Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hall of Famer, Steve Atwater Hall of Fame, mustache Grant
Smith back there five six six nine zero is as
always your text line.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Gentlemen, how we feel it and be in the.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Number one seed? What can we say? What there?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Well, Steve was saying, we're in there like swimwear.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
How about that, Stan Alex. Steve's a more excited version.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Come on, Nick the downer.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I need to take off the wet blanket and hand
it to you. I mean it.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Well, first of all, no, no, hey, like I told Ryan,
you never go commando and another man's fatigues, right, yes,
you never. You never do that, my boys, and we're
hanging in different locations. But no, Steve, I am excited
(00:48):
about where this team is and what they have accomplished
in a short period of time.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
And this is.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
The That's the way I start off looking at it
from a time standpoint, because we look at where this
team has been over the past ten years.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
You go through the day.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
You Hackey years, the Russell Wilson years, the Drew Lockear's
Tady Bridgewater, and then you know Sean Payton and now
bow Knicks. And he said, okay, well, when Bow Nicks
first arrived. It was not a lot of high praise
and a lot of excitement because I remember doing that
draft some fans I'm at the stadium in power Field.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
When his name was called, it was like a little oh.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Because they wanted JJ McCarthy. But to see how far
the team has come from that particular point year one
of bow Knicks and the team going to the playoffs
to now the.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Number one seed in the AFC.
Speaker 5 (01:49):
Just think of just just even saying no, no, no, no,
I'm I know all of it.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
I mean, and now I'm with you, but people still salty.
Where everybody's still salty.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Okay, so let me let me try to do this
again because I did this with Ryan Edwards, and Ryan
has this tendency to be a little negative at sometimes
and try to turn the audience against me.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yes, you have to be totally honest. You know.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
I know Ben gets it a lot, but it should
be either shared or most of the wet blanket goes
to Ryan. Yes, yes, yes he tries to. He does
a good job of trying to hide it because he
redirects it in someone else's direction.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Right, But.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Yes, because we ended up saying the same thing we
just phrased it different, but he said it came it
sounded better coming out of his mouth or coming out
of Dave's mouth opposed to mind, which I'm like, it's
the same damn thing.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
But my whole.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Point is that when you look at this team, you
celebrate where they are, where they came from, and you
celebrate where this team trajectory is going, but also at
the same time keeping it the bu up when you
look at things that need to improve on either side.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Of the ball.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
For me, I got to be a football player, right,
I got to be a former coach and say, okay, well.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Here's where you can fine tune things here and there.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
But it's like, if you say that, you're saying something
negative about the team.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
I'm like, no, I'm not. I'm just wishing them well
and say, hey.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Here's some things that I would love to see improve.
That's all I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (03:21):
No, And a lot of people are saying that. But
the thing is, some teams play well and then they
lose it.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Were you much rather? All right? Hey man, we pay
some mistakes.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
We still got that dumb You're right, You're right, But
I think look at that band.
Speaker 5 (03:37):
I think maybe and I said, sure, when they're going back,
they're looking at film, they're corrected making, you know, trying
to make correction right.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
And this is why I say, this is where my
approach comes from.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Like if you're.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Sitting in a room as a coach, and we all
we both noticed as a player, you never play a
perfect game. You're always looking to say, well, how can
I improve next week on what I did the previous week?
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Right, So it's like the love of improvement.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
But what I'm seeing is certain things that were prevalent
at the beginning of the season that have not changed
and needs to get better moving forward. If they are
to beat home every they beat when when they play them,
or whatever with Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville, No, no, no matter who,
there's sometle things about the game that they definitely need
to improve. And I'm like, there's nothing wrong with pointing
(04:24):
those things out.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
And by pointing them out, that doesn't make you negative.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
I think you could be happy that the team has
won games and is in first place and still say, okay,
but I don't know about this thing, all right, This
thing doesn't look right to me?
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Is negative? Nobody cares what everybody thinks.
Speaker 6 (04:41):
Because as long as we get that news, okay, fair,
But at the end of the day, are we going
to get a doub if we continue running R. J.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Harvey in to the backside of his own offensive Lineman
fifteen nabs a game when we got your Leil McLoughlin
over here, who looks like a running back running the football.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
If our defense shows up and plays and the defense
in the hole, we could just run.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
The better running back. So they played when we have to.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Before I walked in, I was almost late for the
show because Rod Smith and I were having a conversation
downstairs and I was asking about the narrative of the game,
and I constantly hear that it was a vanilla game
plan and they was doing it on purpose.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
And I'm like, well, the reason you're doing that, and you.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
Just mentioned it is because if that is the case,
which I don't buy into one hundred percent, is because
you're playing with house money. Because how well the defense
performed all season long? And Rod said, well, the defense
hasn't always played all season long. What happened in the
Giants game? I said, well, it does a seventeen game season,
so at some point, no matter how great your defense
is they're gonna have issues where they give up yards
(05:41):
and they're gonna give up touchdowns.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
But for the most part, guess.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
When that happens, then bone Nicks come back, make it
makes play and in order for that complementary for Black.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
So in order for that to happen in the fourth quarter,
which the Broncos have done at a high level, probably
one of the better teams in the NFL, you need
a defense to shut the door on opposing offense get
the ball back to give you those opportunities. So I said,
we can talk about the offense, we can talk about
the team. And I'm not trying to divide them, but
I'm like, we can't have this conversation about where this
team is.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
And omit the defense.
Speaker 5 (06:11):
But you know, like going into any game, obviously both
office and defense they're playing on going out there and
shooting at a high level.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
But sometimes, hey, that.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
Team on the other side, they got some dogs too,
and sometimes it's unexpected.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
They can come out. They can score for us.
Speaker 6 (06:28):
They they can move the ball, they can run the ball,
and you're like, man, we can't stop them.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
All of that is.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Guess what the office they got to pick. They didn't
plan on it, but they got to pick it up.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
And I would say to that in the seventeen game
sample size, if we were to say, okay.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Well which one what's the identity of this team? Right?
We know.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
That plays when they have to.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
There you go, that's the identity of the team, right.
And for me it's like, Okay, that's the joy of
having advanced shows to business offense because you know, if
the offense is having a bad day, guess who's coming
to say.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Well, that may be something that may not happen for
too much longer. Vance Joseph, Now, I know the Baltimore
job just opened up today, but he's already interviewing for
five of the six head coaching job openings that were
open this morning. The only team to not put an
interview slip in would be Cleveland. He is interviewing for
the New York Giants job, the Falcons job, the Arizona job,
and I think he's going to get a job here.
(07:26):
I'm not sure that Vance Joseph is going to be
back either way. There's the defensive coordinator jobs open too, but.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
See ben I said that probably around week twelve.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
Obviously knowing how to hire a psych was going to
work and people are attack me.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Liked tossing vance out.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
All right, I'm like, this is what happens when you
play well. Other people are going to cover.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
But what's the piece of it.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
That's why you see people going rating other people's front
offices for general managers and coach all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
John Harbott, Right, it's because it's.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
True to bring this topical today. He's interviewing this week.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Honestly, you know, I get it. Brought those coaches to
drive you roll.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
We'll talk about it right now wherever you're listening to.
But you have to be realistic about the facts of what.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
What's coming, of what could come, because now this's preparation.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
That is distraction right now, it is distraction. It's real,
all right. So John Harbott just.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Got fired, yes, which I broke to Steve eat it.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Know that his.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Agent has already said seven teams have already called you.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
There's only seven openings, one of which is what he
got fired from, which means there's a team out there
that's got an active head coach that called.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
They think about that.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
The team down there. I'll tell I'll spoil it for you.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
A team down there in Florida that is already called
with it with an active head coach.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Because it's always about forward thinking.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
You can't just continue to think where you are in
present time.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
You gotta think in futures.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
How can we change our environmental overall, especially if it's
not a winning environment.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Well, the players need to think right now. Of course,
we can't think in the future.
Speaker 6 (08:59):
Players is the players are I mean, I'm not playing,
but well, I mean they gotta they.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Gotta be hold it.
Speaker 5 (09:05):
They can't all of these distractions get to them.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
But but but see, here's the thing, and here's what
I was trying. I'm trying to explain to everyone, and
I understand this Broncos country. The idea is that this
is what you want. I know, you hate to talk
about it, you don't want to envision it, but this
would comes with the territory. Once you elevateor raise the bar, right,
people are going to raise your ross. The scrutiny is
(09:28):
going to be higher because guess what, you're reaching a
certain level of expectations that you used to receive.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Now I was coming back full circle, so I say,
enjoyed this.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
It's almost like being a Nuggets fan and watching the
Kola yokis you best enjoy it now.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
I wish I wish that this process would wait until
after the season.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
There's a lot of things I wish.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
I wish the transfer portal thing wasn't done until after
the college football season. And I wish that, you know,
I wish the coaching cycles weren't you weren't allowed to
hire coaches till after this. Yeah, three wish has been
million dollars for the third one, you know, just to cover.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
You got to Hey, you got to rub the lamb,
get your three wishes, then hand it off the Grant
and Steve and let them rub it and get their
three I wish for three more wishes. No, you can't.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Yeah, it is what it is, though, Yeah it is.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
I don't like it.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Though, But isn't that great.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Because over the past nine seasons we haven't had anyone
to talk about trying to poach anyone from the Broncos
coaching staff had had that Do you only get that
with when you have a success?
Speaker 2 (10:33):
That's how you know, isn't it funny? How Well, it's
not funny, but a little too ironic.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
I think it's ironic that that song contains no actual irony.
I think everything that she listens her coincidence, Like there's
no irony in that song.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
I think that.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
It's I think it's interesting that the only coaches that
are getting mentioned right now, uh in these hiring site
are defensive coaches in the Broncos. You know, you thing
like Davis Web's not up Freddie head coaching jobs. Now
his name gets bandied around as maybe Vance's OC, but
he's not up Freddy head coaching jobs. You're not seeing
Joe Lombardi's name out there Freddy head coaching jobs.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
See. I guess that's all coming from the defensive side.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Of the The only guy, the only guys that left
there are the guy you know, the guys that left
the Broncos that were on the offensive staff.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
He got fired today. John Morton got fired up there
with the.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
With the Detroit Lions of one years in OC and
it was terrible.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Mm. I still don't like it. We don't have to
like it.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
We just know that it is part of the process, right,
just like I mean, no one likes to get their
prospect check, but it's part of the process.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Right. The more the more you.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Know, and the more you know, right, Yeah, six O five,
Nick up with you one hundred. Listen to BOE's comments
last few weeks, keep saying he has to get better
and fix some things. He could admit how great they
are when he hoists the Lombardi Trophy.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
So so once again, it's all you're saying. Well, all
I'm saying is that obviously no one would ever play
their perfect game, but you's always striving for perfession, which
is key.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
But to kind of ignore.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
The fact that there are some subtleties in the game
that need to be tweaked here or there. To me,
I think it's a falsehood. We can't disguise it as
just saying, okay, well wins, no no, no, no, no, about
the wins are the perfect deyoderant.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
I get you.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
But the only thing is also people are saying that, Okay,
this team isn't real.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Or we won fourteen games. How do you don't win
fourteen those games? I think I'm not going to say that.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
And and look, if you're going to say that, you
got to look over at the Patriots, who have one
of the easiest schedules in NFL history.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Uh, And you know, anyone wearing what twenty six. As
far as the schedule, oh no.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
That is I mean by DVOA, it's one of the
easiest schedules ever in the history.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Of the NFL.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
And they got a whole bunch of backup quarterbacks I have,
which we did a little too. But the reality is
you don't win that many games without at least being good. Right,
you might you might, you might have you might have
won a few extras or whatever. But the reality is,
in that gise you're good and every team got to
have a little bit of luck too. Yeah, of course,
are not injury lucky. You know, it goes both ways. Yeah,
(13:09):
you want to you want to talk of injury luck
going both ways. The two teams with the most percentage
of their cap on the injured reserve this year both
in the NFC West, right, the forty nine who are
in the playoffs, and the Arizona Cardinals who are not.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
And they coached that fire.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Yeah, the coach got fired and they had, like the
they had the twelve hardest schedule NFL history.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
You know what that prove has been Coaching matters well,
Coaching matters, and the depth matters too, Like the next man,
Like the Cardinals had a bunch of you know, uh,
Tier one guys.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
You know, the first twenty two on the on the
roster that they were good, but the guys after that
really worked.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
And that's sort of the problem there at Arizona. Whereas
San Francisco has been building that thing up since the.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
May sixteen or whatever. They've got a full roster.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
They know that organization has been going for years, and
they've got the ability to the point is well, I said,
The point generally is is that injury luck can go
both ways.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
The ball's got to bounce right for you. So let's
look at it.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Look at the amount of turnovers the Broncos generated during
that Super Bowl run would have been positive possible without that,
and then you look at it this year, the complete
lack of negative plays. Maybe you're not getting all the turnovers,
but when you do there at the right time and
you're not having negative.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Places, if the pendulum swings both.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Ways, there is an element of luck to all this.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
So this is why, once again, when you think about
the teams that make the final four and end up
being the final two teams in the Super Bowl, there's
a lot of things that have to take place like
that pigulum has to take place. One of the biggest
things for me is injuries, right, avoiding some of those
(14:33):
big injuries to some of your top tier players.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
I'm not gonna say it guarantees you.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
An opportunity in the show, but man, it sure puts
odds in your favor. And that's where the Broncos have
been for the majority of the season because keeping both
sides of the ball healthy, regardless of how they played
efficiently or not.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
That's a huge part.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
And getting the number one seed is so valuable because.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
You don't have to worry about getting knocked out.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
You get a chance to watch, you get a chance
to heal up, you get a chance to sell scout
once again, and figure out with their running issues, how
do you make this running game better where we just
don't have to just swing routes and throw it to guys.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
And you can hand it off. That's a huge part of.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
What the Broncos is gonna have to work on if
they hope to survive this tournament and get to levi
O Stadium.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
The other part of this, I think that he's advantageous
for the Broncos aside from the week off.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Aside from getting to heal up.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Aside from having home field advantage, about the AFC side
is the fact you played a few of these teams
already this year. You've already played that, you played the
Chargers twice, You've played You've played the Jags already, you
played Houston right, So of the teams that you would
play some of it in the next round, you've already
played some of these and you're you're kind of already
(15:52):
looking at this saying, Okay, we might already have a
leg up on what we need to do to game
plan for whomever this is gonna be that's coming to town.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
So there's a little bit of advantage built in there too.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Yeah, And I like that that aspect of it, because
you go back and watch your film once again, what
did we do well against this team? How has this
team progressively either got better or worse since we played them.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
You've played the Buffalo Bills before.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Obviously your personnel is a little different than their personnel
at that time, so that would be one of the
teams that you have not faced.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
But you know what type of animal that quarterback is.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
And Josh Allen and you guys tell me about this
from a player's perspective. But the first thing I'm looking
at is I'm looking at plays that we got yoked on,
but we got oki dooked on on defense but didn't
work out for an opponent, you know what I mean,
Like they had some kind of execution issue, because I
think they're going to you know, that's the one that
they're going to come back to in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
They're going to set that up and come back to
it and try to hit it again.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
So I'm looking for all those players that we you know,
we had a guy for whatever reason, they fooled us
and it didn't work for whatever reason, because somebody's going.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
To come back to that the play. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
But the thing is DJ knows those plays too. They've
gone over those plays and they're making sure that they cannot.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Let this guy shit open, wide open.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Like but that's my point. He's like, you guys have
the film study, you guys, but you know the play.
But when the coaches bring us up, hey, you know,
we gotta wait. We did this, but we got to
wait with one because they got us. We gotta shut
this down next time.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
You know.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
This is why when I hear the idea that the
Broncos played the vanilla offense.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
I don't I don't subscribe to that in.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
My football you know logic, because it's like, well, whether
you saying there's an idea that you may play the
Chargers again, here's what I'm thinking you do as a coach.
All Right, we might play them again, we might not.
We may play someone else. So we're gonna put something
on tape that we've been working on all season a
long that we've never got a chance to run because
third downs whatever. To put it on tape to make
(17:49):
everyone practice for it even though.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
We may not do it.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
So that's why when I let that Sunday, I'm like,
that was the perfect opportunity to put some of those
plays on tape.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Yeah, and and for me, I'm hoping it's I'm hoping
it is my hope. I'm not really buying it, but
it's my hope that a lot of those because we
ran an insane amount of screens in that game. Uh,
it is my hope that all those looks we're gonna
come out with a look like that. And Yeah, and
we could come out with that and you know, like
the Nate Atkins play where we got the you know,
we got the slot fade off, you know with Adkins
got that game, right, Any any plays where we can
(18:19):
build off of something that we've been putting on tape
rather than rather than, hey, you're practicing for this, I
want you to practice for this because I built something.
I built the next generation play off of it, which
is you know, fade fly whatever off that screen.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Revolution ladies and gentlemen say, we.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Got a break here, Broncos Country tonight. We'll be back
after this.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
You know, I didn't give all my superior stuff, so
I just got gave some of my more some basic things,
my basic stuff.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Even though vanilla's a great flavor and doesn't deserve to
be done like that.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
Right, So if you're going to give more of your
simplistic things, then you have figured that the execution should
be spot on?
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Should it not?
Speaker 1 (18:55):
What? Right?
Speaker 4 (18:57):
So the execution wasn't where it needed to be, and
once again pointing that out, just pointing out the football
aspect of how things looked. I don't think that's being unrealistic.
I think I think it's unrealistic not to acknowledge that, hey,
there are some final points that need to be corrected, right,
(19:20):
that's that's my perspective.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
I can't imagine that it's not being done though. Do
you think that they're not being corrected?
Speaker 4 (19:26):
Well, I hope that desires that that's the plan. But
when you see something consistently and it's not changing, what
does that say?
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Because once again, I'm.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
Looking for efficiency, I'm looking for effectiveness.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Right, how are you moving the ball? How are you defending? Right?
Are you tackling? Well?
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Right?
Speaker 4 (19:49):
Can you run the ball? What's the reason why? Hey,
here's the play you practiced and it went for ten
in practice. Why is not going for that in the game.
Let's go back to the basics. What's going on? Are
we getting penetration? And I know this from being around
Mike Schenningham and anyone knows this is elementary football we're
talking about. Anytime you get penetration from the D line,
(20:12):
that disrupts the run game.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
So the idea is you, how do you correct it?
Speaker 4 (20:16):
How do we get guys out of source when they're penetrating, Well,
you run whams and traps. Let him get up, feel
smack him dead in the side of his head next
time when he when he starts to penestrate, guess what
he's doing. He's looking eastern west like he's crossing the streets,
slowing down. There you go, we need you to slow
him down. So that's all I'm saying. And if anyone
(20:37):
who wants to call me Wetblanke or whatever, by all means.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
You can do that.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
But I'm still going to point out some of the
subtleties that I think need.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
To be correct.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
What Nick, you and I haven't talking about something for
a couple of years now, and it's running with patient tempo,
and this offense when they do it in the fourth quarters,
seems to be a lot more successful. To wit, The
Broncos are twenty fourth in scoring in the first quarter
in the league, their twentieth in the second quarter, eighteenth
in the third quarter, and ninth in the fourth quarter.
So basically the three quarters where you're running what it
(21:07):
is that Sean Payton wants to run at his base.
We are a below average offense. And the minute you
start turning it over to the offense to run a
little up tempo, get a little hythm to them, do
some other things, all of a sudden we are a
red hot offense. And this isn't confined to just bow
Nicks It was the same way when Russell Wilson won.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Well, and that's what.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
I'm saying, Man, if you know for clutch, speeding things
up in that way works, let's just go keep man,
keep it a button. Let's go Ricky Bobby the whole game. Well,
I'm gonna say you have to do it the whole game.
But why would I Why wouldn't you open your drive
with that? Why wouldn't you try to gas an opponent?
Speaker 1 (21:42):
You know you have the gate right, That's what I'm
getting the why wouldn't you try to gas those big
heavies up front right out the gate?
Speaker 2 (21:48):
You know, I want to see hands on hips all game?
Speaker 3 (21:50):
You know why?
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Why why wouldn't you put them back on her at altitude?
Have them huffing and puffing, say, put.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
Their heads in your hips? When I did? You did?
We did? Players? Well? Okay, I mean in.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
A sense we are.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
But at the same time, like this is starting to
become a current problem.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
This isn't limited to bow This isn't a bow Nick's problem.
The problem with this offense is we're a below average
offense for three quarters and then we're red hot in.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
The fourth quarter. Because it's been that way for three years.
Speaker 4 (22:21):
Well yeah, I mean that has become that identity of
the team, and it's been really inspiring to see the
team work that way in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
But I'm still in the frame of.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
Mind if you can do that in tight situations in
the fourth quarter, you can do it coming out of
the half. You can do that at the very beginning
of the game. And like Ben said, you want to
put your defensive opponent.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
On their heels to start the game. You want those
big three hundred.
Speaker 4 (22:46):
Pound guys look into the sideline when you're playing in
the power field looking for.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
A substitute, someone to come help you.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
It's like, no, call your mom, call the National Guard,
call God, but no one's gonna come to save you
because you about to put pull out this Just think
of whoop.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
You know what I'm talking about.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
Obviously, it would be nice if we had a you know,
fourteen point lead in every quarter.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
That'd be beautiful. We know that not always possible. I know
it's not always possible or not you won't ever not. Well, yeah,
but what.
Speaker 4 (23:18):
We're talking about with Ben and I I think we're
talking about and we agree on, is that the level
of tempo that this team has shown in certain games
this season, which was part of these fourth quarter comebacks.
This can be a part of your regular game plan.
You can speed it up, you can slow it down,
you can control it like a light switch. Not just
having the inability to score in the first half, nothing
(23:40):
in the second, nothing in the third, and then all
of a sudden, there's this evolution.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
I know that that.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Is the identity of the team that's far and it
is a great identity.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
But I'm just saying you can start off doing that.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
What are the easiest times to go at tempo?
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Fourth quarter?
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Everybody's tired, and when you're on the game script because
you've been practicing the plays all week and you know
what they are, so why not start off the scriptos?
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Why not start off that way?
Speaker 3 (24:03):
You know?
Speaker 1 (24:04):
And I'm not saying you have to do it the
first two plays even maybe get a run in, get
another run, and then try to catch them napping, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
And because see if you know this, when you first
go on the field from a defensive standpoint, that first drive, I.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
Don't know about you, you'll tell.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Me because your energy can be gone based on the
game itself of the opponent the crowd noise are generally gone.
And maybe those first couple of plays, even though you're
a well conditioned athlete, you're hyperventilating a little. And because
you're hyperventilating a little, guess what, you can't think. You
see guys moving in motion, but you can't talk. You
can't say a word. You got cotton mouthed right, because
(24:40):
that first drive they went up tempo on you. Once
you go get to that second or third drive, now
the body starts to calm down, starts to relax more.
Those are opportunities I believe to take advantage in the
first quarter when you would have that first position possession offensively,
and when you come out of havetime with that first
possession because guys are coming in.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
The locker room. Body used to be winded.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Dan used to be out of breath the first series.
Speaker 4 (25:08):
I threw my mom piece away. Come on, man, we
listen almost safety. We running from twelve to fourteen. It
would happen if I ran down on kickoff, then no, Well, Steve,
let me let me help you out.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
A few years I was on.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
So I'm on the starting defense, I'm on butt team,
and I'm on kickoff and I'm gonna kickoff return.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Oh yeah, you're gonna be ga.
Speaker 4 (25:29):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
I guess.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
One of the best stories I ever heard Dave Logan
was talking about catching his first touchdown. I think it
was a preseason and he caught for his long touchdown
or whatever, and he was on kickoff, you know, right afterwards.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
He caught it, he cut the long touchdown.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
He's over there celebrating on the sideline with the balls
catch off.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
Coach.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
Well, the coaches say, hey, hey, Rook, you've got that touchdown.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yeah. He's fistboffing and he's just staring out there for
a Minute's like, are you supposed to be on kickoff
right now?
Speaker 2 (25:51):
There's ten guys standing up like right off?
Speaker 3 (25:54):
Oh god man.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
Yeah. That's about telling people special team is a whole
different animals, specially if you're just doing special teams and
that's for you, but if you can, but if you
got to play defense.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Und eighty degree. The coach is sitting there and it
was like, uh, he's just sitting there.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
He's like, that's great, rook, exactly exactly good. How about this.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
Imagine running down on gunner and gunner the guys outside
the numbers and usually they have a double team, two
guys trying to stop you fighting those two guys, and
then and then you gotta line and play defense.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
That makes defense so easy.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
After give.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Yeah, that's the offense we've got. Trying to be fair,
but I mean, yeah, at the end of the day,
I think there's some some tweets and things like that.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
I want to get to it.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
I'm not afraid of anybody in this playoff field, but
there's some teams I'd rather avoid, like who I don't
want to play the Chargers again.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
I'm gonna be honest with you. I know we beat
them in that game or their backups or whatever.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Man for a seventh seed. I think the Chargers are
better than people think. I don't want any part of Houston.
I don't want any part of Buffalo. The division winners. Boy,
I think we cruise on Pittsburgh. I'm not scared of
New England at all. I went back and watched four
or five of their game. I'm not scared of New England.
The slightest.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
Jacksonville would be the only division winner up there, Like
I want, I want the revenge.
Speaker 5 (27:30):
Yeah, well yeah, maybe in the nasty championship game.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
But I don't want to see who.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Get them in the opening round. I mean it'lliia be
is for four seed on down. So you would either
be Pittsburgh or one of the wildcards. So those are
the only people you could see if you're the Broncos
in the first round.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Because he's because.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
If Jacksonville wins, if Jacksonville wins, Chargers win, Jacksonville's at home,
if Jacksonville wins in New England, wins Jacksonville's at New England, like,
they'll be in the opposite They'll be in the opposite game,
no matter what. It's Pittsburgh or the three wildcards. He's
in Buffalo. Uh and the Chargers, whoever is the lowest
seed that that is available, will play the Broncos.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
You said, Ben that there's some of these teams that
you wouldn't want to play. Tell me why you wouldn't
want to play certain teams.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
I think the Charger I think they have our number.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Like I just think their defense has our number.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
And I think, you know, we just went up against
their their pole backup offense, and you know they they
weren't good, but they had dudes open, you know.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
I mean their receivers.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Alt if that quarterback was you know, could hit the
broad side of a barn. I don't think Trey Lance
could hit water if he fell out of a boat.
But you know he's.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
No. John's not coming back this year.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Whatberg won't be back to at least the AFC Championship,
maybe a super Bowl. JK won't be back till last
AFC Championship, maybe super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
And those would be the guys we get back. M
Bran Jones won't be back.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
So so like look at this Houston and and the Chargers,
I think of the worst matchups for us and then Buffalo.
I just I mean, man, they can run the Yeah,
Josh Allen to man Cook, I mean I don't want
any We've struggled.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
Were a little on the ground, Yes, on the ground,
but he's also he's on his back.
Speaker 7 (29:08):
Yeah, yeah, he's a man. There's, like I said, the
wild cards to me, I think are worst matchups. Like
you look at this, like Buffalo again, they got the
playoff experience, you got Josh Allen, you got James Cook,
you got the Chargers. Who I think there's a seventh
seed and they could just as easily be the two.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Seed and I wouldn't be complaining this. They are that good.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
And then you've got Houston, which I call the most
disrespectful defense I've ever seen.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
And the reason I.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Say that is because they don't disguise anything. They don't blitz,
they straight line up and cover three were like.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
And nobody they don't.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
But they want every game since they played the Broncos.
But not every team could do that, just like every
team tries to run Tampa two.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
Unless you are an elite up front and elite.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
On the second line, unless you you've got a middle
linebacker that's that plays like say exactly.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
So when you look at the Houston Texans having Danil
Hunter and Will Anderson, obviously they got some other guys, uh,
you know, on that D line in on the second level.
They got some players on on in the secondary and
the third level as well. But when you know you
can create pressure at any time with those two animals,
and it's.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
Like, okay, well how do you twe teams normally handle it.
They slide protection, they run at guys, they chip them
or whatever. Because but here's the thing.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
If you say we're gonna run at Daniel Hunter, you're
still putting a very athletic Will Anderson backside who it
was definitely a quality running chase guy, and.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
They've got quality hunting secret linebackers on top of him.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Yeah, that's the thing, and that with Houston.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
You know, now they've got a healthy CJ shroud and
that offense.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Is starting to get there.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
I don't know, I just the wild cards to be
scared a little bit more than it's gonna be in.
It's gonna be fun and I'm happy that we get
to sit back and watch it without have any pressure. Steve,
It's great to have you in as always.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Man, appreciate you guys. Great job brother, She feedback after
this
Hall of Famer, Steve Atwater Hall of Fame, mustache Grant
Smith back there five six six nine zero is as
always your text line.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Gentlemen, how we feel it and be in the.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Number one seed? What can we say? What there?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Well, Steve was saying, we're in there like swimwear.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
How about that, Stan Alex. Steve's a more excited version.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Come on, Nick the downer.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I need to take off the wet blanket and hand
it to you. I mean it.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Well, first of all, no, no, hey, like I told Ryan,
you never go commando and another man's fatigues, right, yes,
you never. You never do that, my boys, and we're
hanging in different locations. But no, Steve, I am excited
(00:48):
about where this team is and what they have accomplished
in a short period of time.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
And this is.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
The That's the way I start off looking at it
from a time standpoint, because we look at where this
team has been over the past ten years.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
You go through the day.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
You Hackey years, the Russell Wilson years, the Drew Lockear's
Tady Bridgewater, and then you know Sean Payton and now
bow Knicks. And he said, okay, well, when Bow Nicks
first arrived. It was not a lot of high praise
and a lot of excitement because I remember doing that
draft some fans I'm at the stadium in power Field.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
When his name was called, it was like a little oh.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Because they wanted JJ McCarthy. But to see how far
the team has come from that particular point year one
of bow Knicks and the team going to the playoffs
to now the.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Number one seed in the AFC.
Speaker 5 (01:49):
Just think of just just even saying no, no, no, no,
I'm I know all of it.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
I mean, and now I'm with you, but people still salty.
Where everybody's still salty.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Okay, so let me let me try to do this
again because I did this with Ryan Edwards, and Ryan
has this tendency to be a little negative at sometimes
and try to turn the audience against me.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yes, you have to be totally honest. You know.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
I know Ben gets it a lot, but it should
be either shared or most of the wet blanket goes
to Ryan. Yes, yes, yes he tries to. He does
a good job of trying to hide it because he
redirects it in someone else's direction.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Right, But.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Yes, because we ended up saying the same thing we
just phrased it different, but he said it came it
sounded better coming out of his mouth or coming out
of Dave's mouth opposed to mind, which I'm like, it's
the same damn thing.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
But my whole.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Point is that when you look at this team, you
celebrate where they are, where they came from, and you
celebrate where this team trajectory is going, but also at
the same time keeping it the bu up when you
look at things that need to improve on either side.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Of the ball.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
For me, I got to be a football player, right,
I got to be a former coach and say, okay, well.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Here's where you can fine tune things here and there.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
But it's like, if you say that, you're saying something
negative about the team.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
I'm like, no, I'm not. I'm just wishing them well
and say, hey.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Here's some things that I would love to see improve.
That's all I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (03:21):
No, And a lot of people are saying that. But
the thing is, some teams play well and then they
lose it.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Were you much rather? All right? Hey man, we pay
some mistakes.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
We still got that dumb You're right, You're right, But
I think look at that band.
Speaker 5 (03:37):
I think maybe and I said, sure, when they're going back,
they're looking at film, they're corrected making, you know, trying
to make correction right.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
And this is why I say, this is where my
approach comes from.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Like if you're.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Sitting in a room as a coach, and we all
we both noticed as a player, you never play a
perfect game. You're always looking to say, well, how can
I improve next week on what I did the previous week?
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Right, So it's like the love of improvement.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
But what I'm seeing is certain things that were prevalent
at the beginning of the season that have not changed
and needs to get better moving forward. If they are
to beat home every they beat when when they play them,
or whatever with Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville, No, no, no matter who,
there's sometle things about the game that they definitely need
to improve. And I'm like, there's nothing wrong with pointing
(04:24):
those things out.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
And by pointing them out, that doesn't make you negative.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
I think you could be happy that the team has
won games and is in first place and still say, okay,
but I don't know about this thing, all right, This
thing doesn't look right to me?
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Is negative? Nobody cares what everybody thinks.
Speaker 6 (04:41):
Because as long as we get that news, okay, fair,
But at the end of the day, are we going
to get a doub if we continue running R. J.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Harvey in to the backside of his own offensive Lineman
fifteen nabs a game when we got your Leil McLoughlin
over here, who looks like a running back running the football.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
If our defense shows up and plays and the defense
in the hole, we could just run.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
The better running back. So they played when we have to.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Before I walked in, I was almost late for the
show because Rod Smith and I were having a conversation
downstairs and I was asking about the narrative of the game,
and I constantly hear that it was a vanilla game
plan and they was doing it on purpose.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
And I'm like, well, the reason you're doing that, and you.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
Just mentioned it is because if that is the case,
which I don't buy into one hundred percent, is because
you're playing with house money. Because how well the defense
performed all season long? And Rod said, well, the defense
hasn't always played all season long. What happened in the
Giants game? I said, well, it does a seventeen game season,
so at some point, no matter how great your defense
is they're gonna have issues where they give up yards
(05:41):
and they're gonna give up touchdowns.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
But for the most part, guess.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
When that happens, then bone Nicks come back, make it
makes play and in order for that complementary for Black.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
So in order for that to happen in the fourth quarter,
which the Broncos have done at a high level, probably
one of the better teams in the NFL, you need
a defense to shut the door on opposing offense get
the ball back to give you those opportunities. So I said,
we can talk about the offense, we can talk about
the team. And I'm not trying to divide them, but
I'm like, we can't have this conversation about where this
team is.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
And omit the defense.
Speaker 5 (06:11):
But you know, like going into any game, obviously both
office and defense they're playing on going out there and
shooting at a high level.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
But sometimes, hey, that.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
Team on the other side, they got some dogs too,
and sometimes it's unexpected.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
They can come out. They can score for us.
Speaker 6 (06:28):
They they can move the ball, they can run the ball,
and you're like, man, we can't stop them.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
All of that is.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Guess what the office they got to pick. They didn't
plan on it, but they got to pick it up.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
And I would say to that in the seventeen game
sample size, if we were to say, okay.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Well which one what's the identity of this team? Right?
We know.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
That plays when they have to.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
There you go, that's the identity of the team, right.
And for me it's like, Okay, that's the joy of
having advanced shows to business offense because you know, if
the offense is having a bad day, guess who's coming
to say.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Well, that may be something that may not happen for
too much longer. Vance Joseph, Now, I know the Baltimore
job just opened up today, but he's already interviewing for
five of the six head coaching job openings that were
open this morning. The only team to not put an
interview slip in would be Cleveland. He is interviewing for
the New York Giants job, the Falcons job, the Arizona job,
and I think he's going to get a job here.
(07:26):
I'm not sure that Vance Joseph is going to be
back either way. There's the defensive coordinator jobs open too, but.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
See ben I said that probably around week twelve.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
Obviously knowing how to hire a psych was going to
work and people are attack me.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Liked tossing vance out.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
All right, I'm like, this is what happens when you
play well. Other people are going to cover.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
But what's the piece of it.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
That's why you see people going rating other people's front
offices for general managers and coach all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
John Harbott, Right, it's because it's.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
True to bring this topical today. He's interviewing this week.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Honestly, you know, I get it. Brought those coaches to
drive you roll.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
We'll talk about it right now wherever you're listening to.
But you have to be realistic about the facts of what.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
What's coming, of what could come, because now this's preparation.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
That is distraction right now, it is distraction. It's real,
all right. So John Harbott just.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Got fired, yes, which I broke to Steve eat it.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Know that his.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Agent has already said seven teams have already called you.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
There's only seven openings, one of which is what he
got fired from, which means there's a team out there
that's got an active head coach that called.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
They think about that.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
The team down there. I'll tell I'll spoil it for you.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
A team down there in Florida that is already called
with it with an active head coach.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Because it's always about forward thinking.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
You can't just continue to think where you are in
present time.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
You gotta think in futures.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
How can we change our environmental overall, especially if it's
not a winning environment.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Well, the players need to think right now. Of course,
we can't think in the future.
Speaker 6 (08:59):
Players is the players are I mean, I'm not playing,
but well, I mean they gotta they.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Gotta be hold it.
Speaker 5 (09:05):
They can't all of these distractions get to them.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
But but but see, here's the thing, and here's what
I was trying. I'm trying to explain to everyone, and
I understand this Broncos country. The idea is that this
is what you want. I know, you hate to talk
about it, you don't want to envision it, but this
would comes with the territory. Once you elevateor raise the bar, right,
people are going to raise your ross. The scrutiny is
(09:28):
going to be higher because guess what, you're reaching a
certain level of expectations that you used to receive.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Now I was coming back full circle, so I say,
enjoyed this.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
It's almost like being a Nuggets fan and watching the
Kola yokis you best enjoy it now.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
I wish I wish that this process would wait until
after the season.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
There's a lot of things I wish.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
I wish the transfer portal thing wasn't done until after
the college football season. And I wish that, you know,
I wish the coaching cycles weren't you weren't allowed to
hire coaches till after this. Yeah, three wish has been
million dollars for the third one, you know, just to cover.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
You got to Hey, you got to rub the lamb,
get your three wishes, then hand it off the Grant
and Steve and let them rub it and get their
three I wish for three more wishes. No, you can't.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Yeah, it is what it is, though, Yeah it is.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
I don't like it.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Though, But isn't that great.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Because over the past nine seasons we haven't had anyone
to talk about trying to poach anyone from the Broncos
coaching staff had had that Do you only get that
with when you have a success?
Speaker 2 (10:33):
That's how you know, isn't it funny? How Well, it's
not funny, but a little too ironic.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
I think it's ironic that that song contains no actual irony.
I think everything that she listens her coincidence, Like there's
no irony in that song.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
I think that.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
It's I think it's interesting that the only coaches that
are getting mentioned right now, uh in these hiring site
are defensive coaches in the Broncos. You know, you thing
like Davis Web's not up Freddie head coaching jobs. Now
his name gets bandied around as maybe Vance's OC, but
he's not up Freddy head coaching jobs. You're not seeing
Joe Lombardi's name out there Freddy head coaching jobs.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
See. I guess that's all coming from the defensive side.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Of the The only guy, the only guys that left
there are the guy you know, the guys that left
the Broncos that were on the offensive staff.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
He got fired today. John Morton got fired up there
with the.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
With the Detroit Lions of one years in OC and
it was terrible.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Mm. I still don't like it. We don't have to
like it.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
We just know that it is part of the process, right,
just like I mean, no one likes to get their
prospect check, but it's part of the process.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Right. The more the more you.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Know, and the more you know, right, Yeah, six O five,
Nick up with you one hundred. Listen to BOE's comments
last few weeks, keep saying he has to get better
and fix some things. He could admit how great they
are when he hoists the Lombardi Trophy.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
So so once again, it's all you're saying. Well, all
I'm saying is that obviously no one would ever play
their perfect game, but you's always striving for perfession, which
is key.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
But to kind of ignore.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
The fact that there are some subtleties in the game
that need to be tweaked here or there. To me,
I think it's a falsehood. We can't disguise it as
just saying, okay, well wins, no no, no, no, no, about
the wins are the perfect deyoderant.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
I get you.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
But the only thing is also people are saying that, Okay,
this team isn't real.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Or we won fourteen games. How do you don't win
fourteen those games? I think I'm not going to say that.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
And and look, if you're going to say that, you
got to look over at the Patriots, who have one
of the easiest schedules in NFL history.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Uh, And you know, anyone wearing what twenty six. As
far as the schedule, oh no.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
That is I mean by DVOA, it's one of the
easiest schedules ever in the history.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Of the NFL.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
And they got a whole bunch of backup quarterbacks I have,
which we did a little too. But the reality is
you don't win that many games without at least being good. Right,
you might you might, you might have you might have
won a few extras or whatever. But the reality is,
in that gise you're good and every team got to
have a little bit of luck too. Yeah, of course,
are not injury lucky. You know, it goes both ways. Yeah,
(13:09):
you want to you want to talk of injury luck
going both ways. The two teams with the most percentage
of their cap on the injured reserve this year both
in the NFC West, right, the forty nine who are
in the playoffs, and the Arizona Cardinals who are not.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
And they coached that fire.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Yeah, the coach got fired and they had, like the
they had the twelve hardest schedule NFL history.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
You know what that prove has been Coaching matters well,
Coaching matters, and the depth matters too, Like the next man,
Like the Cardinals had a bunch of you know, uh,
Tier one guys.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
You know, the first twenty two on the on the
roster that they were good, but the guys after that
really worked.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
And that's sort of the problem there at Arizona. Whereas
San Francisco has been building that thing up since the.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
May sixteen or whatever. They've got a full roster.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
They know that organization has been going for years, and
they've got the ability to the point is well, I said,
The point generally is is that injury luck can go
both ways.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
The ball's got to bounce right for you. So let's
look at it.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Look at the amount of turnovers the Broncos generated during
that Super Bowl run would have been positive possible without that,
and then you look at it this year, the complete
lack of negative plays. Maybe you're not getting all the turnovers,
but when you do there at the right time and
you're not having negative.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Places, if the pendulum swings both.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Ways, there is an element of luck to all this.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
So this is why, once again, when you think about
the teams that make the final four and end up
being the final two teams in the Super Bowl, there's
a lot of things that have to take place like
that pigulum has to take place. One of the biggest
things for me is injuries, right, avoiding some of those
(14:33):
big injuries to some of your top tier players.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
I'm not gonna say it guarantees you.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
An opportunity in the show, but man, it sure puts
odds in your favor. And that's where the Broncos have
been for the majority of the season because keeping both
sides of the ball healthy, regardless of how they played
efficiently or not.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
That's a huge part.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
And getting the number one seed is so valuable because.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
You don't have to worry about getting knocked out.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
You get a chance to watch, you get a chance
to heal up, you get a chance to sell scout
once again, and figure out with their running issues, how
do you make this running game better where we just
don't have to just swing routes and throw it to guys.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
And you can hand it off. That's a huge part of.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
What the Broncos is gonna have to work on if
they hope to survive this tournament and get to levi
O Stadium.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
The other part of this, I think that he's advantageous
for the Broncos aside from the week off.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Aside from getting to heal up.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Aside from having home field advantage, about the AFC side
is the fact you played a few of these teams
already this year. You've already played that, you played the
Chargers twice, You've played You've played the Jags already, you
played Houston right, So of the teams that you would
play some of it in the next round, you've already
played some of these and you're you're kind of already
(15:52):
looking at this saying, Okay, we might already have a
leg up on what we need to do to game
plan for whomever this is gonna be that's coming to town.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
So there's a little bit of advantage built in there too.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Yeah, And I like that that aspect of it, because
you go back and watch your film once again, what
did we do well against this team? How has this
team progressively either got better or worse since we played them.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
You've played the Buffalo Bills before.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Obviously your personnel is a little different than their personnel
at that time, so that would be one of the
teams that you have not faced.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
But you know what type of animal that quarterback is.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
And Josh Allen and you guys tell me about this
from a player's perspective. But the first thing I'm looking
at is I'm looking at plays that we got yoked on,
but we got oki dooked on on defense but didn't
work out for an opponent, you know what I mean,
Like they had some kind of execution issue, because I
think they're going to you know, that's the one that
they're going to come back to in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
They're going to set that up and come back to
it and try to hit it again.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
So I'm looking for all those players that we you know,
we had a guy for whatever reason, they fooled us
and it didn't work for whatever reason, because somebody's going.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
To come back to that the play. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
But the thing is DJ knows those plays too. They've
gone over those plays and they're making sure that they cannot.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Let this guy shit open, wide open.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Like but that's my point. He's like, you guys have
the film study, you guys, but you know the play.
But when the coaches bring us up, hey, you know,
we gotta wait. We did this, but we got to
wait with one because they got us. We gotta shut
this down next time.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
You know.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
This is why when I hear the idea that the
Broncos played the vanilla offense.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
I don't I don't subscribe to that in.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
My football you know logic, because it's like, well, whether
you saying there's an idea that you may play the
Chargers again, here's what I'm thinking you do as a coach.
All Right, we might play them again, we might not.
We may play someone else. So we're gonna put something
on tape that we've been working on all season a
long that we've never got a chance to run because
third downs whatever. To put it on tape to make
(17:49):
everyone practice for it even though.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
We may not do it.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
So that's why when I let that Sunday, I'm like,
that was the perfect opportunity to put some of those
plays on tape.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Yeah, and and for me, I'm hoping it's I'm hoping
it is my hope. I'm not really buying it, but
it's my hope that a lot of those because we
ran an insane amount of screens in that game. Uh,
it is my hope that all those looks we're gonna
come out with a look like that. And Yeah, and
we could come out with that and you know, like
the Nate Atkins play where we got the you know,
we got the slot fade off, you know with Adkins
got that game, right, Any any plays where we can
(18:19):
build off of something that we've been putting on tape
rather than rather than, hey, you're practicing for this, I
want you to practice for this because I built something.
I built the next generation play off of it, which
is you know, fade fly whatever off that screen.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Revolution ladies and gentlemen say, we.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Got a break here, Broncos Country tonight. We'll be back
after this.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
You know, I didn't give all my superior stuff, so
I just got gave some of my more some basic things,
my basic stuff.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Even though vanilla's a great flavor and doesn't deserve to
be done like that.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
Right, So if you're going to give more of your
simplistic things, then you have figured that the execution should
be spot on?
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Should it not?
Speaker 1 (18:55):
What? Right?
Speaker 4 (18:57):
So the execution wasn't where it needed to be, and
once again pointing that out, just pointing out the football
aspect of how things looked. I don't think that's being unrealistic.
I think I think it's unrealistic not to acknowledge that, hey,
there are some final points that need to be corrected, right,
(19:20):
that's that's my perspective.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
I can't imagine that it's not being done though. Do
you think that they're not being corrected?
Speaker 4 (19:26):
Well, I hope that desires that that's the plan. But
when you see something consistently and it's not changing, what
does that say?
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Because once again, I'm.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
Looking for efficiency, I'm looking for effectiveness.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Right, how are you moving the ball? How are you defending? Right?
Are you tackling? Well?
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Right?
Speaker 4 (19:49):
Can you run the ball? What's the reason why? Hey,
here's the play you practiced and it went for ten
in practice. Why is not going for that in the game.
Let's go back to the basics. What's going on? Are
we getting penetration? And I know this from being around
Mike Schenningham and anyone knows this is elementary football we're
talking about. Anytime you get penetration from the D line,
(20:12):
that disrupts the run game.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
So the idea is you, how do you correct it?
Speaker 4 (20:16):
How do we get guys out of source when they're penetrating, Well,
you run whams and traps. Let him get up, feel
smack him dead in the side of his head next
time when he when he starts to penestrate, guess what
he's doing. He's looking eastern west like he's crossing the streets,
slowing down. There you go, we need you to slow
him down. So that's all I'm saying. And if anyone
(20:37):
who wants to call me Wetblanke or whatever, by all means.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
You can do that.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
But I'm still going to point out some of the
subtleties that I think need.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
To be correct.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
What Nick, you and I haven't talking about something for
a couple of years now, and it's running with patient tempo,
and this offense when they do it in the fourth quarters,
seems to be a lot more successful. To wit, The
Broncos are twenty fourth in scoring in the first quarter
in the league, their twentieth in the second quarter, eighteenth
in the third quarter, and ninth in the fourth quarter.
So basically the three quarters where you're running what it
(21:07):
is that Sean Payton wants to run at his base.
We are a below average offense. And the minute you
start turning it over to the offense to run a
little up tempo, get a little hythm to them, do
some other things, all of a sudden we are a
red hot offense. And this isn't confined to just bow
Nicks It was the same way when Russell Wilson won.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Well, and that's what.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
I'm saying, Man, if you know for clutch, speeding things
up in that way works, let's just go keep man,
keep it a button. Let's go Ricky Bobby the whole game. Well,
I'm gonna say you have to do it the whole game.
But why would I Why wouldn't you open your drive
with that? Why wouldn't you try to gas an opponent?
Speaker 1 (21:42):
You know you have the gate right, That's what I'm
getting the why wouldn't you try to gas those big
heavies up front right out the gate?
Speaker 2 (21:48):
You know, I want to see hands on hips all game?
Speaker 3 (21:50):
You know why?
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Why why wouldn't you put them back on her at altitude?
Have them huffing and puffing, say, put.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
Their heads in your hips? When I did? You did?
We did? Players? Well? Okay, I mean in.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
A sense we are.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
But at the same time, like this is starting to
become a current problem.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
This isn't limited to bow This isn't a bow Nick's problem.
The problem with this offense is we're a below average
offense for three quarters and then we're red hot in.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
The fourth quarter. Because it's been that way for three years.
Speaker 4 (22:21):
Well yeah, I mean that has become that identity of
the team, and it's been really inspiring to see the
team work that way in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
But I'm still in the frame of.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
Mind if you can do that in tight situations in
the fourth quarter, you can do it coming out of
the half. You can do that at the very beginning
of the game. And like Ben said, you want to
put your defensive opponent.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
On their heels to start the game. You want those
big three hundred.
Speaker 4 (22:46):
Pound guys look into the sideline when you're playing in
the power field looking for.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
A substitute, someone to come help you.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
It's like, no, call your mom, call the National Guard,
call God, but no one's gonna come to save you
because you about to put pull out this Just think
of whoop.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
You know what I'm talking about.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
Obviously, it would be nice if we had a you know,
fourteen point lead in every quarter.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
That'd be beautiful. We know that not always possible. I know
it's not always possible or not you won't ever not. Well, yeah,
but what.
Speaker 4 (23:18):
We're talking about with Ben and I I think we're
talking about and we agree on, is that the level
of tempo that this team has shown in certain games
this season, which was part of these fourth quarter comebacks.
This can be a part of your regular game plan.
You can speed it up, you can slow it down,
you can control it like a light switch. Not just
having the inability to score in the first half, nothing
(23:40):
in the second, nothing in the third, and then all
of a sudden, there's this evolution.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
I know that that.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Is the identity of the team that's far and it
is a great identity.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
But I'm just saying you can start off doing that.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
What are the easiest times to go at tempo?
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Fourth quarter?
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Everybody's tired, and when you're on the game script because
you've been practicing the plays all week and you know
what they are, so why not start off the scriptos?
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Why not start off that way?
Speaker 3 (24:03):
You know?
Speaker 1 (24:04):
And I'm not saying you have to do it the
first two plays even maybe get a run in, get
another run, and then try to catch them napping, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
And because see if you know this, when you first
go on the field from a defensive standpoint, that first drive, I.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
Don't know about you, you'll tell.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Me because your energy can be gone based on the
game itself of the opponent the crowd noise are generally gone.
And maybe those first couple of plays, even though you're
a well conditioned athlete, you're hyperventilating a little. And because
you're hyperventilating a little, guess what, you can't think. You
see guys moving in motion, but you can't talk. You
can't say a word. You got cotton mouthed right, because
(24:40):
that first drive they went up tempo on you. Once
you go get to that second or third drive, now
the body starts to calm down, starts to relax more.
Those are opportunities I believe to take advantage in the
first quarter when you would have that first position possession offensively,
and when you come out of havetime with that first
possession because guys are coming in.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
The locker room. Body used to be winded.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Dan used to be out of breath the first series.
Speaker 4 (25:08):
I threw my mom piece away. Come on, man, we
listen almost safety. We running from twelve to fourteen. It
would happen if I ran down on kickoff, then no, Well, Steve,
let me let me help you out.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
A few years I was on.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
So I'm on the starting defense, I'm on butt team,
and I'm on kickoff and I'm gonna kickoff return.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Oh yeah, you're gonna be ga.
Speaker 4 (25:29):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
I guess.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
One of the best stories I ever heard Dave Logan
was talking about catching his first touchdown. I think it
was a preseason and he caught for his long touchdown
or whatever, and he was on kickoff, you know, right afterwards.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
He caught it, he cut the long touchdown.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
He's over there celebrating on the sideline with the balls
catch off.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
Coach.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
Well, the coaches say, hey, hey, Rook, you've got that touchdown.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yeah. He's fistboffing and he's just staring out there for
a Minute's like, are you supposed to be on kickoff
right now?
Speaker 2 (25:51):
There's ten guys standing up like right off?
Speaker 3 (25:54):
Oh god man.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
Yeah. That's about telling people special team is a whole
different animals, specially if you're just doing special teams and
that's for you, but if you can, but if you
got to play defense.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Und eighty degree. The coach is sitting there and it
was like, uh, he's just sitting there.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
He's like, that's great, rook, exactly exactly good. How about this.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
Imagine running down on gunner and gunner the guys outside
the numbers and usually they have a double team, two
guys trying to stop you fighting those two guys, and
then and then you gotta line and play defense.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
That makes defense so easy.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
After give.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Yeah, that's the offense we've got. Trying to be fair,
but I mean, yeah, at the end of the day,
I think there's some some tweets and things like that.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
I want to get to it.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
I'm not afraid of anybody in this playoff field, but
there's some teams I'd rather avoid, like who I don't
want to play the Chargers again.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
I'm gonna be honest with you. I know we beat
them in that game or their backups or whatever.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Man for a seventh seed. I think the Chargers are
better than people think. I don't want any part of Houston.
I don't want any part of Buffalo. The division winners. Boy,
I think we cruise on Pittsburgh. I'm not scared of
New England at all. I went back and watched four
or five of their game. I'm not scared of New England.
The slightest.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
Jacksonville would be the only division winner up there, Like
I want, I want the revenge.
Speaker 5 (27:30):
Yeah, well yeah, maybe in the nasty championship game.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
But I don't want to see who.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Get them in the opening round. I mean it'lliia be
is for four seed on down. So you would either
be Pittsburgh or one of the wildcards. So those are
the only people you could see if you're the Broncos
in the first round.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Because he's because.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
If Jacksonville wins, if Jacksonville wins, Chargers win, Jacksonville's at home,
if Jacksonville wins in New England, wins Jacksonville's at New England, like,
they'll be in the opposite They'll be in the opposite game,
no matter what. It's Pittsburgh or the three wildcards. He's
in Buffalo. Uh and the Chargers, whoever is the lowest
seed that that is available, will play the Broncos.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
You said, Ben that there's some of these teams that
you wouldn't want to play. Tell me why you wouldn't
want to play certain teams.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
I think the Charger I think they have our number.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Like I just think their defense has our number.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
And I think, you know, we just went up against
their their pole backup offense, and you know they they
weren't good, but they had dudes open, you know.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
I mean their receivers.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Alt if that quarterback was you know, could hit the
broad side of a barn. I don't think Trey Lance
could hit water if he fell out of a boat.
But you know he's.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
No. John's not coming back this year.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Whatberg won't be back to at least the AFC Championship,
maybe a super Bowl. JK won't be back till last
AFC Championship, maybe super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
And those would be the guys we get back. M
Bran Jones won't be back.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
So so like look at this Houston and and the Chargers,
I think of the worst matchups for us and then Buffalo.
I just I mean, man, they can run the Yeah,
Josh Allen to man Cook, I mean I don't want
any We've struggled.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
Were a little on the ground, Yes, on the ground,
but he's also he's on his back.
Speaker 7 (29:08):
Yeah, yeah, he's a man. There's, like I said, the
wild cards to me, I think are worst matchups. Like
you look at this, like Buffalo again, they got the
playoff experience, you got Josh Allen, you got James Cook,
you got the Chargers. Who I think there's a seventh
seed and they could just as easily be the two.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Seed and I wouldn't be complaining this. They are that good.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
And then you've got Houston, which I call the most
disrespectful defense I've ever seen.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
And the reason I.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Say that is because they don't disguise anything. They don't blitz,
they straight line up and cover three were like.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
And nobody they don't.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
But they want every game since they played the Broncos.
But not every team could do that, just like every
team tries to run Tampa two.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
Unless you are an elite up front and elite.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
On the second line, unless you you've got a middle
linebacker that's that plays like say exactly.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
So when you look at the Houston Texans having Danil
Hunter and Will Anderson, obviously they got some other guys, uh,
you know, on that D line in on the second level.
They got some players on on in the secondary and
the third level as well. But when you know you
can create pressure at any time with those two animals,
and it's.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
Like, okay, well how do you twe teams normally handle it.
They slide protection, they run at guys, they chip them
or whatever. Because but here's the thing.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
If you say we're gonna run at Daniel Hunter, you're
still putting a very athletic Will Anderson backside who it
was definitely a quality running chase guy, and.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
They've got quality hunting secret linebackers on top of him.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Yeah, that's the thing, and that with Houston.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
You know, now they've got a healthy CJ shroud and
that offense.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Is starting to get there.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
I don't know, I just the wild cards to be
scared a little bit more than it's gonna be in.
It's gonna be fun and I'm happy that we get
to sit back and watch it without have any pressure. Steve,
It's great to have you in as always.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Man, appreciate you guys. Great job brother, She feedback after
this
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