The Rich Eisen Show

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio tells Rich why the NFL has “thrown in the towel” on their Covid-19 protocols in order to save their season, how the Jaguars can get away without having to play Urban Meyer after firing him for cause, and if the losing head coach between the Bears and Vikings (Mike Zimmer and Matt Nagy) on Monday Night Football could find themselves unemployed by Tuesday morning and how the NFL’s new rules on interviewing rules could result in a head coach getting fired even when his team is still in the playoff hunt.  Rich recounts that time he met ‘Friday Night Lights’ actor Brad Leland who famously portrayed Dillon Panthers Booster ‘Buddy Garrity’ on the acclaimed high school football drama. In his weekly ‘Overreaction Monday’ segment Rich says if John Harbaugh’s controversial 4th down decisions this season will cost the Ravens and AFC North crown, if Tom Brady’s poor showing against the Saints cost him the NFL MVP award, if we’re on a Chiefs vs Packers Super Bowl collision course, if the

Rich breaks down the action from the NFL’s Week 15 slate and how the latest round of surprising outcomes impacts the AFC and NFC playoff pictures, and comments on the Saints’ defense taking it to the Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football, handing Tom Brady his first shutout since 2006.  Steelers All-Pro Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick tells Rich why Pittsburgh keeps bouncing back after every time they’ve been counted out this season and how head coach Mike Tomlin has kept his squad motivated throughout the ups and downs, if the NFL is legislating too much physicality out of the game, and reveals what he did at Alabama that had Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban seeing red.   Rich makes the case for Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor to win the NFL MVP Award, and reacts to Bill Belichick’s shocking apology to being terse with the media following the Patriots’ loss to the Colts on Saturday.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rich and the guys react to the rapidly-spreading Covid virus among NFL teams and the possible implications for Week 15 games. (timestamp).      In his ‘What’s More Likely segment Rich talks Jonathan Taylor, Mac Jones, Ben Roethlisberger, Ravens, Cooper Kupp, Tom Brady, Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons and more.   TJ breaks out his Big Ass Grab Bag and lists his top five basketball movie sharpshooters among Jesus Shuttlesworth from ‘He Got Game,’ Billy Hoyle from ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ and others. Did ‘Hoosiers’ Jimmy Chitwood make the cut?    Vikings All-Pro safety Harrison Barnes and Rich discuss the Vikes’ frustrating season and if they are playing to save the job head coach Mike Zimmer, which NFL QB is the toughest to read, and his reaction (as a Notre Dame alum) to Brian Kelly jilting the Fighting Irish for LSU.   Chris Brockman offers up his ‘Sneaky Good Games’ for NFL Week 15 including the Broncos vs the Bengals, the Urban Meyer-less Jaguars vs the Texans, and Ravens vs the Packers. Learn more about your ad

NBC News’ Steve Kornakci and Rich break down the AFC and NFC playoff pictures with detailed stats on which teams have the best chance to win their conference’s top seed and which teams might be on the outside looking in when the postseason kicks off, and how Urban Meyer’s flameout with the Jaguars compares to some disastrous political campaigns of note.     Kurt and Brenda Warner and Rich Eisen discuss their new biopic ‘American Underdog’ that chronicles Warner’s unexpected rise from unknown Arena League QB to Super Bowl champion to the Pro Football Hall of Fame while detailing the challenges they faced in their personal lives along the way. Warner also weighs in on Urban Meyer’s firing by the Jacksonville Jaguars.   Rich and the guys react to Saints head coach Sean Payton contracting covid-19 again and some possible game postponements in the wake of the virus’ spread among NFL teams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rich recaps the Chiefs’ “dynamite” OT win over the Chargers saying the pivotal AFC West showdown “felt like a playoff game” and debates if L.A. Head Coach Brandon Staley was too brave for his own good when deciding to go for it on multiple 4th downs instead of settling for field goals.      NFL Network Analyst Daniel Jeremiah tells Rich why he has no problem with the Chargers’ aggressiveness on 4th downs last night vs the Chiefs, if KC and Patrick Mahomes or Mac Jones and the Patriots are the team to beat in the AFC and if Tom Brady and the Bucs are the NFC’s favorites, how Urban Meyer’s “tremendous amount of arrogance” ultimately led to his demise with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and if Pitt Panthers QB Kenny Pickett has a chance to go in the top 5 of the 2022 NFL Draft (possibly to the New York Giants to replace Daniel Jones?).    Rich dons his Michigan Wolverines alum hat to gleefully explain why he’s taking such joy in former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer’s spectacular failure in the NFL. Learn

NFL Network Analyst and 3-time Super Bowl champion Willie McGinest tells Rich why the Jacksonville Jaguars had no choice but to fire Urban Meyer once he lost the trust of the locker room, how the 2021 Patriots are eerily similar to the 2001 Pats, if he’ll root for Tom Brady or New England if they meet in the Super Bowl, and how much longer he expects TB12 to play in the NFL.    Emmy-nominated actor Will Forte and Rich discuss reviving his Saturday Night Live ‘MacGruber’ character for a new comedy series on Peacock, reveals that he didn’t fully buy into the character in the beginning, talks Raiders, fatherhood and more!     Rich reviews the new Kurt Warner biopic ‘American Underdog’ base on the life story of the Hall of Fame QB and Rams Super Bowl champion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rich and Brockman preview the pivotal showdown between the Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs and Justin Herbert’s Los Angeles Chargers with the two divided on who wins to secure first place in the AFC West.    Rich ponders Urban Meyer’s next career move and says why a return to being a TV pundit is more likely than him returning to the college game as a head coach again.      ‘Brother from Another’ co-host Michael Smith tells Rich why he might be the happiest person in America today because of the Jaguars firing of Meyer, saying a lack of character was his fatal flaw, and says why Deion Sanders’ flipping the nation’s #1 football recruit from Florida State to Jackson State could be the start of something big for HBCU’s.    Rich responds to a caller who says Jaguars Owner Shad Khan deserves some of the blame for Urban Meyer’s failure in Jacksonville. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rich reacts to the Jacksonville Jaguars firing Urban Meyer just 13 games into his NFL head coaching career calling his 2-11 record on the field combined with numerous blunders off the field a “spectacular faceplant.”    NFL Insider Ian Rapoport tells Rich why Meyer’s “so many missteps” lead to his demise in Jacksonville and whether or not we’ll ever see him coaching on a sideline again, which direction the Jags go with their next head coaching hire (Patriots OC Josh McDaniels? Bucs OC Byron Leftwich?) to develop #1 overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence, and which NFL coaches are on the hottest hot seats heading down the stretch run (ahem, Mike Zimmer and Matt Nagy).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian Bert Kreischer tells Rich why he would make a great NFL head coach or commissioner (hint: onside kicks on EVERY kickoff…end zone celebrations with costume changes), how his parenting skills compare to Tiger Woods’, if he would let golfer John Daly hit a drive while holding a golf tee in his mouth, why he enjoys taking his shirt off in public and but enjoys taking ALL of his clothes off at home even more, some great stories about ‘Star Wars’ star Mark Hamill will filming the upcoming movie ‘The Machine’ and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ESPN’s Monday Night Football NFL Analyst Brian Griese tells Rich how the Rams played more like a team and less like individual stars on their key win over their NFC West rival Arizona Cardinals, why the 49ers could be the most dangerous NFC team in the postseason if they make the playoffs, why the Buffalo Bills have underachieved this season, why the AFC playoff landscape is wide open, and if his Michigan Wolverines have a chance to win the College Football Playoff in January.     The MMQB’s Senior NFL Reporter Albert Breer and Rich discuss Deion Sanders flipping the nation’s #1 recruit, Travis Hunter, from Florida State to Jackson State, why the NFL will need to make changes to its Covid-19 protocols in order to have the Super Bowl played as-scheduled, how a proposed change to the league’s interviewing process could lead to head coaches getting fired before the regular season ends, and how the unrest in Jacksonville surrounding Urban Meyer and the Jaguars could play out. Rich breaks down the decision Jaguar

Rich reacts to Steph Curry breaking the NBA’s career three-pointers record and debates if the Warriors guard has earned a spot on basketball’s Mount Rushmore of top 4 players of all-time.  Two-time Super Bowl champion Chris Long tells Rich if he would want to play in the Raiders-Browns game if he were still in the NFL given the spreading Covid-19 outbreak in the Cleveland locker room, why Urban Meyer has been an unmitigated disaster so far with the Jacksonville Jaguars, if he’s concerned about the Arizona Cardinals with injuries to De’Andre Hopkins and James Conner in their loss to the Rams, and if the Micah Parsons-Lawrence Taylor or fair for the Cowboys’ rookie linebacker. Rich reacts to Deion Sanders flipping the nation’s top recruit from Florida State to Jackson State and says 1) people shouldn’t be surprised, and 2) the Seminoles made a HUGE mistake when the bypassed Prime for their open head coaching job back two years ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rams OT Andrew Whitworth tells Rich what it was like to be the oldest player in NFL history to start a game at LT at 40-years-old and how L.A. responded to positive Covid tests to key players before knocking off the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football, why being nominated for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his off-the-field charity work means as much to him as winning games on the field, and his reaction to Brian Kelly’s new southern drawl he introduced in his first appearance in front of fans at his alma mater LSU.   Actor Terry Crews tells Rich why he still has dreams of playing in the NFL (but playing much better than he did when he actually played in the NFL), his fondest memories of former Chargers teammate Junior Seau, and how much fun he had voicing an animated wrestler in his new Paramount+ film ‘Rumble.’   Rich confesses that ‘Elf’ makes him tear up every time he watches it while TJ reveals that he’s never seen the Will Ferrell Christmas classic.  Learn more

The hour kicks off with Rich doing a deep dive into TJ Jefferson’s resume and its many bullet points under the “Skills” category.    Rich and the guys debate who’s the frontrunner in the NFL MVP race among Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Kyler Murray and others.   Packers All-Pro WR Davante Adams tells Rich why he was rooting for the Rams to beat the Cardinals on Monday Night Football, why Green Bay is clicking on all cylinders right now, if Matt LaFleur is a bit more chesty on the sidelines in his 3rd year as head coach, and if his future with the Packers depends on Aaron Rodgers’ future with the Packers.    Rich reacts to Jerry Jones addressing whether or not Dak Prescott is in a “slump,” and makes the case for Cowboys rookie LB Micah Parsons as the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rich recaps the Rams’ pivotal win on Monday Night football to pull within a game of the NFC West-leading Cardinals and explains why backup RB Sony Michel was the key Matthew Stafford and L.A.’s passing attack, and says what dropping from the #1 seed in the NFC to the #3 seed means for Kyler Murray and Arizona.   NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero and Rich discuss his story on growing discontent in Jacksonville between Urban Meyer and his coaching staff and players, and Meyer’s refuting the report, how long his tenure in Jacksonville will last, the overall impact on the development of #1 overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence, and if the NFL is prepared to delay the Super Bowl if the Covid-19 infection rate continues to rise.   Rich reacts to the latest Urban Meyer-Jaguars drama and says there’s one surefire way to make all the problems go away.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ESPN’s Chris Fowler tells Rich if Bryce Young deserved to win the Heisman Trophy over the weekend, why we should expect a low-score affair in the Michigan vs Georgia College Football Playoff semifinal, why Luke Fickell’s Cincinnati Bearcats better come out swinging against Nick Saban and Alabama in the other CFP semi, why he was not a fan of Brian Kelly bolting Notre Dame for LSU and Lincoln Riley jilting Oklahoma for USC, and why Urban Meyer has struggled in the NFL after a stellar career as a college head coach.      Rich reveals some whisperings he’s hearing in NFL circles about Pitt QB Kenny Pickett and discusses the difference between head coaches who speak their mind and those who engage in coach speak.    Rich and the guys preview the pivotal Monday Night Football showdown between the Cardinals and Rams and what’s at stake for the NFC West playoff picture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio and Rich discuss the latest drama surrounding Urban Meyer in Jacksonville following reports of growing tension between him and Jaguars players and assistant coaches and if Jags’ owner Shad Khan would cut bait on Meyer after just one season, how hot the hot seat is under Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy and if Ohio State’s Ryan Day could be a replacement in Chicago or if the stink of college football coaches’ recent NFL struggles (Meyer, Matt Rhule, etc) could put a damper on his pro prospects, why the Vikings are likely to move on from Mike Zimmer unless Minnesota makes a deep playoff run, how the injuries to Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen could impact the AFC playoff picture, why the Browns haven’t inked Baker Mayfield to a long-term deal yet (of if they ever will), who the next Las Vegas Raiders head coach could be and the latest in the Jon Gruden vs NFL lawsuit.     In his weekly ‘Overreaction Monday’ segment Rich weighs in on hot takes including if the Bills will miss the playoffs,

Rich recaps the Buccaneers’ thrilling overtime win over the Buffalo Bills and marvels at Tom Brady’s “unparalleled” GOAT-ness at age 44, and says why Bills Mafia shouldn’t press the panic button on their season just yet.   Rich recaps the Packers’ latest win over their NFC North rival Bears and reads between the lines of Aaron Rodgers’ postgame comments when asked about his future in Green Bay, and ponders the question: are the Dallas Cowboys legitimate Super Bowl contenders or just the Minnesota Vikings of Texas (a talented team that can’t finish games) while comparing ‘Boys rookie LB Micah Parsons to Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor.    Rich reacts to rumors of brewing discord in Jacksonville where Urban Meyer is reportedly at odds with respected locker room leaders and called out his assistant coaches for making him look bad, and wonders if those reports combined with a lack of production and development from #1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence could mean a one-and-done season in the NFL for him. Learn more about

Vikings Pro Bowl Running Back Dalvin Cook tells Rich what it was like to tear up the Steelers’ defense on Monday Night Football for 205 yards despite playing with a torn labrum in his shoulder, why Minnesota has had big problems closing out games this season, and why he thinks the Vikes can still make the playoffs.   Actor Clancy Brown joins the show in-studio and tells Rich congratulations on his Michigan win over Ohio State (even though it actually sounds pretty condescending), what his favorite scene from ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ was, sings happy birthday to his 92-year-old mom, talks Showtime’s ‘Dexter: New Blood’ and ‘Billions,’ and separates fact from fiction about his roles in ‘The Dukes of Hazzard,’ ‘Bad Boys’ with Sean Penn, ‘Highlander’ and his discus throwing career at Northwestern in a round of ‘Celebrity True or False.’   Chris Brockman offers up his ‘Sneaky Good Games’ for NFL Week 14 for your wagering pleasure involving the Bengals vs 49ers, Cowboys vs WFT, and Lions vs Broncos. Learn more a

Rich recaps the Steelers’ Monday Night Football loss to the Vikings and ponders Pittsburgh’s life after Ben Roethlisberger and the possibility of Aaron Rodgers under center for them next season.     TJ Jefferson busts out his ‘Big Ass Grab Bag’ segment and lists the top 5 biopics he wants to see made: Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey, Frank Sinatra, KISS, and …Sputnik Monroe???    ‘Brother from Another’ co-host Michael Smith tells Rich why Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy’s guaranteed win over the Washington Football Team wasn’t all that big of a deal, why the Lakers have pretty much bottomed out and will only get better, if the Portland Trail Blazers should trade or extend Damian Lillard, and why Father Time is no longer undefeated thanks to Tom Brady.     The guys dust off the ‘Higher Register’ segment with kinda-sorta-hot-but-not-so-lukewarm takes on the Bengals, Colts, WFT and Bill Belichick. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rich recaps Dalvin Cook’s huge game as the Vikings held off the Steelers on Monday Night Football after going up 29-0 and then having the game come down to the final play in their 36-28 win, and rips into Pittsburgh WR Chase Claypool’s time-wasting first down celebration that led to the Steelers’ demise.    ESPN NFL Analyst Ryan Clark discuss MNF and also tears in to Claypool’s selfish behavior and the Steelers’ lack of locker room leadership and misplaced priorities and says how head coach Mike Tomlin can fix the growing problem, says why the Vikings have underachieved this season, why he’s a believer in the Arizona Cardinals to win the NFC and why the Chiefs are still the most dangerous team in the AFC, and his fond recollections of former Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas who passed away unexpectedly last night at the age of 33.     Rich comments on Thomas’ death and reflects on his inspiring, improbable life story and the positive impact he left on nearly every person he come in contact with.  Learn more about