Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Denver Broncos headed to the a FC Championship game against
the Patriots, and no, kids, this isn't the mid two thousands.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
It's right now.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Man, you gotta really love all this action right now.
Speaker 4 (00:16):
There's so many storylines coming into this game, and you
have two story franchises that are facing off against one another.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
I don't know what the numbers are been as to
how many.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Times the Broncos have faced off against the Patriots and
meaningful games, but I tell you what, it's gonna be
really fun to watch the game take playoffs on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
That it is.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
I am looking forward to this one. I think the
Broncos have a good chance to win. Of course, the
high of the win was immediately faded when the news
came out that bo Nicks had broken the bone in
his ankle. Gonna be out four to six months before
I say out four to six months, presuming football activity,
four to six months. He'll be back to jogging and
stuff after about twelve weeks. I know some people out
(01:00):
there are starting the Super Bowl thing. He will not
be back for the Super Bowl. Bonix will not be
back for the Super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Here A.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Technically, let's put that into context.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
He will be on the sideline, but he will not
be in the Broncos uniform with intention on plane.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Bonix will not be available to play in the super Bowl.
Will not be available.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
I know Bonex wouldn't be available play in the Super
Bowl if they moved it to April.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Well, I know we have some moderns of medicine that
have taken place over the years, but yeah, this would
not be enough where they can kind of get him
up and running. But I don't know about you, man,
but it was a gub punch after the game finding.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Out about it.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
When I first saw the video release and James Palmer,
I had it first at first that I saw it,
and I originally thought it was AI because there were
so many AI things that are out there now where
you can kind of duve someone else's face on you
and say whatever you want to. And I had to
be really careful before into it. But then he come
(02:02):
to find out it was really true and talk about,
you know, taking the air out of the room right
after you've had such an emotional win to find out
that to Owe Nicks this season has come to an end.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah, And I thought.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
You know, I thought he did pretty well, in that game,
I thought he I thought he.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Played maybe one of his better games overall.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
I didn't like a lot of the things that we did,
not running the ball, leaving putting him at risk so
much with forty some dropbacks and twelve runs for the
quarterback and only ten total runs for the halfbacks. Again,
you know, put your quarterback at risk like that, especially
after last year where he had broken back for running
the ball.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
You know, I this is part of the game.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
This is part of what I called backyard football.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Which some coordinators don't like. But I'm a firm believer.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Man.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
You have to embrace it.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
I mean, I didn't see Sean McDermott or Joe Brady say, Okay,
well we're going to scale back on what we're doing
with Josh those season a long.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
But this is par for the course, mate.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Josh Allen hasn't broken that same ankle three times since
high school.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Hey, listen, I get it. If that is the case,
then that means now you know Bo's.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Draft Stott is stad As drops and you don't. You know,
it's like me, even though I know coach Peyton ming
jokes about it, but this is football, man, I know
guys who have gotten hurt tripping down on some stairs
over the dogs.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
There are accidents, but there's also putting your guy at risk.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
And at the end of the day, you.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Know, after you're in overtime in a divisional round game,
it's been a long season, and you know, I just
didn't understand that it's the team that it doesn't defend
the run all that Well, what we had one fumble,
which is the second running back fumble of the year
for anybody in the running back room.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Marjorie Harvey had won, Juliel had his first one.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
There the second fumbly, and then you just decide to
abandon the run all together.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Okay, so here's what I'll say once again. I'm a
fan of letting Bo be Bo. I wis that have
happened early in the season. I wish they would have
embraced it.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
A lot more.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
We've seen Bowl extend plays like well, you think about
his numbers, twelve carries, twenty nine yards. His longest run
was eleven yards, right, and if he doesn't run a
scrabble for those eleven yards, that really puts the team
in a very difficult situation. And Bo's mobility is one
of the reasons that the offensive line has very few
(04:24):
sacks all season long. Now, what I will say, and
I would agree with you on this point, is the
fact of.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Running the ball.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
But we have talked about that at nauseum since last season,
about running the ball, and every single game I sit
there and I do the pregame show with Jojo, and
he and I talk about it.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
You and I talk about kay Bo.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
What's the likelihood that the Broncos will stay committed to
the run? We hope so, right, because during the Chargers game,
what were we told Ben?
Speaker 5 (04:56):
Right?
Speaker 4 (04:57):
I heard Ryan Air was saying, I heard Rod Smith
and I hurt. Jojo said it to me during the
pregame show, and I had fans telling me this right
before the game. Boll the Chargers game was just a
Vanella offense. Oh, they're going to run the ball moving forward?
Speaker 2 (05:12):
We did not see it, yeah, at all. We had
ten total carries for the running back room.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Poe had twelve carries in addition to was forty six
drop backs. I think he had uh in that game,
and so that I just it's just frustrating, But you know,
have it Jared sid him in there, I think means
that we'll probably get the ball, or you probably will
run the ball because Jared's not his mobile.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Now, Jared's got a strong arm. Wait, Jared is he
He can throw the ball down the field.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
He will hang in the pocket, let plays develop. He's
a guy who get sacked a little more.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Okay, wait a minute, I'm sorry. I don't mean to
cut you off. Yes, I do believe you do.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I'll cut you off. I mean just because you change quarterbacks.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Now, are you telling me there's going to be a
consistent commitment to running the ball.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Because it's John Payton, So there's never gonna be a
consistent comittmer on the ball. But you will run the
ball more because you can't run it with Jared Stidham
the way you ran it with bow Nix. He just
not I mean, they're not the same guy. Jared Stidham
is not nearly that mobile. I mean, he can get
you a couple of yards here or there maybe, but
he's not He's just not that guy.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
So now we're going to see Jared Stidham may be
more under center than we saw bow.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
I think you'll see more of a traditional Sean Payton,
a little bit more of the traditional Sean Payton offense,
the Drew Brees esque offense. Even Drew was in a
shotgun a lot, You're still gonn see him the shotgun
a Ton.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
That's the Sean Payton offense.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
But I think you'll see something a little more traditional
than what you've seen with bow, you know, taking off.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Well, what I think traditional in the traditional traditional Sean Payton. Okay, okay, Well, let.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
Me tell you what I think about in a traditional.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Sense, not not Sean Payton's world. Well, in a traditional sense,
it would be understier.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
But how can you establish the run if your quarterback
isn't under center. Now, there's multiple ways you can give it,
you know, rpo, hand it off, the guy in the
pistol or whatever. But I still believe been giving a
running back an opportunity to run downhill.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
That they want. Sean Payton doesn't believe in downhill. We
saw that. Maybe that's.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
That was in reference to an individual person. I know
that he understands he believes in downhill, but he was
trying to adjust that particular individuals who brought that up.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
But you need to have a.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Balance, you need to play complimentary football. That proved to
be a problem against the Buffalo Bills. And if anyone
out there is listening to us right now, which I
know you are, thank you for listening to Broncos Country tonight.
Here's what I want to tell you, right I want
to tell you I love this organization. I want to
see these guys get to the Promised Land. But I
also understand the intricacies of this game and how important
(07:47):
having balance and staying committed to it actually freaking works,
and it helps your defense. And if you don't have balance,
knowing as though all the things you listened about limitations
that Jared Stindham may present it you, you're doing the
disservice to the Broncos defense.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Well, I mean so much all season long, I agree
with all that, but we also know what what Sean
isn't isn't and and all that kind of So at
the end of the day, you're still gonna be in
the gun, You're still going to throw the ball a lot,
and you're still you're you're still not going to run
the amount you should. But you know you're not going
to have designed QB run plays like you do like
you have simply because Jared's Didham is that guy.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
You know, so I think you're you're.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Going to see the running bcks get the ball a
little more, whether by hook or by crook. But at
the end of the day, I mean, you know, j
just Didham is not not that people are like, oh
the seasons soccer like man, it is not this huge precipitous.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Drop off you all are making it out to be.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Jared Stidham is a is a high end back up,
low end starter. Uh bo is a you know, borderline
top third of the league starter. You know, at the
end of the day, it's not this this huge drop off.
There's a little drop, but there's not a huge drop off.
And I think the Broncos can win. I think they
can beat the New England Patriots.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
It makes things that much interesting because this whole thing
that once again I go back to the idea and
the concept of story lines and when you think about
what film is out there on jared'stidam, it's very little film.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Basically preseason tape or you gotta go back to the Raiders, right, well,
the third year, I guess that the rust those two
starts with.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Well, yeah, oh you get the preseason game, right and right,
you get everything that we know of Jared from the
Arizona card and Carton's game, right, then you cople that
with four NFL starts, which, by the way.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
You know it's packs of fact, so I'm gonna give
it to you.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
He is one and three in his four starts, and
that was one with the Las Vegas Raiders. Another went
before that with the New England Patriots, both of which
with Josh McDaniels, who knows him well. And when you
think Mike Mike Rabel, Mike Rabel said something today that
they really took a good hard look at Jaredstidam because
(10:00):
they were looking at Okay, well, if the Broncos didn't
sign him back or whatever, would he make a great
backup for a guy like Drake may So. They know
him so. And there's very little film out there. But
the one thing you prepare for when there's less film
is you prepare for the system, right, you prepare for
the system. Now, if the Broncos brought in a very physical,
(10:22):
committed run game, that changes things.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
The thing that for me.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Gives the Broncos hope is the fact of the defense itself.
If the defense continues to trend in the right direction,
which luckily they started creating those turnovers, giving a short
feel to the Denver Broncos offense where you just have
to kick and field goal. The defense gonna like you
down kick a field go you good. The Broncos have
an opportunity. But this is not gonna be a Kate
(10:48):
walk for any team. Because you're playing for the right
to go to Super Bowl. Everyone's gonna bring their best.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
I know, I think we all watched how bad CJ.
Stroud sucked in that game, but I still would rather that.
Did him be going up against the New England defense
then against that Houston defense?
Speaker 2 (11:05):
And I don't you know, I strout they got to
figure something out.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
Man.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
I watching that Houston game, I was sitting there like,
why have you not turned to Davis Mills like this
is this is this is malfeasans at this point.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
So let me ask you.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Then, since she brought it up, I thought the same thing.
The question becomes, if you were Jamika Ryans, when do
you do it?
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Would you have done it without the half? Come up it?
I would have done it before the half, but you
have to do it at halftime.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
See, I'm thinking give him a couple of plays in
the third and just let him know, Hey, listen.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Let him have the first series in the third quarters
and let's see, you know, let's see if he's got
it this game, and if he does, we just kind
of roll with that.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
But the other thing I thought about, and this is
what goes through the mind of coaches, and I.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Know what I'm about to say.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Some we're gonna say, well, man, cut that, loose man,
screw that, but destroying that quarterbacks confidence because I don't
think the Texas have picked up If I'm not mistaken
c DE Straw.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
It's fifty option. They have not.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
So if you do that, then the conversation after the
game not just going to be the fact that you lost,
but that you have lost confidence.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
And C. J.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Stroud maybe not even willing to pick up his fifty option.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
I don't think you can. I mean you have to
pick up his fithoruar obviously you have to pick it up.
But I don't think you can offer him. I mean,
you're talking about a three hundred million dollar deal at
this point. You can't give him that kind of money.
He's not shown it since his rookie year. And I
think at this point, if you're the Texans you got
to bring in some competition for him next year. I
don't know if Davis mills it up, but you got
to bring somebody in because you have too good a
defense to waste it on that quarterback.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
At this point, see, that.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Becomes very difficult because you're asking some of the individuals
inside the organization who pounded the table for CJ. Strout
to now somewhat turn their back slightly on him to
go into a different direction.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Right, whether it's Cal McNair.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Or Nick Cassario, whose decision was it to go in
that direction? And it's hard to admit to say, Okay, well,
maybe our quarterback has regress a little.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
How do we address that? Right?
Speaker 4 (13:02):
These are the conversations that they will have, and the
same thing happens with you know, the the Broncos, you
know coaching staff and the Skyish staff looking at certain
people and taking it.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Back to the Broncos for just a second.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
This is where Jarvis Stidham has an opportunity to change
a lot of the ideas of what people consider of him.
It's a lot of pressure, but he has an opportunity
to change a lot of hearts and minds.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yeah, I mean I think I think Jared Stidham is
going to be all right.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
I don't think he's gonna like the world on fire,
but I think he's gonna be all right in.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
This football game.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
And I think you play I think you play a
super conservative game, but I think you take a safe
approach with it.
Speaker 5 (13:38):
You die.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
You have a few dialed up plays in there to
take advantage of the fact that Stidham will hang in
there and and try to make those plays rather than
Boh kind of bails on him and you know, use
his legs or dumps it down. Why is say bo
Bel's on plays he gets, he gets off that first
read and he's get he's out of there.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
He does not, he gets rid of it. Why then,
why is he get coming off that first readon.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Because he's conditioned to do that, Like he's conditioned to
not take the negative player. I think he goes far
beyond being conditioned like Too he used to do the
same things to Bay Too.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Has got that first read and then he's done with
the play like he does not.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
He's not looking deep, he's not peeking, he's not.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
You know, hanging in there.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Bo doesn't really hang in there on stuff unless the
deep shot is the is the primary read.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
I would agree that sometimes he may leak out a
lot sooner. But watching the game, there a couple of
things that I look at. I said, Okay, well, is
he getting immediate penetration right away in his face? No,
because he's looking down. Feel he's waiting for someone, case
and point, case and point.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Think about the charges game inside the red zone right
and both stand its tall.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
In the pocket, and he's balances, balancing, and he's waiting
the whole to the right side opens up.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
If he runs, he could take it, which I think is.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
I wish he'd be more decisive with those kinds of rights.
But the problem with Bo for me is that the
clock is too fast. He looks to dump it. He
looks to dump it or bail out of the play
too quickly. He doesn't let it develop all the time
what he should and could hang in there and and
so you what you wind up with are shorter gains
on plays where they're guys coming available down the field.
He also takes off every time to his right, and
(15:09):
so that shrinks the field. The defenses know that, and
know you know, to my grate, they don't have to
pay as much attention to the backside anymore, So that
would be my problem. Stidham, to me, is not the
quarterback that bo is, But there are some things that
he does a little bit better, and that's one of them.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
He'll hang in there and let the play develop well.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Obviously he may have a little more patience, but I
would have to see that in a regular season game
other than the preseason game. But with Baul, I think,
for me, and this is just me, I think he
is unjudged unfairly at times because in certain cases when
I watch certain games, what you're talking about, as he's
(15:46):
trying to go through his progressions, he's looking for guys
to clear, and guys are not coming clear as quickly
and as soon as he would like.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
And this is why I think playing from.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Under center is so valuable as so, because when bow
gets the snap, he cuts his hands, he gets the snap,
he's already in his three five seven step drop, so
at that point he's ready to throw the ball.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Now, when you're playing.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
From on the center, now you're working all these foot mechanics,
right What happens above the head and your feet, they're interconnected.
So when he's coming away from the center. Now it
allows those routes to get downfield one, two, three, four, five,
sixty seven. I hit my back foot, I'm ready to
throw the ball. But with him being in the shotgun,
(16:31):
it takes away from that. And watching some of the receivers,
they're not really coming open and creating separation when they
need to.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
So that's why he's looking. He's looking.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
He gets immediate pressure, right and because he's a mobile quarterback,
he's gonna take off a run.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
But keep this in mind, Ben, if he didn't all.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Season long, how many sacks do you think he would
have opposed to what he has now?
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I mean, without looking at the table, I would have
no idea.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
I'll say more, Well, he would have more, obviously it
couldn't be it literally couldn't be less. But how many
more big plays would he have on top of that,
how many more you know, those kinds of things. That's
That's the thing about hanging in there and doing that
kind of stuff steping up in the pocket, which Bo
does not do, is you know, it does help you
with that kind of stuff, and so that that's I think,
you know, in the end, I'd love to see that
next year. That's the growth you want to see from
(17:21):
bow next next year, is him hanging in there a
little bit longer, stepping up those kinds of things. But
what I will say is, you know, we don't. I mean,
he's done for this year, so there's no there's nothing
about that. But Jared Stidham, we know he does that.
Jared will step up, step up in the pocket.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
He will.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
He will hang in there and try to make those plays.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
He will take some sacks, So it's gonna be interesting
to see what that balance looks like in terms of
how many explosives he can make versus how many sacks
he takes, those kinds of things.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
But I think he matches up well.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
If anybody knows the mind of Josh McDaniels, it's a
guy who worked for him and Jared Stidham in two
different spots, knows what that offense that they're going to
do over there is, knows what they want to do
in New England, and was with McDaniels when he was
with the Raiders.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Jared Stidham knows what the what that offense is. It
can provide some insight to that.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
He can provide I'll say a little insight because the offense,
it's changed because during his time there, you had Cam
Newton and you had Tom Brady, right, and of course
there was some design QB runs that they built in
to take advantage of Cam Newton's athleticism, but we haven't
really seen a lot of those design quarterback runs for
(18:23):
Drake May.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Drake May is like.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
A lot of quarterbacks that the Broncos have faced thus
far of the season. You think about Trevor Lawrence recently,
Josh Allen, Jordan Love, all these guys that can run
and manipulate the pocket and they can still throw the
ball with pressure around them.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
So it's going to be.
Speaker 4 (18:45):
Really, really important once again for the Broncos players to
be on top of their game as far as coverage
is concerned. Josh Allen missed a lot of open wide receivers, right,
And I'm sure that that's going to be the coaching
point by Jim Leonard, who's the passing game coordinator in
vance Joseph, Hey, guys, you know we won that game.
We created a lot of turnovers, but we had to
(19:06):
be better in our coverage because we let a couple
of guys get behind us and there's a quarterback connects
on those explosive plays.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Yeah, we we all saw that Josh had a couple
of Donald Trump to Venezuela moments, just overthrowing them.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
So what you're welcome for? That one was a regime
change joke. Oh man, I got in my bag today.
We gotta hit a break.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
We'll be back one that you brought up right before
we cracked the mics and we came back. You're you
all react with Zach segers yes and bring us into
the conversations.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Zach uh and I have a bit of a disagreement.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Zach is believes that the Broncos were carried by the
offense in that game against the Bills. Uh, and that
the defense was horrendous, And I was like, the defense
got five turnovers?
Speaker 2 (19:54):
What are we even doing here?
Speaker 4 (19:55):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (19:55):
And Zach has some numbers the EPA and those kinds
of things, which I am the heat. Yeah, I have
some problems with that number anway, because I think it
doesn't capture content like the EPA, for instance, suggests that
Josh Allen was worth like a twelve and Bow was
worth like a one point eight. Was Josh Allen really
twelve times better than Bodix in that game? With four
turnovers and what No, so EPA is not capturing something.
(20:17):
And at the end of the day, he's like, yeah,
the Broncos defense would have been the third worst of
all time on EPA per play, And I'm like, man,
if a defense gives an offense five turnovers and you
don't win that game, that's not on the defense, man, EPA.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Is that something.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
As to how they judge engage beer, isn't that EPA?
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Oh, that's IPA. That's IPA, all of it. You can
take it and.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
Shove it, because well, when you talk about this Broncos defense,
I can't believe the audacity of Zach Segers or anyone
for that matter, to talk about the Broncos defense and saying, okay,
well look how many points they gave up. I mean,
do you do know the Broncos will one and four
inside of the red zone and you're playing against the
(21:03):
number one rushing team coming into the game, and you
have James Cook and you have the reigning MVP and
Josh oh my god, they were just gonna shut them down.
Oh hell no, they were not.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
And that part just befuddles me.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
And obviously E'za could be on later in the week,
we'll give them a chance to defend his take.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
But there's no blew my mind to see that.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
And it's a popular thing on Twitter too, where people
are like saying that the defense and somehow to I'm.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Like, the defense carried the offense in that game.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
They gave them the free three points at the half
with the turnover for the field goal right there at
the half, and they generated five turnovers.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
In the entire history.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Of the NFL, there's only been one time that a
team got five turnovers and lost once in the history
of the league.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
See once again, I look at it like this Ben.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
All season along, this defense has been pretty much the
phase of this team. And because how well they did
early in the season keeping the score, like keeping it
within one score, right, maybe twenty points at most, everyone
fell in love with that, talked about how great this
(22:13):
defense was. Maybe not on a large local and national
kind of scale, but it was still like, oh, look
at the defense. Oh yeah, the offensive the Broncos just won.
And then I mean even Ryan Theres brought this up
to me and Zach did too. At the same time,
It's like, okay, after the bye week, the Broncos defense
has shown signs of slowing down.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
You damn right.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
If they're on the field majority of the time being
put in tough situations, yes, at some point, the damn
will break.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
It's gonna break, that's what they're and they're playing.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
They were playing a bend don't break ropendope style against
that run defense, right like you could kind of see
what they were trying to do is keep it in
front of them, keep it in front of them, keep
it in front of them, and let them come down
and then bog them down and try to trade field
go for you know, for touchdowns as far as ohay,
sometimes sometimes you're gonna just break anyway. It's the nature
of the NFL. Teams are gonna score at some point.
That's why we don't have very many shutouts. But I'm like, man,
(23:09):
the defense got five you know, the only team to
lose in the playoffs with getting with getting five turnovers
and losing, who was that the Chargers in twenty twenty two.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
You just think about it, man, I'm glad it didn't happen,
but it looked there for a moment like the brother
they were gonna be added to that. But you know,
we can't take anything away from the Buffalo Bills in
the plays, because there was one play that was perfectly
designed and blocked the well by the Buffalo Bills where
it had coming off the left side, it left. They
(23:42):
left Riley Moss just the free defender athletic corner really
fast and James.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Cook outran him.
Speaker 4 (23:50):
Right.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Sometimes that's gonna happen.
Speaker 4 (23:53):
And maybe I will remind maybe Ryan Edwards, some of
the fans and Zach Seekers sometimes they gonna get you.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
It still happen.
Speaker 4 (24:01):
I mean, yeah, but you still have to validate what
those guys did on defense, and I just I just feel, man,
it's just it's utterly disgusting to me to not validate
those guys for what they did, but pointing out damn
e p a.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Yeah, and the offense did did some fun, did some
great things.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
I mean, that little Jordan Humphrey redemption touchdown was great.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Martins was phenomenal. Great throw.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
That might have been the throw of the day if
it wasn't for Caleb Williams pulling Russell Wilson.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Out of his back pocket.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
Okay, wait a minute, really quickly side note that Caleb
Williams throw. I thought the one he threw the Dj
Moore against Cleveland earlier in the season when he was
like almost on the sideline jumping off one leg. I
thought that was impressive with that play. I think that
was that Coaston Loveland in the in the corner.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Of a guy. I think it was called Comett Loveland,
Comet Comet. I thought it was comedy, okay, either way.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
You got a defender underneath him, you got a defender
behind him, and somehow he was able to put in
the bug drifting.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Backwards, backwards, back foot blind throw run backwards, like thirty
yards at that point, ended up being a forty five
yard air throw to the opposite hash off your pick.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
I mean, I was just like, man, come on, man,
that that was one hell of a throw. I digress,
but it reminded me of a member of the rust
of Courtland and Buffalo, and that's what it reminded me of.
I was like, dude, this is like Kayla Williams is
channeling prime Russell Wilson here. But that one was a.
Speaker 4 (25:29):
Little different because Courtland was able to get his his
his toe nails.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Yeah, he had to. Courtland had to make a great
playout of two.
Speaker 6 (25:36):
This ball was just a Comet standard in the back, dude,
and he had room to work the pylon if he
wanted to.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Well, you talk about calling in the Polar Bears toenails.
Oh hell, yes, to be back again. Shout out to
outcast for that one.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
But anyway, back to the Broncos performance, there's several people
that you know, say say different things, talk about, well,
the Broncos defense gave up one hundred and eighty three
yards on the ground. That didn't even be in the
top five yards giving up on the ground of Buffalo
this year, doude.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
They rolled people like you don't understand how that offense does.
It make me go off in the studio. Man, don't
make me do it. I will, don't make me do it.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
It was you know, five turnovers by far, the most
anybody gotten on Buffalo all year.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
Any of those text message saying anything good about the defense,
give me something I won I don't know in terms
of total yardage against the Buffalo Bills that our offense
would not have even ranked in the top six performances
against them in terms of offensive performances.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
So you know, at the end of the day, like
they both did their job.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
But if a defense hands you five turnovers, you win
that game like there's just not the only time it's
ever happened was the Chargers in twenty twenty two, and
we don't know the charge like the.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Chargers of the Chargers, they charger. Yes, that's the only
time has happened.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
Look, man, I don't I don't like it one bit
that individuals are just looking to turn the tide on
the defense, just just looking to find any reason as
to what truly happened. And that defense, you know, played well,
like that fourth quarter. When you think about the fourth quarter,
they give about thirteen points in that fourth quarter, right,
(27:19):
and you.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Go back to the fact that you right before.
Speaker 4 (27:23):
Halftime, you had Nick Benito who knocked the ball out
of Josh Allen's hand three points before halftime, knowing as
though the Bills were gonna get the ball right back.
Right then you had another turnover. I think Nick Benito
had something to do with that. You put the ball
into twenty five, the offense still doesn't score. Will Lux
comes in kicks another will Lu's piel go and remb
I told you and grant the MVP. There's two MVPs,
(27:46):
the Damn Broncos defense and will Mother sucking luck.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
Hey, that's the MVPs right there.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
Yeah, it was anyway, the Broncos pulled out the win.
We'll get a little bit more into that. We got
to Nick Cosmeider coming up in the next hour.
Speaker 5 (28:03):
They toss it left Cook inside the thirty and takes
a hit and the ball's not.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
Free, and I think Denver's got it, Yes, sir. He
singles in with the pop and Hufungo with the.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
Recovery breaks contain out over the thirty runs out of
the thirty, five out of the forty.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
He fumbles the ball.
Speaker 5 (28:21):
The ball is three recover, not still free, and Denver's
got it. With two seconds to go in the half
five man pressure, Allen hit as he throws the ball
is free. It bounces around and I think covered by
the Broncos.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Yes, Malcolm Roach with the recovery, Alan pumps once loads
it up. Home run, ball down the middle of the field.
Ball's interception.
Speaker 5 (28:45):
PJ Lock with the interception down the east sideline.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
He goes and the Broncos have it at their own forty.
Speaker 5 (28:52):
Fourth turnover created by the Broncos defense today, deep ball
down the field.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
The ball is.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
Intercepting Jake Klin McMillen.
Speaker 6 (29:08):
Oh my goodness, Rod goes do best the Bills in
overtime thirty three thirty Josh Allen kind of breaking down.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
I was sad to watch that presser.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
And then some of the locker room stuff afterwards, man
just breaking down and having his teammates shit, you know,
sobbing while saying, Josh dident let us down, you know,
all that kind of stuff. The Bills turn around and
fire Sean mcderbott today, and then the locker room didn't
like that either. As the comments coming out of Buffalo
were saying that that was a mistake.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
Well, I think it was a huge mistake because I
didn't see Sean McDermott turned the ball over. I didn't
see him fumble, didn' see him throw interception. He wasn't
Clifford Jones right, So he wasn't coming down with it as.
Speaker 6 (29:52):
He was to say, for all the problem the problems
that Buffalo had in that game, I don't think I'm
pitting those on coaching.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
No, it's not.
Speaker 4 (29:58):
And then we you look at since twenty nineteen to now,
how close the Bills have gotten closer to the Promised Land.
If you will only to fall short field goal, last possession,
something like that, and obviously you look at the head
coach and said, well, he's the reason why. And with
(30:21):
a quarterback like Josh Allen, how can you not get
him over the hump? Whether there's a Lamarge or Burrow
or Patrick Mahomes. But I would say that that's not
all on Sean McDermott. I don't know what the conversations
like are within the building and how they decide on
what free agents to bring in and.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Who has what type of say.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
But there was a moment at the trail deadline where
we discussed it whether the Bills were going to go
out and try to bring in some extra receivers to
help out. And Kenny Coleman, who was a Shan Brandon
bean pick, hasn't really developed. And there were times early
this season where Nikoleman he was he was a healthy scratch.
(31:03):
That's not se Sean McDermott. So I don't really understand, uh,
this firing, but I know it's par for the course.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Success can be.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
You can be victimized by success, I'll say that, but
I think I think there's I think there's definitely a
truth to that.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
I mean, and this to me is weird because you're Buffalo,
You're two weeks behind the curve. Everybody else has already
has already, you know, fired their coaches, They've been doing
their searches.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Two of the two biggest candidates have already landed. People
are already putting staffs together.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
So unless, like to me, unless they really like, for instance,
Joe Brady and they're gonna they're gonna promote internally, this
does not make a lot of sense to me.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
Well, you know what if be token has been I
fell coming into the playoffs, this was kind of adu
and die for Sean McDermott.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Anyway that you're gonna make a change for the sake
of making change, I felt like you should have done
that last year.
Speaker 4 (31:54):
Last year, if you were going to drive absolutely right right,
But to do it at this particular point, knowing how
the game kind of ended up, I disagree with it.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
I'm not the Pagoula family, they make the decisions whatever.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
But obviously there's some buff fans Buffalo fans or rather,
who are upset, and there's some players who are equally upset.
But also, man, when you lose a game like that,
it does become super emotional, and it's hard tocome. And
these types of games when you know that there's not
a possibility for sure that you're gonna get bet.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
I mean, you look back on these and they hurt
even more that they do.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
Looking at the bets, by the way, for the lines
for the Patriots game here in Denver, the line started
four and a half, shot out to five and a half,
back to forur and a half. Now seventy three percent
of the bets are on the Patriots. And now when
the over understarted forty and a half up to forty
one and a half, sixty eight percent of bets on
the over, on the money line, eighty two percent of
bets on the Patriots. And not a lot of faith
(32:56):
out there among the betty public. And Jared stood them
in these broncos.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Well, I mean, let's be totally honest, Ben, did you
blame him? And you bet? What I do?
Speaker 1 (33:05):
I do, and I'll tell you why we come back.
Denver Broncos headed to the a FC Championship game against
the Patriots, and no, kids, this isn't the mid two thousands.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
It's right now.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Man, you gotta really love all this action right now.
Speaker 4 (00:16):
There's so many storylines coming into this game, and you
have two story franchises that are facing off against one another.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
I don't know what the numbers are been as to
how many.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Times the Broncos have faced off against the Patriots and
meaningful games, but I tell you what, it's gonna be
really fun to watch the game take playoffs on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
That it is.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
I am looking forward to this one. I think the
Broncos have a good chance to win. Of course, the
high of the win was immediately faded when the news
came out that bo Nicks had broken the bone in
his ankle. Gonna be out four to six months before
I say out four to six months, presuming football activity,
four to six months. He'll be back to jogging and
stuff after about twelve weeks. I know some people out
(01:00):
there are starting the Super Bowl thing. He will not
be back for the Super Bowl. Bonix will not be
back for the Super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Here A.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Technically, let's put that into context.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
He will be on the sideline, but he will not
be in the Broncos uniform with intention on plane.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Bonix will not be available to play in the super Bowl.
Will not be available.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
I know Bonex wouldn't be available play in the Super
Bowl if they moved it to April.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Well, I know we have some moderns of medicine that
have taken place over the years, but yeah, this would
not be enough where they can kind of get him
up and running. But I don't know about you, man,
but it was a gub punch after the game finding.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Out about it.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
When I first saw the video release and James Palmer,
I had it first at first that I saw it,
and I originally thought it was AI because there were
so many AI things that are out there now where
you can kind of duve someone else's face on you
and say whatever you want to. And I had to
be really careful before into it. But then he come
(02:02):
to find out it was really true and talk about,
you know, taking the air out of the room right
after you've had such an emotional win to find out
that to Owe Nicks this season has come to an end.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah, And I thought.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
You know, I thought he did pretty well, in that game,
I thought he I thought he.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Played maybe one of his better games overall.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
I didn't like a lot of the things that we did,
not running the ball, leaving putting him at risk so
much with forty some dropbacks and twelve runs for the
quarterback and only ten total runs for the halfbacks. Again,
you know, put your quarterback at risk like that, especially
after last year where he had broken back for running
the ball.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
You know, I this is part of the game.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
This is part of what I called backyard football.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Which some coordinators don't like. But I'm a firm believer.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Man.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
You have to embrace it.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
I mean, I didn't see Sean McDermott or Joe Brady say, Okay,
well we're going to scale back on what we're doing
with Josh those season a long.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
But this is par for the course, mate.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Josh Allen hasn't broken that same ankle three times since
high school.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Hey, listen, I get it. If that is the case,
then that means now you know Bo's.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Draft Stott is stad As drops and you don't. You know,
it's like me, even though I know coach Peyton ming
jokes about it, but this is football, man, I know
guys who have gotten hurt tripping down on some stairs
over the dogs.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
There are accidents, but there's also putting your guy at risk.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
And at the end of the day, you.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Know, after you're in overtime in a divisional round game,
it's been a long season, and you know, I just
didn't understand that it's the team that it doesn't defend
the run all that Well, what we had one fumble,
which is the second running back fumble of the year
for anybody in the running back room.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Marjorie Harvey had won, Juliel had his first one.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
There the second fumbly, and then you just decide to
abandon the run all together.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Okay, so here's what I'll say once again. I'm a
fan of letting Bo be Bo. I wis that have
happened early in the season. I wish they would have
embraced it.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
A lot more.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
We've seen Bowl extend plays like well, you think about
his numbers, twelve carries, twenty nine yards. His longest run
was eleven yards, right, and if he doesn't run a
scrabble for those eleven yards, that really puts the team
in a very difficult situation. And Bo's mobility is one
of the reasons that the offensive line has very few
(04:24):
sacks all season long. Now, what I will say, and
I would agree with you on this point, is the
fact of.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Running the ball.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
But we have talked about that at nauseum since last season,
about running the ball, and every single game I sit
there and I do the pregame show with Jojo, and
he and I talk about it.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
You and I talk about kay Bo.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
What's the likelihood that the Broncos will stay committed to
the run? We hope so, right, because during the Chargers game,
what were we told Ben?
Speaker 5 (04:56):
Right?
Speaker 4 (04:57):
I heard Ryan Air was saying, I heard Rod Smith
and I hurt. Jojo said it to me during the
pregame show, and I had fans telling me this right
before the game. Boll the Chargers game was just a
Vanella offense. Oh, they're going to run the ball moving forward?
Speaker 2 (05:12):
We did not see it, yeah, at all. We had
ten total carries for the running back room.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Poe had twelve carries in addition to was forty six
drop backs. I think he had uh in that game,
and so that I just it's just frustrating, But you know,
have it Jared sid him in there, I think means
that we'll probably get the ball, or you probably will
run the ball because Jared's not his mobile.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Now, Jared's got a strong arm. Wait, Jared is he
He can throw the ball down the field.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
He will hang in the pocket, let plays develop. He's
a guy who get sacked a little more.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Okay, wait a minute, I'm sorry. I don't mean to
cut you off. Yes, I do believe you do.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I'll cut you off. I mean just because you change quarterbacks.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Now, are you telling me there's going to be a
consistent commitment to running the ball.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Because it's John Payton, So there's never gonna be a
consistent comittmer on the ball. But you will run the
ball more because you can't run it with Jared Stidham
the way you ran it with bow Nix. He just
not I mean, they're not the same guy. Jared Stidham
is not nearly that mobile. I mean, he can get
you a couple of yards here or there maybe, but
he's not He's just not that guy.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
So now we're going to see Jared Stidham may be
more under center than we saw bow.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
I think you'll see more of a traditional Sean Payton,
a little bit more of the traditional Sean Payton offense,
the Drew Brees esque offense. Even Drew was in a
shotgun a lot, You're still gonn see him the shotgun
a Ton.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
That's the Sean Payton offense.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
But I think you'll see something a little more traditional
than what you've seen with bow, you know, taking off.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Well, what I think traditional in the traditional traditional Sean Payton. Okay, okay, Well, let.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
Me tell you what I think about in a traditional.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Sense, not not Sean Payton's world. Well, in a traditional sense,
it would be understier.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
But how can you establish the run if your quarterback
isn't under center. Now, there's multiple ways you can give it,
you know, rpo, hand it off, the guy in the
pistol or whatever. But I still believe been giving a
running back an opportunity to run downhill.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
That they want. Sean Payton doesn't believe in downhill. We
saw that. Maybe that's.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
That was in reference to an individual person. I know
that he understands he believes in downhill, but he was
trying to adjust that particular individuals who brought that up.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
But you need to have a.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Balance, you need to play complimentary football. That proved to
be a problem against the Buffalo Bills. And if anyone
out there is listening to us right now, which I
know you are, thank you for listening to Broncos Country tonight.
Here's what I want to tell you, right I want
to tell you I love this organization. I want to
see these guys get to the Promised Land. But I
also understand the intricacies of this game and how important
(07:47):
having balance and staying committed to it actually freaking works,
and it helps your defense. And if you don't have balance,
knowing as though all the things you listened about limitations
that Jared Stindham may present it you, you're doing the
disservice to the Broncos defense.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Well, I mean so much all season long, I agree
with all that, but we also know what what Sean
isn't isn't and and all that kind of So at
the end of the day, you're still gonna be in
the gun, You're still going to throw the ball a lot,
and you're still you're you're still not going to run
the amount you should. But you know you're not going
to have designed QB run plays like you do like
you have simply because Jared's Didham is that guy.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
You know, so I think you're you're.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Going to see the running bcks get the ball a
little more, whether by hook or by crook. But at
the end of the day, I mean, you know, j
just Didham is not not that people are like, oh
the seasons soccer like man, it is not this huge precipitous.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Drop off you all are making it out to be.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Jared Stidham is a is a high end back up,
low end starter. Uh bo is a you know, borderline
top third of the league starter. You know, at the
end of the day, it's not this this huge drop off.
There's a little drop, but there's not a huge drop off.
And I think the Broncos can win. I think they
can beat the New England Patriots.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
It makes things that much interesting because this whole thing
that once again I go back to the idea and
the concept of story lines and when you think about
what film is out there on jared'stidam, it's very little film.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Basically preseason tape or you gotta go back to the Raiders, right, well,
the third year, I guess that the rust those two
starts with.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Well, yeah, oh you get the preseason game, right and right,
you get everything that we know of Jared from the
Arizona card and Carton's game, right, then you cople that
with four NFL starts, which, by the way.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
You know it's packs of fact, so I'm gonna give
it to you.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
He is one and three in his four starts, and
that was one with the Las Vegas Raiders. Another went
before that with the New England Patriots, both of which
with Josh McDaniels, who knows him well. And when you
think Mike Mike Rabel, Mike Rabel said something today that
they really took a good hard look at Jaredstidam because
(10:00):
they were looking at Okay, well, if the Broncos didn't
sign him back or whatever, would he make a great
backup for a guy like Drake may So. They know
him so. And there's very little film out there. But
the one thing you prepare for when there's less film
is you prepare for the system, right, you prepare for
the system. Now, if the Broncos brought in a very physical,
(10:22):
committed run game, that changes things.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
The thing that for me.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Gives the Broncos hope is the fact of the defense itself.
If the defense continues to trend in the right direction,
which luckily they started creating those turnovers, giving a short
feel to the Denver Broncos offense where you just have
to kick and field goal. The defense gonna like you
down kick a field go you good. The Broncos have
an opportunity. But this is not gonna be a Kate
(10:48):
walk for any team. Because you're playing for the right
to go to Super Bowl. Everyone's gonna bring their best.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
I know, I think we all watched how bad CJ.
Stroud sucked in that game, but I still would rather that.
Did him be going up against the New England defense
then against that Houston defense?
Speaker 2 (11:05):
And I don't you know, I strout they got to
figure something out.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
Man.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
I watching that Houston game, I was sitting there like,
why have you not turned to Davis Mills like this
is this is this is malfeasans at this point.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
So let me ask you.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Then, since she brought it up, I thought the same thing.
The question becomes, if you were Jamika Ryans, when do
you do it?
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Would you have done it without the half? Come up it?
I would have done it before the half, but you
have to do it at halftime.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
See, I'm thinking give him a couple of plays in
the third and just let him know, Hey, listen.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Let him have the first series in the third quarters
and let's see, you know, let's see if he's got
it this game, and if he does, we just kind
of roll with that.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
But the other thing I thought about, and this is
what goes through the mind of coaches, and I.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Know what I'm about to say.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Some we're gonna say, well, man, cut that, loose man,
screw that, but destroying that quarterbacks confidence because I don't
think the Texas have picked up If I'm not mistaken
c DE Straw.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
It's fifty option. They have not.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
So if you do that, then the conversation after the
game not just going to be the fact that you lost,
but that you have lost confidence.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
And C. J.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Stroud maybe not even willing to pick up his fifty option.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
I don't think you can. I mean you have to
pick up his fithoruar obviously you have to pick it up.
But I don't think you can offer him. I mean,
you're talking about a three hundred million dollar deal at
this point. You can't give him that kind of money.
He's not shown it since his rookie year. And I
think at this point, if you're the Texans you got
to bring in some competition for him next year. I
don't know if Davis mills it up, but you got
to bring somebody in because you have too good a
defense to waste it on that quarterback.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
At this point, see, that.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Becomes very difficult because you're asking some of the individuals
inside the organization who pounded the table for CJ. Strout
to now somewhat turn their back slightly on him to
go into a different direction.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Right, whether it's Cal McNair.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Or Nick Cassario, whose decision was it to go in
that direction? And it's hard to admit to say, Okay, well,
maybe our quarterback has regress a little.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
How do we address that? Right?
Speaker 4 (13:02):
These are the conversations that they will have, and the
same thing happens with you know, the the Broncos, you
know coaching staff and the Skyish staff looking at certain
people and taking it.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Back to the Broncos for just a second.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
This is where Jarvis Stidham has an opportunity to change
a lot of the ideas of what people consider of him.
It's a lot of pressure, but he has an opportunity
to change a lot of hearts and minds.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yeah, I mean I think I think Jared Stidham is
going to be all right.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
I don't think he's gonna like the world on fire,
but I think he's gonna be all right in.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
This football game.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
And I think you play I think you play a
super conservative game, but I think you take a safe
approach with it.
Speaker 5 (13:38):
You die.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
You have a few dialed up plays in there to
take advantage of the fact that Stidham will hang in
there and and try to make those plays rather than
Boh kind of bails on him and you know, use
his legs or dumps it down. Why is say bo
Bel's on plays he gets, he gets off that first
read and he's get he's out of there.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
He does not, he gets rid of it. Why then,
why is he get coming off that first readon.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Because he's conditioned to do that, Like he's conditioned to
not take the negative player. I think he goes far
beyond being conditioned like Too he used to do the
same things to Bay Too.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Has got that first read and then he's done with
the play like he does not.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
He's not looking deep, he's not peeking, he's not.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
You know, hanging in there.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Bo doesn't really hang in there on stuff unless the
deep shot is the is the primary read.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
I would agree that sometimes he may leak out a
lot sooner. But watching the game, there a couple of
things that I look at. I said, Okay, well, is
he getting immediate penetration right away in his face? No,
because he's looking down. Feel he's waiting for someone, case
and point, case and point.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Think about the charges game inside the red zone right
and both stand its tall.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
In the pocket, and he's balances, balancing, and he's waiting
the whole to the right side opens up.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
If he runs, he could take it, which I think is.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
I wish he'd be more decisive with those kinds of rights.
But the problem with Bo for me is that the
clock is too fast. He looks to dump it. He
looks to dump it or bail out of the play
too quickly. He doesn't let it develop all the time
what he should and could hang in there and and
so you what you wind up with are shorter gains
on plays where they're guys coming available down the field.
He also takes off every time to his right, and
(15:09):
so that shrinks the field. The defenses know that, and
know you know, to my grate, they don't have to
pay as much attention to the backside anymore, So that
would be my problem. Stidham, to me, is not the
quarterback that bo is, But there are some things that
he does a little bit better, and that's one of them.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
He'll hang in there and let the play develop well.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Obviously he may have a little more patience, but I
would have to see that in a regular season game
other than the preseason game. But with Baul, I think,
for me, and this is just me, I think he
is unjudged unfairly at times because in certain cases when
I watch certain games, what you're talking about, as he's
(15:46):
trying to go through his progressions, he's looking for guys
to clear, and guys are not coming clear as quickly
and as soon as he would like.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
And this is why I think playing from.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Under center is so valuable as so, because when bow
gets the snap, he cuts his hands, he gets the snap,
he's already in his three five seven step drop, so
at that point he's ready to throw the ball.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Now, when you're playing.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
From on the center, now you're working all these foot mechanics,
right What happens above the head and your feet, they're interconnected.
So when he's coming away from the center. Now it
allows those routes to get downfield one, two, three, four, five,
sixty seven. I hit my back foot, I'm ready to
throw the ball. But with him being in the shotgun,
(16:31):
it takes away from that. And watching some of the receivers,
they're not really coming open and creating separation when they
need to.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
So that's why he's looking. He's looking.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
He gets immediate pressure, right and because he's a mobile quarterback,
he's gonna take off a run.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
But keep this in mind, Ben, if he didn't all.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Season long, how many sacks do you think he would
have opposed to what he has now?
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I mean, without looking at the table, I would have
no idea.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
I'll say more, Well, he would have more, obviously it
couldn't be it literally couldn't be less. But how many
more big plays would he have on top of that,
how many more you know, those kinds of things. That's
That's the thing about hanging in there and doing that
kind of stuff steping up in the pocket, which Bo
does not do, is you know, it does help you
with that kind of stuff, and so that that's I think,
you know, in the end, I'd love to see that
next year. That's the growth you want to see from
(17:21):
bow next next year, is him hanging in there a
little bit longer, stepping up those kinds of things. But
what I will say is, you know, we don't. I mean,
he's done for this year, so there's no there's nothing
about that. But Jared Stidham, we know he does that.
Jared will step up, step up in the pocket.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
He will.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
He will hang in there and try to make those plays.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
He will take some sacks, So it's gonna be interesting
to see what that balance looks like in terms of
how many explosives he can make versus how many sacks
he takes, those kinds of things.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
But I think he matches up well.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
If anybody knows the mind of Josh McDaniels, it's a
guy who worked for him and Jared Stidham in two
different spots, knows what that offense that they're going to
do over there is, knows what they want to do
in New England, and was with McDaniels when he was
with the Raiders.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Jared Stidham knows what the what that offense is. It
can provide some insight to that.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
He can provide I'll say a little insight because the offense,
it's changed because during his time there, you had Cam
Newton and you had Tom Brady, right, and of course
there was some design QB runs that they built in
to take advantage of Cam Newton's athleticism, but we haven't
really seen a lot of those design quarterback runs for
(18:23):
Drake May.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Drake May is like.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
A lot of quarterbacks that the Broncos have faced thus
far of the season. You think about Trevor Lawrence recently,
Josh Allen, Jordan Love, all these guys that can run
and manipulate the pocket and they can still throw the
ball with pressure around them.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
So it's going to be.
Speaker 4 (18:45):
Really, really important once again for the Broncos players to
be on top of their game as far as coverage
is concerned. Josh Allen missed a lot of open wide receivers, right,
And I'm sure that that's going to be the coaching
point by Jim Leonard, who's the passing game coordinator in
vance Joseph, Hey, guys, you know we won that game.
We created a lot of turnovers, but we had to
(19:06):
be better in our coverage because we let a couple
of guys get behind us and there's a quarterback connects
on those explosive plays.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Yeah, we we all saw that Josh had a couple
of Donald Trump to Venezuela moments, just overthrowing them.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
So what you're welcome for? That one was a regime
change joke. Oh man, I got in my bag today.
We gotta hit a break.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
We'll be back one that you brought up right before
we cracked the mics and we came back. You're you
all react with Zach segers yes and bring us into
the conversations.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Zach uh and I have a bit of a disagreement.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Zach is believes that the Broncos were carried by the
offense in that game against the Bills. Uh, and that
the defense was horrendous, And I was like, the defense
got five turnovers?
Speaker 2 (19:54):
What are we even doing here?
Speaker 4 (19:55):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (19:55):
And Zach has some numbers the EPA and those kinds
of things, which I am the heat. Yeah, I have
some problems with that number anway, because I think it
doesn't capture content like the EPA, for instance, suggests that
Josh Allen was worth like a twelve and Bow was
worth like a one point eight. Was Josh Allen really
twelve times better than Bodix in that game? With four
turnovers and what No, so EPA is not capturing something.
(20:17):
And at the end of the day, he's like, yeah,
the Broncos defense would have been the third worst of
all time on EPA per play, And I'm like, man,
if a defense gives an offense five turnovers and you
don't win that game, that's not on the defense, man, EPA.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Is that something.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
As to how they judge engage beer, isn't that EPA?
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Oh, that's IPA. That's IPA, all of it. You can
take it and.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
Shove it, because well, when you talk about this Broncos defense,
I can't believe the audacity of Zach Segers or anyone
for that matter, to talk about the Broncos defense and saying, okay,
well look how many points they gave up. I mean,
do you do know the Broncos will one and four
inside of the red zone and you're playing against the
(21:03):
number one rushing team coming into the game, and you
have James Cook and you have the reigning MVP and
Josh oh my god, they were just gonna shut them down.
Oh hell no, they were not.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
And that part just befuddles me.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
And obviously E'za could be on later in the week,
we'll give them a chance to defend his take.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
But there's no blew my mind to see that.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
And it's a popular thing on Twitter too, where people
are like saying that the defense and somehow to I'm.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Like, the defense carried the offense in that game.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
They gave them the free three points at the half
with the turnover for the field goal right there at
the half, and they generated five turnovers.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
In the entire history.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Of the NFL, there's only been one time that a
team got five turnovers and lost once in the history
of the league.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
See once again, I look at it like this Ben.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
All season along, this defense has been pretty much the
phase of this team. And because how well they did
early in the season keeping the score, like keeping it
within one score, right, maybe twenty points at most, everyone
fell in love with that, talked about how great this
(22:13):
defense was. Maybe not on a large local and national
kind of scale, but it was still like, oh, look
at the defense. Oh yeah, the offensive the Broncos just won.
And then I mean even Ryan Theres brought this up
to me and Zach did too. At the same time,
It's like, okay, after the bye week, the Broncos defense
has shown signs of slowing down.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
You damn right.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
If they're on the field majority of the time being
put in tough situations, yes, at some point, the damn
will break.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
It's gonna break, that's what they're and they're playing.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
They were playing a bend don't break ropendope style against
that run defense, right like you could kind of see
what they were trying to do is keep it in
front of them, keep it in front of them, keep
it in front of them, and let them come down
and then bog them down and try to trade field
go for you know, for touchdowns as far as ohay,
sometimes sometimes you're gonna just break anyway. It's the nature
of the NFL. Teams are gonna score at some point.
That's why we don't have very many shutouts. But I'm like, man,
(23:09):
the defense got five you know, the only team to
lose in the playoffs with getting with getting five turnovers
and losing, who was that the Chargers in twenty twenty two.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
You just think about it, man, I'm glad it didn't happen,
but it looked there for a moment like the brother
they were gonna be added to that. But you know,
we can't take anything away from the Buffalo Bills in
the plays, because there was one play that was perfectly
designed and blocked the well by the Buffalo Bills where
it had coming off the left side, it left. They
(23:42):
left Riley Moss just the free defender athletic corner really
fast and James.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Cook outran him.
Speaker 4 (23:50):
Right.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Sometimes that's gonna happen.
Speaker 4 (23:53):
And maybe I will remind maybe Ryan Edwards, some of
the fans and Zach Seekers sometimes they gonna get you.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
It still happen.
Speaker 4 (24:01):
I mean, yeah, but you still have to validate what
those guys did on defense, and I just I just feel, man,
it's just it's utterly disgusting to me to not validate
those guys for what they did, but pointing out damn
e p a.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Yeah, and the offense did did some fun, did some
great things.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
I mean, that little Jordan Humphrey redemption touchdown was great.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Martins was phenomenal. Great throw.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
That might have been the throw of the day if
it wasn't for Caleb Williams pulling Russell Wilson.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Out of his back pocket.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
Okay, wait a minute, really quickly side note that Caleb
Williams throw. I thought the one he threw the Dj
Moore against Cleveland earlier in the season when he was
like almost on the sideline jumping off one leg. I
thought that was impressive with that play. I think that
was that Coaston Loveland in the in the corner.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Of a guy. I think it was called Comett Loveland,
Comet Comet. I thought it was comedy, okay, either way.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
You got a defender underneath him, you got a defender
behind him, and somehow he was able to put in
the bug drifting.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Backwards, backwards, back foot blind throw run backwards, like thirty
yards at that point, ended up being a forty five
yard air throw to the opposite hash off your pick.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
I mean, I was just like, man, come on, man,
that that was one hell of a throw. I digress,
but it reminded me of a member of the rust
of Courtland and Buffalo, and that's what it reminded me of.
I was like, dude, this is like Kayla Williams is
channeling prime Russell Wilson here. But that one was a.
Speaker 4 (25:29):
Little different because Courtland was able to get his his
his toe nails.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Yeah, he had to. Courtland had to make a great
playout of two.
Speaker 6 (25:36):
This ball was just a Comet standard in the back, dude,
and he had room to work the pylon if he
wanted to.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Well, you talk about calling in the Polar Bears toenails.
Oh hell, yes, to be back again. Shout out to
outcast for that one.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
But anyway, back to the Broncos performance, there's several people
that you know, say say different things, talk about, well,
the Broncos defense gave up one hundred and eighty three
yards on the ground. That didn't even be in the
top five yards giving up on the ground of Buffalo
this year, doude.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
They rolled people like you don't understand how that offense does.
It make me go off in the studio. Man, don't
make me do it. I will, don't make me do it.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
It was you know, five turnovers by far, the most
anybody gotten on Buffalo all year.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
Any of those text message saying anything good about the defense,
give me something I won I don't know in terms
of total yardage against the Buffalo Bills that our offense
would not have even ranked in the top six performances
against them in terms of offensive performances.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
So you know, at the end of the day, like
they both did their job.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
But if a defense hands you five turnovers, you win
that game like there's just not the only time it's
ever happened was the Chargers in twenty twenty two, and
we don't know the charge like the.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Chargers of the Chargers, they charger. Yes, that's the only
time has happened.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
Look, man, I don't I don't like it one bit
that individuals are just looking to turn the tide on
the defense, just just looking to find any reason as
to what truly happened. And that defense, you know, played well,
like that fourth quarter. When you think about the fourth quarter,
they give about thirteen points in that fourth quarter, right,
(27:19):
and you.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Go back to the fact that you right before.
Speaker 4 (27:23):
Halftime, you had Nick Benito who knocked the ball out
of Josh Allen's hand three points before halftime, knowing as
though the Bills were gonna get the ball right back.
Right then you had another turnover. I think Nick Benito
had something to do with that. You put the ball
into twenty five, the offense still doesn't score. Will Lux
comes in kicks another will Lu's piel go and remb
I told you and grant the MVP. There's two MVPs,
(27:46):
the Damn Broncos defense and will Mother sucking luck.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
Hey, that's the MVPs right there.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
Yeah, it was anyway, the Broncos pulled out the win.
We'll get a little bit more into that. We got
to Nick Cosmeider coming up in the next hour.
Speaker 5 (28:03):
They toss it left Cook inside the thirty and takes
a hit and the ball's not.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
Free, and I think Denver's got it, Yes, sir. He
singles in with the pop and Hufungo with the.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
Recovery breaks contain out over the thirty runs out of
the thirty, five out of the forty.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
He fumbles the ball.
Speaker 5 (28:21):
The ball is three recover, not still free, and Denver's
got it. With two seconds to go in the half
five man pressure, Allen hit as he throws the ball
is free. It bounces around and I think covered by
the Broncos.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Yes, Malcolm Roach with the recovery, Alan pumps once loads
it up. Home run, ball down the middle of the field.
Ball's interception.
Speaker 5 (28:45):
PJ Lock with the interception down the east sideline.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
He goes and the Broncos have it at their own forty.
Speaker 5 (28:52):
Fourth turnover created by the Broncos defense today, deep ball
down the field.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
The ball is.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
Intercepting Jake Klin McMillen.
Speaker 6 (29:08):
Oh my goodness, Rod goes do best the Bills in
overtime thirty three thirty Josh Allen kind of breaking down.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
I was sad to watch that presser.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
And then some of the locker room stuff afterwards, man
just breaking down and having his teammates shit, you know,
sobbing while saying, Josh dident let us down, you know,
all that kind of stuff. The Bills turn around and
fire Sean mcderbott today, and then the locker room didn't
like that either. As the comments coming out of Buffalo
were saying that that was a mistake.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
Well, I think it was a huge mistake because I
didn't see Sean McDermott turned the ball over. I didn't
see him fumble, didn' see him throw interception. He wasn't
Clifford Jones right, So he wasn't coming down with it as.
Speaker 6 (29:52):
He was to say, for all the problem the problems
that Buffalo had in that game, I don't think I'm
pitting those on coaching.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
No, it's not.
Speaker 4 (29:58):
And then we you look at since twenty nineteen to now,
how close the Bills have gotten closer to the Promised Land.
If you will only to fall short field goal, last possession,
something like that, and obviously you look at the head
coach and said, well, he's the reason why. And with
(30:21):
a quarterback like Josh Allen, how can you not get
him over the hump? Whether there's a Lamarge or Burrow
or Patrick Mahomes. But I would say that that's not
all on Sean McDermott. I don't know what the conversations
like are within the building and how they decide on
what free agents to bring in and.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Who has what type of say.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
But there was a moment at the trail deadline where
we discussed it whether the Bills were going to go
out and try to bring in some extra receivers to
help out. And Kenny Coleman, who was a Shan Brandon
bean pick, hasn't really developed. And there were times early
this season where Nikoleman he was he was a healthy scratch.
(31:03):
That's not se Sean McDermott. So I don't really understand, uh,
this firing, but I know it's par for the course.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Success can be.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
You can be victimized by success, I'll say that, but
I think I think there's I think there's definitely a
truth to that.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
I mean, and this to me is weird because you're Buffalo,
You're two weeks behind the curve. Everybody else has already
has already, you know, fired their coaches, They've been doing
their searches.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Two of the two biggest candidates have already landed. People
are already putting staffs together.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
So unless, like to me, unless they really like, for instance,
Joe Brady and they're gonna they're gonna promote internally, this
does not make a lot of sense to me.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
Well, you know what if be token has been I
fell coming into the playoffs, this was kind of adu
and die for Sean McDermott.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Anyway that you're gonna make a change for the sake
of making change, I felt like you should have done
that last year.
Speaker 4 (31:54):
Last year, if you were going to drive absolutely right right,
But to do it at this particular point, knowing how
the game kind of ended up, I disagree with it.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
I'm not the Pagoula family, they make the decisions whatever.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
But obviously there's some buff fans Buffalo fans or rather,
who are upset, and there's some players who are equally upset.
But also, man, when you lose a game like that,
it does become super emotional, and it's hard tocome. And
these types of games when you know that there's not
a possibility for sure that you're gonna get bet.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
I mean, you look back on these and they hurt
even more that they do.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
Looking at the bets, by the way, for the lines
for the Patriots game here in Denver, the line started
four and a half, shot out to five and a half,
back to forur and a half. Now seventy three percent
of the bets are on the Patriots. And now when
the over understarted forty and a half up to forty
one and a half, sixty eight percent of bets on
the over, on the money line, eighty two percent of
bets on the Patriots. And not a lot of faith
(32:56):
out there among the betty public. And Jared stood them
in these broncos.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Well, I mean, let's be totally honest, Ben, did you
blame him? And you bet? What I do?
Speaker 1 (33:05):
I do, and I'll tell you why we come back.
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Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.
iHeartOlympics: The Latest
Listen to the latest news from the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Milan Cortina Winter Olympics
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina are here and have everyone talking. iHeartPodcasts is buzzing with content in honor of the XXV Winter Olympics We’re bringing you episodes from a variety of iHeartPodcast shows to help you keep up with the action. Follow Milan Cortina Winter Olympics so you don’t miss any coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and if you like what you hear, be sure to follow each Podcast in the feed for more great content from iHeartPodcasts.