NFL Network’s Kurt Warner Talks Stafford, Drake Maye, Tua, Bucs & More w Rich Eisen | Full Interview

NFL Network’s Kurt Warner Talks Stafford, Drake Maye, Tua, Bucs & More w Rich Eisen | Full Interview

This is SGA’s ring. 6814 the record on. Ah, I got the NBA. We got uh the Jerry West there in the zero of 2025. Some blue sapphires. What else do we got right here? Oh, we’re dropping Latin. Yeah. I don’t know what that meant. That’s the playoff run there. Okay, the playoff run. And look here about this one. So, you open it up. Oh, the trophy. Now, wait a minute. Watch. It’s a wet It’s a band inside the ring. Yeah, I heard that. Precious. Look at that. Wow. That’s pretty old. Does that mean you’re married to your job? Is that what that means? Married to the game. Rich, you’re married to the game. Got to be married to the game. The top part like screws off. I mean, these are unbelievable. All right. Yeah. And look at that. Now, let’s bring in Kurt Warner. You there, Kurt? Did you see that? Did you see that ring for the Oklahoma City Thunder? I did. I did see that. It’s a whole different deal. You got yoursically I actually do. I do actually have mine right here. But it is nothing nothing like uh what what you see nowadays with the wings popping out for the eagles, the wedding band. Holy cow. It’s crazy. It’s like bottles of wine. It’s like a screw top. There’s no screw top on your ring. There’s no screw top. No. Nope. I don’t have anything popping out of it. Nothing. Nothing like that. I’ll still take it. I still like it. Let me see it. Let’s Let’s see it one more time. Let’s I love how you just like we by the way you had no idea that we were gonna play a ring video either. No, I had no idea. Yes. Did you get yours personally handed to you by Georgia Frontiier Kurt? Did you Is that what happened? What was your ring ceremony? It was no ring ceremony. No, I mean we did have a ring ceremony like everybody else, but it was everybody kind of opens at the same time. You get the little box, right? Um you know, delivered to the table and then it’s kind of like uh on Christmas with your kids. Okay, everybody’s got to wait. All right, now go open. and everybody gets to open and and react together. So, okay, cool moments. Cool moments. Now, now, last thing here, Kurt. What would happen if your ring did have a band inside of it and you told Brenda, “Tonight, I’m just going to take this off and put the football band on.” What would what would Brenda’s response be to that, Kurt? She pretty much say, “You got nine other fingers. Don’t mess with that one.” Right. Don’t mess with that one. Right. Find another one. Get it fitted for another another finger. But not that one. Yeah. That, by the way, that’s for the Bachelors on the Oklahoma City Thunder, that band like, you know what I mean? There’s no way you’re otherwise wearing that particular port. You’re keeping that in inside the screw top. All right. Uh, Kurt Warner here on the Rich Eisen Show. It’s all part of Warner Wednesdays as always here every single Wednesday. Uh, appearing here throughout the playing season right here on the Rich Eisen Show. Back on our radio feed, ESPN radio presented by Progressive Insurance. Kurt Warner here on the program. Kurt, we’re we’re now a few days removed from what we saw in London. Can you put into words what we’re seeing from Matthew Stafford this season, Kurt? Yeah, I mean, he’s just in full control of everything. You know, in the past, I mean, we’ve all we’ve always seen, you know, great play and and the special throws and uh you know, how gifted he is as a thrower. Uh but I think a lot of times what came with that was uh some big risks. um you know some turnovers along the way and right now he just looks to be in that zone and I mean even the game that that we saw in London I mean they didn’t really ask him to do all that much you know so to speak he wasn’t winging the ball down the field but it’s about managing it and it’s about making the throws that are there in front of you and you know even some of those short throws that he made were really great throws in that game but that to me is what it it feels like is that he’s gone to another level just in terms of uh the way that he’s playing the game and the way that he’s got a comfort level in that offense and you you know I mean even in that I don’t think we ever saw the ball in harm’s way that entire game it’s just protect the football make the throws that are there he’s going to make some of those special throws whether it’s a sidearm throw for the touchdown or whether it’s the long naked bootleg where he flips the hips and throws it 45 yards on the dime uh you know for the touchdown to his tight end but that to me is what I’m seeing that’s that’s even different than we’ve seen in the past is that uh you know making those throws, taking you know those risks, but you know fully com comfortable doing it and not putting the ball in harm’s way and um it’s got this offense and this team playing really really well. What’s your takeaway from Bucks Lions, Kurt? What’s your takeaway from that game the Monday nighter? Um yeah, I mean I think the biggest thing is that you know that um you when you look at the Bucks and their offense, I mean they’re just trying to get guys healthy so they can know who’s going to show up and who’s going to be there every timeout. you know, they’ve had guys in and out of the lineup and they’ve done well and Baker’s been great. Uh, but it’s just a tough thing when, you know, you go in, you finally get Mike Evans back and you probably have a big package for him and there’s no Chris Godwin and um IA was you banged up a little bit and so he’s kind of the focal point and then he breaks the collar bone and and he’s out and so now you’re you’re trying to shuffle guys in. So, I just I think that’s my biggest take is that, you know, they got to get healthy and figure out, you know, who they’re going to be and give Baker kind of a a solid group to work with because he is playing at an extremely high level, but it just it caught up with them. You know, Detroit went and challenged them and played man-to-man coverage. Um, and they just didn’t seem to have the horses to be able to to match up. Um, you know, wasn’t a great performance from the Lions offense outside of a couple big plays and Jir Gibbs, you know, being Jir Gibbs. Um, but I think my biggest takeaway was just, hey, you know, kind of caught up with the Bucks finally. They’ve had so many close games. Finally caught up with them. And then I really liked what, you know, Detroit did defensively and they were really aggressive and attacked and did some some cool things scheme-wise, I thought, in their man-to-man coverage that made it hard on the Bucks. So, I think those were kind of my big takeaways from that game. Yeah, I I I mentioned that I I think the Bucks still have a shot to go on a Super Bowl run even with Mike Evans out. Got a side eye from uh some here uh on the program and then the googly eyes from the NFL account on Twitter from ESPN. Um and and cuz I mean Evans wasn’t there in in Seattle when Tampa went up there and won a shooting match. Um, and and at some point Bucky Irving’s coming back. Godwin will be back. You know, there’s a and I don’t think they’re going to be terribly threatened within their own division. Uh, I mean, would you what do you say? I I agree. I mean, when you have a quarterback playing really, really well. Uh, you know, they have playmakers like you said. I mean, Bucky Irvin to me is one of those explosive type players that is hard to uh to replace and you know, and so you get, you know, Godwin back, you get him back. Uh their defense to me is always a wild card and the wild card can go either way. Um Todd Bulls will attack you and they will give you a lot of different looks. Um and they will create havoc, but at the same time, they can give up a lot of big plays as well. So, I think a run for them obviously will be centered around Baker, but it’ll be about that defense and that defense being able to kind of, you know, what do I want to say? Lock in to the point where they’re still going to attack, but you just can’t give up those big gamechanging plays because again, in this game, Detroit struggled to do uh a whole bunch. you know, they had the first drive and then they had the long touchdown run and outside of that it was really a struggle for them, but they had a couple big plays along the way that changes the complexion of things. And so that will be to me the challenge for this Bucks team. Um, you know, if they’ve got to throw it every snap like they’ve been doing. Um, you know, the pieces in and out, but really about their defense and does their defense create havoc uh during a playoff run uh or do they give up the big plays and does it end up costing them? Kurt Warner here on the Rich Eisen Show. I want to linger on the AFC East a little bit here. Uh, Bill’s coming back from a by-week. Um, and Drake May uh, and the Patriots have been terrific. They just won three in a row on the road, including it started with that win in Buffalo. But I understand there were lesser opponents between that uh game and and right now um at New Orleans and at Tennessee. Um and this week they’ve got Cleveland before a home date with Atlanta and then visiting the aforementioned Bucks. I I want to give you the floor on Drake May because two years ago you were talking about hey CJ Strad is not just an offensive rookie of the year, he looks like an MVP and a unicorn and then Jaden Daniels was essentially hold my beer. Are we seeing it again right now with Drake May? right now. I mean, we’re seeing something, you know, pretty special here early on in year two. And I really liked what I saw from him last year, but he’s made that jump. Um, you know, I said on something yesterday that I I think he’s playing the best of all the second year quarterbacks. And, you know, Jaden Daniels was awesome last year, but not playing nearly as well. Bo Nicks not playing nearly as well. And this guy just continues to elevate. Um, you know, I did actually did a piece on on QB Confidential about Drake May. And the thing to me that’s that’s crazy is, you know, he went 21 for 23 in that game and setting records in their winning. Um, but he left a whole bunch of stuff out there. I mean, there was a lot of easy first throws that he didn’t take. Um, and he took off running and did some of those creative things. And that to me is the next step for Drake May is um to take the layups, you know, more like his predecessor. And Tom Brady was so good at, hey, if they’re going to give me five yards, I’m going to take it. I’m take it every time and I’m not just going to, excuse me, I’m not just going to try to get big plays or go out and create because we saw it put him in harm’s way in that game. He took that big hit and and had to come out of the game. And there’s a lot of those that he doesn’t have to take because the offense is working for him. It’s right in front of him. And um, you know, making the big throws down the field, probably the best deep ball thrower in the league right now. But wow, some of those layups and some of those on schedule plays, he’s got to make them and and he can’t just keep relying on putting his body in harm’s way over and over again. We know he could do it and we know he’s going to make a few plays a game that way, but to me it’s too much taking off too quickly instead of uh you know, allowing some of those things and the guys around him to make plays for him. You’re saying he went 21 to 23 and turned down layups. Is that what you’re saying? Turned down a bunch of layups. Wow. like a bunch of them. And you think he’s the best deep thrower in the league right now? Yes. I mean, he, you know, it’s like it’s like a handoff when he’s throwing it down the field. It’s got great touch to it, great pace on it. Um, you know, there’s even, you know, a couple throws in the game where you’re just kind of like there’s nothing that really says throw that deep hole shot, you know, all by itself down the right sideline, but he’s like, I’m in his own. I’m going to take it anyways and drop a dime over a corner and beat a safety. and it’s, you know, it’s like, hoham, just another throw. So, uh, yeah, he’s doing some really special things down the field with the ball. Um, but like I said, I I just think there’s there’s room to grow and there’s more out there for him that will make the game easier on him. And, you know, that’s what you want to try to do is make it easy on your quarterback, make it easy on yourself as much as you can because, you know, you’re going to need a couple of those special plays uh through the course of a game, but you just don’t want to have to live in that world. and right now he’s just playing a little bit too fast on some of those things. Um, but he’s doing a lot right outside of that. Kurt Warner here on the Rich Eisen Show. Uh, in the pre-bro Zoom that we were having with Justin Fields prior to the Jets and the Broncos, um, Justin Fields called himself his own worst critic until the owner of the Jets stepped to a microphone yesterday. You know what I mean? And there does appear to be another uh worst critic. Uh this is what Woody Johnson had to say about Aaron Glenn’s job status. What’s your confidence level in Aaron to turn it around? Well, he’s turn it looks like he’s turning around parts of it. You know, it’s hard when you have a quarterback with, you know, okay, with a rating that uh that we’ve got, you know, I mean, he has the ability, but something just is not jing. But if you look at any any head coach of a quarterback like that, you’re going to see similar results if you go across the league. I It was like uh Woody Johnson turned into a longtime listener, first time caller on WFAN, you know, or ESPN in New York. Uh Kurt, so um what should Justin Fields think when he hears this, Kurt? I mean, obviously it’s never a fun place to be. um you know the only thing I would say is there is some truth um you know in there you know not that Justin has just played awful because I don’t think he’s played awful um but there’s also you know we talk about leaving stuff out there I mean you know we could talk about our game u you know over in London you know there wasn’t a lot there but there was enough there and enough easy things there that if he makes those plays they possibly win that football game. And that to me is kind of what um you Woody Johnson is talking about is like we got to have those things like you have to make those plays as a quarterback. And you’ve got to be more consistent than Justin Fields has been because this isn’t a good team. Like this team has not put it together. They’re still still trying to build in all these areas. You’ve got to have better play from your quarterback. And so I understand where it’s coming from. Obviously, it it sounds extremely harsh because it sounds like everything is being put on Justin Fields, and that’s definitely not the case. Um, but you went out and you signed him to 20 million a year. You brought him in here to be your starting quarterback, and you’ve got to get more from that position. You just you just have to if you’re going to be competitive and you’re going to win on a week- toeek basis, you’ve got to get more from that position. And um you know and I talk about it all the time because going into our game a couple weeks ago I mean you know we can throw out the stats you know it was four touchdowns and zero interceptions and he had a 100 quarterback rating and and so those things sound really really good but the bottom line is just like we saw again in our game is holding the football and not taking some throws. And that might mean throwing the football away and dropping your rating. you know, that might mean putting the ball in harm’s way a little bit and and throwing an interception, but it’s taking chances and it’s and it’s pushing the ball down the field because the team needs some big plays. They need some things down the field um to be able to, you know, kind of subsidize where they’re at as a football team right now. And so, um you know, again, it’s a tough place to be. Um, but it it’s part of what comes with the territory is you’ve got to play good football at that position. If you’re going to win football games in this league and if you’re not a very good team that’s rebuilding and trying to figure it out, you’ve got to get better play uh at that position. And and I don’t think Justin, you know, he’s mentioned it, he talked about it uh the last couple weeks that he’s got to be better, he’s got to play better, but um never a fun spot when uh the owner of the team comes out and makes a statement like that. No question about it. What’s happened to Tua? Just simply put, Kurt, um I just think he’s lost his confidence. Um you know, all the things that he’s done well over the years, he’s not doing now. It looks like he’s secondguessing everything. He’s questioning every decision and every throw. I mean, I mentioned it like a couple weeks ago. I think it was two weeks ago. um had an interception early where he came back and dropped back and there was like a skinny post or a quick in uh to Jaylen Wadd and that is a throw that he hits his back foot and he throws that thing every single time. I mean, that’s what he’s made his money doing. And he comes back and he hesitates. Um, and then, you know, he double pumps it and then he throws it late and Jaylen Wadd is over there going, “Well, like, okay, he didn’t throw it on time, so I don’t think the ball’s coming.” And the ball hits him in the numbers and it pops up and it’s intercepted. And it’s just that to me is kind of what’s going on in Miami right now is just everybody is second-guessing everything. And Tua is second-guessing every decision and every throw. and a guy that used to be great in terms of anticipation, great in terms of accuracy, those things have gone out the window um and in a timing oriented offense. And when you’re a timing oriented quarterback and those things have gotten away from you, it looks like it’s looked the past few weeks. And I mean, you do you just sit back and and you know, there’s some things structurally I’ve always talked about that offense that that makes it hard on a quarterback, but Tua was the perfect player within that system because of certain things and superpowers that he had. And right now, um, everything is a mess there. And, you know, it’s too a, you know, playing without any confidence. And when you have to go back and play this position with no confidence and you’re asked to make play after play and you’re asked to to anticipate and throw into tight windows and and you’ve lost your confidence, uh it is a tough place to be. Um and we’re seeing that right now. The hesitation from Tua is killing him and killing this offense. Um and you know, and again, the hard part about it is, okay, you’ve lost it. And we’re so used to thinking, okay, these guys are pros. These guys have been through it before. or just go find it again. Like you’ve had it and you you’ve played great in it. Uh how did you lose your confidence? We don’t really care at this point. Just go get it back. And it’s just not that easy because you feel like every mistake you make goes the other direction. And uh and when that happens now, you get afraid to make, you know, decisions and afraid to make throws because you’re like, is this one, you know, I mean, I hit my receiver in the numbers and it was an interception. You now what? And so that to me is where he’s at right now. And it’s uh it’s not as easy as just uh you know pushing a button or going out there and and you know letting everything else go and just say okay this week I’m going to be confident. It just doesn’t play out like that. He’s got to start making some plays and they got to start playing better for him to kind of build that back up and and get back to where he was a couple years ago. Kurt Warner here on the Rich Eisen Show. Um it listen, it’s a long season as we all know and you know everything that we just discussed can be turned around including you know what we just mentioned although it didn’t look doesn’t look great in Miami and and case in point is the team that we we left in um in Brazil. The Chiefs don’t look at all like that team at all right now. Are they back Kurt are they back? What do you think? I think they are back. Okay. Um, yeah. I mean, you talk about, you know, early in the season, uh, it didn’t look like Patrick Mahomes was was confident, uh, was comfortable with what they were doing and, right, um, you know, we’ve talked a lot about how they wanted to kind of change their scheme and get back to making the big plays and it just didn’t look comfortable. It didn’t look like, you know, he had confidence in his guys and his throws weren’t coming out anywhere close to his guys. And now they’ve gotten back to what we’ve seen from this Chief’s team over the last couple years, and it’s the the quick throws. It’s the RPOS’s to supplement the run game. It’s um you know the things that Patrick can do you know moving with his legs and making throws on the run and you know now they’ve got their weapons back and Rasheed Rice coming back into form and their defense is playing like yeah I mean this was a team that spotted everybody a couple games to start the season and now you know they they are uh hitting at full speed right now and they are playing catch-up with all these other teams that uh seem to be sputtering a little bit you know like the Chargers and and the Broncos and and that sort of thing. And so I don’t think anybody is going to want to play this team um that they do. I mean, when you look at the AFC, you know, when you looked at it early on and Chiefs were struggling, you’re like, “Oh my gosh, you know, there’s lots of lots of teams up there that could, you know, push for this thing.” And now you’re looking at the Ravens at one and five and the Buffalo Bills struggling a little bit and the better teams in their division struggling now down the stretch. I think the Chiefs are sitting there going, “Man, we’re right where we want to be. Doesn’t matter that we didn’t come out of the blocks fast. We’re hitting our stride at the right time. We’re confident. We’re feeling good. We’ve got our guys back. Um, and I do think they’re the team to beat in the AFC as of right now. Curt Warner here on the Rich Eisen Show. Before I let you go, the usual question. Quarterback that looked the best on all 22. Mr. QB Confidential. Everybody, by the way, check out Curt’s YouTube channel, QB Confidential. Um, who is it this week? Yeah. Um, you know, I mean, it’s it would be hard to argue with a Drake May that went 21 for 23 in a game, but I already told you that I felt like he missed a lot of things in that game. I thought Patrick Mahomes played really, really well. Sam Darnold is uh is rolling, but I’m going to go back to somebody that I’ve already mentioned once and not on necessarily one of the best teams in the league, but Dak Prescott is continuing to play lights out. Three more touchdowns, no interceptions, uh, big play after big play down the field. Um, I thought he had the best performance again uh this this past week. He is in uh we talk about confidence. This guy’s got it and this guy is not hesitating and he feels like he’s going to make every throw that’s out there. Even if their defense struggles a little bit, he feels like he can lead them to a win. Um using all of his guys. I mean, it’s just uh it’s fun to watch number four. Um you know, and Jerry Jones coming out and saying, “Hey, that guy that’s the guy that’s indispensable.” And right now, there is no question about it. You have a quarterback playing like that, he is indispensable for this team. But he’s got him at least competitive right now because of the way that he’s playing. If I said the last six minutes, would you say Bo Knicks the last six minutes of a game or Dart? Man, that was that was nuts. That was crazy. You know, you’re watching it play out and I mean, even just the way things kind of uh went the Giants way. you know, they got the tipped ball and the tight end grabs it and goes 40 yards for a touchdown and you’re just like, man, everything is in going in their direction. Um, and then it just, you know, the interception uh by Jackson and then the Broncos actually had a tipped uh ball that was caught by somebody else in the endzone for a touchdown as well. And so it was crazy and it’s crazy how this league because of I think the rules and the way they’re set up now. You know, I think back a couple decades ago when when I was playing, um, it was hard to come back from being down two touchdowns, three touchdowns, obviously, and not that it’s easy now, but because of the rules and because of, you know, the way the defenses have to play softer and the way that you get so many of these different penalties and things that happen, I think we see a lot more of this in this NFL where teams can fall down a couple scores. And we’ve seen it a number of times. What what was it two weeks ago we saw four or five teams come down come back from you know two touchdowns down to win football games. I just think it’s easier now. It’s kind of like the NBA where they say everybody can make a run even when you get up by 20 points. It feels very much like that in the NFL too. And so no lead is safe obviously when uh a team goes in and scores 33 points in the fourth quarter to to get a win. Kurt, you’re the man. Great time in London with you. Uh, I’ll see you uh when our carriage turns back into a pumpkin on game day morning on Sunday. All right. I can’t wait. Can’t wait. It was It was a blast. But, uh, I’m ready to get back to work. I’m ready to get back with the fellas. It’s going to be fun. And I’m And I look forward to getting back uh with you because, you know, maybe you’ll start uh picking games better when you’re back in the studio cuz you’re not in first anymore, pal. I know. I know. I was like the two-minute drills we saw in London, man. I just I don’t know what I was doing and everything fell apart. Fell apart. There are some behinds and elbows of uh that you’re viewing right now. None none bigger than mooches. But anyway, listen, good to see you, Kurt. I’ll see you Sunday, bud. All right, buddy. Hey, you made it all the way to the end. Thanks for that. Check us out every single day streaming live on Disney Plus and the ESPN app 12 to 3 Eastern.

NFL Network analyst/Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and Rich Eisen discuss Matthew Stafford playing at an MVP level for the Rams this season, Drake Maye’s dramatic improvement under New England Patriots’ OC Josh McDaniels, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson throwing QB Justin Fields under the bus, what’s ailing Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa’s confidence, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs regaining their Super Bowl form, Dak Prescott’s mastery of the Dallas Cowboys’ offense this year, and more.

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