Hour 3: This year's Commanders, Eric Allen joins, NBA on Christmas preview

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0:33This summer, serve up the cookout classics. Craft mayo and dressing. Toss green salads with delicious ranch dressing or zesty Italian. Serve smooth, craveably creamy potato salads with mayo. We all know it's not a cookout without craft. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of the Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment.

1:16Now, on with the 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. The final hour of the program. We appreciate the company on this Christmas Eve ESPN radio. It's presented by Progressive Insurance in 20 minutes. Looking forward to a conversation with the Hall of Famer Eric Allen.

2:01In advance of that, I can tell you that Eric deserves to be in the Broadcasting Hall of Fame as well because he's just that talented. And for two NFL seasons, he had to sit next to me for seven commercial free hours. We did a Red Zone radio program for TuneIn. Of course, you can hear ESPN Radio on TuneIn. I realize my style is not for everyone. Now, the only small positive of that program was my job, like Scott Hanson, was to pivot to games, and then we would throw to local radio calls. So, for example, Wade Larrabee has the call on the Packers Radio Network. But to have to sit in a room with me for seven hours, I have empathy for those of you who've been with me for the last two hours, and Rich is giving you an early holiday gift because I have been extremely fortunate to guest host on this program for several years with the move to ESPN and talk about stories of the year.

3:03Rich coming back to ESPN is just so heartwarming. When Rich had the show elsewhere, I would cover Christmas Day. So I now have tomorrow off and I want tomorrow off. and you have the much better development of not having to deal with me and the NBA doubleheader here on ESPN Radio. With the excitement starting with the Cavs taking on the Knicks, followed by the marquee matchup of the Spurs and the Thunder. I have talked enough NBA, though. If I want to be invited back on Friday because I'm on the schedule, let's get back to the NFL. Although my issue has been, I'm going to do a little self-scout on the air.

3:45I know I'm not doing a show tomorrow, so I am also getting all the material that I traditionally would get in on Christmas Day in on Christmas Eve. So it's been a lot. And thank you for your patience. As my late mother used to say, dear, you're a lot. I'm Brian Weber, Bearing My Soul. It is the holidays. People get nostalgic. 888-SAY-ESPN. Your Raider fan, Eric Allen, you know, is a member of the Raiders broadcast team. race to the bottom in the NFL, led by New York football giants and the silver and bleak. I'm taking shots at the Raiders when they're down. A matchup of two win teams on Sunday in Vegas with major significance.

4:28The losing team has the inside track on having the number one overall pick in the draft. So sometimes losing is winning in the NFL. We got teams with something to play for tomorrow in two of the three games. And this might have snuck up on you, although the league does a marvelous job of letting you know about all of its content. For years, there were no NFL games on Christmas. They made the move to the holiday. Now they're going to own it. Triple header. Directly analogous on the Big Word Wednesday version of the program. Same lineup as we go through now on Christmas is what we already saw on Thanksgiving.

5:14So just parallel between Thanksgiving and Christmas, a triple header that will culminate with a game when the schedule came out. Looked like must-see TV, and we'll all watch because it's the NFL. But the Chiefs and Rich, I thought, made a insightful point. I'm not just sucking up to him because I'm the guest host. What Rich had thought, and he clarified the next day when he said, we're going to miss the Chiefs when they're not in the playoffs, there was a lot of layers to that. A lot of people resent the Chiefs because of their success. Sports is better when there's a quote-unquote villain. So that's one component of it.

5:57The other is, if we're thinking about the playoffs, We want the best of the best and who's better over the last decade than Patrick Mahomes. So that's the point I think he was trying to make. He was not saying that somehow the playoffs are going to be diminished because the Chiefs aren't there, because we know the core asset of the NFL is its unpredictability. Parity is not just a word, it's a reality. Competitive balance. What's it been? 20 of the last 21 years, some team has gone from worst to first to win the division, and it continues year after year. That's why the NFL is gambling. So with the Broncos taking the field coming up, and that's why the NFL is king, and gambling is a portion of that success.

6:44With the Broncos taking the field tomorrow night against a Kansas City team that is dealing with a myriad of injuries and will not be going to the playoffs, for Denver. It's a chance to get back on track after a game that I think led to some legitimate question marks about the Broncos. I am not in any way saying they can't win at all. And in fact, if the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC goes through Denver as the top seed, they get the valuable buy. They get the advantage of playing in front of that raucous crowd. You got altitude as well. Like everybody, Bo Nix plays better at home. My observation, if I was a handicapper, my concern would be just the swings game to game, the ups and downs of Bo Nix.

7:35now that is understandable he's a second year quarterback but if you're just looking at things from a who would you rather start point of view if you're not a bow lever and it was hard not to be part of that crowd when they were stacking all those wins with the 11 game winning streak that was snapped on sunday by the red hot jaguars you would point to drake may and we saw it again Sunday night, although context does matter. Remember, Baltimore's defense has been lousy this year, and Lamar Jackson had gone down towards the business end of the second quarter with the back injury, putting his status in doubt for Sunday as the Ravens are just clinging to hope of having a small possibility of making the postseason.

8:23Still, Patriots dealt with injuries, specifically a running back, and Drake May looked sensational. So maybe this just comes down to style points. When I watch Drake May play, he looks the part. But if we go back to coaching, and it's clear Josh McDaniels is not a head coach in the NFL. Maybe he gets one more shot after flaming out both with the Broncos and the Raiders. He is an extraordinary offensive coordinator. Case in point, the transformation of what's been going on with Drake May over this season. and he, if you care about the view from Vegas, because sports investing now plays such a big role in our lives.

9:05After Matthew Stafford, the touts in the desert say, Drake May is the second most logical choice to be the MVP. So I'm looking at Drake May and I'm looking at Bo Nix and I see a disparity between the two, but we're not talking about arm wrestling here. We're not playing one-on-one hoops. Football is the ultimate team game. And if you're a Bronco backer, you're going to remind me they have a superior defense. They get to the quarterback. Think about Patrick Sertain, the second, their best player, the reigning defensive player of the year. There are many positives. I can continue to go through the checklist regarding the Broncos.

9:45That's why they're 12-3. That's why I think they're going to hammer the Chiefs. Would love to make a statement when you know the nuances of that rivalry and also to signal to the rest of the AFC that this team is the one that they're going to have to come after to make it to the Super Bowl. And at 13-3, I would seem like I'm being myopic to say, yeah, but I need to see more from Bo Nix. Well, I do, because when you get to the postseason, everything can change. And if you are a bit skeptical of the Broncos, you don't have to go too far back in history to come up with a comp. think about the Vikings in 2022 13 wins and so many victories coming in one score games they just found a way repeatedly well what happened when they got to the playoffs they lost the Daniel Jones and the Giants I'm not predicting that's going to happen for the Broncos because I don't know the matchup still there's enough time down the stretch and also let's not overlook the fact that the top seed has not been clinched by Denver.

10:51That's what made that loss to Jacksonville all the more costly. Still, it's right in front of them, especially when you think about the manageable matchup tomorrow. I just want to see, to have a higher degree of confidence in the Broncos, more consistency from Bo Nix. And all I have to do is go back a couple weeks to how exceptional he was against a stout Packer defense before Micah Parsons went down with a torn ACL and we're all caught up in what happened 20 seconds ago. But as that game was playing out, what was crystallized in my mind was, okay, this is the statement game I've been looking for from Bo Nix.

11:35And then we saw the regression last week with a pair of costly turnovers. However, he wasn't throwing against air and if we're going to be fair we should give credit to the jaguars defense much better than a casual fan would be aware of but you know how it works in our business we get attracted to the bright shiny objects and i am a fan of duval i'll do my liam cone who a lot of us just put in a Little box. Okay, Duval. He's a tough dude. Remember the little incident with Robert Sala? Sean Payton tried to pay a compliment, a backhanded compliment, as Sean can do, to the Jaguars, referring to them as a small market team before the game.

12:25And then Cohen had the receipts. He brought it up after the game in his press conference. The Jaguars are legit. The only question would be, is this version of Trevor Lawrence over the last month and change the real Trevor Lawrence? Because when I watch the NFL every Sunday, I also see performances like the one not too long ago, which he imploded at Arizona. They won the game in overtime. but I just want Trevor Lawrence from a Jaguar point of view to close out the season maintaining his momentum because we all know what he did in college and we've all been waiting to see that Trevor Lawrence in the national championship game when Clemson was still good at college football defeating mighty Alabama led by Nick Saban I'm Brian Weber in for rich jot down the number because I'm back with you on Friday, the day after Christmas, 888-SAY-ESBM.

13:26Conversation never stops on social media. My handle is BWWeber, Weber with two Bs, because part of me still wants to convince you to watch a little bit of NBA tomorrow, and I'm not a show for the league. I'm not a plant. I'm not getting paid by the folks in New York City. I just think sports is better when we have variety. Before we close up shop, coming up in about 40 minutes, we will take you back to something that seemed like it was a bombshell before the NBA dealt with real controversy and real allegations of crimes, their gambling scandal. Whatever happened to Kawhi Gates. Bring that up because I'm here in Southern California and there's something that tells me, and Bill Simmons also mentioned this on his podcast, there could be news coming as soon as Friday.

14:22That is on the agenda. Straight ahead, looking forward to connecting with an old friend, a broadcast colleague, and foremost, a Hall of Famer who was a legend in Philadelphia. now that the Eagles have won the NFC East for the second straight year, what's the playoff outlook for the reigning champs? And what could be the X factor when they take on the Bills on Sunday? We'll cover it all when we check in with the Hall of Famer, Eric Gowen. I'm Brian Weber, always enjoying every moment, whenever I have the great fortune of sitting in for Rich and the Guys. It is the Rich Eisen Show on Christmas Eve here on ESPN Radio.

15:04The Rich Eisen Show podcast.

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15:43Rich 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. So here's something to think about. if your city has that kind of buzz, if big events are on the way, listing your space on Airbnb could be a great opportunity. If you're already planning to be out of town or you've got a trip coming up, why not make your place work for you while you're gone?

16:17You've got the space and you're not using it. It could be earning you some extra cash. I know when I travel for these big events, I'm not just looking for a place to crash. I want something comfortable and safe, a place that allows me to experience the city like a local. And that's exactly what you can do by offering to list your space. No big lifestyle change, no long-term commitment, just making smart use of the space you already have. So the next time your city draws a crowd, think about listing your space on Airbnb. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host.

16:54Rich Eisen here with some advice. If high interest credit card debt is grinding you down, it might be time to call an audible with a SoFi personal loan. It consolidates your debt into one low monthly payment with no fees required. And with as soon as the same day funding, you can make the right play fast. Call an audible on your debt today at SoFi.com slash debt play. Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A. Member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply. NMLS 696891. Fast funds terms apply at SoFi.com slash debt play. Brian Weber back with you. in for Rich and the Guys. We're live on Christmas Eve here on ESPN Radio.

17:33It's presented by Progressive Insurance. It is always a pleasure to talk to a Hall of Famer, but even more special when I happen to be a friend of that Hall of Famer, let's say hello to Eric Allen, the former NFL quarterback, played 14 years in the league for the Eagles, Saints, and Raiders, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer. least important is a former broadcast partner of mine eric it has been too long how are you my friend hey my man what's going on man it's great to be on with you and i i actually uh talk about those days all the times when we were able to kind of do the uh nfl on sunday no commercial you know in advance of you joining us yeah i told the audience who i know is just yelling at the radio.

18:26Oh my goodness, this guy's a blowhard. I said, you think I'm bad for two hours and 20 minutes with commercials? Eric deserves to be in the Broadcasting Hall of Fame because we did, remember Eric, seven plus hours. One day we did seven and a half hours, but who's counting? No commercials. And you had to sit next to me as I just wildly gesticulated and drank gallons of Diet Pepsi. We had a great time, but that's kind of our joint love of the game, and that's kind of where this time of the year, for so long, has been married up with good football and playoff kind of type of environment. So we just love the game, and I was just really excited and happy to be there for those years for you.

19:12Well, you said it well, and I appreciate our friendship. And you noticed I was not one of the 5 ,000 people that piled on when you were getting that gold jacket. I wanted to wait, like any broadcaster, to have the conversation on the radio. So when we did those shows together, you'll recall, I always brought you in as the future Hall of Famer. Because beyond me being able to read stats, objectively, you always deserve to go to Canton, Ohio. So, Eric, what were your emotions like this summer when you got that gold jacket? Yeah, what an incredible just time in my life and my family's life. And I think that's the one thing that I was so happy to see that I kind of was at peace because I knew at some point I would get in.

19:58Or, you know, I was confident that I would get in based on the numbers and the people who were already in there. But for all of those people who are supporting me, my family members, my friends, who, you know, always came to the fight with, you know, stats and things like that, they were really the ones that were able to kind of take a big sigh of relief. Like, I told you so. So that was incredible. But from about this time last year, you know, we were getting that great feeling and we hadn't received a call. I had been a semifinalist before, and you get a call before the Super Bowl, and they're like, hey, you know, unfortunately you didn't make it.

20:41We hoped that you would remain silent. So it would be a surprise to the guys who made it. So it's almost been a year. And with pins and needles, just so many phone calls, so many supportive people. But at the end, once we were going through the summer, as Randall McDaniel, my good friend from college, knocked on my front door, you know, right before the Super Bowl to kind of lock it in, it has just been an incredible just experience as far as the outreach of the Hall of Famers. Peyton Manning, Warren Sapp, Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith, you know, all those great guys giving me a phone call just saying, hey, you know, we're glad you're in here now.

21:25So it's this big community that I'm with now that is allowing me to really just kind of whatever I want to do off the field, they're the help. So the community of the Hall of Fame is just not a bunch of guys getting together talking old stories. it's really about the community and how they can help you kind of whatever you're involved in, in your community. Well, you're in the most exclusive club in all of sports and you certainly deserve it. We're getting you ready for the NFL triple header coming up tomorrow on Christmas day. We'll get the Sunday as well with the hall of famer, Eric Allen, who was still active in the game as a member of the Raiders broadcast team.

22:03So because we're friends and because it's the holidays, I'll frame it this way, but a challenging year for the silver and black. Is that fair to say? What changes would you expect in the offseason? We've been bad. We have not played complimentary football. I know that's a big term that guys use, but we'll have a game, for instance, where we are playing really well in offense, particularly last week. Had a pretty good game. Ashton Gentry went over 100 yards. They split him out. He was able to get one-on-one with a linebacker. Beats him. Max Crosby is going crazy, as he always does, in a good crazy where he's tackle for loss.

22:42Sacks, just his energy level above and beyond. Alms of Lyme, pretty much, playing some young guys, they're doing a little bit better. But there's always a situation that arises that we're not prepared for. And when we get into that situation, we're just not experienced enough on defense to be able to put yourself in that situation to have made the play. whether that's the middle of the football field and our just lack of tackling, our arms of line and quarterback play, the performance has not been great, has not been good on a consistent basis. So that has led to this really terrible season that the Raiders have had.

23:20Everything around this organization is A+. The facilities, some of the best in the league. The weight room, some of the best in the league. As you know, our stadium, one of the best in the league. Everything around except the performance on the football field is A+. So we need to find a way to, of course, I think, get a young quarterback that the fan base and the organization can really get behind and understand that they can come in at one spot and develop them into a person and a player who can be the franchise quarterback. I think that's where it starts. I'm Brian Weber in for Rich. It's the Rich Eisen Show on ESPN Radio, taking you around the NFL with the Hall of Famer, Eric Allen.

24:09Eric, objectively, two wins would say any head coach could be in trouble. You're around the team. Do you get the sense the Raiders are still playing hard? Because just as a guy on my couch watching the red zone, they gave Houston all they could handle on Sunday. Yeah, what a big surprise. Coming off of weeks and weeks where its performance on Sunday or Thursday or Monday was not like that at all. But you have to give credit to Coach Carroll being able to continue to preach that positive message in the locker room, and you saw that football team go down to Houston and slug it out with one of the best defenses in football.

24:49So that tells me the message is still resonating with the important players. And he also has, again, I'm going to say Matt Crosby is one of the best teammates that I've ever been around. He's positive, and he understands what this football team needs emotionally on game day. And when you see him before the game, huge smile on his face. He's ready to play. He's put in a great week of preparation and practice, and he brings that. and there's just some guys who are not able to have that energy consistently throughout the games on both sides of the ball, or it's just a lack of experience. And that's what it comes down to me.

25:28If I see young players getting opportunities, but they just don't have the experience to be able to get on the football field and if you're going against this great cornerback or this great receiver, he's able to put you in situations where you're in conflict. if you're a young player and you're not able to go back on that experience and make that correct play by processing the information and saying, like, you've got to find a way to make the play. Former NFL quarterback and Hall of Famer Eric Allen is our guest on ESPN Radio. EA, let me tap into your current experience as part of the Raiders broadcast team.

26:06You follow this club closely, especially every Sunday. So you've seen the matchup with the Broncos twice. Where do you come out on Denver at this stage of the season? The old adage, you are what your record says you are. Are they as good as 12-3 would indicate? Yes, they are. And I'm very surprised at that coming into the year. I thought Bo would take a step back. Offensively, you didn't see huge names. But Coach Payton has done a great job of really rallying around that defense for the most part. but Bo has been a really good football player in the fourth period and when it counts. His experience in college, I think, has really helped him be able to get in, settle down, and process those situations where he's in two-minute, he's in the four-minute drill, he needs to extend the play and make a play with his legs or his arm.

27:00He's done that pretty much the whole season. I am so surprised and so happy for Bo Nix, not the different Broncos, but for Bo Nix and some of the players that I know on that football team but defensively they're going to lean on that defense they're going to run the ball effectively and you know that coach Payton is going to have two or three plays that no one has seen you know leading up to that game and that gives them that that element of surprise so yes I think they're a really good football team with a young quarterback who is really making big time plays and critical times in the game I have more doubts and maybe I'm being president of the moment also so I should give Jacksonville more credit based on their defense.

27:40I just thought Bo was a little bit wobbly with a couple more turnovers, but look, we know it's a long year, and you're not going to ball out every Sunday. Let me get you to Philadelphia because you're an Eagles legend. Defending champs have been inconsistent, but you saw them hammer your Raiders, and they had another get-right game against the Commanders. Where do you think Philly is at this stage of the season, and how do you see the big matchup against the Bills on Sunday? they're playing their best football of the season right now and because of the two opponents we're going to give them we're not going to put them totally back but we're going to say they're trending in the right direction most importantly they have to win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football whenever they're on their run they're able to go up to the line of scrimmage RPO would hurt, and if he wants to pull it, get positive yards.