NFL Week 1: Bills' Comeback, Rodgers Revived, Russ Cooked, Who's AFC's Best & More

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0:30Rich Eisen:Well, hey, everybody. Welcome to this in-season edition, first of its kind in 2025 here in the National Football League world on Overreaction Monday. Rich Eisen and Chris Brockman coming to you from the Rich Eisen podcast set in our Los Angeles studios. So those who are listening to this pod, you can see it on our YouTube channel, youtube.com slash Rich Eisen show. For those who are seeing it, guess what? You can download it for your ear gate pleasure anytime you want, wherever you get your podcast. Thanks to our friends at the ESPN Podcast World and Pod Center. Good to see you over there, Christopher.

1:04Rich Eisen:How are you? Great to see you. How are you, my friend? I do not know in which hemisphere I reside. That's what I was going to say. I do not know. How are you hanging? I do not know. First time for me last week where the phrase below the equator wasn't a metaphor. You know, anytime who called me was hitting me below the equator while I was in Brazil. I mean, great job on the cast. Thank you, sir. You and Kurt. at the game. Obviously lived up the billing. A phenomenal contest with the Chargers pulling it out. Yeah, yeah. And obviously the whirlwind weekend that you've had, but an amazing week one.

1:37So let's get to it, man.

1:38Rich Eisen:Let's get to it. So much to discuss. Certainly coming off the Sunday Night Football. 81 points of Palooza extravaganza. What a massive way for the first Sunday of the NFL season 2025 to finish up. Hit it. That was terrible. That was crap. That was garbage. That's why it sucks. Over reaction. Mondays. Monday. All right, Christopher. Lay it on me. What do you got over there? Here's the paper. Let's get right to it. Obviously, we have to start. Can I guess with one thing that you're going to be asking me about? Oh, sure. If I can call one shot. I know you're going to start with the Sunday night game.

2:11Rich Eisen:Okay, yeah, yeah. So that one I'm sure we're starting with. Just put this down. When is Jackson's dart starting? Is that part of today's program? Okay, very good. All right, hit it. Figuratively, we've already hit the open. But go for it, Richard. Have to start with Sunday night. God, that was incredible. Allen versus Lamar. Unreal. Probably the best rivalry in the NFL right now. Oh, that's not your first item right there? That is not. No, I'm getting just right to Josh Allen. Josh Allen is QB1. He's going to repeat as MVP. And the Bills are the one seed in the AFC. I don't think that's an overreaction right now.

2:47Rich Eisen:I don't think that's an overreaction. What can he do? Because the Ravens came in on Sunday night and hit the Bills in the mouth. The Ravens have a better skilled roster. It's just that simple. I mean, I was sitting there. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Chris, Chris, Derek Henry is a first ballot Hall of Famer. I mean, I get it. And he is as good as ever. There wasn't a single ounce of a diminished return from this guy at age 31. Except when he fumbled and lost the game. I know that. But that just proves he's human. Yeah. Okay. Lamar Jackson, top of his game. He's now even Omaha-ing.

3:29Rich Eisen:Okay, he's audibling. I've never seen that from him. The number of times that Chris Collinsworth was pointing that out last night is noteworthy because he hadn't done that before. He's getting better as a quarterback and showed up in week one Sunday night as a better quarterback than the guy last year who had 41 touchdowns and four interceptions. And Zay Flowers is healthy. And he looked like a WR1. And then DeAndre Hopkins grabs one with one mitt. I mean. His first target winds up with a circus catch. That's the I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was. That's all that matters.

4:08Unbelievable catch. That's all you need. That's all you need.

4:10Rich Eisen:So the Ravens showed up in that manner last night. And I'm sitting there when the win probability for the Ravens last night was. Probably 99. Exactly. Right. And I'm thinking like, so what is my opinion of the Buffalo Bills going to be now that they are clearly not the number one team in the AFC? Oh, I mean, I had a whole Ravens topic that I deleted. The Ravens went from the best team in the NFL. Clear cut Super Bowl favorite. To a lot of question marks about them by the end of the game. And yes, there's 16. I know this sounds like an overreaction. There's 16 more games to go. They can wind up, you know, 16 and one.

4:50Rich Eisen:Yeah, exactly. And then we're not having this conversation. This sounds ridiculous. So they are still the same team, but it's still the same thing that happens in January. We're just like a fumble here. This thing happens there. Everything starts sliding against them and they can't stop the momentum against them. And suddenly they're sitting on the couch, watching the chiefs of the bills play for the AFC championship. They find really dumb ways to lose games. And this happened in September. And we're wondering out of the way now, I guess, but that's, that's the Ravens. Okay. but the Buffalo Bills doing what they did last night with the opportunities presented in front of them, a lesser quarterback would have just settled for a field goal or gone out on downs and four, four shots.

5:35Rich Eisen:You knew when, you knew when Henry fumbled the ball that Josh Allen would get the ball in the end zone. We didn't know that the way he would get it there would be with his third string tight end, who, who Tariqo even had to go down. who's the Rolls Royce here. He had to go down on his board, knowing his board. He had to go like, okay, oh, that's the third tight end. Whoa. It's not Kinkade. It's not Knox. Everybody on that roster, even though they're not, as I pointed out, maybe as talented as the Ravens, has to have their head on a swivel because Allen's going to find him. And then he's just unstoppable.

6:11Rich Eisen:Like I said years ago, he's like the Mandalorian quarterback. The play starts after he gets hit, just like Big Ben back in the day. But he's faster than Big Ben. He's more healthy. He's younger than Big Ben. He's unbelievable. So to sit here and say, this is an overreaction that he's going to repeat as the MVP. And the Bills, as the one seed, they're not only one leg up on the Ravens. They're one leg up on their entire division. Everybody else lost. Yep. Jets, Patriots, Dolphins, who looked brutal. We'll get to them. and they're a leg up on the Chiefs and are a leg up on the Texans. Who are the people that we think that have a chance to knock off the bills in Highmark, which kicked off its final season in such a way that you're thinking there's fairy dust in that place.

7:03Rich Eisen:Well, for the ones that stuck around and watched. Nice. Can't blame them. I almost went upstairs because, again, I don't know what hemisphere I'm in. I almost tapped out of that game myself, and I'm like, I'll find out in the morning what the final score is. And I'm like, no, just suck it up, Rich. And my whole family started watching. Unbelievable. You would have went to bed. Oh, my God. Dude, unbelievable. So I cannot sit here and say this is crazy, out of the realm. You're overreacting. The standings point out how big of a win that was for the Bills. Just one week in, tiebreak-wise. Okay. And then, you know, you got to sit here and wonder if the other Harbaugh might be the one to stop the Bills because of the way they looked on Friday night.

7:44Rich Eisen:At one point, both Harbaugh's had the best-looking team, special teams, offense, defense, and they may still, by the end of the day, there may be a Harbaugh for the AFC championship game at the end of the day. That'd be fun. But after what I saw last night, this is not an overreaction. You're one for one. What else? This game was so good, I got to do another topic about it because it was incredible. All right. Bills-Ravens is already the game of the year. Lock it up right now. I don't care that there are 17 more weeks. And that was the AFC championship game preview. I can't sit there and say this is an AFC championship game preview.

8:21Rich Eisen:Those are the two best teams. Those are the two best teams. The Chargers looked amazing. I saw them with my own two eyes. Yeah, but the Chargers can't put up 40 like that, can they? Bro. Justin Herbert had 300 yards passing in three touchdowns. Let me say this stat because it's right here in front of me. Perfectly timed. We'll get to the Chargers. That's all right, but Justin Herbert joins Tom Brady and Drew Brees as the only quarterbacks with 300 or more passing yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions in an international game. Oh, international. Correct. Brees, Brady, Herbert. So I can't sit here and say the Los Angeles Chargers, after what I saw with my own two eyes, can't make the AFC Championship game.

9:04Rich Eisen:So can I say by half? Sure. Because, again, what other game is going to feature 81 points, a 15-point deficit comeback in the fourth quarter with everything crazy. The last two MVPs. The fumble, the last two MVPs that fumbled by Derrick Henry, but an incredible game from him where he looked like Lightning McQueen again just going whoosh. He looked unreal. He's unreal, and everybody else was looking terrific as well. I know defenses aren't very happy with giving up 240 burgers. Come on, you're not going to stop those guys. But the first 40 burgers of the season are in the same game. Yeah. Right?

9:41Rich Eisen:The whole country's watching. Standalone game. A wild sequence at the end of the first half where another fire drill field goal happens. The ref is like, Ravens come back on the field. Right, right. The Ravens are like, we're in the locker room. And then you did take a look at the replay. And it was right to put one second back on the clock. A little home cooking, maybe. I don't know. I mean, it was in. It was close. And then Matt Prater ended both halves. And he was at home on Thursday. He took a red eye. He's a Buffalo. Kickers don't get private jets. Is that what it is? No PJs for the kicker?

10:15Rich Eisen:No PJs for MP. That 440, he had to fold his 41-year-old bones into, did he at least fly him first? Hopefully. Did he at least fly him first? Hopefully he was in first. So, yeah. How are we going to see a crazier game than that the rest of the year? I mean, it's on the board. That's a clubhouse leader. would you have went for it if you're the Ravens fourth and three near midfield? No, I know. I don't know. A lot of second guessing on John Harbaugh today about that. Bro. Second guessing. He also said that Lamar was cramping. Cramping? Yeah, that's what he said. It's not like it was 80 degrees in Buffalo last night.

10:54It's the first game of the year.

10:56Rich Eisen:That was incredible. I can't blame anybody second guessing this second guessing. That Martin Scorsese, Jeff, of like cinema. Unreal. Unreal. real so this is i guess you're half half right half right all right well i know i'm gonna be right on this one rich and don't sleep on the chiefs pulling it together pal they look pretty bad they didn't look bad they didn't look pretty bad you saw it i can you want me to get into it i don't i don't we're gonna get to the chargers later but i'll hit the chiefs right now for you you want i don't have a chiefs topic okay so let me hit it right now since you just brought it up All right, all right.

11:33Dude, they can't stop anybody.

11:35Rich Eisen:Their best laid plan was blown up three snaps into the game when Travis Kelsey and Xavier Worthy collide. That has nothing to do with the defense. But the defense was doing its job for much of the night until Chris Jones. I mean, everything was going badly for the Chiefs. You just told me how Herbert was unstoppable. I know that. He was. But the Chiefs defense was, come on. The Chiefs defense. Not like we've seen in the last few years during this run. The Chiefs defense was out of sync and they were not on the same page. And that's where I'm, I would be calling the Chiefs out. I mean, Chris Jones making that inside move drew tranquil and right in his grill.

12:15Rich Eisen:Good for him. And, and, and they were yelling at each other. And I'm going to talk about that on, on the, on the, on the flagship, the flagship show later on. Yeah. But that sort of stuff you can, you can iron that stuff out. What you can iron out is a dislocated shoulder on the guy that you're expecting to take the top of the defense off against the Chargers. And then suddenly that guy's out and where she rice is not coming back. He's not walking through that door for another month and a half. Yeah. That's how Hollywood Brown wound up with 10 targets or 10 catches and all those targets. They might have to make some calls to Miami.

12:44Rich Eisen:They might get Tyree kill back. That I don't think is ever going to happen on this earth. I mean, I don't know. Put things aside, man. You got to win football games. You got to stretch the field. All we heard off season was how the chiefs are going to push it downfield. The two people that were, I get it. But if Xavier Worthy is out for the season, you know, look, look bad. You're the trainer. There was a shot of him on the sideline saying it's bad. I know. Well, I mean, it's dislocated. And so they're hoping he can play in a harness. If he needs surgery, then we'll talk about it. What are you going to call Odell and get him out of it?

13:13Like he was there in Brazil. You got it. He's literally right there. I don't know.

13:15Rich Eisen:I don't know if that's the answer, but all I'm saying is it's just one week. Don't sleep on the chiefs is all I'm saying. And I'm not just saying that to back up my play that it didn't look good. I'm not going to lie, but my homes looked incredible. He looked just like the MVP Pat. That's what he looked like. He was unreal. That fourth down throw. The game is on the line. Hollywood Brown's wide open. How's he wide open? Because I don't think anybody thought Mahomes was going to be able to throw it there. Because Khalil Mack, they all laid him right to the backfield. And then he juked out. Khalil Mack to get in the end zone with his legs.

13:51It was a great play. And Kelsey scored a touchdown. Yeah, but he looked pretty washed most of that game.

13:56Rich Eisen:I am not going to call that man washed at all. What was the one over the middle where he could have a touchdown and he just kind of stopped? That one, again, I'm going to chalk that up to week one. There are fixable things. What's not fixable maybe is that Xavier-worthy shoulder. That's what I'm concerned about with where she rides out for another month and a half. As you know, managing maintenance, repair, and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Granger has your back. From professional-grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly.

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15:07The thing about Facebook, you might find more than what you're looking for. From a browse to a bike ride, this summer, find more on Facebook. What else you got? Moving on. You guys laughed at me when I said the Chiefs could start one in five. What else you got? rich speaking of rough starts the russell wilson era is over man it's time to start jackson dart in new york i have been saying this for weeks i've been saying this for weeks that when you

15:35Rich Eisen:look at the giants first month and a half to two months of their schedule and how incredibly difficult it is and filled with landmines for rookies to get sucked into and then spat out when you look at that schedule if you can pop it up uh mr hoskins and don and if you if you uh have the ability not knowing that i was going to ask for it and there it is at dallas versus kansas city in the charges okay geez at new orleans which you're thinking there might be a soft part in the schedule potentially home for philadelphia at denver at philadelphia home for san francisco at Chicago home for Green Bay, which looked like the best defense in the NFL against the Lions, who then shows up with a home game for the Lions and week 12 Giants at Detroit.

16:25Rich Eisen:I'm sitting there thinking you can't put the rookie in there. You cannot put the rookie in there. I've been saying that for a month and a half. And now I am saying, put the room in there. My man, I'm literally sitting. I have, I watched it. You have to now. Now, the only thing I'm going to say here is the next game on the road in Dallas. Do I think that's the moment? Do I think that's the moment to see? Let's see if Russ gets one more game. Hold on a second to figure it out. Then you're going to have Jackson Dart start his first game at home against the defending AFC champion Chiefs on a short week, short in quotes.

17:05Rich Eisen:I mean, it's not that short. I mean, you're Thursday night. Oh, that's a Thursday night game, right? Yeah. Then that's not it either. So you just do it now. Rip the bandaid off. That may be the case. You can't have the league neighbors. That may be the case. Now that's. Yelling at the head coach. Now that's what I'm saying. And then the awkward high five. He just doesn't. And then Dable's left like, eh, see. Dable has got to take the pulse. Is the locker room already sick and tired of what happened? And don't blame it on Russ in the fact that they're sick and tired of it. It's not like they're sick and tired of Russ.

17:41Rich Eisen:They're just sick and tired of the result, sick and tired of the misfirings on offense. And like they saw what the kid did. They believe in the kid. They love the kid. The kid can give him a jolt. And if Dayball takes the pulse to the locker room and says, if I run Russ out there one more time and the same thing happens in Dallas, I'm going to have a palace coup on my hands. And he's got to make that decision. and if there's anybody who's smart enough to read the room it's got to be this guy i mean he's not he's no dumb ass okay so yeah man i i seems like it's time and he didn't rule it out he didn't rule it out well i mean he didn't he went out of his way to say that the loss wasn't on russ like come on what you're gonna watch the tape and realize that like he wasn't doing anything to help you win well i mean the running game wasn't wasn't doing jack but he didn't rule out not pulling the trigger on dart so we'll see i'll be honest with you man it's gotta be the rookies can give them a nice breath of fresh air, including Scadaboo, who I would love for him to start seeing what he hits.

18:38Rich Eisen:He kept on lowering his helmet way too much for my liking. His first play was just boom, boom, boom, boom. Dude, dude. Pinball. So, I get it. I hear you. And I have now come around. I just don't know when the right time is for that. I don't think there is one, which is why you just gotta do it. What's next? Man, speaking of coming around, I've been dogging this guy and this team all summer. Rightfully so, I think, in my opinion. and this was just one game, but it does seem like Aaron Rodgers has hit the fountain of youth, Rich. He's going to mirror that 2021 MVP season. 4 ,035 tutties incoming.

19:16Rodgers is back.

19:17Rich Eisen:No, no, no, no, no, no. We just got to get him a little bit more of a running game. He just did what he needed to do to win. That's for sure. I don't think that's the way the Steelers want to play. I just don't. And defensively, that's for sure. That's not the way they want to play and if they couldn't stop justin fields and garrett wilson and and the rest of that offense and breeze hall well i mean with all listen with all due respect you know there's lamar derrick henry and zay flowers twice and burrow and chase well i'm just pointing i'm pointing out about a dual threat quarterback that justin fields was right okay that's i'm just saying in their own division, there's somebody a little bit more decorated than Justin Fields.

20:01Rich Eisen:And, you know, Garrett Wilson, you can make an argument, it's definitely more decorated and better than Zay Flowers. Yeah, for sure. But Derrick Henry, I mean, if you can't stop, if you have trouble with Brees Hall, Justin Fields, what's going to happen when you take on Lamar and Derrick Henry? So they're going to want to keep those guys off the field. They're going to need to get that run game going. That's important. I don't think they want to win the way they won with the Jets. at the Jets. But in terms of Rodgers, but it's good to know that they can do it. It's his first four touchdown games since his last MVP season in his second to last year in Green Bay.

20:35Rich Eisen:He didn't do it in his last year in Green Bay. And of course he didn't do it in his first year at the Jets. And he didn't do it last year either for touchdowns and taking advantage of every opportunity that was in front of him. He was terrific and deserved to do what you saw on the screen right there, which is like ask the Jets fans to scream louder at him like it was his friggin fault. I mean, come on, man. A little self-awareness. Giving it to him in the postgame, though, too, you know, saying how he was happy to meet everyone in that organization. Again, I mean, we don't know. Everyone assumes he and Sala were getting along and they were gear grinding.