May 14, 2026 • 37 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We've got the official twenty twenty six Denver Broncos schedule
or on the Broncos Radio network as well. So we
welcomed some of our affiliates, Dave Logan, Rick Lewis along
with Benjamin Albright and Nick Ferguson.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
We're looking for a chair for Nick. You're doing the
you're doing the whole show standing.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
I had to got this little last chair, not a
damn dwarf. Come on, David, listen. Was this part of
the gag something? Because written asked me if I need
some phone books? That's no, you know what I am.
I am not in charge of the chairs.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
Dave was at New Orleans when we called that game
where we actually sat.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
On phone books. It was it was. It was the
Saints game in New Orleans. The chairs.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
They couldn't find chairs, and the both of these chairs,
I mean literally, we're so low to the ground and
did not work to where you had your Your eyes
were barely.
Speaker 5 (00:56):
Over the level of the desk in front end. I
could hardly look at you without laughing. That game, it
was hilarious. You could barely see you over the counter.
We had to stand for a lot of that. You
know what, I'd sort of forgotten that, but so that.
Speaker 6 (01:11):
You mean basically what I'm doing right now?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yeah, kind of. Yeah. We definitely had phone books.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
We actually, you know, games whatever two and a half hours,
so you're going to sit down so you can see
your boards and all that.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
So you had we got literally were they phone books?
We got some of them.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
They were stacks of printer paper, you think, because I
was about to say, where did you.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Guys find Yeah, yeah, that's right, the phone book?
Speaker 2 (01:36):
What decade? Are you living it with stacks of printer paper? Yeah?
I sat on two of them.
Speaker 6 (01:41):
Is that?
Speaker 2 (01:41):
On two of them?
Speaker 4 (01:42):
I had to sit on two of them to be
able to see the field.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Did did your chief prints end up in denting?
Speaker 4 (01:47):
I would imagine you get a little sweaty during the game,
especially in New Orleans.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I hate to break into this. It's riveting conversation. We
have too much information. We have the Bronco schedule. We
actually were already talking about. This is the schedule officially
dropped just after five thirty. The Broncos have three preseason games.
They will open Friday night, August fourteenth. Keep in mind
the season is backed up. It's going to be a
(02:12):
week longer this year, So the Super Bowl actually is
going to be played on President's Weekend, which I guess
is good news because the next.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Day, Monday, the entire country has off.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
So Friday, August fourteenth, the game played at Mercedes ben
Stadium in Atlanta against the Falcons.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Nick, I can't say.
Speaker 6 (02:32):
I can't look at it.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
That's hilarious. I can't look at you. I'm sorry, I
just can't look at you. The next two preseason games,
we don't have the exact dates. It'll be the weekend
of August twentieth, as the Packers roll into town. They'll
play it in power Field at Mile High. Of course,
the game time, since we don't have the exact date,
is to be determined. And then the last preseason game,
(02:56):
preseason game number three, the weekend of August twenty seventh,
that'll be at home and in power Field at mal
High against the Minnesota Vikings. Worst kept secret in town.
The Broncos opened on Monday night, that is September fourteenth,
on the road.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
At the G. E. H Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Fellows, I'm going to ask you, well, we'll just talk
about a lot of these games and kind of how.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
We view these matchups. Did it surprise you, guys?
Speaker 1 (03:24):
It certainly did me that the Broncos, given what they
accomplished last year, were not given the first game of
the season at home. Or Am I making too big
a deal of this?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
I don't. I don't care personally.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
I mean, I know I'm not saying you care. But
did it surprise you the league went this way?
Speaker 7 (03:41):
I think they view the Broncos as a marquee matchup,
and then you've got Pat Mahomes and they think they
want a division game to get.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Pat Mahomes return, a marquee matchup you Pat Mahomes, maybe, well,
they think it's they think he's going to be back.
Speaker 7 (03:52):
So at this point you want to put I mean,
they would have put it on Monday night if they
didn't think he was going to be back.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
So you're gonna go the Raiders. Really, No, you're gonna
do the Chargers? Okay? Maybe, but I think Denver.
Speaker 7 (04:01):
I think what it is is Denver's viewed as a
marquee matchup and that's what put that there.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Now. Could they have put that here in Denver? Sure?
Speaker 1 (04:08):
But you know, I mean, if you just said the
first game of the season is a Monday night game
and the Broncos are traveling to Gillette Stadium to play
the New England Patriots.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
I would have said, Okay, that would have made sense.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
Yeah, this kay doesn't make sense to me at all.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
For me, I look at it as a sign of
disrespect to the Denver Broncos because this whole idea of
what Brand's.
Speaker 6 (04:29):
Talking about, well, the league is thinking.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
That Patrick Mahomes is going to be ready. Yeah he
may be ready, but he's not going to be ready,
and that means though the Broncos all the kind of
scales tipping their favor because that's the game that expect
the Broncos to win because Patrick Mahomes is not going
to be one percent healthy trying to do the things
that he needs to do and we've seen him do.
Speaker 6 (04:52):
All season long. So to me, it would have been.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Better if this would have been maybe New England, like
you said, Seattle or even Buffalo. It's a kind of
stop to open up the season here at home. But
I'll look at this as being disrespect for the den Broncos.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
I agree with that, and also I was surprised as well,
but I don't mind it at all for the fact
that Patrick Mahalmes may not be ready to go, and
if he does go, chances are he's rusty, he's a
little bit limited. All that works in the Broncos favor.
And also the weather. I think that's a much better
place to play in mid September than it will be
in November or December.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
I would also say the field, the field has not
been good later on in the season. I mean, Nick,
you played there, I'd played there a long time ago,
but just walking down the field, we would do the show,
the pregame show for Channel nine on the field. I mean,
and this was in it was in December or late November.
(05:47):
I mean the field was trashed by then.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Usually the numbers are frozen and in the middle of
the field is torn up so much they're bringing that
autificial green looking stuff to feel the divots at like
you had the golf course. That's how terrible the footing
is during that time of the year.
Speaker 7 (06:04):
Yeah, I think this is an opportune time for the Broncos. Well,
it may be disrespectful not to play at home. I mean,
everything breaking in your favor here. This is your first
game of season. You got all off season to game
plan for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
You're getting it.
Speaker 7 (06:16):
You're getting it on a Monday night at Arrowhead in
the middle of September instead of December. Like you said,
messed up field in the weather, and Pat Maholmes may
not be all the way back to me, this breaks
in the Broncos favor all the way.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Yeah, I think that's how I would look at it too,
But I got to be honest about it.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Did I mean?
Speaker 1 (06:32):
I was convinced the Broncos would open at home simply
because of what they accomplished last year. I haven't seen
the Buffalo excuse me, the new England schedule. Did the
Patriots open at home? We'll find that out and talk
about that as well. So that's Week one, September fourteenth,
on the road in Kansas City against the chief Six
(06:52):
days later, the Broncos have a home game, their first
home game of the twenty twenty sixth season, as Jacksonville
rolls into him our field at Mile High. That's a
two zero five start on a Sunday afternoon, and fellas
we were talking earlier on KA Sports about that, to
me is an opportunity. Broncos may say, this is not
(07:12):
how we look at it. But for me, that's a
little get back game based on what happened last year
when Jacksonville came in and beat the Broncos.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Absolutely and Jacksonville have Super Bowl aspirations this year, and
I think that's legit. But you're right that game broke
their winning streak last year. Jacksonville came here and beat
them at home. It's a chance to get right against
the Jagson show them, hey, we're still the supreme team.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
In the AFC.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
We are the AFC, and I still think they're better
than the Patriots as well. I think a lot of
us think the Patriots would have got beat here if
bone Nicks had played and the weather was better.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
So this is the chance to.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Show Jacksonville and the Chiefs right out of the gate
we are the team to beat in the AFC.
Speaker 7 (08:01):
I think this is the one you got to get.
You got to go back and get this one back
from last year. If you don't necessarily want to have
that memory of the previous year, but you know you do,
and you've got to get over that with it. By
the way, the Patriots are not opening at home. They're
in Seattle for a Super Bowl rematch.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Oh okay, Well then that you know, the Seattle did win.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
The Super Bowl, so that that would make sense.
Speaker 7 (08:21):
So yeah, but for Jacksonville, I think you you know,
you got most of the same guys from last year.
We talked about this earlier. You got most the same
guys from last year. That's that was going to stick
in your crawl a little bit because they beat you here.
Now you got to come back here again and do it.
Let's see if you can do it twice.
Speaker 6 (08:33):
The idea is beat beating Jacksonville.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
That's great to start the season, but it is timporary
satisfaction for the fan base if you are to achieve that,
because it doesn't change anything about what happened last season.
Speaker 6 (08:45):
That team still came in and beat you.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
When you had a home winning streak, you were running
on home winning Street. So winning that game, yeah, you
want to win that because that's going to have implications
later on in the season when it comes to seeding
in the playoffs.
Speaker 6 (08:59):
But it is not going to change any thing about
what happened last season.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Well they can't. They can't change it exactly. There's the
whole thing.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
But some fans look at that game and the new
only game like, yeah, you know we're gonna play them
we win, and that would have said, Okay, well the
Broncos should have gone to the Super Bowl to play
the Seattle Seahawks. No, when it mattered the most, you
didn't win. So even if you beat both of those
teams this year, it's not going to change anything. These
wins were just kind of fit in a category for
doves as far as twenty twenty six season, and hopefully
(09:26):
winning those games put the Broncos in a situation where
now they can host a home playoff game here like they.
Speaker 6 (09:32):
Did in twenty twelve.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Gets the goal.
Speaker 7 (09:33):
But I don't think you want to start the season
with the reminder of a team that beat you last year.
I don't think psychologically you want to be in the
place where you got beat by them twice, you know,
especially at the start of a season.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
I don't know. I think they're smart enough. I think
Sean Payton's staff and players understand that no matter what happens,
it doesn't change anything from last year. But I think
most guys will carry what happened last year with them
as they prepare for the same team PLA in the
same venue.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
I think that will be and it's the home opener.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
There's always a little more excitement, no matter if it's
the home openers on week one or in this case,
on week two. That I mean in power Field of
mal High when Jacksonville rolls in here in September twentieth
is going to be rocking that.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
It is a real quick note here.
Speaker 7 (10:19):
The Jags will be coming off a home game against Cleveland,
and they'll have one extra day.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
The Broncos are on Monday Night football against Kansas City.
Speaker 7 (10:26):
The Jaguars are playing at one in the after noons,
so they're going to have an extra day of rest
coming out here and what figures to have been an
easier game in Week one against Cleveland, whereas the Broncos
will be against the Chiefs.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
All right, Week three for the Broncos, that'll be a
Sunday game September twenty seventh.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Second consecutive home.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Game for Denver is they will play a team that
a lot of people and I would I would tend
to say this is the team I would pick to
come out of the NFC. At least right now. We're
talking about making a pick in May. But the La
Rams come to Denver and in Power field of mal
High for a Sunday night game against the Broncos. That'll
be a six to twenty Sunday night kick, another primetime game.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
That's two out of the first three. And I agree
with you, Dave. The Rams to me are the team
to beat in the NFC this year, which they have
been in the past couple of years.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
And a brutal start for the schedule.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
This this Broncos team about a month in is going
to know a lot of ourselves who they are. And
these are statement games. These are statement games going in
like the Broncos hoping to bounce back this year and
actually make it to the Super Bowl. You got to
beat the good teams to do that. And the problem
(11:42):
with what Sean Payton is he's been a slow starter,
especially here with the Denver Broncos, but really pretty much
throughout his career.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Now.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
I don't know if that's a trend, Dave, you being
a coach, is that a trend that can really hang
on him like he's a slow starter for a reason,
or is it just circumstance or maybe who you're playing
you know from year to year, But it's certainly something
that he has on his record he's a slow starter,
(12:09):
but then he just picks it up and he's like
a runaway train through October in November. So you get
off to a good start this year against these good teams.
This this schedule really lightens up later. Yeah, I honestly
don't know. I mean, you think about his offense as complex.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
It's very worthy, but he had a guy that was
one of the great processors we've had in our game,
and Drew Brees. So I mean, I think I think
Sean his career in September is thirty and thirty. Maybe
it takes maybe it takes a little bit even for
veteran players to get completely acclimated to what he's trying
to do.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
I think he's fifty two and seventeen in October. So
whatever whatever it is, would they like to start fast?
For sure? This is a schedule that will require you
to be playing really good football, to not get games away,
to have your guys healthy and have your guys playing
at their best, and schematically new offensive coordinator in Davis
(13:08):
Web I mean, all you know, there's gonna be a
lot of familiar faces, but they're also I think significant
changes for the Broncos going into this season, from week.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Two to week six, the Broncos, to me, that's the
toughest part of their schedule to start. And if the
Broncos have aspirations, which I know they do, of not
only getting to the super Bowl but winning the Super Bowl,
that AFC West is the division you're gonna have to
go through because the forty nine are always tough. Seattle's
(13:39):
always tough. And more importantly, the Rams last season they
were by far the favors. Even though they didn't get there,
they really competed and their coach really well. And here's
the other thing, you know, looking at those games, I
think between week three and a week six you get
a chance to face the AFC West teams and guess what,
they all run the same dorm C West. Yeah, excuse me,
(14:03):
they run his same offense. So if you advance Joseph,
it gives your players somewhat of an advantage because you
will have seen and practice and you would have watched
film on a similar offense.
Speaker 7 (14:14):
One break for the Broncos and getting the Rams this early,
the Rams might be a tired football team by week three.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
They're going to play in Australia to open.
Speaker 7 (14:20):
The season, and they got a Monday night football game
in week two, and then they're coming to day short.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Just how the.
Speaker 7 (14:25):
Broncos get shorted on Monday Night football. Now the Rams
will be short of today coming here into Denver in
week three.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
So the first three games of the year Monday night
the opener.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
At Kansas City against the Chiefs, then back for two
home games. Sunday, September twentieth, Jacksonville rolls into town, followed
by a Sunday night game here in Denver at Empower
Field at Male High against the Los Angeles Rams. Those
are the first three games of the twenty twenty sixth season.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Game four Sunday, October fourth.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
October fourth, that is a road game against the San
Francisco forty nine Ers at Levi Stadium, a one to
twenty five. I've Pacific daylight time kick. So you've got
two consecutive ro games in San Francisco and in Los
Angeles against the Chargers. We start, we start with the
forty nine ers. I was talking a lot about the Rams, listen.
(15:15):
I think the forty nine ers feel real good about
themselves this year as well, in terms of competing for
the NFC.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Especially with the addition of Mike Evans. I said, you
want to say about Mike Evans being somewhat of an
older receiver, but I will look at Mike Evans based
on his skill set similar to Courland Sutton here, meaning
that when you talk about the fifty to fifty balls
being able to go and take those away, Mike Evans
is great at being able to do that.
Speaker 6 (15:41):
And here's the other thing.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Having CMC as you're running back and knowing Kyle Shanahan
in the play action game, that's going to open up
so much outside the numbers in the middle of the field.
So San Francisco they're still a deadly team, even though
we've seen them push teams to the brink. We've seen
them kind of urge in the playoffs, even though they've
struggled early on with injuries. But this is a team
(16:04):
that is still a scary team, whether it's late in the.
Speaker 6 (16:07):
Season or early in the season.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
And to your point about the NFC West basically playing
at the Shanahan offense, that I think factors into this.
Now you're playing two teams back to back playing a
similar offense with the Rams and the forty nine ers.
Later you'll get to the rest of the Cardinals and
the the who am I miss? Yes, right, So I
(16:30):
think that does help the Broncos in this case. And
the forty nine ers are going to be a hungry
team this year. Forty nine Ers, they're a Super Bowl
contender in my opinion, and they've come up short in
the Kyle Shanahan years. So this is their turnaround season
the way they're looking at this, and if they got
a healthy brock perty, they're certainly going to be in
(16:52):
the mix. I would say that people in San Francisco
there and are there are fans that have talked about
you know, Kyle's not the guy and he's had his opportunity. Listen,
this team has been in the NFC Championship Game, I
believe four of the last six seasons. I mean they've
been in the NFC Championship Game four out of six.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
They won two of those four.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
They got beat in Philly and they got beat the
Rams beat them as well.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
But this is a very good.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Football team, really well coached and on the road. I
think San Francisco is a tough matchup for the Broncos
that Sunday, October fourth, the second of two road games
in succession. October eleventh, the Broncos have their second stint
against the AFC West as they will travel to Sofi
(17:42):
Stadium on the eleventh play the La Chargers. That'll be
a one oh five Pacific daylight time kick and an opportunity.
When you think about Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers and
been we were talking earlier, it's like every single year
you hear about this is this is the Chargers year.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
This is the Charger.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
They've gone out, They've solidified the offensive line. They hired
from Miami, Mike Mike McDaniel to coordinate the run game.
I think he's he's terrific at that at that But
but the Broncos, I mean Broncos have played the Chargers
really well since Jim Harbaugh got there, right They got
(18:21):
beat last year at so Fine, a game that they
were right there in the second half, but but a
game that you know, you've got to try to find
a way to win.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Most obviously they do.
Speaker 7 (18:31):
Honestly, John Jim Harra excuse me, has been Sean payton'skryptonite
over the years. Sean Payton only has one win against
Harball in his career against the starting quarterback. The Broncos
Beatray Lance last year, remember in the victory over the Chargers,
and that's this is one you know, I hear that
stuff about the charge over year. This is the year
I'm actually fine finally buying the Chargers. That offensive line
looks looks looks good. You got Mike McDaniel there, You've
(18:53):
got Adam Gase in there as well. The one, my
one concern is what is that defense without Jesse Minter
running the defense now for the Chargers. And this will
be a test because I think the Chargers the team
to beat in the West besides the Broncos, not necessarily
the Chiefs.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
You know what, I agree with you because last year
their offensive line were.
Speaker 6 (19:10):
Beat the shreds.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
They gave up sixty sacks last year and they were
three games away from matching the Denver Broncos with their record,
And you got to think about that. That's a team
that was beat up offensively and Justin Herberts suffered so
many sacks. But guess what, they were three games away.
Like Broncos are fourteen and three, they were eleven and six.
(19:32):
So you add Mike McDaniel. I know most people may think,
well that really doesn't mean anything. How could one offensive
coach change the mindset of an entire team.
Speaker 6 (19:41):
We know coach Harbard wants to run the ball.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
We know he wants to be physically in a run
game based on what he did when he was in
San Francisco and even when he was the head coach
of the Michigan Wolf Rings.
Speaker 6 (19:51):
But now you toss Mike mcdames in the mix.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
You have Keithan Mitchell who's comes over from Baltimore, and
you have Amar and Hampton, so this offense is going
to be wide. And they add in David and Joku,
and they have Rende Gas and you know, one of
Ben's favorite at the.
Speaker 6 (20:05):
Tight end positions.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
So this is not going to be a pushover for
the Denver Broncos on anyone in the NFC West.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Yeah, Mike McDaniels to me, is a great addition to
that coaching staff and should make a difference on the
offensive side of the ball.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
And I believe too, this is the Chargers year.
Speaker 4 (20:21):
I believe the Chargers are second in the AFC West
with the Broncos with a slight lead at that point.
And they do scare me a bit, and weird things
seem to happen. When the Broncos played the Chargers last
two years in LA. They certainly Yeah, So that's what
I'm looking at here. This game will be in LA
(20:41):
and so you never know how the ball is going
to bounce there when you play the Chargers, but they're
going to be a formidable team.
Speaker 7 (20:46):
It's gonna be interesting. Like I said, that defense with
chryst O'Leary run the defense. This is his first time
in the NFL call it a defense. He did it
a little bit. He did for one season at Western Michigan.
That's the only time he's been a play caller defensive
coordinator in his career.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
We are through the first five games of the season.
The Broncos in Kansas City week won two home games,
coming up Jacksonville at in power Field of Mile High.
The Rams come into town September twenty seventh, That's a
Sunday night matchup. Then two consecutive road games Sunday, October
fourth in San Francisco to face the Kyle Shanahan led
forty nine ers, and then October eleventh on the road
(21:21):
again at SOFI Stadium in Los Angeles, a road game
against Jim.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Harbaugh and the LA Chargers. It is six twenty five.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
By the way, we're going to let some lucky soul
wint a pair of tickets to a twenty twenty six,
twenty twenty six Broncos home game of your choice. Will
tell you how that will happen when we come back.
You're listening to the KAA Broncos schedule release special right
here in the KA Broncos Radio Network. We have worked
our way through the first five games of the season.
(21:49):
Sixth game of the season, another primetime special. It's a
Thursday night matchup on the fifteenth of October as the
world champion Seattle Seahawks rolling the town to Power Field
at Male High six fifteen Mountain Time kick the Broncos
and the Seahawks. I mean, obviously, yeah, I'm not sure
they'll play a better defense than what Seattle has. You
(22:11):
wonder a little bit now with a change of offensive
coordinators and Kubiak becoming Clint Kubiak becoming the head coach
with the Raiders, you wonder what that offense will look like.
But it's you know, I can't imagine that they would
change a lot.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Because it was highly successful.
Speaker 7 (22:29):
Yeah, I guess you gotta turn your microphone on to
be a professional on this in histry. Yeah, this is
the biggest imprint on Michael McDonald has had since the
eighties when he was the backing vocal on every yacht
rock song out there. But yeah, the Seahawks defense is legitimate.
The question is going to be can Sam Donald replicate it?
Speaker 6 (22:44):
It could?
Speaker 7 (22:44):
You know without Kubiak there, can Sam Donald replicate it?
That's the only question I really have at the Seahawks.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
This is tough coming off a road game against the Chargers,
short week and a short week on a Thursday night.
I would have preferred to play the Seahawks on a
full week, but it'll be a great test against the
best in the NFC.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Yeah, that's gonna be an interesting game for the Denver
Broncos because, yeah, I mean, you guys said the right thing.
It's a short week and that's going to be a
physical game against the division rival with the Chargers. So
we would have to look to see what which guys
are healthy, which guys are beat up because on those
short weeks. I mean, it helps because the Broncos are home,
they don't have to travel, but still, I mean, every
(23:26):
guy likes to go through his own routine.
Speaker 6 (23:28):
But being as though your body is sowing, Dave, you.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
Know this, it's hard to get up for some of
those physical games because you know, even though Clint Kobiak
is no longer calling plays for the Seattle Seahawks, they
still are going to run the ball, and they're gonna
run the ball well because everything that Sam Donald wants.
Speaker 6 (23:45):
To do is built off of play action.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
So linebackers safety, bow your neck, earn your check.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
No question about that.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
We move on Sunday, October twenty fifth, the Broncos back
in the road, although the trip will be a short one,
and they go to State Farm Stadium in Glendelle, Arizona,
and face the Arizona Cardinals.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
One oh five Mountain standard time. That that one five?
Speaker 7 (24:14):
Why she says one, that'll be West coast, Then that'd
be one places a four or five Eastern kick.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Oh it is okay, So that must.
Speaker 7 (24:21):
They must be on because Arizona has that weird times
on stuff, so they don't chang the Yeah, they must
be on. Yeah, So it's a two of five Denver
five Denver kick.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
That's a game that you would think, at least on paper,
the Broncos have to find a way to win.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
And as we talked about earlier, who's going to be
playing quarterback for the Cardinal.
Speaker 7 (24:37):
Yeah, it's the two versette they are right now. Brissette
is pencil to be the starter, but I mean, you know,
give that time. I think ardments she's a better quarterback
of the two verse one, one and eleven as a
starter last year, they the Arizona Cardinals are not really
ready to compete.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
I don't think.
Speaker 7 (24:54):
I mean this team they went, I got your my
love with a third overall pick. Okay, you finally got that.
You added Tyler lgi Er, So they got a one
two punch for the Florist run game. But I don't
think they have the quarterback. I think they've got one receiver.
You know this is and the defense left over from
the Gannon era. They still need some more talent added
to it.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Second of the two matchups next year or this upcoming season,
against the Kansas City Chiefs, will take place on Sunday,
November first. That's when Kansas City plays an empower field
at Mile High two twenty five kickoff here in Denver.
So so both games with the Chiefs out of the
way by November first good or not good?
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Oh, that's great? I love it.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Yes, once again, the reason why it's great is because
you get them earlier, you get them at home, you
get the first win in the NFC West, and then
you pretty much get the second win in the fcs
FC West against the Kansasy the Chiefs at home. So now,
like you said, now you got those guys out of
the way, you only have the team you need to
worry about in the West. But there would be the charges.
(25:52):
So it's great that things set up this way. And
also that is the game that I had paid where
you would get Mahomes back. But obviously he's probably going
to play in preseason, he's probably.
Speaker 6 (26:02):
Not going to play up to this point.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
So like Rick said earlier, he's probably going to come
into this game a little russ.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
I feel like Mahomes has a chance of playing week one.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
They think he's coming back week one.
Speaker 7 (26:11):
I don't know that I'm buying it, but they're absolutely
trying to sell it is different than.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
Just putting on a uniform and walking out there.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
I don't think the NFL would have put made that
first game of the season for the Chiefs and Broncos
if they didn't think Mahomes was going to be I
think the.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
NFL obviously is hopeful that he plays, but you never know.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
I sort of sided with Nick on this one.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
I mean that that's a I mean, it would be
all it would be nine months almost to the day.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Has that happened. It has acl.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
He also had another ligament that was repaired in that knee.
But I mean, you know, with what they do now
and the medical marvels that we have in terms of
how how team doctors can address these issues, would have
surprised me. It might surprise me, but I wouldn't be
shocked if he played Wolverine Blood. I think he's I
think he's got whatever whatever we're looking for.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
I think he's got some of it.
Speaker 7 (27:04):
Interesting scheduling quirk, by the way, the Kansas City Chiefs
bye week is week five this year.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
Say that again. Kansas City Chiefs by week is week
five this year.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
That'll be about when Mahomes gets back. Hey, seventeen game
schedule is out. That's what we're talking about here. I'll
tell you what the seventeenth caller right now three O
three seven one three eight five eighty five. You're gonna
win a pair of tickets to a Broncos home game
this year, and it's a home game of your choice,
(27:36):
so you can pick any of the games at home
at a powerfield at mile high. Seventeenth caller three A
three seven, one three eight five eighty five. Before we
check traffic, we continue uh. The next game for the
Broncos after that home game against the Chiefs will be
a Sunday game on the road. They seed an improved team,
a team that made the playoffs last year, and a
(27:57):
team at home in Carolina that really gave the Ram
all they could handle. It'll be at the Bank of
America Stadium, one pm Eastern Standard kick with the Broncos
on the road facing the Carolina Papers.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
I will see that as a cake walk.
Speaker 4 (28:10):
I feel like Carolina is a sending team in the league,
and going across a couple of time zones to play
an early game on the East Coast never a good thing.
I think that's gonna be tougher than most people think.
Speaker 7 (28:25):
I don't like the times on travel thing. Broncos a
historically struggle with that. But I'm not sure I'm buying
the Carolina roster just because they.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Play the Rams tough.
Speaker 6 (28:32):
You know.
Speaker 7 (28:33):
Obviously Dad Canal has got a chance to see the
Rams a lot when he was an assistant in Seattle,
and it's very familiar with that Bryce Young From one
week to the next, I don't really know. There are
moments where you see flashes you're like this kid could
be something, yeah, and then you turn around You're like,
put Andy Dalton in there because this is terrible. So
you know at this point, which Dalton isn't there anymore.
It's Canny Pickett. But yeah, at this point, I don't know.
(28:53):
I'll have to see Carolina to believe it. That's right there.
After November eighth, the Broncos have their bi week. I
think Fellaws that is uh what is that?
Speaker 1 (29:02):
One, two, three, four five? Second week ten? I think
that's pretty good, pretty good seek for your bye week,
don't you, sweet spot? I love that.
Speaker 7 (29:09):
One of the first things when I when I got
the scheduled in the group, the first things I was
talking about was.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Hey, this is this you want the buy week between
week ten and twelve, right, you know, it's.
Speaker 7 (29:17):
Just on the back half of the season, a little
bit enough to get that middle of the season recharge.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Get healthy.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
So the bye week weekend for the Broncos the weekend
of November fifteenth. Then the Broncos back at it November
twenty second. That's a Sunday game at home and a
power field of mile high against the Las Vegas Raiders
two twenty five Mountain standard time kick. By then, you
would think, and that's the first of two games obviously
(29:41):
against the Raiders. I think the Raiders will be an
improved team, but by then they might have figured out
that maybe they haven't improved to the level that they
thought they might.
Speaker 7 (29:52):
Might actually have Mendoza at this point, I don't think
he's going to start the season.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
I think will start to either start the season four So,
but we.
Speaker 7 (29:58):
Might actually get a treat it to see the rookie
quarterback and let this vaunted Broncos defense te off on
that rookie and welcome to the NFL?
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Is it me to say that the Broncs got by
week and week ten, they play the Raiders after that,
then they play Pittsburgh on a short week. What that
count is two by weeks playing against the Raiders before
you play Pittsburgh?
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Wow?
Speaker 6 (30:18):
Am I being a little to muss?
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Yeah, well you're sitting in the little bitty chair. We
go until we check traffic. Nick alluded to the fact
that the Broncos next game, it's gonna be a short week.
They're gonna play on Black Friday, day after Thanksgiving, so
that would be November twenty seventh. They travel to Pittsburgh
to face the Steelers. That'll be a three pm Eastern
(30:41):
Standard time on Black Friday.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
On a short week.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
And Dave, you know better than anybody how tough it
is to play in Pittsburgh. That's a very tough place
to play, especially in late November. You don't know what
kind of weather you're gonna get there. I think that's
a tough turnaround. Yeah, I do too.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
We've got six games left, starting with the contest on Sunday,
December sixth, That is a home game against the Miami
Dolphins two to zero five Mountain Standard time kick in Miami.
Would be a team that you think this year, with
all the changes, including the coaching staff, that would be
a different looking football team.
Speaker 7 (31:17):
Yeah, I don't think they expect to compete. Nick was
talking about free by weeks. This might be another one
in the middle of the season.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
I'm looking forward at this game because I want to
see how I the Sean Payton or Davis Webb set
up the revenge game for Jana Lotter against this former team.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
All right, next game Sunday, December thirteenth. So the next week,
the Broncos on the road at MetLife Stadium, facing the
New York Jets again, another team that I would think.
I think they'll be better than they have been because
they have been awful. But I don't know that the
Jets are going to be a playoff contending team, especially
in the middle of December.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Yeah, and to next point looks like another so called
bye week.
Speaker 4 (31:57):
This is a really easy stretch here with thes and
then it gets much tougher the last three weeks.
Speaker 7 (32:03):
Yeah, who knows it'll be a quarterback for the Jets.
You know Smith they signed, But I mean at that
point in the season, you could be trying on I
Kdklubnick or Brady Cook to see what.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
They've got from Clemson, right, yeah, just to see if
they've got something.
Speaker 7 (32:14):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Next game we have we have four games left.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Sunday, excuse me, Yeah, Sunday, December twentieth, the Broncos will
be on the road in Las Vegas, at Elchies Stadium
a one twenty five Pacific Standard time kick to face
the Las Vegas Raiders. So they play the Raiders two
times in a five week span.
Speaker 7 (32:33):
Yeah, and again, I think this is gonna be Mendoza
time at this point. I feel like that, you know,
this defense should be able to handle a rookie quarterback
if this team is healthy and they get through this
stretch of I don't want to call them easy games,
but we all know what I'm talking about here. If
if it teams healthy, this is the opportunity to cash
and bank some wins as it gets closer to Christmas
and gets tougher.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
Yeah, I agree five weeks stretch that Ben was alluding to.
You play Las Vegas twice, you play the Dolphins, you
travel to New York to face the Jets, and travel
two Pitburg to face the Steelers. I'm not sure what
you're going to get in Pittsburgh. You may get a
really competitive team. I'm assuming Aaron Rodgers is going to
go back and play quarterback for him.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
See, this is what I call the chrisopergh Cross portion
of the Broncos schedule. You know why, Sally, how about
that they're.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
Such a well rounded musical sort. The three games are
going to be really interesting. The Broncos have a Christmas
Day game. Fortunately it is a for us. It is
a home game at in power Field of Mile High.
The Buffalo Bills back in Denver with Josh Allen and
company a two thirty Mountain Standard time on Christmas afternoon.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
Another short week against one of the best teams in
the league.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Doesn't it feel like we play Buffalo every year? Yeah,
it does a lot. It feels like that.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Yeah, played them a lot for sure, and then the
last two games fellas uh, and the dates have not
been decided. We do know the weekends, right, It'll be
a Saturday or Sunday game. On the weekend of January second,
the Broncos traveled to Gillette Stadium face the team they
faced last year in the AFC Championship Game. Here in Denver,
they'll face the New England Patriots. Now, let's briefly talk
(34:15):
about the Patriots. I don't necessarily think the Patriots will
be as good record wise as they were last year either.
Speaker 7 (34:22):
Well, they could have another edition here pretty soon and
a couple of weeks in aj Brown. I think you
know they've had some off field distractions this year with
the coach kind.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
Of an interesting way to put it. That's going to
be interesting.
Speaker 7 (34:34):
By the way, I am told that there was some
speculation out there that if for some reason he were
to resign, that they would pursue my Tomlin. I'm told
that's untrue, and it would be Josh McDaniels if that
were to be the case. So Josh mc daniels would
maybe get his fourth shot at being a head coach.
While if that ends up working out, I think the
Patriots are going to be good.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (34:50):
I just think the Broncos could have beat them in
the NFC Championship game.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
I think they can beat them here too. Yep.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
So finally, before we wrap things up, the last game
of the season, and this one, for obvious reasons, could
mean a lot for both teams. Saturday, the weekend of
I shouldn't say Saturday, either Saturday or Sunday, the weekend
of January ninth, the Broncos final regular season game at
home against the LA Chargers.
Speaker 7 (35:16):
This could be for all the marbles I've said, I
said it again. You know, I've heard all the hype
about the Chargers over the years, this is the year.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
I'm buying it.
Speaker 7 (35:21):
I do believe the Chargers are the biggest threat to
the Broncos in the AFC West. And this game could
be for everything, could be for all the marbles, could
be on a Saturday, could be another standalone game, could
be on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
This this game could have a lot of meaning to it.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
This game will come down to who, at this point
of the season is the healthiest we've seen the Broncos
in twenty twenty five and how that helped them propel
them forward. And Rick, I know you talked about the
Chargers and that's the scary team for the Broncos. If
the Chargers are healthy, that could be I mean a
dagger of a game for the Broncos. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:53):
This could not only be the biggest game of the year,
maybe the best game of the year.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
This could this could determine game everything. Oh, I like it. Yeah,
that's why they put it on the schedule less Nick.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Yeah, So before we go, you guys want to because
I don't think I will, but you feel free to
do so. You want a hazard a guess in terms
of what this record looks like after the Chargers regular
season finale, what are the Broncos. I mean, what's what's
enough wins in the AFC West. We're just having some
fun here in May. To win the West? How many
(36:29):
wins would the Broncos need? I think you need twelve.
Speaker 7 (36:31):
I came away with this schedule with ten, ten and
seven as a wildcard team, and then you know, maybe
you can maybe you can catch up on the playoffs
as far as that goes. I came away with a
ten and seven record a wildcard team. But I think
you need twelve to win the division?
Speaker 2 (36:43):
What are you thinking?
Speaker 3 (36:43):
I would agree with with BAM without without giving any
solid projections, you need twelve.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
I'm gonna say eleven and six.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
You think eleven is six wins the AFC, Well, I
think that'll be the record.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
I don't think it wins to the division though. All Right,
I'm gonna say this.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
I think I think the Broncos will repeat as AFC
West champs.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
I'm not sure. I'm not sure they're gonna.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
Get to fourteen wins with this schedule, But you know what,
Kansas City has got a really difficult scheduled as well,
and they've got some uncertainty in terms of what their
starting quarterback is going to be like physically, I agree
with you guys what you've said about the LA Chargers.
I think they present maybe the biggest obstacle this year.
No disrespect to Kansas city in the West that is
going to do it for the KA Broncos schedule release special,
(37:28):
thanks a lot for being with us. We're gonna have
plenty of time and a lot of fun talking about
Denver Broncos football this year. So long on the KOA
Broncos radio network, that's a differ.
Speaker 7 (37:38):
Just Child
We've got the official twenty twenty six Denver Broncos schedule
or on the Broncos Radio network as well. So we
welcomed some of our affiliates, Dave Logan, Rick Lewis along
with Benjamin Albright and Nick Ferguson.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
We're looking for a chair for Nick. You're doing the
you're doing the whole show standing.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
I had to got this little last chair, not a
damn dwarf. Come on, David, listen. Was this part of
the gag something? Because written asked me if I need
some phone books? That's no, you know what I am.
I am not in charge of the chairs.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
Dave was at New Orleans when we called that game
where we actually sat.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
On phone books. It was it was. It was the
Saints game in New Orleans. The chairs.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
They couldn't find chairs, and the both of these chairs,
I mean literally, we're so low to the ground and
did not work to where you had your Your eyes
were barely.
Speaker 5 (00:56):
Over the level of the desk in front end. I
could hardly look at you without laughing. That game, it
was hilarious. You could barely see you over the counter.
We had to stand for a lot of that. You
know what, I'd sort of forgotten that, but so that.
Speaker 6 (01:11):
You mean basically what I'm doing right now?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yeah, kind of. Yeah. We definitely had phone books.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
We actually, you know, games whatever two and a half hours,
so you're going to sit down so you can see
your boards and all that.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
So you had we got literally were they phone books?
We got some of them.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
They were stacks of printer paper, you think, because I
was about to say, where did you.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Guys find Yeah, yeah, that's right, the phone book?
Speaker 2 (01:36):
What decade? Are you living it with stacks of printer paper? Yeah?
I sat on two of them.
Speaker 6 (01:41):
Is that?
Speaker 2 (01:41):
On two of them?
Speaker 4 (01:42):
I had to sit on two of them to be
able to see the field.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Did did your chief prints end up in denting?
Speaker 4 (01:47):
I would imagine you get a little sweaty during the game,
especially in New Orleans.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I hate to break into this. It's riveting conversation. We
have too much information. We have the Bronco schedule. We
actually were already talking about. This is the schedule officially
dropped just after five thirty. The Broncos have three preseason games.
They will open Friday night, August fourteenth. Keep in mind
the season is backed up. It's going to be a
(02:12):
week longer this year, So the Super Bowl actually is
going to be played on President's Weekend, which I guess
is good news because the next.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Day, Monday, the entire country has off.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
So Friday, August fourteenth, the game played at Mercedes ben
Stadium in Atlanta against the Falcons.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Nick, I can't say.
Speaker 6 (02:32):
I can't look at it.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
That's hilarious. I can't look at you. I'm sorry, I
just can't look at you. The next two preseason games,
we don't have the exact dates. It'll be the weekend
of August twentieth, as the Packers roll into town. They'll
play it in power Field at Mile High. Of course,
the game time, since we don't have the exact date,
is to be determined. And then the last preseason game,
(02:56):
preseason game number three, the weekend of August twenty seventh,
that'll be at home and in power Field at mal
High against the Minnesota Vikings. Worst kept secret in town.
The Broncos opened on Monday night, that is September fourteenth,
on the road.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
At the G. E. H Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Fellows, I'm going to ask you, well, we'll just talk
about a lot of these games and kind of how.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
We view these matchups. Did it surprise you, guys?
Speaker 1 (03:24):
It certainly did me that the Broncos, given what they
accomplished last year, were not given the first game of
the season at home. Or Am I making too big
a deal of this?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
I don't. I don't care personally.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
I mean, I know I'm not saying you care. But
did it surprise you the league went this way?
Speaker 7 (03:41):
I think they view the Broncos as a marquee matchup,
and then you've got Pat Mahomes and they think they
want a division game to get.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Pat Mahomes return, a marquee matchup you Pat Mahomes, maybe, well,
they think it's they think he's going to be back.
Speaker 7 (03:52):
So at this point you want to put I mean,
they would have put it on Monday night if they
didn't think he was going to be back.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
So you're gonna go the Raiders. Really, No, you're gonna
do the Chargers? Okay? Maybe, but I think Denver.
Speaker 7 (04:01):
I think what it is is Denver's viewed as a
marquee matchup and that's what put that there.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Now. Could they have put that here in Denver? Sure?
Speaker 1 (04:08):
But you know, I mean, if you just said the
first game of the season is a Monday night game
and the Broncos are traveling to Gillette Stadium to play
the New England Patriots.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
I would have said, Okay, that would have made sense.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
Yeah, this kay doesn't make sense to me at all.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
For me, I look at it as a sign of
disrespect to the Denver Broncos because this whole idea of
what Brand's.
Speaker 6 (04:29):
Talking about, well, the league is thinking.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
That Patrick Mahomes is going to be ready. Yeah he
may be ready, but he's not going to be ready,
and that means though the Broncos all the kind of
scales tipping their favor because that's the game that expect
the Broncos to win because Patrick Mahomes is not going
to be one percent healthy trying to do the things
that he needs to do and we've seen him do.
Speaker 6 (04:52):
All season long. So to me, it would have been.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Better if this would have been maybe New England, like
you said, Seattle or even Buffalo. It's a kind of
stop to open up the season here at home. But
I'll look at this as being disrespect for the den Broncos.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
I agree with that, and also I was surprised as well,
but I don't mind it at all for the fact
that Patrick Mahalmes may not be ready to go, and
if he does go, chances are he's rusty, he's a
little bit limited. All that works in the Broncos favor.
And also the weather. I think that's a much better
place to play in mid September than it will be
in November or December.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
I would also say the field, the field has not
been good later on in the season. I mean, Nick,
you played there, I'd played there a long time ago,
but just walking down the field, we would do the show,
the pregame show for Channel nine on the field. I mean,
and this was in it was in December or late November.
(05:47):
I mean the field was trashed by then.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Usually the numbers are frozen and in the middle of
the field is torn up so much they're bringing that
autificial green looking stuff to feel the divots at like
you had the golf course. That's how terrible the footing
is during that time of the year.
Speaker 7 (06:04):
Yeah, I think this is an opportune time for the Broncos. Well,
it may be disrespectful not to play at home. I mean,
everything breaking in your favor here. This is your first
game of season. You got all off season to game
plan for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
You're getting it.
Speaker 7 (06:16):
You're getting it on a Monday night at Arrowhead in
the middle of September instead of December. Like you said,
messed up field in the weather, and Pat Maholmes may
not be all the way back to me, this breaks
in the Broncos favor all the way.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Yeah, I think that's how I would look at it too,
But I got to be honest about it.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Did I mean?
Speaker 1 (06:32):
I was convinced the Broncos would open at home simply
because of what they accomplished last year. I haven't seen
the Buffalo excuse me, the new England schedule. Did the
Patriots open at home? We'll find that out and talk
about that as well. So that's Week one, September fourteenth,
on the road in Kansas City against the chief Six
(06:52):
days later, the Broncos have a home game, their first
home game of the twenty twenty sixth season, as Jacksonville
rolls into him our field at Mile High. That's a
two zero five start on a Sunday afternoon, and fellas
we were talking earlier on KA Sports about that, to
me is an opportunity. Broncos may say, this is not
(07:12):
how we look at it. But for me, that's a
little get back game based on what happened last year
when Jacksonville came in and beat the Broncos.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Absolutely and Jacksonville have Super Bowl aspirations this year, and
I think that's legit. But you're right that game broke
their winning streak last year. Jacksonville came here and beat
them at home. It's a chance to get right against
the Jagson show them, hey, we're still the supreme team.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
In the AFC.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
We are the AFC, and I still think they're better
than the Patriots as well. I think a lot of
us think the Patriots would have got beat here if
bone Nicks had played and the weather was better.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
So this is the chance to.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Show Jacksonville and the Chiefs right out of the gate
we are the team to beat in the AFC.
Speaker 7 (08:01):
I think this is the one you got to get.
You got to go back and get this one back
from last year. If you don't necessarily want to have
that memory of the previous year, but you know you do,
and you've got to get over that with it. By
the way, the Patriots are not opening at home. They're
in Seattle for a Super Bowl rematch.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Oh okay, Well then that you know, the Seattle did win.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
The Super Bowl, so that that would make sense.
Speaker 7 (08:21):
So yeah, but for Jacksonville, I think you you know,
you got most of the same guys from last year.
We talked about this earlier. You got most the same
guys from last year. That's that was going to stick
in your crawl a little bit because they beat you here.
Now you got to come back here again and do it.
Let's see if you can do it twice.
Speaker 6 (08:33):
The idea is beat beating Jacksonville.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
That's great to start the season, but it is timporary
satisfaction for the fan base if you are to achieve that,
because it doesn't change anything about what happened last season.
Speaker 6 (08:45):
That team still came in and beat you.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
When you had a home winning streak, you were running
on home winning Street. So winning that game, yeah, you
want to win that because that's going to have implications
later on in the season when it comes to seeding
in the playoffs.
Speaker 6 (08:59):
But it is not going to change any thing about
what happened last season.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Well they can't. They can't change it exactly. There's the
whole thing.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
But some fans look at that game and the new
only game like, yeah, you know we're gonna play them
we win, and that would have said, Okay, well the
Broncos should have gone to the Super Bowl to play
the Seattle Seahawks. No, when it mattered the most, you
didn't win. So even if you beat both of those
teams this year, it's not going to change anything. These
wins were just kind of fit in a category for
doves as far as twenty twenty six season, and hopefully
(09:26):
winning those games put the Broncos in a situation where
now they can host a home playoff game here like they.
Speaker 6 (09:32):
Did in twenty twelve.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Gets the goal.
Speaker 7 (09:33):
But I don't think you want to start the season
with the reminder of a team that beat you last year.
I don't think psychologically you want to be in the
place where you got beat by them twice, you know,
especially at the start of a season.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
I don't know. I think they're smart enough. I think
Sean Payton's staff and players understand that no matter what happens,
it doesn't change anything from last year. But I think
most guys will carry what happened last year with them
as they prepare for the same team PLA in the
same venue.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
I think that will be and it's the home opener.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
There's always a little more excitement, no matter if it's
the home openers on week one or in this case,
on week two. That I mean in power Field of
mal High when Jacksonville rolls in here in September twentieth
is going to be rocking that.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
It is a real quick note here.
Speaker 7 (10:19):
The Jags will be coming off a home game against Cleveland,
and they'll have one extra day.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
The Broncos are on Monday Night football against Kansas City.
Speaker 7 (10:26):
The Jaguars are playing at one in the after noons,
so they're going to have an extra day of rest
coming out here and what figures to have been an
easier game in Week one against Cleveland, whereas the Broncos
will be against the Chiefs.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
All right, Week three for the Broncos, that'll be a
Sunday game September twenty seventh.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Second consecutive home.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Game for Denver is they will play a team that
a lot of people and I would I would tend
to say this is the team I would pick to
come out of the NFC. At least right now. We're
talking about making a pick in May. But the La
Rams come to Denver and in Power field of mal
High for a Sunday night game against the Broncos. That'll
be a six to twenty Sunday night kick, another primetime game.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
That's two out of the first three. And I agree
with you, Dave. The Rams to me are the team
to beat in the NFC this year, which they have
been in the past couple of years.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
And a brutal start for the schedule.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
This this Broncos team about a month in is going
to know a lot of ourselves who they are. And
these are statement games. These are statement games going in
like the Broncos hoping to bounce back this year and
actually make it to the Super Bowl. You got to
beat the good teams to do that. And the problem
(11:42):
with what Sean Payton is he's been a slow starter,
especially here with the Denver Broncos, but really pretty much
throughout his career.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Now.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
I don't know if that's a trend, Dave, you being
a coach, is that a trend that can really hang
on him like he's a slow starter for a reason,
or is it just circumstance or maybe who you're playing
you know from year to year, But it's certainly something
that he has on his record he's a slow starter,
(12:09):
but then he just picks it up and he's like
a runaway train through October in November. So you get
off to a good start this year against these good teams.
This this schedule really lightens up later. Yeah, I honestly
don't know. I mean, you think about his offense as complex.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
It's very worthy, but he had a guy that was
one of the great processors we've had in our game,
and Drew Brees. So I mean, I think I think
Sean his career in September is thirty and thirty. Maybe
it takes maybe it takes a little bit even for
veteran players to get completely acclimated to what he's trying
to do.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
I think he's fifty two and seventeen in October. So
whatever whatever it is, would they like to start fast?
For sure? This is a schedule that will require you
to be playing really good football, to not get games away,
to have your guys healthy and have your guys playing
at their best, and schematically new offensive coordinator in Davis
(13:08):
Web I mean, all you know, there's gonna be a
lot of familiar faces, but they're also I think significant
changes for the Broncos going into this season, from week.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Two to week six, the Broncos, to me, that's the
toughest part of their schedule to start. And if the
Broncos have aspirations, which I know they do, of not
only getting to the super Bowl but winning the Super Bowl,
that AFC West is the division you're gonna have to
go through because the forty nine are always tough. Seattle's
(13:39):
always tough. And more importantly, the Rams last season they
were by far the favors. Even though they didn't get there,
they really competed and their coach really well. And here's
the other thing, you know, looking at those games, I
think between week three and a week six you get
a chance to face the AFC West teams and guess what,
they all run the same dorm C West. Yeah, excuse me,
(14:03):
they run his same offense. So if you advance Joseph,
it gives your players somewhat of an advantage because you
will have seen and practice and you would have watched
film on a similar offense.
Speaker 7 (14:14):
One break for the Broncos and getting the Rams this early,
the Rams might be a tired football team by week three.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
They're going to play in Australia to open.
Speaker 7 (14:20):
The season, and they got a Monday night football game
in week two, and then they're coming to day short.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Just how the.
Speaker 7 (14:25):
Broncos get shorted on Monday Night football. Now the Rams
will be short of today coming here into Denver in
week three.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
So the first three games of the year Monday night
the opener.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
At Kansas City against the Chiefs, then back for two
home games. Sunday, September twentieth, Jacksonville rolls into town, followed
by a Sunday night game here in Denver at Empower
Field at Male High against the Los Angeles Rams. Those
are the first three games of the twenty twenty sixth season.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Game four Sunday, October fourth.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
October fourth, that is a road game against the San
Francisco forty nine Ers at Levi Stadium, a one to
twenty five. I've Pacific daylight time kick. So you've got
two consecutive ro games in San Francisco and in Los
Angeles against the Chargers. We start, we start with the
forty nine ers. I was talking a lot about the Rams, listen.
(15:15):
I think the forty nine ers feel real good about
themselves this year as well, in terms of competing for
the NFC.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Especially with the addition of Mike Evans. I said, you
want to say about Mike Evans being somewhat of an
older receiver, but I will look at Mike Evans based
on his skill set similar to Courland Sutton here, meaning
that when you talk about the fifty to fifty balls
being able to go and take those away, Mike Evans
is great at being able to do that.
Speaker 6 (15:41):
And here's the other thing.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Having CMC as you're running back and knowing Kyle Shanahan
in the play action game, that's going to open up
so much outside the numbers in the middle of the field.
So San Francisco they're still a deadly team, even though
we've seen them push teams to the brink. We've seen
them kind of urge in the playoffs, even though they've
struggled early on with injuries. But this is a team
(16:04):
that is still a scary team, whether it's late in the.
Speaker 6 (16:07):
Season or early in the season.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
And to your point about the NFC West basically playing
at the Shanahan offense, that I think factors into this.
Now you're playing two teams back to back playing a
similar offense with the Rams and the forty nine ers.
Later you'll get to the rest of the Cardinals and
the the who am I miss? Yes, right, So I
(16:30):
think that does help the Broncos in this case. And
the forty nine ers are going to be a hungry
team this year. Forty nine Ers, they're a Super Bowl
contender in my opinion, and they've come up short in
the Kyle Shanahan years. So this is their turnaround season
the way they're looking at this, and if they got
a healthy brock perty, they're certainly going to be in
(16:52):
the mix. I would say that people in San Francisco
there and are there are fans that have talked about
you know, Kyle's not the guy and he's had his opportunity. Listen,
this team has been in the NFC Championship Game, I
believe four of the last six seasons. I mean they've
been in the NFC Championship Game four out of six.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
They won two of those four.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
They got beat in Philly and they got beat the
Rams beat them as well.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
But this is a very good.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Football team, really well coached and on the road. I
think San Francisco is a tough matchup for the Broncos
that Sunday, October fourth, the second of two road games
in succession. October eleventh, the Broncos have their second stint
against the AFC West as they will travel to Sofi
(17:42):
Stadium on the eleventh play the La Chargers. That'll be
a one oh five Pacific daylight time kick and an opportunity.
When you think about Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers and
been we were talking earlier, it's like every single year
you hear about this is this is the Chargers year.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
This is the Charger.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
They've gone out, They've solidified the offensive line. They hired
from Miami, Mike Mike McDaniel to coordinate the run game.
I think he's he's terrific at that at that But
but the Broncos, I mean Broncos have played the Chargers
really well since Jim Harbaugh got there, right They got
(18:21):
beat last year at so Fine, a game that they
were right there in the second half, but but a
game that you know, you've got to try to find
a way to win.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Most obviously they do.
Speaker 7 (18:31):
Honestly, John Jim Harra excuse me, has been Sean payton'skryptonite
over the years. Sean Payton only has one win against
Harball in his career against the starting quarterback. The Broncos
Beatray Lance last year, remember in the victory over the Chargers,
and that's this is one you know, I hear that
stuff about the charge over year. This is the year
I'm actually fine finally buying the Chargers. That offensive line
looks looks looks good. You got Mike McDaniel there, You've
(18:53):
got Adam Gase in there as well. The one, my
one concern is what is that defense without Jesse Minter
running the defense now for the Chargers. And this will
be a test because I think the Chargers the team
to beat in the West besides the Broncos, not necessarily
the Chiefs.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
You know what, I agree with you because last year
their offensive line were.
Speaker 6 (19:10):
Beat the shreds.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
They gave up sixty sacks last year and they were
three games away from matching the Denver Broncos with their record,
And you got to think about that. That's a team
that was beat up offensively and Justin Herberts suffered so
many sacks. But guess what, they were three games away.
Like Broncos are fourteen and three, they were eleven and six.
(19:32):
So you add Mike McDaniel. I know most people may think,
well that really doesn't mean anything. How could one offensive
coach change the mindset of an entire team.
Speaker 6 (19:41):
We know coach Harbard wants to run the ball.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
We know he wants to be physically in a run
game based on what he did when he was in
San Francisco and even when he was the head coach
of the Michigan Wolf Rings.
Speaker 6 (19:51):
But now you toss Mike mcdames in the mix.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
You have Keithan Mitchell who's comes over from Baltimore, and
you have Amar and Hampton, so this offense is going
to be wide. And they add in David and Joku,
and they have Rende Gas and you know, one of
Ben's favorite at the.
Speaker 6 (20:05):
Tight end positions.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
So this is not going to be a pushover for
the Denver Broncos on anyone in the NFC West.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Yeah, Mike McDaniels to me, is a great addition to
that coaching staff and should make a difference on the
offensive side of the ball.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
And I believe too, this is the Chargers year.
Speaker 4 (20:21):
I believe the Chargers are second in the AFC West
with the Broncos with a slight lead at that point.
And they do scare me a bit, and weird things
seem to happen. When the Broncos played the Chargers last
two years in LA. They certainly Yeah, So that's what
I'm looking at here. This game will be in LA
(20:41):
and so you never know how the ball is going
to bounce there when you play the Chargers, but they're
going to be a formidable team.
Speaker 7 (20:46):
It's gonna be interesting. Like I said, that defense with
chryst O'Leary run the defense. This is his first time
in the NFL call it a defense. He did it
a little bit. He did for one season at Western Michigan.
That's the only time he's been a play caller defensive
coordinator in his career.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
We are through the first five games of the season.
The Broncos in Kansas City week won two home games,
coming up Jacksonville at in power Field of Mile High.
The Rams come into town September twenty seventh, That's a
Sunday night matchup. Then two consecutive road games Sunday, October
fourth in San Francisco to face the Kyle Shanahan led
forty nine ers, and then October eleventh on the road
(21:21):
again at SOFI Stadium in Los Angeles, a road game
against Jim.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Harbaugh and the LA Chargers. It is six twenty five.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
By the way, we're going to let some lucky soul
wint a pair of tickets to a twenty twenty six,
twenty twenty six Broncos home game of your choice. Will
tell you how that will happen when we come back.
You're listening to the KAA Broncos schedule release special right
here in the KA Broncos Radio Network. We have worked
our way through the first five games of the season.
(21:49):
Sixth game of the season, another primetime special. It's a
Thursday night matchup on the fifteenth of October as the
world champion Seattle Seahawks rolling the town to Power Field
at Male High six fifteen Mountain Time kick the Broncos
and the Seahawks. I mean, obviously, yeah, I'm not sure
they'll play a better defense than what Seattle has. You
(22:11):
wonder a little bit now with a change of offensive
coordinators and Kubiak becoming Clint Kubiak becoming the head coach
with the Raiders, you wonder what that offense will look like.
But it's you know, I can't imagine that they would
change a lot.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Because it was highly successful.
Speaker 7 (22:29):
Yeah, I guess you gotta turn your microphone on to
be a professional on this in histry. Yeah, this is
the biggest imprint on Michael McDonald has had since the
eighties when he was the backing vocal on every yacht
rock song out there. But yeah, the Seahawks defense is legitimate.
The question is going to be can Sam Donald replicate it?
Speaker 6 (22:44):
It could?
Speaker 7 (22:44):
You know without Kubiak there, can Sam Donald replicate it?
That's the only question I really have at the Seahawks.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
This is tough coming off a road game against the Chargers,
short week and a short week on a Thursday night.
I would have preferred to play the Seahawks on a
full week, but it'll be a great test against the
best in the NFC.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Yeah, that's gonna be an interesting game for the Denver
Broncos because, yeah, I mean, you guys said the right thing.
It's a short week and that's going to be a
physical game against the division rival with the Chargers. So
we would have to look to see what which guys
are healthy, which guys are beat up because on those
short weeks. I mean, it helps because the Broncos are home,
they don't have to travel, but still, I mean, every
(23:26):
guy likes to go through his own routine.
Speaker 6 (23:28):
But being as though your body is sowing, Dave, you.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
Know this, it's hard to get up for some of
those physical games because you know, even though Clint Kobiak
is no longer calling plays for the Seattle Seahawks, they
still are going to run the ball, and they're gonna
run the ball well because everything that Sam Donald wants.
Speaker 6 (23:45):
To do is built off of play action.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
So linebackers safety, bow your neck, earn your check.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
No question about that.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
We move on Sunday, October twenty fifth, the Broncos back
in the road, although the trip will be a short one,
and they go to State Farm Stadium in Glendelle, Arizona,
and face the Arizona Cardinals.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
One oh five Mountain standard time. That that one five?
Speaker 7 (24:14):
Why she says one, that'll be West coast, Then that'd
be one places a four or five Eastern kick.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Oh it is okay, So that must.
Speaker 7 (24:21):
They must be on because Arizona has that weird times
on stuff, so they don't chang the Yeah, they must
be on. Yeah, So it's a two of five Denver
five Denver kick.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
That's a game that you would think, at least on paper,
the Broncos have to find a way to win.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
And as we talked about earlier, who's going to be
playing quarterback for the Cardinal.
Speaker 7 (24:37):
Yeah, it's the two versette they are right now. Brissette
is pencil to be the starter, but I mean, you know,
give that time. I think ardments she's a better quarterback
of the two verse one, one and eleven as a
starter last year, they the Arizona Cardinals are not really
ready to compete.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
I don't think.
Speaker 7 (24:54):
I mean this team they went, I got your my
love with a third overall pick. Okay, you finally got that.
You added Tyler lgi Er, So they got a one
two punch for the Florist run game. But I don't
think they have the quarterback. I think they've got one receiver.
You know this is and the defense left over from
the Gannon era. They still need some more talent added
to it.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Second of the two matchups next year or this upcoming season,
against the Kansas City Chiefs, will take place on Sunday,
November first. That's when Kansas City plays an empower field
at Mile High two twenty five kickoff here in Denver.
So so both games with the Chiefs out of the
way by November first good or not good?
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Oh, that's great? I love it.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Yes, once again, the reason why it's great is because
you get them earlier, you get them at home, you
get the first win in the NFC West, and then
you pretty much get the second win in the fcs
FC West against the Kansasy the Chiefs at home. So now,
like you said, now you got those guys out of
the way, you only have the team you need to
worry about in the West. But there would be the charges.
(25:52):
So it's great that things set up this way. And
also that is the game that I had paid where
you would get Mahomes back. But obviously he's probably going
to play in preseason, he's probably.
Speaker 6 (26:02):
Not going to play up to this point.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
So like Rick said earlier, he's probably going to come
into this game a little russ.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
I feel like Mahomes has a chance of playing week one.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
They think he's coming back week one.
Speaker 7 (26:11):
I don't know that I'm buying it, but they're absolutely
trying to sell it is different than.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
Just putting on a uniform and walking out there.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
I don't think the NFL would have put made that
first game of the season for the Chiefs and Broncos
if they didn't think Mahomes was going to be I
think the.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
NFL obviously is hopeful that he plays, but you never know.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
I sort of sided with Nick on this one.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
I mean that that's a I mean, it would be
all it would be nine months almost to the day.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Has that happened. It has acl.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
He also had another ligament that was repaired in that knee.
But I mean, you know, with what they do now
and the medical marvels that we have in terms of
how how team doctors can address these issues, would have
surprised me. It might surprise me, but I wouldn't be
shocked if he played Wolverine Blood. I think he's I
think he's got whatever whatever we're looking for.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
I think he's got some of it.
Speaker 7 (27:04):
Interesting scheduling quirk, by the way, the Kansas City Chiefs
bye week is week five this year.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
Say that again. Kansas City Chiefs by week is week
five this year.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
That'll be about when Mahomes gets back. Hey, seventeen game
schedule is out. That's what we're talking about here. I'll
tell you what the seventeenth caller right now three O
three seven one three eight five eighty five. You're gonna
win a pair of tickets to a Broncos home game
this year, and it's a home game of your choice,
(27:36):
so you can pick any of the games at home
at a powerfield at mile high. Seventeenth caller three A
three seven, one three eight five eighty five. Before we
check traffic, we continue uh. The next game for the
Broncos after that home game against the Chiefs will be
a Sunday game on the road. They seed an improved team,
a team that made the playoffs last year, and a
(27:57):
team at home in Carolina that really gave the Ram
all they could handle. It'll be at the Bank of
America Stadium, one pm Eastern Standard kick with the Broncos
on the road facing the Carolina Papers.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
I will see that as a cake walk.
Speaker 4 (28:10):
I feel like Carolina is a sending team in the league,
and going across a couple of time zones to play
an early game on the East Coast never a good thing.
I think that's gonna be tougher than most people think.
Speaker 7 (28:25):
I don't like the times on travel thing. Broncos a
historically struggle with that. But I'm not sure I'm buying
the Carolina roster just because they.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Play the Rams tough.
Speaker 6 (28:32):
You know.
Speaker 7 (28:33):
Obviously Dad Canal has got a chance to see the
Rams a lot when he was an assistant in Seattle,
and it's very familiar with that Bryce Young From one
week to the next, I don't really know. There are
moments where you see flashes you're like this kid could
be something, yeah, and then you turn around You're like,
put Andy Dalton in there because this is terrible. So
you know at this point, which Dalton isn't there anymore.
It's Canny Pickett. But yeah, at this point, I don't know.
(28:53):
I'll have to see Carolina to believe it. That's right there.
After November eighth, the Broncos have their bi week. I
think Fellaws that is uh what is that?
Speaker 1 (29:02):
One, two, three, four five? Second week ten? I think
that's pretty good, pretty good seek for your bye week,
don't you, sweet spot? I love that.
Speaker 7 (29:09):
One of the first things when I when I got
the scheduled in the group, the first things I was
talking about was.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Hey, this is this you want the buy week between
week ten and twelve, right, you know, it's.
Speaker 7 (29:17):
Just on the back half of the season, a little
bit enough to get that middle of the season recharge.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Get healthy.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
So the bye week weekend for the Broncos the weekend
of November fifteenth. Then the Broncos back at it November
twenty second. That's a Sunday game at home and a
power field of mile high against the Las Vegas Raiders
two twenty five Mountain standard time kick. By then, you
would think, and that's the first of two games obviously
(29:41):
against the Raiders. I think the Raiders will be an
improved team, but by then they might have figured out
that maybe they haven't improved to the level that they
thought they might.
Speaker 7 (29:52):
Might actually have Mendoza at this point, I don't think
he's going to start the season.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
I think will start to either start the season four So,
but we.
Speaker 7 (29:58):
Might actually get a treat it to see the rookie
quarterback and let this vaunted Broncos defense te off on
that rookie and welcome to the NFL?
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Is it me to say that the Broncs got by
week and week ten, they play the Raiders after that,
then they play Pittsburgh on a short week. What that
count is two by weeks playing against the Raiders before
you play Pittsburgh?
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Wow?
Speaker 6 (30:18):
Am I being a little to muss?
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Yeah, well you're sitting in the little bitty chair. We
go until we check traffic. Nick alluded to the fact
that the Broncos next game, it's gonna be a short week.
They're gonna play on Black Friday, day after Thanksgiving, so
that would be November twenty seventh. They travel to Pittsburgh
to face the Steelers. That'll be a three pm Eastern
(30:41):
Standard time on Black Friday.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
On a short week.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
And Dave, you know better than anybody how tough it
is to play in Pittsburgh. That's a very tough place
to play, especially in late November. You don't know what
kind of weather you're gonna get there. I think that's
a tough turnaround. Yeah, I do too.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
We've got six games left, starting with the contest on Sunday,
December sixth, That is a home game against the Miami
Dolphins two to zero five Mountain Standard time kick in Miami.
Would be a team that you think this year, with
all the changes, including the coaching staff, that would be
a different looking football team.
Speaker 7 (31:17):
Yeah, I don't think they expect to compete. Nick was
talking about free by weeks. This might be another one
in the middle of the season.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
I'm looking forward at this game because I want to
see how I the Sean Payton or Davis Webb set
up the revenge game for Jana Lotter against this former team.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
All right, next game Sunday, December thirteenth. So the next week,
the Broncos on the road at MetLife Stadium, facing the
New York Jets again, another team that I would think.
I think they'll be better than they have been because
they have been awful. But I don't know that the
Jets are going to be a playoff contending team, especially
in the middle of December.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Yeah, and to next point looks like another so called
bye week.
Speaker 4 (31:57):
This is a really easy stretch here with thes and
then it gets much tougher the last three weeks.
Speaker 7 (32:03):
Yeah, who knows it'll be a quarterback for the Jets.
You know Smith they signed, But I mean at that
point in the season, you could be trying on I
Kdklubnick or Brady Cook to see what.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
They've got from Clemson, right, yeah, just to see if
they've got something.
Speaker 7 (32:14):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Next game we have we have four games left.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Sunday, excuse me, Yeah, Sunday, December twentieth, the Broncos will
be on the road in Las Vegas, at Elchies Stadium
a one twenty five Pacific Standard time kick to face
the Las Vegas Raiders. So they play the Raiders two
times in a five week span.
Speaker 7 (32:33):
Yeah, and again, I think this is gonna be Mendoza
time at this point. I feel like that, you know,
this defense should be able to handle a rookie quarterback
if this team is healthy and they get through this
stretch of I don't want to call them easy games,
but we all know what I'm talking about here. If
if it teams healthy, this is the opportunity to cash
and bank some wins as it gets closer to Christmas
and gets tougher.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
Yeah, I agree five weeks stretch that Ben was alluding to.
You play Las Vegas twice, you play the Dolphins, you
travel to New York to face the Jets, and travel
two Pitburg to face the Steelers. I'm not sure what
you're going to get in Pittsburgh. You may get a
really competitive team. I'm assuming Aaron Rodgers is going to
go back and play quarterback for him.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
See, this is what I call the chrisopergh Cross portion
of the Broncos schedule. You know why, Sally, how about
that they're.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
Such a well rounded musical sort. The three games are
going to be really interesting. The Broncos have a Christmas
Day game. Fortunately it is a for us. It is
a home game at in power Field of Mile High.
The Buffalo Bills back in Denver with Josh Allen and
company a two thirty Mountain Standard time on Christmas afternoon.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
Another short week against one of the best teams in
the league.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Doesn't it feel like we play Buffalo every year? Yeah,
it does a lot. It feels like that.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Yeah, played them a lot for sure, and then the
last two games fellas uh, and the dates have not
been decided. We do know the weekends, right, It'll be
a Saturday or Sunday game. On the weekend of January second,
the Broncos traveled to Gillette Stadium face the team they
faced last year in the AFC Championship Game. Here in Denver,
they'll face the New England Patriots. Now, let's briefly talk
(34:15):
about the Patriots. I don't necessarily think the Patriots will
be as good record wise as they were last year either.
Speaker 7 (34:22):
Well, they could have another edition here pretty soon and
a couple of weeks in aj Brown. I think you
know they've had some off field distractions this year with
the coach kind.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
Of an interesting way to put it. That's going to
be interesting.
Speaker 7 (34:34):
By the way, I am told that there was some
speculation out there that if for some reason he were
to resign, that they would pursue my Tomlin. I'm told
that's untrue, and it would be Josh McDaniels if that
were to be the case. So Josh mc daniels would
maybe get his fourth shot at being a head coach.
While if that ends up working out, I think the
Patriots are going to be good.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (34:50):
I just think the Broncos could have beat them in
the NFC Championship game.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
I think they can beat them here too. Yep.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
So finally, before we wrap things up, the last game
of the season, and this one, for obvious reasons, could
mean a lot for both teams. Saturday, the weekend of
I shouldn't say Saturday, either Saturday or Sunday, the weekend
of January ninth, the Broncos final regular season game at
home against the LA Chargers.
Speaker 7 (35:16):
This could be for all the marbles I've said, I
said it again. You know, I've heard all the hype
about the Chargers over the years, this is the year.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
I'm buying it.
Speaker 7 (35:21):
I do believe the Chargers are the biggest threat to
the Broncos in the AFC West. And this game could
be for everything, could be for all the marbles, could
be on a Saturday, could be another standalone game, could
be on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
This this game could have a lot of meaning to it.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
This game will come down to who, at this point
of the season is the healthiest we've seen the Broncos
in twenty twenty five and how that helped them propel
them forward. And Rick, I know you talked about the
Chargers and that's the scary team for the Broncos. If
the Chargers are healthy, that could be I mean a
dagger of a game for the Broncos. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:53):
This could not only be the biggest game of the year,
maybe the best game of the year.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
This could this could determine game everything. Oh, I like it. Yeah,
that's why they put it on the schedule less Nick.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Yeah, So before we go, you guys want to because
I don't think I will, but you feel free to
do so. You want a hazard a guess in terms
of what this record looks like after the Chargers regular
season finale, what are the Broncos. I mean, what's what's
enough wins in the AFC West. We're just having some
fun here in May. To win the West? How many
(36:29):
wins would the Broncos need? I think you need twelve.
Speaker 7 (36:31):
I came away with this schedule with ten, ten and
seven as a wildcard team, and then you know, maybe
you can maybe you can catch up on the playoffs
as far as that goes. I came away with a
ten and seven record a wildcard team. But I think
you need twelve to win the division?
Speaker 2 (36:43):
What are you thinking?
Speaker 3 (36:43):
I would agree with with BAM without without giving any
solid projections, you need twelve.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
I'm gonna say eleven and six.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
You think eleven is six wins the AFC, Well, I
think that'll be the record.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
I don't think it wins to the division though. All Right,
I'm gonna say this.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
I think I think the Broncos will repeat as AFC
West champs.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
I'm not sure. I'm not sure they're gonna.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
Get to fourteen wins with this schedule, But you know what,
Kansas City has got a really difficult scheduled as well,
and they've got some uncertainty in terms of what their
starting quarterback is going to be like physically, I agree
with you guys what you've said about the LA Chargers.
I think they present maybe the biggest obstacle this year.
No disrespect to Kansas city in the West that is
going to do it for the KA Broncos schedule release special,
(37:28):
thanks a lot for being with us. We're gonna have
plenty of time and a lot of fun talking about
Denver Broncos football this year. So long on the KOA
Broncos radio network, that's a differ.
Speaker 7 (37:38):
Just Child
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