NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Jets / Browns Recap with Rich Eisen; Changing of the Guards in the NFL

Episode Date: September 18, 2019

A room filled with heroes - Dan Hanzus, Chris Wesseling, Marc Sessler and Gregg Rosenthal sit down with Rich Eisen to recap a painful MNF game for the Jets and what it means for the organization. The Browns may have won but they still have some needs to address. Drew Brees is out with a thumb injury (32:00), Steelers get Minkah for a 2020 first-round pick (45:00), Jalen Ramsey wants out of Jacksonville (61:00) and Daniel Jones is named the starting quarterback for the New York Giants. (70:00) The heroes do a quick preview of the TNF matchup between the Titans and Jags to close the show.Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comNFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. The Around the NFL podcast arrives to work every day in a brinkstruck. Welcome to another edition of the Around the NFL podcast. My name is Dan Hansis. I'm joining a room that is just overflowing with heroes. Mark Sessler, Chris Wessling, and Greg Rosenthal.

What is up, boys? Hey, Dan. Come on. You're missing someone here. Some people get their own introduction. Okay. I don't know if you like this nickname, but it's the one that I've heard since I've been at this company.

Okay. The face. I've never heard that before. I saw you tweeted that out before. I've never heard it. The face of NFL Network. It's me. Rich Eisen.

Back. Thank you. in the studio that you built by hand you know what i i'm looking around this studio this this room uh looks absolutely nothing like not at all i used to do with the podcast and never could i have imagined there'd be lights there's actual cameras um you know what it was was just a table and um crap against the wall that was it now this is like a legit room this is pretty cool how do you feel about Damasek officially titling this studio, Studio 66.

You know what? Damashek was the one who put the crap against the wall. There was like this big Troy Polamalu like fathead cutout that I remember up against the wall. But you got this built up here. I mean, let's be real. Damashek's not getting a podcast studio built. I understand. Let's be real.

Let's be real. I got nothing built here. What it was was me trying to figure out what else I can do other than NFL total access around these parts and just do some other things outside of just the same show I would do every day.

And I decided to ask in my contract renegotiation the ability to do a podcast, Steve Bornstein, who was in charge of this place back then. That was about 47 bosses ago. It was about, yeah, probably so. You know, I've known Steve forever. he was the one who hired me at ESPN.

Well, he had people to hire me at ESPN, but he was the one who actually hired me for the NFL network. He asked how much it would cost. I told him hardly anything. And he's like, why are you even asking me? Like, we don't even have put it in a contract. Just do whatever you want. And I'm like, okay.

So I did that. And then a lot of people around here would do the usual, which is like, what do you mean you're doing? What are you doing? How do we, how do it? There is no concept of figuring out what it would look like or sound like or support it. In any way, I just kept on chugging like the little engine that could, doing my own thing.

Eventually, the lockout was coming. And then the people in the programming department asked me if I could do it on television because they needed cheap programming. I said, I would do it as long as you called it inexpensive programming as opposed to cheap. Yeah. So we then did. We would do some of the podcast in this room. when there were no cameras and we would then go over

to what is the voiceover booth across the alleyway here where there was one singular fixed camera on the wall we used to do our updates in that room with a green screen behind it it had the look of a hostage video and so I did it in there

in front of a green screen eventually they spent the money to actually get like a shower curtain that would put the podcast logo on it And we would just move it across behind me for the background of it. And we put together 56 of those. Wow. Like over a year, I did it.

And then Thursday night football came to be at the NFL network where it was just on our network. Can I pay like $1.99 on iTunes for an episode of that? I would love it. I have no idea. Actually, I think they flushed them all down the toilet, quite frankly, around here. Because, you know, again, this was now. I love the fact that there's so many podcasts here, and you guys obviously are a robust part of what's being built here,

as well, you know, the NFL should have more than just television behind it. You guys do a great job, and it's terrific. We did some great shows, and I was very proud of it. But then when Thursday Night Football was on all 16 weeks, essentially, here on the NFL network, they're like, you know, the TV shows over. So then I kind of just, to finish the story, said, how about we just do like podcast, television shows for kickoff, Thanksgiving, and the draft and just around the tent pole moment. So that was kind of a compromise. And then DirecTV called me up and said, how'd you like to do it every day on the radio as well as TV here and after Dan Patrick's show?

And I'm like, sold. I'd love to do it. And I literally had to sell, I think, the blood of my children to get that. in my contract. I still have the, I'm still, you know, I still have, but I'll be, and you're very honest with you, like Roger Goodell was one million percent, the guy who basically said, let's do this for my show

that I'm doing on DirecTV every day. And he's been supportive of every last thing I've ever done. So now here I am with you guys again. Personally, I'd like to thank you because if it weren't for you starting this entire engine, I know that I'd probably be working at stock. Shop and Shop in Paramus, New Jersey. Is that right? It is a direct thing.

I'd be a Paramus, too, but I'd be at the old mall there. We'd hang out and get lunch together. I think I once got a cake there. It's a great place to get a cake. This is fun, actually. I didn't make sense that we're going in this direction, but it's fun to talk a little oral history of the podcast business here in this building because, yeah, Rich started the whole thing with the Rich Eisen podcast.

Damashik came in under that umbrella. No doubt. And Dave gave Mark and I our first chance by putting on the back of our show. Then when we got together as a for some rich was our first guest, which was kind of a really big deal for us. And that to us gave us some legitimacy that you came on as our first guest way back when. It's neat, man. Like, I love planning flags around here.

That's what I told, actually, when I first got hired by Steve Bornstein, and I got a phone call in the middle of July, okay? Like, my last sports center was in late May. When I left the sports center said I had no earthly idea. It was, in fact, my last sports center. There were a few days left to negotiate. That all went to hell. And then I got married a week later.

And then on my honeymoon is where I signed the NFL network contract. And then later on that summer, I was just getting ready to transition to move from Bristol out to Los Angeles. Upgrade. And I got a phone call from an NFL executive I had literally never heard of. I mean, like, I was not very well versed in the NFL world when I was. I got hired here. I was a baseball guy on ESPN. And so other than Paul Taggibu, I didn't know anybody else who was in the NFL power

structure in any way, shape, or form. So I called up Bornstein, and I'm like, you know, hey, Steve, I got a call from an NFL executive wants to meet with me, you know, like, what can you tell me? He goes, who was it? I'm like, Roger Goodell. And he goes, hang up the phone and call him now. Don't talk, like, don't say another word to me. Hang up because he was the C-O-O at the time.

He's always calling me. It's very annoying, but I feel you. No, but it was one of those things that we just got started, and it was really very exciting, and he was from the beginning, from get-go. Like, we have hired you to do a job, go out and do it. And if anybody ever gives you grief for the job, you know, you call me up and we'll try and fix it. And, you know, so coming here, starting and planning the flag for, and I told him, and I told everybody else that, you know, hey, you hired me to plan a flag.

I'll try as many as possible. And the fact that I'm in this room is, it's pretty cool. And, you know, the reason you're the face, Rich, is you're the face of NFL network. You were the first face people saw in November 2003 when the network went on the air for the first time. And I was thinking about that as we look ahead now to what's going on in the NFL. Back in November 2003, Drew Brees, struggling in the second season with the Chargers as a starter. Eli Ben and Philip Rivers were seven months away from being drafted. Yeah, I interviewed Ben.

on the total access set, prior to the draft, he was here as a fresh-faced kid out of Miami of Ohio and a prospect, and we tried to get as many prospects as they were here in Los Angeles, and I interviewed him, like, what number would you, you know, why are you number seven? And he said, because he loves James Bond. He wanted to meet Jessica Alba. I mean, there's like a whole interview. Laring his clothes were way too baggy. I mean, seriously, like, we have, I love those flashbacks.

So, I don't mean to interrupt. No, no, you didn't. And then Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are cruising toward a Super Bowl. Yes. So some things have changed. Some things have haven't. But this is a time of change, Rich, as someone that's been around the game as close as you have for years now because you have Andrew Luck retiring, Foles gets injured,

Sam Donald gets mono. But Big Ben and Drew Breeze with these injuries, Cam, who was such a big, when Mark and I came to the company in 2010 and when Cam showed up a year later, that was such a huge deal. and now you don't know what's going on with his career. It does feel like a time of transition right now. I do agree with that. And the neat thing is, as of about two, three years ago, a lot of the conversation was around who's going to be next.

We also thought Brady would be long gone by age 42 also. But we were wondering who is going to be that next generation as Peyton Manning was transitioning out and retiring. And Mahomes is a revelation. Dak Prescott has been nothing short of absolutely phenomenal and I think is one more of those performances away from actually getting the majority of football fans to feel that he deserves the big fat contract

that he's going to get. You've got Wentz and Gough. Josh Allen is 2 and O as we're currently sitting here and you might be the fluke, whatever, but the 2 and O quarterbacks are also including Jimmy G. And, you know, Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson.

John Watson. They're here. The next generation is here. You're seeing that already, which is why you're beginning to see, I think maybe Daniel Jones is going to get a start because he's more mobile and obviously. Couldn't be less mobile. Couldn't be who is, that's true. So again, I think you are seeing of a transition in a way that nobody even saw coming a few years ago.

All right. It's great to have Rich here. And by the way, keep an eye out. Rich is a part of it. By the way, before you transition to something else. you speed bumped over Darnold has Mono. I mean, like you just kept going.

We're going to get it. You kept going like that was normal. Yeah. I mean, it's been richly covered on this show. I was commiserating with Rich on DM about the Jets a week ago, lamenting, you know, whether or not Donald was the guy and whether the Jets were a team to be excited about or be afraid of.

And then the next day he comes down with the teenager's disease. To me, you know, do you want to get into this now? Do you want to, I don't want to, That's with your rundown. I haven't seen a copy of what you want to do. Let's set up the show. Did we do that job? Should we have sent you something?

You know, that I can't sometimes just lay back and be a guest. Yeah. But I will do that. Okay. Let me just first of all admonish our producer. Erica, Rich should have had a rundown. Nope. By the way, do not put that on, Erica.

No, late, I already did it. I already did it. We were taking our notes from you. I really appreciated when we came on the Rich Eisen show. Yes. We didn't, there wasn't much. You know, we talked for a minute beforehand just to say hi, but you come and talk football.

Right. That's no rundown. It was great. It was beautiful as opposed to some of the shows here where you have to go through every single point, everyone's going to make. There are rundowns in a podcast? Meadings. Loose.

Very loose rundown. We'll not have helped you. No, we don't do it. That's it right. So, Rich is going to, there's the rundown. Rich is going to sit in with us through some news around the league. But before we get to that, we'll go over the last game played in week two of the 2019 NFL season. And it did involve my jets and Marks Browns.

Hit it, Ricky. Here's Mayfield throwing. And it's Bill Del Beckham Jr. in the clear. 35, 40, he's in the 50. He's run into the 40. He's going into the end zone. 10, 5. Touchdown.

He's arrived back in the end zone at MetLife Stadium. 89 yards. OBJ. Indeed, OBJ goes off on a big day and his return to the Mettelands. Six catches 161 in a touch. And the Cleveland Brown's cruise past the under. manned New York Jets 23 to 3 at MetLife Stadium. The Browns get back to 1-1.

The Jets in deep trouble at 0-N-2 with a lot more tough games coming up on the schedule. What were your thoughts, Rich, watching this game? Well, it's tough to pick out what the most Jets moment is, Dan. There were many. Could it be blowing the 16-point lead at home in week one in division to a rival that you have dead to rights because they couldn't stop turning the ball over in the first half in your own building. Or could it be having O'Dell Beckham point out what is plainly obvious to so many people who cover the National Football League is that Greg Williams has a reputation? Could it be Greg Williams then being given the podium by the Jets to make the situation far worse?

Very Jets. By saying he's never done anything like that, even though. there is actual legal testimony to refute that. Including by someone on the jet staff, Joe Vitt. Right. Or could it be that he then would call O'Dell Beckham not dynamic? They refuted that. And point to the Giants.

Only have in point to the Giants as proof since they've been such great grocery shoppers of late as well. Could it be O'Dell Beckham then going on that? turf and ripping one off for 89 yards through Greg Williams defense, or could it be, or could it be that the Jets have the football gods point out, have something occur to their savior that points out, A, his youth and inexperience, B, also his tag him in a way with the moniker of unreliable because he doesn't answer the bell for weeks at a time in a way that others who have been given the opportunity as a top five pick have been able to answer the bell all the time top top let's go first round could there be an odd illness that the football gods

would bestow upon this young man at the outset of a monday night football game just before they take on the patriots on the road could that be possible yes but that's not the most Jets thing the most Jets thing I have saved it on my phone I have saved it on my phone the most Jets thing of all of Monday night football was ESPN putting up a graphic during Monday night football

of Darnolds standing there with the hero shot as they make all players do in front of a green screen to use during broadcasts of the subsequent year standing there in the hero shot and it says out indefinitely mononucleosis. In like a thousand font. Exactly. That wasn't the most Jets moment.

No, you got to it. The most Jets moment was him then, as they rolled tape, pointing to the screen, the you, the man, I'm the man point. Yeah, I got mono. That's right. That's right. I've got mono. Yes.

That's the most Jets moment of all times. The slow hand lift, like the pregnant paws, like twins are kind of come out of them at some point. At some point there is like an ESPN, like they were having a meeting and the graphics guys were like, look, I made this. It's a great shot. We should just use it anyways. Let's find a way. They forgot. There wasn't enough time to redo the graphic.

Just this role that nobody will even think of it. And poor Sam, you know, because again, if I'm a quarterback in the NFL, you know, like I've got a little bit of, you know, for the lack of better way of putting it, like a little bit of Aaron Rogers in me, where I look at everything, a scam. I'm always thinking that this could turn out to be. I'm sorry that this word is not appropriate for your podcast. A little douchey, okay? Fine. I tell all the time here in the history of the NFL network as we've shot promos, I will not do fun with football.

I will not do what they do at CBS, which is James Brown, who I love. Here's a football. Hey, boomer, you've got it. No, here, Cowers got it. So much laughter. We're not going to do the forced hilarity. Always got like an alleyway, too. I refuse to do it.

It's a surrogate for actual chemistry. They all know here at this network, in every promotional department, if you want me to have fun with football, it ain't happening. Like, I might hold it out. I might do that. They sometimes want me to take it in the right hand, flip it to the left, because it never know when it can be used that you look dushy.

And in the case of Sam Darnold, God bless him. ESPN's like, all right, Sam, now stand there. Now stand that. You're turning your left. That's it. No, a little bit more. right shoulder front okay there you got it now point now point there you go we're going to use that when you have mono okay right it's gosh any man with swollen internal organs is going through

enough at the moment his spleen is at risk man he was what are we doing they said today that uh darnell told reporters that when he saw trevor simeon uh yeah he screamed to his pillow what do you think sam did when he was sitting in his apartment in paramus new jersey and and saw that graphic come up. By the way, I just, and I want to get to the Browns, Mark, because you deserve it because you're back on track. Sorry. You're back on track.

No, no, no. But I thought the most Jets thing of all is the only good thing that team has left to me right now is Jamal Adams and how he was playing his ass off at the end of that game. And then they bench him. Why not Bench him? Why not Bench him? And that's Greg Williams written all over too. I can just imagine Bud Kilmer on the sideline being like, get his ass out of the game.

I've coached better players than you. Anyway, so the Jets are a mess. And we know they're a mess. And with the schedule ahead, it's going to get uglier before it gets better. At least they have their own 199th overall selection to throw out a quarterback in this game. Patriots don't have, aren't, haven't cornered the market on 199th overall selected quarterback. Well, there's that. That's a very sunny.

And at least, at least, and then I'm done, okay, at least with the Jets having a guy named Ficken, they now have a guy named Falk, just for the headline riders in time for being a 22-point underdog. There is another world here where, and look, nothing is good that's happening to the Jets here. Here's what I'm saying. It's good to have you here, Rich. Have somebody that understands. It is. You know what?

I mean, it's a support group. It's a support group. You're out of it. You're out of it. You're out of it. No, no, no. This isn't going to go. Look, no, no, no.

I know you don't want to hear it. Baker Mayfield is a thousand percent the real deal in a way that we've yet to see, Darnald be. We're supposed to be seeing it this month. The one moment that Donald has ever shown like, okay, he's got it was when he overcame his own pick six mistake to start week one other than that or that, all right, you know what, his ankle's all banged up. He's coming back late in the season where he knows his coach is a dead man walking and he's still throwing out there. Baker Mayfield has planted his flag in the middle of the Cleveland fan base and say, follow me to freedom. And he has done it. And he has done it. And

And the throws that we saw where our eyes popped out of our heads at the Combine, Mayok was sitting next to me and DJ was chiming into that deep middle throw just comes out like a cannon out of his arm. It's not just, you know, the moxie and it's not like him creating place. He's stepping back, hitting his back foot, and delivering serious professional football throws with regularity. And we saw it last night. So congratulations, man.

I'm not putting his... you're out you're out you're out you're out you're off the pain right out he can't accept that and miles garrett miles garrett is no conscience he is no conscience he is coming to wreck you in a good way yeah correct yeah he's coming to wreck you he's coming to wreck your line and steal your soul that pick worked out that's what mark has always wanted from the brown somebody who's gonna stand up and be bragging according to ESPN's bugger macfarlane when jemal adams is aggressive he's selfish when uh miles garrett is aggressive he's like hey they don't let us play anymore and i know Bougar is on your show.

But that was awful by Bougar. Let's set up the Browns now, Mark, because. You guys, it's cathartic, and I understand the need for that. Mark, this was obviously a much-needed win. And I'll say this. I didn't even think Baker played that well last night. I thought the Jets defense, that why Greg Williams was so furious on the sidelines after that O'Dell Beckham play was not just because the game basically got iced

on an 89-yard touchdown, which was a killer. It was also because the Jets D really played well. despite being undermanned against a far superior offensive unit, and that all got washed away. He knew that was happening. But let's focus on where the Browns are, because not only are they back to one-on-one, one-on-one, they also have a AFC North that doesn't have Ben Rafflesberger involved anymore.

And I feel like you're back to zero, you're okay, and it's time to move forward. This was a good first step. I guess, to be honest, because despite the fact that I'm out of the club that you guys are members of at the moment, Misery Incorporated. The private pile world of crap. I hear you.

I came out of last night's game. The whole lead-up to the game was rather joyless because on this show, we had spent months and we wager sandwiches back and forth on various NFL elements. In the Baker-Darnold, Part 2, after last year so clearly, you know, emotionally was on Cleveland, tilting towards the Browns doing what they did. And you thought it's in New York, why not have it flip this way? and had this be the new duel between, as you said, the new wave of quarterbacks that have arrived.

We didn't get that. The whole thing was a rather joyless affair from that angle. As a Browns fan, I didn't want, if you win, everyone's going to say you should have won based on everything, the way the table was set, obviously, had they lost. And there was a moment in the game where with, you know, Luke Falk on there and the Jets are rolling, I thought the Browns should be up in this game about 30 to 3.

Well, there was one drive, as a Browns fan, I'm allowed to, I'm allowed to. You said going into the game, you had a terrible psychic energy about this game. You told us to trust you that the Browns were going to lose this game. I did have no confidence in them winning. I'm going to be honest with you. You guys dealt with a lot more in the past week, and it continues. I'm not going to bemoan the Browns, but I came out of it with a fair amount of concern

when you look at the fact that they have a short week to play the Rams. They then play the Ravens on the road where they're about 1 and 20 since 1996. Their next five opponents are all 2 and 0 right now. All five are their next opponent. Right, because there was, in August, we threw around some scenarios that could be thorny for teams. And I mentioned the Browns on the show starting one in five. And it wasn't just me trying to be wildly pessimistic. There is a roadmap for that to happen because of who they're playing.

And because I look at Cleveland, and it just felt, before that O'Dell Beckham play, they were out of sync. They were a little off. And even last year's Baker Mayfield inside that offense experience had a little more daring do and some trickery. and to me just I thought he was playing outside of his head and I don't know what's going on. I think Greg Williams, maybe he knows him better. Baker Mayfield was legit confused on some of those. No, I know that.

And again, he still was in his second year. You need him play a full year last year, Mark. Right. You know, and what I would take out of that last night is, a few things. I don't buy into the whole should beat anybody, okay? That whole business of Lamar did it against the crappy dolphins. well you know what no you still have to when hollywood brown is two steps put it on him when you do have somebody who's got mark ingram hit the hole you do have to hold on to the football you do

have to do the right things you have to have the killer instinct as well and the thing that i was totally mystified about with the browns last night with all the good things that we saw i thought the line was vastly improved i thought the defense was just lights out i thought miles garrett that is on a resume week two of the 2019 defensive player of the year on Monday night football. Grown ass man becoming a bigger grown ass man. I loved it. I thought it was

terrific. Now, my concern was what's going on with Freddie Kitchens? Week one an absurd number of penalties and dumb penalties. They clean that up. They clean that up, which is all they needed to do to win because their talent is far superior to the Jets, especially

when you, as you called them, undermanned. I didn't miss that moniker that you mentioned earlier but before the half you're up 13 to 3 it's 3rd and 10 in your own 40 a call timeout they come out and they run a running play and then go ahead and try and get the jets to call the time out and trick them into calling time out and burn to time out burn the time all the way down to a minute 5 and I'm like where's the freddie kitchens 2018 baker mayfield daring do I understand that the defense was confusing whatever but go hurry up let's go

They've lacked rhythm. And nail the Jets right through the heart right before. Send them into halftime down 20 to 3. Instead, they punt and Gase made the mistake of from the 10-yard line with Luke Falk. Let's throw one over the middle. And even if, I forget, but it's Bell, whoever, I don't even know the names. It was whoever was in for Demarius Thomas who left the game. He drops the ball, which gives Freddie Kitchens a free pass with,

one time out he didn't have left to call he had two left not three so then he gets the ball back and kitchens gets three out of it when he deserved zero out of it and why would adam gase think you know what i'm going to try and get some points on the board with luke falk yeah you know and when the jets were setting the record last night for most second and 23s from inside their own five yard line because of the million holding penalties you mean call right now gase a little bit so i was concerned about that like what's like is freddie folks I think there was whispers that Freddie and Todd Munkin, the O.C., who doesn't call plays, that there were some abrasive scenario between them, which, you know, you want to just dismiss until it becomes a thing,

and it's not a thing at this point. But there were other whispers that Freddie Kitchens was not the guy that set the offense on fire last year. Well, they haven't been as in sync in the first two weeks. I don't think Baker Mayfield's come out, and it's two weeks. Not many people have, though, right? No, and come out and been as, you know, aggressive as had in many. big throws. He's had the big time throws, but he also has four interceptions. He's taken eight sacks. He's not as decisive. It hasn't been two great weeks for him. Maybe it is

the Greg Williams factor. But you have to feel good that the defense, which I think can save their floor in terms of making it so that the offense doesn't need to be. They showed up. Then again, they're playing a Jets team who, you know, maybe even if Sam Darnold was there, we would be talking about they're one of the worst teams in the league. I think that's one of the things. I'm not saying you want Sam Darnold there. Of course you do. but there's a scenario here where his absence is covering up some other issues that they have. Their offensive line has been a disaster through two weeks, and they're just a little inconsistent on that.

That same Brown's defense, and it wasn't the entire game, but they got worked over by the Titans for an 18, 20-minute chunk of that game where they were tired out, and it was the offense too. But I would say Cleveland right now is not even close to looking like a playoff team. They look like they have some issues to work out despite known talent. They have a very difficult schedule coming up, but so does the rest of the national football. Except for the Patriots.

May I close this out with one crazy-ass tinfoil hat suggestion for the New York Jets? Okay. I'm here. Okay. I want to just give a little bit of a history lesson to the younger audience of the around the NFL podcast, okay? Way before the Patriots were the Patriots, as we currently know them, the Jets and the Dolphins had the most best. bad-blooded rivalry in the American Football Conference Eastern Division.

Hands down. The whole bit. The 80s were all about Don Shula wetting the field for the AFC championship game because Freeman McNeil was coming into town after they let the top, they let it just rain no tarp on the field, the old Orange Bowl, and A.J. Dewey with three picks, it's terrible. So all of that, the fake spike, Dan Marino being drafted after Ken O'Brien, or pardon me, O'Brien drafted before.

just terrible what the dolphins are doing right now what the dolphins are doing right now this naked tank job that is going on in the NFL right now we have to call it what it is it is beyond the pale because they're amassing all these picks and chris greer even said it today when he spoke today that they can have any player they want in the draft and we know which player they want in the draft it's i heard about this at the draft in dallas three months after after Tua was put in the game by Nick Saban out of the blue to beat Georgia in overtime. I heard it at that draft in Dallas the dolphins want Tua. We all know that's what they want.

The Jets should tell Sam, stay home. Oh, I know where you go. One of a second. Sam, stay home because we're concerned about your spleen. It's enlarged. Whatever. It's a large swing. It's a, we got to be.

The giant spleen right now. He's taking the long view on Sam's spleen. A bulbous spleen? Whatever, whatever they want to concoct. And the Jets should tank worse. They should, when the dolphins come into town, play worse. Tank worse. Finish first overall and come to the dolphins say, you want Tua?

Too bad. You can't have them. And say to the rest of the NFL, hey, who wants Tua? And about 10 teams will raise their hands and hand Joe Douglas. a million picks, and Chris Greer could sit there with all of his picks and take Herbert from Oregon, which we know they don't cover him, and whoever else they want. And tough, tough, dolphins. We tank harder. I love the harder tank. Just to screw you over for A.J. Dewey and the fake spike, it's bitter. It's awesome. It'll, it's nuts. It won't happen, nor should it. But it's a great

idea that I want to bring to as many deer gates to use Michael Irvin's possible. The extra spiteful nature of not doing the trade. I thought you were going toward the Dolphins will be so desperate that they'll pull Aditka, Ricky Williams, and give the Jets all their picks. It doesn't matter. No, no, no. You say no, you don't get what you want. Sam's the Savior, right? No, you don't get it. Your tank was for nothing. And they have it within their power because they see the dolphins twice. The dolphins, you could make sure the dolphins are two and fourteen. Two wins. Two wins. and they go one, you got it.

You got this thing done. It's it. It's in their hands. They could do it. If you thought Adam Gase's body language was bad now, he will collapse within himself. He will not make it to week 17. Not my problem.

I'm telling you, man. The Buffalo Bills is the only organization in the division with an adult in the room. If I ever own a boat, though, I'm going to be calling it naked tank job. That's what I want to float around on the season. By the way. I feel like I saw that on Cinemax in 1996, like two ways.

By the way, Shannon Tweed was great. All-timer. All-timer. All-timer. All-timer. All-timer. All-timer. All-time. So, Rich, do you want to sit in on news? How much time I got? No, yeah, I got ten more minutes. Is there some news? All right. It time flies when you're giving tinfoil hat and dumb-ass theories. I don't know if I'll survive that, but I like the theory. Of course. I like the theory. Look, Sam's got to have playing time. Gase has got to have a shot. I totally get it. But what the dolphins are doing, somebody's got to take. Somebody's got to take it.

You've got to prevent it. The one person, one team that can prevent it is a team that's already owing two. that's tanking without really even knowing it right now. The Mono is doing the tank job for you for at least another three weeks. He'll come back. He'll be a shell of himself. It'll take two more weeks. They can try as hard as they want. They'll be 0 and 6, 0 and 7 because they play the Patriots twice in weeks, three, week seven.

That's two losses. By the time the dolphins come to town, here's what you do. Just lay down. Lay down. They might still win, though. Literally lay down. There's a dark horse there in Carolina being run by a hedge fund manager and Kyle Allen

30, 14 games. And it'll be strange. The highlights will be like, why is everybody knocked down like bowling pins as Josh Rosen runs untouched for 85 yards? Like, it'll be what the hell? Well, you need to keep the theory.

It's good to announce it here, but then you're going to have to keep wraps on it. Yeah, well. Why, the dolphins are doing it in plain sight? Some element of surprise, though, you know? You know what, Rich? Everything you're saying makes sense and it's interesting and I like it,

but I also still can't believe it is September 17th. Oh, it's over. And this is what we're talking about with the judge. I told you. Let's do some news. What ever happened to Gary Cooper, the strong, silent type? That was an American.

We'll get to that in a minute, a few minutes. But let's start with the rundown of these injuries. Since we last spoke to you on Sunday, we now know that Drew Breeze is going to have surgery on his torn ligament and his right thumb. Rapsheet reports that the time frame for recovery is approximately six weeks. Sean Payton has to now move forward, Wes, with Teddy Bridgewater, who has been, let's say, underwhelming in his limited time behind center, but now they're calling on Teddy to keep the ship afloat until Drew can come back. I think anybody who's ever met or spent time around Teddy Bridgewater wants him to succeed.

Oh, yeah. but nothing we've seen from him in real game action since his catastrophic injury would give you confidence that he's going to succeed and last week performance against the Rams in which he got very little help from his running game or his receivers the game was just too fast for him so with a week of prep does that go away

but if I'm a Sames fan that scares me and I'm still going to wonder in the back of my mind should Tassam Hill be quarterback in this team I would like to say something you hit on the name that no nobody's talking enough about. If you don't think Sean Peyton sitting back here and saying, what do I have here at my disposal that I can use in the next six weeks?

If you think the Ravens can suddenly turn on a dime last year and change their offense from Flacco to Lamar Jackson so successfully, and Sean Payton is the guy who can probably do that within literally five minutes on the back of a cocktail napkin, I think Tayson Hill is going to get way more snaps than anybody think. and I would look for who is third string do they have a third string?

They just re-signed J.T. Barrett to the practice squad. Today, right? Yes. That was the sign. Like, I was like, let's see if they sign a third QB because, and this is Sean Peyton

just because he's Sean Peyton. I mean, you think, okay, your goat has a thumb injury that you know is serious enough he can't grip the ball. So you're just going to take the backup, put him out there, and your third stringer,

Let's make him a slot receiver. I mean, who does that sort of stuff? Somebody who's got the right amount of crazy like Sean Peyton. Yeah. I'm telling you. I want to see more taste in line of that. We're about to, to the point where I'm thinking of picking him up in fantasy. I don't know, I know, I know, I know.

I suggested Dan do that. I know. I know. I'm serious. Like, don't you think. Because the point is to get a difference maker, not a guy who's average. Don't you think he's going to see a ton more snaps out there in the perfect time to uncork it is in Seattle first week.

Nobody's thinking. Well, we see enough snaps. to work as a fantasy player, though? I don't know. That's a different discussion. All those other guys you mentioned are even, and you can pick any of them up off the waiver wire whenever you want. There's only one taste.

He's a flyer. No one's stopping him from doing it. No one's stopping him from doing it. He invested a third round pick in Teddy Bridgewater. Then he signed him for $7.5 million. He's invested a lot of practice time. I don't think Teddy Bridgewater has looked comfortable. He needs to pull the trigger a little faster when he's behind center.

But Sean Baiton's the offensive genius. There's nothing more. Just like Bill Belichick loved going 11 and 5 with Matt Castle more than practically anything he's probably ever done. Sean Payton wants to show that he can run this offense and that they can light people up, whether it's with Teddy, whether it's with Tason Hill.

You're right, it'll probably be some combination of the two. But right now he believes Teddy Bridgewater's his best option. But aren't the Saints, at this point, because you're running out of time with Breeze, no matter what? I mean, they are in full-blown hunt

for the franchise quarterback of the future. You've got to look at both these guys and find out what you have. Yeah, you got Steve Young. That's what they keep calling it. I think Taysom Hills is what. he's thinking. By the way, Steve Young's a Hall of Famer.

If he's that good, he should be playing. Yeah, what I'm thinking is you have to, you can't be looking at Teddy Bridgewater as the plug-in answer without challenging him this season with Taysam Hill and then challenging with every other option you can and if Breeze goes down. Well, you guys all have your laptops. I don't know if you have the ability to call it up like this,

but how many snaps does Taysom Hill get with Breeze? It feels like it's five, six a game, right? With Breeze, with the goat, where they split number nine out wide, right? And sometimes they'll do it in the red zone. And you're like, what's up with that? So you don't think he'll double that with Teddy Bridgewater now? Yeah.

And just and come as close as we've ever seen to a two-quarterback offense. The flip side of that is I could see that. He played 21 snaps last week, Taysome Hill. I could see this coming in. Do you risk using him as a tight end or slot receiver when he's your backup quarterback? Well, that's why they signed J.T. Barrett. I mean, honestly, like, it might make sense that to do that, that when you're already on your backup, we saw last night with the jet.

I mean, they almost went to... Did you... Were you the one who tweeted out? Yeah, I was curious, who was their backup? And I was like, you know... Well, it was Lev, Bill. You know, these assaulters confirmed it was... Browning Testa Lucas or Brooke Penning...

I mean, let's give Teddy Bridgetter or one start where he gets to prepare for the opponent where Sean is preparing for him. Yeah, let's give Teddy shot here. Let's get him one start before we... I think you're going to see... He was playing with a bunch of backups in every... And against backups, well?

That's fair, but I mean, but not three starts or four. No, but... The offensive line in that. I think you're going to see a hybrid. I think you're going to see more of a hybrid. Tase him at 36 snaps last year. How many this year already? 20-something?

21 last week. So we're already seeing a massive uptick. Oh, yeah? All right. In other news, Ben Ralthusberger, yes, out for the year that elbow injury that he suffered was serious enough that it's going to require surgery. Here is Big Ben's statement.

This is shocking and heartbreaking for me to miss this much of a season and feel like I am letting down so many people. I can only trust God's plan, but I am completely determined to battle through the challenge and come back stronger than ever next year. A crushing blow, Mark, for the Steelers who are 0-and-2, and this is a season that had Super Bowl expectations, and now you turn it over to Mason Rudolph.

And I saw your Twitter, Mark, and I thought the same thing watching this game, that he looks like he can play a little bit, Rudolph. It would be interesting to give him a full week and see if he could sling a little bit because he seemed under control and he made some nice throws. But please, I mean, this is a big. drop-off from the last season's passing leader?

It is. I don't know if last year, even last year's Big Ben was the Big Ben that we've grown accustomed to in general. It is interesting because Chris Mortensen reached right out to Jake Delon when he found out about this injury. And it was Delon that went and had very similar Tommy John-esque surgery and came back the next year, went 12 and 4 and had one of his better years. So it's not the end of Big Ben. And the other problem is Big Ben's contract makes it utterly impossible to part with him next year from a cap and money standpoint. So I think he's still in the docket for next season. But Mason Rudolph, to me, these things happen fast.

And if Rudolph were to have one of those seasons where he captures the imagination of the Steelers fan base and saves what looks like, they're a very good team still. And their defense, if they can get a little bit more on track. We'll get to their defense. Right, we'll get to that in a second. I mean, Mason Rudolph's in one of those interesting backup quarterback positions where you've got the, It's kind of like any given Sunday scenario where you've got, what's his name, the aging guy

on a down and up. His name is Dennis Quaid. And you got, you know, we've got the new guy coming in. I kind of liked Mason Rudolph. I think he's got a, they've tried to find backups to Big Ben for a while, and they've all been Gibronies. This guy's a little different, and I think the coaching staff likes them a lot.

Was it a guy named Mike Gibronie? Is that a way? Mike Gibroni. They had Ted Gibrony and his cousin. I mean, we had Byron Leprich. We had Charlie Batch. These are some legends. I'm not talking about, Lefwich wasn't a fine Big Ben's.

successful. They've been drafting guys as maybe the success. And it's exciting, and we'll see how it goes. A couple of things. One, shameless self-promotion, the grind on epics tomorrow night. There's two, yes, there's two features. One is Charles Woodson

with the Patriots and Dolphins. And Charles caught up with Brady and did ask him about the tuck rule. Shocking for Charles Woodson. Number one, that's number one. Number two, it was also Bettis was in Pittsburgh

in the stadium when Ben went through all this and he did meet up with Juju Smith-Schuster and it streamed to meet when he was asking about his new role it seems it's going to

he's not fully adjusted as to being quote unquote the man, the number one guy it takes a lot especially when everybody else is dropping the football left and right Dante Moncrief is just

suddenly like Edward Stonehands and so I'm curious to see if Mason and Rudolph will have the ability to move the offense. He definitely did a better job than Ben did in the first six quarters in just his two quarters in there. Jujer Smith-Suster had a sign of life. You notice the receivers started to get open? Well, Ben wants an offense sort of like what Aaron Rogers used to have,

the isolation routes where the receivers have to win one-on-one, and he's playing from empty spread formations. They bring in Mason Rudolph, and they're running sort of a more normal NFL offense where the receivers don't have to win one-on-one every route. So we'll see what happens. Jimmy G. And the Niners are his first up. And then number two is,

we all know Pittsburgh Steelers fans very well. I mean, I know a bunch, obviously, Damashek is one of them. An unlikable crowd. Well, that's just my opinion. Okay, understood. But do you know of any one Pittsburgh Steeler fan? One.

I just want the name of one who has been comforted by the news that Jake Delome came back well from this. I know. I know. Is there one? Let's see if that even... He came back and then got the worst contract in a call history. I love Jake, but, I mean, is there a single Steelers fan?

I mean, Rudolph's only in his second year. So if he plays well, that's a good problem. I was surprised that people thought, oh, this is the end of Ben Rothberg. No, he just signed a huge contract. There's no reason why he went back. Like, Mort, let me call Jake. Jake DeLome had that same injury. He'd Steeler fans.

Don't worry. Jake came back stronger than ever. He'll be carried by his defense in his running game to the playoffs, And then he'll throw four interceptions against the cardals. It may be the worst performance. I'd also invite you to look at Chris Morton's Twitter feed from last night during Monday Night Football. Just go back and look at it.

I don't know. I thought it was a hat scenario, but there was something. I think someone interpreted there were three rats, and I was thinking there are the rats jumping off the Dolphinship. That was someone. Oh, boy. All right. Well, let's get to that.

Dolphins, they draft Mika Fitzpatrick in the 2018. Yeah, we're jumping in the organic fish tank. They draft making Fitzpatrick first round, 2018. He expresses displeasure with the organic fish tank. He says, I want out. And the Steelers who aren't looking to throw in the towel on the season just because Ben's out make a trade. Love it. They trade.

That's the future. I mean, who trades 22-year-old defensive backs you choose in the first round? A year later. Who does that? It doesn't matter if he wants out. What are you talking about? And Chris Greer is like, hey, we told him. We want you here.

man coach wants you here the owner who wants you here then the 22 year old stays put let's let's hear it from let's hear it i mean what are we talking about here is everyone getting get out of jail free card because they ask for it let's let's hear from the gym with minka it's just one of those things um you know the player had expressed that you know it made me time for him to uh change and so we tried to make it work myself brian steve had multiple conversations with him about saying we wanted them here view them as a core piece and one of them heard something like this The kid just felt it was time for him to move And we told what the value was

We told teams and we had multiple offers Of course you did He's a 22 year old stunt The Pittsburgh won was the one best for the organization He won the best defensive back in college award Like 18 months ago These are guys you hold onto Pardon me

Yeah I'm sorry Lings are the guys you hold onto You don't trade these guys And here's here's a wake-up call For the Dolphins and Dolphins fans Chris Greer who I've never met and I have heard nothing

but the most respectful things about I just have to say this he could be George Young and times 10 like to the 10th degree like name some of the greatest grocery shoppers and drafters

in the history of the NFL he could be that to the 10th degree you draft all these guys with all these picks next year certainly when you don't get to it because the Jets are going to do what I say but even with Tua they can go oh and 16

team with two of the first year. You still have to, when you hit the win it now button, look at the Clippers. They would never have gotten Kawhi and Paul George if they already didn't have the group here. Look at the Browns. Your Browns who are out of purgatory,

they still got enough people together on defense that when John Dorsey started turning all of these picks mostly on offense that they had into human beings on offense, there you can win. The Dolphins, even with Tua. You don't have a left tackle. You don't have a defensive back like Minka Fitzpatrick. You hold on to

these people. I never thought I'd see a team voluntarily turn itself into an expansion organization like this. And it's pathetic. Even from a competitive spirit angle, you can't win. You can't compete on a level playing field. And there is no more level playing field in pro sports than the borderline socialist structure of the NFL where you get carried along. no matter what happens. They can't compete on that level, so they're stripping it down to the lowest level to give themselves an advantage in the draft.

And it takes no special insight or acumen to strip your team down. It just doesn't. It takes a patient owner and extraordinarily downtrod and fan base bordering on apathy and a hierarchy of the sport willing to look the other way

or perhaps more accurately, throw their hands up because they have no solution while the competitive integrity is stained for the whole thing. It's just, to me, the competitive spirit of sports, you're saying I quit. I don't want to compete in this setting. I think they looked at the Steelers, though.

I think they looked at part of it was they looked at the Steelers. They see an O and two team that's starting Mason Rudolph, and they think, we got Minka Fitzpatrick. We've seen him. You're talking, this is the guy we keep. You're right. It's crazy that they trade him in Tunsel because you're just going to have to replace them.

These are guys on rookie contract. That said, Minko Fitzpatrick is playing. a thousand snaps in the NFL. Anyone that says this guy is a future superstar is just basing it off of a draft profile. They haven't watched all of his snaps. He's been fine. He graded out number one among slot corners

on PFF last year. And at a negative... And he had the versatility to play of safety in corner. He's head-ups. He's head-downs. He looks fine. My point is I think they looked at the Steelers and they thought, could this be a top-five pick?

If there's a chance that it is, I guess we're just going to take it. So what's the narrative here before I... I tap out if you don't mind. Yeah, please. What is the narrative here? Is the narrative that Brian Flores was bringing the do-your-job defense to South Florida and making him perform in a scheme that wasn't to his satisfaction or to the best of his ability

that they were making him cover tight ends and it was something that he was complaining about. Minkup was upset that he was playing strong safety. And his mom. Okay. So the question. So the question is, don't we always, and rightfully so, lionize the coaches who change their scheme to fit the people that they have, right? Like, that's what we say is the mark of an excellent coach, that we will change what we do to fit what our players do. We still have a philosophy, but we're flexible.

So what does that say about Brian Flores? that he's not going to be told what's best for the team by his second year player. In his mind, he was the best option to play that position because they don't have anyone to play that position, but they have someone to play slot quarterback. I'm not going to question Brian Flores' sort of defensive acumen, what's going to make his team the best. The question is, like, why do you listen to that 22-year-old

and just trade him because he's unhappy? Why can't you figure that out? It's so bizarre. And I understand the guys don't want to be here. I don't want him here anymore, but then let's how do we not make this work right so let me ask you guys it's an interesting show of faith by the Steelers by the way in mason rudolph and the team that they have hey they should they should have a defense that's missing only what mink of Fitzpatrick can provide to me and this is

why i think mayock and gruden went and got Antonio brown or gruden got Antonio brown and mayock didn't steal over my dead body um that that when you need to evaluate a course as I think Gruden still wanted to do with Derrick Carr or still does even because he's just he's he's constantly trying to change quarterbacks or kick tires on it to evaluate that quarterback you have to give that player protection you have to give that player weaponry you have to give that player the best ability to win with your offense because your defense is strong and quarterback should know that or the Dolphin should know that with Josh so the Steelers just I mean right the Steelers just added Minka Fitzpatrick. They see what their issues are in week two. They can see over the steering wheel, okay, we're going to have to get somebody at this position. They're not going to be as talented or maybe even as young as this guy. If we draft them next year in the first round, get them. For four years. Let's do it now and let's evaluate Mason Rudolph right now. And of course, Tomlin's one of those defensive coaches. That's his forte as the secondary. I can do it. That's the thing. Let's see the

Steelers not ruin a highly drafted defensive back. Let's see Mike Tomlin have a top 10 defense in the last seven or eight years. Hasn't happened once, and you look at the talent that they have. And I think that's one of the issues with Ben being out is a little more focus is going to be on Mike Tomlin. And that's been a big problem in the first couple of their defense. Let's see if he can have a difference making defense. So let me ask you this last one for me, if you don't mind, because I do have to run.

Lock the doors, Ricky. I really enjoyed this chat here. Do you think we're seeing with the dolphins, there's two choices. I don't think there's any gray area. Do you think we're seeing the Coach Normandale moment where the fans are howling for his head and he's waving his game plan in the satchel at them? This is what I know

and it may be very unpopular right now, but I got this. Do you think that's what the dolphins are doing right now? Or they went to Stephen Ross, or Stephen Ross even went to them in his front office and said, Tua, we got to get him, we're going to get them, whatever you need to do to get them. I don't care how much you raise it down to the ground. And I trust you, Chris Greer, to put players into these spots. And it's just going to be an unmitigated long slog of a disaster.

It's only, there's really, I don't think there's any gray area here. Because this sort of stuff doesn't wind up with a six and ten, eight and eight, and we'll see how it goes. three, four years down the road with the GM and coach. Like it's one of the two where it's going to work out and mile and high wins it all or Hickory wins it all or we're going to see something like your expert opinions. You guys have seen a ton of football. What do you think? My one thing is that I think I am open-minded to the idea of what they've done to make,

ensure they get the number one pick and ensure they don't get the third pick and someone else gets the best quarterback and they get up. They get the second helpings and they continue to win four or five games. and be the milk-toast dolphins that we've known all along. I feel like when you're allowing players to voice their displeasure and then be traded, no matter what they say, it's not a precedent. That is the precedent. It just happened.

And when you give up a left tackle who Daniel Jeremiah feels is a star left tackle, that's a very tough position to replace. Has the cut down gone too deep? Could you have already gotten this quarterback with where you were a couple weeks ago? Did you need to also give up Minkup? I think it came from the top down, you know, to answer your question, I think it came from the top down in January, and Chris Greer, who, by the way, drafted, who was there?

This is part of the confusing messaging of the entire Dolphin season. Chris Gray was there. I know he wasn't the top guy. He was the guy underneath Tannenbaum, but he supposedly was pretty integral in drafting Mink of Fitzpatrick and Tundtel. I think they presented this vision to try to get out of seven and nine, and they're trying to. Didn't you ensure the first pick, though, or before moving.

I think this is an enormous leap of faith that this is all going to work at, and I think it has the potential to cripple a once-proud organization for a decade and permanently hurt the brand. I think this has been way too much. Take a look at the Raiders. They had three first-round picks. Mayok, who is as great a talent evaluator as there is. I don't care everyone's like Cleland Farrell, why him and not anyone else?

Because if Mayok was on NFL Network talking about Cleveland Farrell in the open for months, then all the fan bases that would think Mayok was crazy for taking Cleveland Ferrell would be complaining to their team. team's general managers. Why didn't you listen to Mayok? Okay. So let's just say Mayok is as good as they come. He turned three first round picks into Farrell, Abram, and Jacobs.

Those guys look like they are a grade A material already, and unfortunately about Abram that he's out. But even that, what does that make the Raiders? Eight, eight, seven and nine, six and ten, nine and seven if they're lucky? Like, when do you start hitting the win-it-now button when you put the Patriots in your division? like this is all kinds of crazy to me and I hope it does work out I know a ton of dolphin fans

but so you guys don't think he's this is Coach Dale they know what they're doing and it's going to work they're going to win it I don't think it's going to work I just think it's the plan under this front office starting with the top what have they shown

that would lead you to believe they know what they're doing that they're in on some secret that nobody else knows Greer said something very interesting today he made it he said we're going to be aggressive in free agency this is not going to be a long rebelled.

He was saying like we're planning to turn this. This is how they got in trouble in the first place by shopping and March for talent. Yeah, next year. I mean, he made it sound like we're going to be aggressive and this is a short, short rebuild. And it's not Flores plan. I mean, he must have been given assurances

that he's not going to, you know, this isn't on him this season. He's not going to get whacked. Right. It's not his plan. And again, I'll just make this last point. The Clippers would have never gotten Kawhi and Paul George to come.

The top free. agents, they would never have chosen the clippers if they didn't already have the idea of how to win, a coach who knows how to win, and a front office that has the respect of players like Kawhi and Paul George, like Jerry West, and like Lawrence Frank. No chance. Which free agent in their right minds, despite how much money Stephen Ross might throw at him, say, yeah, I'm ready. I'll go there and be part of a rebuild and try. try and win two, three years from now, no chance. You have to have the ability to show what you're talking about, Chris.

Well, the NBA's different. You've got to do that. You can build a team through free agency in the NBA. You can turn your entire franchise around in one fell swoop like the Clippers did. You can't do that in the NFL with free agency. Those players aren't available. Rich Eisen. Yes, sir.

Thank you for having me on. It was amazing having you here, Rich. And you know where to see Rich. I think I talk too much. No, you were awesome. Game day morning on Sundays. After the games, you come back here and you watch the recaps, Rich and the whole gang.

Also, the Rich Eisen podcast became the Rich Eisen Show Monday to Friday, noon to 3 Eastern. That's syndicated all over, but you could watch it on DirecTV on the audience channel. Yes. The grind? The grind on Epix 9 o'clock every Wednesday night, 9 Eastern time. And Eastern. Yeah, I mean, they're killing it, too. Epic is throwing a ton of promotion at it.

And so this week, it's Bettis in Pittsburgh and Charles Woodson in Miami. Next week, it's Snoop with DeAndre Hopkins when he comes here to Los Angeles, hanging out with him. Why were we not? We're not pulled into that scenario for some reason. Like, this is how it's rolling, you know, and that's the idea. They're already contacting some great Hall of Famers to hang out with their former teams or with players and all showing about how long of a slog of a season it is, the grind.

And keep an eye out in the months ahead, the NFL 100 celebration. Yeah, I'll look to come back and talk more about it. We'll talk about that because you're spending a lot of personal, well, professional one-on-one time with Bill Belichick himself. So we need to get you in here back. So you know you're a Jets fan? You mean my boy B squared? Oh, my God. Are you allowed to come?

We got to do it. I did have an underlying question is, what did he eat when he was here? I don't know why. I just want to know what sort of plates of food. Belichick ate. Can you watch and take notes as he eats, Rich, and then we'll talk about it in November? Huh? Little human things.

Oh, you mean, like, no, he's a human being. Okay. I mean, I didn't watch him eat. You can confirm that. But he's got a great sense of humor. Well, so. He does. I need more details.

We all do on that. That's the type of comment. It's like everyone always says that about Malichick. What does he eat? Well, just like, you guys probably at some point at all, you all got your plates of food and like does Belichick have diet principles he holds? to, or did you watch him eating like a giant king's like

No, he wasn't like Henry the 8th. He wasn't like chewing like a turkey leg. Yeah, turkey leg or something. Yeah, no. I don't know. The vegan assumes everyone just eats giant hunks of raw beef all time. I just want to know what he eats.

Mark's a fooditarian. I didn't like food. I didn't take notes or or stock. Okay. But in the green room area, I was out of him, Collinsworth, and me the only one who ordered the egg whites. You were.

How else would we know that had he not been there? Well, I'd learn more about you, though. And that's how Eisen has been getting sub six seconds. Yeah, man. Even as he ages. I'm already working out for it. I'm working out. I'm no Chris Wessling.

I don't think I could run a 7.40 now. Which one of us would scare you the most if you had to take us on in that race? Just by eye question, which one you'd say I need to practice a little bit harder or less. Wesleying, to me, is a man who's been refocused in life. and a man who's now got a better half. But Rosenthal strikes me as a little... What was that word? I guess that.

Rangy. Nimbled. I thought you were going to say Rode. No, no, Rangie. Okay. Rangy. Yeah. You might be able to...

I'm putting the miles in each week right now. You know, pick him up and put them down. Incorrect analysis, but that's fine. Gone with Greg. All right. Rich Eisen, thank you, buddy. You got it, guys. Thanks, Rich.

All right, Rich is out the door, and thank you to the face once again. We will keep going with the news now. So, you know, by the way, I mentioned before, whatever happened to Gary Cooper. So you got Mika Fitzpatrick who says, I don't want to be here anymore, and they just send him out of town. Now Jalen Ramsey, the star quarterback of the Jaguars, he has requested a trade following brewing tensions with the organization, that being the Jaguars. Rap sheet reported on Monday night. rap sheet cited a number of reasons for Ramsey's frustration with the team that drafted him fifth overall in 2016 among them being the confrontation he had with coach Doug

Marone in the first quarter of the team's week two loss to the Texans I just want to I want to say this and feel free to disagree with me I know you do feel free whatever happened to Gary Cooper why what is Jalen Ramsey is supposed to be a leader of this team and is this how the league is now when the When the going gets tough, you say, get me out of here? I mean, he's supposed to be the face of this franchise. Now, maybe things are so bad behind the scenes that we don't know that he feels it's toxic and it's not a healthy place for him. But this just feels like a guy that once there's adversity says, send me somewhere else, send me to the Patriots, send me to a team that's going in the right direction rather than, you know what, I'm going to be part of the solution here.

This is a little on my radar, some of this behavior I'm seeing. Sure, but there's no Gary Cooper's, to use that analogy, on either side. Jalen Ramsey was very composed and I thought mature, interesting in his press conference today. And one thing he made clear, the Jaguars are the one that put the trade stuff out there. And he just said, all I can say is that there's no, that we requested the trade, that we made sure 100% my agent, and we've circled back on this, that that would not get out. We did not want it to be a distraction for the team. The Jaguars put it out there because they want to trade them.

They want to get the most that they possibly can for him before they have to pay them because it sounds like they don't want to pay. Let's listen to Ramsey. But yeah, I wanted to talk as soon as I could today just because I don't really want it to be a distraction for my teammates getting ready for a game on Thursday. And right now I'm still a part of the Jacksonville Jaguars

and I'm happy about that. And I'm getting ready for the game as well. And that's where my focus is right now. I've been in the meetings. I've been taking my notes. I've been getting ready for our walkthroughs and our practice and everything that we've got to do out there. Well, I think Greg's point, that's a writer talking. Fans don't care who released.

Fans care that this guy asked for a trade from the franchise, not that he's not the one who put the story out there. He's the one asking for it. I'm saying, here's the Gary Cooper thing. It's like if they wanted, if they're worried about it being like, handle your business, you know, keep it quiet. Let's not have a distraction. they're just businessmen

that are trying to get the most that they possibly can for him. They don't care about the distraction. Greg, it is a Gary Cooper free zone and Greg is correct about that, but that's the case all over the league. And I think that we are dealing with players who are talking about Gary Cooper in the time

that we're discussing is when players had zero personal direction or power and their ability to direct their own careers. Now they're feeling incredibly empowered and many of them are probably being told by older players, don't do it the way we did. We didn't have a choice.

You do. I don't like it if I'm a fan and watching Jalen Ramsey roll into camp in a Brinks truck. When you're telling me, I don't want to be a distraction, so I'm going to talk about it now. You already are.

If you have to address this, you've already become a distraction. But in general, the distraction seems to be that players aren't all in for the next five or six or seven years. There are times, and we're getting to it,

if you have a certain amount of star power, you can direct your way out of a losing situation. They're talking about the chiefs as someone that's whispered here. I don't like it. But I agree with you. That's why I'm talking Gary Cooper, because the idea, what you want in the face of the franchise and a guy that was that if they have a good relationship is going to get paid by the Jaguar,

as you imagine. He's that talented as a star. But I just, I don't like the idea. And I think leadership is so important with the organization. And some of the things from Jalen Ramsey in the last year or so to me have, turn me off and I would imagine it might have turned the Jaguars off as well and I know it's always it's very popular to always say well the team's wrong do never support the team always support what the players doing but sometimes this to me makes a situation in Jacksonville when he as a leader

should be working towards getting this team out of the rut and getting the season back on track instead we have this entire soap opera playing out and the season's just going to go further I hear you but he also shut down DeAndre Hopkins it does raise like last week he balled out he played one of his better games, you know, that he's played last week. And that's good. He's trying. But since when has that been something that we need to say, well, he's still trying. All right, he better be trying.

I guess my thought it does raise interesting questions. Like, who is more important to the organization, him or Doug Marone, him or Jaylon Ramsey, her Tom Coughlin. Now, they say, by the way they pay him that the players are more important. Tom Coughlin and Doug Marone have, you know, objectively done a much worse job at their jobs over the last few years. They decided to pay some offensive linemen. They decided to play Mark East Lee.

They decided to pay Blake Bordels. Only one defensive player have they paid, Mike Jack. They drafted Leonard Fournette over. So they've had their own issues. It doesn't mean that everyone should go in and request to trade, but I don't know. I mean, Doug LaRone has had a laundry list of issues with people wherever he's been, and that's part of the personality there. But I just would say no one's question if Jalen Ramsey is trying hard or he's talented.

I'm not. But talent has nothing to do with leadership. and I don't see someone who over and over reminds me of the core leader on a team when he's creating these issues over and going to magazines and generating toxic comments about quarterbacks from the league. That's part of today's game, and that's fine, but I don't have to say that's the guy I want running my locker room necessarily. It's fair to wonder where he wants to play.

We know it's not Dallas. He's already come out and said he'd never play for the Jones family. This is a guy who thinks he knows more than the coaches. We can see that from his comments and his behavior. He doesn't like authority. He doesn't like the hierarchy of the coaches telling him what to do. So to me, it's fair to wonder where he wants to play. On field, out of all the cornerbacks under 28 years old, this guy is most likely to go to

a Hall of Fame, I think. Right. And I think Stefan Gilmore has been the best corner in the NFL for about the last year and a half. But before that, it was Ramsey. And most people probably think Jalen Ramsey is the most talented cornerback in the NFL. I'm sure he's asking why Stefan Gilmore's not on their team. I mean, it's like these guys move around now.

I'm sure we can find exceptions, but you're not usually looking at your cornerback as your team leader. If you just kind of look at the... Isn't your best player supposed to be your team leader? I'm just saying that for whatever reason, the position, that's just sort of the history of the position. I would be interested to see how much they can get for him. I mean, if Minka's worth one first round pick and Laramie Tunsell's worth what he's worth, I know you have to pay Jalen Ramsey, but they're reportedly asking for two first. That sounds about it.

Yes, fire up the app. The GM app. Oh, yeah, GM. Hey, we have a... For the first time. We have a guy that's going to wear a gold jacket in about 12 years. He is just entering his prime. He is the guy that will put you over the top. Give it to us.

This feels like an Eagles situation to me. What? This feels like an Eagles. Jeffrey Chidea of Inneville Network has reported that the Chiefs are not interested. And if you look at a little bit deeper, they've got to pay Patrick Mahomes. They've got to pay Chris Jones. I don't know if they've got to pay. the draft pick ammo either to get him.

Let us move on. Yes, it has finally happened for the New York Giants. They are making the switch at quarterback. The team announced Tuesday that rookie Daniel Jones will start this week. And going forward, the move sends two-time Super Bowl MVP, Eli Manning, to the bench. He'll be a backup and mentor role, as they say. Pat Sherman said in a statement that they spoke. on Tuesday morning.

I told him that we are making a change and going with Daniel as a starter. Eli was obviously disappointed and you would as you would expect, but he said he would be what he has always been, a good teammate, and continue to prepare to help this team win game. So it has happened. One of our

first sandwich prop of the season does not cash out for anyone. Mark, you were the closest. You had week one, week two, as when Daniel Jones would replace Eli Manning. And I'm not going to give you one of these 18-month campaigns where I should have won this. I did not win it.

I lost. Good. No horseshoes and hand grenade scenario here. I mean, the other one is completely legitimate, legitimate, the Philly special. This one I am willing to, because I'm logical, not beat the drum on this. I lost. Okay, good. Very big of you.

So Jones will be the starter. And Wes, I know you've been pounding the drum on this for a couple of years now that it was time for Eli to go. It's like fireworks going off at Wes's house. Well, it's finally happened. Well, I think, first of all, Eli deserves respect for starting 226 games in the NFL, leading his team to two Super Bowls and really engendering extraordinary levels of loyalty from his organization and former teammates like NFL Network's own Sean O'Hara, who still have his back to this day and are questioning the organization for benching him. That tells you something. It does. On the subject of Jalen Ramsey.

On the subject of leadership, this guy clearly has had it as entire. career and had it in spades. And I think he deserves a ton of respect for that. That said, I've been saying this for two and a half years. And the way NFL analysis works, guys like Kirk Cousins, Mitch Trubisky, Josh Allen, they've all got critics, they've all got haters. And every other week, those haters are skeptical that they're right. They're like, well, maybe I'm looking at this wrong. Trubisky's on track to break records for the Bears. You know, Cousins looks great. Never in two and a half years, as I thought, have I thought, oh, Eli, has been anything other than washed up.

I think they made this move a couple years too late. I don't understand why they paid him what they paid him this year, and I don't understand what the organization was doing all offseason. Daniel Jones playing so well in camp, and especially the preseason was a big factor here. I wish I had written in one of those preseason winners and losers. It's up to Eli when he gets bench, because the second they're two games under 500, that's probably the time.

You know, I wish I had gone week three. They lose them right out of the thing. I think I was thinking week five, they'd be one to three. It doesn't matter. Daniel Jones played awesome. That's the problem. I mean, the worst excuse, and this is what the Giants kept saying, was, well, you know, their defense is terrible and, you know, what does it really matter? Well, that doesn't mean you still trot out one of the five or six worst quarterbacks in the league. I think their offense could be pretty good. And by the way, we heard forever, oh, if the protection was better, who could, they've had great.

It's been great. It's been perfect through two weeks. The last problem that they've had in their two regular season games has been past protection. That has not been a problem. To me, if you're a Giants fan, I don't know what if you're a Giants fan, you want to work out and not work out, but it suggests to me that Pat Schumer is something a little bit more than a Manchurian candidate in this whole scenario, because this had to have been how he felt for a long time. He's been talking up Daniel Jones,

while everyone else was killing the team for drafting him, he was saying in the early rookie mini-camps, everything, this guy is processing information. I like him a lot. So I feel that Pat Schumer finally had to be given a shot to run the offensive way he wanted to. That said, if you're Jalen Jones, you're walking into a scenario where you've got almost no healthy wide receivers you can count on right now. It is a rather one-dimensional attack where they seem to be out of ideas on how to fool anyone after the first quarter from the two games I've seen. There is better protection in the past, but it's not a great situation to walk into because your defense isn't helping you out, but they needed to do it.

It's not great, but it could be worse because, and now we get to see it, because Dave Gettleman, who put everything on the line, and he did not have a good offseason, Dave Gettleman. But when he took Sequin Barclay with that pick and passed on all those quarterbacks, everybody killed him, and Seycun Barclay has turned into arguably the best running back in the league and a guy that can be potentially, you know, potentially like an all-time talent. Now he's got Daniel Jones in the lineup. So now we'll see.

if Dave Gettelman is a guy that has a future with the Giants. Because if Jones looks like a guy who can play, if he makes strides, and they did for all the Giants' mistakes and paying Eli, and there's a lot of money on the hook for Eli, and that was all bad, but that's not our money. It's a done deal now. They did get him in early here. It is the middle of September.

He's going to have essentially close to a full season if he stays healthy to develop as a rookie passer. And if he does develop well and the Giants flash, Dave Gediman is going to come out of this feeling good and have job security, as does Pat Schumer. So you look at the Giants and you see they might be a little interesting to watch now. It certainly wasn't the case, West, with Eli at this point.

Well, I think you're going to see a different offense. You're going to see the RPO's that all these other young athletic quarterbacks are running. And we'll see what Pat Schumer's made of as a play caller. He got this job for a reason. Right. I think it's good for Sequoan Barclay. Yeah, and I think Pat Schumer had to tell the front eye. And I think Gettleman is, he's an Eli guy.

Even though he took Daniel Jones, he's as loyal to Eli as anyone. Had to be like, if I'm going to get fired, give me a chance to go with, to show you what I can do with Daniel Jones. Because Pat Schumer's not surviving this. It's like Pat Schumer's not going to be their coach in four years, unless he can somehow get Daniel Jones to look really good and maybe win some games too, but especially make Daniel Jones look good this year.

Like he is in a one-year window or they'll be moving on to another coach. That's actually why I went with week two because I think these things tend to happen quicker in the regular season when suddenly you have a whole coaching staff. Their families have all moved to this area and you've got to tell your assistant coaches we're stuck with this guy for the next 10 weeks. And why isn't Jay Gruden having the same conversation

about Dwayne Haskins? And yeah, Eli has gotten, he's been a punching bag for a couple of years now, not just in this room, but in the media and on Twitter, he's become something of a joke. But I think the reason why I, and we'll talk, more about when he retires. Maybe it will come as soon as a few months from now. But I think maybe one of the reasons why in this studio I always kind of defended him is

having been in New York when he had his rise and the fact that he not only was at times a very competent quarterback and of course what he did and beating Bill Belichick and Tom Brady twice in the Super Bowl, which you can never take away. People always slept on A, what a good, what the Iron Man aspect of a guy that's there every week and how many teams struggle. Look at the Jets. They're on their third quarterback in three weeks. Eli Manning every week was there. And he also did it right. He was a good guy with the media.

He was involved with the community in terms of charity work. He's a good guy. And I just think he was a great pick for the Giants. And I don't know. We could argue about Canton when the time comes. But, I mean, they nailed the pick. He's one of the guys where the person could propel him right into the Hall of Fame if there's any question because the person's kept some people out for years and years.

I'm not saying, I could care less about the Hall of Fame. Sneaky fun to watch, like, in 2011. There was only a couple of those seasons, but at that moment, in 2011 especially, he completed about as many low percentage. How did he possibly do that? You shouldn't have even tried it type of, like, amazing throws late in that season. And even though he didn't have a great Super Bowl necessarily at a very good one.

Like, he was the reason that they won that Super Bowl more than in 2020. He made a couple huge throws in that. Super Bowl, too. Yeah. We talk about it a lot. The Mario Manningham throw is the best throw in Giants history. The helmet catch is the most famous throw. If you knew you could have that career, you'd take in a second minus maybe Twitter

existing where my face is being magnetized day after day every time something happens to anyone. All right. Let's move on. Cam Newton aggravated that foot sprain. He suffered in the preseason. And maybe that shed some light on why he has not looked like himself in the early going this season.

and he did not practice on Tuesday, rang alarm bells. Then Rapsheet and Tom Pelliserro reported that his status is up in the air for Sunday against the Cardinals. I believe since that reporting, is it a done deal or is it still up in the air right now about Newton's availability. Either way, the guy's not healthy. And Greg, he didn't play healthy in week two. and again, this is the guy

they need him to be Cam Newton and he's just not that guy right now. People have tried to determine when the injury happened. It looked like it was, I think it was in the second quarter of week one. At that point he was seven for eight against the Rams and you can see the play

where it happened and he hasn't played very well since. So there's kind of a one-to-one comparison. We can talk about it again Thursday. We don't need to bemoan it. But it sounds like it's a long-term injury. Just the way they're talking about. talking about. It does not seem like it's something that, hey, he's got a chance to play this week. Is this Frank striking again? It sounds like something that could be a few weeks here with Kyle Allen, which is, you know, puts all the more pressure on a GM and a coach who I think knows that they need to make the playoffs this year or a new owner might just change everything.

I would just mention and I, you know, not, Cam Newton is not, you're not going to go replace Cam Newton. And I, that very good chance he's just there next year. No questions asked. But you can get out of his contract for a song for not. nothing. And I just, that feels like a team where the table is set for a massive look, differently looking Carolina Panthers team next year. Coach, quarterback, everything. Weirder things have happened. I mean, I like the idea of Cam Newton, but when is the last time we felt like this was a fully healthy quarterback who, no questions asked, it's going to be the Iron Man scenario we just talked about. Last November. That offense was awesome with North Turner before he hurt his shoulder. It was. It just feels like it's always something with him, though. But these two injuries he's had with the shoulder and this foot are obviously serious enough that he's a totally different quarterback when he's trying to play through them.

Sometimes quarterbacks can play through injuries and be close to themselves. He is a shadow of himself. And for what it's worth, Jonathan Jones of the MMQB, a former Panthers beat writer, says he believes Kyle Allen is definitely starting this week and he would wager the field over Cam Newton in week four, too. Kyle Allen looked great, by the way, in week 17. A lot of confidence. Didn't look quite as good in the preseason? But that's what's happening in the news. All right.

So it's a supersized edition of The Around the NFL podcast with Rich Eisen. Do you think Rich liked the face as a nickname? What did you guys pick up there? I think he was prepared to be skeptical, but you want him over. I mean, what's not to like about it? I think at its core, it's sort of saying you're the dude, you're the man. He wasn't sure what you were getting at, I don't think. I mean, wouldn't you like it if, I wouldn't mind if, you know, this will never happen.

But down the road, you were known as, like, the face of NFL network or the It's the dream, right? The core typist of NFL.com. That feels more achievable. The core typist. That feels achieves. Core typist. Hey, it's the fingers of NFL.com over there.

Gross. Once you explained it to him, I felt like he was on board. I mean, I thought like I had to explain. Yeah, I'm not sure. Skepticism. Yeah, it did feel like a mixed reaction. I'm not sure what he felt. If I find a knife in my tire when I get to my car, I'll know.

It's probably the lanyard-wielding security people. Wes, I love, by the way, that you're clashing. with security. I feel like you're carrying on my legacy. I've kind of moved away from and my war with him. But you are picking up the torch, you're taking the baton, and you are fighting the good fight. Do you know why I know that they have no hand to play here? Why not? Because if it was important enough, they wouldn't have just let it go after a week last time. They just let it lapse for a year. And then now they're like, oh, it's important to wear layers again. I don't know if the audience knows, but Wes, when he tried to enter the property

today was told take out your lanyard show. How are the audience? Yeah, I'm pretty sure they don't know. Now they do. I mean, it's, I don't know. We've been doing the show about three hours. To your point, it is the second time this has come around. I think these corporate mantras, obviously they got the security group together.

Corporate vultures. Well, these things have a half-life. By a month from now, no one's going to be asking you. You put up a strong resistance, Wes, and you kind of shocked the security guys because you didn't. You were like one of my children who knows, okay, it's a new school year. We're going to put down some. new rules, that if they just fight against it as hard as they can after a week and a half, those rules will be out the window.

Well, it's a stupid rule. You don't ask grown men to wear lanyards around their neck. So it feels like you're strangled by a lazy person all day, please. They might be singling you out there. I mean, none of us, the three of us, I think they've got his picture up on the wall. I've been stopped, but I, like, what I did, it took a different tactic. I said, you know what, thank you for letting me know. I absolutely will address it.

I appreciate you telling me. And then we went our separate ways. never wore one again. Well, you don't want to get on the Lanyard Bad Boys list. Well, Wes is announcing they have the pictures just in their,

back in their little hut back. What are they going to do? It's one picture. They want to know you work here so that if someone's walking around without a lanyard, then we know that there's a threat. I know, but Erica, you're on my belt loop

and put it through the exchanger every day when I come through so they know I work here. Erica, for someone who prances around with the Ricky Hollywood is her Twitter handle, you were surprisingly.

What does that have to do? On board with this, with securities take on this. You know, Wes, it would be a good idea for you to wear this. You would think, like, Ricky,

who walks around with her black jeans with the holes in the knees and she's like, I'm a bad girl. I'm part of youth culture. Like, that she wouldn't fall in line

with this whole policy of management. It is a surprise. Okay, yeah. Let's circle back on our three of the show. We can talk about it then. The show is a little long.

Hit us up if you think the show is too long. also stop hitting up mark and dan asking us or them how they're feeling like as their hearts are breaking yeah can you see if dan is okay mark gets the same thing constantly it's not helping and by the way i'm fine i processed the grief of the end of the jet season on last thursday's show so i watched monday's game with a sense of detachment that it was already over and sure enough it was over just a general role here in life some people when they're suffering they need space not smothering. Twitter's not about

space. And I know people mean well, sorry. I'm not trying to get on you. I just don't think it's helping to ask and then tag Mark and Dan in there. I'm rock and roll Ricky Hollywood. But I follow the rules. Like sue me. I don't know. Like Wes is screaming about like security threats.

It's a jarring juxtaposition. I think you can understand where we're coming from. That's all that. I would expect you to be like burn security to the ground. Doors open all the way. Well, there was, like, a gun, you know, seminar that we all had to take. It was, like, an eight-hour thing on NFL security that you bozos just, like, pass that. You didn't have to go to that. The security guy who says hi to me every day and holds conversations with me, knows who I am and doesn't need a lanyard to identify me.

All right. Thursday night football. Put a pin in it. An AFC South showdown between the Tennessee Titans one-in-one after that dispiriting home loss. to the cults, now travel to the big chlorine tank in Jacksonville to face the Jaguars. And Greg, this is a very interesting matchup between... I'll sell it.

The Titans... It is. It's the annual Titans' Galaxy game. I know you find it interesting, but I'm trying to sell it to the greater public. The Titans, which they could not have looked better in the second half against the Browns on the road, got everybody sucked in,

and then looked very much like the old Titans in week two. who's the real Titans in 2019 and the Jags anytime you this is a caged animal game West or cornered animal game oh and two everyone knows your seasons over in the NFL when you go with the added element caged animal of your cornerback trying to get out of the cage before the game exactly so there you go I'll set you up that way Greg a caged animal game against the Titans team that we really don't know who they are yet we've seen a ceiling and a floor already. And a quarterback in Jacksonville that sort of resembles, you know, a cute, furry, caged

animal. That's true, too. Gardner Minchu looked fine in his first start, but this is a perfect matchup for Tennessee to get right. Not only did they kind of wipe the floor with Jacksonville, if I remember a few times a year ago, they're a veteran secondary who should be able to swarm and kind of swallow this Jaguar's offense, which was very condensed a week ago. This is just so, there's such a limited team.

They're so thin. You know how sometimes you hear, oh, Dak Prescott, he's completed eight passes. You know, it's different receivers in the first half. They've six Jaguars period have caught passes this year. They don't have a backup running back. Their offensive line is very thin and they were struggling to pick up blitzes. It's just a lot to ask for Minchu, who I think's doing a good job and their defense to carry them. I think when you have, you know, the B-line through both games was that despite some big plays on offense for the Titans,

against the Browns. Marcus Marriota is not a quarterback that propels any offense he's in. He seems to hold you back. And one thing that I find interesting about a team like the Titans versus others is that you get Adam Humphreys and you mentioned on Sunday, Dan, he finishes week two with negative two yards. I thought he was going to be the perfect thing for Marcus Marriota. And A.J. Brown, big game week one, really nothing in week two. And it's less you cannot count on the Titans attack week to week outside of, I think, you know, Henry potentially on the ground has been consistent since last November or so, one of the better backs in the league. They're going to need him to be big in this game, but I do trust every other element of the Titans in their defense. And to me, I'd be surprised

that they don't win this by 10 points or more. They're the better all-around team. I expect them to win, but you never know when a Jaguar's defense is perfectly capable of shutting down the Tennessee Titans who are not dynamic on offense. I mean, they shut down the Texans. The Texans, I think their touchdown, I believe, was on a very short field. Otherwise, they did a great job. And that was without Ingaquay and Boye. Don't know if they're back. Well, they got pressure on Watson.

And that's two weeks in a row for Watson. But Watson, that didn't shut the offense down against New Orleans. Monshu Manchu Mania, Thursday night. All right. You know what? I'm going to be open-minded about it, Mark. I'm never going to be on the Minshu bandwagon. Like I said, I made that decision, so I'm watching it from the outside.

but he seems like a likable enough kid. I think the bandwagon, I mean, it feels like there was a big send-off party, like when you say goodbye to a boat. But then, you know, it's 100 miles out at sea and it's lonely. And, you know, we're going to have to be reminded that the bandwagon is still moving across the country here. Erica, you know, message me like 10 minutes ago, we need to move this along, you know. But we do have one sound drop that I prepared, so we might as well use it.

Probably one of the most unpleasant auditory moments in NFL. press conference history happened today with Jalen Ramsey. Let's hit it. That is Jalen Ramsey, cracking his knuckles. Let's do it again. Oh, that's gross. How bigger is knuckles? That's the loudest knuckle cracking you've ever heard.

I mean, he's probably got big hands, so I imagine it. That's actually a good question. If you have bigger bones, bigger fingers, bigger hands, you crack louder. I guess you would. I think, right. I love this podcast because we came out of Rich and we're like, let's move the rest of it along. We spend five minutes on b-h-h-h-h-h-and-now we're talking knuckle-cracking.

All right, so that's it for Tuesday's show. Thank you for everybody for listening. And we'll be back on Thursday night. Well, we'll be back Thursday with our preview show. We're working out the details. Yes, we were in dialogue with our listeners via social media about how we're going to handle the show rollout with Thursday night football. Internally, it has not been locked down, but we're leaning towards releasing the Thursday Night Football Recap as its own minipod on Thursday nights and getting out the preview episode earlier in the day.

That's probably where we're going to go with it, but you'll find out soon enough. Prepare your complaints. Dan Hansis, signing off our quiet storm, the mailman, the face, the old boss, and misrule follower behind the glass. Until Thursday. I'm Marcus Grant, and I'm Michael Flauio, and together, and together we host, the NFL fantasy football podcast. Ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Then you need the NFL fantasy football podcast,

your ultimate source for player news, draft tips, and winning strategies. Whether you're a rookie manager or a fantasy vet. We've got the insight to help you crush your opponents. Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. Hey, everybody, Daniel Jeremiah here.

And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the 6th, we take you inside the game from breaking down college prospects and NFL rookies to evaluating team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. We study the tape, talk to decision makers, and give you a perspective you won't find anywhere else. It's everything you need to understand the why behind what happens on Sunday. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Sticks podcast on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.