Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, Brian mcferguson grass Meth here with you. Five six
(00:02):
sixty nine zero is the text line.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
As always, guys, you can win one of three pairs
of AFC Championship Game tickets from KOA. It's gonna be
tomorrow five thirty right here on KOA, the Kowei Instagram
and Twitter pages. And that's thanks to Common Spirit Ealth,
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Common Spirit dot org. And again that's tomorrow at five
(00:26):
thirty right here on KOA. So if you guys want
pairs of tickets CFC Championship Game, you can win them
here exclusively on KOA.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
I grant I see stuff in the box over there
that's not gonna work. Well, don't call me out. I've
been using fake names the whole time. He's crossing its man.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
I'm just saying no, I have to be here, yes,
as as we all as we all do. Gotta look,
we're talking about the Patriots and breaking down their their
their roster, comparing it to the Broncos roster. Got through
the offensive side, it's pivot on over to the defensive
side here where they're relatively healthy outside of outside linebacker
(01:06):
Harold Landry.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
On the defensive line. They do run.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
It's not a four, it's not a three four. It's
more like a three to three that they run. It's
more of a three three five. It's gods roots, a
little bit closer to what you'd see uh in college
with like that three three.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Five tight look.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Yeah, they use on the line Milton Williams, uh Chiros Tanga,
and Christian Barmore. I think a lot of people are
familiar with. Certainly Barmore's name, Milt Williams, somebody should be
should be familiar with. Harold Landry was the team's leading
sack and QB hits guy. He's a little banged up.
Don't know if he's gonna be a go in this one.
(01:46):
They've got some that they get most of their pressure
off the edge with with Landry and Clavon Chason. Chason's
the other edge guy. Hits seven and a half sacks
on the season, eighteen QB hits pretty evenly distributed in
terms of what they do. And then Barmore is their
most defensive, most dangerous defensive lineman eleven QB hits on
a pair of sacks. Milt Williams three and a half sacks,
(02:06):
eight QB hits on the season. Williams disruptor in the
backfield too, though he does have eight tackles for a loss,
the only only players beating him on that are Chase
on And and Harold Landry. You know, they they've got
a pretty pretty stout front there. When you look at
these guys, they're they're they're fairly large. They're a little
(02:28):
bit larger than we are with that front, that front three.
You know, DJ is our biggest guy at three or five.
They've got Tonga who plays the nose at three thirty five.
Barmore is three point fifteen and then Milton Williams is
their lightest defensive lineman at two hundred and ninety pounds.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
That front three is pretty big.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Yeah, a very large up front defensive line group, which
is wise to run between the.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Two tackles and how they can get away with playing
three three five. You have to put the extra back.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Bodies, so you get some guys maybe two gapping where
they they have to play multiple gaps. And when you
watch the Broncos run the ball, they run a lot
of tight splits. They do that with the wide receivers,
but they also do that with the offensive linemen. I
would love to see them kind of open up things
a little, create some spacing with their offensive linemen where
(03:27):
they put maybe a yard or half a yard between
their splits. So now you have natural gaps that are
already formed. And then you take that and.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
You couple that with moving the wide receivers out.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
You basically buy formation alone create a lot of space
to work with and run with the ball.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
But when you reduce.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
And condense your formations, you make everything tight, and it's
hard for those running backs and the Patriots linebackers on
the second level.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
They do a great job of tracking down.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
So what you want, I want to do is try
to create that spacing and allow your backs with maybe
you know, outside zone, getting them out that there on
the perimeter and just allow on them those cutback those
natural cutback lanes to really really help them out. Here's
something else I find.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
That really interesting. Now.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
I know we always track sacks, and right now, the
Broncos lead the league in sacks far as the regular
season with sixty eight.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Patriots are the worst.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Yes, Patriots don't they don't do a great job of
generate pressure off the edge and that bleeds into hurries.
The Broncos a fifth in the NFL at forcing.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Sixty five hurries.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
That means your quarterback best get the ball out of
his hands or the back of his jersey is going
to be.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Green with grass stanes and right now.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
The Patriots they ranked twenty ninth YEP in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
As it pertains to hurries coming.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Up against this defense, I think is a bit of
a boon to the fact that we have Jared Stidham starting,
because if Stidham had to go up against, for instance,
the Houston Texans defense, I think that could be a disaster.
You know, I get the Texans offenses, with all due
respect to the Patriots wide receiver Booty. The Texans offense
is booty. But I'm glad we're playing the Patriots instead
(05:19):
of the Texans because that defense, with Stidham getting thrown
into the cold water into the defense, I just worry
that that would have been that would have been something
that he probably would have struggled more against than perhaps
this team, which again not the same thing about the
Patriots defense, which is fairly decent, but you know, wildly
different when you've got a very one of the best
(05:41):
defenses in football in Houston, and I think it's a
better matchup for the Broncos going up against this defense.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Well, it is because the love of heat off the
edge that you put on a quarterback, it's not going
to be there as it would have been with Will
Anderson or Daniel Hunter. But the way that the Pages
make up for it is how they play in the
back end. Uh, they're back in real connected. They have
(06:09):
good quality play from the safety position, so that's where
they're able to kind of, I guess, overcompensate for the
inability to get.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
To the press rush from the quarterback right and that
is the strength of this team. I glossed over the
inside backers where they're pretty deep. They got Robert Splane,
Christian Ellis who's the brother of Jonah Ellis in there.
They got Jack Gibbons, Jolanta Tevai, Martin Mapu, Chad MoMA.
They've they're deep in inside backers, they just don't don't
use them as much. That the strength of their team
is the corners. Carlton Davis, who is trending to be
(06:38):
back from concussion, Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones is one
of the best one two, three punches in terms of
corners in the league. If you're not famim and everybody's
gonna talk about Sirtann and McMillan and Moss, but those
three iss that's a really good trio to have. They're
very good at what they do and they are the
strength of that defense.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Yeah, when you have guys who are connected in the
secondary from a defensive standpoint, it allows you to do
a multitude.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Of different things.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Christian Gonzalez one of the top picks from a couple
of years.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Ago, long, big cornered, long arms.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
I anticipated that he would be on Courtland Suddon, and
I don't think this is gonna be a situation where
they're gonna use Christian Gonzales to kind of run around.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
And follow of Courtland Sutton. There's gonna be a situation
where they're.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Gonna play right and left, and then depending on how
successful the wide receivers are, they're gonna start moving some
things around. But this is where the Broncos can actually
make plays. You know, whomever's playing the slide, you know
you may have an opportunity to feature that guy. And
watching Sean Payton's offense, this past season. They want to
(07:45):
get those shallow routes right, They want to run everyone off.
They want to cause I guess, chaos in the middle
of the field between the hashers and run you know,
layered routes.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
And that was kind of thing for bow I'm.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Interesting to see if they continue to do the same
thing for Jared because now when you do that, you
line up those throws right in the direct line up
side for the quarterback one two, three. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
I think this is gonna be the interesting thing because
we all know Sean Sean Payton's tendency is to want
to throw, want to throw the ball that plays right
into the strength of uh these New England defense. They
they are they do have those corners and they are
very good corners. That is the that is the strength
of what they do. And specifically those three players are
(08:28):
are pretty good players. The safety position, the rookie Craig
Woodson and Jalen Hawkins, those guys are good too, but
they're the strength is the corners.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Yeah, the strength, you know, are the corners of the
Patriots defense. And they like to kind of mix things up,
like if Calton Davis doesn't return, dude to the concussion
that may be an aspect of the game that the
Broncos can till in their direction, but if he plays
that change things.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Now with that being said, I remember Carlton.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Davis from you know, his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
and the best way to get him sometimes you can
set him up. The double moves are there, not just
the stuttering goes because he's got the foot speed in.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
The leak to kind of make up.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
But it's those real out and up type of plays
where you start running the outplays and then now he's thinking, okay,
here comes out again based on the same formation and
now you go out and up. That would be an
excellent opportunity for a guy like Marvin Mims with his
speed because call of the sudden is your big body,
fifty to fifty possession tipe receiver over the middle if
(09:33):
you need a third down reception and give it to him.
But if you want a guy to have that breakaway speed,
I mean last week Marvin Mims, I mean he didn't
just show us last week. He did the year before,
but he showed that he has that top of his speed.
You just need to put him in the right position
and he can make make plays.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I'd love to see some you know, some hitches, some
outside stuff and you know with Mims stopping short, coming
back to the ball early and getting Davis to try
to bite that and then see if you can't take
the top off.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
You know, I can tell you right now, if.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
The Broncos are able to do that with Mems, it's there,
it is right for the picking.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
That'll be uh And that'll be the interesting thing to see,
is you know, how they can get the explosives going.
I think the way to the ways to attack the
Patriots with the Broncos defense, we already talked about the
sack strike. Maye takes a lot of them, forty seven sacks,
two hundred and one yards lost over the course of the season.
The other part of that is Drake Mail fumbled the ball. Yeah,
eight fumbles over the course of the season. You know,
(10:30):
not not a ton of interceptions, eight interceptions, but a
ton of fumbles, eight fumbles. And he gets sacked a
lot forty seven times. If I'm the Broncos, we are
using Sternad, we're using Singleton, and we're trying to shoot
that b gap over there on the left, the left
side of their offensive line, and I say the left side,
the left side.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
From the offensive, the left guard, left tackle.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Okay, I think you're trying to shoot that b gap,
and I think you're bringing Zack and you're bringing Nick Benito,
and that's where you're bringing most of your pressure fro
him from that side, because that appears to be the weaker,
inexperienced side versus you know, Morgan Moses over there, who's
really good, who's been a really good tack most of
his career over there on the right hand side. The
running back room will fumble the ball a little bit.
They got six six fumbles out of the running back
(11:07):
room all year. We have two, one of which was
last week with that Jaquan fumble or Julia excuse me fumble.
The Broncos don't fumble the football very often. The Patriots will.
The Patriots will get sacked. And so I think that
there's there's something too, maybe dialing it up a little
bit more. We've played a little softer, a little ben
don't break.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Over the last few weeks.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Either, the Broncos have they played the last few games
after the bye, we've played a lot more bend don't break.
It's made the defense look like it's it's leaking oil
when maybe in certain situations it isn't. I'd like to
see us get back on the on the front foot
and be more attacking against this Patriots offense.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
I would love to.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
See that as well. But with me being in former safety,
when it comes down to me is openfield tackling.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
And that's going to be a big one, especially when
they hit Reminder in the flats with those passes.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Well yeah, because just think about it, what we've seen
the Bronco kind of go to what I'm about to
su suggest with those swing routes to the running backs,
because that's another way to manufacture running the ball, because
you're dumbing into the back in the flat with blackers
out in front, and you hope that your guys can
kind of hold the point of attack and allow or
(12:19):
force the defenders who are running to the play to
go inside because those plays, those are not inside hitting plays.
Those are quick, outside hitting plays, and.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
The Bronco is gonna have to do that well.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
But Ramondo Stevens once once again, he can catch the
ball out of the backfield Like Kevin Folk. He's a
big running back, so he can run through arm tackles.
So when you get him out on that perimeter, it's
gonna be all important. If you are a corner, you're
Roley Moss, you are a Patsertan. Can you fight off
the receiver to get your body inside the play and
make sure that you've reduced that laye So those running
(12:53):
those minebackers green Law Chrenard and Alex Singleton, it makes
for a very easy he tackle for that uh.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
And that's gonna be a big part of this too,
making sure that you wrap up, don't let them get
extra yardage out of out of plays that you've got
shut down with that open field stuff.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
They love to hit the flats.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
They love to get these backs one on one with
the corners, whether it's Trevon Henderson or Remandra Stevenson hundred.
Stevens is a big dude. You know he's listened to
two thirty five, probably a little heavier than that. And
you know, you get him out there on a corner
like like a Riley Moss, you're giving up a ton
of weight.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
You gotta you gotta wrap that up.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Well.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
When I was playing, and here's what I would do
U based on the running backs that I was facing,
that week, I would do certain exercises to kind of
build myself up. Obviously, if it was somewhat of a
smaller back, I'm not doing shrugs in any neck that week.
But if it's Jamal Lewis, if it's Corey Dillon, right,
it's their own Bettis, guess what I'm doing shrugs and
(13:52):
neck right, because Bolio.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Neck earned your check. That was kind of the model.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
So the Broncos corners hopefully they have that on their
minds and they play with great sound leverage to force
everything back inside and not let things get outside of
them offensively.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
I'd love to see toss sweep type stuff. That's where
this defense feels susceptible. They run that three three five,
and it feels susceptible to getting outside with the run
game and then going from there.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
This is like the Bills where you run at their ends.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
You want to get outside of these guys and take
advantage of the fact that some of those backers have
a little less speed and they're they're trying to concentrate
on taking away that inside stuff.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Now you have to set it up.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
You will have to run inside a little bit to
get that set up and get them, you know, get
them compact. But it feels like the way to attack
them on the offense is going to be get toss,
sweep outside zone, things like that.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
But all of what you said is true, but give
me a little nuance to it, give me a little disguise.
And here's what I'm talking about. Let's just say if
you put the tight end out wide and you put
a receiver at number two, you motion that tight end
down maybe inside of that wide receiver, and once he
gets a yard inside, you snap the ball. You pull
(15:04):
your guard, you pull Ben Powers, you pull Quinn.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Miners, you get those guys outside.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
So now you get those guys in the phone booth
and you and you kind of set the tempo to
where you want it to be. But if you don't
do that and you just line up in it, you
give them an opportunity to identify the play before it happens.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Because when you see see a tight end.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Off the ball, and and and you can go back
and you can watch it, they're always looking inside because
they're trying to look at look to where they're trying
to go, but they're also looking at who they're trying
to block. And this is one of those reasons why
running backs used to wear shields so you really couldn't
see their eyes on those blitz pick up type of plays.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
That it is, and as we look currently at the lines,
I will give you guys a little bit. The sharps
and the big money are on the Broncos. The public
is on the Patriots. The big money and the sharps
are on the Broncos. Seventy four percent of bets are
on New England, but only sixty two percent of money.
You look on the money line, eighty one percent of
bets are on New England, but only sixty percent of
the money. So the sharps, the big money, all the
(16:10):
big money bets that are coming in and coming in
on Denver, the public are taking a lot of smaller
tickets on the Patriots.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Is that Denver to cover or Denver to fight?
Speaker 2 (16:18):
On the spread, it's seventy four percent of bets are
on New England mines four and a half, but only
sixty two percent of money. On the money line, eighty
one percent of bets are on New England, but only
sixty one percent of money. That is a pretty significant
gap on the money that I'm there and you can
find Denver plus two hundred. When you look at there
on the over under, sixty four point three percent of
bets are on the over sixty one percent of money,
so most people figure that the over, which still feels
(16:40):
a little light of forty two and a half.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
We got to hit a break NFL six pack. We
come back.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
And now Zach singers here with the imbrocos Country tonight.
Really it's doing an NFL six pack.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
It's time for the NFL six pack. I'm going to
train the last er night.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Insight and inside information you can't find anywhere else.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
The top six. What big news of the day.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
Jesse Mintor has accepted the Baltimore Ravens head coaching job,
meaning he will no longer be the Chargers defensive coordinator.
That said, the Chargers are expected to add Mike McDaniel,
former head coach of the Miami Dolphins, to be the
team's offensive coordinator. Is Mike McDaniel or Jesse Mintor the
more intimidating coordinator to have as a divisional rival? And
(17:31):
what are your expectations for Mentor in Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Mike McDaniel like, turn around?
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Excuse me a Mike McDaniel Mike McDonald like turnaround in Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Jesse Minter is very good. I think, you know.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Don't get me wrong, Mike McDaniels held of a coach too,
But I think Jesse Mintor getting him out of the
division is like a huge exhale for the UH, for
the Broncos who have struggled mightily with with that defense.
In fact, that defense almost carried Trey Lance to a win.
It'd be interesting to see who they get to replace
him and how they worked that out. If you pay
(18:09):
attention to this show, you knew that was coming since
you know the beginning of January. But I think at
the end of the day, I think you'd rather have
McDaniel in the division than Mentor.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
I feel a little different about that.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
The reason why I feel that way because when you
think about the past couple of years with Greg Roman
and Justin Herbert, they haven't really hit the high echelon
that they expected them to hit as far as putting
up points like Patrick Mahomes or maybe a Josh Allen.
So the idea is you bring in a mind like
(18:43):
that and you can just kind of balance things. Knowing
as though Jesse Mentor is now gone. You can kind
of balance things and offset it with you know, more
route combinations and then running the ball effectively with talking
about inside outside zone. And I could tell you man
facing that at practice when I.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Was playing against the Denver Broncos.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
It is very tough because it tests your discipline from
a defensive standpoint, but.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
It also tiss your eyes.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
And I'd agree maybe McDaniel is a little less intimidating
than Mintor just because Mintor's shown a little more variability.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
But I do you do remember that seventy point game
against Miamy Dolphins.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
That's that's the scary bit.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
And I also think he could bring in that run
game to to the Chargers where they've kind of struggled
to establish that Jim Harbi identity there. He's such a
good run game designer. If he gets that thing rolling,
it could be really scary. They were a scary team
this year with Justin Herbert carrying everything.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
I have no line.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
Unless the defense totally collapses without Mentor, they're gonna be
a nightmare next year.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Yeah, I just wonder who's gonna run that because it
won't be I don't think he's gonna be anybody internal
so we'll see.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
We'll see who ends up runing that defense.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Two longtime Broncos defensive backs coach now Eagles defensive backs coach,
Christian Parker, has reportedly agreed to terms with the Dallas
Cowboys to become their next defensive coordinator. What are your
expectations for Christian Parker in his first stint as a
defensive coordinator and outside of Webb and Leonard, are there
(20:07):
any position coaches on Denver staff that you would tab
as future coordinators?
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Well, first of all, this is a good high I mean,
I think we all knew Christian Parker kind of was
a guy that was was ascending or whatever even when
he was here. My expectations they're going to change up
what they do on defense, and it probably fits our
personnel a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
The'll run something closer to what Vick does.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
I think that'll be beneficial to Dallas and their offense
getting to go against that in practice. Knowing it's across
the division there the Eagles twice a year. As far
as uh Web Leonard, you know they'll get jobs sooner
than later.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
There's a couple of guys, Uh.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Yeah, I don't think anybody else here is really on
the offensive side. It's also Logan Killgore. Maybe that might
be a guy that gets moved up and where he
rights up there. He's a quality control right now. He'll
move up if Davis Webb leaves, so that that might
be one high streets.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
He's a great job for Christian Park and I'm interested
to see what he brings to the Dallas Cowboys because
it was crazy. He's coming from within the division, so
he knows big van Zeus scheme, he knows the roster,
knows some of the issues that they've had on the
office side.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Of the ball.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Now his biggest challenge is kind of building up that secondary.
That secondary gave up a lot of points. We saw
it here first hand. But he's got some weapons, Kenny Clark,
He's got David Clowney and also Quinn Williams. So hopefully
he will try to take that same strategy using your
front guys to create a lot of pressure and take
the pressure off the guys in the back end. But
(21:38):
I'm wishing him a lot of lunch. He's gonna need it.
But they definitely need to upgrade some areas of the secondary.
Speaker 4 (21:44):
The nice thing for him is the bar is set
so low. Now, you know, with how terrible that defense was.
I thin you've even seen bad defenses recently with like
Mike Nolan that first Mike McCarthy hear that, you'd think,
you know, if he can even get that unit to serviceable,
that'll be a win for him.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
Yeah. I mean, Dan Quinn's the only guy who had
that defense.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Homme and everybody, Zimmer Rowls guys look terrible trying to
run that thing, and Abra flu Scut himself fired. So
the bar to clear is just make it a little
bit better, and you think you could just step over
that bar.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
I've seen some Broncos fans having a jamar Kin as
a maybe Dvance Joseph replacement, or maybe a guy Joseph
would bring with him to be a DC do this.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
He's someone to watch. He would be somebody that would
probably go with Vance. I don't know that to be
a DC.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
I think Charlie Bollen would be potentially in play there. Bolan,
of course, was the interim defensive coordinator there in New
York with the Giants. That's Vance's his mentor so three.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Speaking of Vance Joseph, the finalists for Assistant Coach of
the Year were announced today, with Vance Joseph making the
list alongside Vic Fangio, Brian Flores, Flint Kubiak, and Josh McDaniels.
All those guys kind of have a connection to the Broncos.
Do you think Joseph will win the award? And are
you surprised this group of five coaches didn't get more
(22:56):
head coaching interests this cycle? Right now, it seems like
Vance Joseph is the only one likely to get a
head coaching job, and there's only seems to be one
team interested.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
That Koubiax in play for the Raiders. Don't don't forget
about that. I'll just spoil some surprises. One of the
other things this is the Associated Press list. The Pro
Football Writers Association already named Vance Joseph the Assistant Coach
of the Year. Typically those tend to follow each other.
I suspect he will win that win that award.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
There's a lot of overlap in the voting pools.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Yeah, I was just gonna say, most of this guyos
these people, it's the same people voting for the same
thing under two different labels. So I do believe he'll
win that. We'll see as far as the rest of
them goes. I mean, victim't want to be a head
coach anymore. Flores wants to be one, but can't get
anywhere because he's still soon in half the league. And
Josh McDaniels has already been given what half a dozen opportunities,
(23:44):
including the two he actually showed up for so and
those were disasters. So no, not surprised in that respect.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
Well, I think if you're looking at any guides as
far as being, you know, coach of the year assistant
coach of the year, obviously you're going to are with
Clint Kobiac based on where they are right now, how
well they've been playing, especially how people have looked and
frowned upon Sam Donald, and when you look at the
fact that number one seed, how well that offense has
(24:13):
been playing from a running standpoint, and Donald's been really
solid with the ball. And once again, it just goes
back to the fact that this is a quarterback driven
league because they like the side with the offense. You
of all people know that, Zach Seekers because we had
a conversation last night about the Broncos, and I know
you felt as though the Broncos offense carry the defense
(24:34):
across the line of scrimantcy you fit them all. Defense
still never gets its validation because it's all about offense.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Hey, you're picking Clint Kubiak to win that award. I
think that shout of the narrative is the standard of
the league.
Speaker 4 (24:47):
I'll stick up for defense here, I'll be the brave.
So I think it should be Brian Flores. I think
what he's done here after year there has been remarkable.
I get why he hasn't gotten the head coaching job yet,
but I think whichever team does take that leap will
be rewarded.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
I'm glad the Raiders didn't do it.
Speaker 4 (25:00):
For the finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, we're
also announced today with the rest of the NFL honors,
Nick Benito was listed among the finalists alongside Miles Garrett,
Micah Parsons, Will Anderson Junior, and Aiden Hutchinson. Among those five,
where do you think Benito will finish in the voting?
And if not for Garrett, who would you give the
(25:22):
award to?
Speaker 1 (25:24):
Will Anderson?
Speaker 2 (25:25):
And I think he'll finish either last or second to last.
I think he put him above Hutchinson maybe, but Anderson,
Garrett and Parsons Parsons impact. I mean the Packers lost
every game ef he went out, including the one he
went out in when they were winning. That should that
in and of itself, tells you the impact of a player.
Miles Garrett put up the gaudy numbers, but to what end.
(25:46):
You know, in Cleveland, Will Anderson, I think he's gonna
he's not gonna get the top where he probably might
should be because he's got Daniel Hunter on the other side,
and people go to factor that in and then Hutch
I mean, you know is what is I think benit'll
finish above him. I would I would probably say Parsons
on impact.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (26:06):
I mean, like end of the day, that dude. They
they lost every game, include the one he went out in.
After that, the defense was just not the same. Jeff
Haffley got a head coaching job on twelve and a
half games on Michael Parsons or whatever it was.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
Man, Listen, you're absolutely wrong on that because you look
at Miles Garrett led the league in sacks with twenty three,
and you can argue, whether you thought it was legit
or not, that dude was a monster. The fact that
he's playing on the Cleveland Browns, and he is the
MVP of that team, the best player on that team,
(26:39):
and is not named the quarterback for the obvious reason.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
And he's been.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
Doing this since he came into the league. Obviously, you
got to give all the credit to a guy who
was on the worst team of all the guys on
this particular list here, so I got to.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Give the node to Miles Garrett.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Of course, I'm fully with you, and I'm a proponent
of the idea of we need a most Outstanding Player
award in the league because most valuable players just become
what quarterback is a top two seed in either conference.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
That's what it's been.
Speaker 4 (27:08):
Maybe Matt Stafford bucks the trend, but it's been like
ninety percent of the last twenty MVP winners fit that mold.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
I think it'd be great.
Speaker 4 (27:15):
To mix up, mix it up and get a most
Outstanding player in here, so you can acknowledge JJ Watt
or Aaron Donald or Miles Garret.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
Or Christian McCaffrey.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
And you know what you're suggesting, because the MVP likely
always goes to the offensive player.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
So you're suggesting what would you call it the.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
Most what most standing standing, most outstanding like a running
back or wide receiver that would go to a defensive player.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
See one the game.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Even you prove my point that they forget the defensive
side of.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
The ball, how dare they they forgot about dre Yes five?
Speaker 4 (27:52):
New Dolphins GM john Eric Sullivan told the media today
that the team is still figuring out their plan at
quarterback going forward. Cutting Tua would cost ninety nine million
in dead cap, which would fly past the Broncos Russell
Wilson record of eighty five million. What do you think
the Dolphins plan will be for two of this offseason
and who will be their starting quarterback Week one of
(28:13):
twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Well, they'll try.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
To trade him because if you can trade him, you
get significant cap savings.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Now they'll eat some of that.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
You'd have forty five point two dead cap with an
eleven million dollars savings if you were able to trade him.
I think they'd be ecstatic if they were able to
do that. If they do cut a middle of you
post June one, where it's only a sixty seven point
four dead cap, which is only eleven point one more
than they're already paying him for the season either way,
So it's only a net loss of eleven point one
if they could, if they could somehow manage to pull
(28:42):
off a trade and make it post June one, they
will actually only incur thirteen point four million dead cap
and a forty two point eight million dollars.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Savings against the cap.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
So I suggest they're going to try any which way
possible to make it a post June one trade in
which they will eat some of the money.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
On the hell you going to try to trade him
not taking on that that salary.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
You take a ham sandwich and you offer to pay
some of the salary.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
That's how that's how you.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
So let's think about the teams that knee quarterbacks. Pitt
the Arizona, the Jets, and Cleveland. I mean, I don't
know if I'm willing to take a salary where even
I'm eating a portion of it, even if you say, okay,
the Miami Dolphins eat what may be what sixty.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
The Cleveland has shown that they'll take on quarterbacks with
a draft pick game and take on the money before
they did it with Brock Oswiler in that contract.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
That's why they're the Cleveland Dan Brown, all right, So
I would there I don't know how Miami's gonna feel
figure this out, but they're in a heap of trouble
because you still have a guy on your roster who
hasn't really played well, and you're playing, you're paying him
a significant amount of money.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
I think the trade idea is interesting, but I don't know.
You know who is going to want to pay all
that money.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
For for two of the Raiders before? The sucker should
be the Raiders.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
You know why, They've got one hundred million in cap
space and it's a bridge quarterback. Oh, by the way,
you're out from under the guaranteed salary after the twenty
twenty sixth season. Why not get a draft pick out
of Miami for eating the money?
Speaker 4 (30:06):
And so the Mendoza pick get a bowload of picks
and started building it that way.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
I mean, that's the way I would do that idea.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
That's the way I would do it. If you know
you're talking to me, I got sure. I'll take on
tour for a year at a stupid salary because we
got that.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
We have to spend it anyway. Another reason Ben is
not an owner. Look, they can't all handle my brilliance six.
Speaker 4 (30:25):
Last one year on his New Heights podcast, Travis Kelsey
hinted at a potential return, saying that he was thrilled
to see Eric B. Enemy back in the Chiefs building
and that the Enemy was one of his favorite coaches. Ever,
will we see Travis Kelsey return for twenty twenty six
and should he return.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
In your opinion? Or is it time for him to
be a kept man?
Speaker 2 (30:45):
As Ryan Edwards would suggest, He's on like an eight
year downward trend statistically, like this past season he averaged
barely averaged fifty yards a game. He finished with eight
hundred and fifty yards and five touchdowns. I mean, and
he played all seventeen games. He's thirty six years old.
(31:07):
I don't think the Chiefs want him to come back.
They kind of have to take him back if he
comes back, but I don't think they necessarily want him back.
And I would suggest it might be time to hang
it up. You're gonna be thirty seven years old the
next season. I mean, I don't know what are we
doing here?
Speaker 3 (31:23):
Well, I can see the reason why he's he would
come back because after they lost to Philadelphia that was
supposed to be his swans on, but he decided to
come back. Siding the fact that, you know what, he's
just that driven to come back. It was he's driven
to compete and try to end on a better note
opposed to what we saw in his performance. And the
same thing could be said about this year and when
he comes back, or if he does. Now you're playing
(31:46):
several games without Patrick Mahomes. But this is what having
a guy like Aaron the Enemy back in the building
could actually do.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
Because he was thinking about.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
Retiring with Matt Naggy as your offensive coordinator, and the
moment he finds out that be.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
It's coming back.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
You know what, Taylor hold off for a second, you
could keep Ryan now was but I'm not gonna be
a kept man this year.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
I'm going back. But just one more year. We're putting
the band back together.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
This last season was the first season since twenty fifteen
that Travis Kelcey average less than five receptions.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Of the game. Yeah, he's just over the hill.
Speaker 4 (32:20):
I think it would make sense for him to hang
it up, but it seems like he does just want
to end on a better note, and I think that
pursuit it ultimately just ends up keep getting worse and worse.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
He could have.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
Left as a back to back champions he decided he
wanted to go for three.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
That didn't work out.
Speaker 4 (32:35):
What now it seems like he wants to make sure
he doesn't miss out on the playoffs in his last season,
but who knows, maybe goes three and fourteen next year.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
If they still let you cash at checks.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
I ain't mad at you, but for your legacy's sake, man,
this was your worst season since your first season.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
It might be time to bowce.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
But this is why he wants to come back. He
wants to leave on a positive noe. But here's the
other thing as well. If you're making a lot of money,
was no's better than the money that you make it
more money?
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Well, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Positive note as the statistics decline, but we'll see broucous
Country Night back after this
Well, Brian mcferguson grass Meth here with you. Five six
(00:02):
sixty nine zero is the text line.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
As always, guys, you can win one of three pairs
of AFC Championship Game tickets from KOA. It's gonna be
tomorrow five thirty right here on KOA, the Kowei Instagram
and Twitter pages. And that's thanks to Common Spirit Ealth,
the official healthcare partner of the Denver Broncos Mountain dot
Common Spirit dot org. And again that's tomorrow at five
(00:26):
thirty right here on KOA. So if you guys want
pairs of tickets CFC Championship Game, you can win them
here exclusively on KOA.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
I grant I see stuff in the box over there
that's not gonna work. Well, don't call me out. I've
been using fake names the whole time. He's crossing its man.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
I'm just saying no, I have to be here, yes,
as as we all as we all do. Gotta look,
we're talking about the Patriots and breaking down their their
their roster, comparing it to the Broncos roster. Got through
the offensive side, it's pivot on over to the defensive
side here where they're relatively healthy outside of outside linebacker
(01:06):
Harold Landry.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
On the defensive line. They do run.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
It's not a four, it's not a three four. It's
more like a three to three that they run. It's
more of a three three five. It's gods roots, a
little bit closer to what you'd see uh in college
with like that three three.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Five tight look.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Yeah, they use on the line Milton Williams, uh Chiros Tanga,
and Christian Barmore. I think a lot of people are
familiar with. Certainly Barmore's name, Milt Williams, somebody should be
should be familiar with. Harold Landry was the team's leading
sack and QB hits guy. He's a little banged up.
Don't know if he's gonna be a go in this one.
(01:46):
They've got some that they get most of their pressure
off the edge with with Landry and Clavon Chason. Chason's
the other edge guy. Hits seven and a half sacks
on the season, eighteen QB hits pretty evenly distributed in
terms of what they do. And then Barmore is their
most defensive, most dangerous defensive lineman eleven QB hits on
a pair of sacks. Milt Williams three and a half sacks,
(02:06):
eight QB hits on the season. Williams disruptor in the
backfield too, though he does have eight tackles for a loss,
the only only players beating him on that are Chase
on And and Harold Landry. You know, they they've got
a pretty pretty stout front there. When you look at
these guys, they're they're they're fairly large. They're a little
(02:28):
bit larger than we are with that front, that front three.
You know, DJ is our biggest guy at three or five.
They've got Tonga who plays the nose at three thirty five.
Barmore is three point fifteen and then Milton Williams is
their lightest defensive lineman at two hundred and ninety pounds.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
That front three is pretty big.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Yeah, a very large up front defensive line group, which
is wise to run between the.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Two tackles and how they can get away with playing
three three five. You have to put the extra back.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Bodies, so you get some guys maybe two gapping where
they they have to play multiple gaps. And when you
watch the Broncos run the ball, they run a lot
of tight splits. They do that with the wide receivers,
but they also do that with the offensive linemen. I
would love to see them kind of open up things
a little, create some spacing with their offensive linemen where
(03:27):
they put maybe a yard or half a yard between
their splits. So now you have natural gaps that are
already formed. And then you take that and.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
You couple that with moving the wide receivers out.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
You basically buy formation alone create a lot of space
to work with and run with the ball.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
But when you reduce.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
And condense your formations, you make everything tight, and it's
hard for those running backs and the Patriots linebackers on
the second level.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
They do a great job of tracking down.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
So what you want, I want to do is try
to create that spacing and allow your backs with maybe
you know, outside zone, getting them out that there on
the perimeter and just allow on them those cutback those
natural cutback lanes to really really help them out. Here's
something else I find.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
That really interesting. Now.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
I know we always track sacks, and right now, the
Broncos lead the league in sacks far as the regular
season with sixty eight.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Patriots are the worst.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Yes, Patriots don't they don't do a great job of
generate pressure off the edge and that bleeds into hurries.
The Broncos a fifth in the NFL at forcing.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Sixty five hurries.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
That means your quarterback best get the ball out of
his hands or the back of his jersey is going
to be.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Green with grass stanes and right now.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
The Patriots they ranked twenty ninth YEP in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
As it pertains to hurries coming.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Up against this defense, I think is a bit of
a boon to the fact that we have Jared Stidham starting,
because if Stidham had to go up against, for instance,
the Houston Texans defense, I think that could be a disaster.
You know, I get the Texans offenses, with all due
respect to the Patriots wide receiver Booty. The Texans offense
is booty. But I'm glad we're playing the Patriots instead
(05:19):
of the Texans because that defense, with Stidham getting thrown
into the cold water into the defense, I just worry
that that would have been that would have been something
that he probably would have struggled more against than perhaps
this team, which again not the same thing about the
Patriots defense, which is fairly decent, but you know, wildly
different when you've got a very one of the best
(05:41):
defenses in football in Houston, and I think it's a
better matchup for the Broncos going up against this defense.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Well, it is because the love of heat off the
edge that you put on a quarterback, it's not going
to be there as it would have been with Will
Anderson or Daniel Hunter. But the way that the Pages
make up for it is how they play in the
back end. Uh, they're back in real connected. They have
(06:09):
good quality play from the safety position, so that's where
they're able to kind of, I guess, overcompensate for the
inability to get.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
To the press rush from the quarterback right and that
is the strength of this team. I glossed over the
inside backers where they're pretty deep. They got Robert Splane,
Christian Ellis who's the brother of Jonah Ellis in there.
They got Jack Gibbons, Jolanta Tevai, Martin Mapu, Chad MoMA.
They've they're deep in inside backers, they just don't don't
use them as much. That the strength of their team
is the corners. Carlton Davis, who is trending to be
(06:38):
back from concussion, Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones is one
of the best one two, three punches in terms of
corners in the league. If you're not famim and everybody's
gonna talk about Sirtann and McMillan and Moss, but those
three iss that's a really good trio to have. They're
very good at what they do and they are the
strength of that defense.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Yeah, when you have guys who are connected in the
secondary from a defensive standpoint, it allows you to do
a multitude.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Of different things.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Christian Gonzalez one of the top picks from a couple
of years.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Ago, long, big cornered, long arms.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
I anticipated that he would be on Courtland Suddon, and
I don't think this is gonna be a situation where
they're gonna use Christian Gonzales to kind of run around.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
And follow of Courtland Sutton. There's gonna be a situation
where they're.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Gonna play right and left, and then depending on how
successful the wide receivers are, they're gonna start moving some
things around. But this is where the Broncos can actually
make plays. You know, whomever's playing the slide, you know
you may have an opportunity to feature that guy. And
watching Sean Payton's offense, this past season. They want to
(07:45):
get those shallow routes right, They want to run everyone off.
They want to cause I guess, chaos in the middle
of the field between the hashers and run you know,
layered routes.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
And that was kind of thing for bow I'm.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Interesting to see if they continue to do the same
thing for Jared because now when you do that, you
line up those throws right in the direct line up
side for the quarterback one two, three. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
I think this is gonna be the interesting thing because
we all know Sean Sean Payton's tendency is to want
to throw, want to throw the ball that plays right
into the strength of uh these New England defense. They
they are they do have those corners and they are
very good corners. That is the that is the strength
of what they do. And specifically those three players are
(08:28):
are pretty good players. The safety position, the rookie Craig
Woodson and Jalen Hawkins, those guys are good too, but
they're the strength is the corners.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Yeah, the strength, you know, are the corners of the
Patriots defense. And they like to kind of mix things up,
like if Calton Davis doesn't return, dude to the concussion
that may be an aspect of the game that the
Broncos can till in their direction, but if he plays
that change things.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Now with that being said, I remember Carlton.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Davis from you know, his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
and the best way to get him sometimes you can
set him up. The double moves are there, not just
the stuttering goes because he's got the foot speed in.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
The leak to kind of make up.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
But it's those real out and up type of plays
where you start running the outplays and then now he's thinking, okay,
here comes out again based on the same formation and
now you go out and up. That would be an
excellent opportunity for a guy like Marvin Mims with his
speed because call of the sudden is your big body,
fifty to fifty possession tipe receiver over the middle if
(09:33):
you need a third down reception and give it to him.
But if you want a guy to have that breakaway speed,
I mean last week Marvin Mims, I mean he didn't
just show us last week. He did the year before,
but he showed that he has that top of his speed.
You just need to put him in the right position
and he can make make plays.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I'd love to see some you know, some hitches, some
outside stuff and you know with Mims stopping short, coming
back to the ball early and getting Davis to try
to bite that and then see if you can't take
the top off.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
You know, I can tell you right now, if.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
The Broncos are able to do that with Mems, it's there,
it is right for the picking.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
That'll be uh And that'll be the interesting thing to see,
is you know, how they can get the explosives going.
I think the way to the ways to attack the
Patriots with the Broncos defense, we already talked about the
sack strike. Maye takes a lot of them, forty seven sacks,
two hundred and one yards lost over the course of the season.
The other part of that is Drake Mail fumbled the ball. Yeah,
eight fumbles over the course of the season. You know,
(10:30):
not not a ton of interceptions, eight interceptions, but a
ton of fumbles, eight fumbles. And he gets sacked a
lot forty seven times. If I'm the Broncos, we are
using Sternad, we're using Singleton, and we're trying to shoot
that b gap over there on the left, the left
side of their offensive line, and I say the left side,
the left side.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
From the offensive, the left guard, left tackle.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Okay, I think you're trying to shoot that b gap,
and I think you're bringing Zack and you're bringing Nick Benito,
and that's where you're bringing most of your pressure fro
him from that side, because that appears to be the weaker,
inexperienced side versus you know, Morgan Moses over there, who's
really good, who's been a really good tack most of
his career over there on the right hand side. The
running back room will fumble the ball a little bit.
They got six six fumbles out of the running back
(11:07):
room all year. We have two, one of which was
last week with that Jaquan fumble or Julia excuse me fumble.
The Broncos don't fumble the football very often. The Patriots will.
The Patriots will get sacked. And so I think that
there's there's something too, maybe dialing it up a little
bit more. We've played a little softer, a little ben
don't break.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Over the last few weeks.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Either, the Broncos have they played the last few games
after the bye, we've played a lot more bend don't break.
It's made the defense look like it's it's leaking oil
when maybe in certain situations it isn't. I'd like to
see us get back on the on the front foot
and be more attacking against this Patriots offense.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
I would love to.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
See that as well. But with me being in former safety,
when it comes down to me is openfield tackling.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
And that's going to be a big one, especially when
they hit Reminder in the flats with those passes.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Well yeah, because just think about it, what we've seen
the Bronco kind of go to what I'm about to
su suggest with those swing routes to the running backs,
because that's another way to manufacture running the ball, because
you're dumbing into the back in the flat with blackers
out in front, and you hope that your guys can
kind of hold the point of attack and allow or
(12:19):
force the defenders who are running to the play to
go inside because those plays, those are not inside hitting plays.
Those are quick, outside hitting plays, and.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
The Bronco is gonna have to do that well.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
But Ramondo Stevens once once again, he can catch the
ball out of the backfield Like Kevin Folk. He's a
big running back, so he can run through arm tackles.
So when you get him out on that perimeter, it's
gonna be all important. If you are a corner, you're
Roley Moss, you are a Patsertan. Can you fight off
the receiver to get your body inside the play and
make sure that you've reduced that laye So those running
(12:53):
those minebackers green Law Chrenard and Alex Singleton, it makes
for a very easy he tackle for that uh.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
And that's gonna be a big part of this too,
making sure that you wrap up, don't let them get
extra yardage out of out of plays that you've got
shut down with that open field stuff.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
They love to hit the flats.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
They love to get these backs one on one with
the corners, whether it's Trevon Henderson or Remandra Stevenson hundred.
Stevens is a big dude. You know he's listened to
two thirty five, probably a little heavier than that. And
you know, you get him out there on a corner
like like a Riley Moss, you're giving up a ton
of weight.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
You gotta you gotta wrap that up.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Well.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
When I was playing, and here's what I would do
U based on the running backs that I was facing,
that week, I would do certain exercises to kind of
build myself up. Obviously, if it was somewhat of a
smaller back, I'm not doing shrugs in any neck that week.
But if it's Jamal Lewis, if it's Corey Dillon, right,
it's their own Bettis, guess what I'm doing shrugs and
(13:52):
neck right, because Bolio.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Neck earned your check. That was kind of the model.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
So the Broncos corners hopefully they have that on their
minds and they play with great sound leverage to force
everything back inside and not let things get outside of
them offensively.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
I'd love to see toss sweep type stuff. That's where
this defense feels susceptible. They run that three three five,
and it feels susceptible to getting outside with the run
game and then going from there.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
This is like the Bills where you run at their ends.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
You want to get outside of these guys and take
advantage of the fact that some of those backers have
a little less speed and they're they're trying to concentrate
on taking away that inside stuff.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Now you have to set it up.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
You will have to run inside a little bit to
get that set up and get them, you know, get
them compact. But it feels like the way to attack
them on the offense is going to be get toss,
sweep outside zone, things like that.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
But all of what you said is true, but give
me a little nuance to it, give me a little disguise.
And here's what I'm talking about. Let's just say if
you put the tight end out wide and you put
a receiver at number two, you motion that tight end
down maybe inside of that wide receiver, and once he
gets a yard inside, you snap the ball. You pull
(15:04):
your guard, you pull Ben Powers, you pull Quinn.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Miners, you get those guys outside.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
So now you get those guys in the phone booth
and you and you kind of set the tempo to
where you want it to be. But if you don't
do that and you just line up in it, you
give them an opportunity to identify the play before it happens.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Because when you see see a tight end.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Off the ball, and and and you can go back
and you can watch it, they're always looking inside because
they're trying to look at look to where they're trying
to go, but they're also looking at who they're trying
to block. And this is one of those reasons why
running backs used to wear shields so you really couldn't
see their eyes on those blitz pick up type of plays.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
That it is, and as we look currently at the lines,
I will give you guys a little bit. The sharps
and the big money are on the Broncos. The public
is on the Patriots. The big money and the sharps
are on the Broncos. Seventy four percent of bets are
on New England, but only sixty two percent of money.
You look on the money line, eighty one percent of
bets are on New England, but only sixty percent of
the money. So the sharps, the big money, all the
(16:10):
big money bets that are coming in and coming in
on Denver, the public are taking a lot of smaller
tickets on the Patriots.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Is that Denver to cover or Denver to fight?
Speaker 2 (16:18):
On the spread, it's seventy four percent of bets are
on New England mines four and a half, but only
sixty two percent of money. On the money line, eighty
one percent of bets are on New England, but only
sixty one percent of money. That is a pretty significant
gap on the money that I'm there and you can
find Denver plus two hundred. When you look at there
on the over under, sixty four point three percent of
bets are on the over sixty one percent of money,
so most people figure that the over, which still feels
(16:40):
a little light of forty two and a half.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
We got to hit a break NFL six pack. We
come back.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
And now Zach singers here with the imbrocos Country tonight.
Really it's doing an NFL six pack.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
It's time for the NFL six pack. I'm going to
train the last er night.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Insight and inside information you can't find anywhere else.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
The top six. What big news of the day.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
Jesse Mintor has accepted the Baltimore Ravens head coaching job,
meaning he will no longer be the Chargers defensive coordinator.
That said, the Chargers are expected to add Mike McDaniel,
former head coach of the Miami Dolphins, to be the
team's offensive coordinator. Is Mike McDaniel or Jesse Mintor the
more intimidating coordinator to have as a divisional rival? And
(17:31):
what are your expectations for Mentor in Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Mike McDaniel like, turn around?
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Excuse me a Mike McDaniel Mike McDonald like turnaround in Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Jesse Minter is very good. I think, you know.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Don't get me wrong, Mike McDaniels held of a coach too,
But I think Jesse Mintor getting him out of the
division is like a huge exhale for the UH, for
the Broncos who have struggled mightily with with that defense.
In fact, that defense almost carried Trey Lance to a win.
It'd be interesting to see who they get to replace
him and how they worked that out. If you pay
(18:09):
attention to this show, you knew that was coming since
you know the beginning of January. But I think at
the end of the day, I think you'd rather have
McDaniel in the division than Mentor.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
I feel a little different about that.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
The reason why I feel that way because when you
think about the past couple of years with Greg Roman
and Justin Herbert, they haven't really hit the high echelon
that they expected them to hit as far as putting
up points like Patrick Mahomes or maybe a Josh Allen.
So the idea is you bring in a mind like
(18:43):
that and you can just kind of balance things. Knowing
as though Jesse Mentor is now gone. You can kind
of balance things and offset it with you know, more
route combinations and then running the ball effectively with talking
about inside outside zone. And I could tell you man
facing that at practice when I.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Was playing against the Denver Broncos.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
It is very tough because it tests your discipline from
a defensive standpoint, but.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
It also tiss your eyes.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
And I'd agree maybe McDaniel is a little less intimidating
than Mintor just because Mintor's shown a little more variability.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
But I do you do remember that seventy point game
against Miamy Dolphins.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
That's that's the scary bit.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
And I also think he could bring in that run
game to to the Chargers where they've kind of struggled
to establish that Jim Harbi identity there. He's such a
good run game designer. If he gets that thing rolling,
it could be really scary. They were a scary team
this year with Justin Herbert carrying everything.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
I have no line.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
Unless the defense totally collapses without Mentor, they're gonna be
a nightmare next year.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Yeah, I just wonder who's gonna run that because it
won't be I don't think he's gonna be anybody internal
so we'll see.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
We'll see who ends up runing that defense.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Two longtime Broncos defensive backs coach now Eagles defensive backs coach,
Christian Parker, has reportedly agreed to terms with the Dallas
Cowboys to become their next defensive coordinator. What are your
expectations for Christian Parker in his first stint as a
defensive coordinator and outside of Webb and Leonard, are there
(20:07):
any position coaches on Denver staff that you would tab
as future coordinators?
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Well, first of all, this is a good high I mean,
I think we all knew Christian Parker kind of was
a guy that was was ascending or whatever even when
he was here. My expectations they're going to change up
what they do on defense, and it probably fits our
personnel a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
The'll run something closer to what Vick does.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
I think that'll be beneficial to Dallas and their offense
getting to go against that in practice. Knowing it's across
the division there the Eagles twice a year. As far
as uh Web Leonard, you know they'll get jobs sooner
than later.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
There's a couple of guys, Uh.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Yeah, I don't think anybody else here is really on
the offensive side. It's also Logan Killgore. Maybe that might
be a guy that gets moved up and where he
rights up there. He's a quality control right now. He'll
move up if Davis Webb leaves, so that that might
be one high streets.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
He's a great job for Christian Park and I'm interested
to see what he brings to the Dallas Cowboys because
it was crazy. He's coming from within the division, so
he knows big van Zeus scheme, he knows the roster,
knows some of the issues that they've had on the
office side.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Of the ball.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Now his biggest challenge is kind of building up that secondary.
That secondary gave up a lot of points. We saw
it here first hand. But he's got some weapons, Kenny Clark,
He's got David Clowney and also Quinn Williams. So hopefully
he will try to take that same strategy using your
front guys to create a lot of pressure and take
the pressure off the guys in the back end. But
(21:38):
I'm wishing him a lot of lunch. He's gonna need it.
But they definitely need to upgrade some areas of the secondary.
Speaker 4 (21:44):
The nice thing for him is the bar is set
so low. Now, you know, with how terrible that defense was.
I thin you've even seen bad defenses recently with like
Mike Nolan that first Mike McCarthy hear that, you'd think,
you know, if he can even get that unit to serviceable,
that'll be a win for him.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
Yeah. I mean, Dan Quinn's the only guy who had
that defense.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Homme and everybody, Zimmer Rowls guys look terrible trying to
run that thing, and Abra flu Scut himself fired. So
the bar to clear is just make it a little
bit better, and you think you could just step over
that bar.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
I've seen some Broncos fans having a jamar Kin as
a maybe Dvance Joseph replacement, or maybe a guy Joseph
would bring with him to be a DC do this.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
He's someone to watch. He would be somebody that would
probably go with Vance. I don't know that to be
a DC.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
I think Charlie Bollen would be potentially in play there. Bolan,
of course, was the interim defensive coordinator there in New
York with the Giants. That's Vance's his mentor so three.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Speaking of Vance Joseph, the finalists for Assistant Coach of
the Year were announced today, with Vance Joseph making the
list alongside Vic Fangio, Brian Flores, Flint Kubiak, and Josh McDaniels.
All those guys kind of have a connection to the Broncos.
Do you think Joseph will win the award? And are
you surprised this group of five coaches didn't get more
(22:56):
head coaching interests this cycle? Right now, it seems like
Vance Joseph is the only one likely to get a
head coaching job, and there's only seems to be one
team interested.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
That Koubiax in play for the Raiders. Don't don't forget
about that. I'll just spoil some surprises. One of the
other things this is the Associated Press list. The Pro
Football Writers Association already named Vance Joseph the Assistant Coach
of the Year. Typically those tend to follow each other.
I suspect he will win that win that award.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
There's a lot of overlap in the voting pools.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Yeah, I was just gonna say, most of this guyos
these people, it's the same people voting for the same
thing under two different labels. So I do believe he'll
win that. We'll see as far as the rest of
them goes. I mean, victim't want to be a head
coach anymore. Flores wants to be one, but can't get
anywhere because he's still soon in half the league. And
Josh McDaniels has already been given what half a dozen opportunities,
(23:44):
including the two he actually showed up for so and
those were disasters. So no, not surprised in that respect.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
Well, I think if you're looking at any guides as
far as being, you know, coach of the year assistant
coach of the year, obviously you're going to are with
Clint Kobiac based on where they are right now, how
well they've been playing, especially how people have looked and
frowned upon Sam Donald, and when you look at the
fact that number one seed, how well that offense has
(24:13):
been playing from a running standpoint, and Donald's been really
solid with the ball. And once again, it just goes
back to the fact that this is a quarterback driven
league because they like the side with the offense. You
of all people know that, Zach Seekers because we had
a conversation last night about the Broncos, and I know
you felt as though the Broncos offense carry the defense
(24:34):
across the line of scrimantcy you fit them all. Defense
still never gets its validation because it's all about offense.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Hey, you're picking Clint Kubiak to win that award. I
think that shout of the narrative is the standard of
the league.
Speaker 4 (24:47):
I'll stick up for defense here, I'll be the brave.
So I think it should be Brian Flores. I think
what he's done here after year there has been remarkable.
I get why he hasn't gotten the head coaching job yet,
but I think whichever team does take that leap will
be rewarded.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
I'm glad the Raiders didn't do it.
Speaker 4 (25:00):
For the finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, we're
also announced today with the rest of the NFL honors,
Nick Benito was listed among the finalists alongside Miles Garrett,
Micah Parsons, Will Anderson Junior, and Aiden Hutchinson. Among those five,
where do you think Benito will finish in the voting?
And if not for Garrett, who would you give the
(25:22):
award to?
Speaker 1 (25:24):
Will Anderson?
Speaker 2 (25:25):
And I think he'll finish either last or second to last.
I think he put him above Hutchinson maybe, but Anderson,
Garrett and Parsons Parsons impact. I mean the Packers lost
every game ef he went out, including the one he
went out in when they were winning. That should that
in and of itself, tells you the impact of a player.
Miles Garrett put up the gaudy numbers, but to what end.
(25:46):
You know, in Cleveland, Will Anderson, I think he's gonna
he's not gonna get the top where he probably might
should be because he's got Daniel Hunter on the other side,
and people go to factor that in and then Hutch
I mean, you know is what is I think benit'll
finish above him. I would I would probably say Parsons
on impact.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (26:06):
I mean, like end of the day, that dude. They
they lost every game, include the one he went out in.
After that, the defense was just not the same. Jeff
Haffley got a head coaching job on twelve and a
half games on Michael Parsons or whatever it was.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
Man, Listen, you're absolutely wrong on that because you look
at Miles Garrett led the league in sacks with twenty three,
and you can argue, whether you thought it was legit
or not, that dude was a monster. The fact that
he's playing on the Cleveland Browns, and he is the
MVP of that team, the best player on that team,
(26:39):
and is not named the quarterback for the obvious reason.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
And he's been.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
Doing this since he came into the league. Obviously, you
got to give all the credit to a guy who
was on the worst team of all the guys on
this particular list here, so I got to.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Give the node to Miles Garrett.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Of course, I'm fully with you, and I'm a proponent
of the idea of we need a most Outstanding Player
award in the league because most valuable players just become
what quarterback is a top two seed in either conference.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
That's what it's been.
Speaker 4 (27:08):
Maybe Matt Stafford bucks the trend, but it's been like
ninety percent of the last twenty MVP winners fit that mold.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
I think it'd be great.
Speaker 4 (27:15):
To mix up, mix it up and get a most
Outstanding player in here, so you can acknowledge JJ Watt
or Aaron Donald or Miles Garret.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
Or Christian McCaffrey.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
And you know what you're suggesting, because the MVP likely
always goes to the offensive player.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
So you're suggesting what would you call it the.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
Most what most standing standing, most outstanding like a running
back or wide receiver that would go to a defensive player.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
See one the game.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Even you prove my point that they forget the defensive
side of.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
The ball, how dare they they forgot about dre Yes five?
Speaker 4 (27:52):
New Dolphins GM john Eric Sullivan told the media today
that the team is still figuring out their plan at
quarterback going forward. Cutting Tua would cost ninety nine million
in dead cap, which would fly past the Broncos Russell
Wilson record of eighty five million. What do you think
the Dolphins plan will be for two of this offseason
and who will be their starting quarterback Week one of
(28:13):
twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Well, they'll try.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
To trade him because if you can trade him, you
get significant cap savings.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Now they'll eat some of that.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
You'd have forty five point two dead cap with an
eleven million dollars savings if you were able to trade him.
I think they'd be ecstatic if they were able to
do that. If they do cut a middle of you
post June one, where it's only a sixty seven point
four dead cap, which is only eleven point one more
than they're already paying him for the season either way,
So it's only a net loss of eleven point one
if they could, if they could somehow manage to pull
(28:42):
off a trade and make it post June one, they
will actually only incur thirteen point four million dead cap
and a forty two point eight million dollars.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Savings against the cap.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
So I suggest they're going to try any which way
possible to make it a post June one trade in
which they will eat some of the money.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
On the hell you going to try to trade him
not taking on that that salary.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
You take a ham sandwich and you offer to pay
some of the salary.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
That's how that's how you.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
So let's think about the teams that knee quarterbacks. Pitt
the Arizona, the Jets, and Cleveland. I mean, I don't
know if I'm willing to take a salary where even
I'm eating a portion of it, even if you say, okay,
the Miami Dolphins eat what may be what sixty.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
The Cleveland has shown that they'll take on quarterbacks with
a draft pick game and take on the money before
they did it with Brock Oswiler in that contract.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
That's why they're the Cleveland Dan Brown, all right, So
I would there I don't know how Miami's gonna feel
figure this out, but they're in a heap of trouble
because you still have a guy on your roster who
hasn't really played well, and you're playing, you're paying him
a significant amount of money.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
I think the trade idea is interesting, but I don't know.
You know who is going to want to pay all
that money.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
For for two of the Raiders before? The sucker should
be the Raiders.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
You know why, They've got one hundred million in cap
space and it's a bridge quarterback. Oh, by the way,
you're out from under the guaranteed salary after the twenty
twenty sixth season. Why not get a draft pick out
of Miami for eating the money?
Speaker 4 (30:06):
And so the Mendoza pick get a bowload of picks
and started building it that way.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
I mean, that's the way I would do that idea.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
That's the way I would do it. If you know
you're talking to me, I got sure. I'll take on
tour for a year at a stupid salary because we
got that.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
We have to spend it anyway. Another reason Ben is
not an owner. Look, they can't all handle my brilliance six.
Speaker 4 (30:25):
Last one year on his New Heights podcast, Travis Kelsey
hinted at a potential return, saying that he was thrilled
to see Eric B. Enemy back in the Chiefs building
and that the Enemy was one of his favorite coaches. Ever,
will we see Travis Kelsey return for twenty twenty six
and should he return.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
In your opinion? Or is it time for him to
be a kept man?
Speaker 2 (30:45):
As Ryan Edwards would suggest, He's on like an eight
year downward trend statistically, like this past season he averaged
barely averaged fifty yards a game. He finished with eight
hundred and fifty yards and five touchdowns. I mean, and
he played all seventeen games. He's thirty six years old.
(31:07):
I don't think the Chiefs want him to come back.
They kind of have to take him back if he
comes back, but I don't think they necessarily want him back.
And I would suggest it might be time to hang
it up. You're gonna be thirty seven years old the
next season. I mean, I don't know what are we
doing here?
Speaker 3 (31:23):
Well, I can see the reason why he's he would
come back because after they lost to Philadelphia that was
supposed to be his swans on, but he decided to
come back. Siding the fact that, you know what, he's
just that driven to come back. It was he's driven
to compete and try to end on a better note
opposed to what we saw in his performance. And the
same thing could be said about this year and when
he comes back, or if he does. Now you're playing
(31:46):
several games without Patrick Mahomes. But this is what having
a guy like Aaron the Enemy back in the building
could actually do.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
Because he was thinking about.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
Retiring with Matt Naggy as your offensive coordinator, and the
moment he finds out that be.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
It's coming back.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
You know what, Taylor hold off for a second, you
could keep Ryan now was but I'm not gonna be
a kept man this year.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
I'm going back. But just one more year. We're putting
the band back together.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
This last season was the first season since twenty fifteen
that Travis Kelcey average less than five receptions.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Of the game. Yeah, he's just over the hill.
Speaker 4 (32:20):
I think it would make sense for him to hang
it up, but it seems like he does just want
to end on a better note, and I think that
pursuit it ultimately just ends up keep getting worse and worse.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
He could have.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
Left as a back to back champions he decided he
wanted to go for three.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
That didn't work out.
Speaker 4 (32:35):
What now it seems like he wants to make sure
he doesn't miss out on the playoffs in his last season,
but who knows, maybe goes three and fourteen next year.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
If they still let you cash at checks.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
I ain't mad at you, but for your legacy's sake, man,
this was your worst season since your first season.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
It might be time to bowce.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
But this is why he wants to come back. He
wants to leave on a positive noe. But here's the
other thing as well. If you're making a lot of money,
was no's better than the money that you make it
more money?
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Well, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Positive note as the statistics decline, but we'll see broucous
Country Night back after this
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