England's eye. I mean, that is for sure. I mean, Geno looks 10 times the better quarterback. I would agree. They're a much more offensively efficient machine. And the thing about Geno, too, is he's getting a lot of layups. His completion percentage is over 70. He's taken easy wins. throughout the game and then stretching it downfield when there's an opening. And, you know, Drake May led the league last year in downfield throws, and we just don't have any of that this year. But you're right, TJ. If he won the MVP last year and he started like this, it'd be like, now you're the Fugazi MVP.

12:57Rich Eisen:Yeah, dude. But I don't know what's filtering into his brain from the outside world. I'd imagine it's not much. If I was an NFL quarterback, I wouldn't be on my phone except to say hello to my wife. That's it. Have a great day. Miss you. That's it. Yeah. I wouldn't have a single app on it except, you know, Wordle. Wordle. I would not be in touch with the rest of the world if I was an NFL Wordle. I'd have Tetris just to get my mind. Got to have a brain game. Weather Channel. But I'm the host of a program like this every day. so I have to have opinions, which means I have to have power. Oh, let's go.

13:43Rich Eisen:It's a Wednesday. It's time for my week four power rankings brought to you by SoFi.

13:54This is my power rankings. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Power rankings.

14:00Rich Eisen:I know what you're thinking over there, Chris Brock. Oh, really? I know what you're thinking over there. Okay, and? And would I dare to have a week four power rankings with the Los Angeles Rams at one and two still on it? I know you, Rich Eisen, and I know how passionate you are about power rankings. But I still have the Rams on it at one and two. Of course you will. TJ, do you think I have the Rams on it still at one and two? If I had a Magic 8 ball, I'd shake it and it would say most definitely or something. Well, I have a Magic 8 ball. Let me do it for you. What's it say? What's it say? Dear Magic 8-Paul.

14:37Rich Eisen:Without question. What it says, most likely. That's what I'm saying. Okay. 8-Paul's always right. Number 10 on my list. The Rams. Wouldn't that be fun? Number 10 on my list. I understand this may be too low for this team. But the mere fact that I have this team number 10 in my power rankings entering week four. Oh, I know who it is. It is the Las Vegas Raiders. Yeah, it is. It's the Raiders. They are a 3-0. That's thank you, Mike. The autumn wind is a damn pirate. And this wind is Kirk Cousins playing the best he's ever played. He's never started a season with back-to-back-to-back three touchdown games or better.

15:25Rich Eisen:As a matter of fact, he's the first 38-year-old quarterback to ever do it, ever. And Gentry looks spry. And Brock Bowers comes off of two games on the shelf and catches 10 footballs. And Max Crosby is killing it. And N 'Kobe Dean in the middle of this defense is killing it. They had another three-plus takeaway game this past week, and they had four in the fourth quarter. So, yeah, you do that. You are one of the best teams in the NFL. and this game against the Kansas City Chiefs is going to be awesome to watch. Just to see it. It'll get a handle when it gets handled. I can't believe you're going to put the Rams ahead of them.

16:10Rich Eisen:Number nine. Back on the list. The Cowboys. Your Case Keenum quarterback, Chicago Bears. Hey. Yeah, man. Great story. How great was this performance by Case Keenum? And the Bears defense did the rest. The Bears defense did the rest. the takeaway part of the Bears, the damn near shutouts parts of the Bears. Listen, the Bears have only scored 30 points after putting 59 up in week one. But that performance offensively, defensively, it was all there, man. That might have been their best performance of the year, to be honest, all around. For sure. Right? Because it was a track meet week one. Week two was kind of ugly.

16:55and then week three, they put it all together with Case Keenum.

16:59Rich Eisen:Number eight on the list, back on the list, is the Jacksonville Jaguars. And the Jaguars have got a big game against the Cincinnati Bengals. And I can't wait to see it. So Trevor Lawrence is doing crazy things like sliding on the one-yard line with eight and a half minutes to go. I don't know what that one was. He said he wanted to get toot in a touchdown. No, he was just covered. I think he kind of lost. Lost track of the time? Yeah, I think so. Eight minutes? It just felt like the game was over. Oh, for sure. It felt like it was over, you know, even like an hour before it felt like it was over.

17:33Yeah, it was over in the third quarter.

17:34Rich Eisen:But that raised so many eyebrows. No, you're just like, wait, what are you doing? What's going on? Oh, you know, Lawrence rushing. Yeah, man. Number seven. Up two spots are the Denver Broncos. Let's just get the second half and the first half. Can we get the second half team starting in the first half? We talked about this at length with Sean Payton yesterday. They're working on it. Working on it. They're figuring it out. The run game hasn't gotten going yet. What happens when the run game gets going? Because the line's too good for that run game not to get going. They're also just not calling enough running plays.

18:06Rich Eisen:Well, I mean, Davis Webb is going to get his seed legs under him in the last two games in the second half. It's worked out. Number six. By the way, 49ers and Broncos, big week four game. Number six, down four spots to the Seahawks. Just because they lost one game, I'm not knocking them out of the power rankings. I mean, Jackson Smith and Jigba is well on his way to leading this league and receiving again and having another Offensive Player of the Year campaign. And Darnold's back. Defensively, they've got to go back to the drawing board after that one. Obviously, a pick six didn't help. But the Seahawks are still on my power rankings.

18:49Rich Eisen:Top five. The Ravens are now in it. Up five spots. Putting the Ravens here. Hmm. Yeah. That's a little high. Okay. I hear you. I kind of dig them. I like them. I like what I'm seeing right now. Yeah. Giving up too many points. No, I understand that, but they were going against Gotti. Yeah. That's true. You know what I mean? Oh, that's my bad. Going against Gotti. Listen. My bad. That was a big win, man. That was a big win. And they're, you know, how good is Kyle Hamilton? Really? He's going to get even better with Jesse Minter as his head coach. We didn't mention it, but that was a huge moment for Tyler Loop.

19:28You know, he missed the kick that could have won the division and put them in the playoffs last year. So he had to sit with that all offseason. And to come in in that situation that rushed, end of the game, seven seconds, and to knock that through from that distance, that was a huge moment. Really happy for him.

19:44Rich Eisen:And how much of a difference maker is Zay Flowers? Is he the fastest receiver in the league right now? I don't know. Just he, my gosh, the way he plays. Four, up four spots. I'm putting the Minnesota Vikings here. They're too damn good at defense. They're too damn good on defense. And now they got the Dolphins coming in this week without Devon Achan. I mean, that game is going to be. Number three on the list, up one spot, are the Chiefs. Okay. Number two on the list, up one spot, are the 49ers. And the Bills stays like before. Stays like before. They are now a team that is atop the power rankings at 3-0, having had their worst game of the season so far.

20:28Rich Eisen:And Josh Allen still scored three times. Had accounted for three touchdowns. Again. And now come the Patriots. So my list, devoid of the Rams. They're off the list. Are you okay? Are you allowed back in your house? And the Eagles are off the list. Yeah, that's good. And also the Bengals are off the list. Am I reading this right? Yeah. Bengals, Eagles, and Rams. Five, six, and seven. They all lost and they're off. So, yeah, I'm feeling all right. You're okay? Okay. Power Rankings are brought to you by SoFi. Get your money right. Yeah, I mean, Bills, Niners, Chiefs, Vikings, Ravens all won. Broncos won.

21:14Rich Eisen:Jaguars won. Bears won. Raiders won. I'm the only team on my list that lost last week of the Seahawks. I'm not taking them off. But I couldn't just – I can't sit here and say a 1-2 team deserves to be over a 3-0 team or a 2-1 team that showed some moxie and some grit. I think you asked this to Marcus Spears too. If the Lions played the Raiders, who wins? I don't know. I think the Raiders would have a great chance. Depends on where it is, right? Yeah. The question is, is, you know, the veteran presence on this team, You got Crosby and you got Cousins, just off the top of my head here. What's going to happen when they're going to be in a crucible in a fourth quarter having lost a lead and trying to bounce back?

21:54Rich Eisen:Who's going to lead and who's going to start making them understand what it takes? Or this is the team that's going to figure it out on their own. The Kobe team could do that. Although I don't think he – did he ever trail in college? I don't know. Didn't feel like it. Didn't feel like it. can't wait for the Browns to win tomorrow and then see what happens Hyundai Hope on Wheels is something we're proud to support because for the past 28 years with support from Hyundai their dealers and every new Hyundai sold Hope on Wheels has contributed over 300 million dollars to childhood cancer research helping save more than 40 ,000 kids in a country where a child is diagnosed with cancer every 36 minutes so the bravest warriors you're ever going to meet are these kids in this fight that Hyundai Hope on Wheels is all about, fighting childhood cancer and donating to childhood cancer research.

22:49Rich Eisen:Join our fight, please, at HyundaiWarriors.com. When we come back, the moment I've been dreading, paying off my bet with George Kittle wearing an Iowa Hawkeyes helmet. Oh, man. The Rich Eisen Show podcast. Rich Eisen here for Gusto. On my shows, we talk a lot about what happens in the spotlight, the games, the highlights, and the moments that get replayed and debated. But in any successful operation, what happens behind the scenes matters just as much. Small businesses are no different. Payroll, hiring, onboarding, benefits, and all the details that keep things moving may not be the most visible part of the job, but they still have to be handled right.

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24:06Rich Eisen:Try Gusto today at gusto.com slash rich and get three months free when you run your first payroll. That's three months of free payroll at gusto.com slash rich. One more time, gusto.com slash rich. O 'Reilly Auto Parts can help take the guesswork out of your vehicle's check engine, ABS or maintenance light with O 'Reilly Veriscan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE certified master technicians. Ask for O 'Reilly Veriscan today. George Kittle, one of our favorites, all his appearances. Check out on our YouTube channel. Hire right the first time with LinkedIn hiring pro folks.