Back to the Future: How Rich Would Use Time Travel to Find Out about the NFL’s Top Storylines

November 5 is a red letter day in science. As every Back to the Future fan knows, it's the day in 1955 that Doc Brown slipped in his bathroom, hit his head and came to with the idea for the flux capacitor. So Chris Brockman, in what he called one of his "eight o'clock ideas," put The Rich Eisen Show in the football DeLorean.

The construct, part one: travel back to Labor Day 2026, the eve of week one, and deliver the one piece of NFL information known now, on the eve of week 9, that would blow everyone's mind the most. Labor Day was chosen on purpose, Chris explained, because "you'd need a good 48 hours to absorb" what was coming.

Minshew vs. Lock for Second Place

Chris went first. His message to his Labor Day self: Gardner Minshew against Drew Lock in week 9, Cardinals versus Seahawks, "and the winner of this game is second place in the NFC West."

"That is wild," came the response. "That is crazy."

The Chargers Mix-Up

TJ Jefferson went next, starting in on the high expectations for a team with a coach who talked about getting his quarterback to the Hall of Fame and a new offense with Mike McDaniel. The punch line: the Chargers haven't won a game. They're 0-7.

Then came the confession. TJ had accidentally read Rich's answer. "We both had the same one," he said, apologizing. Rich took it in stride, and someone at the desk summed it up: "This is what happens when you come up with an idea an hour before the show."

The Jets' Draft Haul

Rich pivoted to a backup. The Jets currently own three of the top 10 picks in the draft, and the Colts' pick they hold is better than their own. The Cowboys, too, are in the top 10. "I wouldn't have seen that one coming," Rich said. Someone else threw in the Rams sitting at 4-4.

What wouldn't have surprised Rich? That the much-hyped quarterback class "ain't all that," after the Jets put all their first-round eggs in that basket.

Back From January 31, 2027

Part two flipped the DeLorean forward to January 31, 2027, conference championship Sunday, with each person returning with one mind-blowing nugget.

The first report back: all four teams playing that day would be first-time Super Bowl winners. That set off a round of guessing, with Jacksonville and Buffalo floated in the AFC, Lions and Vikings in the NFC, and the Panthers thrown in as a maybe. "I don't think you've thought this thing completely through, have you?" was the verdict.

TJ's trip to the future changed his mind about a player. "I have not traditionally thought this dude was the dude," he said. But he came back "a little shocked to admit that Trevor Lawrence turned out to be the guy everyone thought he'd be," and said the Jaguars might go to the Super Bowl. The desk immediately pointed out that if he went to the future, it isn't "might."

Rich's vision was very on brand. He went to the NFC Championship Game before kickoff and saw, on one sideline, "the New York Giants with JJ McCarthy quarterbacking them, one game shy of the Super Bowl." He couldn't see much else. "Real cloudy. I had those goggles on."

TJ Gets a Redo

Before wrapping, the crew hopped in the DeLorean one more time to go back eight minutes and give TJ another shot. His new answer: everyone thought the Rams were going to go 17-0 after getting Myles Garrett and with Aaron Donald coming out of retirement, alongside Puka Nacua coming off a great season. Instead, Garrett and Donald "haven't even played one game together yet."

That left Rich to finally deliver his original. "The Chargers haven't even won a game yet."

"Great Scott," came the reply, and the segment dissolved into Doc Brown impressions, Back to the Future Halloween costume pitches, and Rich's firm refusal to dress up as anybody.