Hour 2: Week 13 Power Rankings, Rich’s Top 5, plus NFL Insider Tom Pelissero

26 Nov 2025 · 47 min · 20 chapters

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In short

Week 13 NFL power rankings for Thanksgiving week, plus Rich’s “Top 5 fast starters I’m worried about finishing” list. The show also includes NFL insider Tom Pelissero discussing quarterback situations (Vikings JJ McCarthy, Browns Shadour Sanders) and coaching rumors/changes (Pete Carroll firing Chip Kelly; Tom Brady’s influence; Lane Kiffin and other coaching candidates).

Guests (backgrounds)

Tom Pelissero, NFL Network insider covering league news and team/coach decisions.

Key claims

  1. Rich’s Week 13 power rankings: Cowboys #10 (praising recent two-week offense/overall play), Lions #9, Colts #8, Ravens #7, Bears #6, Eagles #4, Broncos #3, Patriots #2, Rams #1.
  2. Pelissero: Vikings’ JJ McCarthy isn’t “remorse” territory, but injuries and inefficient play have limited his reps; Max Brosmer starts vs Seahawks.
  3. Pelissero: Browns planned to evaluate both QBs; Shadour Sanders’ win helps, but Dylan Gabriel is back after concussion protocol.
  4. Pelissero: Raiders’ offensive struggles are tied to Chip Kelly’s chaos/botched play calls; Brady pushed for Ben Johnson, but Raiders pivoted to Pete Carroll’s different style.

Notable examples

JJ McCarthy’s early accuracy before a muffed punt vs Packers; Browns’ Shadour completing 11 passes for ~200 yards and a TD “bubble screen” plus rookie TD run; Pelissero citing Chip Kelly motion/tagging mistakes and plays not installed; Rich’s “fast starters” list includes Steelers, Chargers, Eagles, Buccaneers, Colts.

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

Chapters

Tap a time to open that second in VO

Thanksgiving Week Preview

0:04 to 0:26

Rich discusses the upcoming Thanksgiving Day NFL games and celebrations.

“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.”

Thanksgiving Week Preview

1:25 to 2:02

Rich discusses the upcoming Thanksgiving Day NFL games and celebrations.

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

Spider Talk and Segue

2:02 to 3:18

A humorous discussion about spiders leads into various topics.

“And we just chatted with Kurt Warner in hour number one.”

Derek's Call and Playoff Predictions

3:18 to 6:50

Listener Derek calls in to discuss playoff predictions for NFL teams.

“Listen, 844-204-RICH is the number to dial.”

Power Rankings Introduction

6:50 to 8:40

Rich introduces his power rankings ahead of Thanksgiving.

“But the Eagles are 8-3 and their second place team is 5-5-1 Dallas.”

Power Rankings: Teams 10 to 7

8:40 to 10:40

Rich reveals his power rankings, discussing teams ranked from 10 to 7.

“Kurt Warner, Pro Football Hall of Famer, all 22 extraordinaire, said the Dallas Cowboys have the best offense in the National Football League.”

Power Rankings: Teams 6 to 4

10:40 to 12:20

Rich continues his power rankings, focusing on teams ranked 6 to 4.

“And I may get off him to win the NFC when I have my mulligan on NFL game day morning on Thanksgiving morning.”

Power Rankings: Teams 3 to 1

12:20 to 14:01

Rich concludes his power rankings with teams 3 to 1 and their current performance.

“and they looked physically like they were beating up the Rams.”

Week 13 Power Rankings Analysis

14:01 to 16:59

Rich discusses the NFL Power Rankings and team performances.

“and DJ Moore, who was like rolling his eyes about the offense.”

Week 13 Power Rankings Analysis

17:02 to 17:48

Rich discusses the NFL Power Rankings and team performances.

“Explore soundbars, speakers, and more at Sonos.com.”
Show all 20 chapters

Evaluating the NFL Landscape

17:48 to 19:40

Rich and his guest discuss various NFL teams and their challenges.

“But I just ignore the records right now.”

Tom Pelissero on NFL Quarterback Dynamics

21:35 to 28:01

Tom shares insights on quarterbacks including J.J. McCarthy and Shadour Sanders.

“Fast Fund's terms apply at SoFi.com slash DebtPlay.”

Shadour Sanders and the Browns' Challenges

28:01 to 29:25

Discussion on Shadour Sanders' performance and the Browns' strategy against the 49ers.

“We all know what the stats and the analytics say.”

Tom Brady's Influence and Coaching Changes

29:25 to 31:19

Exploration of Tom Brady's recruitment of Ben Johnson and coaching staff changes in the NFL.

“Because it's really what it comes down to.”

Chip Kelly's Offensive Struggles

31:19 to 34:15

Analysis of Chip Kelly's coaching challenges and offensive inefficiencies with the Raiders.

“They interviewed some other younger coaches.”

Coaching Opportunities in the NFL

34:15 to 37:08

Discussion on potential coaching candidates and the landscape for job openings in the NFL.

“There was kind of a level of chaos to it that just made it really, really hard for them to function.”

Lane Kiffin's Dilemma and Coaching Futures

37:08 to 39:50

Insights into Lane Kiffin's decision-making process and young coaching prospects in the NFL.

“both of which broke through in his second season at the helm.”

Rich's Top 5 Fast-Starting Teams

40:40 to 41:42

Rich shares his top five teams that started strong but may struggle to finish.

“While the world watches the stars of the FIFA World Cup, Hyundai has its eyes on the next generation of talent.”

Rich's Top 5 Fast-Starting Teams

41:49 to 42:09

Rich shares his top five teams that started strong but may struggle to finish.

Rich's Top Five Teams to Watch

42:15 to 47:03

Rich discusses his concerns about the top five NFL teams that started strong but may struggle to finish the season.

“I've got a top five list, everybody, and it's a top five list of teams that I'm concerned about how they're going to finish.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:01Rich Eisen:This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome.

0:21Tom Pelissero:Check responses set up required, compatibility and availability varies 18+.

0:26Rich Eisen:Are all batteries the same? That's like asking if all soccer players are the same. Take Messi, the most decorated player ever.

0:36Tom Pelissero:Is there any other player who has achieved that? No, just him. Now take Duracell.

0:42Rich Eisen:Is there any other battery with Power Boost ingredients inside? No, just Duracell. Remember, goats only trust goats because they're built different. And Messi only trusts Duracell. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. This is The Rich Eisen Show.

1:27Rich Eisen:I know him. Rich Eisen. I know him. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Are you kidding me, JJ? How many weeks do you give JJ? I'm surprised with the struggles of it. The Rich Eisen Show. Earlier on the show. Pro Football Hall of Famer, Kurt Warner. Coming up. NFL Network insider, Tom Pelissero. Actor, Jared Harris. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Can't confirm it. Hour number two of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. We've got a what's more likely for the Thanksgiving Day triple header, the John Madden celebration. And we just chatted with Kurt Warner in hour number one.

2:13Rich Eisen:Kurt and I, along with the rest of the NFL Game Day crew, will be covering today for you on Thanksgiving Day, 10 a.m. Eastern Time on NFL Network, 7 a.m. out here. So there's that. And some great games. We previewed that for you. I've got my power rankings, which we'll get to in a second. Chris is where he is. Mike Del Tufo, why are you looking up at the ceiling?

2:33Tom Pelissero:I thought there was a piece of dust that flew past me. All right.

2:36Rich Eisen:Good to know that you're focused.

2:37Tom Pelissero:You can see dust? Yes. Mike Del Tufo not only working the faders, he's seeing dust.

2:43Rich Eisen:A spider is falling on me here, Rich. What's up, TJ Jefferson? How are you? In his defense, there was one time I did see a spider. Yeah. So maybe, I don't know. Are you afraid of spiders? I hate spiders. Okay.

2:56Tom Pelissero:And I killed a black widow, I think, in my house. What?

2:59Rich Eisen:Yeah.

3:00Tom Pelissero:Which was not fun. Wait a second.

3:05Rich Eisen:Don't let that lie. I'm sorry. I'm not going to let it lie. It was not. I was not. It was not fun. Literally, when? It's either a black widow or a brown widow. Okay. Not a tarantula, right? No, no. But it was. Yeah. Good to know. By the way, what do you hate more? Spiders or silence? Silence.

3:25Tom Pelissero:good to know silence what was so not fun you take a shoe and you hit it not and not i know that because it got it ran i got tried it ran it ran yeah it took off wow spider ran this thing was like this was a runner okay it was a runner like i see i was like like i'm like seeing it i'm like

3:42Rich Eisen:where to go this is what i'm thankful for spiders run this is one of those things like what do you think disney would rather us talk about this or have uh jim gaffigan come back drinking on the air talking about Bill Belichick's romantic life. We should probably start drinking. I'm not going to worry about that. Listen, 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. Let's see if Derek in Missouri give them one more shot. Come on, Derek. Hey, guys. What happened last hour, Derek? What happened? Oh, I'm sorry.

4:15Tom Pelissero:I didn't know you were taking my call. I was actually getting my bugs ready. That's why I missed you, apparently. Sorry about that.

4:21Rich Eisen:You're getting your bugs ready? No,

4:24Tom Pelissero:my lunch.

4:26Rich Eisen:Derek's making lunch, guys. What's on your mind?

4:30Tom Pelissero:Well, first off, I just want to say, you know, how about this, Rich? This is for you guys. How about, name me the five teams you believe will make a run, will click a playoff spot first.

4:46Rich Eisen:Well, I mean, the first playoff spot, how about this? I'll just give you one, Derek. But later on, later on, number. No, I can't say that because their division is so tight. You got to look for somebody who's leading a division by a significant margin. That's why the Bills, if you remember last year, they clinched so soon. It's not because they had it was week 13. They clinched last year because the rest of the division was so brutal. And so you can't choose the South. Can't choose the in either division, either conference. You can't choose the North in either division. You have to look at Philadelphia potentially because they're eight and three and Dallas is five, five and one in the second place spot.

5:33Rich Eisen:Or you could go, you could go New England. I know I went a little higher register a day early, but thanks for the call, Derek. I appreciate it. Have a good lunch. Interesting food for thought. First to clinch. I mean, New England is up. They have 10-2. The Bills are 7-4, and they've beaten Buffalo, and Buffalo's got to come to New England next in the second game. If the Bills lose this weekend and the Patriots win. On Monday night, Patriots playing the Giants, and the Bills are in Pittsburgh. I wonder how the math works out. Well, we have not gotten a clinching scenario from the NFL front office.

6:11Rich Eisen:But, yeah, I would choose. because again, the AFC North is two teams of the same record. AFC South. Colts play the Texans for the first of two times. The Jaguars are playing Tennessee. The Jaguars are a game behind the Colts. The Texans are two games behind the Colts, and the Jaguars have yet to play the Colts either, so that division's open. You could look at the AFC West, but the Chargers are two games behind the Broncos. The Chargers have beaten Denver. They're one of Denver's two losses. so you can't say that especially when the Chiefs are in this mix too but three games back three and a half um and I don't know I would choose New England right now and and Philadelphia in the NFC no matter how well the Rams are playing and I'll get to my power rankings in a second they're only one in front of Seattle even though they're one and a half up and they're two in front of the Niners or one and a half on the Niners and they split.

7:15Rich Eisen:But the Eagles are 8-3 and their second place team is 5-5-1 Dallas. Would you agree with those assessments? Yes? No? That sounds about right. TJ Jefferson? Yeah. Okay. I like consensus.

7:28Tom Pelissero:Well, you know, you break things down

7:29Rich Eisen:sometimes and it's hard to argue. Thank you. Appreciate that. I like consensus. I don't like argument. Which brings me to my power rankings. Oh, yes. Here we go. You say that. Power rankings presented by Sonos. Hit it. Grab the candles.

7:49This is my power rankings. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

7:54Tom Pelissero:Power rankings.

7:55Rich Eisen:Power rankings presented by Sonos. Week 13. This is going into Thanksgiving week. And as you know, Bill Parcells always said, the season begins on Thanksgiving Day. Because that's when things really get dicey. Rubber, meat and road, weather gets colder, let's go. You heard that phrase about broken clocks, right? Yeah, twice a day or something. Eventually they're going to be right. Yeah, right. Twice a day. Number 10 on my power rankings list. How many times has this man turned to me in joking manner? saying the Dallas Cowboys are on the list. Today is a day of the broken clock. You just made the list!

8:37Rich Eisen:Wait, are you serious? 100%.

8:40Tom Pelissero:Let's go.

8:41Rich Eisen:Come on, come on. Kurt Warner, Pro Football Hall of Famer, all 22 extraordinaire, said the Dallas Cowboys have the best offense in the National Football League. I heard of him. And he, that includes the Los Angeles Rams. No, he meant playing on Thursday. I said playing on Thursday, and then he expanded it to what he has seen throughout the season. Oh, gosh. The Dallas Cowboys right now, over the last two weeks, have played spectacular football. Sure you're right. And on both sides, they are way better. Way better over the last two weeks, roster-wise and also execution-wise. I understand they fell from 21 points down to win against the Philadelphia Eagles, and they were down 21.

9:33Rich Eisen:I don't know what's going to happen against the Kansas City Chiefs, but the Cowboys are coming in with an ability to outscore them and potentially get Mahomes off the spot. They got their hands full coming into Dallas in a way I did not think would be possible, and I've got to give it up to the Dallas Cowboys. Right now, they are playing like a top third team in the National Football League, and that's the way I'm looking at power rankings. I'm going to own the list, but I'd like the Chiefs. Hey, come on, man. I'm going to own the list. Their record. I just put a 5-5-1 team on, and I might take the Chiefs at the end of the day, but I have to give it up the way that they're playing right now.

10:10Rich Eisen:Appreciate you, man. Appreciate you. Is there a red bucket in here somewhere? No, no. This is not charitable. I'm not giving you. This is not that. All right, we're not ringing bells out in front of a storefront here.

10:22Tom Pelissero:By the way, real quick, pretty much guaranteed George Pickens is going to jump into the bell.

10:27Rich Eisen:You think so? He'll do whatever it takes to get fined. He is here to get fined. He's literally here to get fined. The converse of Marshawn Lynch's favorite. And get fined. Salvation Army. Number nine on the list is up one spot. They did get it done. It didn't look pretty. I will not quit him yet. And I may get off him to win the NFC when I have my mulligan on NFL game day morning on Thanksgiving morning. But I'm putting the Lions here defensively. I am genuinely concerned that they got diced up by Gunnar Olszewski at one point. That was a trick. That was a trick play. They're giving up yak to Jameis.

11:07Rich Eisen:He's an athlete. But, you know, Aiden Hutchinson did call game at the end of the day. And the Lions have Jameer Gibbs. My God, do they have Jameer Gibbs. I'm sorry, I mispronounced his name. Jameer frigging Gibbs. So I'm putting the Lions here ninth. Even though they've lost to the Packers, who are 7-3-1, I think they just have a better offense than Green Bay right now. Maybe not the better defense, but I can't wait for this game on Thanksgiving Day because the Packers are not on my list. Down two spots of the Colts. I'm not going to knock them off the list. They were up 20-9 in Kansas City, and they looked really good, man.

11:44Rich Eisen:You know, like the fourth quarter was, I'm sorry that he's catching some shrapnel wherever he is right now. The fourth quarter in Kansas City was like an overtime where they only had what, like 14 total yards? Yeah. And getting outscored 14-0. It was rough. It was a quarter and a half addition of A.D. Mitchell flipping the ball too soon. Because they looked incredible against the Chargers. against the Rams, pardon me, until they lost that one, right? It was against the Rams that that happened. You were there in the conference. Yeah, it was against the Rams. They looked like they were going to beat the Rams, and they looked physically like they were beating up the Rams.

Read the full transcript

12:24Rich Eisen:And the same thing with Kansas City, but then they just disappeared. They still have some terrific players, obviously, but they're down two spots. They're eighth on the list. I don't care about the pushback you're about to give me on this. The Ravens are seven. And I think I had the Ravens on this list sooner than you thought. They were two games under.500. Now they're above.500. They are playing terrific football defensively, which is why you might be looking at me sideways, because the defense is a large reason why they were 1-5. Not anymore. The Ravens are better than you on most Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays right now.

13:04Rich Eisen:And they are in first place, and the Ravens are seventh on my power rankings, up one spot. but behind the highest they've been all season long up three spots i'm putting the bears right here i'm putting them right here i said i wanted to see something for a full game and against an opponent that was leading the division which the steelers no longer are because the bears keep winning caleb's slinging it man the ball just flies out of his hands too That's all good stat against the Blitz this year. Nine touchdowns, zero picks. Hey, man. I still hear Bears fans kind of complaining about his accuracies.

13:46Rich Eisen:Well, I mean, he's like 59%. He's not that accurate. But really, that's the only complaint I'm hearing. Sure, but are we on an upward trajectory in a way that last year was not? Yeah, without question. We're not worried about who's in his ear anymore or if anybody's in his ear or if anybody's having to watch film or if he really wants to be in Chicago. and DJ Moore, who was like rolling his eyes about the offense. When I saw them in London, which was prior to this year, Caleb Williams' best game for touchdown passes, the end of the height of the Matt Eberflus era, and DJ Moore, you could see, was like rolling his eyes about everything going on.

14:18Rich Eisen:That's gone. That's gone. And the Bears are going into Philadelphia with a why not us attitude. You know? And I said I wanted to see it from start to finish because they kept on having to win it at the last second from behind. They played with a lead and held onto it. Bears are six. Seahawks, no change. They stay like before. They're a top five team. They're eight and three. I believe they're about to go nine and three with Max Brosmer, the undrafted free agent rookie coming in with the Vikings. I mean, is that the offensive player of the year on our screen? Jackson Smith and Jigma? He's certainly in line for it right now.

14:55Rich Eisen:So good. So good. Great defensively. High fly. One of the best offensive players in the National Football League. a run game to support it all. Number four on the list, down two spots of putting the Eagles right here. I'm not knocking them down out of the top. They're still a top five team in the NFL. I just found it interesting. Kurt Warner's like, if you throw it better than you run it, then throw it. And get Saquon the ball that way. Put him in space like the Lions do with Jameer Gibbs. You know? Let's see. I still believe they're one of the top five teams in the NFL. Number three, no change.

15:33Rich Eisen:Coming off a bye because the Broncos did beat the Eagles. I'm putting them here at three. That defense is unreal, man. That defense is unreal. And they're coming off of a bye, and they're at the commanders. Let's see if they start doing what the Patriots have done, to be very honest with you, which is beat teams they're supposed to beat and beat them up and not look like they're struggling half the time on offense, relying on that defense. Yeah. Let's see if we can put something together. But they're three. And up two spots are your Patriots, Chris. They are the top-ranked AFC team right now. Ten wins.

16:10Rich Eisen:The only ten-win team in the NFL. And, you know, I don't care what your record is, right? The Vrabel soundbite? Doesn't matter what the stats, the record are. Don't mean S. I mean, I believe right now, Drake May on your left is an MVP finalist. and I believe that's your coach of the year on the ride right now. I think so, yeah. Feels like it. And Mike Vrabel. So that's two. And number one, the Rams are staying like a puppy. Three weeks in a row. I like it. The Rams have led my power rankings and there's no reason to think anything else right now. They are doing it in every possible phase. The Bills are off the list.

16:56Rich Eisen:The Cowboys are on it for the moment. My Power Rankings are brought to you by Sonos. Explore soundbars, speakers, and more at Sonos.com. Sonos products look as good as they sound. Who should be on it that isn't? As I'm telling you about my Power Rankings presented by Sonos. Again, I don't know how I've become the biggest defender of this team, but I think the Chiefs should probably be on this list instead of Dallas, to be honest. Well, let's see if... I don't know. I think Dallas has played better football than the Chiefs over the last couple of weeks. How does that sound? Listen, Rich, usually I'm critical.

17:32Rich Eisen:It's your list. This list looks tremendous to me. Nice. I mean, we've forgotten about the Chargers a little bit. I mean, the Chargers were on a bye. The Chargers are banged up at both tackle spots offensively. The Chargers got their butts whipped by Jacksonville last we saw them. I can't put a seven. But I just ignore the records right now. And I'm like, who plays whom? Who would win? I don't know if I can't, as you know, I don't think I can quit the Chiefs on Thursday when I have to reconfigure who makes the Super Bowl or not. And I'm toying about sticking with the Lions, but the Rams are playing too good a football.

18:17Rich Eisen:You should bail on both teams. But in terms of this list, I mean, I would have Green Bay, probably 10 maybe kc9 i mean green bay offensively is not done jack significantly but they're finding ways to win i know that goes with you know what you're talking about with the ravens their power rankings the cowboys have played powerful football over the last two weeks they have are you on jerry's payroll now i have a pair of eyes sir you know i can't believe i'm going to say this the fact that this team has had to deal with so many injuries and so much doubt. And they keep on winning. Bang, bang, Niner gang.

18:55Rich Eisen:Yeah, then where are the Niners?

18:59Tom Pelissero:It's hard.

19:00Rich Eisen:With everyone that they've lost, there's only 10 of them. I can only put 10 on the list. I mean, you put the right 10, number 10, especially. Oh, I think the Niners beat the Cowboys, Lions, and Colts. Yeah, and Colts. This guy, all of a sudden, he's Mr. Brock Purdy right over there. Okay. this guy all of a sudden charter member of the Brock Purdy fan clubs that he has established in week 13 of the 2025 season after I was on Purdy not Mr. Brock I took him in every fantasy let's take a break here on the Rich Eyes show Tom Pellicero when we come back I'm Tommy

19:50Rich Eisen:the rich is a show podcast

19:57Rich Eisen:rich is in here you can always tell when something big is happening in a city i know what it's like when i'm traveling for big games and events i remember being in pittsburgh earlier this year and experiencing the beautiful architecture and passion those fans have for their home teams that was so infectious. Now it was a great trip, but you know what it's like dealing with the travel. The airport is packed, hotels are booked up, restaurants all busy. And when you have that kind of influx of visitors in your city, a lot of them are searching for a place that feels a little bit more like home during their trip.

20:30Rich Eisen:That's why this can be a smart time to think about listing your own space on Airbnb. If you've got plans to be away this summer, consider listing your space on Airbnb while you're gone and earn some extra cash. It's simple. You're already traveling, so your place doesn't just sit empty while your city is busy. And from my experience on the road, having a comfortable home base can change the whole experience of a trip. So whether it's a big sports weekend, a concert series, or a major event coming to your area, this could be the right time to list your space on Airbnb. Your home might be worth more than you think.

21:04Rich Eisen:Find out how much at Airbnb.com slash host. Rich Eisen here with some advice. If high interest credit card debt is grinding you down, it might be time to call an audible with a SoFi personal loan. It consolidates your debt into one low monthly payment with no fees required. And with as soon as the same day funding, you can make the right play fast. Call an audible on your debt today at SoFi.com slash debt play. Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A. Member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply. NMLS 696891. Fast Fund's terms apply at SoFi.com slash DebtPlay. A bandwagon fan. The biggest insult in sports.

21:43Rich Eisen:But this summer, during the FIFA World Cup, it's an invitation, America. Never watched soccer before? Perfect. Think a corner kick is a karate move? Sure, why not? Prefer sports where players can use their hands? Me too. Just here for the snacks? Now we're talking. So grab a bag of Lays and jump on the bandwagon. We're undefeated. Lays, the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

22:11Rich Eisen:Back here on the Rich Eisen Show on ESPN Radio, presented by Progressive Insurance. Tom Pelissero is here, everybody. Hey!

22:19Tom Pelissero:Rich, what's up to the boys in the studio? Hey, looking great, man. You're the best. Great seeing you, man.

22:25Rich Eisen:All right, everybody. Number one holiday when Tom's on. No, I'm not waving hello to a video you're recording on your camera to send in. This is going to be on Tom's Instagram. Let's go. Yeah, Tom C. Are the Vikings really reevaluating J.J. McCarthy already? I mean, so many rumors abound that there's remorse already, that they've evaluated enough from him already. What are you hearing there in Minnesota about what's happening at the quarterback spot now that it's obviously laser focused with them visiting Sam Darnold this weekend?

23:04Tom Pelissero:I would definitely not categorize it as remorse regarding J.J. McCarthy. He's still and everything I'm about to say is not making excuses for J.J. McCarthy or saying that he's played better than he actually has. He's made six NFL starts. He is a guy who missed every rep in his first year. He missed the bulk of the first half of his second year with an injury, and now he's sidelined and all likely had a third time, and we'll see an undrafted rookie, Max Brosmer, starting against the Seahawks on Sunday. After the season, I have no doubt that between Kevin O 'Connell, Kwesi Odofomensa, and others, and they probably already thought through some of these things, you'll do an autopsy of sorts on the 2025 season.

23:45Tom Pelissero:The biggest question, it's never been, why didn't they try to retain those guys? They made an offer to Sam Darnold. They just weren't willing to do the type of multi-year commitment because they wanted J.J. McCarthy to be able to step in. They tried on Daniel Jones. Daniel Jones ultimately decided his better chance to earn a long-term starting job was in the Indianapolis. They at least thought about when Aaron Rodgers brought up the idea of coming. But again, bringing in an Aaron Rodgers, even on a one-year deal, you're effectively saying we're never going to bench him, meaning J.J. McCarthy's opportunity is being pushed further out.

24:18Tom Pelissero:And when you're doing the calculus in terms of your resource management, in terms of your cap allocation, you want to utilize that rookie quarterback window sooner than later. And you look at the moves that they made in this offseason. You go and you sign two defensive tackles and you sign two interior offensive linemen. You want to get tougher on both fronts. If you give Sam Darnold, what did he get in Seattle? Three years and$100 million, I think. It makes it harder to make some of those moves. That's why teams try to take advantage of the rookie quarterback window. To this point, it has not worked out, and there are a multitude of reasons for that.

24:52Tom Pelissero:It's the injuries. J.J. McCarthy's had a lot going on in his life, going all the way back to week two, coming off the rally in Chicago in the opener and everyone being fired up. And short week, his son is born, he misses some practice, doesn't play well, and then gets hurt. There's so many things the young quarterbacks have to do to have success in the NFL, and it's hard when you just don't have the opportunity to stack those reps. I fully anticipate, and it's already happening, that they're going to evaluate everything in terms of the quarterback position moving forward. But it's not as if, certainly not anyone I've talked to is sitting there going, this was a failure, why did we ever draft him?

25:29Tom Pelissero:It's more, this has been really, really challenging out of the gate. And as much as, you know, you saw J.J. early in that game. I was there at Lambeau Field on Sunday, the first couple of drives. He was making accurate throws. He was getting Justin Jefferson involved. That game really flipped on a weird muffed punt fiasco that totally changed the game and gave the Packers a padded lead that turned loose Micah Parsons and everything else. But then, yeah, you look in the second half, JJ's dropping back, trying to make things happen. He's missing throws. He's throwing into double coverage. That's kind of been the pattern, which is the good has been pretty good.

26:02Tom Pelissero:The Detroit game was good. Baltimore had its moments. It's obviously the fourth quarter against Chicago, but putting together a full game, the bad has just been so bad that it's really hard. And statistically right now, J.J. McCarthy is one of the least efficient quarterbacks in the entire NFL.

26:18Rich Eisen:Pull back the curtain on what's happening in Cleveland. Is this Shadour's starting gig to keep if he continues to improve? What are they thinking there in Cleveland?

26:30Tom Pelissero:Well, Shadour already did enough that Dylan Gabriel is out of the concussion protocol and he's getting a second start. The plan was always in Cleveland. They wanted to see both these guys. They got an extra first-round pick. They got all these resources at the position in 2026. They also were in a unique position to draft two guys in the mid-rounds because quarterbacks just weren't coming off the board. They always intended to get an evaluation of both players through the season. Now, Shadour's opportunity came sooner than it would otherwise have if Dylan Gabriel had not suffered a concussion, but they went out and they won.

27:04Tom Pelissero:How much of that was Shadour? He completed 11 passes for around 200 yards. His touchdown is like a bubble screen. And one of their many bright young rookies on this team, it was a showcase, takes that thing to the house. Dylan Sampson showing why he, on top of Quinshawn Judkins and Harold Fannin and Carson Schlesinger, who might be the defensive player of the year, and Mason Graham. They got dudes in this draft class. If one of these quarterbacks even is a thought to be your starter in 2026, it's a massive home run. But credit to Shadour. He played good enough to win. He had an interception in the game as well.

27:40Tom Pelissero:It wasn't like he went out and proved he's an NFL MVP, but he played well enough that it makes sense. Coming home, you're trying to have some juice. We keep talking, Rich, about, hey, the Bengals might be able to make a run. The Bengals and the Browns have the same record. They're both 3-8. They're both three games back in the AFC North, which, based upon how Baltimore and Pittsburgh look, I'm not saying it's likely. We all know what the stats and the analytics say. This is like less than 1 % chance these teams are going to win it, but they've got a chance. Now, you know, Brown's coming home facing a tough opponent on Sunday.

28:13Tom Pelissero:That stadium's going to be rocking, and a big part of that reason is for Shadour Sanders. You look at it right there. I mean, it's not over. They're facing a beat-up 49ers team. Let's see what Shadour can do. You know, I go back to, Rich, just to something we talked about last week and all the talk of, you know, he's being sabotaged and all this stuff. Let's not, you know, just like I said, let's not overact to one start. But also, there's going to be this narrative that keeps on going, which is basically anything that Shadur does right is because Shadur is so great. And anything that goes wrong, it's because Kevin Stefanski is trying to screw him.

28:49Tom Pelissero:Give Kevin Stefanski and Tommy Reese credit for building a game plan around Shadur. They were asking him to do things that he's good at last week. And it's a credit to Shadur that he went out and he executed those things. He didn't take the deep sacks. He wasn't running around all day and getting himself in trouble. He played on time a lot of the time. He made enough plays for the Browns to get a win.

29:08Rich Eisen:And then, as you pointed out, you observed in one of your posts this week, Tom, that Pete Carroll's never fired an assistant in his entire career and has now done so twice in the span of 17 days. Special teams and now offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is out. What is Tom Brady thinking? Because it's really what it comes down to. Let's be honest. Let's just boil it down. Like what, what, what, how much was he influential in the decisions of these coaching staff that, that Pete is now changing middle of the season and, and what decisions need to be made over the final, or needs to be seen over the next six weeks to potentially make more decisions in Vegas?

29:47Tom Pelissero:Let's, let's, let's rewind to last January. It had become apparent by the end of last season that Tom Brady's number one choice was Ben Johnson. That was the coach that he wanted. He had talked about him at times in certain ways, and people read into his comments on the broadcast. He had certainly spoken with him before games and things like that. Tom Brady is maybe not just the greatest, but the smartest quarterback to ever play the game. And the things that he saw Ben Johnson do were so next level in Detroit. That was the guy he wanted. And there was a bet of sorts made by the Raiders that it's Tom Brady.

30:27Tom Pelissero:Who's going to say no to Tom Brady? So Tom was directly recruiting Ben Johnson and trying to convince him to come. The Raiders, I was told at the time, had a massive offer out to Ben Johnson. They wanted him to come in the building and go through a second interview, but it was pretty apparent if Ben wanted the job, it was Ben's job. Well, one day after the Lions season ends, he's on a plane to Chicago, and he is taking the Bears job without even having to do an in-person interview. His performance against the Bears had kind of been his interview for a couple of years, but the Bears also made him a really strong offer.

31:05Tom Pelissero:And I got the sense even at the time that there was no clear plan B. Not that they didn't have different thoughts in mind about who they might want to interview, but they interviewed a variety of coaches from different backgrounds. They interviewed, you know, Robert Sala was somebody who had interviewed with them. They interviewed some other younger coaches. They interviewed some older coaches. Pete Carroll, philosophically, schematically, age, personality, has virtually nothing in common with Ben Johnson. And the point I'm making is not only did you pivot in terms of the coach you hired, you completely pivoted in the way that you were trying to build it.

31:46Tom Pelissero:from Ben Johnson, offensive guru, he's 39 years old or whatever, long-term answer to Pete Carroll, defensive coach in his 70s, was out last year, just wants to run the football, throw it when he needs to, and win with defense. It was just, it was totally different. Chip Kelly seemed like he was the bridge between the two, which was Chip had been regarded at his peak going back to Oregon and early on in Philadelphia as being somebody who was really, really smart with offense. But what you saw was once Chip didn't have the players who were better than everyone else, you know, he had Deshaun Jackson, LeSean McCoy early in Philly.

32:27Tom Pelissero:He made the choices to get rid of them. All of a sudden, the Eagles offense wasn't the same. He goes to San Francisco. That offense was not the same. He's out of the NFL. He goes back to college. Ohio State, what's the common denominator? Better athletes than everybody else had. it took I was at the week one game the Raiders beat the Patriots but that might be the weirdest result of the entire NFL schedule no doubt when you're when you rewind it was kind of bumpy that day but they made some plays and it just seemed like from week two on teams just kind of caught up with what the Raiders were doing and there are all kinds of different stories Rich about just the the dysfunction of the Raiders offense there were times I was told where Chip Kelly was repeatedly botching the play calls, where he's supposed to be, for instance, tagging a motion on a play so the receiver's on the left, not the right.

33:17Tom Pelissero:He forgets to say it, so Geno Smith is going to the line of scrimmage and going, this doesn't look right, and they're trying to run a play. It happened on a third down in the game the other day. There's times where Chip, I was told on several occasions, called a play that was either not in the game plan or not installed at all. Things like that happen. You're not productive. That's enough. You didn't need any extra excuses. Damn. But there were a lot of things that were popping up within games that were just not anything that a good team can overcome. They didn't have enough talent. There's no doubt about it.

33:48Tom Pelissero:Maybe my favorite stat of the entire season is there were only three players on the Raiders offense who were making more money than Chip Kelly. It was Geno Smith, Colton Miller, and Ashton Gentry was making like 6.1. Chip was making$6 million a year. I can't think of another team that has a setup like that. It was always going to be a challenge for them offensively. But Chip's scheme was supposed to elevate it. And what you saw on the field made pretty obvious. There was kind of a level of chaos to it that just made it really, really hard for them to function.

34:21Rich Eisen:It makes it hard to even imagine how you move forward. You know, like what next?

34:27Tom Pelissero:And those are the things they've got to figure out.

34:30Rich Eisen:That's why it's about Brady. Like you've got to – whatever's going between those temples. And obviously, you know, he's got his, I guess, Sunday job as well. Tom Pelissero here on the Rich Eisen Show. Before I let you go, sir, the conversation in college is all about Lane Kiffin, his choice between staying at Ole Miss and Florida and LSU throwing tons of money at him and when he's got to make a decision. And there's an Ole Miss playoff run and yada, yada, yada. Is the pro game also in his mix? Is there anything you're hearing about the NFL being part of his decision-making process, Tom?

35:08Tom Pelissero:There were rumblings months ago that perhaps there might be an opportunity that would intrigue Lane in the NFL. I have not heard anything substantive on that front over the past, I would say, month or so, in large part because you've got one of the top agents in the college game, Jimmy Sexton, who is currently managing a multifaceted push for a coach who's having the best year that he's ever had at Ole Miss. It does not sound like at this point, I know there's logical connections that can be made to a certain quarterback who's now in New York with a team that has a head coaching opening. I have not gotten that sense.

35:46Tom Pelissero:You never say never on any of these things. I do believe that this is a unique year. And I wrote my annual Rising Young Coaches story last week. There is not a Ben Johnson this year. There is not a slam dunk, this guy is going to get a job if he wants one. He's definitely going to have one. We don't have that in this group. There's also not a Mike Vrabel, where it's everyone just kind of assumes, okay, Vrabel takes one and Ben takes one. Now who takes the other jobs? So there are a bunch of young coaches that I think are going to be in the mix. There are some names that I don't know that are getting a ton of attention right now that I think are going to end up at minimum getting interviews for jobs.

36:27Tom Pelissero:There will be a bunch of former head coaches that are in the mix. Mike McCarthy, I would say, stands alone as a Super Bowl champion who is currently not coaching. He's living back in Green Bay. I've seen him a couple of times up there, including I ran into him in the loading dock at the Packers-Eagles game two weeks ago, which was kind of funny. It was on his birthday, and I said, Tom, and I'm like, what are you doing here? He's like, oh, it's a great game. He's loving having that opportunity with his family. They love Green Bay, but he's around town. But I can tell you, Mike still wants the coach in the right opportunity.

37:01Tom Pelissero:He would be very interested. And he's got some qualifications on his resume that no one else has, which is, number one, building two programs in the NFL, both of which broke through in his second season at the helm. He's won a Super Bowl perpetually in the playoffs, won over 60 % of his games. Mike is absolutely, I believe, going to have interviews. He's going to be selective. He's not going to take any job. But there are some opportunities out there that I believe are going to intrigue him. And beyond that, you know, Jeff Halfley's having a great year with the Packers as the defensive coordinator, former Boston College head coach.

37:35Tom Pelissero:You know, Matt Nagy, some of the other coordinators who have not had head coaching jobs like Lulana Rumo, Matt Burke, Anthony Weaver could be. He's had interviews in the past couple of years here. But those college coaches, when you have, Rich, those no clear frontline candidates, and I fully anticipate we're going to be at the historic average of six or seven openings this year, does somebody make a run at Marcus Freeman again, the Notre Dame head coach. You know, over the last two offseasons, both times, there have been teams, the Raiders a couple of years ago, the Bears last year, who were really intrigued by Marcus Freeman because of his age, because of his leadership, because of his X's and O's knowledge.

38:11Tom Pelissero:I would say that's a name that's more likely to come up than Lane Kiffin. But in the wide world of crazy coaching moves here, Rich, who knows? There could be some other things that we're not anticipating that pop up sometime here in the next couple of months.

38:25Rich Eisen:Belichick? Blank check? Belichick? Bill Belichick, I keep saying it,

38:31Tom Pelissero:and he can have somebody post statements for him on Instagram. Oh, just say Lombardi's name by name.

38:36Rich Eisen:Just call Mike by name. Just call Mike by his name. It's okay. Go for it.

38:40Tom Pelissero:I don't know if it was Mike. Okay. There were some typos in the statement. Okay. But, yeah, Bill would absolutely be interested. He would absolutely listen in certain spots. But somebody's got to be willing to do it. And I know that I've said this before. I said it on game day morning. I'll repeat it again. If Bill takes a job, it's not going to be. You're not going to hear the second week of January, Bill's doing a first interview, and Bill's going to be a finalist. Yeah, none of that anymore. It'll just be, the whole process will take place. He's not going to get wrapped into it like Atlanta.

39:14Tom Pelissero:Someone will run an entire process. They'll get to the end. They'll go, we don't know who to hire. And then an owner will go, let's just go get Belichick. And one day, hopefully, I'll be the one that's reporting Bill's on a plane to City X, and he's going to take the job. That's what it's going to be. Dark of night in the shadows. Until then, it'll be denied, denied, denied. But is Bill Belichick still open to coming back to the NFL? I would tell you, based on everything I know, absolutely.

39:40Rich Eisen:Tom, thanks, man. Have a great Thanksgiving. I'll see you throughout the weekend, obviously. Good to chat. You're the best, man. Appreciate it. You too, Riz. Thanks. Tom B.P., everybody. Tom Palacero. Here on the Rich Eisen Show. All right. I got a top five list for y 'all. Coming up next, top five fast starting teams. I'm concerned about how they're going to finish. It's a mouthful, but there's five of them. And one more. That's next. This is the Rich Eisen Show on a Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.

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41:13Rich Eisen:here on the rich eyes and show 2017 our radio audience we just showed uh an old school was that nine years eight years ago now my dad may he rest in peace was sitting here too you know my kids are now six foot two the two boys little kids turkey bowling giants sweet bob sagat oh and my dad too oh boy that one hit me that's what thanksgiving is all about family where hopefully everybody is celebrating with the ones you love uh 844-204-rich number to dial right here on espn radio presented by progressive insurance we're also uh brought to you by sonos everybody sonos speakers and sonos soundbars and sonos headsets they are all awesome and they make anything that you are watching or listening to sound like you are literally right there with whatever you're listening to and whatever you're watching imagine your favorite playlist flowing from room to room movie nights that make you feel like you're at the theater or games that make you feel like you're at the stadium.

42:09Rich Eisen:Sonos' Black Friday sale is on right now through December 1st, 2025 at Sonos.com. Discover how easy it is to bring every room to life with Sonos. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. I've got a top five list, everybody, and it's a top five list of teams that I'm concerned about how they're going to finish. And they're all fast starters. I'm learning how they're going to finish and it's presented by Hyundai. High five. One, two, three, four, five. Rich's top five. All right, my top five teams, and they're all teams that started fast, and I'm mostly concerned about how they're going to finish. As you know, the famous axiom of Bill Parcells is that the season begins at Thanksgiving.

42:50Rich Eisen:That's right. So here's my top five teams, and I'm concerned about how they're going to finish. Again, I'm presented by Hyundai. It's kind of an annual rite of passage, unfortunately, for those in Western PA. I'm putting the Steelers at five. I'm putting the Steelers at five. I'm concerned about how they're going to finish. Once upon a time, three and a half in front of the Ravens. They're entering Thanksgiving weekend in the eighth seed, heading to Buffalo with Aaron Rodgers having his left wrist party in Pittsburgh. Buffalo's in Pittsburgh, and his left wrist is in some sort of a device. Offensively, the passing game hasn't been very stout.

43:27Rich Eisen:Defensively, they're up and down. I know Steelers fans. It kind of feels like you ask a Steelers fan, does it feel like for the last few years? And they'll say yes. Yeah, still have two games against the Ravens and the Lions on the board. Number four on this list, they were fast starters. They started 3-0, and they won all their games against division opponents. The Chargers are four on this list. I'm concerned how they're going to finish. They didn't look good in Jacksonville at all. They were missing their left and right tackles. And Justin Herbert was beat up by the Jacksonville Jaguars significantly.

43:58Rich Eisen:Is O'Marion Hampton coming back anytime soon? Hopefully. We'll see. Chargers are in a good position at 7-4, but I'm concerned about how they're going to finish. Really hard schedule. Number three on this list, I am just... I'll put the Eagles here. I'll put the Eagles here. I was telling everybody to relax, because you take a look at their opponents, and there are some winnable games for this team down the stretch. They take on Washington twice. Washington, very beatable. They have Vegas on their calendar. I'm talking about how the Chargers, I'm wondering how they're going to finish. They visit L.A.

44:36Rich Eisen:And they should win most of these games. But if this is a team that once upon a time started 2-1 and they got one and done in the playoffs, the same way that Steelers fans are like, are we seeing deja vu again? Fast start. Slow finish. They finish above.500, but that's not what we raise banners about. I'll put the Eagles here. Just cause. Two of the Bucs. I'll put the Bucs here. Are they health? I mean, Baker Mayfield left Los Angeles with his left arm in his sling. So even if he can come back this weekend, what, one hit, he won't be back in a sling? When's Bucky Irving coming back, man? Can they get Mike Evans back?

45:13Rich Eisen:I'm concerned how they're going to finish. They could wind up winning the division and making the playoffs anyway because Carolina's going to have to catch them. I don't think Atlanta is going to. They're number two. The number one team I'm concerned about how they're going to finish. I'm putting the Colts here. Ooh. Whoa. I'm putting the Colts here. Because the fast start, they've lost two of three. Atlanta took them to the limit in Berlin. And they have yet to face division opponents. And you throw records out, man. Jacksonville is above 500. And now Houston is as well. They have to visit Seattle.

45:51Rich Eisen:They've got San Francisco coming into their house. I just told you their final games. That's a lot. That's a lot. And the division's wide open. Eight and three can become, you know, 11 wins, 10 wins, and that might not be enough to win your division or even make the playoffs. So that's number one on the list. You have one more. I did not notice. My boy. And I will put the Lions here, too. Okay. That offensive line is not the same. That game against the Giants, the Giants put points up. so what's going to happen when you're taking on other opponents that are left on your list on your schedule like everybody in their division pretty much Dallas has been off Dallas and the Rams we've just talked with Kurt Warner and earlier those could be the best offenses in the NFL and if Jameer Gibbs is not going off they do have Amon Ra Jamison Williams has been a guy but defensively that one didn't look great to me so those are my top five teams that i'm concerned about how they're going to finish presented by hyundai right here on the rich eisen show to wrap up hour number two this we at least finished strong this hour

47:06Tom Pelissero:the rich eisen show podcast mlb.tv on espn is your home for every out-of-market game live or on demand catch your favorite teams and players plus mlb network and espn app features like Multiview, syncing your stats, key plays, bets, and fantasy, all in one place. Sign up now for MLB.tv and the ESPN app. Separate subscriptions required, blackouts, and other terms apply. Visit stream.espn.com slash MLB TV for more information.

From the publisher

Rich reveals his brand-new NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 13.

NFL Insider Tom Pelissero and Rich discuss the Minnesota Vikings’ commitment to struggling 2nd-year QB JJ McCarthy, how long Shedeur Sanders will remain the Cleveland Browns’ starting QB, how Chip Kelly botched his high-paying Las Vegas Raiders Offensive Coordinator job, and if Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin or UNC’s Bill Belichick could make a return to the NFL.

Rich lists the teams he’s most concerned about heading down the stretch run of the NFL season.
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