In short
Rich Eisen’s NFL offense power rankings plus an interview with Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti, covering his national title run, quarterback Josh Hoover, recruiting philosophy, and college football rulemaking (including gambling).
Key claims
Cignetti says Indiana’s game-winning fourth-down call vs Miami prioritized trusting players and using an RPO advantageous look; he credits QB preparation/toughness (comparing it to Tom Brady’s preparation standards) and says Indiana’s success isn’t a one-year fluke. He argues college football needs a commissioner-like enforcer with power to make/enforce rules, and he supports professionalizing aspects affected by player pay and gambling issues.
Notable examples
Hoover’s development arc (Illinois, Iowa, Oregon, Penn State comeback) and the Miami national title moment at the 12-yard line, fourth-and-four. NFL offenses: Falcons (fast, Stefanski), Seahawks (new play caller), Bills (DJ Moore), Lions (Goff/Petersing), Bengals (healthy Burrow), 49ers (McCaffrey/Kittle/Mike Evans), Patriots (improved pass game), Bears (Caleb Williams), Rams (top overall).
Guests
Curt Cignetti (Indiana head coach, national champion); plus upcoming/mentioned guests Marv Albert (NBA Finals voice) and Henry Winkler (actor).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOKickoff of Hour Two
0:04 to 0:26
Rich sets the stage for hour two and shares excitement over guest appearances.
“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.”
Kickoff of Hour Two
1:12 to 1:44
Rich sets the stage for hour two and shares excitement over guest appearances.
“From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.”
Interview with Kurt Cignetti Begins
1:44 to 2:36
Rich welcomes Indiana head coach Kurt Cignetti and discusses his vacation plans.
“Hey, listen, we're all paying rent in this man's world.”
Championship Game Insights
2:36 to 4:26
Kurt reflects on critical moments from the national championship game against Miami.
“Hey, Rich, you're the last one before I go on vacation.”
Developing a Winning Player
4:26 to 6:34
Discussion on quarterback development and the qualities that make a great player.
“I learned when I was a younger head coach, a couple times maybe guilty of playing not to lose.”
Transitioning from Assistant to Head Coach
6:34 to 9:40
Kurt shares his journey from being an assistant coach to taking a head coaching position.
“I mean, he covered every base and then some.”
Recruiting Challenges in College Football
9:40 to 12:42
Kurt discusses the evolving landscape of college football recruiting and player management.
“and I just made the decision that this isn't what I want to do anymore.”
Call for Rules Change in College Football
12:42 to 14:00
Kurt advocates for a centralized authority to enforce rules in college football.
“And this high school market is, whew, it's out there.”
Discussion with Curt Cignetti: College Football's Future
14:00 to 18:00
Explore Curt Cignetti's insights on improving college football and player rights.
“Like a commissioner is what you're saying essentially?”
Zach from Kansas City: Soccer and Sports Culture
22:00 to 26:00
A lively chat with a caller about the soccer atmosphere in Kansas City.
“Lots going on here on the Rich Eisen Show.”
Show all 17 chapters
Rich's NFL Offenses Power Rankings
26:00 to 28:00
Rich Eisen shares his rankings of the top NFL offenses for the upcoming season.
“Now it's time for my power rankings of the top NFL offenses presented by SoFi.”
Power Rankings of NFL Offenses
28:00 to 33:25
Rich discusses his top ten rankings for NFL offenses based on various factors.
“Number seventh on the list, tied for fourth in points, and now Jameer Gibbs is going to get the ball more.”
Discussion on SportsCenter Episode with Linda Cohn
33:43 to 40:10
Rich previews an upcoming episode of 'This Was SportsCenter' featuring Linda Cohn and recalls memorable moments from the past.
“I'm so used to Cowboys getting poo-pooed on by people that when you recognize like that, it just kind of took me.”
Discussion on SportsCenter Episode with Linda Cohn
40:16 to 40:56
Rich previews an upcoming episode of 'This Was SportsCenter' featuring Linda Cohn and recalls memorable moments from the past.
Recollections of the OJ Simpson Bronco Chase
41:32 to 42:00
Rich shares memories of the day of the OJ Simpson chase during a SportsCenter broadcast.
“Barry and I happened to be on the air doing the 11 o 'clock SportsCenter during the OJ Bronco.”
Reflecting on the 1994 NBA Finals and O.J. Simpson
42:00 to 45:21
The hosts reminisce about significant sports events from June 17, 1994, including the O.J. Simpson chase and the NBA Finals.
“Simpson, a pro football hall of famer earlier in the evening, a suicidal fugitive is now in under arrest and in police custody.”
Upcoming Guests and Special Episodes
45:21 to 46:26
Discussion about upcoming guests like Marv Albert and Henry Winkler and special episodes related to sports broadcasting history.
“We shot all three of these episodes right here in this studio in Los Angeles for This Was Sports Center, presented by Gusto.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:01This 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+. And we're live on match day as Doug reaches for a buffalo wing. He's got it. Oh, and he's gone for a can of Pepsi, too.
0:33What a finish. There's no doubt about it. It just tastes better. Match days deserve Pepsi.
0:41Rich 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 three 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. Messi! First career World Cup hat trick. And a bit play! That's another one! From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Earlier on the show. Hurricanes head coach Rod Brindamore Coming up Indiana head coach Kurt Cignetti Broadcasting legend Marv Albert Emmy award winning actor Henry Winkler And now Rich Eisen Alright, hour number two of the Rich Eisen show is on the air On the air 844-204-RICH is the number to dial right here on Disney Plus The ESPN app, ESPN Radio, Sirius XM, Channel 80 um as you know i'm a native new yorker so having marv albert call in to talk about the knicks winning the nba finals is something that uh as the child in me is uh doing cartwheels over henry winkler by the way in person in hour three that's another one of them um and i'm also a patient man of a very patient man because i wanted to speak to this man ever since he uh and his indiana Hoosiers won it all against the Miami Hurricanes, but he's very particular.
2:24Rich Eisen:Hey, listen, we're all paying rent in this man's world. It's now finally time to speak with Kurt Signetti here on the Rich Eisen Show. Good to see you, sir. How are you? I'm doing good. Hey, Rich, you're the last one before I go on vacation. We saved the best for last. Thank you, sir. Where are we going? Do we want to share? Where are you going? Oh, you know, a little time away. You know, we'll do a week. with the fam at a beach house somewhere in South Carolina, South Carolina Beach, and we'll see. Got a few other things going on. So here's the follow-up question. Can you unwind? Can you do that, Kurt?
3:03Rich Eisen:That's a great question. Thank you, sir. I only ask those. Yeah. If I get up in the morning and go for a walk with my wife, then I'm relaxed to a degree. Maybe a cocktail or two, and then I'm good. All right, here's a follow-up. What is the cocktail of choice for Kurt Cignetti? What is that? Summer cocktail. It's usually a vodka and tonic. I'm not a drinker, but you know. A little tequila. Yeah, you got to have a little tequila or something. I like it. And do you put the phone away? Does the cell phone go away? There are times, yeah, the cell phone will be turned off. Yeah, absolutely. Okay. So if you don't mind me hitting the Wayback Machine, because I've been wanting to ask you this question for months.
3:46Rich Eisen:The national championship game against Miami, nine minutes and change to go. You're on the 12-yard line. It's fourth and four. Did you have any thoughts of kicking a field goal? Walk me through, if you don't mind, that moment on the sideline with you. Yeah, no, not really. And we'd gone on fourth down a little earlier, two and plus 37. and the only reason we ran the field goal team out there was to buy some time. Because I knew I was going to call timeout. But we had the call ready to go. You got to play to win. You got to trust the players. Put the pressure on the defense. I learned when I was a younger head coach, a couple times maybe guilty of playing not to lose.
4:33You got to trust the players. You got to trust the players to make the plays.
4:37Rich Eisen:And you look Mendoza in the eye? What's that like? Or he already earned your trust a million ways to Sunday or Saturday at that point in time or Monday? Yeah, well, you know, it's not a super complicated play that we dialed up. There were RPOs involved, and they were an advantageous look. And, you know, he played his best football with the game on the line, and it was just a matter of here's a play, let's go. When did you learn he was special? So when did you learn that? I really liked him at Kel. I thought he had a lot of talent. And, I mean, you know, Georgia and Miami were the final two. We had to overcome to get him.
5:18So, I mean, you know, he wasn't an under-the-radar guy by any means. Needs some work in the pocket footwork-wise. He didn't have great protection at Kel. He had a big game against Illinois, our first Big Ten game here at home. you know he really started to make big time progress, build on his successes played really good at the end of the Iowa game which we won in the last minute, then out at Oregon kind of same thing, made a mistake and overcame it, led us to a victory the Penn State comeback wow, never seen anything like it and you know what we've all seen him interviewed he came off a little geeky The guy's a lion as a competitor.
6:02He is ferocious, tough, and makes plays with his arm and his legs.
6:09Rich Eisen:He seems too good to be true. That's another phrase about him, right? He's so genuine, but some people think his genuineness might not be real, Coach. It's real and a very deep guy. I mean, extremely intelligent, can talk about a lot of different things. But, you know, committed to be great. When Tom Brady was his idol, and I've never been around a guy in 45 years that prepared like he did. I mean, he covered every base and then some. I learned from him. The great ones, you learn from the great ones. What'd you learn from him? What'd you learn? The level of detail and preparation and how it never ends.
6:56How it never ends. Right. and then you know what else what the way he played and the toughness he displayed really pulled that team together and he was a great team guy yeah and you could see that when he's talking
7:10Rich Eisen:uh even at otas right now with the raiders you could see that he he mentions it and again it it it might come across as like well it's quarterback just saying the right things and leaders saying the right things but it does as i mentioned come across to me as genuine certainly when I've gotten the chance to chat with him. Did you chat with Brady during the draft process at all? Or did they reach out to you about it? No, I talked to the head coach, new head coach. And I talked to the new GM about another matter, or the GM. But no, they didn't need to talk to me. They let the film, you know, it's right there on tape.
7:52Rich Eisen:The tape don't lie. It certainly does not. I've got Kurt Signetti, national champion head coach here on the Rich Eisen show. One other aspect about decisions and hitting the way back machine, if you don't mind me hitting, was your decision to leave Alabama. I'm serious. I take a look at your because I've Googled you many times and your decision to say, OK, I'm an assistant at Alabama with Nick Saban. And I'm going to let's put it this way. this isn't the first coaching gig you've had with Indiana University in the title, except this one was Indiana University of Pennsylvania Division II. Why did you do that back in the day?
8:34Yeah, I wanted to be a head coach all my life. You know, my dad was a coach. I knew in third grade I wanted to coach. I always wanted to be a head coach. I'd gotten a great break at a young age, but what it'd be before now, you know, with Rice in the Southwest Conference, but I was with some losing programs for a long time, so never really advanced very much. and just wasn't in position to get a head coaching job. And I didn't want to be a 60-year-old assistant. And I guarantee you there's never been a move made like that in this profession before. It took a big pay cut. Two girls in high school, one, be doctors, went on to become doctors, son, freshman, college.
9:08Finally, my wife agreed to it. But I woke up many in the morning like, what did I do, you know, early on? But, you know, it all worked out. I didn't wake up every day saying I got to get to this level. I just kind of worked my job and everywhere we went, we turned it around big early on. And same thing here.
9:26Rich Eisen:So it wasn't much of a decision factor for you. You're just like, this is it. I feel like this is my moment to grab a head coaching gig. I was done being an assistant coach. I was done. I'd learned a lot from Coach Saban. I was with him four years. The first year I felt like I was ready. and I just made the decision that this isn't what I want to do anymore. I don't want to be an assistant coach anymore. It's time to bet on myself and take a chance. And if we ended up at IUP for 20 years, won a bunch of games, so be it. My wife was from that town. My parents still lived in that town. We didn't May recruit, so we'd go golfing every day in May.
10:11It was a pretty good life.
10:13Rich Eisen:Do you reflect on moments like this when not asked about it directly by people like me now that you're a national champion head coach at Indiana University of Bloomington? Occasionally, yeah. I mean, it's hard not to think about like, wow, 11 years ago, you know, or somebody wants you to do a commercial and you can make twice as much as you made your first two years at IUP. I mean, 10 hours. Does it involve a talking duck? Is that what we're, I know nothing. Okay. I think I sniffed something out. Okay. Okay. Very good. By the way, that's a great Hogan's Hero reference right there. I got that one.
10:53Rich Eisen:Coach Cignetti here on the Rich Eisen Show. All right. Let's talk about the here and now. You've got Josh Hoover in your program now. I loved what you said at the podium, Coach, that he's met his two new best friends, right? A running game and a defense. Has he gotten familiar with his two new best friends so far? Yeah. Well, I had to cover his back a little bit on that one. You know, he's right where all the other ones have been. You know, every guy we've had since 19 has been player of the year in the league. Curtis Wark actually led the country in QBR but was not player of the year in the league.
11:28But, you know, they all do some good things in the spring and some bad things. And this time of year in the summer, I'm still concerned about a lot of things with the football team. But he's having a great summer, and he'll be a different guy in fall camp, build on his early season successes, and let's go. That's the plan.
11:46Rich Eisen:What are you concerned about that you're willing to share? What are your concerns? Oh, I think every coach in America, you know, you never have enough. You know, whether it's depth, front-line guys, it's always something. Trust me. Okay. And then in terms of players that might be knocking on your door rather than the other way around with potentially more stars than you've been used to having knocking on your door, does that change your philosophy and who you allow into your program? No, no. Toughness, number one, they got to have a certain amount of ability, obviously. Character is huge and intelligence.
12:32Yeah, I mean, there's more guys we can get in on and get on campus. But you got to be smart, too, because, you know, the market's always changing. And this high school market is, whew, it's out there. So you can't really, you really can't go all the way with everybody you'd like to, because you got to be able to keep your good players and add a few guys in the portal where you got critical needs.
12:56Rich Eisen:When you say market, is that dollars and cents you're referring to? Money? Yeah, payers get played now. I'm aware of that, sir. How often do players walk into your office and say, you're not paying me enough?
13:10never uh now they all got agents nowadays and so you know every once in a while uh my recruiting guy will walk in and say i heard from so-and-so and johnny want you know wondering if and it's pretty easy no
13:32Rich Eisen:because why um you're just not going to be put in a position of negotiating that you're not a negotiator is the head coach of indiana football national champion head coach or or what like what's that time for negotiations when the when the season's over and uh now the high school deal i mean uh when you're recruiting and you know you got agents calling your guy and i don't deal with agents anymore um you know i let our people deal with them and they come to me and uh you know i mean it's like anything else uh how bad do you want it well as you know the conversation is just non-stop the few minutes i have left with you kurt signetti it's non-stop about um what can be done to reel in college football or make it better or make it more uniform if you could wave a wand kurt signetti and say this is a new rule it would be what for you
14:29i don't think there's one rule okay i just think um there's got to be somebody in charge that has the power to make the rules and enforce the rules. Like a commissioner is what you're saying essentially? Or if it's the NCAA, you know, let's empower them to do their job. Let them change with the times.
14:51Rich Eisen:And that would be to take, because again, what you're talking about, players get paid now to professionalize this aspect of college athletics. Is that what you're suggesting? Because I would do that. I would 100 % do that, you know? Well, two different things here. Number one, the NCAA needs to be able to enforce the rules, and the courts have made it impossible for them to do that. Okay, point B, where are we going? Could we be headed in that direction? It's quite possible. I think anything is possible at this point. I do think we're at a tipping point. I think some of the things that happened in the last couple days was a real plus for college football.
15:37and we need to move forward in a positive direction. You're referring to Brendan Sorsby's case, if you will, is what you're referring to? I am, and not necessarily him, just the gambling issue in general. I know Brendan a little bit. He was actually in the program for about a week and a half when I was hired. I think he's an outstanding quarterback and a great kid, and I think he's going to be a great pro with the proper support to overcome some of the issues he's had. I think he's got a lot of talent, and there'll be an NFL team. I'll be real happy to have him.
16:10Rich Eisen:Before I let you go, sir, to your vacation and enjoy that time, what do you say, Kurt Signetti, to people who think it was a one-and-done for you? Hey, nice run you had there, you know, but Indiana is not going to become the powerhouse on a yearly basis, let alone a champion once again. What do you say to people who think this might have been a one-hit wonder last year, Coach? Rich, I eliminate the noise and the clutter. I'm bringing the noise and the clutter and the funk all to your front door right now. What do you say to those? Sounds like somebody that graduated from Michigan and Northwestern.
16:52Rich Eisen:That's right. I have two degrees, too. I know you do. I know. What do you say to those people, though, that say that sort of thing? Well, we've got to prove it. doesn't matter what i say we got to prove it thank you sir for the time i don't be such a stranger i'm knocking on your door all the time i love talking to you i hope that you know this is even remotely um you know mutual but uh i just love the way you go about your business man you know i told you we saved the best for last we did thank you i appreciate that uh and you do know again you you block out all the noise and the clutter you're you're the king of the memes and the arched eyebrows and stuff like that as your family members brought that to your attention my wife doesn't understand this the sensation uh why everybody's so enthralled she said it was a boring guy in the world come on now she wants to take long walks with you coming up in the next week i'm sure you've got something to say so you know enjoy it enjoy it all right man thanks again that's kurt signetti everybody indiana football coach here on the rich eyes of joe god do i love talking with him i'm a patient man it's gonna be like all right it's gonna be five six months i'll wait you wait he did hopefully we'll do it uh sooner than that professionalize it man we're already there you do it just go ahead and do it and by the way can we come up with rules for gambling here right yeah it seems pretty simple if you uh if you bet on your team all right i mean we're all brendan brendan soarsbead out you know and again as he points out good kid he knew him for a week he's gonna be a great pro you know but uh all right that was great eight four four two oh four rich number to dial here on the rich eyes to show marv albert will be our next guest and it counts uh but before we take a break i just want to talk about our friends at Hyundai.
18:50Rich Eisen:By the way, you could see their signage all over the place in all of these stadiums for the World Cup. Because while the world watches the stars at the FIFA World Cup, Hyundai already has its eyes on the next generation of talent. And those are the future stars of the game already turning heads at age 14 and the like. Because next doesn't wait for an invitation and neither do we. Hyundai's always moved the future within reach. We did it when we made advanced safety standard on every vehicle and engineered EVs with ultra-fast charging capability, which is always awesome. Still doing it every day because the future isn't some far-off concept.
19:23Rich Eisen:It's already here. Next starts now. Hyundai, an official partner of FIFA. We already have a goal on this World Cup day. We'll update you on that and take your phone calls at 844-204-RICH.
19:40Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
19:47Rich Eisen:While the world watches the stars of the FIFA World Cup, Hyundai has its eyes on the next generation of talent. Future stars who are already turning heads at age 14. Because Next doesn't wait for an invitation, and neither do we. Hyundai has always moved the future within reach. We did it when we made advanced safety standard on every vehicle and engineered EVs with ultra-fast charging capability. And we're still doing it every day. Because the future isn't some far-off concept. It's already here. Next starts now. Hyundai, an official partner of FIFA. Oh, oh, oh, O 'Reilly. Check engine, ABS, or maintenance light on.
20:24Take the guesswork out of your warning lights with O 'Reilly Veriscan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE certified master technicians. And if you need help, we could recommend to shop for you. Ask for O 'Reilly Veriscan today.
20:41Rich Eisen:Oh, oh, oh, O 'Reilly. Auto Parts.
20:51Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here, and summer's here too. And that means it's travel season. My favorite summer trip last year was to Sao Paulo, Brazil. With so many fans traveling for the Los Angeles against Kansas City game, they got to see how lively the city is. I love the culture and the amazing food that I'm still craving. Those memories remind everyone that it's that time of year to plan a little getaway. And that's why summer has a way of turning weekends into big events. One minute, it's a normal week. And then all of a sudden, a huge concert, sporting event, or festival brings people in from all over.
21:24Rich Eisen:And when that happens, visitors start looking for places to stay all across your city. So if you're already planning a summer trip of your own, you could list your space on Airbnb and earn a little extra cash while you're away. It doesn't have to be some big year-round commitment. It's about making the most of a busy weekend when your place would just be empty otherwise. I can tell you, people love finding a place that helps them feel connected to the city that they're visiting. If your city's about to have a big summer moment, this is a great time to maximize your space. Your home might be worth more than you think.
21:57Rich Eisen:Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host.
Read the full transcript
22:06Rich Eisen:Lots going on here on the Rich Eisen Show. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. Let's go to Zach in Kansas City since we started the show talking about Messi's hat trick in Arrowhead. Pardon me, Kansas City Stadium last night. You there, Zach? I'm here. Rich, Eisen, fellas, everyone. How's it going? Did you go? My gosh. Did you go? I did not go. You know what? If you guys can provide a loan to me the next time, I'll go. I'll attend. I took in the game at the Power and Light, downtown Kansas City. My gosh. Electric. Absolutely electric, guys. You talk Kansas City Stadium, Arrowhead, as I know it.
22:47But all these moments, you've got the Mahomes magic. Now we've got a messy moment out of Arrowhead. Hat trick, first ever. I think it's incredible. But we're buzzing here, Rich.
22:57Rich Eisen:Hey, man, whenever I go to Arrowhead, pardon me, Kansas City Stadium. By the way, I'm not going to stop this bit. You can't stop it. You go there and you see photographs of the moments that have been great in that stadium. There should be 15 angles of every single one of those goals. That's how. And so you're there. There's Argentinian faithful everywhere, right? In that town? In their jerseys? Correct? Right? You know, I would say we had a lot more blue and white walking around. We had a lot more blue and white. I think most of the fans I saw were from Argentina. But somehow, some folks, yes.
23:36Rich Eisen:But it's so cool. Yeah, because, you know, both men's and women's soccer in that town. or, you know, when I was there for Big Slick, we went to the beautiful stadium that they built there for the women's soccer team in an NWSL, Zach. It's great. It's a soccer-loving town, for real. Well, listen, Kansas City is the soccer capital of America. I'm going to brag about that a little bit, okay? We've got four teams. You know this. England, Argentina, the Netherlands, and Algeria. Algeria is staying in Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, home of KU, University of Kansas. I'll tell you, Lawrence is probably going to be a sovereign nation after this.
24:17The band, Rich, the band, the KU band is showing up. They've learned the national anthem out there. I saw that.
24:23Rich Eisen:Didn't they play it for Algeria at a practice? That hopped into my algorithm. I saw that. That was awesome. It's incredible. It's incredible. The town is wrapping around. And like I said, Kansas City is, I mean, what other city has done anything for women's soccer? You mentioned it. The stadium down there at the riverfront, it's incredible. The facilities here. This is what a moment for Kansas City. I'll tell you, my only problem with the game, watching it, the power and light, is there were two extremely tall, extremely beautiful women standing directly in front of me. So I didn't get to see the whole screen the whole time.
25:00A little bob, a little weave.
25:02Rich Eisen:But it was great. I understood, Zach. Zach in Kansas City describing, I guess, what we call it. You almost got yellow carded on that one, Zach. Just be careful. We're all fighting obstacles. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm very sorry. It's all good. It's all good. We're very nice. Ladies and gentlemen, Zach in Kansas City. Again, the KC Current is the name of the NWSL team. They were great with us at Big Slick. Sarah did a piece for Women's Sports Now. Yeah, it came out really cool. By the way, speaking of women's sports now, the world of football, Roger Goodell is a guest on women's sports now. Oh, I've heard of him.
25:36Rich Eisen:This coming week. Talking about the flag football initiative for the NFL. So, Roger. RG1 will be on WSN coming up Thursday, 6 p.m. Eastern on all the digital platforms for ESPN. And there'll be some spins around the ESPN linear dial for the show as well. 844-204-RICH number to dial. We're fair and balanced here. I did a power rankings of the top NFL defenses. Now it's time for my power rankings of the top NFL offenses presented by SoFi.
26:11Rich Eisen:Power rankings. There are many like it, but this one is why. Power rankings. All right. These are my power rankings of the top NFL offenses presented by SoFi or the Los Angeles Stadium. I'm not going to stop this bit. I know you're not. So just like I did for the NFL defense's power rankings, I'm not going to hue to just the top 10 from last year. I'm going to give you a sense of who might come from outside that top 10 and become a top 10 offense like I did last week for defense. And in that regard, I'm putting the Atlanta Falcons here. Oh, interesting. Okay, you've got Bijan. You've got Drake London.
26:57Rich Eisen:You've got Kyle Pitts. You've got the rest of that offense in the hands. I understand Tua. I get it. Tua's going to be indoors, and it could be Pennix too. But Kevin Stefanski is now the HCOC. I understand that's not its exact title here. This guy knows offenses, and I think they are going to play fast. they're going to play on that turf indoors and they are going to be tough to stop if they remain healthy they have the chance i mean bijan you we keep saying it here is going to be number one in your fantasy draft number one okay yep no doubt and you're throwing out stuff like most total yards in a season or breaking the eric dickerson rushing record he's going to challenge he can do that all right and and as long as they get quality quarterback play i know that's a large if i'm just gonna i'm just gonna make it number 10 on my power rankings list number nine on my list could be even higher because they were number three in points last year eighth in total yards 11th rush and they lost kenneth walker though to free agency let's see what happens here with the seattle offense but they do still feature the offensive player of the year and sam darnold wanted to back his play after what he did last year and the the third overall and points might be a little fugazi if you will because if you're throwing in defensive points to the point total they scored a lot of those um but the seattle seahawks still have a top 10 offense they do have a different play caller that might affect them which is why i have them down at nine number eight on the list is the top rushing team from last year and dj moore is now added to the team that was fourth in total yards and tied for fourth in points i'm putting the buffalo bills and josh Allen and James Cook and now DJ Moore and those talented tight ends if they stay healthy and a possible MVP quarterback and Buffalo Bills.
29:03Sweetheart, Josh Allen.
29:06Rich Eisen:Number seventh on the list, tied for fourth in points, and now Jameer Gibbs is going to get the ball more. That's it. And I understand you might not believe in Goff. Drew Petsing's now the offensive coordinator there. Whatever the hell was going on at the coordinator position last year with the head coach taking over the play calling in the middle of the season, I feel that that's not going to be the issue this year. Health will be an issue, but Amon Ra is still Amon Ra, and Jamison Williams is still Jamison Williams, and now Jameer Gibbs is going to get more touches? Really? Okay. Number seven right there.
29:44Rich Eisen:That's the number one fantasy pick for me. Is Jameer Gibbs? Yeah. He may be. he may just be and I don't think you can go wrong with that either one of them I got you good number six they weren't anywhere near the the top offense last year but that's because Joe Burrow got hurt I mean you got Burrow you got Chase you got Higgins and then you got Chase Brown you got yourself an offense and if they could protect Joe and he stays healthy Bengals are one of the top offenses in the National Football League they're number six on my list number five let's go top Five. I'm five. Man, I know it's easy to carp on the guy, but I just loved our interview with him a few weeks ago, and he's still one of the best offensive minds in the National Football League, and he's got Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle and now Mike Evans, and you got yourself Brock Purdy, and you got yourself hopefully a little bit better of an offense than you got last year.
30:43Rich Eisen:I'm putting the Niners fifth overall. Top off it. Mike Evans is a San Francisco 49er. Yeah, that's a little wild. Let's see what happens on that front. I can't wait to see how that plays out. Number four. They were number two last year in points. Number three in total yards. Sixth best rush team in the NFL. Yeah, surprised a lot of people. And they've got A.J. Brown now. Yeah, we do. And I'm putting the Patriots here at four. I'm putting the Patriots here at four. Might be too low. It might be, but let him prove me wrong. But I still have him top five. I still have him top five. I think Travion Henderson is going to have a big jump in the same way that you saw Drake may have one.
31:24Rich Eisen:I really feel that way. In offensive line, let's see how they hold up with, you know, Will Campbell and, you know, juggled around. We'll see how that plays out. Number three on the list, I'm putting them here. They were the number three rush offense last year. six in total yards. I'm just assuming they're going to get much better in the pass game because Caleb Williams is Mr. Freeze, right? He's the ice man. And I'm just putting the Bears three here. I can't believe I'm putting the Bears as one of the top three offenses in the league, but Ben Johnson is crazy enough to stare down reporters who do not put the do not disturb on their phone when they put it at his podium.
32:04Rich Eisen:He's just locked in now as sort of a crazy man. They were ninth in points, which I don't think a lot of people would have expected. But I'm putting the Bears here at three. The Bears. Number two. They were number two in total yards, number two in passing yards, number seven in points, and number one in your heart, TJ Jefferson. Shut up. What? Really? What? You're putting us two? Yeah. Why? I just didn't expect this. Why? I don't know. I wasn't expecting it. Dude. Fourth in yards per play. They had one of the best offenses last year. Look, I know that. I just didn't expect you to put us in. I'm surprised.
32:39Rich Eisen:No one talks about their tight ends either. I mean, if they stay healthy, they might be number one, but I'm putting number one the team that was number one in total yards and number one in passing yards and number one in points and had the MVP quarterback. I'm putting the Los Angeles Rams here at one. I mean, they're just going to run it back, and you'd think even Blake Corum's going to be better. A lucky karoon? Lucky karoon with Tyron Williams and 15 tight ends that you've never heard of that you're thinking you're going to pick up in fantasy and just hope that's the week that it's their touchdown time.
33:14Rich Eisen:You know, you just don't know. But, and then, you know, Mr. Grumpy calling the plays, you know, less filling up the groceries. Come on now. So it's only fitting that my power rankings are brought to you by SoFi. Get your money right. Those are the top 10 offenses in the National Football League. Any thoughts? Pushback? Attaboy's? What do you got? It's a pretty good list. I don't mind it. Yeah, I like it. I'm so used to Cowboys getting poo-pooed on by people that when you recognize like that, it just kind of took me. I could have put the Colts 10, the Jacksonville Jaguars 10, the Jaguars lost ETN.
34:03Rich Eisen:HN. HN. HN. you know we'll see how basial tootin does this year um and um i just got to see daniel jones healthy and doing it again but jonathan taylor as you know uh had me at hello i love that guy ty warren was um yeah so i i kind of uh i i toyed with that idea but i just think the falcons if they get the quarterback position right which is a large if when you say that boy do they have the weapons yeah boy do they have like if kyle pitts really did just get unlocked and london stays healthy and bijan is bijan and and two-time coach of the year kevin stefanski how many figures i said two times you know what i mean so your favorite team's not on the list it's fine who's that who he said the chiefs the chiefs you know what i i i threw that i toyed with that idea no no right rightfully so i mean but still i mean if they're healthy yeah right the 15 can well this hasn't been their offense in the last few seasons they're not a high scoring they're not a high yardage high right that's not how they've been winning games two years has been more of a teeth yeah that's that's not how they've been winning games so i just i just didn't put i didn't put them on there.
35:27Rich Eisen:Maybe Chargers. But I appreciate you pointing out that the Chiefs are a favorite team. Your favorite team. My team. Chargers, I thought, absolutely could wind up top 10. I thought about taking my shot there instead of the Falcons or taking one of the other teams off. But how can you take off the Seahawks? You shouldn't. Or the Bills or the Bengals. You could say, oh, what did they do last year? But that's last year's last year. if Burrow is the MVP quarterback candidate again as he frequently if not always is come on now Chase Brown is a nasty nasty two-way threat so well here's one thing for sure yes five minutes after Smich puts this on YouTube all the experts will tell you where you got this wrong so I'm looking for it that'll be great it's funny Burrow barely played last year and the Bengals were still 12th and scoring yeah they could score man so I mean when you've got Chase Chase is a beast and And Higgins, come on now.
36:25Rich Eisen:Higgins? 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. And if the comments are off on that YouTube video, I'll just switch over to the comments on the This Was Sports Center page where the Rotten Tomatoes are 100%. Thank goodness. And in that regard, I've got a preview of the upcoming episode to drop Friday of This Was SportsCenter with my guest, Linda Cohn. Linda Cohn. Because 32 years ago today, she was on the SportsCenter set when OJ hopped in his white Ford Bronco. Wow. And that preview of her recollection of that day, 32 years ago today, before we get to Marv Albert, who is at the mic of the NBA Finals.
37:13Rich Eisen:He's top of our number three. But when we come back, A fun preview of this upcoming edition of This Was SportsCenter with Linda Cohn recalling the story of the day 32 years ago.
37:29Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
37:36Rich Eisen:Fourth of July savings are happening now at the Home Depot with select appliances starting at$398. Plus, get free delivery on appliance purchases of$398 or more, no membership required. Upgrade your kitchen with a modern and sleek GE profile refrigerator featuring hands-free autofill for the perfect pour every time. And make Laundry Day easier with two-in-one washer-dryer combo innovation that completes laundry in about 90 minutes. Shop top brand appliances now at The Home Depot. Offer valid June 17th to July at the U.S. only C-Store online for details.
38:10This summer, serve up the cookout classics. Craft mayo and dressing. Toss green salads with delicious ranch dressing or zesty Italian. Serve smooth, craveably creamy potato salads with mayo.
38:22Rich Eisen:We all know it's not a cookout without craft.
38:28Rich Eisen:You want to ask it again now that we're back? Sure, I was just asking, Rich. I saw on Twitter there was a mock-up picture. Yes. And it said the four kings of New York. One was Eli, one was Jeter, one was Brunson, and one was Messier. And again, if it's this century, I have no problem with that. Messier won in the 90s. So I guess from 1990 on, I have no problem with that. So yeah, that's fine. But I was just... Tony, if you have one, because again, you just mentioned one in each sport. Yeah. I was just thinking to narrow it down to one, though. Oh, just down to one? I mean, I think those four are great representatives, but I was just like, who would be the actual one?
39:02Rich Eisen:Listen, the bottom line is, you know, Jeter won the most. Yeah. Messier won the biggest at the time, right? At that time. Okay. I mean, the Giants had won twice with Parcells, and then they won twice with Coughlin. Reggie Jackson. You know what I think? But Jeter won the most, and Bronson's won the latest biggest. Like, you know. Eli over LT? I mean, this is just some, this is an artist's rendition. If you're doing football, it's Joe Namath. That's true. End of story. For New York athletes, you know, and who they represented and how they represented the city and their place in lore. New York was, when we were kids.
39:47Rich Eisen:Come on now. He owned New York. For the Jets. Okay. All right. Right in. SoFi Purcellone is here to help you achieve something once thought impossible. overcoming high interest credit card debt walk the tightrope of your finances with one low fixed rate monthly payment no fees required and as soon as the same day funding that's right pull off your own debt-defying stunt with a sofi personal loan visit sofi.com slash trick to learn more loans originated by sofi bank na member fdic terms and conditions apply nmls 696891 listen the this was sports center series that uh we are here uh at rich eyes and productions um um me personally hosting it and mike hoskins the coordinating producer of this show producing it and editing it um it's a labor of love it's been incredible the reactions that i've seen through the first three episodes that have been popped out there that you can get on disney plus the ESPN app or the Rich Eisen Show YouTube page.
40:54Rich Eisen:You can listen to them, but it's so filled with old school footage from back in the SportsCenter days and photographs that I would suggest you watch them. The latest episode coming out Friday is with Linda Cohn. It's mostly a laugh fest. The two of us just laughing with each other. This is really funny. Because we go back in the day. I did tons of SportsCenters with Linda and just had a blast with her. But we figured we'll preview the show with this segment since it was 32 years ago today that Linda was at the SportsCenter desk on the day OJ went on his low speed chase. She was at the desk with Gary Miller.
41:35Barry and I happened to be on the air doing the 11 o 'clock SportsCenter during the OJ Bronco.
41:44Rich Eisen:No way. Yes. You were on with who? Gary Miller. We will be here to at least 1230 Eastern time tonight to keep you covered on this late breaking and ever changing story. We'll take you through step by step to one of the more bizarre murder stories ever. O.J. Simpson, a pro football hall of famer earlier in the evening, a suicidal fugitive is now in under arrest and in police custody. And we never got to speak. We were just told, show up on the set, because the Bronco ride started happening before 11 Eastern. So we were, you know, it was earlier in the, but just in case, we want you on the set. And all Gary and I did was sit there and watch our monitors and watch ABC News and Bronco ride.
42:28Rich Eisen:If I'm not mistaken, that was on during a Knicks playoff game. That's right. It was in the NBA Finals against Houston. That's right. Heading into game five of the NBA Finals, the New York Knicks were in guarded condition. In their case, that's good. Their guards, Derek Harper and John Starks, combined for 41 points in New York's Game 4 victory. The Knicks also had their way with Houston on the boards. On the line tonight in New York, an edge and a 3-2 lead in the series. And it was also, because 30 for 30 did a great 1994 that day. June, it was the day of the Rangers parade, which I could not go to because I had to do SportsCenter that day.
43:04Rich Eisen:And you were probably pissed about that. And now you're sitting on the set wordlessly watching the O's. Like you don't need me. Get out of here. You know where I was? Where were you? Graduating from Northwestern Medill School of Journalism. I graduated that day and I went to a lunch with some of my fellow graduates and our parents in Chicago, Illinois. And I was in a sports bar and they were showing the high speed chase or low speed chase. Yes. and a larger square, a rectangle, and then the lower part of the rectangle was the Knicks-Rockets game that Marv was calling. The sound was up and the bar was dead quiet.
43:49Rich Eisen:And then they finally threw back to the game and Marv at the mic, the great Marv Albert, was like, so we will keep an eye on what is happening. But he said something like this. in Southern California. And we'll go back to it as conditions warrant. Pause. Amazing. Here in the third quarter, he somehow turned the page to battle call play-by-play. So you were on the set. I was on the set with Gary. You're graduating college. I was on the set with Gary. So yeah, it's only, you know, we're only two, I'm only two years into ESPN, you know, because I got there in July 92. So yeah. And I was there with Gary and I'll always remember Gary leaning over like this next to me.
44:33And we're just like this. looking at our monitor was in the house. That's all we did. That's all we did.
44:40Rich Eisen:That's coming up on Friday. Just part of it. I can't wait to watch this episode with Linda. And then today, I think just sit at home and if there's a break in the soccer, watch the 30 for 30. It's just titled June 17th, 1990. There's no narrator. It's all the news coverage from the craziness that day. Arnold Palmer was playing in his final US Open. There was the home run race going on that year remember that because that baseball season gets called because of the strike like it was a wild time in sports it is a crazy day crazy day yeah and the and who's joining us today we did not plan this we did not plan this i reached out for for marv albert to join during the nba finals and certainly as soon as the knicks won i'm like we i just would love to know what the long time voice of the knicks that made me fall in love with sports casting thinks of this moment and um a couple days ago we we booked it and then we realized wait a minute today's the anniversary yeah so marv's about to join us to talk about it and then henry winkler behind him oh my god what a day here right awesome um and so the linda cone episode comes out friday the following friday it's with chris fowler and then the first season of this was sports center ends with one last episode with Craig Kilbourne, Lord Kilby.
46:01Rich Eisen:We shot all three of these episodes right here in this studio in Los Angeles for This Was Sports Center, presented by Gusto. Please check it out. We would greatly appreciate it. It is, in fact, a labor of love, as I keep saying over and over again. It's also therapy for me, working through some moments. I bet. Telling the story about how I've never told Linda this story, how when I first got to ESPN, I asked for the holidays off and only three anchors were allowed to take a day off in a day on a single day. And I couldn't take the holidays off because Linda had asked for it, Steve Levy had asked for it, and Jack Edwards had asked for it.
46:40Rich Eisen:And I'm like, wait a minute, Jack Edwards? And he had married, his wife was Jewish. So he asked for the day off, which means somebody potentially on the New York Knicks is asking for the day off and they can't get it because Jalen Brunson's asked for it. another thing I love about Jalen Brunson. See what I'm saying? Henry Winkler coming up with Marv Albert, Hour 3. The Ridge Eyes and Show Podcast. You can't reason with the sun. Trust us, we've tried. This summer, it's time to put that angry ball of fire on mute. Columbia's OmniShade Technology is engineered to protect you from the sun's harsh rays that can burn and damage your skin.
47:21The sun is relentless, but so is our gear. Level up your summer at Columbia.com to spend more time outside and less time slathering on aloe lotion. You're welcome. Columbia. Engineered for whatever.
From the publisher
Indiana HC Curt Cignetti tells Rich why new Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, why he bet on himself and left Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama to pursue his head coaching dreams, what he has to say to doubters who think the Hoosiers’ national championship was a fluke, weighs in on the challenges of coaching during the NIL era and his thought on the NFL outlook for controversial former IU quarterback Brendan Sorsby.
Rich power ranks his top 10 NFL offensive squads with and proves one thing: he CANNOT quit Tua Tagovailoa.
Rich previews the newest Linda Cohn episode of his ‘This Was SportsCenter’ podcast.
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