Tag: The Rich Eisen Show

Where does Rich Eisen have the Commanders in his power rankings?

Where does Rich Eisen see the Commanders after a week off?

Rich Eisen presented his weekly NFL power rankings, reminding many viewers that it is a week-to-week league.

Last week, following the Commanders’ tremendous display of rushing offense in their 42-19 convincing win over the Tennessee Titans, Eisen had the Commanders ranked No. 10

This week, Eisen began with the Rams after their high-scoring home win over the Bills. Eisen thus has the Rams now as his No. 10 team.

Consequently, with the Rams offense getting in gear and the Commanders having lost Austin Ekeler and Noah Brown in consecutive games, Eisen has dropped the Commanders out of his top 10 power rankings.

Commanders fans need not get upset. If the Commanders defeat the Saints in New Orleans this week and then the Eagles in Washington the following Sunday, Eisen will no doubt easily have the Commanders back in his top 10.

Seeing the Commanders have now dropped out of Eisen’s top 10, here is this week’s top ten according to Rich Eisen:

  • 10. Los Angeles Rams
  • 9. Seattle Seahawks
  • 8. Baltimore Ravens
  • 7. Green Bay Packers
  • 6. Minnesota Vikings
  • 5. Buffalo Bills
  • 4. Pittsburgh Steelers
  • 3. Kansas City Chiefs
  • 2. Philadelphia Eagles
  • 1. Detroit Lions

Watch: Rich Eisen reacts as Commanders trade news broke

Eisen loves this move for the Commanders.

“Oh my goodness!”

That was Rich Eisen’s immediate reaction on the “Rich Eisen Show” when the news of an NFL trade broke on Tuesday.

Eisen continued reading as the details were provided, “Saints get a third, a fourth, a sixth, and the Commanders get Marshon Lattimore and a fifth? Wow, that is a big-time move to add to this team! Good Lo__.”

Knowing how the fan base is already so excited that the team has turned things around so quickly, Eisen then suggested, “The Commanders fans have got to be out of their minds… they are loading up for it (the NFC East).”

Aware of the Eagles being the Commanders’ competition this season in the division, Eisen pointed to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith as two capable receivers that the Commanders saw they didn’t match up well with and that this move for Lattimore certainly helps Washington.

Suzy Schuster (Eisen’s wife) and a sportscaster herself then declared, “I defy you to tell me a more exciting team right now to watch than the Commanders.”

“They are incredibly exciting to watch,” responded Eisen. “Because they have that kid (Jayden Daniels), And I think it is awesome that they are saying the Saints are down and out. We have an opportunity to get better with a premium player on the back end.”

Eisen then reminded his viewers that the Commanders have “my guy” Mike Sainristil and that the deal was done before they play the Steelers and Eagles.

The longtime host then lauded the organization because they are not satisfied that Jayden Daniels and the offense have been surprisingly good, but that they now go get a better corner as well, saying it sends a message to the NFC that the Commanders are really going to try to win it.

“I mean, what a holy heck of a dumpster fire mess this franchise was for such a long time, and Commanders fans never thought they would get rid of Dan Snyder in their wildest dreams.”

Eisen concluded that it was as if when Snyder sold, they walked out of the house, and there was the yellow brick road, and they said, “Let’s follow it.”

“Follow the burgundy and yellow (ok, it’s gold) brick road; that is what is happening right now.”

What word did Dan Quinn use to describe Jayden Daniels?

Several things stand out about Daniels, but one thing stands above the rest, according to Quinn.

Dan Quinn was asked about Jayden Daniels, and he offered one word: ‘poise.’

Quinn, a guest on the “Rich Eisen Show” Wednesday, was asked about Daniels completing seven of nine attempts for 91 yards in his last two possessions Sunday in the 21-18 win over the New York Giants.

“The thing about him that is remarkable so far, the word that comes to mind is ‘poise,’ expressed Quinn. In those moments, Jayden is really rock solid.”

“He really puts in the work, which I think gives him a lot of the confidence, and the other players definitely feel that from him. As he’s growing, the team is as well…Now that we are in the games, you see a calm, cool, collected guy that stays razor-focused.”

Eisen responded, “How much do you talk to him about sliding, getting down? That moment when he had the wind knocked out of him, where he tries to split two defenders. I was like, watching a horror movie through the fingers of my hand. What do you say to him?”

“We are a work in progress on that part, Rich,” replied Quinn.  It is a physical league. We want to make sure of the smart decisions: When to get down, when to get out of bounds.

“Just like every other part of his game, there’s going to be some extended plays where he’ll remain a passer and lets it rip down the field and that also goes into some of the scrambles.  I think we are going to work hard at that. He’s been crushing all of the things we have thrown at him and this is another one. Remaining a passer as longs as you can, knowing there are some big plays out there.”

Indeed,, Daniels has struggled with sliding and getting down. Yet he has made big first downs on his feet and made the big throws to help the Commanders win that game Sunday over the Giants 21-18.

He’ll need poise on Monday, when he travels to Cincinnati to face the Bengals on the road in a Monday Night Football contest.

 

NFL analyst weighs in on Commanders’ Jayden Daniels

Popular analyst discusses what he’s seen from Daniels.

Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams were the top two quarterbacks drafted in April’s Draft.

NFL Network Analyst Daniel Jeremiah, a guest on the “Rich Eisen Show,” was asked to compare Daniels (the 2nd overall pick) and Bo Nix (the 12th overall pick.

However, rather than dishonestly winging it, Jeremiah admitted he had only watched the first-game film (not the second game) of Nix. He did, however, interject an observation he had noticed while watching some of Caleb Williams’s film as well.

“I had a chance to go through Jayden’s stuff (film) this morning. I thought he played clean. He took a bunch of sacks in that game, but I thought they did a nice job designing to get the ball out of his hands quick.”

“His mind looked like it was working really fast, like somebody who has played a lot of football (which he has). I thought he did some really nice things, trying to keep the ball out of harm’s way downfield.”

https://twitter.com/JetPackGalileo/status/1836148202233541027

“Kingsbury (Kliff) did a nice job scripting some things…I could see plays building off of one another. I came away encouraged. It’s got to be hard for someone as talented as Jayden Daniels to bottle some of that and not try to do everything. I think that is where the difference is with him, early on, versus Caleb (Williams). Keep in mind, in this case, “early on” is only two NFL games for both Williams and Daniels.

“Both of these guys are supremely talented, and I think maybe Caleb is trying to do too much, trying to make some of those ‘hero plays,’ where Jayden is playing a little bit more under control. But that is an encouraging sign the way he has played.”

This is indeed encouraging for those associated with and following the Washington Commanders.

Albert Breer talks Commanders offensive issues

What do national analysts think of the Commanders offense?

What do NFL analysts think about the Commanders’ offense and Jayden Daniels?

SI’s Albert Breer had a lot to say to guest host Andrew Siciliano on the
Rich Eisen Show,” Tuesday.

Breer: “The Commanders are starting from ground zero so I think a big part of making him (Jayden Daniels) win the job is you want to make everyone win their job, especially when you are telling Bobby Wagner, Jonathan Allen or Terry McLaurin that every position is open. You’re trying to preach competition, so I think everyone here (Ashburn) knows the score. He’s taking all of the first-team reps, operating as the first-team starter would.”

“I think because of the offense they are going to run here, he has a real chance to hit the ground running as a rookie.”

Siciliano: “Is there any concern that this offense (pause) I just hope they protect him…for Jaden Daniels to make sure that he doesn’t get beat up?”

Breer: “This is a guy who did take a lot of big hits in college, and this is a guy who is not built like Cam Newton.”

“They have issues at tackle, so they are going to have to take care of how they protect, and they are going to want to take advantage of who he is as a runner. So, if you are going to do that, you got to teach him, ingrain in him the importance of sometimes you can be in second-and-6, you don’t need to get to second-and-2…You don’t always have to put your head down and grind out the extra couple of yards.”

“The other way they are going to manage this is through the run game. It’s more difficult to get to the quarterback if you are effective at running the ball. They feel they have a couple of good backs in Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler, who has been fantastic. He does look like he has some juice left coming over from the Chargers.”

So, I’d say it’s Jaden being cognizant that he can’t take hits the way he did in college, leaning on the run game which will naturally slow the pass rush, and managing your offensive line issue in a certain way. I think Kliff (Kingsbury) is smart enough to coach around his personnel. I think they are well aware of their tackle issue, being what it is. There are going to be times they are going to have to do that (max protect) a bit more often in 2024.”

Rich Eisen believes the Commanders will be one of the NFL’s top sleepers in 2024

Playoffs? Eisen thinks it’s a possibility for the Commanders in 2024.

The Washington Commanders aren’t expected to be a playoff team in 2024. Considering Washington went 4-13 last season, that’s not a surprise. However, there is a lot of goodwill and excitement surrounding the Commanders after the franchise underwent massive changes this offseason.

One person who thinks the Commanders have a chance to be good is Rich Eisen. On a recent edition of the “Rich Eisen Show,” Eisen named his top five sleeper teams for 2024. The Commanders came in at No. 2.

“I like the Washington Commanders to really wake up, guys,” Eisen said. Jayden Daniels, despite what the coach is saying that we need to see something before we name him the starter, he’s going to be your starting quarterback. Terry McLaurin is as good as they come in the National Football League. And I love Austin Ekeler with Brian Robinson Jr., and you know how DQ, Dan Quinn, can rile some people up. This team is going to be good this year, folks. I think they can make the playoffs.”

It’s difficult to go from four wins to the playoffs in one offseason. It’s been done before. Remember how bad the Houston Texans were in 2022? Like Washington, Houston selected a quarterback with the second overall pick in the draft and went from worst to first.

While the Texans remain more of an outlier right now, that can’t be ruled out. With many questions surrounding the Dallas Cowboys, there’s a chance the NFC East will take a step back this year.

Can the Commanders make the playoffs? The defense will be much better. That’s a guarantee. Two things that will help determine Washington’s season are rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the offensive line. If both things go in the Commanders’ favor, watch out.

NFL insider previews the Commanders and NFC East

The Commanders are a mystery in 2024.

What would you say are the non-negotiables for the 2024 Commanders if they are to be a playoff team?

NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero, filling in on the “Rich Eisen Show” this week, provided his non-negotiables for each team in the NFC East.

NY Giants: Daniel Jones plays like a $40 million quarterback.

“He has had injuries; he must stay healthy. They lost Saquon; this is going to be a lot on Daniel Jones. He is going to have to figure out how to move that team forward.”

Philadelphia Eagles: They get back to playing offense the way they have when they were one of the best teams in the NFL.

“A lot of things got away from them down the stretch last season. You’re now changing out both your coordinators again. It comes back to how do we put Jalen Hurts in the best position to succeed?”

Washington Commanders: If you stacked up all the teams that I don’t know what they are going to be, the Commanders are one of the top teams on the list.

“I know Dan Quinn is a hell of a culture builder. I know Jayden Daniels was a hell of a college quarterback. Beyond that, you’ve got this combination of the Austin Ekelers, the Bobby Wagners, the big names that are toward the back end of their career. You obviously have a holdover like Terry McLaurin. I just don’t know. Maybe they get that first-year boost from the head coach who comes in, takes a team and it is a different vibe.”

Co-host Chris Brockman offered that he thinks it is clear they will be in the top five of the draft again. He added he doesn’t see Washington going over six wins.

Dallas Cowboys: There is a lot that still needs to be sorted out.

“Is CeeDee Lamb going to be at training camp? Is Dak Prescott going to get a new deal? Do they even potentially do a Mike McCarthy extension? Dak has to play his absolute best, elevating everyone, including into January.”

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn or the Chargers Jim Harbaugh?

Which head coach is most likely to help his team the most in 2024?

Which head coach in a new spot is most likely to prop up their new team?

That was the question Rich Eisen asked on the “Rich Eisen Show” a couple of days ago. His two choices were Jim Harbaugh (L.A. Chargers) and Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders).

Eisen: “How dare you? How dare you even give me a question like that.”

Co-host T.J. Jefferson, in the background, was heard to say, “I know what Rich is going to say. He’s going to say, ‘Dan Quinn’.”

Eisen: “No, I am not. Come on, one guy has a history of plus and up. I don’t know what the Falcons were in Dan Quinn’s first year. I doubt it was plus seven.”

Co-host Chris Brockman chided in, “I mean, they were up 28-3 in the Super Bowl.”

Eisen: “Whatever. One guy has Justin Herbert, and the other guy has a rookie quarterback. Just that alone (pause). He’s got a rookie quarterback. And you (Brockman) already said they (Commanders) are only 31 in your power rankings. Jim Harbaugh, please. What else?”

Now, on the surface, Commanders fans may view our relaying this to you as a negative dumping of Dan Quinn.

Not at all. Commanders Wire notices that Dan Quinn has already been mentioned in this type of conversation this offseason.

You see, doesn’t this convey that seeing how bad the Commanders were in 2023, losing their last eight straight, losing 13 of their last 15, while getting absolutely blown out and embarrassed several times, NFL media is thinking much higher for 2024?

Doesn’t this reveal another example of NFL media realizing that with Dan Snyder and the Ron Rivera era now in the rearview mirror, Josh Harris, Adam Peters, Dan Quinn, and Jayden Daniels are being believed in to turn things around in 2024?

Outsiders are looking at the Commanders much more positively for 2024.

 

Did Commanders make Daniel Jeremiah’s top five breakout teams in 2024?

The Commanders named a potential 2024 breakout team by Daniel Jeremiah.

Daniel Jeremiah, a guest on the Rich Eisen Show on Monday, came prepared with his five breakout teams for 2024.

That is to say, which five teams who bottomed out last season will make a large improvement in 2024?

The NFL Network analyst gave his top five in this order: Bengals, Chargers, Bears, Commanders, and Cardinals.

What did Jeremiah and Eisen have to say about the Commanders?

Eisen: “Washington? I was talking about it again the other day when Chris (Brockman) had them 31st on his rankings. Jayden Daniels, I can’t wait to see what he looks like. But Terry McLaurin, Ekeler, Brian Robinson, Jahan Dotson, Kliff Kingsbury dialing it up. They have weapons there, man. They could really light it up, potentially.”

Jeremiah: “They’ve got some weapons there. Offensive line, they’ve got bodies to fill all of those holes. That’s my one, let’s wait and see. I do have some reservations there. Let’s see what that offensive line looks like. But the other side of it, Rich, this is not player-driven but more coach-driven; when was the last time you saw a Dan Quinn defense that didn’t punch above its weight? They’re going to be playing with their hair on fire, playing so hard, squeezing every drop of talent they can out of that group. I think he is going to get more out of that defense than people are expecting.”

Eisen shot back: “The last time I saw that out of a Dan Quinn defense, was the last game he coordinated for the Dallas Cowboys, to be very honest with you.”

Jeremiah simply laughed as if to say, “Ok, you got me with that one.”

I’m usually a big fan of Jeremiah’s work. However, in this case, upon first glance, NFL fans should notice that though the Bengals did finish last in the AFC North in 2023, their record was 9-8. Consequently, how are they going to have the largest breakout in 2024 unless they win 14 games to finish 14-3?

Also, the Bears were actually 7-10 in 2023, three games better than the 4-13 Commanders and Cardinals, while two games better than the 5-12 Chargers.

The discussion did not provide the qualifications for a top breakout team. Should a top breakout team win, say, five more games than they did in 2023?

If so, Jeremiah’s five teams’ records would be as follows: Bengals 14-3, Bears 12-5, Chargers 10-7, and Commanders and Cardinals both 9-8.

Unless one is willing to define what a breakout season is in terms of improved wins (+5, my example), then what are we even predicting?

Longtime NFL cornerback says Jayden Daniels was the best quarterback in the draft

Jayden Daniels earns high praise from Patrick Peterson.

Patrick Peterson has seen a lot. The longtime NFL cornerback has played 13 NFL seasons and was still active in 2023. While Peterson doesn’t have a team for 2024, he hasn’t officially announced his retirement.

The former LSU star is a three-time first-team All-Pro, eight-time Pro Bowler, and a member of the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team. He has 36 career interceptions and has faced some of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.

As a guest on “The Rich Eisen Show” Tuesday, Peterson discussed the rookie quarterbacks and said he believed new Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was the best in the 2024 NFL draft.

“For the most part, his career at LSU was just unbelievable,” Peterson said. “What he was able to do last year and the steps he was able to make from the previous year, it was just remarkable to see the steps and strides he was able to make to solidify himself as the Heisman Trophy winner and second overall pick of the Washington Commanders.”

Peterson is looking forward to seeing what’s ahead for Daniels.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how his career ends up panning out,” he said. I do love his skill set, I think he probably, not probably, I thought he was the best quarterback as far as overall skillset, pocket presence, going through the process of reading the routes, I just thought he was the best all-around quarterback in this 2024 draft.”

Here’s the full segment:

Earning the respect of veteran players is often the most difficult thing for a young quarterback. Daniels’ teammates in Washington are already impressed and it sounds like some of the best players in the NFL are, too.