FIRST TAKE | Joe Burrow to Vikings – Rich Eisen tells Stephen A. Smith Bengals wasted Joe’s talent

FIRST TAKE | Joe Burrow to Vikings – Rich Eisen tells Stephen A. Smith Bengals wasted Joe’s talent

you know, if I want to if I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it. Uh, you know, I’ve been through a lot and if it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for? I’m not sure there was a a singular moment or of time. It’s just uh reflection reflection on a lot of things that I’ve done and been through in my career, I think. you know, I’ve been through more than most and um certainly not easy on the the brain or the body. So, um just trying to have fun doing it again. All right. So, that was earlier in the week. Joe Burrow just sounding down and really raising eyebrows about his future in Cincinnati. Well, then his wide receiver Jamar Chase responded to those comments when he was asked about it yesterday. I thought this is a AI. I’m not Did this really happen though? Do you that’s real today? Yeah. Yes. Well, it depends on what you see. I don’t really know nothing about it at the end of the day. You know what I’m saying? That’s something you might have seen something that we’re not. I mean, but like I’ve seen a little bit from the TV walking outside from practice and then like I turned my eyes, but I don’t know nothing about it. At the end of the day, I I see him the same every day. To me, he loves football. You know what I’m saying? But that’s a him question. I can’t answer that for him. Okay. I felt like this was fair from Jamar Chase. Rich Eisen is here with us now on First Take. And so Rich, welcome. You ready to get the hot takeoff? Here we go. I am ready to roll. What do you What do you think about Joe Burrow’s future in Cincinnati? That sounded very Andrew Lucky to me. It sounded like a guy I mean when anybody starts a sentence with if I want to keep doing this, the follow-up question is like, wait, you don’t want to keep doing this? Are there circumstances under which you don’t want to continue to do this anymore? And um and it sounds like a guy who needs a break. Uh and maybe literally by taking some time off, then you know that he’s had all this time away in uh rehabbing a toe injury. But I I’m also thinking it’s a figurative break. He needs a figurative break or a clean break. Is it from football? Is it from the Bengals? I mean, these would be all my follow-up questions for for Joe. Yeah. I mean, we obviously talked about it yesterday, and this is a guy who’s been through a ton since being drafted by the Bengals. He’s also had a ton of success individually when he’s on the field. If you know who Joe Burrow is, Joe Burrow is a winner. Joe Burrow is a competitor. And football is too hard to prepare for and to play when you’re relatively healthy as opposed to what he’s been going through with injury after injury, not being protected up front and then playing at these high levels and not even getting chances to be a participant in the playoffs. And that Joe Burrow sounded sad. That that Joe Burrow sounded trouble. that Joe Burrow sounded reflective of I’ve played this game my entire life for to be able to win, to be able to compete, to be the best I could possibly be. I am individually the best I could possibly be when you protect me when I’m healthy. But even then, you haven’t built an infrastructure to give me a chance to see team success. It could be a break that he needs. They need a new coach. I said it yesterday and we’ll say it again today. He ain’t playing for the right man. That’s number one. Number two, the man has been sacked 203 times. Those are sacks. I didn’t bring up the amount of times he’s been hit. Think about that for a second. Think about the fact that Andrew Luck retired being sacked 29 less times in 13 more games than Joe Burrow. take into account what they look like organizationally under Mike Brown, what this team has been in terms of its failure to protect them, insulate them, and you really really have your answer. And then if you remember yesterday on national television, Rich Eisen, I read a quote from Mike Brown in 2015 about the differences he had with Carson Palmer, and it was almost mirroring what’s going on right now. You see what I’m saying? So, I’m looking at it. You got an owner that’s notoriously cheap, even though obviously there’s a flaw to what you can spend in the what you have to spend in the NFL. So, he definitely meets that. But in the same breath, we can’t accuse him of that this time around because the low piece of culpability that Joe Burrow has in all of this is that you did come on national television last year during Super Bowl week right here on this show live from New Orleans and he said they need to resign Jamar Chase, they need to resign T. Higgins, and they need to resign Trey Hendrickson. And the Bengals did all three. You mentioned nothing about that offensive line. You mentioned nothing about prot prioritizing protecting yourself in terms of that offensive line instead of some guys that you know the talents that they are. So I get the level of culpability, but in the end I felt be I feel bad for Joe Burrow because Joe Burrow is one of those dudes that goes out there. This is the third season in his six years he’s been out for a chunk of games. All right, due to injury and lack of protection, even though this latest injury, you could blame it on anything. and he’s looking at a team that can’t do anything without him. Yeah. And he’s saying, “Damn, do something. Help me out. Can I Can I make a mistake? Can I can can can a a you know, a a a pursuing defensive lineman jump up and and and intercept the ball? Can I make a mistake and lose a game for us and us still have a chance? I can’t do anything wrong in order for us to win.” And that’s the indictment against the Cincinnati Bengals. I think he knows it. I think he sees it. And I think his frustration has swelled. And that’s what we’re looking at. Yeah. to to Stephen A’s point without Joe Burrow under center the Bengals won one football game that’s not great Cam Newton I think there the the frustration that Joe Burrow has kind of let the world in on is to what Stephen A just mentioned I do have to play perfect in order for us to have a chance to win even when I do play perfect that doesn’t mean that we will win that’s on one side but on the other side I’m saying to myself Joe Burl everything that you have ever asked for publicly, you’ve gotten. You’ve gotten T. Higgins. You’ve gotten Jamar Chase paid handsomely. You’ve been paid handsomely. So, do I want to say Zack Taylor and and and you know, Mike Brown had a had a big part into mismanaging, you know, uh, talent like Joe Boro? Yes. But it’s only but so much that they can respectfully do if they don’t have no money to go find adequate help. So when RC says you have to find protection, you have to find help. Where are we going to get it when we spent all our money at the skill position offensively? That’s how you get into these specific situations. And it is alarming. It is frustrating for a player to have to play elite all the time, every snap, and still come up with a loss. Well, you get it through the draft. That’s where you get it. And you draft better than you have. I mean, Shamar Stewart was one big fat nothing pretty much a big nothing burger from the first round. And they had a a dispute as you know. Yeah, I just dropped that word. Um that that yes, that that that that there was a contract dispute that was weird to say the least going back during the spring, during the summer. And in terms of you know, you mentioned Mike Brown, Stephen A. I mean, we have uh a sound drop on my show that we play every time the Bengals sign a player, and it’s the sound of a Velcro wallet ripping open because that’s hard. That’s that’s Mike Brown, you know, that’s his his uh MO despite obviously having paid these two wide receivers and eventually Trey Hendrickson. But the the Marvin Lewis is around in Cincinnati longer than what Bengals fans expected or potentially wanted because they don’t the Cincinnati Bengals and Mike Brown do not pay coaches to not work for them. So, I don’t know if they’re going to make that change. I I just think it’s Joe Burrow just being honest at a moment in a press conference where he’s kind of feeling it. And when you talked about what you talked about with Andrew Luck, that is spot on, Stephen A. the fact that two things. One, Jamar Chase saying, I don’t know anything about it. Nor did any of Luck’s teammates. That was shocked everybody when he’s like, I’m out. And then two, Borrow did say it it affects the brain. Is he talking about himself mentally or is he talking about the number of times he has been hit behind this offensive line? It’s just one big question mark. Two, just to defend Joe Burrow a little bit here though, when you say he didn’t ask for offensive line help, I mean, what’s he supposed to do? I need offensive line help. I want my receivers signed. I need an entire defense retoled. He would have had to go through almost every position group. That’s true. But I’m just saying that you’ve got to know you’re the franchise and you’ve got to touch on what you need most. Particularly when you’re talking to an owner that is notoriously cheap. Yeah, I think you got to know that. And the other piece we also have to realize what’s the line of questioning as well. At that point, we were talking about three extremely valuable players who were up in free agency or who were asking for more money. And you didn’t, it’s not necessarily he’s asking, okay, what do we need in order to be great? He’s saying Jamar Chase, T. Higgins, Trey Hendrickson has poured into this team and they deserve to be paid by the Cincinnati Bank. Yeah. And in the long run, again, you take a look at what’s happening with the Colts now. Uh they give up two first rounders for sauce and then three weeks later Daniel Jones, yes, is gone. And that’s a dreadful injury because you’ve already gone all in on Daniel Jones by trading those first rounders for Sauce, thinking this is the year for you to make it. Nobody saw the Achilles injury coming. I mean, they they signed Chase, they signed Higgins, nobody saw this toe injury coming in the second game. Yeah. But the thing but but the what I would say to you about that, Rich, is this. That’s a really really unfortunate injury, right? And even before he went down for the year, he was playing injured. Daniel Jones that I’m talking about here, you talked about Shane Styen, right? And you talk about what he brings to the table. We know what Jonathan Taylor could do. We know what their pieces are offensively. And defensively, they were considered one of the most well-balanced teams in the National Football League. So you you you you’re able to look at the Colts and say, “Damn, they lost their quarterback.” Right? In case of the Cincinnati Bengals, you’re like, “Damn, is everything about Joe Burrow? Do y’all know how to do anything else?” I call I’ve been on this show religiously, Rich Eisen, calling for an investigation into Zack Taylor in the offseason. What are you doing that your team spent the first six years never prepared to play in September? How does that happen year after year after year? First two games of the season, six times, six years, 12 games, one and 11. What are you doing? They’re never ready to go. And Joe Borrow has always been playing on an uphill trajectory. I mean, uphill climb. It’s it it becomes problematic because you’re like, well, who else is doing their job? Okay, so if we look ahead to this weekend, if the Bengals lose to the Ravens, they are officially eliminated from postseason contention. And so, backs against the wall divisional game. Ravens Bengals, who do you like, Cam? Ravens. I I got to go to the Ravens, man. I’m I optimistic. I’m like that battered, you know, puppy that, you know, you didn’t leave the food out. You know, you didn’t give me the the the ideal water, but I still love being Yeah, I’m I’m still locked in with you. I’m waiting for Lamar Jackson and Cole to really make it make sense because, man, if they do not make the playoffs, boy, it is going to be one for the book. So, I have to go, you know, for for the Baltimore Ravens right now. So, Rich, you like I’ll go the other way. I’ll go Cincinnati. I I thought I I chose Cincinnati on on NFL game day morning last week to to beat the Bills. They came awfully close. That game was a 10point uh in their favor. They they were up by 10 2818 and then the roof caved in. Um Burrow’s playing redhot. He’s playing terrific football and I think the Bengals it’s his first home game and I think he definitely hears this. I think he’s one of the quarterbacks that watches first take um in the National Football League. There’s there’s other quarterback I heard. They all watch. I’m just I’m just letting you know. Okay. Right. Uh, I I I I think Joe is cognizant of the conversation that’s being had based on his comments and him being in his first home start. I think he’s going to show up. I think it’s the Cincinnati Bengals because the Baltimore Ravens historically have had difficulty with Joe Burrow, but it was the Baltimore Ravens offense that allowed them to win that game. Those games when Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase were playing at a historic clip. Rich mentioned the Buffalo Bills game. People who didn’t watch that game don’t understand it was a phenomenal play by Benford that ended in a pick six and then the play directly after that when the Cincinnati Bengals got the ball back. It was a tip by defensive lineman and another interception. But they were up in that game and dominating in points against the Buffalo Bills on the road. I expect this to be an extremely tough game for the Baltimore Ravens, but a game where Joe Burrow plays at the highest level. And if he watched Aaron Rogers last week against the Baltimore Ravens, he has to be licking his chops when Jamar Chase gets those one-on- ons. I’m going with the Bengals as well. I don’t know what the hell is going on with the Ravens. Everything seems to have fallen apart. We once could rely on their defense. We can’t anymore. We’ve seen Lamar Jackson ailing uh physically, but then he looked physically healthier, but it still wasn’t good enough. You’re looking at Derek Henry, King Henry. You’re like monkey these words. Do you not know that this is the guy in the back field for you? Give him the ball more somehow, some way. That doesn’t seem to be a priority for them. The Baltimore Ravens are all over the place. And we’ve talked so much about what’s going to happen to Mike Tomlin after the season. We haven’t talked enough about what might happen to John Harbaugh after this season. It’s just a dicey situation in Baltimore right now. And there’s no reason to go against a Bengals squad with Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase on the field together. All right, I’m going to go with the Bengals, too. I I just feel like, as you said, Joe Burrow playing hot. Uh he’s gonna be at home this weekend. Why he got the windy fingers? Did you change your mind? Did you change your mind? I did not change my mind. But I must admit to something real quick while we got, you know, the great rich eyes and on. Hey Rich, you do such a great job before the year with the run. I think you should change it up this year and you you should race somebody, right? That will garner so much attention and you’re looking across from the person you should raise and Stephen A. Smith. What a great idea. I lose that you on the run rich run with my name and then you lose Stephen A. You can run in Tom Fords. No run in those Tom Fords right there. I I I I haven’t seen Not to go full Drake May. I haven’t seen every second of this program, but this may be the greatest take in the history of That’s a great take. That’s a great take. I think that is the greatest involved in something other than running. You shoot something like that. I’ve been saying that for 20 years. Something other than running. But something other than running. Other than running. No, I’m not I’m not a knee Achilles. It ain’t happening to me. 58, bro. You ain’t doing that to me. You ain’t doing that to me. Greatest thing. We’ll we’ll come up with something. We’ll come up with something. We’ll come up with something. I’m down for it. RC almost damn to cart doing a take here on first. Can’t try to get me to run. I have a question. Why me? Why it got to be me? Cuz I’m older than you and my little brother. So I’m like, if it could happen to you, well, Lord knows what could happen to me. You know, I am not rich. Rich and you got Let’s not forget one thing that’s important about Rich. Rich is is is like he’s visiting New York. Yes. He’s been in that California sunshine. So, he’s warm. His muscles are warm.

FIRST TAKE | Joe Burrow to Vikings- Rich Eisen tells Stephen A. Smith Bengals wasted Joe’s talent