In short
Rich Eisen Show Hour 3 (live from London) focuses on Week 7 NFL storylines, injuries, and trade-deadline “sell” teams, plus Tom Pelissero’s insider take.
Guests and backgrounds
Tom Pelissero is an NFL Network insider/longtime NFL reporter. Earlier hours mentioned Super Bowl champion Tori Holt (ESPN analyst) and ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark, but this hour’s main guest is Pelissero.
Key claims
- Joe Flacco’s strong Bengals performance after the trade is framed as validating Andrew Barry’s Browns decision to move on and upgrade draft capital/salary flexibility.
- Mike Tomlin publicly criticizing the Flacco trade is described as unusual and drew league attention.
- Injury updates drive matchup expectations: Terry McLaurin (quad/hip flexor) ruled out; Debo Samuel (heel) uncertain; George Kittle likely closer to full go; Brock Purdy expected to return when healthy, with Mac Jones starting again.
Notable examples
- Browns (1-5) vs Dolphins (1-5) in potential severe weather.
- Trade-deadline “listening” teams: Titans open to calls; Saints not in sell mode; Dolphins/Cleveland could be active depending on weekend outcomes.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOLive from London: Show Highlights
0:34 to 0:51
Discussion of the show's location, guests, and highlights from earlier episodes.
“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.”
Live from London: Show Highlights
1:25 to 2:52
Discussion of the show's location, guests, and highlights from earlier episodes.
“Flacco floats one high into the air, left side, chase!”
Tom Pelissero Joins the Show
2:53 to 4:31
Rich Eisen welcomes Tom Pelissero to discuss NFL news and updates.
“you see that Chris has on a sequined sport coat that is way too small for him.”
Analyzing the Flacco Acquisition
4:32 to 8:00
In-depth discussion on Joe Flacco's performance and implications for the league.
“Good to see you, Rich, and the boys over in the studio there.”
Injury Updates Across the League
8:01 to 11:55
Tom Pelissero provides updates on notable player injuries and their impacts.
“And if you look at it, this is this fourth straight missed game.”
Chargers Health and Recovery
11:56 to 14:00
Details on the Los Angeles Chargers' health situation and player recoveries.
“Remember Ricky Pearsall, who every time Ricky Pearsall gets banged up, it seems like it takes him a little bit longer than they're initially anticipating.”
Chargers Health Update
14:00 to 14:56
An update on the health status of key Chargers players.
“Quinton Johnston appears to be on the mend.”
NFL Trade Deadline Insights
14:56 to 16:51
Discussion on NFL teams and potential trades as the deadline approaches.
“I mean, the Cleo Mack injury looked bad when it happened.”
Analyzing the Saints and Dolphins
16:51 to 18:17
Insight into the trade stances of the Saints and Dolphins amid rumors.
“go full fire sale and make eight different trades.”
Cleveland's Trade Moves
18:17 to 20:39
Cleveland's recent player trades and their long-term strategy.
“I don't get the sense at this point they're eagerly looking to trade any of those guys, but if 1-5 becomes 1-6, 7-8, certainly there's going to be a lot of calls that are made to Miami.”
Show all 20 chapters
Assessing Teams with Trade Potential
20:39 to 21:33
Discussion on teams like the Raiders and Jets and their trade possibilities.
“Usually you'd start to see, and we saw a few trades last week, but that's driven in large part from the fact that there's not that many teams that are completely out of it.”
Dolphins' Internal Challenges
21:33 to 24:38
Examining the Dolphins' recent challenges and Tua's leadership.
“Because the moment that Tua came out and gave that long rambling quote, wasn't even asked about anything in particular, and then starts mentioning players-only meetings and guys being late to players-only meetings.”
Caller Christian Discusses Baseball and Football
28:01 to 29:02
Christian shares his excitement about sports, highlighting MLB playoffs and his favorite teams.
“Me and my buddies were watching Scherzer inning by inning, and going, give us one more, like the guy in the rookie of the year, the pitcher.”
Scherzer's Vintage Performance
29:03 to 30:04
Discussion about Max Scherzer's impressive game performance and the intensity of the moment.
“Keep rooting for your Blue Jays right there.”
Examining Dodgers and Playoff Predictions
30:05 to 31:52
The hosts analyze the Dodgers' playoff chances and discuss other teams' performances in the postseason.
“And so, of course, Schneider's like, okay, you got it.”
Top Five Matchups for Week Seven
31:53 to 39:22
Rich unveils his top five NFL matchups for the upcoming week, discussing team performances and statistics.
“But although Garrett Cole won't be ready for the 2026 season, and now Rodone's getting some cleanup work on his arm, he won't be ready for the 2026 season.”
Jimmy from San Antonio Joins the Show
41:22 to 42:00
Jimmy calls in, bringing humor and discussing the latest sports news with the hosts.
“Jimmy in San Antonio, let's finish up with one of our favorites.”
Fill-In Hosts and Colleen Wolfe
42:00 to 43:30
Discussion about fill-in hosts and excitement for Colleen Wolfe's hosting.
“This is from the Liza Minnelli connection.”
Spurs Arena Update and Future
43:30 to 45:00
Update on the Spurs' new arena situation and potential franchise movement.
“Because, again, the games here kick off at 2.30.”
Appreciation for ABC News
45:00 to 46:30
Hosts express gratitude to ABC News for their hospitality during the show.
“You need some sort of jaws of life to get you out of that thing?”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Rich Eisen:Are all batteries the same? That's like asking if all soccer players are the same. Take Messi, the most decorated player ever.
0:10Tom Pelissero:Is there any other player who has achieved that? No, just him. Now take Duracell. Is there any other battery with Power Boost ingredients inside?
0:19Rich Eisen:No, just Duracell. Remember, goats only trust goats because they're built different. And Messi only trusts Duracell.
0:31Rich 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. Check responses set up required, compatibility and availability varies 18+. 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.
1:05Rich Eisen: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. I'm living my best life. Yeah, yeah. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Flacco floats one high into the air, left side, chase! Live from the Rich Eisen Show studios in London, England. I think it's great for all the old guys, you know. Earlier on the show, Super Bowl champion Tori Holt. ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark. Coming up, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero.
1:51Rich Eisen:And now, it's Rich Eisen. Hour number three of the Rich Eisen Show of our two-day residency in London, England. We are live here on Disney+. We're live on the ESPN app everywhere and also this Rich Eisen Show terrestrial radio affiliate. Smart enough to have the program on ESPN Radio presented by Progressive Insurance. We say hello to those listening on Sirius XM channel 80 as well. If you're listening on a podcast later on, all three hours, we greatly appreciate your listenership there. there's our youtube channel over 1 million subscribers and growing we appreciate every last one of you 844-204-RICH is the number to dial on the program great chats in our number one with tori holt and in our number two with ryan clark we did what's more likely on a friday coming up on this program my top five other games for the rest of week number seven that we're looking forward to seeing tj jefferson and chris brockman are here with me in london as they have been for the last two days.
2:51Rich Eisen:If you're watching right now, you see that Chris has on a sequined sport coat that is way too small for him. It's because his shirt was blending into our Rich Eisen show set background here at ABC News in London. And we asked the good folks here at ABC News, maybe there was a jacket for you. And this is the only one they found. The only one they found. Yeah, this is it. We found out from Trilly, our makeup artist, who's here giving you elocution lessons. My best friend Trilly. Okay. She says this jacket belongs to an English journalist, the chief international correspondent for ABC News, James Longman, a Brit who wears this jacket.
3:36Rich Eisen:It's interesting that a man named Longman has short arms, it looks like for you, Chris. I'm guessing we're not. It's not looking great. but he's known for reporting on global conflicts, which is why he's maybe not here today, and human rights issues, and I'll say you wearing this jacket is a new human rights issue. It's a violation. I think the United Nations is calling up the Rich Eisen show right now saying, dang, get off. It's just that bad. She also mentioned something about him calling bingo numbers. Okay. I feel like I should be giving away cash and prizes, which I know is yours. And so I've been here for almost a fortnight.
4:14Rich Eisen:Yeah, it feels like I've been here a while. And kind enough to sit in the host chair for as long as he did while I've been here in London. Ladies and gentlemen, back on the Rich As It Goes, because we can't quit him. Tom Pelissero back here in our number three, our final hour here in London. Good to see you, Tom. How are you, sir? Hey, Tommy P.
4:33Tom Pelissero:Good to see you, Rich, and the boys over in the studio there. I am curious, does Long Man know that Brock Man raided his closet? Is he on board with this? Now he does. Somewhere he's tuning in and saying, I stole that jacket from Liberace. How dare you wear it, filthy American?
4:53Rich Eisen:That's what he's probably saying. Right now, his phone lines are burning up at whatever serious issue he's covering, saying what the heck's going on. All right, so, Tom, what is the backlash from, if you will? Is everybody else talking about the Flacco acquisition by Cincinnati in the same way that Mike Tomlin was from the podium league-wide? Tom, is that the reaction you're getting league-wide?
5:24Tom Pelissero:We talked about it a lot on this show on Wednesday, setting up this game, because I don't ever remember a head coach in my time, 20-plus years covering the league, coming out and directly calling out a GM over something that did not directly involve him. And it sounds like that was a very honest moment from Mike Tomlin, who on some level was proven correct when Joe Flacco went out last night and looked like Joe Flacco we haven't seen in a decade. This was Super Bowl run 2012 type Joe Flacco absolutely throwing darts all over the field, targeting Jamar Chase like 57 times and finding ways to move a football on a Bengals team that was in a spot where they lose that game last night.
6:12Tom Pelissero:It's five straight losses. They're two and five. They're buried in the division. And we're spending time on this show today saying, all right, when are they going to trade Trey Hendrickson or anybody else that might be available on the roster? Instead, he goes out and performs at a very high level that certainly, I mean, I got a few calls and texts and people asking about what the reaction is going to be in Cleveland. I think that there are founded reasons why Andrew Barry decided to make that trade. It's a guy who, you know, listen, they wanted to see the rookie quarterbacks once they benched Joe Flacco sooner than they had planned to bench Joe Flacco.
6:47Tom Pelissero:It was obvious that he was not going back in the lineup. And if at some point Dylan Gabriel had seen they'd seen enough of him, they were going to go to Shadour Sanders next. So you offload close to two million dollars in salary. You upgrade from a sixth to a fifth round pick next year at a time that you are gathering all kinds of ammunition to go up to get the quarterback that potentially you might want in round one. Though at the current rate, the Browns are in a position where they might not need to trade up. They might have that number one pick or top five pick that they need to go and get a QB.
7:18Tom Pelissero:You know, the optics of it are certainly not friendly in this case, especially because Mike Tomlin drew as much attention to it. The fact that there were full screen graphics on the prime video broadcast as Al Michaels was doing a dramatic reading of the Tomlin quote about Andrew Barry last night. And now you've got a 1-5 Dolphins team coming in and taking on the 1-5 Browns who have not been home for a while. They're going to be in some type of a thunderstorm, it sounds like, on Sunday morning. And it definitely adds a little bit of extra edge around what has, by all appearances, appeared to be a rebuilding project in Cleveland, one that now includes the quarterback who was their Week 1 starter, going and winning games and maybe keeping a Bengals team afloat within the division.
8:01Rich Eisen:So let's talk injuries, Tom. Terry McLaurin's out, huh? And if you look at it, this is this fourth straight missed game. I guess they missed the opportunity to throw him on IR. Why is this lingering? How serious is this for him?
8:18Tom Pelissero:It's a quad, a hip flexor. It's something in that area that can cause complications along the way. Terry McLaurin practiced on Wednesday, granted on a limited basis, but they really believed, and I said this on game day kickoff on Sunday, They thought there's an opportunity here. And from my understanding, Terry McLaurin thought he had an opportunity to play in a really big game on Sunday against the Cowboys. But he clearly did not feel right in practice on Wednesday. That's why they ended up holding him out or he held himself out of practice on Thursday, now officially ruled out for this game.
8:50Tom Pelissero:There's not been, to my understanding, any type of a setback. It's more a matter of him trying to get comfortable on the field. He's not there yet. And so the commanders now are once again in this position like they have been for a month. It might be the most acute that it has been. Noah Brown just went on injured reserve after he had sat how many games, three or four, before they put him down for another four games. And Debo Samuel, dealing with that heel injury, he has not done a whole heck of a lot. He told reporters today, we'll see if he's able to go. It sounds like there's real concern about Debo potentially not being on the field either.
9:25Tom Pelissero:If he's not able to go, then, you know, again, in a really big game against Tallis, you might be down your top three wide receivers, which is, you know, as good as Jaden Daniels is. That creates quite the tall task.
9:38Rich Eisen:OK, and the 49ers injury scenarios that are playing out right now for that Sunday night game against Atlanta. Kittle's back. We're going to see him. Is he starting on Sunday night?
9:50Tom Pelissero:That is what it sounds like, is that Kittle, you know, it sounds like he maybe had a chance to come back last week. but much like CeeDee Lamb with the Cowboys, it's do you want to come back and be on a snap count or do you want to get completely healthy and be full go? It sounds like Kittle is going to be closer to the ladder and is going to be playing a lot for the 49ers on Sunday. In terms of their quarterback situation, it seems like this is probably going to be another week of Mac Jones. Kyle Shanahan said that Mac's been less limited than Brock Purdy through the course of this week. Obviously, Mac won his first three starts.
10:21Tom Pelissero:They had a tough game last week, weren't able to pull it off. But Mac's played good football. He's dealing with a knee. He's dealing with an oblique. He's wearing the knee brace and all that stuff. With Brock Purdy, remember, last time he missed two games, came back and immediately aggravated the toe. Now he's missed two games. Maybe giving him a little bit more of a breather is going to make sense for the long haul here. It's not a quarterback controversy. Brock Purdy will be the starter when he's healthy. But the fact that Mac Jones has played well has certainly bought them a little bit more time to be cautious about it this time around to make sure, okay, let's not run the risk of another setback that takes Brock Purdy out another two, three, four weeks.
10:57Tom Pelissero:Let's make sure he's 100 % himself before he's back on the field.
11:01Rich Eisen:And what about Juwan Jennings? He was mentioning how banged up he is, and I don't know how there seems to be some smoke in that situation right there.
11:14Tom Pelissero:Well, remember, Juwan Jennings, you know, he was going through a situation, and his agent put out something saying he's requested a trade. Then the 49ers said that didn't happen. They ended up giving him like a small uptick in incentives. But it was all product of the deal that he signed last year and signed away another season of his career. It's been pretty apparent that he's not been happy with the contract situation, you know, just with the general state of things. And now the 49ers have proceeded. Again, they're well within their rights to enforce the contract that he was on. They gave him a little something to get him into camp.
11:45Tom Pelissero:But now, I mean, Juwan Jennings is on the injury report with like three different things. He said last week he's got, I think, a low ankle sprain and a mid ankle sprain or a high ankle sprain. He's got five fractured ribs. He's dealing with a lot. Remember Ricky Pearsall, who every time Ricky Pearsall gets banged up, it seems like it takes him a little bit longer than they're initially anticipating. He still hasn't practiced since he injured the knee a couple of weeks ago. Of course, Brandon Ayuk, it's getting closer, but he's still probably a month or so away from having a chance to get back onto the field.
12:16Tom Pelissero:there's just so many moving parts with this 49ers team. And though, yeah, Marquez Valdez-Scantling, one of the other guys has been filling in, he popped up on the injury report and didn't practice yesterday. I mean, that's a lot for them to overcome. Kyle Shanahan's as good at scheming people open as anybody, but it helps when your good players are available. Jennings has been a limited participant. It seems like he's going to try to go, but he's probably going to be listed as questionable again, and they'll see exactly how he's feeling by Saturday night, Sunday morning.
12:41Rich Eisen:Some quick headers here. C.D. Lamb's coming back, correct?
12:45Tom Pelissero:C.D.'s back. You know, I said that last Sunday. It sounded like it was 50-50. They just had to see how he looked once he got onto the field. He's looked great by all accounts since he got back on the practice field this week. So it seems like no restrictions for CD. This will be the first glimpse we've gotten of the CD-George Pickens combo since Pickens really broke out, Rich, and kind of became the focal point of the offense. I'll be interested to see just how Brian Schottenheimer and that crew kind of keep all the mouths fed here coming back. But it's a great problem to have, especially because, you know, the defense has not played well.
13:18Tom Pelissero:Now Trayvon Diggs is out for the game because he apparently suffered a concussion at home in some type of an accident on Thursday. One more challenge. I don't know how great, honestly, of a scheme fit Trayvon Diggs is. He hasn't seemed like he's been running the same way that he was before his injury situation. So I won't say addition by subtraction, but certainly might be an opportunity for them to get a look at some other players in that position. and they hope try to get things back on track defensively this week.
13:45Rich Eisen:The Chargers. Joe Alt got back in some form of a practice. Khalil Mack, I got to tell you, man, when I saw his injury in week two, I would not have thought it was humanly possible to have a practice window opened up prior to week seven. I mean, that is unbelievable. Quinton Johnston appears to be on the mend. What can you tell me about the Chargers' health?
14:12Tom Pelissero:Quentin Johnson got back to full participation yesterday, so no guarantees they got to see how his body responds, but that's usually a sign that a guy's trending toward playing this week. As far as Joe Ault, I mean, that was another one that looked bad. It's a high ankle sprain. It happened in week four, so we're not even three weeks out from the injury. Now, I don't know if you saw the photos of Joe Ault, but it looks like he's wearing like 1980s moon boots on one of his feet. I mean, that thing had a couple of whole rolls of tape on it yesterday, But, you know, Justin Herbert taped up his high ankle sprain a couple of times last season and rolled out there looking much the same.
14:44Tom Pelissero:We'll see. Usually when a guy doesn't practice on Wednesday and he's been out a while, that's a sign he's not going to be able to go on Sunday. But, you know, the fact that Joel is out there, whether he plays this week or not, great sign that he's trending back in the right direction. And then you're right. I mean, the Cleo Mack injury looked bad when it happened. But the word that next day was, you know, he dodged a bullet in the bigger picture here. So they are they're optimistic that he could be out there as soon as this week. It's just a matter of whether or not they want him to go out there, kind of ease back in in terms of the snap count or give him another week.
15:13Tom Pelissero:But for a Chargers team that's been gutted by injuries the entire season, Rich, this is probably the first time, honestly, since the opener that we've talked about things, at least on the upswing from a health perspective.
15:23Rich Eisen:A few minutes left here with Tom Pelissero, my colleague from NFL Network and Yeoman's work sitting in my chair over the past week plus while I've been over here in London. Moonlighting is a play-by-play man. So I'm looking at 1-5 Tennessee with an interim head coach, interestingly enough, just in time for Vrabel to pull back into town as the AFC East division leader. Browns 1-5, Dolphins 1-5, Saints 1-5, a handful of 2-4 teams. I only mention this along with the 1-5 Ravens. anybody who's playing this week playing their way into being sellers as opposed to anything else in the trade deadline that looms?
16:06Rich Eisen:I know you and the guys talked about this a little bit early on this week, but what about now that we're on the cusp of losses that could actually affect something? Tom?
16:15Tom Pelissero:Let's start with the Titans. They have been open for business. They traded Jarvis Brownlee a couple weeks ago, but that was a pretty specific type of situation. They're willing to listen on just about everyone on the roster. Yes, we talked about it with the guys. Like, I don't think that they deal Jeffrey Simmons, but in a position like the Titans are, when you're in the midst of a large-scale rebuild, the early stages of a large-scale rebuild, you kind of are willing to listen to anything. Calvin Ridley would be another logical target. He's out this week because of his hamstring injury, which makes the situation that much harder to try to get Cam Ward going.
16:47Tom Pelissero:But the Titans will be there. We've got 18 days till the trade deadline. Doesn't mean that they're going to, you know, go full fire sale and make eight different trades. But in terms of listening to calls, they're absolutely already in that mode. I do not get the sense the Saints are open to listening at this point. Mickey Loomis has never been a big sell-the-trade deadline guy. He feels like I've got the players. There's a lot of long-time types of guys on that team. We heard Alvin Kamara say it yesterday, and Ian reported this last weekend, that they'd come to him like, hey, we've got interest in you.
17:20Tom Pelissero:Would you want to be traded? Kamara said no. He said yesterday if he finds out that they traded him anyway, he'll just go drink a pina colada on a beach somewhere rather than playing for a different team. So I certainly anticipate that he'll be interested in.
17:31Rich Eisen:That might change if the Kansas City Chiefs hand him a uniform, Tom. That might change if the Chiefs hand him a uniform. You know what I mean? Come on now.
Read the full transcript
17:38Tom Pelissero:He's a unique guy, though. He loves the city. And, you know, you just have to get there. I mean, I haven't fully crossed him off the list, but it sounds like that's not something they're looking to do. The more logical targets would be, you know, Chris Alave, Rashid Shaheed but again the sense I've gotten is that they are not in any way in cell mode at this time you heard Mike McDaniel earlier today saying that you know any suggestion that Dolphins players are on the trade block is false that makes sense for the moment because listen they got to win some games they got a big one this week against Cleveland to quiet down all the noise that was largely created by their quarterback this week they got a bunch of veteran pass rushers between Bradley Chubb, Matthew Judon, Jalen Phillips.
18:18Tom Pelissero:They've obviously got Jalen Waddell. I don't get the sense at this point they're eagerly looking to trade any of those guys, but if 1-5 becomes 1-6, 7-8, certainly there's going to be a lot of calls that are made to Miami. With Cleveland, they clearly are already willing to make trades, not just trading Joe Flacco to Cincinnati, but they traded Greg Newsome in a deal for Tyson Campbell that was an unusual trade, but makes sense when their vision is on 2026 right now. Greg Newsome, who was in a contract here, probably wasn't going to be a part of that. So you get a cost-controlled Tyson Campbell in return.
18:53Tom Pelissero:There potentially could be other players the team's target. We know we've heard David Njoku on like 20 different occasions over the past few years. It's one of Andrew Barry's favorite players. I don't know that he'd be traded, plus he's out this week because of an injury. But players like that, I would anticipate that there are calls. And then, you know, you've got other teams like the Raiders. At some point, do they go into sell mode? They won last week. They're not completely out of it in a wide-open AFC West where nobody's better than 4-2. But if you get a couple weeks further down the road here, do they end up trading at Jacoby Myers, who it sounds like his status is up in the air for this week because he's got a knee injury that he's dealing with here.
19:30Tom Pelissero:They're not going to trade the big-ticket items. Max Crosby just did a new deal. He's not going anywhere. I don't think that there's a market for Geno Smith, even if they wanted to trade him. and I've not gotten any indication that their plans for Geno or anything out of play through it and keep him as QB1. The Jets is the other team, you know, 0-6 at this point. Again, you'd like to think you're building some type of momentum here. It just gets something going in the right direction. But, you know, the only significant trade that they've made thus far was acquiring Jarvis Brownlee, who's actually played pretty well for them so far this season.
20:05Tom Pelissero:But they've got a bunch of tradable assets on that roster. Brees Hall is the one that a lot of the focus will be on leading up to the deadline. Would they be willing to listen on Quinn and Williams? Again, there's not a lot of players, Rich, and this is not me reporting like, hey, they'll trade Quinn and Williams. I just know this. There's maybe a few dozen players in the entire NFL that are off the market. Everybody else, there's a price at which any team is going to go, that's pretty good value for that guy. But I think one of the things to point out here, and I've had this discussion with a bunch of GMs this week, is how quiet it's been this week, just 18 days now until the deadline.
20:43Tom Pelissero:Usually you'd start to see, and we saw a few trades last week, but that's driven in large part from the fact that there's not that many teams that are completely out of it. Even the likes of the Raiders are sitting there going, we got a chance to get back into this thing. Let's see what we can do. A lot of these trades, if they happen, might come right after Halloween, right after, and as we lead up to that deadline that's on the Tuesday, I think it's November 4th, you might be really up against that before you see some of these deals. But again, whoever loses in the Miami-Cleveland game this weekend, if Tennessee, if the Jets, if the Saints, those teams sink over these next week or two here, things can always ramp up quickly.
21:21Tom Pelissero:But it is pretty quiet right now.
21:23Rich Eisen:You're the man, Tom. Before I let you go, the usual question I ask you, it's been a while. you know i've been out of the chair the team um or situation that everyone around the league is blowing your phone up about for for uh tea to be spilled which which which tea which team is of
21:39Tom Pelissero:interest league-wide right now well now that we are beyond the mike tomlin uh browns bangles um love triangle that we had going there i would say that was the thing early in the week i would now I want to say the number one thing is how do the Dolphins respond to a week of really weird and unusual adversity? Because the moment that Tua came out and gave that long rambling quote, wasn't even asked about anything in particular, and then starts mentioning players-only meetings and guys being late to players-only meetings. Should we make it mandatory? The leadership has to get better. Number one, people I talked to in Miami that night and on Monday morning all said, like, we don't really know what he's talking about.
22:24Tom Pelissero:There's not the traditional types of players only meetings where it's like, hey, guys, we all got to get on the same page. Rah, rah. Let's let's push through. No, he apparently is referring to like defensive players getting together to watch tape on their own, which, by the way, happens in 32 buildings across the league. Every group, the different position groups will get together. It's not always, you know, a formal type of thing. It's just guys get together and they watch extra tape or they have various discussions or the quarterback gets the receivers here. That's completely normal. But when you call out the locker room that way, and then when Mike McDaniel has to go to the podium and basically say, I don't know what he's referring to, but I'm sure he had a reason.
23:05Tom Pelissero:They're doing the right things for me, but whatever he's referring to, hopefully get it cleaned up. People sit back and go, Mike McDaniel sounds clueless about what's happening in his own locker room. Well, anyone would be clueless about something that's not happening in their locker room. So for the next three days, four days, Tua was going directly to players on Sunday night and apologizing and explaining himself. Monday he has to go. Mike McDaniel has to go to the podium and basically say Tua shouldn't have said that. Wednesday, Tua's back at the podium. These guys need to win a game, Rich.
23:36Tom Pelissero:You need to focus everything you've got on trying to beat the Browns, not going on a four-day apology and explanation tour. From what I've heard, the offense has had a good week so far. They do have some positive things going for them. Devon Achan's been really good. Jalen Waddell has played excellent, obviously. Darren Waller is a comeback player of the year candidate based on what he's done over his first few games. And Tua, granted, again, three turnovers last week, but throws a touchdown pass in the final minute but for a long kick return and a play where they couldn't get Justin Herbert or Ladd McConkie on the ground.
24:11Tom Pelissero:They win that game. We're talking about it being different here. There's reasons to believe the offense will come out again if the weather holds up, which is a complete unknown at this point. It sounds like, I mean, they're bracing for 50 to 60 mile an hour wind gusts, rain, thunder. It could be a weird day in Cleveland, but they've got some momentum offensively. The defense just has to play better. We'll see if they step up to the table. But the last thing you want is the proverbial distraction. And this was a distraction, unlike Rich, frankly, very many I've ever seen in the NFL.
24:42Rich Eisen:So an actual perfect storm for a team that's proverbially been through their own. Tom, I appreciate the two cents. And next time on your appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, a special announcement. A new member of the NFL Insiders team commenting on all trades. Mike Tomlin will be part of the new split screen. I thought you said next time I'm on, I'd be wearing that sequined jacket. No, we've got to leave it here.
25:10Tom Pelissero:Mike Tomlin is the extra member of the Insiders.
25:12Rich Eisen:We have to leave it here. Rich, before Tom goes, we found out something weird and unusual about him. And his quest to be, you know, the top information man story breaker. Okay. He sleeps with his earbuds in. So when a text comes in or a voicemail, it'll just play right into his brain. That's next level. That's next level. Not always. Expecting something.
25:33Tom Pelissero:I've gotten burned a few times. Just try to be cautious as much as I can. And by the way, Brockman, real quick, before I go, I will bid$1.
25:43Rich Eisen:ladies and gentlemen Tom Pellicero ears in antennas up Tom Pellicero alright we're up against it that was a nice long segment let's take a break phone calls and top 5 other games I'm looking forward to seeing as we wrap things up from London England
26:09Rich Eisen:O 'Reilly Auto Parts can help take the guesswork out of your vehicle's check engine abs or maintenance light with o'reilly veriscan the service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ase certified master technicians ask for o'reilly veriscan today 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 is the same day funding, you can make the right play fast. Call an audible on your debt today at SoFi.com slash debt play.
26:45Rich Eisen:Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A. Member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply. NMLS 696891. Fast funds terms apply at SoFi.com slash debt play. While the world watches the stars at the FIFA World Cup this summer, Hyundai has its eyes on the next generation of talent. Future stars who are already turning heads at age 14. Because next doesn't wait for an invitation and neither do we. Hyundai has always moved the future within reach. We did it when we made advanced safety standard on every vehicle and engineered EVs with ultra-fast charging capability because the future isn't some far-off concept. It's already here.
27:21Rich Eisen:Next starts now. Hyundai, an official partner of FIFA.
27:30Rich Eisen:the rich eisen show podcast oh my word back here on the rich eisen show everybody 844-204-rich is the number to dial espn radio is presented by progressive insurance they make the claims process easy so you can get back on the road in no time it's why over 43 million drivers Trust Progressive. See for yourself at Progressive.com. Is Christian in Toronto still on the phone line? Is he still on the phone line? Is he still hanging on? Let's take his phone call. What's up, Christian? How are you, sir?
28:04Tom Pelissero:Hey, guys. How's the UK? Everyone doing good?
28:07Rich Eisen:We're good. You must be pumped up, man. You must be pumped up, down being 0-2. And now we've got a three-game series. That's alive. Yeah. We've got a three-game series.
28:17Tom Pelissero:It was a good game to watch. It was funny. Me and my buddies were watching Scherzer inning by inning, and going, give us one more, like the guy in the rookie of the year, the pitcher. It was a good game. The bats are going. Jimenez is the nine-hitter, like hitting home run after home run. It's pretty unbelievable, and it's a positive after the Bears lost last week, to be honest with you. It's been a good week since that.
28:43Rich Eisen:Well, your Chicago Bears you're referring to? No, no, the Commanders. I'm a Commanders fan. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. The Bears, I'm sorry. I got you. Hey, man, Scherzer was not coming out of that game last night. It was vintage Mad Max. I loved it. Thanks for the call, Christian. Keep rooting for your Blue Jays right there. One of our new regulars, I would call Christian, right? Scherzer. Old school. Reminded me of, do you remember when Messina barked at Joe Torre to not even leave the dugout? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Torre got up. Torrey didn't even get to the mound. Got to top step. He got top step, and he just said, all right, I got you.
29:26Rich Eisen:Yeah, I do remember that. And he basically pointed up and said, no, you stay there, is what he said to Joe Torrey.
29:33Tom Pelissero:Scherzer just screamed at him and be like, let's go. No, I got this. What did he say? Do we know?
29:37Rich Eisen:I think he said, I'm okay at one point. There was something to that effect. He said, let's go. Is that what he said? I can't tell what he said before that. He definitely did not say let's go. Right before it, he says something else, probably a four-letter bomb, but then says, let's go. Yeah, he did at the end. Yeah, I mean, John Schneider's head is blocking. Yeah, he's kind of blocking. What? Oh, he said, I'm good, let's go. That's what Hoskins said. Okay. That's one of those moments where. What a lunatic. Well, I mean. In the best way. In the best way. And so, of course, Schneider's like, okay, you got it.
30:11Rich Eisen:And then he got out of the inning. Got out of the inning. But if you give up a bomb there. So it's 5-3 at that point in time, right? Still, I mean, yeah, it was 5-1 when this happened. If he gave up the bomb is what I said. That was great. That was very well done by the Blue Jays to even the series. Are you ready for a parade in Los Angeles? For? The Dodgers. Oh, you would just assume they're winning the World Series. I mean, it's a good assumption. Their best player isn't doing anything. Yeah. At some point, he's going to have to. Yeah, and when he does, and it's truly a race. Does he? Really?
30:45Rich Eisen:Because last year he didn't. Last year he didn't. Although, wait a minute, he tripled to start game three. Dude, the same way that, TJ, you said that you said it's crazy watching a guy with 55 home runs start a game by striking out someone with 56 in a game that he started against the Phillies. Have we ever seen the game four pitcher lead off game three with a triple. I'd say probably. And then he plates the first run. That happened. He's doing stuff that we've never seen. The game four starter of the NLCS led off game three with a triple. That happened. So, yeah. He's hitting 158 in the playoffs.
31:36Rich Eisen:I get it. I understand. He had a one for 20 stretch. I get it. You still got to. Last year doesn't count. He's playing the Yankees. Anybody could beat them. All right. Okay. Thank you, Jay Philly. All right. Now we've got to move on to the top five list. And I wanted to talk more baseball. But now I've... Because again, I saw the Yankee press conference yesterday about... Run it back. They are. They're going to run it back. But although Garrett Cole won't be ready for the 2026 season, and now Rodone's getting some cleanup work on his arm, he won't be ready for the 2026 season. He was awesome this year.
32:09Rich Eisen:He was. He was. All right. okay as always now that the thursday night football game is complete i look forward to the rest of the week is my top five matchups for week number seven presented by hyundai high five one two three four five riches top five I have removed for, I guess, fairness purposes. Okay. I've removed Jaguars-Rams from this list. Okay, that's fair. It's four and two versus four and two. You're a professional. I'm calling the game. That game's going to be awesome. It's on NFL Network. Clearly, I want you to watch it. Clearly, I'm not going to see it. It's a game that I'm looking forward to seeing when I'm calling it.
32:54Rich Eisen:You know, it'd be really weird. Hey, you know what I'm looking forward to seeing? What's that? The game that I'm required to see as a play-by-play individual. I just want to see first downs be strung together. A couple tutties. You know what I mean? All right. Positive passing yards. Positive passing yards. I do. Yeah, well, I mean, again, Fields had positive passing yards. Just not net team total. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Number five on the list is the final game of week seven. The Texans coming off of a bye week at two and three. They've got a tough assignment up there in Seattle. Now, Seattle's one and two at home.
33:30Rich Eisen:That's one of the weirder stats of the season. Right. Sam Darnold has just been cooking with gas. Notice I used the phrase cooking for a Seattle quarterback. And then C.J. Stroud went into the bye on a bit of a heater. Yep. But the Texans kind of lead. I just went high register a little bit. The Texans lead the league in the who have they really played yet? OK, because Baltimore was completely banged up and they took on the Tennessee Titans when to keep it a buck. They were ass like they were in the deep throws of that, of assness, of ass. Careful there. You were. OK. All right. So that's what I'm looking forward to seeing.
34:13Rich Eisen:Yes.
34:13Tom Pelissero:Sam Darnold, the NFL in yards per attempt.
34:15Rich Eisen:There we go. Number four on the list, the Philadelphia Eagles having lost two in a row, visiting the Minnesota Vikings who are coming off a bye and starting former second overall pick for the Philadelphia Eagles, Carson Wentz, who has played against Philadelphia once before. 211 yards, 25 of 43, took nine sacks when he was a commander's quarterback holding onto the ball too long. That was in week three of 2022. The Philadelphia Eagles defense would love to replicate that. they've lost two in a row though man only three of the 16 previous Super Bowl champs to lose three or more games in their title defense in a row to make the playoffs period only three of the 16 made the playoffs the last three are in order of doing it more most recently the 2000 Rams we had Torrey Holt here in studio earlier he was part of that team that lost in the wild card after losing three in a row in their title defense season.
35:15Rich Eisen:The 1984 Raiders had a losing streak of three or more games, lost in the wild card. And then the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers were the first defending Super Bowl champion to actually lose these many games in a row during the regular season and make the playoffs. They wound up making the AFC championship game and losing to Raiders. Looking forward to Eagles and Vikings, especially since their two-game losing streak brings about the Commanders and the Cowboys on this list. I'll tell you what, man. I'll tell you what, man. I'll tell you what, man. I'll tell you what, man. The Eagles slipping up have opened a door here.
35:55Rich Eisen:Yep. For who? For everybody. I would say the winner of this game would be in a better position. I'm not falling for that, Richard. Why not? There's cheese out there, man, and C.D. Lamb's coming back. The one thing I will just say, listen, I don't usually tell coaches what to do, but I'll just address the camera to Brian Schottenheimer. Coach, the play in the playbook that has CeeDee Lamb running the football, let's just take that out and rip it to shreds, never to be seen again. Okay? That mess is for me, too. How about that? And Jaden Daniels has never played against Dak Prescott. Dak was hurt for both of those Commanders-Cowboys games last year.
36:32Rich Eisen:So right now, the Commanders are 12th in conference, the Cowboys 13th in conference. The winner of this game, though, takes a big step potentially towards winning the division if the Eagles slip up again. Number two on the list is currently one and two in the AFC. Now that the Steelers have lost, the Chargers are back as the number two team in the AFC right now. And the Colts at five and one are number one. They're also number one, not only in the AFC standings, but number one in point differential. They're plus 78 in point differential. They're the only team above plus 50, and they're plus 78.
37:09Rich Eisen:Since 2000, only one non-rookie quarterback has led his team to the number one seed in conference in the first year with the team. And it's a guy who's got a statue in front of the building that Daniel Jones is attempting to become the second such. That's Peyton Manning in Denver in 2012. The Chargers, if they win, they will be 5-2, 4-1 in conference. They would overtake the one spot in the AFC. That's what's at stake there. And then number one, it's real simple. It's the Patriots-Titans. Nope. It's the Buccaneers and the Lions on ABC, ESPN, Family of Networks, Monday Night Football, Tampa Bay 3-0 on the road, the Lions 2-0 at home.
37:51Rich Eisen:Something's got to give. Top six in offense, both of these teams. Sonic and Knuckles going against the top five run defense. Let's go. That's my top five list. You have one more. I did not know this. There's my boy. What's up, Coop? I was toying with going with Saints Bears just because it's Caleb versus Spencer Rattler. And Spencer Rattler might be cultivating this revenge caper for years. Yeah, for sure. For years. Just seeing how that plays out, right? And the Bears needing to win the game that they should win, to win their fourth in a row for the first time in a season in quite some time. but I'm going to go with the Sunday nighter Falcons and Niners.
38:38Rich Eisen:Good one. I kind of dig this one. The Falcons at three and two, they've won two in a row around a bye. Panics appears to be a lot better and a lot more consistent at the quarterback spot. And then Bijan and Christian McCaffrey, the two yards from scrimmage Kings of the NFL right now, with all due respect to anyone else that is very good in that regard on the same field going against the other team's defenses, kind of dig it. I dig that Sunday night matchup, certainly with the Niners banged up at four and two. This could be another one of those that they don't expect you to win it. Boom, they're five and two.
39:14Rich Eisen:Kittle's back to the world is always a better place when George Kittle is active and playing football. Those are my top five matchups for the rest of week number seven. Let's take a break. We come back here. We'll wrap up our two-day residency here at ABC News in London. Don't go anywhere. I'm back with more in a moment.
39:40Rich Eisen:A bandwagon fan. The biggest insult in sports. 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.
40:09Tom Pelissero:As you know, managing maintenance, repair, and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional-grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRANGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by.
40:43Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. The Hyundai Hope on Wheels campaign. I've been talking quite a bit about it because, as you know, I care deeply about pediatric cancer research and awareness, and Hyundai Hope on Wheels is all about that. For over 27 years, every Hyundai sold has helped fund life-saving pediatric cancer research. Together with over 850 dealers nationwide, they've raised more than$277 million supporting over 25 ,000 kids in their fight against cancer. Visit HyundaiUSA.com and search Hyundai Hope on Wheels to learn more, because at Hyundai, hope isn't optional. It comes standard.
41:22Rich Eisen:Jimmy in San Antonio, let's finish up with one of our favorites. What's up, Jimmy? Que paso, mate! Nice. I said mates.
41:34Tom Pelissero:No?
41:34Rich Eisen:You did. They don't like that, Jimmy. I'll tell you that much. No, I just don't like it from you. He's crushing it. Different. I don't mind it if there's an actual Londoner who says it. Well, he ain't from London. Okay. He's from San Antonio. What's up, Jimmy? Oh, gosh.
41:46Tom Pelissero:Well, congratulations, Brockman. Obviously, you're the new fill-in host for the Graham Norton show.
41:54Rich Eisen:By the way, Graham Norton is outstanding. I'll take that. He is. I was thinking more of like this is from - unlike Brockman. This is from the Liza Minnelli connection. Exactly.
42:03Tom Pelissero:Del Tufo can drive me around. Okay, speaking of fill-in hosts, TJ, I think you know where I'm going with this. Come on, Jimmy. Let's not do this here. Fill-in hosts on Monday that you and I know. Yes. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Colleen Wolfe. So, hey, bud, are you going to drop your dopey English
42:22Rich Eisen:accent on Colleen Wolfe? Nope. He will not. Definitely not, Jimmy. He will not. He will not. I got some new cologne I might wear on Monday, though. It's called the cologne of the commander's two-touchdown victory. That's going to be the cologne. It's called what it's called is fingers and mash.
42:42Tom Pelissero:Don't wear it, dude.
42:43Rich Eisen:Yeah, exactly. Ladies and gentlemen, it's for chips. I have an update.
42:46Tom Pelissero:I have an update on the Spurs and their new arena in the marble vote. Okay. Right now, the new arena is losing in the polls, and early voting happened this week. And the Spurs still have a seven-year lease on their current arena. But things are looking shaky in San Antonio, and fans are getting nervous.
43:10Rich Eisen:Well, I think the last thing that the commissioner is going to want is to move a franchise. I don't think so. Wendy to Vegas. Wendy to Vegas.
43:19Tom Pelissero:The only way it could be moved by the commissioner is if you have a majority vote from the other owners. So I think that's our saving grace.
43:25Rich Eisen:Well, let's just see how it all goes down there, Jimmy. Let's see how it all goes down there. But thanks for the call. Appreciate it. Always great to be here. Telly-ho, Jimmy. Take travels, everybody. Telly-ho, James. All right. Thanks, bud. Appreciate it. We'll be back on the air. You're good, man. Monday, I'll be flying home. Nice. Finally. Because, again, the games here kick off at 2.30. And so, again, I get back to the hotel like around 7 o 'clock at night in the middle of the first games of the second window. so I'm not going to be able to fly home until Monday so I'll be flying the entire show having no idea what's going on hoping that the studio is still standing that Chris Brockman doesn't need to step in as the human resources chief of the Rich Eisen show.
44:14Rich Eisen:Colleen Wolfson can do a great job. I'm excited for her to be hosting and then as soon as I land I'm making my way to the studio and you and I Chris will be recording overreaction Monday yes sir which we will then post and then comes to Monday Night Football games they'll be done with seven weeks of the NFL season speaking of and wrestling we right now it's looking like we may have George Kittle on no contest right on Monday night that's what we're working on really now he oh Shane he spoke with O'Shea he said he could do it but only after six. So we'll probably be pulling late night at the studio Monday night.
44:53Rich Eisen:Hopefully we can have George. We're going to talk a little football and wrestling. Okay. That will be great. He'll be fresh off of, hopefully for him, a Sunday night win. Hopefully it goes through, yeah. Sunday night win. And please take that jacket off. I don't think I can. What do you mean you can? It's tight. It's very tight. It's like stuck to you now? I'm going to need help. Skin tight? Really? Yeah. You need some sort of jaws of life to get you out of that thing? I'm not that flexible. He's like a wrestling valet to help you take your jacket off. I want to thank everybody here at ABC News.
45:22Rich Eisen:They could not have been more welcoming and inviting. They gave us everything that we need, including this jacket. That jacket. Well, I mean, do we need it? It was required, a jacket required because of your garb blending in with the background. But they've been awesome. Everybody here has been so welcoming and so inviting. and all we've done is just disturb them. I mean, we did kind of come in and kind of, they had a routine. We disturbed it a little bit. Can you let us in? Can we go to the bathroom? Trilly talk so I can make fun of you. How does the printer work? Like literally, they're covering world affairs here.
46:03Rich Eisen:And they're like, let's find a sequined jacket for the jackal from New England. You know what I mean? like we're trying to be good hosts. We don't want to be the ugly Americans. They're trying to be good hosts. Yeah, we're trying to, you know what I mean? Good guests. We're trying to be up and up. Enjoy the game. Enjoy the game on Sunday. And check out the Jaguars and the Rams and all the points, all the points on Sunday. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast. You can watch and listen to the Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app.
46:41Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
46:50Rich Eisen:Uncovered windows can make your home feel up to 20 degrees hotter. Stay cool and save up to 50 % off custom window treatments during the 4th of July mega sale at blinds.com. From outdoor shades to room darkening blinds, finding the perfect fit is easy. Get free samples, expert design help, and professional measure and install services. or DIY with confidence and support every step of the way. Shop up to 50 % off site-wide, plus huge savings on doorbusters, right now during the 4th of July mega sale at blinds.com.
From the publisher
NFL Insider Tom Pelissero and Rich discuss the fallout in the AFC North
of Joe Flacco’s trade from the Cleveland Browns to the Cincinnati Bengals, how
long Washington Commanders WR Terry McLaurin will remain out of action, updates
the injury status of 49ers TE George Kittle and WR Jauan Jennings, and Chargers
OT Joe Alt, says if the Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets and
Cleveland Browns will be sellers at the NFL Trade Deadline, and breaks down the
inner turmoil surrounding Miami Dolphins heading into Week 7.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices