Hour 3: Stefanski and Mike McCarthy Introduced, plus Brock Huard Talks Seahawks’ Super Bowl Run

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1:19Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show.

1:33Rich Eisen:Sam Darnold is one of the best stories we've seen entering a Super Bowl week in quite some time. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. I'm happy to be a part of this team, man. You know, I'm really happy to be here. Earlier on the show, ESPN analyst Marcus Spears. Three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schler. Coming up, your phone calls and more. And now it's Rich Eisen. Hour number three of the Rich Eisen show is on the air. Mike McCarthy is being introduced as the newest head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. As we speak, we're going to turn those sound bites around and mix and match them with not only Kevin Stefanski in his introductory press conference today in Atlanta, but also the latest from Mike Vrabel on, wait for it, Drake May's shoulder.

2:28Rich Eisen:There's a lot of chatter about that as we're waiting for Super Bowl 60 to start between the Patriots and the Seahawks team that I've been on all year long. You know, I have seen it just from day one, right? I've been talking them up. We all had them winning the division. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Nobody paid attention to that in Seattle. As a matter of fact, just only my comments about the Rams or the 49ers. That got picked up. And I think was fodder for quite a day for our next guest. Brock Huard joining us here on the Rich Eisen Show, the co-host of Brock and Salk for 17 years running up there in the great Emerald City.

3:12Rich Eisen:Good to see you, Brock. How are you? Right? Am I correct in assessing all of that? A day? How about a month? So I guess you're welcome on that front. A day, Richard. You gave us content for months. Okay. I appreciate all that. Guys, you ready for this fun fact? My son Cooper likes giving me fun facts. do you know who the first quarterback mike holmgren drafted when he got to seattle do you know the answer to that question brock heward the first quarterback mike holmgren drafted in seattle who would that be i do would that be i do rich and i think he took me in the third round you want a quick story before we brag all about the seahawks and enough of enough about me yes sir uh the qb coach was a wonderful man by the name of mike shepherd mike uh went to buffalo after that head coach long time receiver coach great coach mike was kind of mike was into me i think more than mike holmgren was and i had a private workout at the seahawk facility i was a husky and it was literally a 10 minute drive across 520 to their facility that was then up in kirkland nice day sunny day which was surprising in in april kind of pre-draft workout and he said um you know I got an idea for you why don't you take your shirt off because you kind of like fit and at that point I had pretty good little washboard rich and I was pretty lean and for kind of a six five stiff quarterback right I wasn't Steve Young I wasn't Brett Favre it's like I think I think you look I think coach will like that you know like so I did took my shirt off had my you know little six-pack abs and that's why Mike drafted me I think in the third round there you go i think that went a long way well and then after that that's why i got hasselbeck you know yes for his washboard abs you know no no for his charming good looks his flowing hair and his great smile all right let's let's get into the to the current team here listen um walk me through when you you and everybody in the area realized this had a real shot in seattle that's a good question that's a good question rich um lose the opener and we chatted with mike mcdonald on our show yesterday and my co-host mike sulk after that opener to san fran could just feel man mike was really pissed like year one 10 wins up and down a little bit couldn't beat good quarterbacks good teams took care of everybody else game one like just surprisingly ticked off was coach mcdonald and it was because even at that point i think the coach knew like we're better than that and we outplayed san francisco many ways and just didn't win and so to respond the next week and to go to pittsburgh and then let's just start stacking win after win after win after win and and to see them quite honestly even in great adversity go to la and say i'm really struggle and yet they've got a kick to win it at that point like these dudes are these are really good and I'd say Rich quite honestly to watch the team react to Sam's adversity in that game it was real it was not like Geno or Russell or the guys that preceded him it was Ernest Jones like dropping f-bombs yeah and the Seahawks brass being okay putting that out there like no this is how these guys feel about their leader they love them everybody else cannot believe in them but in the building they love them that struck me and that was probably the moment right there and then to see them not lose since that game and play some of their best football and for Sam in particular to just be at his very best rich the Rams were clear right it was clear you're not gonna run the ball we're gonna make Sam Darnold beat us and you know what Sam did Sunday night in that building I was there he beat him he beat him he beat him some of those throws the one that I was mentioning with Mark Schlereth last hour Brock was the third down one to Cooper Cup that essentially you know that that put the rams really in a dire situation um and we're all focused on whether it was a catch or not and what what what mcveigh did you know calling time out and then not challenging and we're all focused on that but the fact is that that all came about because donald made that dart of a throw in that situation he did i would also say it was fun rich i was able to watch the game in our station suite actually my big brother with damon and 12 years in the league been around some of the very best watching stafford in person for the second time it's also at the thursday night game that guy is just not not a human being right he just does he's just uh he's just an android he's a alien he just makes throws at other quarterbacks just like oh my gosh not supposed to be able to do that but i would say rich honestly it was the three touchdown passes by sam every one One of them, he was pressured.

8:10Two of the three, he takes it right in the chin, stands in there, delivers. And that's why the guys love him. And he'll take no credit, like the coach, like John Schneider, like the culture there. He is not a credit hound. He is not a look at me. He's about everybody else. And man, you get behind the scenes, Rich, and that is real. As you get close to this team, as you'll be around them, as you'll be on Radio Row, as you get even more touch points, you'll be like, damn, this team is all. about each other and they don't really care and don't need any credit a little different than the last team that went to the super bowl 13 and 14 right they they love yelling at everybody this

8:48Rich Eisen:team just loves one another quite a bit is that mike mcdonald's secret sauce is that where it 100 100 100 i don't know if you saw the little thing that went viral on our show yesterday where he we asked him like where did this come from and why did you say we don't care like why did you say it that way you know and he went into the whole background of like sitting up there on stage can't hear cam i think i've got to be loud and he even said he's like classic overthinker it's what i am classic overthinker and that's who he is rich he's like the most vulnerable transparent and we better appreciate it now while he's in his 30s because as we know this league will age you this league will kind of take maybe some temper some of that over the years but right now man he's a real one he's a vulnerable one transparent one and the guys are all in well that photograph that we just had up on the screen brock heward here on the rich eyes and showing for those who are listening it's it's john schneider smiling and taking a selfie with with the coach that he chose after surprising many by ending the Pete Carroll era.

9:56Rich Eisen:And can you walk everybody through what John Schneider has done to make this moment happen, building and also ending prior to the building what was in the building there, Brock? Yeah, there's a lot there, Rich. I think John will speak to that next week at the Super Bowl. You'll hear more of that. He would say really quickly, like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I did not end that. It was Jody Allen, the ownership that did have to make a decision there of kind of what direction do we go? Do we blow the whole thing up? Do we get a new GM? Do we get a new head coach? And it was the trust that Jody Allen placed in John and gave them John the opportunity, Rich, to oversee the whole deal.

10:41And we played the clip a bunch on our show. Pete Carroll's final words, and he loves John. And his final words at his press conference when he left was, hey, buddy, now it's you. Now it's on Johnny. Like, go get him. Because now John was in charge of the whole coaching staff. And that was the biggest deal, Rich, in the end. It wasn't about Pete lost his feel for coaching. It was, you know, the coaching tree. It died up and dried up. And some of the loyal coaches and loyalty he showed to some of them, it just ran its course. And so for John to come in and man, Russell Wilson was the first big swing back in 12 and it helped propel them with everybody else.

11:19This was a huge swing to wait for Mike McDonald to wait through the AFC championship game to land him and those two men simpatico. It's why their offseason was so good. And the only reason reason it's ever good in the offseason through the draft through the free agency through the trade is those guys are totally and completely aligned. And McDonald is blunt. He's to the point. He's really clear in his conviction of what he wants with the groceries. And then John is incredible through his relationships across college campuses with other GMs to get what needs to get done for those groceries to be delivered.

11:53And, man, did they cook this year.

11:55Rich Eisen:Man, the groceries, too, right, Brock? I mean, it's hard to pick one. Eamon Worry, Woolen, Witherspoon, Charles Cross, JSN. I'll just name five. there's more yeah um and then there's the groceries that you can add in free agency to marcus lawrence my goodness gracious going to get leonard williams a couple years ago um by by trade okay what sticks out to you oh it's it's the two free agent acquisitions because that's where they've been really good with trades marshawn and others through the years have been really good in drafting through the years it's the free agent acquisitions it's aiden dirty's background in Dallas, who was the D-line coach, who convinced Mike and John, like, no, no, no.

12:38Demarcus Lawrence still has gas in the tank. I didn't think he did. I don't know if you did. None of us thought he could be this effective and play almost every game this year and be an absolute dog that makes that whole group better. And then it's Cooper Cup, who may not run like he used to run, and he's not as explosive as he used to be. But my God, what he did for JSN and that room and those blockers and that leadership so like what like what what do you got from me there just ask jsn just say hey and he rich would be 25 minutes but it's more than anything both those two veterans play like their league minimum guys they've got tens of millions in the bank but they play as if they've earned nothing they block their their butts off that for cooper and demarcus runs people down and sacked fumbles and sacks and effort plays that you don't see from veterans and you know it's cooper cup is he's different man he in his years with mcveigh and stafford he's just different listening to him talk watching him on a practice field the level of detail how much he sees the game knows the game plays the game like a quarterback brings all of that it's as if you have sam darnold in the key in the receiver room and that is uncommon in the nfl and so he brings all of that to life for those guys and that's not coincidence The JSM became the best receiver in the league this year with Puka.

13:57Oh, and Puka became right there with them as the best receiver in the game because of his time with Cooper Cupp. So he's extraordinary as a teacher and developer.

14:04Rich Eisen:No doubt. In the few minutes I have left with you, Brock, let's give voice to the fans who listen to you and fans that you meet all the time. I had Adam Ray, the comedian, who I'm sure you know, diehard 12 on the program a couple weeks ago prior to the Niner game. and I'm like, what's the dream scenario? You beat the Niners, then you beat the Rams, then you go to the Super Bowl and you exercise the Patriots ghosts at their expense and it's sitting right there, right? I mean, is the fact that it's the Patriots and you know what we're going to be seeing over the next week and a half. I'm already seeing it on my timeline.

14:44Rich Eisen:Does that mean something that it's the Patriots in the Super Bowl, Brock? Yeah, I mean, you want to come back on the show and just talk about how great Belichick was and how that play, Malcolm Butler. It's such an amazing job. I'll have whatever you want me to do, Brock. I appreciate your appearance here today. You have been so sweet to Salk and I jumping on this year a couple times. And you are not alone, by the way. A lot of folks picked the Seahawks to finish last in the division and to be a 4-5-1 team. And, oh my gosh, you get rid of Geno and DK and you pivot to Sam Darnold and rebuild. There was no rebuild, right?

15:20Unlike a lot of the teams, even the Patriots, who had three really struggling seasons and were able to draft Drake and add, Seahawks never did that. They never hit a bottom, right? They just kind of pivoted and everything. And I'll tell you, man, they'll be ready to go. This is a – this is – Jordan Palmer said this. Was it with you? I mean, I might have even been on your show. We played – Jordan Palmer was talking about how Sam is not an externally motivated guy. Yeah, that's what he said. He is. Yep. Yeah. So we played that great sound that came from your show and talked about being internally motivated.

15:54And that Seahawks team and those teams were so fun to cover. They were so noisy, so loud, so externally motivated, ripping on Deion Sanders, pedestrian receivers, who's talking about us? Like that was they were all noise. This team is all business. they are internally motivated all of them cooper d law leonard you'd rattle off all the names yeah

16:19Rich Eisen:but your fans aren't i'm talking about the fans they want this this is it right like the patriots are here to heck with malcolm butler and all that nonsense sick and tired of hearing about marshawn didn't get it and that this could you know obviously that will still always exist but this you get super bowl 60 in the house of the niners at the expense of the patriots that's the sort of stuff the grist is it right yeah with a with a coach that you know didn't play obviously in that game Vrabel was done by that point but it is a Belichick disciple and Robert Kraft is the owner and they got a cool image rich in the in the Seahawks meeting room uh it was for many years shown with Pete Carroll having the basketball hoop bolted up to the stage and they do shooting competitions and all of that stuff we were curious like would Mike McDonald keep that around How would he build his own thing?

17:06You know what he built? Like this spear slash totem up on stage there. And they put a helmet of every team that they behead over the season. And they keep stacking them and stacking them and stacking them. That's totally right. And they got one more helmet to behead and put on the top of that totem. And that would, I think, yeah, make a lot of Seahawks fans pretty happy.

17:30Rich Eisen:That was part of the change of scenery that I was criticizing Mike McDonald of doing as soon as he arrived there, no doubt giving Brock and Salk a ton of stuff to talk about on that for that day and weeks and months after that. Right. Right, Brock. Right. Oh, Rich, we love we love you on our show. That's all I'm looking for. Thank you for giving me that. I greatly appreciate that. Before I let you go, you were also a backup one year for Peyton Manning, your favorite Peyton Manning story, please. You got one for me? Just oh, gosh, just a brilliant guy. Just seriously, just a brilliant dude. I don't know.

18:02He tried to fight me one time. You know, I think there was only I think I only like could do one thing kind of competitively with them. And it was throwing the ball over Ned into a bucket or something. And maybe I over celebrated overzealous and my joy of getting one minor victory. And yeah, you may or may not have wanted to pound my face. So that's about it.

18:26Rich Eisen:Wow. Okay. That's about it. Okay. Just you had to go through Saturday first, right? I mean, he had a lot of protection there. I sure did. Yeah. I knew my place very clearly, and I told this joke the other day, and it's not a joke. My better story is that Tom Moore, the offense coordinator, who's just finally retired in 87, I don't think he knew I was left-handed, Rich. I'm pretty sure of that. because they don't practice they don't practice f there right brock that's the story is that if you were the you were you were the f that they were practicing if he was we finally found it brock thanks for the time man uh we'll have you on um in short order obviously super bowl 60 it's going to be all about seattle hey seattle's going to get the attention Here it comes.

19:20Rich Eisen:Here it comes. Okay. Let's go. Thanks for the time. Appreciate you hopping on. Everybody check out Brock Heward right here on the Rich Eisen Show. Certainly listen to him every single day up there in beautiful Pacific Northwest. Is that a little Ken Griffey Jr. sweatshirt? I don't know. Hold on. Hold on a minute. Let's pop him back on there. Thumbs upping the Griffey. That's Griffey. Yeah. Okay. There you go. That's Colin Coward's favorite sweatshirt. You know? So that's the backwards cap. Backwards cap. Oh, yeah. Very good. If only he'd worn his cap to the front. I don't know. Okay. That's an old school.

19:55Rich Eisen:Yeah, I know. I don't mean to rope you into mine. I got to go. There he goes. There he goes. Brock.

20:05Rich Eisen:What a year, huh? Big dumper. Right. Seahawks. I mean, Seattle, man. Right. Titletown. Here we go. I've never been. I got to make a trip up there. Oh, if you never went to Seattle. Oh, I've never been anywhere in the North. They don't want people moving there, so they don't want people talking about it. The traffic gets worse every year people talk about it. It rains too much for me to want to live there. That's what they want you to know. That's what they want you to think. That's what they want you to know. They don't want any of us there. Just keep out. You know? What are they? They're internally motivated.

20:42Rich Eisen:Okay. I like that people listen to us. Yeah, right? And then use us for content. They were bashing me. I know they were bashing me. And Brock's like reaching out, hey, you want to come on? I'm like, you're bashing me, aren't you? Comments have not been kind to our Seattle takes. You know what? It's okay. We're fine. I mean, what's worse, though? Them bashing their people going, I've never heard of that show. What do you mean? Oh, Seahawks fans better get ready. You're going to see Malcolm Butler 15 million times between now and then. Cooper told me that he's hearing a rumor that Malcolm Butler might be an honorary captain for the Patriots in that game.

21:13He's seen people suggest it. Is that what it is? Yeah. There's no rumor, but it's just been suggested, oh, this would be funny if they brought him out as an honorary captain.

21:23Rich Eisen:I mean, it would be funny. You know, oh, my goodness gracious. The curse catch before? Forgotten great play in NFL history. That set them up inside the 10. I like that. And got everyone, including you, thinking this game is over. Yes. Because here comes Marshawn. My thought exactly at that moment was it happened again. because it reminded me of Tyreek Hatch. I saw this again, showed up in my threads timeline today. The entirety of the moment from the NBC broadcast, Al Michaels, Chris Collinsworth at the mic and the Jermaine curse grab. Yeah. Because I think he had just, he was the one who caught the bomb from Russ to end the NFC championship game, if I'm not mistaken.

22:13Rich Eisen:to beat the Packers. And then in this game, Russ goes up to curse. Yeah, he did catch it. And he quadrupled bobbled it. And the reason why the ball was loose to begin with is it was broken up initially by Malcolm Butler. Butler was involved in that play. You heard Collinsworth mention his name, or Al's like, did that get broken up by Butler? And they watched the replay. and then it went on so long, Seattle had a fire, what went on so long was, I guess, the hubbub of it or whatever. The Seahawks had a fire off a timeout. Otherwise, it would have been a delay of game penalty. And so it allowed NBC to roll in the helmet catch.

23:00Rich Eisen:And Al's like, this is the scene of the crime. It's the same stadium. It was in Phoenix. Yep. Oh, pardon me, Glendale, Arizona. God, that catch is insane. And Al's like, it's the scene of the crime. And they show Brady. And the last line of the clip is Collinsworth saying, they're not in yet. Nope. And you're like, it's unbelievable what was just about to unfold. I was in that stadium that day, obviously. and um i have never in my life seen a crowd of fans who were thrilled and happy be crying the next and fans who are crying be thrilled and happy the next on one play i've never seen it in any sport in any time and seattle fans are going to have to get ready for it and that's why i wanted to ask Brock Hewitt about it because Seattle fans are, when I say get ready for it, it's going to be talked about non-stop between now and next Sunday or two Sundays from now, Super Sunday.

24:13Rich Eisen:And it's of no consequence at all to any of these players. I don't even think there's anybody still on the team, right? On either team. I mean, it can't be right at this point. I don't think so. so it's of no consequence except for us to just say isn't it interesting that they're playing each other the last time they played this is what happened and it's one of the things that everyone keeps talking about because it's one of the most mind-blowing plays ever or decisions or sequences ever and it did start with that cursed catch how did they get inside the red zone that way against the patriots who are thinking it's happening to us again it's crazy and instead it happened to seattle a few minutes later and um like i said of no consequence but i'm just wondering again you heard from adam ray for them to get to super bowl 60 in the home of the niners after beating the niners and the rams to get to the patriots and deny them oh boy oh it won't obviously erase this but it would oh it would no longer be the first subject matter talked about when these two teams are in the same sentence.

25:24Rich Eisen:844-204-RICH, number to dial here on the program. Mike McCarthy is talking, and Kevin Stefanski has talked. And is there something up with Drake May's shoulder? That's coming up.

25:38The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.

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28:27Rich Eisen:Back here on the Rich Eisen Show on Disney Plus and the ESPN app. We've come a long way from getting set to cover, what is that? So it's our 12th Super Bowl that we're going to next week in San Francisco? fifth Patriots Super Bowl out of 12 unbelievable absolutely crazy so let's get to the teams hoping to get back to the Super Bowl having new head coaches introduced and this is crazy because these words aren't usually said except once every two decades the Pittsburgh Steelers have introduced a new head coach we all know Mike Tomlin stepped down the day after losing to the Texans in the wildcard round and he steps away and instead of again going back to the well that's 20 years old or the well before that or the well even before that 56 years old it was uh is today it was yesterday that they announced Chuck Knowles um hiring there 56 years ago um here's mike mccarthy in his early 60s not some new coordinator turned head coach for the first time in his 30s to grow old together this one however like bill cowher is from pittsburgh this hiree and he was really emotional about it you know oftentimes coaches and players you know you put on new team colors and it takes it takes a minute to feel comfortable in those new colors.