Hour 3: ‘What’s More Likely’ plus Rich’s Top 5 NFL Week 3 Matchups

19 Sep 2025 · 46 min · 18 chapters

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In short

The Rich Eisen Show final hour focuses on “What’s More Likely Friday” NFL hypotheticals, plus phone calls debating NFL and college football storylines, and Rich’s “Top 5” matchups for the rest of Week 3.

Guests (on-air)

Tom Pelissero (NFL Network insider); Marcus Spears (ESPN NFL analyst). No other named guests appear; most content is host + callers.

Guest backgrounds

Pelissero covers NFL news/insider reporting for NFL Network; Spears provides ESPN studio analysis of NFL games.

Key claims

Bills are more likely to finish with the NFL’s best record; Chiefs are more likely to be the surprising playoff team (vs 0-2); Travis Kelsey is more likely to have more TDs than Cowboys Bears opponent TJ; Dolphins could be headed toward 0-5 and an interim coach.

Notable examples

Phone debate on Arch Manning’s struggles and whether he’ll finish the season; Jets upset over Saints; McCaffrey breakout vs Bijan; Chargers vs Broncos in LA; Lions vs Ravens (rematch after Lions’ 50-burger).

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

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Week Recap with Guests

0:00 to 0:30

Rich discusses previous NFL games with guests Tom Pelissero and Marcus Spears.

“At the Home Depot, get up to 15 % off all installed carpet projects for a limited time.”

Week Recap with Guests

0:33 to 0:51

Rich discusses previous NFL games with guests Tom Pelissero and Marcus Spears.

“You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome?”

Week Recap with Guests

1:25 to 2:10

Rich discusses previous NFL games with guests Tom Pelissero and Marcus Spears.

“Our expectation was to come in here and win the game.”

Phone Call Segment Introduction

2:10 to 2:52

Rich sets up the phone call segment for listener interaction.

“And Marcus Spears of ESPN joining us to break down what we saw on Thursday night, as well as preview the rest of the weekend.”

Gabe from El Paso Calls In

2:52 to 4:51

Gabe shares his insights on the Dolphins' performance and potential coaching changes.

“We're about to shortly, but let's take some phone calls, shall we?”

Ben from Austin's Take on Arch Manning

4:51 to 7:19

Ben discusses quarterback Arch Manning's struggles and expectations for the season.

“Ben in Austin, Texas, we'll take your phone call.”

Corey from New York Discusses Michigan Football

7:19 to 9:47

Corey shares his thoughts on the Michigan team and their competition.

“And by the way, visiting Lexington, Kentucky, No simple matter either.”

Transition to 'What's More Likely'

9:47 to 10:05

Rich transitions to the 'What's More Likely' game segment.

“I wanted to know what goes on in a New York dairy farm.”

'What's More Likely' Game

10:05 to 14:03

The team discusses various NFL scenarios in the 'What's More Likely' format.

“It's time for what's more likely Friday.”

NFL Week 3 Predictions

14:03 to 22:20

Rich and Chris discuss various NFL matchups and predictions for Week 3.

“I mean, I'll go the trio of baseball guys.”
Show all 18 chapters

Kershaw and Otani Discussion

24:56 to 28:00

Rich addresses fan questions about Clayton Kershaw's postseason role and discusses Shohei Otani's potential.

“Back here on our radio feed on ESPN Radio presented by Progressive Insurance.”

Baseball Playoff Predictions

28:00 to 31:22

Discussion on playoff predictions, player performances, and team dynamics.

“Wouldn't you have, by the way, Yamamoto is spicked.”

Caller Interaction with Sam

31:22 to 36:50

Engaging interaction with a caller about sports commentary and game analysis.

“I know you were watching the game last night, and it was higher register yesterday.”

Top NFL Matchups for Week 3

38:29 to 38:42

Rich's analysis of the top five NFL matchups to watch in week three.

“ESPN Radio is presented by Progressive Insurance at Progressive.”

Top NFL Matchups for Week 3

38:44 to 42:00

Rich's analysis of the top five NFL matchups to watch in week three.

“Okay, we talked at length about the Thursday night football game.”

Analyzing Chargers vs. Broncos Matchup

42:00 to 45:14

A breakdown of the upcoming Chargers vs. Broncos game and its implications.

“It's a Sunday in Los Angeles, and Jim Harbaugh is bringing his Chargers home 2-0.”

Top 5 NFL Week 3 Matchups

45:14 to 46:15

Rich shares his top five matchups for NFL Week 3 and their significance.

“I've toyed with 2-0 San Francisco versus 2-0 Arizona.”

Upcoming Games and Predictions

46:15 to 47:00

Discussion on various upcoming NFL games and personal predictions.

“These are a lot of games that I have no idea.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:00At the Home Depot, get up to 15 % off all installed carpet projects for a limited time. Featuring brands like LifeProof, LifeProof with PetProof Technology, Home Decorators Collection, and Traffic Master. Take your pick of carpet built for real life and designed for real comfort. Plus, with installations starting as low as 49 cents per square foot and a free measure to get you started, we'll handle the hard parts for you. Offer valid July 16th, 2026 through August 2nd, 2026. Exclusions apply. For licenses, see homedepot.com slash license numbers. This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome.

0:33You 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. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern.

1:09Miss 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. Yeah, I'm going to call it. I'm going to retire. This is The Rich Eisen Show. Our expectation was to come in here and win the game. Picked off by Terrell Bernard! Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Earlier on the show, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero. ESPN NFL analyst Marcus Spears. Coming up, your phone calls, latest news, and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen.

1:55Rich Eisen:It's our final hour of the work week, everybody. We already had our first two hours of the show with Tom Pellicero sitting in a parking lot in Minneapolis, creeping people out, dispensing information, maybe not in that order. And Marcus Spears of ESPN joining us to break down what we saw on Thursday night, as well as preview the rest of the weekend. If you missed our first two hours, many different ways to catch us on demand And by clicking the full three-hour re-air, the tile that represents that on our Disney Plus page, there's also the ability to check us out through our podcast, all three hours, available that way.

2:36Rich Eisen:And also, there's our YouTube channel, youtube.com slash RichEisenShow. And we're thrilled to be here on Disney Plus and ESPN, as well as ESPN Radio, presented by Progressive Insurance. This hour is all about us. 844-204-RICH, number to dial. What's more likely Friday? We have yet to play that. We're about to shortly, but let's take some phone calls, shall we? Who's been waiting the longest? Let's go Gabe in El Paso, Texas. What's up, Gabe? Gabe. Hey, Rich. What's going on? Thanks for hanging in there, brother. What's going on? Yes, sir. And shout out to the fellas. What's going on, Gabe? Hey, what up, Gabe?

3:10It's cracking. Look at Gabe feeding the animals. Yes, yes. Hey, glad that you took my call. I'm glad that I could say I'm making my Disney Plus debut here. Hey. Look at you. Look at you, Gabe. What's going on? Usually when I call in, I talk about the Packers, but everything's good in the hood enjoying Macca. Macca. Hold on, give Gabe his drop. Macca. There we go. Macca. Well, I'll get to it right now, Rich, because just like you, I too am a lead pipe wheeling professional. Dave is a fan. Dave, you're on it. Dave is on it. After watching last night's game between the Dolphins and the Bills, I know the Dolphins hung in there tough.

3:57I'm going to say that this is my prediction. Okay. The next two weeks, I mean, a lot can happen between the Jets and the Panthers, but if the Dolphins become 0-5, more than likely, there's probably going to be an interim coach by the time the team meets up to play your buddy Coach Harbaugh and the Chargers?

4:18Rich Eisen:I can't. Let's put it this way. If this is an overreaction, I can't call that an overreaction. I mean, 0-5 is brutal. And then you take a look at who they would have lost to. Certainly that Monday night is at home. So if they lose that one in front of the fans that are there, Again, that's the sort of stuff that moves ownership to take rash decisions and make them reality. And thanks for the call, Gabe. Thanks for your clear fandom of this program by dropping many of our frequent phrases around here while asking for a drop from Jason Feller. And we go back to the phone lines here. Ben in Austin, Texas, we'll take your phone call.

5:07What's up, Ben? well i've got wings on the mind thanks to tom palisaro i really think we need to talk about former heisman candidate arch manning oh boy oh wow everybody seems to have an opinion on what's going on with our quarterback right now you know is it mechanical it's mental it could be the scheme maybe the coaching but here's the rub like arch isn't some redshirt freshman this is his third year in the system he has the biggest or probably the best support structure of possibly any quarterback in collegiate history and he showed last year that he has the tools to be successful So there really should be no excuse for what we're seeing on the field, which works a lot like the worst quarterback in the SEC.

5:43And I'm just curious as you're talking about it. There are a lot of folks here in this town that just don't see Arch finishing the season. Oh, that's crazy. Unless things improve significantly starting tomorrow.

5:52Rich Eisen:That's ridiculous. I mean, honestly, first of all, with all due respect, and as you know, if you're a fan of this program, that allows me to be as disrespectful as possible. Sam Houston's coming to town. so we're looking at we're looking at the game in Gainesville on October 4th that's that's the one get their 40 point favorites okay and then there's the one in the cotton ball okay the old Red River rivalry and Oklahoma I can personally attest as a Michigan fan is not at all like the previous iterations of Oklahoma football in recent years so that's the one I mean if if the kid uh Mateer who they get from bringing everybody from the northwest part of our country to come to the heartland to turn Oklahoma's offense around.

6:43Rich Eisen:If he's the one that's going to start outplaying Arch Manning, even though he has a hell of a lot more experience in his own offense, potentially, as well as overall, those are the two weeks. And then let's put a pin in that, Ben, and then we can pull it out at that point in time, that pin, and have the conversation. But Arch has got another week where he can basically have a nice 11-on-11, and we'll see what happens. But not finishing the season, that would be crazy talk. Thanks for the call, Ben. I hope that's the case, and hopefully we can show out of Dallas. Okay, you got it. There you have it.

7:26Rich Eisen:That's the weeks. And by the way, visiting Lexington, Kentucky, No simple matter either. They got to go to Starkville to take on Mississippi State. I mean, there's going to be some tough ones coming down the road. I mean, it's the SEC. So it just means more there. Corey in New York State. A New York state of mind, if you will. Some folks like to get away and take a holiday from the neighborhood. Hop a flight to my... What's up, Corey? What's going on? No, I'm going to stop. What's up, Corey? Hi, guys. a first-time caller hey what's up i'm a local uh family dairy farmer so i love listening to sports while i work excellent very good um okay um what what what do you hold on a second cory i am i'm from michigan fan should we be worried for about what uh nebraska oh yeah oh yeah dylan raiola baby Yeah, they should be worried.

8:26Baby Mahomes. Absolutely. You know Matt Rule wants to put a maize and blue pelt on the wall. That, you know, he's got Baby Mahomes and we've got, you know, what would you say? Is he Baby Newton? Is that what he is? Baby Milton? Baby, no. No, no, no. He's not Baby Milton. Michigan already had Joe Milton. That didn't work out, sir. If he's Baby Milton, we've got a massive problem. Baby Newton, as in Cameron. Oh, interesting. That's where I'm going, sir. Yeah, no, not Milton. Newton. Big difference. Yeah, they should be worried.

9:01Rich Eisen:You know, the head coach has got his last game of a sit-down,

9:07Rich Eisen:and they better move Underwood. They've got to move him. They've got to let him run, and they've got to move the pocket because he can throw on the run. You've got to put the pressure on the defense. That they have to do. But they should absolutely be worried. you know, the bussing with the boys trophy better go to Ann Arbor. So I don't want to hear it from Compton at all. That guy, I don't want to hear a word from this weekend. I just want to see. Oh, yeah, bussing ball. I want to see all the memes. I want to see him just sitting there eating nothing but, you know, words I can't say on Disney+.

9:41That's what I want him to do. But thanks for the call. Corey in New York, everybody up there. Before I let you go, Corey, you there still? Oh, there he goes. Okay, there he goes. There he goes. I wanted to know what goes on in a New York dairy farm. I was about to interview him. Churn and butter, everybody. I got one more phone call. Well, you know what? Actually, if you want to hold, stay on hold. We've got what's more likely to get to.

10:05Rich Eisen:You ready to do it? Let's go. It's a Friday. It's time for what's more likely Friday. Hit it. Hit it. What? What's more likely? Never say never, but never. Here we go. What you got over there, Christopher? Hey, what's up, everybody? Happy Friday. What's going on? Hey, these two teams played last night. Is it more likely the Bills finished with the NFL's best record or the Dolphins finished with the league's worst? Okay. I think it's more likely that the Bills...

10:38Nobody circles the wagons like Chris Brockman in what's more likely. Oh, gosh.

10:46Rich Eisen:I'll go Bills finished with the NFL's best record. I'm going to go... You know how I like to go. I know you're a basketball guy. The fault is to see a sunny sky. But the Dolphins look like a team picking in the top five. Not last night, with the exception of two plays that I know are hallmarks of bad teams. To have those moments crop at the worst times. I'll go Bill's finish with the NFL's best record, because I pointed out in our number one, we'll revisit here, is that they're 3-0, that helps. The other teams in their division, they should sweep the AFC East. The Chargers might have trouble sweeping the AFC West, and we may even find that out two days from this recording as the Broncos stroll into SoFi.

11:32Rich Eisen:And the other two N.O. teams in their conference have Daniel Jones and currently Jake Browning as their quarterback, so for them to have a better record. And then the Ravens need to be one better than the Bills. Obviously, you've got the Eagles and the Bucs in the NFC right now. I think the Bills have an opportunity to have the best record in the NFL this year. Yes, sir. I think you're right. Okay. Thank you. A very rare agreement from that side of the aisle. It happens. Very rarely. Guys, how about this? A bipartisan, what's more likely moment. More likely. That's weird. I'm keeping my mouth shut.

12:15More likely, team that were surprised at their start to make the playoffs. Give me that again. Team that were surprised at their start to the year to make the playoffs. Cults or? The 0-2 Chiefs or the 2-0 Cults.

12:32Rich Eisen:Okay. Dude. First of all, both. Secondly, I know that. Try again. I'm taking the Chiefs. Oh, shocking. Okay. Well, that's what you're trying to pin me in to do. I'm taking the choose. I want you to believe in Danny Diamond. I do. I do. But if at the end of the day, I'm sitting here and wondering which one is going to potentially go in the other direction from their surprising start, I will choose Mahomes and Reed and Kelsey and Chris Jones and everybody over Daniel Jones. I'm going to ask this question every week. Sounds great. everybody make a note BJ Novak GIF just write it down okay I'll take the Chiefs alright alright you're gonna do some math on this one you didn't like that but I've done it for you we're no longer bipartisan I did not like it more likely to be the bigger number Sunday Sunday Saquon's rushing yards against the Rams or Cal Raleigh Shohei Ohtani Aaron Judge combined home run season total on that day I've done the math for you.

13:39They currently have 155. Hmm.

13:45Rich Eisen:And there could be more between now and then. Yeah, they could get to maybe 160. But, you know, Saquon, as you pointed out yesterday, has shredded the Rams. I did, but that was in a segment where I went higher register. I think the Rams are going to take care of Saquon this time. Yeah. I think they're going to actually hold him to less than that. That's an interesting question, man. I mean, I'll go the trio of baseball guys. Okay. I'm going to back my higher register play. I think the Rams are like anybody but 2-6. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody but 26. Yeah. That's not like not today. And I know they were going to say that in the playoffs last year.

14:25Rich Eisen:Yeah. But not today. Okay. Yeah. And I'll go with Shohei and Judge and the Dumper. Dumper's got 56, by the way. I know. And Shohei's got 50. 51. Hit another one last night. of them last night. I missed that one. Okay. What else you got, Chris? The backup quarterback bowl, baby. More likely to throw for 250 and multiple tutties or a win. Jake Browning and Carson Wentz. You know what I'm going to say here. It's going to start Sunday. Carson Wentz, baby. How about when we had Marcus Spears on? He caught wind of what I was saying here about Jake Browning. It was a topic bar. Was that a topic bar on both morning shows on ESPN?

15:05It was a video. It was everywhere. Was it every morning show on ESPN?

15:08Rich Eisen:They were talking about it. Okay. All right. So what I say, people are listening over there in Bristol, Connecticut, and New York City. We've reached Bristol aggregation status. B-A-S. Okay. Good to know. Oh, come on now, man. Get out of here with this noise. Jake Browning, baby. And it's going to start this weekend. And the Bengals are going to be 3-0. And everybody in Bristol is going to try. Bengals 3-0. I'm available for being booked. Can I take a Monday morning victory lap when Jake Browning shreds it? As long as you're prepared to take the opposite. Because, again, I'm trying to recall, is that what you're supposed to do?

15:46Rich Eisen:You're supposed to say something that provides topic bar and split screen fodder combination conversation. And then you're right. You immediately victory lap it and forget. And then if it does. What? I never said that. I forgot how it works. It's been 22 years. Guys, grew up a Viking fan. Come on now. Respect. What the hell does that matter? Starting for the team you grew up a fan of? That's cool. That'd be like you starting for, you know, the Yankees. Yeah. Oh, yeah. That would go well. The Jets. You could be a DH. Okay. I'm not saying you should be a DT. I'd be a DT, a designated talker. All right.

16:23What else, Chris? All right. Speaking of the Jets. 0-2 team more likely to score an upset road win. Saints or Jets? I'll take the Jets. I don't know, man.

16:34Rich Eisen:And Terod? Can I give you a new higher register? Sure. Offense might look pretty good with Terod Taylor. Uh-oh. You know, I mean, Terod Taylor can see defense is probably better than Justin Fields. I know he doesn't run like Justin Fields. He doesn't bring that to his game. But I don't know. Terod Taylor might actually do well in this offense. And they could go down to Tampa and go get, you know, their old coach. Todd Ball's revenge game. I don't know. I kind of can see that yeah the Saints we don't talk enough about Todd Ball Saints going to Seattle might be particularly troubling. No that's my survivor pick fingers crossed.

17:13Oh is that what it is? Yeah. Saints going to Seattle is that famous Sean Payton moment where we ran the wrong B-roll and he was in his hotel room in Seattle for a playoff game thinking he missed a bus when he saw Drew Brees on the field. Bucks in the Creamsicles this weekend. Okay. Dropped his waffles. Oh gotcha. But I'll go Jets. Yeah. What else? These two guys are the best running backs in football. Which one more likely to have more total yards and touchdowns this weekend? Christian McCaffrey, B. John Robinson.

17:47Rich Eisen:Atlanta and Carolina. McCaffrey, total yards and touchdowns. I'll go McCaffrey. I'll go McCaffrey. You know, that's a short week for Atlanta. McCaffrey's at home. Sneaky 2-0, 2-0 game. I know. Arizona. I'm aware of that. I'll go McCaffrey. Yeah. He looks good so far. Yeah. Plus, Bijan's not playing against me in fantasy, so he's probably not going to have a great week. Are you playing against McCaffrey? That's one way. I'm not playing against him. I don't know why I made it about myself, but I do know the name of the show. What else you got? All right, a couple more. These two guys have been absolutely spinning it through the first two weeks.

18:28Yes, okay. More likely MVP candidate QB to have more 30-plus yard completions to air it out. Jordan Love, Justin, Herbert.

18:38Rich Eisen:I'll take Herbert. I'll take Herbert. Herbert Quinton Johnston has something going on. Danny Diamonds did well against that Broncos defense. I'm telling you, man. I mean, the Browns defense played two bad quarters this year. That's it. What, seven total yards for Burrow in week? second half in week one. Only lost that game because they're a kicker. I'm going to go. By the way, you missed it. Both are number 10. Both were 10. 10 is the new 12, I've noticed. Is that right? You're just saying that because Mac Jones is 10. Drake May is 10. Oh, that's why. I meant that quarterback in New England. My bad.

19:22Wow. Jimmy G wears 10. Herbert is my answer, sir. He's home. Broncos are on the road again. Yeah, man.

19:34Rich Eisen:I'll go with that one. I'll go with that one. All right. More likely rookie running back to finally have their breakout game. Ashton Gentry or? Travion Henderson. By the way, you're forgetting about Omarion Hampton, too. He hasn't really gone off yet either. I know, but I already did a charger one, so I was trying to. Dude, I'm going to go Ashton Gentry because he's the starter, and Ramondre is standing in the way here. Ramondre looked good last week. Yeah. Ramondre's standing in the way. But Mike Vrabel admitted that big catch that he had was originally supposed to be for Trevion, but he had three holding penalties, got kind of bent.

20:06Well, that's the whole point.

20:07Rich Eisen:It's like, you know, playing running back in this league is not easy. And you're learning. You're learning about matchups. You're learning about pass pro. You're learning about two-minute. You're learning about a lot of stuff. It's more than just like, okay, see ball, run ball. But I'll go Gentry. He's going to have more opportunity. Yeah, I think you're right. What else? You have one more. I did not know this. That's my boy. One more. Holy smokes. Huge game Sunday night. He had no idea. In the Meadowlands. Such a shock. Must win for KC. More likely to be the larger number, TJ. Touchdowns in Cowboys Bears or Travis Kelsey catches against the Giants.

20:49Kelsey has six catches on the year. I see the touchdowns. You do? I think it's going to be. You think so? high scoring, uh, poorest defensive fair. So big total in Chicago.

Read the full transcript

21:03Rich Eisen:Okay. Just for fun. Okay. I'm going to go with Mr. Perfectly fine. That's a Taylor Swift. Okay. Oh my God. I did not. I did not. You're not going to know the names of Taylor Swift songs. Why? I knew so. She's incredibly popular. Why would we? Apparently there's some movie that she might be putting in theaters in conjunction with her new album. And I know I'm going to be hearing about that when I get home. You're going to be forced to go. I don't know about that. By the way, excuse me. I will not be forced to go. I will go willingly and gladly. Blink twice if you're being held hostage. I am not being held hostage.

21:37Rich Eisen:I blinked once. How dare you? Your eyes are closed. Carp all you want, man. There's a reason why she's insanely popular, because she's a dynamic talent, sir. And I'm going to take Travis Kelsey here in this one. Okay. Just for fun. Are you doing that just because you want an invite to the way? No. Dude, if Santino's not going, I'm not in the mix. That's true. But Santino don't got his name on a cup either, you know. Oh, that's right. That's true. As a matter of fact, he took a cup with my name on it. Yeah. How about that? Okay. Okay. Good. What's more likely, sir? Have a great weekend. Have a great football center.

22:14Okay.

22:14Rich Eisen:We'll take a break. If you're on hold, stay on hold. We've got tons of time for your phone calls, plus my top five rest of week three games I'm looking forward to seeing the most. There's one that's not on there that I'm wondering if I should make a late ad. It's coming up.

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25:04Rich Eisen:We'll go back to the phone lines. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. David in Riverside, California, as we're here locally here in Los Angeles on ESPN 710. What's up, David? Hey, Rich. You're the best and hope to see you anchoring another sports center soon. That was great. I appreciate that. A little baseball talk. So everyone's talking about how Clayton Kershaw, he's not going to be starting in the postseason. And on one side, I get the Dodgers have had really bad relieving, to say the least. And he could be put in there or could even do what Walker Buehler did if the Dodgers can clinch and could save for the Dodgers.

25:49But I think it'd be a huge advantage to have a five-man rotation and get you guys some extra rest. I don't know why that's not even being talked about because Kershaw is still playing at all-star level. Well, first of all, tonight is his final start in the regular season in Dodger Stadium. And that's going to be a memorable night, right? And as a matter of fact, Cooper and I are in a fantasy final in an ESPN public league that I don't know if people know that we're in it. We picked up Clayton Kershaw for tonight because I just think he's going to have a big night tonight. Oh, cool. Against the Giants?

26:28You know what I mean? He's been good. I know. Kind of surprising. But David, let me ask you this question. Do you want Otani in the pen or you want him starting in the playoffs? What do you want? So I want Otani starting, and that's part of my argument. No other team is doing a five-man rotation. Why not give your guys even extra reps? Because it's the playoffs, man. You don't need a five-man rotation in the playoffs. You just don't. You just don't. I mean, again, but Dave Roberts has some very imaginative ways of looking at things. I can't imagine. Five-man rotation, you know, you need a starter, and your game one starter is going to be your game five starter, and your game two starter is going to be game six, and your game three is going to be game seven.

27:12And who do you trust? You know, who do you trust in those situations? I think, how about this? And thanks for the call, David. How about having Otani as a swing? How about that? You start Ohtani in one, and maybe you have him relieving. If there's a game seven, you have him relieving that one. Or even a bullpen game where he's got to pitch four bulk innings and maybe in the middle. In the middle. I don't know. You need – I mean, the Dodgers last couple – I mean, last night it worked out, right? Yeah. But the bullpen has been implosive. Not great, Bob. So wouldn't you want Otani? What if you bring an Otani like an old school Rivera?

27:56Like eighth? Yeah. Or even seventh. Bring him in the middle. Like if something's really hairy in the seventh. To finish it out? Yeah. Yeah. Why not? Yeah, he's, I mean, obviously. He's the ultimate X factor. Bingo. Absolutely. I know, but a five-man rotation. Wouldn't you have, by the way, Yamamoto is spicked. Amazing. He's a killer. Worth every penny. He is as on fire as any pitcher is in Major League Baseball right now. And so you have him, what, game one? You put Glass now game two. And then do you put Otani three? I don't know. It's still got Blake Snell lurking there. Yep. Wasn't he the one that the Rays pulled, much to the Dodgers' excitement one year in a World Series?

28:47Yeah. talking to Jem. And he gets yanked because of the notebook. I know. And then Mookie Betts is like, thank you. Appreciate it. Dude, one night last night, Freeman knocks in Otani and sends Betts to third. And I'm like watching nearly, what, a half a billion dollars run the base pass at once. You know what I mean? Freeman hits one up the middle, like probably exit velocity of about$1.50 it felt like. And there comes Otani home and Betts going around. That's a half a billion dollars right there. Eventually. In 30 years. My God. Doing this thing. Alright. Their arms and hot.

29:37Rich Eisen:Okay, very good. Wow, that Kyle McLaughlin dropped right there. Hey man, you know, the NL playoffs are going to be something. Phillies and and Milwaukee, and we'll see what the Cubs look like. Are you going to make it? Yeah, are you going to make it? I'm pretty sure. We're good. Okay. We're good. Yankees right now. We're heating up right now. Yankees are three behind the Blue Jays and three up on your Red Sox right now. Yeah, there's talk on the local fun radio in Boston. The local fun? What is it? Those yahoos. If Sox miss out, should Cora be fired? Please. On behalf of all Yankee fans, will you please do that again?

30:11No, I would not like to do that at all, actually.

30:13Rich Eisen:Oh, that would be great. In the same way all you guys want Aaron Boone to be manager for life. Hey, man, Aaron Boone is... Don't say he's doing what he's told. Excuse me. Yankees are playing really well. And it looked like they were dead in the water. Yeah, I know. Okay. And, you know, Volpe was... Terrible. Terrible. And they get Jose Caballero. Caballero. And as I, Cooper and I nicknamed him Joe Man or Joe Horse. Dad, Joe Horse is up. But it's like, even he, but he's now taking Spanish. He's like, dad, that's, what it's, what, Caballo? Isn't that what it is? All right. I should stop being hooked on phonics here.

31:02Caballero.

31:02Rich Eisen:Caballero. But he's been terrific and Yankees have been playing well, buddy. And I'm not going to higher register. I'll say these words out loud. We're not playing well. I'll say these words out loud. We're not playing well. I will say these words out loud. You know who's been unhittable lately? Devin Williams. Uh-oh. Oh, yeah. You better find some wood to knock on. Right there. That's my head. That's some good idea. That hurt. That was good. Let's go to Sam in San Antonio. What's up, Sam? What's up? Hey, Rich. I know you were watching the game last night, and it was higher register yesterday.

31:38I didn't catch Kirby's higher register last night on the broadcast. First of all, I did not.

31:44Rich Eisen:Secondly, you, Sam, must 100 % do it because you don't sound like you have a higher register voice at all. All right, Sam? So you must recreate it for me. What did he say and what were the circumstances, please? Okay, so basically he was talking about last week's game with the commanders and, you know, saying that it was, you know, closer than – the score was showing closer than what it felt like. Right. And then last night he was like, well, you know, the Bills are in control of the game.

32:24All right, Sam. Better than us, TJ. Well done, Sam.

32:29Rich Eisen:Way to get in the spirit of it right there, Sam. Well done. Not bad, Sam. Hey, Sam, how are you? You're pretty good at it, Sam. You should call back. All right, I think I will. That was delightful. That was... All right, I think I will. If this was another show, he would be wrecked. Wrecked him. And then tell us how great we are. Oh, my God. Line three intrigues me. Do we want to take line three? Do we want to take line three? Absolutely. I don't know why he wants to talk about this or why his... Double B in Michigan. You're on the Rich Eisen Show. What's going on, Double B? Hey there, guys. Okay, it's a man.

33:14That's good. I just wanted to give some advice. I'm doing a volunteer event in a dunk tank this weekend. Oh! This is a curveball for Rich Eisen Consulting. As it said, it was typed in differently. I need heckles. I need what's going to get me almost drowned, but I don't want them to find me in the parking lot later. So I can't cross that line, but just get close enough. So hold on a second. Are you sitting in the dunk tank? Good question. Excellent follow-up. Yeah, yeah. I'm going to be in the dunk tank riding high. Who are the ones who are attempting to dunk you in said tank, Double B? It's going to be this event called Bertucky Days out there where it's like a carnival fair type thing.

34:01No, no, no. I'm not asking. Listen, double B. It's Michigan. Double B. You've got your equal opportunity state. You've got to focus, double B.

34:09Rich Eisen:You've got to focus, focus, focus on me here, okay? We're trying to help. I don't care where, I don't care the surroundings. Who are the individuals attempting to dunk you? Who are they? Just random civilians? Random people. Yeah, random people, some friends, some family, mostly random. Okay, because it's crucial. If you are asking for smack talk to those who are throwing and you're not going to see them again, who cares? Say whatever you want. That's fair. I just wouldn't want you to go personal. We don't have any experience. Is there anybody in RAS Consulting who has dunk tank experience? I mean, I've been in one before and I've thrown at one before.

34:50If you've been in one, so have you? I mean, Sarah could give roasts to me. She would have to see the people before. That's true. It's hard to give general insults. I know. And I know a bunch of yo mama jokes. I don't know if that's appropriate for the dunk tank. But I could give them a ton of those. Rookie of the year, you know, you could just make fun of their arm or something. Yeah, pitcher's got a big butt. Stuff like that, yeah. But, you know, be careful, man. What are you wearing in the dunk tank, Double B? Great question. Well, you know, it is a family event, so I'm probably going to avoid the Speedo.

35:24So I'm thinking donut patterned onesie. Oh, like a singlet? Are you a wrestler? Can you wear a singlet or something? That's not bad. You know? Like old school? I haven't considered that, but that's a good idea. Double B, there you have it. You're welcome. Will you be consuming beverages while you sit on these? Oh, yeah. I thought that was implied.

35:51That was implied, Chris. Come on now.

35:55Rich Eisen:Hold on a minute. Wiedemanns? We doing that? What do we got? He's gone. All right. So, you know, you figure. I try to name a Midwestern beer. To tell him, like, you know, if someone's got their kid there. Oh, don't make fun of the children. No, no, no. I'm saying let your kid throw it. They got a better arm than you. Right, that type of stuff. Type insults. And then some little leaguer comes up and hits the bullseye, man. and suddenly you are wet. You think I was going to say make fun of the kid? You started with your mama. He's only jumping in front of a camera when his godson is on TV. Why would you ever do something silly with a child?

36:32He's not going to remember that. But I would. We haven't forgotten that. Let me jump in front of him. I'll do it again too. I'll do it again. Oh, my gosh. And, you know, Rich, that led to me going to Indianapolis this week. Very good. All right, we take a break. There it is right there. That's your godson who we have done our best to obscure his face. He doesn't really look like that. Obviously. Thank God. All right, let's take a break. I've got my top five games that I'm looking forward to seeing for the rest of the week, and maybe we sneak in another phone call or two. Hey, if you're going to a carnival, you know, let us know, and we'll help you out.

37:13not get beat up.

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37:59Rich Eisen: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. Next starts now. Hyundai, an official partner of FIFA. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. Back on The Rich Eisen Show. ESPN Radio is presented by Progressive Insurance at Progressive. They offer auto, home, and commercial auto insurance, plus a variety of business insurance options to cover your small business needs and more.

38:42Rich Eisen:Visit Progressive.com today. Okay, we talked at length about the Thursday night football game. It's now time to look over the steering wheel at the rest of week number three with my weekly Friday staple top five matchups I'm looking forward to seeing for the rest of the week. This is my week three such edition. Hit it. high five one two three four five riches top five all right here we go number five on the list once upon a time it was joe burrow versus jj mccarthy and you think that's no longer of interest you think i'm like the rest of nfl network that tells tom pelissero stay home we don't need you at the game we're not we're not looking at two and oh jake browning versus one and one carson Wentz, you can stay at home.

39:29Rich Eisen:You know what I say to that? Uh-uh. I'm going here. I'll be on NFL game day morning talking with Tom on his home camera, but I'm going with this to start the top five. Let's see what Carson Wentz can do. Can he keep this Viking ship afloat? And guess what? I want to see if Jake Browning's going to prove me right. The season is not over for the Cincinnati Bengals. one Eastern on CBS. Let's go. Can't wait to see that. Number four on the list is the one that TJ Jefferson is watching with the man who shall not be named in his barn. He's going to drive Mila's old car to her house. It's my car. I paid for it.

40:17Rich Eisen:It's still her old car. It's still her old car. It's still her old car. He's going to take that 90s car. It's 2 ,000, bro. And he's going to go and hang out with one of the two-and-a-half men and see if one-and-a-half teams are going to play each other very well. Which one's the half is the question. I don't know. Can the Cowboys go to Chicago and put the Bears in a deep 0-3? What's happening? I thought Ben Johnson was supposed to be the answer whole. or will Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams finally get rid of these pre-snap problems and post-snap one right off and where it doesn't shine on the Dallas Cowboys.

41:02Rich Eisen:And I'm kind of wondering at the end of the day if this will be another one where the Cowboys are missing one in particular. Macca. Because Dallas needs to win this one. Otherwise, they're going one and two into that Sunday night week four game against Macca. Oh, it's going to be on and cracking in that barn.

41:27Rich Eisen:Pass me some more of that crudite, will you, Ashton? Crudite? I don't know. What do they serve there?

41:38Rich Eisen:I'm wondering. What do you mean what do they serve there? What do they serve there? What do you get to eat while you're watching your team against 16? Let me tell you something. Mina can cook first and foremost. Okay. Very good. I imagine there'll be something fancy with the proceeds of that car. Look, we're not. Listen. All right. Number three on the list. It's going down here just up the road. The Chargers win on a Friday in Brazil. They win on a Monday in Vegas. It's a Sunday in Los Angeles, and Jim Harbaugh is bringing his Chargers home 2-0. They're number 10 against Denver's number 10. It's Bo Nix time on the road.

42:16Rich Eisen:What can the Denver Broncos do? Will they avoid the dreaded leverage penalty at the end? Will there be any leverage penalty? What is going to happen when the Chargers and Broncos play one another? Can the Chargers win this game and go 3-0 and have a win, all three of those wins, against their division rivals? What a way for the Chargers to start. Or can the Denver Broncos take that full-on bandwagon that was filling up during the summer and say, you were all right. We can actually be the team to win this division. Because guess what? If the Raiders lose in Washington and the Broncos beat the Chargers, doesn't matter what happens Sunday night, Denver would be in first place in this division through three weeks.

43:08Just like that. Or the Chargers could have a firm grasp in this division. 3-0, 1-1 up, or 2-1 up, or even 3-1 up on people. We shall see. Number two on the list, Lions and Ravens. The Lions 50-burgered Ben Johnson. And now they come for John Harbaugh and the Ravens. The last time they met was a couple of years ago. let's not forget the Lions had just beaten the Chiefs we were all like wait a minute the Lions are for real? and we thought they were for real they were winning games and then they go into Baltimore and Baltimore made them understand not there yet as we recall the carriage turned back into a pumpkin again last time they were there turned into a carriage again because they made the NFC championship game this is two years ago So Jared Goff says they remember.

44:13Yeah, they kicked our butt. They got after us early and often. And, yeah, we certainly remember that. 38-6 was the final score of that game. Maybe. So. That's why you said play him. What is going to happen on Monday Night Football? The Manning brothers are back on their simulcast. I will be sitting on the couch watching Lions and Ravens. Can't wait for that one. Number one, though. Can't wait. it's a rematch of the divisional playoff game. The only team to give the Eagles a scare in last year's playoffs were the Los Angeles Rams coming in with the city on fire, literally, and the ice taking place in Philadelphia with the snow.

44:54And even though Saquon was doing Saquon things, as he usually does to the Rams, over 200 yards of offense from him alone, the Rams had a chance to win it and almost pulled it off. I cannot wait for this 2-0 versus 2-0 game. That's the game I'm looking forward to seeing the most for the rest of week number three here on the Richland Hall. You have one more. I have one more. I've toyed with 2-0 San Francisco versus 2-0 Arizona. I toyed with some other games as well, but I'm going with this one, Christopher. One and one Pittsburgh. Go to Foxborough. One and one New England. Let's not forget, everybody thinks Mike Vrabel was a Patriot since the minute he left the Ohio State University.

45:35Not true. He was drafted by the Steelers. Vrabel revenge game. Not really. But I kind of dig this game a lot. Aaron Rodgers in New England. They did not look good against the Seattle Seahawks. And the Patriots coming off of a terrific game for them. In Miami, a terrific finish. And Drake May, maybe his best statistical game as a professional quarterback. Let's see what happens, right? Yeah, this is kind of like our segment earlier in the week. Are the Steelers the week one team? Or are the Patriots the week two team? Who are they?

46:05Rich Eisen:In week three, it all plays out on CBS. And that's my top five matchups with one more for week number three. That's a fun game. Okay. Fantastic. Who are you going to take in that one? I'm leaning towards the Steelers. You asked. All right. We're done talking. Okay. Okay. These are a lot of games that I have no idea. It's a tough week. It's a tough picks week. We have to figure out. So I'll be home watching my Sunday ticket, and you'll be watching your Sunday ticket. Doing the same. TJ will be landing and going straight to the barn. When do we get the barn in? Yeah, when do we get the barn? Probably never.

46:50Can't you just say, hey, I'm bringing a couple friends by? Probably never. No, no, no, no. Just the speck is real. Yeah, thank you. Okay. 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. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.

47:32From beyond the logo. Every did you see that moment? You bet. What records are going to be broken this season? All of it right here. Lock in. It's the WNBA on ESPN. All season long.

From the publisher

In ‘What’s More Likely’ Rich weighs in on the Packers, Chargers, Bills,
Dolphins, Chiefs, Colts, Rams-Eagles, Jake Browning vs Carson Wentz, the Jets, Saints, Cowboys-Bears, Travis Kelce, Chistian McCaffrery, Bijan Robinson, and more. 

Rich and the guys debate if the Dodgers should use Shohei Ohtani as a
starter or out of the bullpen in the playoffs, and Rich ranks NFL Week 3’s top matchups including Lions vs Ravens, Broncos vs Chargers, Bengals vs Vikings, Steelers vs Patriots, and others.
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