In short
Seahawks’ Super Bowl title defense after QB Sam Darnold’s early injury; Patriots’ loss vs Seattle; then Alex Smith’s NFL outlook (Bills, Ravens, Chiefs, AFC contenders) plus college football discussion (Michigan/Oklahoma and Kyle Whittingham/Jim Harbaugh-era expectations).
Guests
Alex Smith (ESPN NFL analyst; former NFL QB, including Chiefs; appears to preview Sunday NFL Countdown). Also referenced: Albert Breer (MMQB senior writer) and Kirk Ferentz (Iowa head coach) as upcoming segments, but they don’t speak in this transcript.
Guest/episode key claims
- Darnold left after five snaps; fracture ruled out; “few weeks” timeline discussed.
- Seahawks’ backup Drew Lock played efficiently (no turnovers, ~70% completion) and hit key throws including a fourth-down TD to JSN.
- Patriots’ Drake May turnovers were “unexplainable”; situational patience needed.
- Bills and Ravens are top AFC threats; Chiefs’ bounce-back depends on restoring run game and explosive plays.
Notable examples
- Seahawks defense: Ernest Jones 13 tackles; big plays like an interception by Demarcus Lawrence.
- Patriots: three costly turnovers; one forced overtime throw-up.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOOverview of Today's Topics
1:36 to 2:30
Discussion on the show's agenda, including Darnold's injury and upcoming guests.
“Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.”
Analyzing Sam Darnold's Injury
2:30 to 4:25
Rich discusses the implications of Darnold's injury and its impact on the Seahawks.
“You threw out at 844-204-RICH, number to dial on the program.”
Seahawks' Performance and Future Schedule
4:25 to 6:32
Analysis of Seahawks' upcoming games in light of Darnold's injury.
“that the dreadful nature of hips, as we all know, Bo Jackson once got tackled once and then he was done.”
Drew Locke's Performance and Role
6:32 to 8:30
Discussion about Drew Locke stepping up in the face of potential adversity.
“according to Ian, a schedule break as well.”
Defensive Highlights from the Game
8:30 to 10:33
Rich breaks down key defensive plays and players from the Seahawks' game.
“I think the motion callback on the Cupp touchdown was probably Drew Locke's fault, But no turnovers, no big negative plays, efficient making the throws.”
Key Players and Coaching Strategies
10:33 to 14:03
Discussion on player performances and coaching decisions impacting the game.
“Ernest Jones doesn't get talked about unless he's cursing about people talking about his quarterback, right?”
Quarterback Room Insights
14:03 to 15:50
Learn about the dynamics of backup quarterbacks and team chemistry.
“and Jalen Milrow about what it was like to be a backup quarterback and the things he had to do to make sure he was prepared because he knew he wasn't going to get the reps.”
Alex Smith Discusses NFL Insights
18:41 to 28:00
Gain insights from Alex Smith on NFL quarterbacks, teams, and strategies.
“sofi.com slash debt play i'm with obviously a lot of physical talents alex smith here on the Rich Eisen show.”
Episode Discussion
28:00 to 42:02
“This is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.”
Discussion with Ken Yee
42:29 to 44:11
A lively conversation with Ken Yee about the NFL season and A.J. Brown's exit from Philly.
“Wu-Tang Clan and yours truly, both proud Staten Islanders.”
Show all 12 chapters
Injury Updates and Speculations
44:11 to 46:36
Discussion on various NFL injuries and their impacts on teams, including insights on coaches' communication.
“Continue to evaluate, continue to run tests.”
John Harbaugh's Media Management
46:36 to 47:41
Analysis of John Harbaugh's approach to dealing with media questions regarding player readiness.
“They want answers about Malik Naver's readiness.”
Transcript
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1:16Rich Eisen: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. All right, guys, start to bring it up. This is the Rich Eisen Show. It's intercepted in the end zone. Holy catch this. The third pick of the night. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. I just stopped being patient. Earlier on the show, senior writer for the MMQB, Albert Breer. Coming up, ESPN NFL analyst, Alex Smith. Iowa head coach, Kirk Ferentz.
2:02And now, it's Rich Eisen.
2:15Rich Eisen:Our number two, the Rich Eisen Show on the air. Albert Breer, our number one. Alex Smith coming up in 20 minutes time. Kirk Ferentz will talk some college football. The most tenured head coach in FBS action. Year 28 for him at the helm of Iowa. That's an hour number three. You threw out at 844-204-RICH, number to dial on the program. We were somewhat Patriots-centric to lead our program. And I know a lot of folks in the Seattle area are like, oh, that's par for the course of a passionate Rams loving host of the Rich Eisen show. I get it. And I know they're defending Super Bowl champs. So if it was the Patriots defending, you know, would I lead with the Seahawks?
3:02Rich Eisen:I think the bigger story. No, I understand that. The bigger story, you know, normally would be the quarterback of the defending Super Bowl champs going down five snaps into the game and how healthy is he? And I totally get it. And I just want to sort of talk about that elephant in the room about, you know, East Coast bias and things like that. And there is more of an anger element of what's going on from the first game of the title defense season of Seattle in Boston and the New England area and Patriot Nation, if you will. But let's settle in on the Seahawks a little bit here, since they are the defending Super Bowl champs and dive back into the Wednesday night game a little bit just from that point of view.
3:52Rich Eisen:the good news here, 1-0, and they're 1-0 with their star quarterback, which Sam Darnold is, having played just five snaps. Just five. When he went down and he limped off, I thought just he'll shake it off and he'll be back out there, and then he strolls into the blue tent. Yeah, it was kind of weird. And he's limping off. Yeah. And then you're hearing, I texted you guys during the game, I heard he's in a hospital getting a CT scan. And sure enough, that rumor was fact. And thankfully, it appears, based on the x-ray in the stadium and the CT scan last night, that the dreadful nature of hips, as we all know, Bo Jackson once got tackled once and then he was done.
4:42Rich Eisen:Called it a hip pointer. Said he'd be back. So how serious is it? Mike McDonald delivered this information after the game. Sam, we got some great news back. It's to say it's good news right now. So it's, I know still just, you know, our thoughts and prayers with Sam. We love him. At this point, we were able to rule out a fracture. So there's some more tests to be done. And so that's what I'm saying when it's positive. So, but I know it's, we're still working through all that. But right now I think fracture's out, which is, which is great news. Yeah, I didn't think we would. And again, this is why you can't make it up in the NFL and why you can't have too much depth at any position.
5:24Rich Eisen:I didn't think we'd be talking about during the first game or after the game or the day after about Jalen Milrow's readiness. But this is what we're talking about, right? Because if Donald is out for a while, or if he was out for the year, If this was a fracture, then what would the Seahawks do at this position? You already heard Albert Breer in hour one say they'd have Jimmy Garoppolo on speed dial. But for the moment, you know, the other reporting that's just coming out now, my colleague, our colleagues at the worldwide leader in sports, as it used to be known, both Schefter and Ian saying they've dodged a bullet, they believe.
6:13Rich Eisen:and Ian even went back, started putting a little bit of timeline on it. Should be back sooner rather than later, sources say. Could be just a few weeks. With 17 days from Wednesday until their week three game against the Commanders, you know, that's Darnold getting, according to Ian, a schedule break as well. If you want to pop up the Seahawks schedule just to linger on this subject matter just for a little bit longer, they're at Arizona and then at Washington next. And those are two teams that drafted in the top 10 last year and are going to be looking for their footing. One would think early on with Washington starting against Philadelphia and Dallas.
6:55Rich Eisen:That's the Washington home opener. And Arizona starts just up the road against the Chargers in SoFi on Sunday. This is their home opener. So Seattle serves as the home openers for both of their next two teams. October 4th, week four against the Chargers at home. That would be one where you'd think, okay, it would be best if Drew Locke isn't the starter there, although you have to give it up to this guy. I don't know. He looked pretty good last night. He was efficient. Well, the first few goes at it, I thought this thing was a wrap because all the Patriots needed to do was just score a couple more times and then let the defense do the rest, and I didn't see the three interceptions coming, I'll tell you that, no matter how good the Seahawks' defense is because that didn't look to be in the ether through the first three quarters of this game.
7:42Rich Eisen:Although you're reading on socials, all 22 film watchers are saying the Drake May film is ugly. So we'll hear more about that as the hours unfold. But you got to give it up to Drew Lockman. He didn't turn it over. That's the key. Obviously, you saw last night, One guy finished the game with a three and out to end the third quarter and three interceptions in the fourth quarter, and those were the last four possessions of the Patriots while Cooper Cupps making one-handed grabs, and JSN is running away from the rest of the defense as Locke was making the throws. That one to JSN on fourth down. Play call, execution, touchdown, see ya.
8:26Rich Eisen:I had one called back. Look, he had a couple procedure things, delay a game. All of that. I think the motion callback on the Cupp touchdown was probably Drew Locke's fault, But no turnovers, no big negative plays, efficient making the throws. I think 70 % completion percentage and obviously the huge fourth down play. I mean, I think even if Sam Darnold did have to miss half the season, I think they're in good hands. Well, that's why you have guys like him there. And that's why, you know, Mac Jones isn't going anywhere as long as he's contractually obligated to the 49ers, you know, there. But for the grace of the Aussie football gods, go they.
9:04this evening, American time, you know, so.
9:08Rich Eisen:That's why you look at the Rams strategy of not having a veteran backup quarterback. You kind of scratch your head, like what if something happens to Matthew Stafford tonight? Unless they're ready and we don't, they have a front row seat. Again, we don't know. We're thinking, okay, Drew Locke, you know, good thing he got money of the snaps during the summer and he got enough during the training camp season to be ready, but he's staying ready. That's the whole phrase, right? You got to stay ready to be ready and he peeled back the curtain a little bit on that in his postgame presser. My biggest thing is always just drawing every play as much as I can.
9:44Literally drawing? Say that again? Literally drawing. Literally drawing, yeah, yeah. Whiteboard. I've got one next to my bed. I'll do it at night. I'll do it in the morning. And that's just kind of been my thing, being able to visualize it so that when I read it out, it's just there in my head. Because of the lack of reps, you don't get to physically do it. I got to be able to draw it from somewhere and no pun intended. Drawing it helps me draw it from somewhere.
10:11Rich Eisen:It's amazing. Susie has a whiteboard next to her side of the bed. She hits me over the head with it and I look at it and it says, stop snoring. It's successful just like Drew Locke. It works. All right. Well, that's pretty cool, right? Like you hear that sort of stuff. And then, man, that defense is just sick. that defense is sick. Ernest Jones doesn't get talked about unless he's cursing about people talking about his quarterback, right? 13 tackles, eight solo. Good Lord. Leonard Williams with a new contract. He had a sack. Drake Thomas with a sack. Demarcus Lawrence, you know, you look at his stat line, it doesn't jump out at you, but take a look at the interception that wrapped it last night.
10:59Rich Eisen:Drake may look like he's about to escape, and he jumps out to keep May in the pocket from where he made a horrible decision. Horrible decision. I mean, honestly, think about it. If he rolls out, all right, it's a chance he could run for it or it's a much easier decision. I'll flip it out of bounds. Let's go play for overtime. Instead, he stays in the pocket. Bad decision. And that doesn't show up on the stat sheet right there. Derek Hall with a sack and a tackle for loss, making up for a horrible 15-yard penalty. I mean, the Seahawks, that's one thing they've got to clean up. I'm sure that is what Mike McDonald is talking about.
11:40Rich Eisen:I mean, they gave the Patriots an extra possession on roughing the punter, right? They shoved Drake May out of bounds, Hall way, way out of bounds. I mean, stupid penalties you just didn't see from Seattle all last year cropped up last night, but they overcame it all, which is what champions do, man. Which is what champions do. And then, honestly, you look at Locke and the games that if, let's just say it's a six-weeker, right? Let's just give him the six weeks. And you look at their schedule again, at Arizona, at Washington, home for the Chargers. Boy, you would love for him to be Darnold back for your San Francisco home date.
12:22Rich Eisen:Here's a fascinating one. A Thursday night visit to Denver, where, as you know, Drew Locke once plied his craft. That's fun. And got drafted, right, by Denver. But you don't want, you don't, I mean, let's get Sam Darnold back. That's obvious. But you need a backup to get you through the four to six weeks if need be. And that's a wrinkle of the Seattle Seahawks title defense season I didn't see coming. There's three straight primetime games, week six through eight, on a Thursday, Sunday, Monday. so Amazon Prime, NBC, NBC and ESPN ABC get shots at the Seahawks three weeks in a row at Denver home for Kansas City, home for Chicago those are games you really want Darnold back for or he goes 5-1 and you got a quarterback controversy no you don't, get out of here no you don't backup quarterbacks that go 5-1 are doing their jobs which is why the whole Cooper Rush Dak moment Why wouldn't we do it for Sam Darnold?
13:27Rich Eisen:We didn't do it for Dak. Collectively. Folks in our profession did it for Dak. We here on the Rich Eisen Show did not take that cheese that Jerry Jones left out there by saying, I hope he gives me a big problem. Remember that? Everyone's just like, oh, even Jerry's saying it would be a quarterback controversy if Cooper Rush keeps winning. Nobody here did. He did just to stir it up for overreaction Monday. What I feel is great about the Drew Locke things Because you've got a seven-year vet, right? He started 28, I think, games in his career. But also, if you watched Hard Knocks, in season three, Jason Garrett came in, and he talked to the quarterback room.
14:05Rich Eisen:And he basically talked to the A.E. and Jalen Milrow about what it was like to be a backup quarterback and the things he had to do to make sure he was prepared because he knew he wasn't going to get the reps. And he even talked about drawing out plays. So to hear Drew say that, I don't know if he was doing that before, but maybe he took what Garrett said to heart, and it helped him succeed. last night dude and how about jackson smith and jigba game on the line let's just run away from everybody and come up with 122 yards there were three guys nobody was doing seemingly right there to have the angle on him to tackle him for only like a 10 or 12 yard gain boom right past 45 yard dash eight catches 11 targets like that's what you need your big time players to do and cooper cup he got fouled on the play where he one had to grab he was grabbing it with one hand because the defender was grabbing the other.
14:55Also, shout out Brian Fleury. First game as OC came out, called a great one. You have to adjust on the fly, losing your starting Super Bowl winning quarterback. And I thought he was fabulous last night.
15:06Rich Eisen:Yeah, shout out all of them. Shout out the coach who hired him. Shout out the coach who hired him, who calls the plays on defense and gets it going. Shout out the general manager, John Schneider, who just keeps on reloading with guys you've never heard of who just keep making plays in a team concept. and speaking of chemistry Cup was in the quarterback's room when Garrett was making that a few different times in the QB room so you know he was all over that on Hard Knocks non-stop in the QB room good stuff by the Seattle Seahawks that's why they're the champs Sam Darnold one of two for 13 yards that's it five snaps and done but at least they dodged a bullet it's good to know about that Let's take a break.
15:51Rich Eisen:We'll talk about Drake May with Alex Smith and set up the rest of the week with one of our favorites from from NFL countdown Sunday countdown. Pardon me. And we'll be back with Alex Smith in a moment. But real quick, when it takes when it comes to you and your home, Pella Windows and Doors are the experts at taking care of you and your home at Pella. They find the products that meet your needs and their experts install them. And that means working with a company that builds and installs a quality product with real pricing, real simple, really beautiful. And when a trusted name like Pella chooses to partner with The Rich Eisen Show, that says a lot.
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16:51The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
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17:42Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here. Running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire costs time and and money, but the right one helps your business grow. The challenge? Finding that person without sorting through resumes. That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro comes in. It screens candidates so you can focus on conversations with qualified talent. With Hiring Pro, you can hire with confidence and build the team you need. Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash eisen. Terms and conditions apply. Rich Eisen here with some advice.
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18:58Rich Eisen:What would you say to Drake may, if you had a few minutes with him this day? Yeah. I mean, I'm sure that was not a great night's sleep. I'm sure it wasn't a fun ride home watching that. Those are just, you're just replaying those three plays over and over and over in your head, you know, and you got to go in this morning and watch them again, knowing that certainly you had a huge hand in that loss, right? Like if you just go take care of business, that's a huge win on the road. I mean, that is a monster defense. I don't care that Darnold was out. You're playing them at their place. That crowd noise to go in there and take care of business and get a win would have just been so big.
19:34And three costly turnovers, they're all kind of unexplainable, right? The first one, high red zone, you're taking a shot into double coverage. Don't know why. You know, second one, third and long, you force it down the middle. And then the last one, obviously, you have overtime in hand and then throw that ball up. So I'm sure he's kicking himself. He's still such an incredibly young player. I think he's younger than some of the rookies that came out this year at quarterback, right? Like this guy has such a bright future, fresh off of almost an MVP season. And I firmly kind of believed this going into this year.
20:06The Patriots are going to be a better football team than they were a year ago, but they won't have as good a record, right? Like that's just I think obviously the nature of the schedules. but year two of Josh McDaniels, I think Drake may will learn from this. This is part of playing quarterback, Rich, like situationally, right? They're starting quarterback goes out. You're in hand of the game. Just kind of go win the ugly game, right? Like just go keep checking it down, even punting, and you win that ballgame.
20:33Rich Eisen:Yeah, he just turned 24, just I guess on August 30th. So you could do the math here on September 10th. And so I guess what does this show you? And again, I know it's just a snapshot and it's going to playing Seattle. Let's put it this way in back to back games is going to make most quarterbacks not look their best basically right now. But what does this sort of indicate about the difficulty of growing as a quarterback in the NFL and getting better, Alex? Yeah, I mean, again, I think from a tool set standpoint, when you think about size and speed and arm strength and the ability to process information, right?
21:16Drake May has them all. There is this nuance, though, of situational football that the NFL comes down to so often and in these games. And you have to be able to kind of elevate as a quarterback and take the big picture. And it's like Sam Donald goes out on the fifth play. Our defense is playing outstanding. this all of a sudden does turn into, I hate this term, but you've got to manage this game, right? Like you need to kind of babysit this game and not make the mistake. You were in the driver's seat. And again, I think got a little impatient, right? And forced some balls. And then all of a sudden now you let this defense and this team back in the game.
21:53Rich Eisen:Alex Smith here on the Rich Eisen show. So you said moments ago that you think the Patriots will be a better team, but that won't have as great a record because obviously you're now, a team that has a bit more of an AFC target on your back, if not every single time you go out there. Does that mean you believe the Bills are going to win the AFC East this year? Oh, I mean, I certainly wouldn't be surprised. I mean, I think they're one of the best teams in football, not just in that division or conference. I mean, Josh Allen is playing unbelievable, right? This is, I think, the only team in the NFL.
22:25I think they've won a playoff game in six or seven consecutive years. certainly haven't got to the Super Bowl. And then they go make this big drastic change, obviously, at the head coaching position. And so a lot of eyeballs, certainly on Buffalo and Baltimore. I think there are two teams that fit in that same bucket, MVP caliber quarterbacks in their prime that decided to make a change at the head coach, despite a ton of success, a ton of regular season success. And so, no, I wouldn't be surprised if the Bills win that division. All right. But you want to talk about a monster defense, too. They're playing.
22:56And they're going to the Texans. They're kind of in a similar boat. If there were two defenses I would not want to start the season off against, it would be at Seattle or at Houston. And that's what Drake May and Josh Allen had in store for him.
23:10Rich Eisen:That said, Mahomes is home, but he's going to be coming off of a knee injury, potentially without his left tackle against the Broncos defense, which sacked a quarterback 68 times last year as well. What's your thoughts on the Monday night week one finale on our family of networks, Alex? Yeah, I mean, a huge game. That's great analysis there, though, right, Rich? That's why you're on Sunday NFL Countdown, Alex. That's why you're on TV, man. Yeah, that's right. That's why they paid me the big bucks. The Broncos are awesome. Like, you look at their roster, they're so deep across the board, offense and defense.
Read the full transcript
23:44There's playmakers all over the place. You said it. I think they've led the NFL in QB hits and pressures and sacks from a year ago, and I don't look for that to change much. again I think a lot of eyeballs certainly on Patrick and his ability to be able to move around right how's the knee look um you know he does such an unbelievable job getting the ball out on time when teams pressure him but right like he also has the signature uh Patrick plays when he runs around and uh turns into a superhero and is that still there is it there already right like he seems so ahead of schedule um in his rehab and again I think we're all going to be watching that but was last year an aberration for the Kansas City Chiefs.
24:25They'd had so much success. There was kind of a perfect storm of adversity that they went through a year ago. Certainly that culminated in Patrick's injury and can they bounce back from that? I think certainly a lot of people expect them to and we're going to find out. The barometer week one going against Denver. I will be there, lucky enough and so can't wait to see it.
24:46Rich Eisen:I'm sure you will and you'll be seeing a lot of old friends, a lot of old times right there in Arrowhead. So what do you think the offense does look like at the end of the day? We talked about Kelsey in the TV-only segment. We just kind of hit on Mahomes right there. Then you've got yourself Rasheed Rice and Xavier Worthy and now Kenneth Walker with Eric Biennemi back calling some things right here at the OC. What do you think, at the end of the day, the Chiefs' offense looks like in 2026, Alex? I think a big thing is hopefully they get some run game going. You mentioned Kenneth Walker, right?
25:19I think they really missed in the last couple of years, any kind of consistent running game. And it really made them one dimensional. And I mean, again, it's just hard, it's hard to be good football teams offensively when you are that. And so again, hopefully they can get back to some consistent running game that will open up some, you know, obviously opportunities and match up in the past game. I look for Rasheed Rice to kind of be the straw that stirs this drink, right? I think he's kind of this unique mix of a body type, right? He's so thick. he can do all the stuff over the middle you're going to see him do a lot of the things that Travis Kelsey has done traditionally at the receiver position and then you know Andy Reid loves speed right he's always going to have a guy that can can take the top off and is a deep threat and certainly they have that with the you know fastest guy in the NFL and Xavier Worthy so um you know a mix of explosive plays right and again those are the things that they have been missing they missed the running game they missed the explosive plays and I do think those two things weirdly enough are tied together often with play action that comes off the run game And then again, Trav, I think still, right, I think despite aging, still plays at a very high level.
26:23And so he certainly is a problem in a matchup situation, in situational football in the red zone. So certainly I think I look for them to be competitive. And again, what does Patrick look like from a mobility standpoint? But sounds, by all reports I've got, Camp was amazing. He looks really, really good. So I expect them to be coming out at a high level.
26:44Rich Eisen:All right, Sports Talk Radio question for you, Alex Smith, here on the program. You kind of alluded to the fact of Joe Brady and the Bills are in a good spot as Brady takes over from Sean McDermott, who was there for quite some time, but about half the time in Buffalo as John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin were at their respective posts in Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Which team, with a new set of eyes, with a first-year head coach, although McCarthy's done it before. Which team is going to have the best season in the AFC with a chance to go the longest? Alex Smith. In the whole AFC? Of those three. Bills.
27:22Oh, of those three. Steelers.
27:24Rich Eisen:Ravens. What do you got for me? Oh, I like the Ravens. Okay. I like the Ravens a lot. You even dip down with your voice right there. Listen. All right. I know we got a new offensive coordinator in Baltimore, right? We were turnover. Right. The whole regime changed. John Harbaugh's not there anymore. But the last two times, Rich, that we had a new offensive coordinator in Baltimore, they had an MVP there, right? Lamar won an MVP. The last two times he got a new offensive coordinator. This guy, this idea that I know they're going to go under center a little bit more, and I think there's some, for some reason, there's speculation of whether or not Lamar can do that.
28:02I think that's crazy. This is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. You look at his stats under center from his career. He's been phenomenal. And I really look for him to pair this now with a great defense, right? This is a defense that has really underachieved the last two years, right? There's first-round picks and playmakers all over the place on the defensive side of the ball. And so now, you know, hopefully they improve. And again, you combine that with Lamar, who's in his prime. I look for them to be really, really dangerous.
28:30Rich Eisen:Okay. So on Sunday, NFL countdown, when you are no doubt asked for your Super Bowl 61 prediction, because that's what gets done on shows like that or mine of game day morning on Sundays of week one. And it's not just any Super Bowl. It's the first one ever in the history of ESPN. You're going to be asked this question. Do you have an answer for it, Alex, already? What are you going to say? Rich, luckily I got a couple days to still stew on this. So tune in. Tune in. Okay. I did give you an out to make it a tease as opposed to an actual answer. but it sounds like you like the Ravens more than anybody else.
29:09No, I mean, I certainly Ravens or Steelers. I'm taking Ravens. Okay.
29:15Rich Eisen:But I just asked you to throw the bills in that mix too, though. I love the bills, right? And the AFC is so stacked. I think, you know, there's so many good football teams. And then I just think there's some intriguing divisions, right, Rich? Like you tell me that the NFC North, you pick that division first to last. And like, I could try it too. and I think we could all be dead wrong, right? Those four teams are so evenly matched. How's that going to shake out? I'm so interested to see. They're all really good football teams. I'm intrigued to see Kyler Murray playing for Kevin O 'Connell. How do you think that's going to look?
29:49I think it's going to look really good. I think Kevin O 'Connell is one of the best quarterback coaches, offensive minds in football. I think Kyler Murray is insanely talented, right? Like when he plays, his ceiling is so high, and if they can even get him going in that trajectory, combine that with the playmakers they have on the outside with this defense that Brian Flores continues to bring year in and year out right I think this is a this is a team that can play with anybody um so can't wait to see that one right year two Ben Johnson Caleb Williams right like can can they keep it going you also got the fighting Dan Campbell's there right like again there's so much there's so much good football in that division and it's so competitive it's um so same as same as NFC West right we're going to see that showdown tonight NFC West is stacked So, again, there's some amazing divisions that are tough to pick.
30:40Rich Eisen:Okay. So where do you stand? I mean, we got the Rams and the Niners coming up tonight. Yeah. And they're going to wake up in Melbourne and then play a game just mere hours later. So two things. First of all, did you ever play a game ever where kickoff was in the morning where you were? I mean, I played in London twice. I also played in Mexico City. But that wasn't in the – No. Like 3 a.m. Not in the morning. Not since college. College you did? Yeah, in college there's a ton of games where you wake up and play. Okay. And that's certainly kind of the norm in college. And then you convert. And then, you know, Kansas City, you play the noon kickoff if you're in the central time zone.
31:26So it's pretty quick turnaround in the morning. Okay. but never from Australia.
31:29Rich Eisen:I bet so, right? But they're waking up to hear, hey, did you hear Sam Darnold's out for potentially a significant amount of time? So you have to think that that's a moment for both of these teams in this division to say, we've got to get this one, right? We have to get this one, no matter the circumstance, even though it's week one or no. No, yeah. I mean, that's what's crazy about this. Again, listen, I'm all for the international play. I love it, right? I think expanding, obviously, the popularity of the NFL, the greatest game there is. But the fact that this is a division game, that's this amazing rivalry between Northern California and Southern California, right?
32:05This is Giants-Dodgers. This is Lakers-Warriors, right? And this rivalry of Rams-Niners is so awesome regionally. And the fact that we're playing this in Australia, I think, is kind of pretty weird, frankly. With that being said, right? Like, I think you look at the beginning of the calendar. The three best football teams a year ago were in this division, arguably, right? Again, I think this was Seahawks, Rams, Niners were maybe the three best teams in all of football. And they happen to be in the same division. Right. And they all beat up on each other. And here we are week one. We're going to get these teams pretty healthy.
32:38And there are all pros all over the place, Rich. Right. Like on both these rosters. And they're going to be out there slugging it out in Melbourne. So, yeah. I mean, again, this is unique in so many ways. But, yeah, huge, huge magnitude.
32:54Rich Eisen:Okay. Before I let you go, Alex, I've got one more second left on the clock. You know where I'm going? Don't do it, Rich. Hey, man. This is my school. It's your coach. It's your guy, right? I mean, okay. You know what I mean? Yep.
33:12Rich Eisen:Kyle Whittingham was supposed to remove the scandal and the controversy. Not like it's his fault. But, you know, he's got quite a decision going on right now. He's got Oklahoma this week. And for all of us Michigan fans who are kind of new to him, how do you think he's taking in what just happened and a 19-year-old quarterback who comes with a massive price tag, talk about stuff that wasn't happening when you were in Utah, but who clearly appears to be struggling with pre-snap, post-snap stuff, Alex, who's incredibly talented at the position. What do you think Kyle Whittingham is, how he's going to handle all of this?
33:54Rich Eisen:Bet you can tell. Yeah, no, I mean, I think we saw a little glimpse of that, certainly post-game. We saw a glimpse of that in his press conference since, right? Like, things are not okay in that locker room and in that facility, right? Like, Kyle is not a guy, again, I've known him for so long. Stuff's not going to get swept under the rug here, right, just because they lucked out with a Hail Mary win. I'm sure things are very, very uncomfortable in that building. You know, certainly defense looked good, but they looked, outside of the first drive, pretty inept on offense. And again, right, you even heard him.
34:24He come out and right, this is all, no one's job's written in ink here, right? Like things can change fast. And it's the University of Michigan and you better believe they got a stable of talented quarterbacks that can step in there and play. And that's the reality, right? And I think he just stated facts. Nobody's, right, this is a performance-based business. And if you don't go out there and perform and show improvement and play winning football, right? Like nobody's job is safe. right, including his. And so sometimes I think it's the job to say the uncomfortable thing as a head coach. And I felt like that was done.
34:56Certainly we'll see if it works, right, if they can make the adjustments because it wasn't good enough. That's obviously stating the obvious. And, again, for a young, talented quarterback, it's hard. Expectations are so high, right? I mean, coming out of high school for a young kid to deal with these kinds of expectations is so rare. So certainly hope that he can, you know, progress here, right, and certainly start to try to reach some of his amazing potential.
35:21Rich Eisen:Well, I mean, we Michigan Wolverine fans are used to paint peelers. You know, Bo, you know, Jim Harbaugh would be, you know, if need be, paint some, you know, peel some paint off the walls. But that doesn't appear to be Coach Whittingham here. So when you say he's dealing with it behind closed doors, how does he deal with it? Best of your knowledge, what does he do behind closed doors that we might not know, Alex? Yeah, I mean, again, I think the recipe always with Coach Witt coming in, right, like it was this Michigan defense was going to, you know, be elite, right? Like Witt is a defensive guy.
35:54Every defense he's ever had has always been pretty dominant. And could you pair that with a great running game on the offensive side of the ball and an offense that was good situationally, right? And I think you can win a lot of football games that way. You know, Coach Witt has proven that over the course of his career. So, yeah, I mean, again, I think the pressure is going to get turned up on this offense, right? Was this one bad game? Were there things that, right, they can see on film that they can correct going forward, right? I mean, I think that's the biggest thing, right? Can you learn from this and continue your development, not just as a quarterback, but as an offense, right?
36:27Because it wasn't just him, clearly. This offense didn't get much going in the run game. And that's, you know, certainly obviously looked not very good in the pass game as well. So a lot of room for improvement. Will we see that here week two?
36:41Rich Eisen:All right. Well, I guess I should have been more direct. And do you think he's the guy who could basically say, I know the kid comes with a massive NIL price tag, but we're going to sit him. You think he's got that in him? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Without a doubt. Without a doubt. Need parts fast? O 'Reilly Auto Parts has fast. Need them now? We've got now. No matter what you need, we have thousands of professional parts people doing their part to make sure you have it. We're O 'Reilly Fast. Just one part that makes O 'Reilly stand apart. The professional parts people. Oh, oh, oh, O 'Reilly.
37:25Rich Eisen:Auto Parts.
37:30Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here for Gusto. After all these years talking to athletes, coaches, entertainers, and people at the top of what they do, one thing is pretty clear. Success usually depends on getting the details right. For small business owners, that includes payroll, hiring, onboarding, benefits, you know, the work that keeps everything moving, even if it's not the reason you started the business in the first place. That's why there's Gusto. Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. It's all-in-one, remote-friendly, and incredibly easy to use, so you can pay, hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere.
38:05Rich Eisen:automatic payroll tax filing simple direct deposits health benefits commuter benefits workers comp 401k you name it gusto makes it simple and has options for nearly every budget and it's all built to save you time with built-in automated tools for offer letters onboarding docs direct deposit and more plus you get unlimited payroll runs for one monthly price no hidden fees no surprises 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 okay all right alex i didn't mean to turn this into college game day um but you know i mean i see the w behind you yeah there we go i mean you know that's all i'm hearing about is one second on the clock this that the other thing and i just think i got a free cheeseburger in college rich i think that was like the extent of my nil deal and i was scared to death when i took it is that right you don't say anything yeah man all right alex uh have a great uh week one on sunday nfl countdown look for more of my uh calls and texts man i just love chatting with you i i i feel we we had our first conversation on tv 21 years ago man like that's a fact yep that's a Over half a lifetime ago for me, Rich.
39:30I know. That's how long we go back.
39:32Rich Eisen:The amount of time that we've known each other is now legal to drink, I think. So thanks for the time, Alex. Have a great weekend, and I hope to chat with you soonest. Love, love. Always coming on, Rich. The feeling's mutual. Thanks for having me. Right back at you. That's Alex Smith. Check him out on Sunday on ESPN. We'll be coming out of the smoke on NFL Network. It's all on the ESPN app. Talk about how wild things are. And again, I'm just saying nonstop. That's all I'm hearing. Clock this, clock that one extra second. Michigan didn't deserve it. The Western Michigan brass that were like, we accept it, have completely flipped saying we do not accept it.
40:12Rich Eisen:No one else should accept it. and Michigan's just trying to turn a page and figure out how to take on Oklahoma. And then everybody's got an opinion on it, including Coach Witt's best friend, Urban Meyer, went on his podcast and just laid into the whole situation, which is why Coach Witt, you need to break up with him. He does not have your best interest in mind. That's all I'm saying. He's not going to sit there and cape for you. At the end of the day, man, they might go on vacation together, know each other, they're tight, but when it's maize and blue versus Buckeye, scarlet and gray, somebody's going to take one side, you might as well take the other.
40:53Rich Eisen:If I have an extra second to say something, and I did. So I took it. It went all the way. Flat-footed. Flat-footed. Oklahoma's coming to town. There's a lot to fix. Did you see Neuheisel thinks Michigan's going to win it? Rick said Michigan will win. You just outright. What are you smoking, bro? Give me something. Okay. What are you smoking, bro? Give me something. That'll be coming up on noon on Saturday. Let's go. And I'm sure Urban will pregame be very mindful of Coach Witt. Yeah. 844-204-RICH. Number to dial on this here program.
41:41Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show. The podcast. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, 844-204-RICH, number to dial on the program. We'll take a call in a second. Did you know every 36 minutes a child in the United States is diagnosed with cancer? It's awful. It's just absolutely dreadful. But thankfully, there's Hyundai Hope on Wheels that we're proud to support here because they know that some of the bravest warriors you'll ever meet aren't professional athletes or superheroes. They're the kids in the fight. And for the past 28 years, with support from Hyundai, their dealers, and every new Hyundai sold, Hope on Wheels has contributed over$300 million to childhood cancer research, helping save more than 40 ,000 kids.
42:23Rich Eisen:Join our fight, please, at HyundaiWarriors.com. Let's go to Ken Yee in D.C. on the Rich Eisen Show. What's up, sir? Well, well, well. Go birds. Good morning, Shaolin. How you doing, brother? Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. Wu-Tang Clan and yours truly, both proud Staten Islanders. Thank you, sir. That's right. Yes, Staten Island rich. That's me. Shady, what's up, baby? I've been better. I know it. I know it. Hey, Mike, what's up, big tune? What's happening, Kenny? What's happening? Hey, man, look, that game last night was a wonderful start to the season, man. I loved it. And the football guys did not like the ugly way that A.J.
43:07Rich Eisen:left Philly. Karma hit him fast. Mm-mm. Mm-mm. What a take. And I noticed you didn't say hello to the Cowboy fan on the show. I mean, bitter, Joe. I said Big Tuna. I said Big Tuna. Big Tuna. I don't know who he's talking about. But, hey, hey, that exit from Philly was so classless. Like, it was so classless. So, you know, so everything that A.J. got last night, he deserved. Wow. The grass is definitely not green on the other side. It's only green when you water it. Can you? He held his camp for kids still, knowing he was gone. Come on now. He didn't leave classlessly. He did not. I'm talking about all the side drama and all the interviews.
43:47Rich Eisen:That was kind of classless, brother. Listen, you got the commanders coming up. This would not be a great way for you to stroll around town there in D.C. with a week one loss, can you? Hey, hey. Well, I'll be in the league watching it live, So we're going to see what's going to happen, and I'll be back next week to talk about it. That would be great. Please call back. That was a fun conversation right there. Can you bring that? Man. So that's a take. Okay. Oh, actually, we got an update on A.J. Brown from Mike Vrabel. Hit it. Continue to evaluate, continue to run tests. But, you know, I don't know if he'll be available going forward here for the next week, but we'll see.
44:32and I know he'll do everything that he can to get back as quickly as possible. And once we get the reports, then we'll figure out what the treatment plan is.
44:41Rich Eisen:Their only home date in the first month of the season. In 10 days. Yeah, let's see. Let's see. Crazier things have happened. I'd be shocked if he's out there. Injuries. Coaches don't like talking about him. It's brutal. Case in point, Clint Kubiak had this to say two hours before Brock Bowers had a meniscus trim. We didn't see Max during the preseason. Just a little bit of Brock Bowers. Are both of those guys cleared to play, and are they ready to go on Sunday? Yeah, we're expecting to have all our guys ready for Sunday. No. Hmm. Maybe he got a different report. Maybe he did not.
45:20Rich Eisen:And that's now a game or two. Yes. Should I mention what we talked about in our fantasy? We had a source tell us something else about that. Why not? Like that. Should I present it back? Because he's not saying it to bring it to the people. I mean, he didn't tell us to not tell people. Well, I mean, he didn't think that it would be on the record. When you put it in the group chat. Listen, these things, based on people who have had this procedure before, think it could be two to four weeks. Who knows? Yeah. Unless they're the people. And in terms of people returning from injury. In terms of people returning from injury.
46:00Rich Eisen:and coaches don't want to talk about it before week one because they want to leave the opponent guessing right and malik neighbors his return from his knee injury has been cloaked very well by john harbaugh and if he's ready to come out of the box like he's malik neighbors week one of college then the giants have a serious weapon to roll downhill and throw down field to on Sunday night against the Cowboys. And I was always wondering how John is going to handle the New York media. And the New York media has been peppering. They want answers about Malik Naver's readiness. They want to know. And John wasn't having any of it.
46:41Rich Eisen:And he's in full game week mode. Let me just say this right now. We put a stop to all these questions because I'm not going to tell you who's playing in the game. I'm not going to tell you who's starting. I'm not going to tell you what package we have in. I'm not going to tell you what plays we're running. I'm not going to tell you any of that, okay? So we can make it great and have a great press conference, or we can make it uncomfortable. But I'm not going to tell you because when you know, the Cowboys know, or every other team we play knows. And that's not in the competitive interest of our football team.
47:11Does that make sense? So I think you can respect that. I mean, guess what's going to happen, John? They're going to keep asking you these questions. Well, I mean, John knows this too.
47:19Rich Eisen:John knows this too, man. He knows this too, that the middle name of most New Yorkers is uncomfortable. And if not, it's called awkward. And the media doesn't care. Hey, just winning, man. Which John, I think, is going to do more often than not. But there you go. Not even a snap of John Harbaugh regular season football and that went everywhere saying he's snapping at reporters. I think Malik Nabors is going to play and I think he's going to look great, by the way. Yeah, maybe. Kirk Ferentz coming up in our number three. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen show podcast. You can watch and listen to the Rich Eisen show live weekdays from noon to three Eastern on ESPN radio, Disney plus and on the ESPN app, the Rich Eisen show, the podcast.
48:18Rich Eisen:This episode is brought to you by state farm. No two football players are exactly alike, and the same is true off the field. That's why State Farm gets to know you so they can help personalize coverage for your life and budget. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
From the publisher
Rich reacts to the latest news on Sam Darnold’s hip injury and discusses how an extended absence could impact the Seahawks’ season with backup QB Drew Lock. ESPN NFL Analyst Alex Smith and Rich discuss Travis Kelce’s evolution from raw rookie to the NFL’s GOAT receiving Tight End, what advice he has for Patriots QB Drake Maye in the wake of his ugly 3-INT season debut, what to expect from the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs this season, why he’s buying big time stock in the Baltimore Ravens, what’s at stake already for the Rams and 49ers in their Week 1 NFC West showdown, and his former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham taking over the reins at Michigan. Rich and the guys discuss the injuries to Patriots WR AJ Brown, Raiders
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