Hour 3: Nick Ferguson

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1:25This is the Rich Eisen Show. Oh my God, you guys are my favorites. This is the Rich Eisen Show. The one and only. Rich Eisen. I know what I'm talking about. That's the headline. The Rich Eisen Show. With guest host, Brian Weber. I mean, honestly, he's brilliant. Brian Weber. I've got a long resume. Google me, it saves time. From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. And now, sitting in for Rich, it's Brian Weber.

1:57Highlight of the aforementioned resume remains the great opportunity to fill in for Rich and the Guys. Business end of the program. Final hour, but still plenty of opportunities for you to express your opinions. 888-SAY-ESPN. In all candor, if you want to pass along a thought, hit me up on the X platform. during or after the program. B.W. Weber, Weber with two Bs, should be very clear by now. I don't have much of a life. I got time after the show. I'm not working tomorrow. So we can go back and forth with your penetrating thoughts on the X platform. ESPN Radio is presented by Progressive Insurance.

2:40Coming up in 20 minutes, we're going to get you the view from Denver. Nick Ferguson played for the Broncos, former NFL safety, Spent 10 years in the league. Also played for the Jets. We don't have to talk about them. Played for the Texans. That will be part of the equation as well. Nick covers the Broncos very closely. He's co-host of Broncos Country Tonight on KOA Radio, a station you can hear all the way to Iowa. It's a flamethrower in the Rocky Mountains. So Nick will weigh in on his takeaways from last night. We devoted the majority of the first hour with a reminder to miss any portion of any program.

3:22You can listen to any time. It's the Rich Eisen podcast that we pushed out just after the show winds down at the top of the hour. No style points at all for Sean Payton's team. In fact, you got to give credit for if you're open minded and fair with your assessment. You should acknowledge Chiefs showed up despite all of the injuries. Rasheed Rice joining Patrick Mahomes went down with a knee injury. And then Gardner Minshew feared to be a torn ACL, just, quote unquote, a standard knee injury. So up came the third string quarterback who was not terrible. I know that sounds like a backhanded compliment.

4:05But as we discussed earlier, given what we all witnessed in Minnesota, a performance in which the Lions coughed it up six times. Jared Goff responsible for five turnovers. On the other side of the field, it was undrafted pre-agent rookie Max Brosmer, who finished the game with a net passing total of three yards. Compared to that, Chris Oladokun looked like Tom Brady. And it was a competitive game. And if you're not invested, not even sports wagering connection, if you're not emotionally committed to either side, at least you want a close game. And this game came down to the wire. In fact, it required a pair of 14-play drives led by Bo Nix, who carried the offense in a 20-13 win.

4:58And ultimately, a lot of the outcome hinged on a play coming out of the two-minute warning. Fourth and two, tied at 13. Broncos, it advanced to the nine-yard line of the Chiefs. They lined up like they were going for it. Felt like maybe the goal was to go hard count and draw the Chiefs offside. Mission accomplished. Chris Jones, who if you've been tracking his production on the field, is a shadow of himself. Also lost his mind, jumped offside. Drive continues. Touchdown, Denver. However, Knicks co-led the team in rushing yards, was not extraordinarily efficient, but he came up big in high leverage situations, got let down by Cortland Sutton, who dropped the TD pass, and we're not talking about the need to win impressively, just get it done.

5:58and Denver continues to do so. Now 11-2 in one score games. My overall perspective on Nix as somebody who tries to follow the sport as closely as I can, I can just tell you because I looked at some of the relevant numbers last night during the game, he is much less efficient this year than last year. Now it's been overshadowed by a myriad of fourth quarter comebacks in which Bo Nix has been sensational. And that has been the overall takeaway of the Broncos getting closer to potentially being the top seed, but they've got a big challenge in front of them when they host the Chargers next Sunday division title could be on the line.

6:46If the Chargers can handle their opponent with a sizable game coming up tomorrow here in Southern California, as I come to you from our Regal studios in downtown LA. Thanks so much to our friends at ESPN LA 710 flagship station of the Lakers radio network for the hospitality this week. So Denver kept themselves in front of the race to be the top seed in the AFC. But if you're watching Bo Nix, and again, I will give him props. Those fourth quarter comebacks masking that his completion percentage is down this year. and he has, in general, not been as effective as his rookie season. But none of that matters.

7:33They are every week, other than the Jacksonville game, which if you want to be critical of Denver, even if they have the top seed, needing only two wins to make it to the Super Bowl at home in altitude, if you want to be skeptical, you can say, okay, well, how did they play in a game against a team that has been equally hot? But in the NFL, we know things change radically in the span of days. So body of work matters. And right now, nobody has a better body of work than the Broncos, even though Bo Nix hasn't been playing at the individual level of Drake May. And that's the direct comparison because they're both in their second year in the league.

8:17I'm Brian Weber, in for Rich, 888-CESPN or XME, B.W. Weber. Weber with two Bs and 15 minutes more Bronco talk with Nick Ferguson, the former NFL safety who played for the Broncos. Looking ahead to Sunday's games. The Sunday nighter, as always, is going to be must-see TV. You got the 49ers and the Bears. If we continue to talk about coaching, and I know I'm being repetitive here, but the audience is always changing, especially during a holiday week. What better example of the value of coaching is there than what's going on in Chicago along with the Jaguars? And I am doing my best not to. Yada, yada, yada, my way past Liam Cohn and the development of Trevor Lawrence.

9:04But much like the Broncos, the Bears just keep finding a way to win. I mean, historically, good fortune. In fact, here's your nugget. First team since the merger, now with six wins, in which they were trailing with two minutes left. And we saw it again come together on Saturday night. It feels like fate is on their side, although I don't know how you count on that come playoff time. But it's all clicking for the Bears, as they'll face a 49er defense that's been ripped apart by injuries. And I will tell on myself, when Fred Warner went down, and along with Nick Bosa, but mostly it was the Warner development in terms of his leadership, the heart and soul of that defense, I thought the Niners were cooked.

9:56Now, I was aware, just like the Patriots, they had one of the easiest schedules in all football. In fact, they'll steal from Sunday Night Football, the Ravens Patriot broadcast. They put up a graphic. New England, statistically, heading into last week, had the easiest strength of schedule since 1999. Now, it does not undermine what Mike Vrabel has done. It gives you context. Same thing for the Niners. But Kyle Shanahan, while I would not want him to be my play caller in the Super Bowl, either in Atlanta or up 20 to 10 for the 49ers, and yeah, I'm taking a cheap shot. But this guy is a quarterback guru.

10:39He can get the most out of anybody. Examples, Nick Mullins, C.J. Beathard, Jimmy Garoppolo. Now, Brock Purdy, who was locked in against the Colts, five touchdown passes. He's going to face a better defense, but I want to choose my words carefully here. Because Indy, you might not have known, also was not demonstrated on the field. came into Monday Night Football as the number one run defense in the NFL, making what Christian McCaffrey did all the more impressive. And really, my summation of the 49ers, at least offensively, if McCaffrey is healthy and George Kittle, who does not have a high ankle sprain, he told us, but he's not been able to practice the last couple days, but he is another gladiator.

11:24Game time decision. We'll find out if he has some help, if he takes the shot and gets out there. If there's any way he can, he will. Now, those two tentpoles obviously change everything for the 49ers and make Purdy look like much more than a high-end game manager. Here's what they face, though, against Chicago. While I'm surprised the Bears' defense has not been as outstanding as it should be when you put together all the money they've spent on that side of the ball the last couple of years, they are opportunistic. Lead the league in generating turnovers, the best margin in the NFL. now, is that creating your own luck or just good fortune?

12:06The answer is yes. Two things can be equally true. This game, to me, comes down to a 49er defense that we saw Phillip Rivers take advantage of in just his second start in the last five years, although he underthrew a couple deep balls because of five years of inaction, and he's got a dad bod that many of us in our 40s and 50s can appreciate. What is Caleb Williams going to do with all of his talent, with his mobility? The thing I love about Caleb foremost is his willingness to extend plays. He hangs in there, and he's developed in terms of processing. And you can see it month by month, the partnership between Caleb Williams, who's playing as well as he did in college on his way to being the number one overall pick, and an offensive mastermind in Ben Johnson.

13:00So if you want the pick, I'm not a tout. I'm leaning Bears. I think, in fact, the Bears probably win it by a touchdown. Now, if I'm wrong, I won't be back on Monday, so there'll be no accountability. We have the Bills and the Eagles to get to, and it was my goal to tackle it here. But because I have the ability to get the experience and insight of a former NFL safety, I'm going to pause that thought and I'm going to tee it up for my friend Nick Ferguson, who's about to join us. So we'll get into the details of Buffalo and Philadelphia. How much do you trust what you've seen from Phillies offense the last two weeks against lousy opponents, commanders and the Raiders, knowing the Bills defense has been wildly inconsistent?

13:50Plus, since Nick played for the Broncos and now is on the radio with Denver, coming off the win last night in Kansas City. Which version of Bo Nix is going to show up in the playoffs? That is all on the docket. I'm Brian Weber in for Rich. I appreciate the company on the day after Christmas. It is the Rich Eisen Show on ESPN Radio. Rich Eisen here. Take a second and look at your city's calendar. Everywhere I go, there's always something coming up. Games, concerts, conventions, tournaments, the kind of events that bring people in from all over. And when that happens, you can feel it. more energy, more fans, and a whole lot more people looking for a place to stay.

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15:47And this is no purchase necessary. Giveaway ends May 30th. Enter and find your closest Bucked Up at BuckedUpEnergy.com. Grab a Bucked Up and feel like a million bucks. Save money on your next oil change with O 'Reilly Auto Parts. Get a$15 O 'Reilly gift card after rebate when you buy five quarts of Mobile One full synthetic motor oil for just$35.95. Stop by your local O 'Reilly Auto Parts. The Ridge Eisen Show Podcast.

16:19Brian Weber, in for Rich and the Guys. Mr. Eisen back with you on Monday. In our immediate future, coming up in 20 minutes, if you have the inclination to go to a mall, listen to Uncle Brian, do not hand-to-hand combat. And yes, malls are still a thing, but today's the day when people return gifts that they did not care for. looking for that money or looking for something better, we will use that as a device to tackle this topic. What should we return? What should we take back across the world of sports? Now, let's keep the NFL conversation going with an old friend, former broadcast partner of mine.

17:01It's Nick Ferguson. The former NFL safety played a decade in the league for the Texans, Jets, and Broncos. You can hear him on the radio, Endeavor, co-host of Broncos Country Tonight on KOA Radio. Nick, how are you, my man? happy holidays my god beware how's it going i am doing well and you know outside of your immediate family if it's the holidays you're talking to me on the radio absolutely it would not be the holiday season if we did not communicate and i greatly appreciate you taking the time okay i don't know how much of the program you've been listening to and maybe you were yelling at the radio although you used to yell at me when we were co-host i get it.

17:43I am not a huge Bo Nix believer now. He did enough last night to win the game. So with that framework, I'll turn it over to you. What were your biggest takeaways from Denver grinding out that road victory against backups of the Chiefs? Well, first and foremost, let's start off with the most important thing. They got the dub. That's the most important thing. Now, are there some things that they need to clean up? Absolutely. And obviously, as we progress to this point in the season, there have been a lot of individuals here locally, but more importantly nationally, who they don't really believe in this team.

18:20And I was one of those people, because when I look at this team, I'm like, okay, well, you're playing against the Kansas City Chiefs. They're on their third quarterback. They're playing with backup tackles. They're out of the playoffs. Travis Kelsey, this is probably or could be his swan selling a last game in Arrowhead, and the Broncos are only able to muster 20 points. And you get that field goal right before the game expires because Chris Jones jumps off sides. For me, I know some people don't agree with me, D-Webb, foul points matter at this particular point because you want to show your opponents that no matter what happens in the game and who you're facing and where you face them, you can face them in the Walmart parking lot, that you can win games.

19:04You can put up points, but you lost last week to Jacksonville and then against a battered and bruised Kansas City team on Thursday night with everyone watching. This is the offensive performance. I still think this team is a quality team, but they have some flaws they need to correct. I appreciate the candor. So it sounds like we share some doubts. That said, they can still be the top seed in the AFC, get the only buy, and I'll throw this out to you. You've played a mile high. Who do you have confidence in in the AFC that would have the ability to go into Denver and beat the Broncos in the postseason?

19:46It would have to be Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. And the reason I say that, because the Bills are doing two things that give the Broncos issues on both sides of the ball. They have James Cook and a prolific running game, not just with James Cook, but with Josh Allen as well, but also being able to score a lot of points. Against Jacksonville at home, a game that I thought that they were going to win hands down, they lost that game. And because their offense sometimes struggles to convert third downs, that puts a lot of pressure on the defense. And Vance Joseph and his defense has definitely carried his team thus far.

20:22But Buffalo, man, bringing two guys who can run the ball and who, I mean, when you talk about big plays, I mean, Buffalo comes with a lot of big plays, and more importantly, a quarterback that's mobile, that can get out of the pocket, like Chris Oladopo, who is a third-team quarterback for Kansas City. I mean, he wasn't even supposed to be playing in the game, but due to injuries, he's playing in the game. Even his mobility caused the Broncos issues on the defensive side of the ball. So these are heavy concerns for me moving forward. And real question marks about a Denver defense that's still getting to the quarterback but giving up too many big chunk plays, as you alluded to, we saw it last Sunday.

21:02They got torn apart by now a resurgent Trevor Lawrence with the four touchdowns. I'm Brian Weber in for Rich Eyes, and we're taking you across the NFL with my friend Nick Ferguson, the former NFL safety, played for the Jets, Broncos, and the Texans. Well, you got me where I was headed as I'm looking ahead to Sunday's games, and I do want your thoughts on Houston and the L.A. Chargers coming up. Buffalo and Philadelphia, so many interesting ways to dissect that one. What do you think the game might come down to? Well, it's going to come down to turnovers. We've seen Philadelphia, you know, do a lot of uncharacteristic things and turn the ball over, and that happens a lot when you force a play with one hand tied behind your back because last year their claim to fame was Saquon Barkley.

21:48They're not getting those same level of creases that they received last year, So that's putting a tremendous amount of pressure on Jalen Hurts to be perfect with the ball. And we feel that he's throwing some interceptions, and not every interception are created equal. But that's where it's going to come down to, turning the ball over. Because here's what we know. Josh Allen, when you have him behind the gun, they're down 14 points, 20 points. You saw that against the Patriots. He's saying, I have the team exactly where I want them. And that's when he throws on his cape, and he starts to make plays.

22:18And that's going to be the tail of the tape when these two teams face up. Certainly not Clark Kent, as you mentioned, on the road to Foxborough, coming alive down 21, taking you through the games that matter coming up in the NFL with Nick Ferguson, the former safety. He's our guest on the Rich Eisen Show here on ESPN Radio. My man, I jot down notes because we're not on TV, so people can't see me scribbling things down. You mentioned the word turnovers. That gets me to the Lions. What in the world happened yesterday? How much of a debacle was that in Minnesota? That was quite surprising. And I actually thought, you know, once again, we're talking about Minnesota with the backup quarterback.

23:02There's no way they're going to win that game. But they end up winning the game 23-10, win aided by Jerry Goff and two interceptions. And when you're trying to fight for your playoff lives, you cannot turn the ball over. and that seemed to be somewhat of an issue for the Detroit Lions and pretty much was the nail in their coffins, and now they have to go off in the offseason trying to rethink things, where they want to go from an offensive coordinator standpoint, but it was so disappointing watching the Lions actually turn the ball over and give the game essentially to a B-Web to the Minnesota Vikings.

23:39Well, disappointment might be an understatement, but you're kinder than I am, and it is the holiday season. Nick, they had six turnovers, and Jared Goff wet the bed with five of them. How about this? As we open up the analysis, and I made this point earlier, but I know you have other things going on. Is it fair or reach to say the championship window in Detroit may have closed yesterday? Yeah, you know what? Typically I would say no, but looking at how things have kind of worked out, I would say yes, because you don't have Ben Johnson anymore. You brought in a new OC, and the play calling duties were stripped from him, and now we're seeing abundance of talent being wasted.

24:23And also, here's the other thing about it. We're seeing other teams in the NFC now start to step their game up. Who would have thought that Dave Kanellis and the Panthers would play the way that they've been playing to this particular point? So the long and the short of it is that that window closes really quick, and sometimes you think, okay, well, we have more years. We've been a mainstay in the playoffs, but it's hard to duplicate what Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have done for so many years. So right now, it seems as though all is lost for the Detroit Lions at this particular point. Since you brought up Carolina, it was not a topic I was going to cover, but that's me being short-sighted.

25:04Panthers with a chance to go back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Another marquee game against the Seahawks. how much of a chance do you give the Panthers to win that game at home, understanding Bryce Young's going to have to deal with one of the best defenses in the league? No, I don't give him a shot in the dark. And listen, Bryce Young has overcome a lot of adversity. He was considered to be too small and considered to be a bust, but Dave Canales came in and revamped the offense and put him in the right position. They were running the ball well, but I don't give them a chance because after what I saw Seattle do to the Rams.

25:44Hold on, let me jump in. They got a lot of help from video review, and the officials got it right. And then secondarily, the Rams can't stop anybody on special teams and just fire their coordinator. Well, all of that is true, but Sam Donald turned the ball over, and everyone thought that all was lost, but he kept his composure. They continue to play plays, and the defense stood tall. They got some three and outs and gave the ball back to Sam Darnold for him to actually make plays. So I've got to give credit where credit is due. And as long as Darnold is playing with that level of confidence, they're running the ball the way that they're running in Seattle, and that defense is playing the way they're playing, there's not a single team in the NFL that the Seahawks feel as though they can't beat.

26:32And at the beginning of the season, I felt as though it was the Seattle Seahawks that was my projected winner to come out of the West. And right now, they're proving me right. Now they need to go ahead and actually move that forward and show it as though, you know what? We have someone nipping at our heels in the Carolina Panthers. Yes, they've beaten other teams before. They've beaten the Rams, but we're not going to allow them to come and upset the apple cart for us. We know what's in front of us. Now we have to take business to them and show them that, you know what? But big brother is here to put little brother in his place.

27:07Well, Carolina did beat the Rams, as you pointed out. But you'll recall that's because Matthew Stafford was a turnover machine. And we know that Sam Darnold is capable of that. You pointed out the two picks he threw on Thursday night. Four interceptions against the Rams. And should I bring up his last two games with the Vikings? You get my point. I'm Brian Weber. Yes, I'm a prosecutor. Nick is on the stand. I'm in for Rich Eisen. Nick Ferguson played in the NFL for 10 years. He's a good pal of mine. He knows my approach. And I'm not even going to ask you about the Jets because they're irrelevant.

27:40I want to talk about the Texans. And as somebody who got paid to tackle people, how much do you appreciate what Houston is doing defensively? And how do you see the matchup between their top-rated defense and the Chargers offense? As you know, the Bolts are battered on the offensive line. Yeah, I'm not too surprised about the Texans because I played with their head coach, D 'Amico Ryans, and I coached with them in San Francisco. And the one thing that we both know, you win ballgames on the defensive side of the ball, and you do that by being disruptive at the point of attack, and that starts with the quarterback.