06-17-25 Hour 1 of Broncos Country Tonight

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Runners will go three to two. Pitches popped in the
air and left Sam Hilliard underneath it. He's got it,
and the Rockies make it three in a row on
the road in a wild game here in Washington, they
beat the Nationals ten to six.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Broncos Country tonight, Benzman al Bright here with you, grat
Smith as well, and call it www.

Speaker 3 (00:26):
We can restore the website.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
The Rockies three in a row twice, They've done that
in their last fourteen games.

Speaker 3 (00:33):
Don't look now, they've won seven last fourteen. We're good.
We're playing five hundred ball. We're gonna hit that over
this year.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
But we are only twenty wins away from being second
to last in the division. Oh wait, well, when you
look at it that way, that's way way worse.

Speaker 3 (00:53):
Oh but hey, I mean, you know four of your
last six, that's that's not bad. The Rockies are. Uh.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
They've scored quite a few runs in this series, twenty
six runs so far through three games with the Braves
the Nationals twice, allowing only eleven in that span.

Speaker 3 (01:11):
Over the three game win streak here, the.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
Rockies have suddenly suddenly started picking it up a little bit.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
I talked about this.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Gosh a while back where teams that are historically epically
bad tend to start getting better run than thirty to
forty game mark, I just took.

Speaker 4 (01:27):
The Rockies a little bit longer, just a couple of games.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
You just did a seventieth game before they finally started
viting the stride.

Speaker 3 (01:34):
Seven home runs tonight, seven home runs? What an onslaught? Yeah?
Hunter Goodman put him in the All Star Game. Oh absolutely,
he's absolutely urt his birth.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
We're gonna call the Rockies Kelly Kapowski because they were
knocking it out all night.

Speaker 3 (01:49):
There you go, Brian, I got your saved by the
Bell reference in there. You still love that show.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
We got a lot going on, but yeah, Rockies putting
away the Washington Nationals ten six h seven home runs
two by Miguel Tolio. Uh, just coming back from that
triple A ball stit. It looks like he's got his
confidence back. He's back above two hundred hit two O
five and he's he had two home runs tonight. Astrada
had a homer, a Man had a homer, Goodman had

(02:17):
another homer, Montiac had a home run, Hilliard had a
home run, and they were they were tearing the cover
off the ball tonight as the Rockies make it three
in a row, got one more against the Washington Nationals
tomorrow and that will that will round out that four
game trip with them. Now what it was a makeup game,

(02:40):
I believe, I believe when he's a makeup game from
a game it was rained out previously. So but as
we UH sit here, we continue to see the Rockies
playing decent baseball.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
That's got to be exciting. Got a Stanley cuff going on.

Speaker 2 (02:59):
Florida up three nothing on Edmonton in the third period
in that one. We saw the thunder last night one
twenty one oh nine over the Pacers. I'm right where
the Pacers got it right where they want them right
right at elimination point.

Speaker 3 (03:15):
Other than the Tyres Halliburn injury.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
Yeah, that's and I think that could be the end
of the series, probably going to UH sink them.

Speaker 3 (03:24):
But that was it was. It was a fun game.
It's just the UH and.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
The Pacers furiously battled back.

Speaker 3 (03:30):
TJ McConnell man.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, to have all people. They got the win two
in the fourth quarter and then the wheels just just
sort of came off.

Speaker 4 (03:40):
That's about the thunderdo though, they just they go on
these spurts where they go on like eleven nothing, fourteen
to two run and you look up and you're like, damn,
this game is over.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
Yeah, when you were just right in it. We were
just right in it.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
Jaylen Williams with forty last night, Shy Gildess, Alexander thirty one,
Aaron Wigans fourteen, Kys Wallace eleven off the bench. They
played a shorter, shorter bench last night. We played nine
players last night. Which is interesting is the Thunder typically
play a much deeper bench than that.

Speaker 3 (04:12):
The Pacers played a deeper bench.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
Of course, some of those were getting Johnny Furfey and
Tom's Bryant off of the bench, but the Pacers went
twelve deep last night. McConnell, who Grant just referenced eighteen
points off the bench in twenty two minutes.

Speaker 3 (04:26):
That's getting the job done.

Speaker 4 (04:27):
He was doing everything, drawing charges.

Speaker 3 (04:31):
I just love the way he plays. Dave Logan had
a great reference earlier.

Speaker 4 (04:35):
He's like he has the perfect old man at the
YMCN game.

Speaker 3 (04:38):
That's what he is.

Speaker 5 (04:39):
He said, old dude at the Why And it's just
like you're like, how, how how is that guy doing
that Haliburton and them Hard were non factors last night,
combining for eleven points.

Speaker 6 (04:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (04:52):
Haliburton didn't even make a shot from the field. Yeah,
oh turned down a couple oh for six.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
In the field, over four from three, hit all four
of his free throws for the only points that he scored.
Dem Hard three of eight from the field, ow for
two from downtown. But both those guys non factors. You
need more from them out of that. Seakam with twenty
eight points. It didn't feel like twenty eight points, but
he had twenty eight points, fourteen for Aaron E.

Speaker 3 (05:12):
Smith and Miles Turner with thirteen.

Speaker 4 (05:15):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (05:16):
The big thing with with Siaka was the turnovers. Man, Like,
the Pacers have this this passing game that looks out
of control at times, and it just looked like that,
uh that you know, Okay, see just just kept cutting
the passing lanes and turning them over. And that's that's
how they they won, that's how they continue to win.
Twenty two twenty two turnovers for the Pacers, only eleven

(05:36):
for the Thunder last night. When we come back, we're
gonna talk with Chris Thomason, get.

Speaker 3 (05:40):
A chance to talk about it. Bit the Broncos in
the direction they're headed. Guess, listen to Broncos Country to
Night right here on Kawa five six six nine zero
is the text line.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
You guys want to get involved in conversation, we go
right out to the kwait comes for the hotline, No,
and bring on our guy who covers the Broncos the
denver Is that Chris thomasin Chris, How you doing this evening?

Speaker 3 (05:59):
Hey do well?

Speaker 6 (06:00):
Thanks havving me on there.

Speaker 2 (06:02):
Absolutely sir, Bronco's making a signing here today getting a corner.
Mario Goodrich from the UFL's Birmingham Stallions look double dipping,
I guess is the coming back to the well where
they got Andrea Tillman previously.

Speaker 6 (06:17):
Yeah, you know, I was looking up Mario good Rich
a little bit. He got into four games two years
ago twenty twenty three with Philadelphia, actually started a game
that season. It was early in the season again the Rams,
and then they moved him down to the practice squad.
But yeah, seems like a reasonable guy to take a

(06:39):
look at. Yeah, you mentioned Andre Tillman. They got him
out of the UFL Birmingham last year and he responded
with five sacks as a rookie and looked darn good.
So obviously their hoping history will repeat itself.

Speaker 2 (06:52):
We'll start with that edge rush position we just talked
about Tillman. From what I understand, I mean, obviously Jonathan
Cooper and Nick Benito will be starting, barring any injuries.
But from what I understand, this is supposed to be
a big time Jonah Ellis gets big into the rotation
this year. They've got high, high hopes and big plans
for him. What are you hearing on that front?

Speaker 6 (07:11):
Yeah, they definitely do. And it was kind of interesting
that Sean Payton, when asked about Nick Benito last week,
talked about cutting his snapcounts. I mean, here, the guy that's,
you know, hoping to sign a twenty million dollar plus contract,
you're talking about cutting his snapcounts, you know. So I'm
wondering if part of that has to do with getting

(07:34):
some morse snaps for Jonah Alice. And then also we
mentioned Tailman as well, And I kind of broke down
the numbers last week. Benito, you know, played less snaps
than Jonathan Cooper. I think Jonathan Cooper played about seventy
one percent of the defensive snaps and Benita was at

(07:55):
about sixty one point nine or so. He was sixty
three percent. That when you just take into account, is
fifteen starts. So that's kind of interesting that Benito's not
the outside linebacker plays the most snaps, and now you're
talking about maybe reducing them.

Speaker 2 (08:12):
Well, it certainly gives you contract negotiation leverage. Big Vanido's
got a big payday sitting.

Speaker 3 (08:18):
There on deck. Well, we want to play you less,
so we want to pay you less.

Speaker 6 (08:21):
Right, Yeah, you're obviously right, And I mean I think
it comes down to you. I mean, Cooper is better
against the run than Benito is. That's probably why he
certainly played more snaps last year. But it's going to
be interesting to see what happens.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
It is and in that linebacking corps, I think the
most interesting portion may not be the edge guys, might
be the inside. Bringing in free agent Ry green Law
from San Francisco. He tweaked or reaggravated an injury. He'll
be ready to go by training camp. But the coming
back off injury, Alex Singleton, of course, coming back off injury.
Behind them, you got Justice Turnat, who of course was injured.

(08:57):
Drew Sanders, who hasn't really taken a grasp of the
the position. Fully, that inside back or position to me
looks like the only giant, glaring question mark in this defense.

Speaker 6 (09:07):
Yeah, you're absolutely right. You got two guys, you know,
as you noted, both coming back from injury, Alex Singleton
from the ACL and Drake Lee Greenlaw and Peyton. Last
week was talking up a couple of guys you just
touched upon Sanders and stern Ads, so you know they're
paying attention to those depths guys. They got Leavel Bailey

(09:30):
as well. And you know in case, I mean, green
Law has been injury prone the last couple of years.
Singleton left to see how he responds after the ACL.
So it's going to be interesting looking at the depth
there at a position where traditionally you like to have
two guys and maybe they play all the snaps in
a game.

Speaker 2 (09:50):
Yeah, and I think that's I think that's going to
be interesting. Again, it's one of those things where you've
got a lot of money tied up in that position too,
with the long term outlawk cues if Sternad or Sanders
can't ultimately step into a higher rotation in that role.

Speaker 3 (10:04):
One guy.

Speaker 2 (10:06):
You know, we just got through with mini camp and
one guy that really stood out was Kean Robinson. You
know a guy that I think when he was drafted
fourth router, everybody was looking at this and saying.

Speaker 3 (10:15):
Okay, it's a special teams guy. Just doesn't have a
lot of reps on the field.

Speaker 2 (10:19):
But man, it was just shorts and helmets, but he's
got some athleticism.

Speaker 3 (10:23):
He was flying around out there.

Speaker 6 (10:25):
Yeah, you're right. I mean you look at all their
outside linebackers that they have, and they got a heck
of a lot of depth there. They also got, you know,
Johnny Walker out of Missouri, they who at nine and
a half sacks for them last year, and they're intrigued
with him as an undrafted free agent. So there's a

(10:46):
lot of guys on the edge, and yeah, ke Robinson
is definitely going to be a guy I would think
at this stage is who's going to be active for
games the way he can play on special teams, and hey,
if he's active and you want to throw him in there,
what the heck, We'll see what happens.

Speaker 2 (11:01):
Talking with Chris Thomason covers Broncos with the Denver Gazette,
that secondary looks pretty lethal. Man, we saw sir Tain,
we saw what Riley Moss, those guys could do. Last year,
I thought Brandon Jones was kind of a revelation, a
guy that made this fan base forget about an old
time favorite, and Justin Simmons, and then you've added Hufanga
to that in Barron as well.

Speaker 6 (11:21):
Yeah, I mean Brandon Jones. You know, if you take
stock into Pro Football Focus rankings, he was thirt in
the entire NFL last year and he talked last week
in mini caamp that he feels even more comfortable now
enter in year two with the Broncos. So they definitely
have a good safety combo there and you still have

(11:43):
you know, if one of those guys is injured, Whufonga
or Jones, you still have PJ. Locke in the fold.
So it's good depths at safety because you know, last
couple of years when they've had injury at safety and
they've got to bring in somebody like a Delaire in Turner, Yell,
Devin Key, you know, there's been a big drop off,
so there might be less of a drop off if

(12:05):
they do have injuries.

Speaker 2 (12:06):
Talking with Chris Thomason from the Gazette, you know everybody
wants to talk about the offense, though. They want to
talk about bow Knicks and what to expect in a
year two of bow Knicks, And I mean, I'm I'm
with them on that. I do obviously want to see
what it is that he brings to the table in
year two. I think the big concern is, you know,
is there that sophomore slump? Does he take a bit

(12:27):
of a of a step back as it were? We
saw that with CJ. Stroud last year with the Easton Texas. Now,
a lot of that was their offensive coordinator not changing
anything up at the blocking scheme and getting figured out,
but there tends to be a bit of a sophomore
slump as quarterbacks, rookie quarterbacks, the defensive cooridators round the
league get it a whole off season and a year's

(12:47):
worth of tape to study and start to start to
figure that out. Do we think that bow could have
any any stumble out of the gate here?

Speaker 6 (12:55):
Well, I mean there have been sophomore slumps for sure,
But I mean, I think you have to look at
the fact that bo Nicks got better, appreciably better as
the year went on, and teams were certainly studying plenty
of tape as the season went along, and he was
still getting better. So you got to look at that,
and then you also got to look at if his

(13:17):
running attack is better, and that'll probably lead into a
future question. I mean, they drafted RJ. Harvey, they got JK. Dobbins.
You remember last year, I mean some of those rushing
games that Javonte Williams had where he couldn't even gain
ten yards in a game. At times, sometimes he was
in the negative for the game. So the improved rushing

(13:39):
attack I think also will help bo Nix.

Speaker 3 (13:41):
Well, that's where I was going with the next question.

Speaker 2 (13:43):
You know, last year we saw both through five hundred
and sixty seven passes on the season. This could be
a situation or a season where maybe he doesn't throw
as many passes or have as many passing attempts due
to that one two punch, but still come out maybe
hopefully being more success overall due to this reinvigorated run game.

Speaker 6 (14:03):
Yeah, I mean, I think a lot of people thought
the running game was looking pretty good before Dobbins entered
the pitcher. Now they've brought him into the fold and
it's looking pretty good. I mean, now they got four backs,
and you're wondering who's going to possibly not make it.
You're wondering if Julia McLoughlin, Audric Estime one of them
becomes trade bait at the end of training camp. But

(14:27):
obviously they want to see what happens. I mean, Peyton
last week kind of scolded the media for speculating, like
we're not allowed to speculate, and I mean they have
to obviously see how Dobbins' health holds up.

Speaker 2 (14:43):
I mean, he.

Speaker 6 (14:44):
Bounced back last year with the Chargers, but he had
a three year stretch with the Ravens where he got
into nine games in three years suffering torn acl torn achilles,
So they're going to have to obviously see how he
holds up.

Speaker 2 (15:00):
Talking with Chris Thomason from The Gazette, this this schedule
this year that the Broncos plays a little I don't know.
I mean, your first two games Titans and Coltals feel winnable.
But as this thing starts to wear on, you hit
week three, you got you're at the Chargers, Week four,
you at the Bengals, Week five, you're at the Eagles. Uh,
and then you got to fly across the pond to
be at the uh. Uh at the Jets solo, it's

(15:22):
in London. That's a that's a pretty tough little stretch
there to open this thing up. And this is uh,
this is a team that probably needs to bank some
wins early because the back end of this schedule is
pretty tough too.

Speaker 6 (15:33):
Yeah, the schedule is tougher. I mean, uh, Sean Payton
doesn't have the NFC South to beat up on this year,
and you touched upon them going to Philadelphiel They'll go
to Washington. And also it's interesting that they've got a
couple of non traditional third place teams coming in in
Cincinnati and Green Bay. So you're thinking, Nah, a third

(15:55):
place schedule might not be that tough, but it is tough.

Speaker 3 (15:58):
Certainly.

Speaker 4 (15:59):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (15:59):
Certain looks that way.

Speaker 2 (16:00):
As we look at the outlook on this uh, this season,
as we look at you know, preview, I guess the
outlook on this season, where do we where do we
put Sean Payton in the pantheon of Broncos head coaches?

Speaker 3 (16:11):
Because I got to ask that question today.

Speaker 2 (16:12):
Somebody asked, if you know, if he came in here
and won a couple of Super Bowls, would he be
the best Broncos coach of all time, out pacing Mike Chanhan.
I find that sort of difficult to believe. Although if
he were to win a Super Bowl with the Broncos,
he would accomplish something no other head coach the NFL's
ever done, and win a Super Bowl with two separate franchises.
Where where do we place Sean Payton at this point
in the pantheon of Broncos head coaches.

Speaker 6 (16:33):
Well, I think he's off to a good start simply
from uh, he came in with, you know, the mess
that Nathaniel Hacket had created, So things were looking kind
of bleak before he came in. So you got to
think that helps his cause and his potential legacy if
he has a nice run as well. And then he

(16:53):
was saddled obviously with the Russell Wilson eighty five million
dollar dead cap hit, and that's what the thing. But yeah,
we'll have to see what happens. I mean, if he
can win a Super Bowl in Denver, you know, from
a Broncos standpoint, I don't know if he touches Shanahan,
but I think then he'll be looked at as kind of,
you know, an overall great coach having won Super Bowls

(17:17):
with two different franchises, and that would certainly make him
a Shaerfire Hall of Famer if he's not one already.

Speaker 2 (17:24):
Talking with Chris Thomasin from the Chris, last question from me,
what would you say is the most impactful move the
Broncos have made this offseason?

Speaker 6 (17:34):
Well, I mean, I think you gotta think Evan Ingram
because their tight end situation has just been absolutely brutal
in recent years. I mean, I think last year tight
ends on the team combined for like fifty one catches
for I don't know, three hundred some yards or whatever
it is. I mean, it's been a brutal situation. I

(17:56):
mean Greg Dulcis didn't work out. I mean, trout one
has been steady, but that's not his role as a
big pass catcher. So if Evan Ingram can even somewhat
have the same form as he had with Jacksonville in
twenty twenty three, I think they'll be in pretty good
shape now.

Speaker 3 (18:17):
Chris, I agree.

Speaker 2 (18:19):
I appreciate you as always look forward to hear from
you agin here soon.

Speaker 3 (18:23):
All right, Thank you, Sara, Absolutely take care. Chris Thomason
from the Gazette. Always we'll get a chance to talk
to him, and I agree with him.

Speaker 2 (18:30):
I think, you know, the Ingram thing, even statistically if
he doesn't have his best season, I believe it can
be impactful in what it sets up for everyone else.
Just feels like it opens up the offense more, right, Yeah,
Seoan Payton's offense relies on the tight end to create
spacing for other players, and we've seen that. Now, we've

(18:51):
seen the tight ends be the recipients of some great
seasons too. Seot Payton has had what four all Pro
seasons out of three different tight ends, Jimmy Graham the
probably the most famous of those. But that the offense
requires that, and now you've got the run game, or
you think you've got the run game solved with the

(19:12):
additions of R. J.

Speaker 3 (19:13):
Harvey and JK.

Speaker 2 (19:14):
Dobbins this, you know, I get the excitement that a
lot of fans have about this offense.

Speaker 3 (19:21):
I get it. I understand where that's coming from.

Speaker 2 (19:24):
My big question is, you know, does is bow Knicks
able to stave off the sophomore slob? I mean, Chris
Thomas was right, he did get better every game last season,
But now you've given defensive coordinators eight months and seventeen
games where the pro tape to take a look at
and say, Okay, what.

Speaker 3 (19:43):
Does he do well? What does he not do well?

Speaker 2 (19:45):
How can we force him to continue to do the
things he doesn't do well and go from there.

Speaker 4 (19:49):
Yeah, and you just hope that Sean Payton stays committed
to the run game when it's not working early in
games this year and help bo Nicks, you know, because
nothing helps the quarterback more than a good run game
and a good defense. And we already know we got
a good defense.

Speaker 2 (20:04):
Yeah, that's the bane of mine and Nick Ferguson's existence
is watching watching Sean Payton get away from the run
game and then you know, to go to the pass
happy stuff. He's even got the you know, stick with
the run written on the waffle house out there. It
just you know, turns that thing over the other side
so he doesn't see it.

Speaker 4 (20:21):
But I will say I was impressed with the evolution
of the screen game last year, and that is just
an extension of the run game. So if he can
keep being creative in that regard and stick with the run,
I mean, I think R J. Harvey has the chance
to be just a completely explosive rookie if we use
him the right way, and you've got Dobbins as the mentor,
the veteran mentorship from from that, I'm excited, I really am.

Speaker 3 (20:45):
I think I think r J.

Speaker 2 (20:47):
Harvey is going to have a surprising amount of receptions
this year.

Speaker 4 (20:50):
And he didn't catch the ball much in college. But
it's just because they didn't throw it.

Speaker 2 (20:53):
They didn't throw it much. It was you know, it's
Gus Malzon's offense. They run the ball all the time.
Quarterback runs the ball all the time. They just not
what they do. Now, I'll say this. When they did
throw the ball, he caught it, but they just didn't
do it very often. I believe that he is going
to be used heavily in the passing game this year,
a similar to probably taking all those Javante receptions away,

(21:15):
or at least a large chunk of them.

Speaker 4 (21:16):
Well, I'm just excited to have a back and here
that has all the tools. You know, we see Jalia McLoughlin,
who has the speed, but he's a smaller guy. You've
got someone like Odric Estimee who's a big bruiser but
doesn't have to have that breakaway speed. R J. Harvey
seems to have all of those attributes he does.

Speaker 2 (21:35):
And that's the thing, now, Harvey a little light for
the pass pro you know, and that kind of stuff.

Speaker 3 (21:40):
But that's why you got JK. Dobbins in there. You know,
you got a guy who can do all three things.
He catches, he runs well.

Speaker 2 (21:46):
And now the bulk of his yardage came in the
first two games of the season. Last year, he kind
of wore down because they didn't have that second back
to spell him, and he sort of wore down as
he became the workhorse over the course of the season.
The average dropped about three point eight as the season
wore on, but the first two games were highly explosive
and he could be that guy. He just he can't

(22:06):
have the workload that he had last year when Gus
Ewarts went down.

Speaker 3 (22:09):
They used to have anybody else they could turn to.
As far as that stuff goes, Florida, where's the Stanley Cup?
Five to one? A dynasty in hockey? There you go.
Frocos Country might be back after this