Hour 3: Deshaun Watson Gets the W, the 3-0 Raiders, plus College Football Week 4 Reactions

28 Sep 2026 · 47 min · 22 chapters

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In short

Hour 3 of The Rich Eisen Show covers NFL Week 3/early-season storylines—especially the Cleveland Browns’ turnaround with Deshaun Watson’s first home regular-season win in nearly two years—plus the 3-0 Las Vegas Raiders and College Football Week 4 reactions.

Guests (on-air/mentioned)

Nick Saban (earlier on the show, seven-time national champ head coach); Marcus Spears (ESPN NFL analyst, earlier on the show). No other named guests appear as interview subjects in this hour.

Key claims

Browns’ QB Deshaun Watson is now “happy,” finishing drives and delivering consecutive fourth-quarter game-winning drives; Browns’ defense is strong (including sacks) and Mason Graham is a key interior problem. Vikings caller argues their issue is quarterback stability despite a championship-caliber defense. Raiders are “Mahomes-ing” Kirk Cousins—coaching and defense are driving a 3-0 start; Raiders’ defense has multiple fourth-quarter takeaways and they’re the first team since the merger to start 3-0 after drafting a first overall QB.

Notable examples

Watson’s two TD catches by Harold Fannin vs. Panthers; Watson’s late-game return after being booed; Browns’ next stretch includes Steelers, Jets, Ravens. College: SEC officiating controversy in Texas-Tennessee (wrongly awarded ball); Oregon-USC sideline/coach soundbite; Dante Moore injury/celebration debate.

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

Recap of Previous Hours

0:00 to 0:25

A brief recap of previous segments featuring Nick Saban and Marcus Spears.

“ESPN's going to Super Bowl 61 and so can you.”

Recap of Previous Hours

1:00 to 1:30

A brief recap of previous segments featuring Nick Saban and Marcus Spears.

“I'm guaranteed to come all the way at 17 straight games.”

Discussion on Deshaun Watson's Performance

1:30 to 3:00

Analyzing Deshaun Watson's performance and the state of the Cleveland Browns.

“You can listen to all three hours through our podcast network as well.”

Cleveland Browns' Struggles and Expectations

3:00 to 6:00

Exploring the expectations and struggles of the Cleveland Browns this season.

“from being in the penthouse to the outhouse the nfl that's the way it works for instance just in this for instance going into the season todd munkin in his first year as head coach the Cleveland Browns.”

Deshaun Watson's Winning Touchdown

6:00 to 8:00

Watson's game-winning performance discussed in detail with quotes.

“And Bryce Young looked mortal and Deshaun Watson looked happy.”

Todd Munkin's Coaching Impact

8:00 to 9:00

Discussing Todd Munkin's impact as the new head coach of the Browns.

Fan Reactions and Expectations

9:00 to 10:00

Analyzing fan reactions and expectations for future games.

“He came up with his first win as a Browns head coach in Tampa against Baker.”

Caller Discussion: Minnesota Vikings

10:00 to 13:00

A caller discusses frustrations as a Minnesota Vikings fan.

“and then the two-point conversion is about him.”

Rich's Thoughts on Vikings' Future

13:00 to 14:00

Rich Eisen provides insights on the Vikings' potential and performance.

“I mean, we had generational talent at receiver with Randy Moss, and now we've got JJ.”

Discussing NFL Quarterbacks and Their Performance

14:00 to 21:00

Listeners will hear insights on various NFL quarterbacks and their performances so far this season.

“He's championship quality at that position, correct, wouldn't you say?”
Show all 22 chapters

College Football Week 4: Controversies and Insights

23:58 to 28:00

A deep dive into college football's recent games, controversies, and discussions about team performances.

“Hire right the first time with LinkedIn Hiring Pro.”

College Football Reactions

28:00 to 28:30

Discussing recent college football games and standout moments.

“It's not a sign of anything deep or anything like that.”

Oregon's Dante Moore Incident

28:30 to 29:31

Analyzing the incident involving Oregon's quarterback and its implications.

Dan Lanning's USC Remarks

29:31 to 29:54

Reviewing Coach Dan Lanning's comments about USC and crowd attendance.

“But it did seem like there was still enough time.”

Pac-12 Rivalry Insights

29:54 to 31:18

Exploring the rivalry between Oregon and USC and the current state of the teams.

“Well, first thing he took, he took a swipe at the crowd size that USC has or does not have usually in the Coliseum.”

Jeremiah Smith's Impact

31:18 to 32:29

Discussing the performance of Jeremiah Smith and its consequences.

“What are they saying in the town where there's no plaque or a signpost for Mo Green?”

Tennis vs. Team Sports

32:29 to 34:32

A caller shares insights about the mental aspect of tennis compared to team sports.

“Cooper texted me this morning and asked if I thought the Patriots should tank for Jeremiah Smith.”

The 3-0 Raiders Discussion

34:32 to 35:08

Analyzing the surprisingly successful Raiders' season so far.

“When we come back, the 3-0 team, nobody's talking about.”

Raiders' Unlikely Success

35:49 to 42:00

Exploring the Raiders' performance and comparisons to past NFL scenarios.

“I'm going to say what I wanted to say anyway.”

Chiefs Game Analysis

42:00 to 43:30

Discussion on the Chiefs' performance and upcoming challenges.

“white house it is a chief's home game this is where they won the super bowl they don't lose in this building and clint kubiak knows he's on a bit of a rocket ship here and he's not raising banners he's stoking flames.”

Caller Insights on Raiders

43:30 to 44:58

A caller shares thoughts on the Raiders' coaching and performance.

“And I've heard the disparaging remarks considering the Raiders for many, many years.”

Game Predictions and Reflections

44:58 to 45:46

Final thoughts on upcoming games and past performances.

“And by the way, that was in response to a Raiders rookie a couple years ago talking to a Muppet as if it was Patrick Mahomes, which is, I mean, that was poor judgment.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:00ESPN's going to Super Bowl 61 and so can you. Enter for a chance to win the trip of a lifetime. Four tickets to Super Bowl 61, plus a three-night stay at Disneyland Resort where you and up to three guests can enjoy the magic of Disney, plus the Super Bowl champion cavalcade. Enter at www.espn.com slash sblxi by December 31st, 2026 for your chance to win. No purchase necessary. Ends 12-31-26 at 11-59 p.m. Eastern. Open only to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., who are 18-plus at time of entry. For odds of winning and full official rules, visit www.espn.com slash sblxi.

0:29Void where prohibited. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of the Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash richeisenshow and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. I'm guaranteed to come all the way at 17 straight games. This is the Rich Eisen Show. One second left on the clock. Tyler Luke. Good! The Ravens win it in Rio! From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.

1:16Earlier on the show, seven-time National Championship head coach Nick Saban. Coming up, ESPN NFL analyst Marcus Spears. And now, Rich Eisen.

1:34Rich Eisen:hour number three of the rich eisen show is on the air 844-204-RICH number to dial on the weather tech fan line uh we already had a great conversation in hour one with nick saban joined us uh hour two marcus spears in his usual spot if you missed any of it there's our youtube channel there's also our disney plus page as soon as this show is over you click on that and you can watch all three hours. You can listen to all three hours through our podcast network as well. Overreaction Monday. Chris Brockman and I recorded that earlier today. Consume it at your leisure. We would greatly appreciate that.

2:09Rich Eisen:And again, we can chat at 844-204-RICH number to dial because one thing that we know for sure is we know little for sure. Right? The number of times... Kurt Warner hates it when we ask him on game day morning to make a season-long prediction. Hates it. Hates it when we ask him that before a game's been played. Hates it. Hates being asked who's a complete team through two weeks, which we did on game day morning on Sunday. Worst thing he hates is when we ask if this is the most complete Chiefs team ever. We've asked him that question every year Mahomes has been in the league. because he basically wants to say i don't know do you who the hell knows because in the nfl as marcus spears said in his appearance in hour two bill parcells you're just seven days removed from being in the penthouse to the outhouse the nfl that's the way it works for instance just in this for instance going into the season todd munkin in his first year as head coach the Cleveland Browns.

3:17Rich Eisen:First year as head coach in the National Football League. Names Deshaun Watson the starter after he soils the bed in Cleveland, Ohio, in the second half of a third preseason game. Everything's set up for him. Everything is set up for him to do this. Or in his preseason game to back up Shador Sanders. Todd Munkin was going to separate the starts. We'll give you one start. We'll give you one start. And then we'll make a decision. And the start that Todd Munkin gave Deshaun Watson was the first one. Maybe not because he was first in the position, but it wasn't at home where he is not popular. You know?

4:08Rich Eisen:Say the least. You know? Like Jack Walsh with the Chicago Police Department. Remember that? For Midnight Run? Why are you not popular? Go figure that. They made him a captain. Not popular with Chicago Police Department. He's not popular with the Cleveland Browns fan base. Okay. And he gets booed. He's unhappy because he remembers when he got cheered for the wrong reasons. Says so. Shares that. Todd Monkens says, you're my starter anyway. And Browns fans are like, what? And we're all sitting here saying, what a holy hot heck of a mess this is going to be. certainly because you look down the road and their first home game is week three and they in week one get the doors blown off them by the Jacksonville Jaguars and we're like okay they're gonna go to Tampa and Baker Mayfield is going to destroy them and roll the Cleveland Browns back to their home opener with a quarterback who is unstartable am i wrong did i miss anything on this front i don't think so no and yet who comes out of tampa with the w deshaun watson and because he's making plays he made enough plays let's put it that way and he starts against the carolina panthers and he finds harold fanon not once but twice for touchdowns.

5:41Rich Eisen:And the Browns defense does the rest against the Panthers offense that just lit up Atlanta like their last name was Sherman. Wow. I did that. Nice. Thank you. Mixing history and sports. Sports history. And Bryce Young looked mortal and Deshaun Watson looked happy. Now, at one point, he had to come out of the game, and Shador came in for a play with the game on the line. Yeah, late in the game in the red zone. And then Watson comes back in, and fans are booing. And Watson extends a play. He was doing it with his legs, man. And found the game-winning touchdown for his first regular season win at home in almost two years.

6:34Rich Eisen:and the Browns have the Pittsburgh Steelers coming into their house in three days for an opportunity to go 3-1 how about them apples and then they visit the Jets before welcoming in the Ravens and as much as you want to slag on the Browns as the Browns and all of that sort of stuff the Browns at home in division just ask Bengals fans you know what I mean Steelers fans even with Mike T he had trouble going to Cleveland what the hell is going on this is why I had the Browns as a sleeper team because also defensively I'll always cape for my Wolverines that Mason Graham is a problem and he's in the middle right now with Verse and everybody else And they got a lot of fun, young offensive players, man.

7:33Denzel Boston, Fannin. All right. Let's hear from the winning quarterback, Deshaun Watson. That's amazing. I mean, it's great. You know, I just wanted to finish the job for him. So, yeah, it was the one moment I got a little teary-eyed, you know, just feeling that energy because, you know, I put so much work to get back here, you know, to be in this moment here, to be able to show that I can finish these drives, finish these games, and get W's for the city and this organization. this is what all the hard work and all the the beliefs, the prayers, everything that I you know, put myself through the last 22 months to be able to stand in front of the crowd and on that field to finish the job and I want to keep improving, keep trying to get better each every day, each week and we got a big one Thursday

8:16Rich Eisen:That's the quarterback of the Browns who came up with consecutive game winning drives in the fourth quarter for the team for the first time since 2018 when Baker did it this is crazy consecutive games with two or more passing touchdowns and no interceptions for the first time since 2020 way back before Browns fans knew they were born to boo him

8:43Rich Eisen:Browns haven't won two in a row at home since 2023 when they won their last six at home holy flacko Batman what's going on Springsteen was gonna name the song Born to Boo Him, but then they changed the year. It sounded better. All right, Todd Munkin. He came up with his first win as a Browns head coach in Tampa against Baker. When he says Browns are going to Browns F that, that should be on a bumper sticker. What do you have to say after his first home win as a Browns coach? I've got the greatest fans in the world, man. All Browns fans want to be as part of something special. Something to cheer about.

9:22Just give you a chance. play tough, play physical that's what they want and the better we play the more we deserve to be shared when you don't you don't that's what we live by hold on, I'm not done yet I appreciate it I'm on a little bit of a roll here let me enjoy the moment but I didn't finish Deshaun yet how cool, really We had not coached well enough on offense. We had not played well enough. He probably didn't play as well as he wanted, right? But to get knocked down, then to come back in and make a play, and then the two-point conversion is about him. It was about that, the drive before that, too.

10:11We stalled.

10:15But we're certainly more than capable. But I'm really happy for him.

10:20Rich Eisen:He's so good. Todd Munkin. Hold on a second. I'm not done. I'm on a roll. You must be butter. Todd Munkin is butter right now, man. If they beat the Steelers on Thursday night, they're three and one ahead of the Steelers in the standings. Who's after that? Let's keep it. They're at the Jets. And then the Ravens come into their house. Then they're at the Titans, at Pittsburgh, at New Orleans. Three in a row on the road. Let's go. Let's go. they are not the doormats. They're not homecoming. I think you could safely say that about the Browns through three weeks with Todd Munkin, right? They're not homecoming.

11:01Rich Eisen:They play hard. Home for Houston. Oh, my God. Houston coming in? The team that traded Deshaun to them? Yeah. They're 0-3 right now? Deshaun's two games better than the Texans? Who had that on their bingo card? We didn't even have Deshaun starting week three on bingo card. No. Oh, no, definitely not. Damn, man. Let's go to the WeatherTech fan line right now. Adam in Colorado Springs wants to chime in. He's been holding on for two hours to say something. What's up, Adam? Hey, Rich and the guys at the studio. I've been a long-time listener on the podcast. First time calling in. Thank you for doing that.

11:47Rich Eisen:We appreciate it. Absolutely. Absolutely. So I want to talk about my Minnesota Vikings. I've been a Vikings fan since 99. And so I really don't get really excited much these seasons anymore. But my friend told me a great quote, and it's watching the Minnesota Vikings offense has been like watching an F1 team hand the keys to the car to Stevie Wonder. We cannot get it right at quarterback, Rich. and I want to know what can we do going forward that will give us some solidity or some solidarity at the quarterback position. I'm losing my mind up there. I don't know, man. Kevin O 'Connell does know what he's doing, don't you think, at the end of the day?

12:32Rich Eisen:I know you could sit here and say, well, he had Sam, then they let him go, and then they had J.J., and that didn't work out. He's now a giant. Officially didn't work out now for them. But does it matter who plays quarterback? right now for this team with the way the defense is balling out? I don't know. I don't know. As long as you don't – I agree with you, Rich, but, again, I'm Vikings fan here. I've not rings in the case. I at least won a Super Bowl appearance in my lifetime. And it seems like we get every other position right but the quarterback. I mean, we had generational talent at receiver with Randy Moss, and now we've got JJ.

13:08We had Adrian Peterson, but Christian Ponder. You know, what are we doing here? We can't seem to kind of put it all together. And I just, I love KOC. I think the new GM has got things figured out, but it's been frustrating and disheartening. I'm kind of numb, if it makes sense. We don't really have two bad seasons to get a top five pick, but then we also don't have much success in the postseason either. Let me help you out here.

13:37Rich Eisen:Adam, let me help you out here. Are you aware your team's 3-0? I am, yes, Rich. Oh, good. I do. Isn't that lovely? I do have my Vikings every year. Isn't that lovely? But again, I don't get excited until the postseason. No one, but you're 3-0. I've seen great seasons for us to just fizzle out. Well, the defensive side of the ball is championship quality. Can we agree on that? Oh, absolutely. Okay. So you're halfway home. I think I'm going to be the next number one pass rusher in the league. You're halfway home. Justin Jefferson's healthy. He's championship quality at that position, correct, wouldn't you say?

14:07Rich Eisen:Absolutely. Okay. The head coach, I think, is championship quality. He's been there and he's done that in places where winning happens a lot. So let me just put it this way, Adam. You're halfway there. It's week three. The issue is, and thank you for the call here on the WeatherTech fan line. Listen.

14:29Rich Eisen:Kyler Murray, a quarterback. I don't know what to make of him. You know, like I watch him play. I like to be calm You know what I mean I'm a New Yorker You know I'm a native New Yorker I'm a native Jewish New Yorker Which means I'm built with a certain Sense of you know Dread, guilt Anxiety, angst You know what I mean Mike it's similar to New Jersey Italians There's some angst You know what I mean I agree. It's like living in Philadelphia. You need a little bit of ootsiness. You know what I mean? Yes. But when I go home, I just kind of like being chill and quiet, right? May not be the spot with three kids and two dogs.

15:23Rich Eisen:You have a lot going on. One of them is a puppy. My place is great. Walking in the closets like Najee Davenport. Hey now. Whoa. I'm going to keep making that joke just for you, TJ. I appreciate this. I'm going wherever she wants. And if they don't know, they're going to get it. Listen, I watched Kyler Murray play, and it's just so frenetic. Do you remember when we did the Super Bowl in Miami, and they served us cafecitos? Oh, yeah. But I'm a coffee drinker. And they're like, no, this is different. That's one thing. The look on your face after you had that is embedded in my brain. I'll never forget.

15:58Rich Eisen:My heart raced. It was like, okay, had I had the technology of the ring on my phone at that point, it would have closed. That ring would have been closed on the spot. Yeah, you were like, ah. That's where he's watching him. Like, he fades back, and it's just like his feet go, go, go, go, go, go, go. And then, wait a minute, I got to go, go, go, go, go. I got to go run here. And then he throws it, all that, and he puts his entire body into it. That's how he's always played, though. I know. I need, like, his whoop stats. You know, like, you wear the thing, and you want to see how fast he's moving, and his heart rate spiking and all that.

16:30I just want it to be, like, I don't know, dial it down to nine? I don't know. Well, nine was an issue. That's why they got rid of him. Okay, very good. All right, look at you. Which I did say they should trade for. I don't know. Good job, DJ. Thank you.

16:44Rich Eisen:You know, he's got a massive contract. He's won enough games. He doesn't have that. Yesterday, again. Someone else is paying. Not a single red zone drive yesterday. Second time in 20 seasons, the Vikings didn't record a single snap in the red zone and still won. And again, he's made his now second start, didn't finish one. Wentz made the other start. The Vikings have been outgained by 244 yards. Justin Jefferson did get hurt yesterday. Second worst differential in total yards by any 3-0 team in history after the 2020 Seahawks. Justin Jefferson did go out. Just two catches, 32 yards. Left the game in the first quarter.

17:31Rich Eisen:And they did just enough. because defensively, four or more sacks in three straight games to begin a season for the second time since the team sacks stat was officially tracked in 1963. And next up for the Vikings, after they knocked Baker out finally and ran him around and ran him into the ground and dislocated his thumb. Next up. I mean, if there's anybody in that building that does not know what Brian Flores wants to do to the Miami Dolphins, they need to Google it. Right. So Kyler will have his first home, hopefully for him, full opportunity to get things going on offense. And if the guy can play in the Kevin O 'Connell system in a manner that is successful for him, well, then his future's set, either there or somewhere else.

18:32Rich Eisen:or they'll just say, Carson Wentz, the floor is yours because we're done with this nonsense. Our caller from Colorado Springs is like, let's see if you're going to be the next veteran to suddenly find a new lease. That's Justin. That's Jordan. Let's go. I don't know because with this defense, just the first thing I was told by the boss of NFL Network before going to my Super Bowl for the first time at NFL Network. Steve Bornstein. I can't say what he said exactly, but I'll say it like him. Hall of Fame executive just got the lifetime achievement awarded the Emmys. Yes, he did. Steve Bornstein.

19:23Rich Eisen:And part of the reason why is because he was smart enough to have hired me twice. How many times? Twice. Two times. Two times. Thank you. Before we went to our first Super Bowl, he told me something very simple. He knocked on my office door, actually. Gave me my first office, actually, as a sports broadcaster. It was great. At any rate, he knocks on the office door. Richie, boy, go to the Super Bowl. It's going to be big. Don't F it up. Good advice. And he used the four-letter word. Not don't. Not just don't. That's what he said to me. That's essentially what Kevin O 'Connell should tell anybody quarterbacking this team right now with this defense.

20:08Rich Eisen:It's what C.J. Stroud should have been told by D 'Amico Ryans in the second quarter of that divisional playoff loss in New England. It's what Drake May should have been told in the fourth quarter of week one this year. Don't F it up. That's it. But Kyler Murray, my God. I don't know. Maybe it's me. Maybe I need to take something. More cafecito. Definitely not. He's like a quarterback cafecito, that guy. Honestly, he snapped the ball. It's just the quarterback. And I'm like, oh, my God. Is it me? Maybe it is. Might be. Maybe it is. 844-204-RICH will take your phone calls. When it comes to your home, Pella Windows and Doors are the experts at taking care of you and your home.

20:57Rich Eisen:At Pella, they find the products that meet your needs and their experts install them. 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. 0 % financing options are available. Certain restrictions apply. Find your local Pella Windows and Doors showroom today at Pella.com slash Eisen for details. make life brighter with pillow windows and doors. So much more to talk about college football as well, which means everybody take a bathroom break.

21:37Rich Eisen:Did you know every 36 minutes a child in the U.S. is diagnosed with cancer? Which means some of the bravest warriors you'll ever meet aren't professional athletes or superheroes. They're the kids in this fight. That's why I'm proud to support Hyundai Hope on Wheels. 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. Join our fight at HyundaiWarriors.com. Rich Eisen here for Gusto. On my shows, we talk a lot about what happens in the spotlight, the games, the highlights, and the moments that get replayed and debated.

22:16Rich Eisen:But in any successful operation, what happens behind the scenes matters just as much. Small businesses are no different. Payroll, hiring, onboarding, benefits, and all the details that keep things moving may not be the most visible part of the job, but they still have to be handled right. That's where Gusto comes in. 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. 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.

23:14Rich Eisen:That's three months of free payroll at gusto.com slash rich. One more time, gusto.com slash rich. 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. Auto Parts.

23:57The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.

24:00Rich Eisen:Hire right the first time with LinkedIn Hiring Pro. Get started by posting a free job at linkedin.com slash Eisen. College football. Let's talk college football. um listen you stay at this job long enough and you talk about somebody who in the middle of a five sack game gets flagged for urinating um well pardon me simulating urination i i i can't even figure this thing out what's the what's the phrase that the official used like this was like a beer commercial when the when the official in the um texas and tennessee game flagged colin simmons for quote simulating using the restroom i mean that's about now listen i don't mean to um you know push back here but that could mean a lot well you know what i mean correct like the original disgusting act could have been that way too but as we found out randy Moss was just merely mooning Packers fans because that's what Packers fans did to him and the Vikings when they would arrive to Lambeau Field via bus.

25:16Rich Eisen:You know, could have been brushing his teeth but I mean, this one was absurd. You know, Sark blamed society afterwards. See that one? Society is what, you know, kids are doing things for clicks now because that's society. anything except blaming the actual person who did it well i mean he did he did condemn the act if you will colin simmons um to his credit apologized afterwards that's good he did use the words that he was feeling himself colin i would use a different phrase i mean i mean he made a play we saw that colin that's why he got flagged 15 yards But in the midst of a five-sack performance.

26:03I mean, again, five sacks. He was feeling himself.

26:06Rich Eisen:And Tennessee almost came back and won it, getting an onside kick that the SEC officiating department today sent out a statement saying they were wrong in giving the ball to Tennessee. Oh, no way. Yes, Tennessee should have been flagged and tried to kick again. Could you imagine if Tennessee had come back? That made Michigan's Western Michigan victory, which it was. That would have made that like a mere popcorn visit. So much has happened in the first month of the college. By the way, can I ask a question? Why is Texas beating Tennessee or Tennessee almost beating Texas and Florida smacking around Ole Miss?

Read the full transcript

26:56Rich Eisen:Why is that viewed as the strength of the SEC? But Indiana having a near miss loss against Northwestern viewed as Indiana is less than. Why is that? Can somebody help me? Why is the SEC always viewed as the deeper league and conference? And these moments show just how tough the SEC is. But Northwestern almost beating the defending champs is a sign of the defending champs are for Gacy. Somebody help me with that one. Anybody? Bueller? Because it's an SEC world. It's a Southeast bias when it comes to college football. No one thinks Indiana. It wasn't their own one-hit fluke. Okay. That's why. Okay, got it.

27:44Rich Eisen:And Oregon and USC going at it, that's not a sign of the Big Ten being deep at all. They're not Big Ten schools. Okay. They're not Big Ten schools. Got it. Okay. Okay, they're not Big Ten schools. Good. Let's keep checking off the reasons why the Big Ten isn't as good as the SEC, even though they've had the last three national champions. And the SEC hasn't even sniffed. Sniffed it. Anybody? Bueller? Please. I don't even want to hear it anymore. Oh, gosh. Northwestern almost beat Indiana. They're for Gazy. Northwestern is football relevant. Oh, gosh. When? Oh, gosh. Michigan and Iowa going at it.

28:18Rich Eisen:Iowa beating Michigan. It's not a sign of anything deep or anything like that. That didn't put everyone to sleep. Okay. Okay. Good to know.

28:28Rich Eisen:Good to know. Well, I don't know how Oregon, speaking of being put to sleep, Dante Moore, that hit on him. Now, again, the discourse over this, okay here he is sliding and he i think what did he slide one step too late two steps too late for people a little late i mean him getting knocked out is obviously you know unfortunate taking off in an ambulance it was it's tough to watch yeah but again i not condoning the celebration afterward that's preposterous and yeah desmond stevens has been suspended by the school and he should have then but he was also back on the sideline afterward what is it what is defenders across football supposed to do we have these conversations all the time right they're breaking down and going to make the tackle and then the guy slides and then because of that you get a violent looking collision like this and now that kid gets suspended it's just a really tough spot for everyone i understand it's tough for defenders to change their trajectory while they're already in the air Yeah.

29:35But it did seem like there was still enough time. It was close, but I mean, yeah, I don't know. Well, Dan Lanning let USC have it on the field.

29:47Rich Eisen:You got the soundbite that everybody's talking about afterwards about where kids should go to school. You see this one concert? You know, I saw my coach. OK, it's talking about. Oh, yeah. Well, first thing he took, he took a swipe at the crowd size that USC has or does not have usually in the Coliseum. I've watched three of their TV games. I haven't seen a game packed yet, but we were here. It was packed tonight. So I guess when the Ducks show up, right, that's how you fill up the Coliseum. And we got to take advantage of that. Oh, man. Well, and if Lincoln Riley's in on a hot seat or in a hole right now, Lanning had the shovel.

30:22That wasn't even the worst thing. Yeah, go ahead, hit it. Three wins against these guys. I guess if you're interested in winning football games and you're from this area, you should go to Oregon. And if you want to go to a Chris Brown concert, just go here. Whoa. Because he was scared this weekend. Walk off. That's fantastic. Man, I felt like if this was a road game, Lincoln Riley might have got tarmacked. Ever since he and I became friends, he's gotten a little bit, you know, he was feeling a little chippy. Man. I like it. Well, these two teams do not like each other, obviously.

30:54Rich Eisen:But they're not. That's really a Pac-12 game in the Big Ten? Should I end? Yes. Oh, so is this the Pac-12 conference? Yes. Big Ten West. No one thinks they're Big Ten schools. Come on, man. Guess what they are. Big Ten schools. That's what they are. Big Ten West. And the Ohio State, Jeremiah Smith's a Heisman Trophy. Number one pick in the draft. Correct. Heisman Trophy winner. What are they saying in the town where there's no plaque or a signpost for Mo Green? It's got to be him, man. Get out of here. Is Mo Green's first name Moses? I don't know. Great question. Maurice probably, right? Yeah, he's plus 280, Jeremiah Smith, and then Darian Mensah plus 300.

31:38Rich Eisen:I understand how good everyone else is, but this kid's a freak. Yeah. And Michigan plays man-to-man defense. That has been, as we saw in the final throws of the games against Iowa. They like playing man straight up. Well, triple team. I'm wondering if we should have a different plan for late November. I mean, our kids, Michigan's defenders are not part of the reason why, you know, there's been an up and down season so far. This kid is out of his skull. Yeah, he sounds fun to watch. If I'm not mistaken, he not only came up with a four-touchdown day, but Illinois has parted ways with their defensive coordinator.

32:20Rich Eisen:They did, yeah. They did. He's got a man fired for four games. A.J. Brown got a man fired in the NFL, right? and Jeremiah Smith's already got somebody fired before he's made the end. Am I right on all this? Cooper texted me this morning and asked if I thought the Patriots should tank for Jeremiah Smith. I told him yes. Yeah, he's already on that. He's 15 years old and he totally understands about what difference makers make a difference. And by the way, we did win our baseball fantasy league that we surf in every year. We go into it publicly on ESPN.com on the ESPN Fantasy side. We won. You guys won that?

32:57We did. Congrats, man. We did. Fantasy baseball is so tough, man.

33:01Rich Eisen:It's a long season. Josh in Newport, Rhode Island wants to chime in on the WeatherTech fan line. What's up, Josh? What's up, Josh? Hey, Rich. Love the show. Love you. Thank you. I'm calling in to chime in on the Drake May thing. Yes, sir. So I grew up as like a phenom little high school tennis player, top five in New England, and then I got a scholarship to go to Old Dominion in Virginia, and all of a sudden I'm playing against guys that were ranked top five in Spain, Sweden, and Brazil. And I think that's what happened to Drake. Last year, easy schedule. It was like an easing into the NFL, and this year he's realizing it's a lot harder.

33:44Rich Eisen:Something's up with his confidence, Josh. I do not know, man. It's amazing how fleeting things can be. Big man on campus, third overall pick. gets his shot with a head coach who winds up getting bounced, new head coach, new coordinator comes in, becomes an MVP player, and then poof. It's got to still be in there. It's still got to be in there. I mean, I'm a measly tennis player of New England. I didn't realize that when you go south and you play against internationals, it's a whole different story. Okay. That's Josh in Newport giving us a little bit of tennis knowledge there. Tennis is more of a mental game, wouldn't you say?

34:23Rich Eisen:Because you're an individual. This is more of a team game here. It's golf. It's you on an island. You know what I mean? No one else to look at. When we come back, the 3-0 team, nobody's talking about. Everybody talks about Vegas. You're not allowed to talk about what happens there because it stays there. I mean, that's the idea. But I guess everybody's taking that approach about the Vegas Raiders right now. Yeah, man. Kirko. The early autumn wind. is a pirate. Late summer. We shall return to the Rich Eisen Show on a very busy Monday when we come back.

35:08The Rich Eisen Show. The podcast.

35:13Rich Eisen:Before 204 Rich is the number to dial. We'll get back to your phones in a second. If you're an NFL fan, you probably are in a long-distance relationship with your team. You love your team, but you don't live near them. And that hurts your heart. Luckily, Marriott Bonvoy has hotels close to nearly every NFL stadium, which helps your heart. Because staying that close to your team while enjoying amenities across Marriott Bonvoy's 30-plus hotel brands, that helps fill the void created by miles and miles of separation. So if you want to stay closer to your team, check in for game day with Marriott Bonvoy, the official sponsor of the NFL.

35:48Rich Eisen:Sean in Denver has got something he wants to say. get off his chest. What's up, Sean? Sean. You're on the air, Sean. Sean on the air. Turn off the TV. One more time. Turn it down. Here we go. Sean. Oh my God. Sean. Alright, put him back on hold. I'm going to say what I wanted to say anyway. I was trying to give him a tee up here. Eric never called back. He did. So he's going to be behind and he's going to hear me chastise. He's probably hearing it right now. Yep. Put him back on. The Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders. The only person that saw them 3-0 that's maybe not in their building is named Akbar Bajabiamila.

36:29Rich Eisen:He was here in advance of season 49 ,000 of American Ninja Warrior. We're laughing. All right. Dude. With Matt Oseman sitting right next to him, getting ready to jump down his neck just like us. He played the win-loss game, and he had the Raiders winning their first three, and we're like, okay. What are you smoking, bro? Give me something. And what have the Raiders done? they've won their first three and at this in the same way at this point in time we were thinking everybody's thinking there's no way deshaun watson's starting week three at home for the cleveland browns everybody thought the conversation about them was when are they starting fernando mendoza not if when when and right now what the raiders are doing i believe i'm i swear to you This is an appropriate analogy.

37:19Rich Eisen:I think. Okay. What they're doing is Mahomes-ing him. And Kirk Cousins is Alex Smith. Don't forget, they drafted Pat and they sat him. He didn't play until the final week of that regular season while Alex Smith took the team to the playoffs. Yeah. With a terrific young tight end. You see where I'm going with this? Mm-hmm. And a defense that's opportunistic. Now, Andy Reid, a ton more experience than Clint Kubiak. Yeah, true. I get it. But Clint Kubiak just joined Bill Callahan in 2002, and John Madden, the year I was born, is the only coaches to begin their tenure with the greatest 3-0. Clint Kubiak has turned Kirk Cousins' clock straight back.

38:16Rich Eisen:he had his first career three touchdown game back to back to start a season ever three touchdowns week one three more and guess what happened in new orleans kirk cousins had another three passing touchdown game do you know how many quarterbacks in the history of the NFL age 38 or older began a season with three straight three passing touchdown games there have been many who who have attempted oh would you care to guess how long that list is Chris Brockman Chris Brockman your guess two TJ Jefferson your guess well if this is Price is Right I'm gonna say three okay zero that is correct Kirk's the first no I was yeah nobody Tommy didn't do it Nobody.

39:07Rich Eisen:Yeah. In the history of the NFL, age 38 or older, began a season with three straight, three passing touchdown games. Fernando Mendoza is not playing if this continues. Period. End of story.

39:24Rich Eisen:It's that simple. When's he going to play? The number of this show, other shows. Give me the week when Kirk Cousins is going to be sat by Clint Kubiak because his arm's a noodle. Or he's not doing it. Or they have to see what Mendoza looks like. Blah, blah, and blah. Blah, blah. Kirk Cousins is like, I can't even say F that because I don't think he curses. No. To heck with that is what he's saying. He might leave the other way to say it to Max Crosby. Brock Bowers didn't play in the first two weeks. Kirk had three touchdown games anyway. They won both games anyway. and he comes back and catches 10 for a buck 16.

40:11Rich Eisen:Come on. Gente looks different. So, do you know how many teams in the common draft era started 3-0 after drafting a quarterback first overall?

40:29Rich Eisen:How about this one? Again, in the common draft era since the merger who has started 3-0 after drafting a quarterback first overall did who's done it did cam start 3-0 how about you tj how about you well based upon how this is going i'm just saying nobody that's correct hey yeah the raiders are the first to do it yes be a man that's correct nobody exactly that's right right you are come on down TJ Jefferson you're going to get a pool table and not open it the Raiders had four takeaways in New Orleans all of them in the fourth quarter last team to do that in a quarter the 2002 Steelers 2002? he said two this is the first time they've forced three turnovers in back to back games since 2011 so they're doing it in both phases now then for those who need to see more and I think that's like the man sitting at the desk I get it yes okay because they're now raising banners hey we're the first to go 3-0 after drafting a quarterback first overall and the common drafter I don't think you could fit that on a flag it's a long and you gotta go fine print it's gonna be read like an eye chart at some point it's like well how income the three and oh kansas city chiefs who treat this place in vegas like it's their western white house it is a chief's home game this is where they won the super bowl they don't lose in this building

42:15Rich Eisen:and clint kubiak knows he's on a bit of a rocket ship here and he's not raising banners he's stoking flames. It's a 17-game season, so we can't be happy or satisfied with this win. We've put ourselves in good position. We know what's coming to our place next week and the Chiefs, so let's take it one game at a time. That's how you win games is you don't look too far ahead. You don't look behind. You just keep your eyes on the prize and get better every day. They snapped a franchise-worst 39-game streak of regular season games without scoring 30 points. it's all working in a way nobody saw common except akbar baja biamillo who did predict they'd lose the next three in a row he does before beating the rams which is when we really wanted him to pee in a cup i bet he don't think that anymore just not oh he does not literally he's posting the second the raiders win a game he's adding me in the world all right let's give Sean in Denver one last shot.

43:22Rich Eisen:Come on, Sean. Come on, Sean. Come on, Sean. Come on. Hey. Hey, thanks for having me on. What do you got, Sean, on the WeatherTech family? Yeah, so I've listened to your show. I love your show. Thank you. And I've heard the disparaging remarks considering the Raiders for many, many years. Disparaging? Much less this season starting off. What have the Raiders done to Parage? Not disparage. What have they done to parrish? Which is not even a word. You know? Disparage. Okay. Yeah. All right. So my point is, I think coaching matters. You mentioned that earlier. Oh, yeah. Kuliak, if he continues at this pace, may be considered for coach of the year.

44:06Secondly, this game this weekend, after which if we do happen to win, I would think we would be put in a whole entirely new category and not be looked at as, you know, the redheaded stepkid anymore. We should be taken seriously at that point. Third, we have played teams that people say aren't that good. Miami, San Diego, and so on. Miami gave Kansas City all they could take for three quarters this week.

44:38Rich Eisen:Let me just jump in here because we're at the end of the show and end of the hour. It doesn't matter who you played. You got to beat them. And the Raiders have not been in any position to beat teams they're quote unquote supposed to beat. That is not. And that's not true. I'm not trying to disparage at all. You are what you are. And they're three, you know, and they got the Chiefs coming in. Thanks for the call, Sean. Their Chiefs are coming in. Let's see what you got. Let's see what you got. Let's see what you got. Let's see it. Because here we go. I want to go to this game so bad. TJ, let's do it.

45:08Rich Eisen:They'd be in first place. Yeah. Through a month. at the quarter post point. He'll get handled when he gets handled. Okay. And by the way, that was in response to a Raiders rookie a couple years ago talking to a Muppet as if it was Patrick Mahomes, which is, I mean, that was poor judgment. It would bust, yeah. Aries Consulting would have... We would have stepped in. We would have stepped in. We would have stepped in. Unless you're... If only we were asked. If only we were not. Unless you're trying for the comic dog. Oh, boy. Josh Pate and Cam Hayward in their usual Tuesday spots. Sean Payton and Sylvester Stallone.

45:48Rich Eisen:That's Tuesday. Wow. Come on. All tomorrow. Oh, yeah. That's tomorrow to play us out. Mike Del Tufo. Join us tomorrow. We're going to do it live.

46:06Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast. you can watch and listen to the rich heisen show live weekdays from noon to three eastern on espn radio disney plus and on the espn app the rich heisen show the podcast

From the publisher

Rich weighs in on Deshaun Watson getting the W in his first home start for the Browns this season, and debates a caller on whether Kyler Murray or Carson Wentz gives the Vikings their best chance for success this year. (2:42)

Rich reacts to an eventful Week 4 in College Football including Texas holding off Tennessee, Oregon beating USC (again) in a game marred by a controversial hit that sent Ducks QB Dante Moore to the hospital, Indiana’s close call vs Northwestern, Florida knocking Ole Miss from the ranks of the unbeaten, and the Heisman case for Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith. (21:21)

Rich and the guys react to Kirk Cousins and new head coach Klint Kubiak leading the Raiders to a surprising 3-0 start to the year. (34:25)

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