September 5, 2026 • 34 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello everybody and welcome to some more late night post
Colorado Rockies Broncos country tonight action. We're in the thick
of football season now and we got Rockies season winding down.
They're trying to, you know, avoid loss number 100 for
(00:20):
the first time in the past several seasons. I'm rooting
them on, but we got football winding up now. Last
night we had our first dose of you know, meaningful
football action in the state, uh, you know, at the
college or professional level with CU traveling out to Atlanta
to play Georgia tech. Here's some sound from that game. And,
(00:44):
you know, a little bit of a, how the Buffaloes
ultimately emerged with the W.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Out of the shotgun, running back on his left hip,
Juju takes a snap, and he gives to Micah, cuts
it back to his left, foot race to the end zone,
he dives to the end.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Zone, touchdown, touchdown Colorado. Micah Welch, the first score for
the Buffaloes in 2026. Buffaloes on top 7-0, swings the
right leg.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
High end of her end. Smith drifts to his right.
Five yards deep. He'll bring it out. Out across the 10,
the 15, the 20, 25. Cuts to his right. Being
chased by Gerlach.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Down the far side. He's not going to catch him.
Smith to the 20.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
15, 10, 5.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
End zone.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
And we're a PAT away from a tie game.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
A 100-yard return by Rakeem Smith.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
What in the world?
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Third down to 12 for the 26. Ball on Tashmark.
Moving left to right. Empty backfield. Mendoza takes a snap. Backpedals. Scans.
Shifts off to his left. Under pressure. Got away from pressure.
Running to the near side. Turns the corner.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Looks.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Cox's arm. Fires it. And it is caught at the
5-yard line. He kept that play alive. Leonga LaFalle finally
got there. Played the one to the receiver, but not
before it. He secured the football and brought it down.
Kick is up. It's on its way. It's good. And
Georgia Tech has the lead 10-7. With 2-0-3 to play
(02:13):
in quarter number two here in Atlanta. 1-25 to play.
Juju drops.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
He lost the football.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Went back, picked it up, and he slid down at
the 15, and he's tackled. He lost the snap, went
to pick it up, and then lost his footing, and
Shymeet Jones, the 300-pound defensive tackle, came in and crushed him.
Third down and 25 for the 28-yard line. Snap to Mendoza. Drops.
Pressured off the edge. Grabbed and sacked back at the
(02:39):
20-yard line. And he got collapsed on either side. Lamont
Lester got there first. Toby Inene from the other side.
And the two defensive ends met at the quarterback. That's
a loss of eight yards. Drops to throw. Mendoza.
Speaker 5 (02:52):
Time.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Sacked back at the 40-yard line. And that time, right
up the middle came Lamont Lester. Holy cow, as he
makes himself known. Six-point Georgia Tech. 52 seconds remaining here
in Atlanta. Third down and three from the Tech 36-yard line.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
Juju.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Hand off.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
To Kalen Taylor. Right side of a tackle. He's got
the first down. Cuts to his left. Down to the
20-yard line. A first down by Colorado.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Perfect call. 42 seconds remaining. Moving to walk the right
ball at Peshawar. Juju's out of the shotgun. On his
right hip is to Kalen Taylor. Snap to Juju. Drops.
Steps over the pocket.
Speaker 5 (03:32):
Time.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Looks. Throws.
Speaker 5 (03:33):
Caught.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Five.
Speaker 5 (03:34):
Touchdown Colorado What a route to.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
The tight end And a throw by Juju Joy in
Atlanta And the Buster of PAT Away from taking the
win Here at Bobby Dodd Gerlach for the kick.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Lines up. Damon Greaves for the hold. For the lead. Snap.
Put down. Gerlach. Kick is up.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
It's on its way.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
And it's good.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
And Colorado takes the lead with 37 seconds to go
here at Bobby Dodd.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
What a comeback.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
What a return to Georgia for Juju Lewis.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Mendoza's out of the shotgun.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Snap.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Steps up of the pocket. Got time. Throws it downfield.
Grabbers made it to 45.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Turning upfield.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Running at the 40.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Hit from behind.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
And went down off the 35 inside both territories. The
catch was made by Dallin Pinson. A slant off the right.
Reed Thomas made the tackle. And remember, they've got one
of the best kickers in America. 45-yard attempt with three
seconds remaining. He makes it. They win. He misses. The
Bucs win. Snap put down. Kick is up. And it
(04:49):
got blocked.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
And the game is over.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Who Carter?
Speaker 5 (04:52):
And Colorado wins at Bobby Dodd. Boo Carter blocked a
field goal.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
How about the start to 2026 and Prime's return to Atlanta?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Oh, what a football game this was.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
And what an epic game it was indeed, Coach Barnett.
What an all-timer. You got to say that for this
prime era for CU. All these games that just come
down to the wire, classic endings, you know, the TCU
game that started everything. I think of the CSU game.
I think of the Nebraska games. I mean, it has been,
(05:33):
you know, some of the most fun time as a
CU Buff fan, even if there are some crazy ups
and downs, and a lot to take from that game.
You know, did a little truncated post-game reaction show last
night for a few minutes. And I think the big
story from that game, the number one thing we have
(05:56):
to discuss is the quarterback position. You know, most important
position on the field, obviously. And I think the Buffaloes
have some big questions with it right now. If you
get the version of Juju that led you on the
game-winning touchdown drive, this team could make some noise. We'll
(06:17):
get into it, but you saw a really improved, dramatically
improved run game. The pass-catching weapons look legit. The defense
looks like it's taken a serious step forward this season.
And yet, if that quarterback looks like he did for
(06:37):
the first... you know, three quarters and change, you know,
first 50, 55 minutes of game time. You might once again,
find yourself at the bottom of the big 12. You know,
this was a great defensive effort. This was a great
rushing performance. You know, last year they played Georgia tech.
(06:58):
They allowed 320 rushing yards alone, just on the ground
and hates King had a good passing day too, but
just on the ground alone, they allowed 320 yards. Against
Georgia Tech last night, they allowed 288 total yards, rushing
and passing. A much better defensive showing than what we
(07:19):
saw for much of last year. The rushing performance got
174 yards. That's the third most of the coach prime era.
The second most of the coach prime era against Power
4 schools and the most of the prime era against
Power 4 schools since the very first season he was
here in Boulder.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Right?
Speaker 1 (07:41):
That's excellent. And yet still it came down to the
final seconds and they win by one point. They only
produced 14 points because the quarterback just wasn't effective for
much of the game. And if, you know, he continued
to play like he did for the first 55 minutes
on that last drive, they would have finished the game
with seven total points of offense. You just need more
(08:04):
of now again, get that, that other version. where Dyson's
up five to seven for 76 yards and a pretty
sweet touchdown on that final drive, man, you could have
a really scary balanced attack where you've got Juju Lewis
able to dice up defenses in the passing game. You know,
the size does appear to be a concern, but if
(08:24):
you have a quick passing game, get it into the
hands of these skill position players quickly and let them
just work with the football. You know, they've got the
talent to make that work. It's just, you know, do
they have the talent at quarterback to make it work?
And I really don't know. I think that's a big
question because we saw such dramatic splits in this game.
(08:47):
You know, even the first drive looked solid from Juju. And,
you know, everything between that first and last drive was dreadful.
You know, on that first and last drive, he goes
eight for ten. which I'm not trying to say that's
(09:08):
something we've never seen before, but he goes 8 for 10.
On every other drive, all the drives in the middle
of the game, Juju Lewis goes 6 for 17. Just dramatic.
That's not even to mention, I think 6 for 17
for about 20, 30 yards. Even with that great drive,
(09:33):
to close the game, he ends 14 to 27 for
124 yards, one touchdown, you know, completing barely over 50%
of his passes, averaging less than five yards per attempt,
which to me is just a bar for like functional
quarterback play. If you're not getting five yards per attempt,
that's quarterback play that just is wildly inefficient. You know,
(10:00):
Up until that final drive, another one they showed on
the broadcast that jumped out to me is incredibly concerning.
Before that final drive, Juju Lewis was two of 11
for just 22 yards on throws of five or more
yards downfield. This is a pop gun offense that that
is going to be severely limited if you get that
version of Juju all season long. Now, maybe what we
(10:23):
saw last night was the game slowing down for him some,
him finding a bit of a rhythm, and how he
closed that game as a sign of things to come.
If so, man, this team can hang. They will be
able to put up points, and it seems like the
defense is a lot better than that speed bump of
a defense in 2025. And I think the rushing attack
(10:49):
is something we really got to highlight. And again, they
can only realize that potential if you get what you
need to get out of Juju Lewis. But this run
game that Brendan Marion has designed looks tremendous. One, the
running back talent is very exciting. And they've got some
(11:10):
size up front so that you're seeing them able to
get enough push But man, the design is doing a
lot of lifting. The design and running back talent is
doing a lot of lifting because you can see this
Buffs offensive line that's been a weak point for the
past few years. I think it's still a bit of
a weak point. This is not an above average, right?
(11:32):
Are you even average power for offensive line? You know,
they're struggling to maintain the point of attack. They're struggling
to get consistent push in the run game. And there's
still a fairly effective rushing attack. you know, even with
loaded boxes, even with the opponents knowing they're going to
try and run the ball because the designs are so good.
(11:53):
You know, that third and three conversion from to Kalen
Taylor under a minute left, they run the ball. Cause
they're just like, Hey, we know what we got here.
And it's a good bet. They've got, you know, four
or five really talented, exciting backs and all of them
bring a slightly different flavor to the offense. I really
like what they're building on the ground. You just, man, I,
(12:16):
I wish Prime had a different philosophy in regards to
team building because they need some more talent up front.
Some of it you can't help with Jordan Seedon leaving
for LSU, the bidding war that was going on between
CU and Texas and LSU. It was always going to
be hard to win that. But all the eggs shouldn't
(12:36):
have been in the Jordan Seedon basket. This is year
four of the Coach Prime program now. There should be
a bit more of a foundation being built in the trenches.
And again, it looks like it's working on defense. They
did a great job against that Georgia Tech rushing attack
last night. We know, you know, Tech wants that to
be the basis of their team. They've got one of
(12:58):
the most sought after transfer portal players, excuse me, in
running back Justice Haynes. And yet still, you know, they averaged,
or excuse me, didn't average, they totaled A mere 51
rushing yards. Now, I will say, as promising as the Buffs'
(13:21):
run defense was, their pass defense, I think, raised some concerns. Lester,
it looks like they've got a new pass rusher in
the wings. He had three sacks last night. That's very exciting.
That's the foundation of something they can keep building on.
Boo Carter, the defensive back, looks exciting. But, man, for
(13:45):
a lot of that game, they were struggling to get
pressure on Alberto Mendoza, the little Mendoza, and he was
just dicing them up. And I think you wonder, you know,
lack of pressure, you're missing some of those high-end defensive
back pieces this team has had for a lot of
(14:05):
the prime era. You know, can they... And you're losing
Livingston now. He went to be the defensive pass game
coordinator with the Broncos. He's important for that team's coverage
structures and everything, even if I do feel they were
a little simplistic at times. Are they going to be
able to hold up in coverage or hold up as
a passing defense? And if not, what does that mean
(14:29):
against these Big 12 aerial attacks? Who cares if you
make the gains against these rushing attacks if all of
a sudden Baylor and the like can throw the ball
all over the yard on you you know that that
Oklahoma State team where they just kind of pillaged North
Texas's whole offense from the prior season you know are
you going to be able to stop them from throwing
(14:50):
the ball all over the yard on you now with
this new look team I think that's something I'm curious
to watch and then of course the special teams man
kind of kind of starting to feel a little messed
up this team doesn't have a special teams coordinator I'll
get into that a little bit more coming up next.
You're listening to Broncos Country Tonight right here on KOA. Hello,
(15:19):
Broncos Country. Welcome on back to another edition of Broncos
Country Tonight. And now to head on over to the
KOA Common Spirit Hotline where we're joined by the one,
the only Bree Mastis. You can find her on Twitter
at Bree Mastis 303. Bree, how are you doing tonight?
Speaker 4 (15:42):
My goodness, I am just so happy to be here
with you. I love talking football, and as we know,
we are right in the thick of it. Anywhere from
eighth grade to high school to college to the NFL,
it really does feel like we're back.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
It does. And then we had our first meaningful game
in the state of Colorado, at least on the college
or pro level. Last night with the Colorado Buffaloes traveling
out to Atlanta to play the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets,
they got a thrilling victory there. What were your takeaways
from last night's game, Bree?
Speaker 4 (16:16):
Honestly, the go-ahead touchdown really... solidified what I would say
is a shift amongst Colorado Buffalo football, the fandom in general.
I think you have to take the game as a
whole because it wasn't pretty throughout. I think it was
(16:36):
an enormous win and it wasn't pretty football. There was
a lot to be left to be desired, but I
think it was really encouraging because The Buffs found a
way to get an ugly win on the road. And
there was a ton of opportunities, I think, for Georgia
Tech to really steal that away. There's a lot to
(16:56):
be cleaned up. Julian Lewis obviously wasn't perfect. But I
think when Colorado really needed a drive to close things
out there in the fourth quarter, Juju was right there
and he helped engineer it. And I think that tells
you the difference between a football team that is willing
to give up when it gets rough? Or are they
going to dig within themselves and deeply find what drives
(17:19):
and motivates them? And I think that's the difference that
we're going to see with this football team going forward.
Play the games aside, I think this Buffs team showed
an enormous amount of resilience. And I think before, when
we reflect on this team, it was defined so much
by star power and And attention. And I think this
(17:40):
this 14 to 13 almost would have been a loss
is a different kind of validation for what we're going
to be seeing in the future.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
I think that's very well put. And what I guess
what stood out to you about this team? I think
that the camaraderie is such a good point when you consider.
everything we've heard about this team, you know, doing camp
in Colorado Springs and all the bonding stuff. It felt
like that came through in Atlanta. Was there anything else
on the field that you come away from last night thinking, okay,
(18:09):
this is a strength the Buffs can continue to build
on moving forward? Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
The run game, I think, is the first evidence that
you can point to to say, okay, when you trust
in your run game, when you continuously go back into
it and pour into your efforts as an offensive coordinator
with what Coach Mary and has been able to show
us right off the bat is they have a ton
of fight within their team and their roster and their identity.
(18:35):
Now they're solidifying it. And I think where a lot
of teams could emotionally collapse, you saw a lot of the, um,
I guess, the dignified approach where you're able to position
yourself to steal a game away. So I think that
there's a lot to be looking forward to as far
as the talent that exists on this roster, right? We
(18:57):
got to see the glimpses of it. But I think
the definition is the Colorado Buffaloes are now willing to fight.
And they didn't fight hard and come up short. They
went on the road. They beat Georgia Tech. And now
they have something to fight for. That's each other. That's
this identity that they're building. That's this new camaraderie and
rapport that they're building with their new offensive coordinator. And
(19:20):
what it means to really buy into what they're being
told is the pride and tradition of the Colorado Buffaloes.
And so, I don't know, you kind of wait for
this moment and you anticipate it and you have the
disappointment that was last season. And it looks like they
built upon it. I feel like that's the nature of
change as we look forward to what this college football
(19:40):
program is able to do in the coming months and
the years. And I think that we've seen the shift
that is filling us with optimism at that point. But
you can be optimistic all you want. When you win
a hard-fought, ugly game like that, it carries you into
the weeks and months to come.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Speaking with Bree Mastis of Let's Talk Broncos. Bree, maybe
on the other side of things now, because it was
a fairly... you know, sloppy first game college doesn't have preseason,
of course. So, so we saw some, some messy play
out there. What was maybe something that stood out to
you as man, they've got to improve this moving forward.
(20:21):
If they want to live up to the lofty expectations
that prime is built around this program. Well, it's funny that.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
You mentioned it because it's almost a live by the sword,
die by the sword prerogative. When you mentioned something of
clean three phases of football, going into the season without
a special teams coordinator felt like a risk. And we
saw it fall by the wayside throughout three-fourths of that game.
And so I would like to see the Buffs lean
(20:51):
into that decision. Now, ultimately, much as the game of
football has a propensity to do, you saw the peaks
and valleys of that. The block was tremendously something that
changes your overall performance I guess, prerogative when you're talking
about the importance of special teams. I don't want to
place too much weight on an emphasis of, well, that
(21:14):
was a dumb play. You could have called that differently
because we all have the benefit of hindsight. But foresight
tells us that you don't want to overlook something that
could become an issue down the road. I don't believe
that Georgia Tech was somehow an inferior opponent. I think
that as we see in college football and the parity
that exists within Georgia you have to make sure that
(21:36):
you're consistently showing up and that you're paying mind to
all levels of the game. So whether that be offense, defense,
special teams, but also game and time management, I'm hoping
that those knots begin to be untied as they get
more reps under their belt and start to build, you know,
(21:57):
the continuity that you look for in well-seasoned teams in
the era of the transfer portal of I think you're
really limited when you have so much change year over year.
But what we've been able to see is that they're
taking a lot of pride in how they're showing up.
And I hope that that starts to spell success when
(22:20):
it comes to, yeah, your defense looked good along your line.
Your offense was able to get the ball moving, especially
on that ground game. And ultimately, your special teams is
able to capitalize on some advantageous end-of-the-game scenarios. How can
we make sure that those are well-balanced throughout the rest
(22:42):
of the season so you can compete versus some of
those more scary opponents that I'm sure the buffs are
going to be facing? So ultimately, I do like the
heart in the fight and what they showed from that.
But I also beg to see they show up consistently.
And a lot of that is buying from your team.
(23:02):
I don't think there's any lack of that this season.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Last little bus thing for you, Brie Juju Lewis. I
think it's gotta be one of the stories coming out
of that game with kind of the Dr.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Jekyll, Mr.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
Hyde nature of that performance, where it was one story
for much of the game and then really came alive
for that last drive and, you know, put the offense
on his back and kind of saved the day. What
is your, feelings on Juju Lewis or your take on
Juju Lewis as we exit week one?
Speaker 4 (23:34):
With the gold tinted glasses, I think the performance from
Juju was encouraging when it mattered. And I think that's
really important given the youngness, right? Like I'm perfectly comfortable
saying that both things can exist, that you can be
a little uncertain, but then be really motivated by what
(23:57):
you saw out of, you know, the game demanded a
drive late and he was able to respond. I think
those qualities are important because a lot of the time
in those high pressure situations, quarterbacks can be tasked with something,
have a rough start and ultimately let that dictate where
this game goes. And they're judged ultimately by what they do.
(24:21):
when everyone knows the game is sitting on their shoulders.
And so I think what Juju was able to do
at the end gives you a lot of optimism and
hope for, you know, the ongoing season and the future,
but there's, there's things to clean up. There always will be.
And as the game starts to slow down, I'd rather
have a young quarterback learning these lessons real time and
(24:43):
demonstrating that the moment isn't too big for him. That's
what really stood out. And, and, and, it enlivens this
fan base to, I don't know, feel like they couldn't
give up in that moment. I don't think anyone was
able to step away from their screen for this game.
And it really just shows that this era is changing
(25:05):
and no moment is too big for the Colorado Buffaloes
and Juju Lewis.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Speaking with Bree Mastis of Let's Talk Broncos. Now, Bree,
as we turn towards the Broncos here, just finished up
preseason play season kicks off Monday night at Arrowhead stadium
against the cheats. I should say a week from Monday night, rather.
What is one thing you feel like you learned about
this Broncos team over the course of preseason and training camp?
Speaker 4 (25:35):
You know, the expectation has changed last year. I really
feel as though we were shocked by the way in
which this Broncos team, um, won their 14 games. I
think the legitimate post-season run that was cut short really
nails that home because you're looking at a roster where
(25:58):
there's a ton of NFL caliber players getting cut because
Denver just can't legitimately keep everybody. And that's a different
sort of puzzle that George Payton and Sean Payton have
been tasked with. Difficult roster decisions exist across the entire plane.
I mean, you're You're having to decide to cut your
investments in a fifth round prospect in Justin Jolie simply
(26:22):
because you know that you've identified the 53 or the
52 ahead of him that can make this team. And
I wouldn't want to be tasked with that simply because
on paper, this this Broncos roster and you add in
their their absolute stellar dead cap space. they're in a
really great position. You can afford to make some riskier decisions.
(26:43):
You can afford to walk away from some of the
decisions you made in the offseason simply because your talent
runs deep. And I think it runs deep across the
defensive front as well. The offensive line is fully established
and you're seeing that continuity is paying off in the
form of being able to take on new additions like
(27:04):
Jalen Waddell, add in your resident veteran in Cortland Sutton
and Marvin Mims and really see what you can play
with when it comes to like a Pat Bryant insurgence.
So you've got a lot of fun, interesting concepts that
you can do and you add in a little bit
of the the flavor that Davis Webb is bringing as
(27:25):
the offensive coordinator, and the sky's the limit with this team.
So your expectations do shift a little bit. I think
they become a little more loftier. You resign yourself and thinking, okay,
maybe there's less wins this season, but it'll look better
because we know how the NFL is any given Sunday.
You could drop a game that you weren't anticipating. But
my take isn't really... You know, they closed out the
(27:48):
preseason strong, but it is some form of momentum heading
into this regular season. But now comes the harder part.
Last year, there was a hunt. It almost felt like
they were desperately seeking to confirm the narrative either way
of whether or not they were ready for this moment. Now,
I almost feel as though Denver is the hunted one.
(28:09):
And I think that's the different challenge that you face
as a team who got, you know, within steps of
a Super Bowl berth.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
So if that's what you, and again, speaking with Bree
Mastis of Let's Talk Broncos, if that's what you think
you learned in the preseason, what's, you know, the biggest
question that's still lingering for you as we enter week one?
What's something you're hoping to learn about this team or
finally find out as the real bullets start flying?
Speaker 4 (28:37):
I mean, the most fascinating storyline has to be, you know,
outside of Bo Nix and whether he's ready. It looks
like he's ready. I think a lot of it has
to be what is this offensive identity going to be?
The preseason gave us an opportunity to see the game
management responsibilities, the communications, the test runs of everything. And
it looked really fun. It looked like this added depth of, OK,
(29:01):
we can see interesting plays materialize. But it doesn't fundamentally
change what Sean Payton envisioned for this offense. And I
think that's what was important coming into this season. You
weren't expecting to replace a system necessarily. You were adding
an additional brain that Sean Payton trusts entirely. And then
(29:22):
you get to see the fruits of your labor because
you get to force defenses to have to second guess
maybe what they're seeing. My hope, and a lot of
this is really optimism farming at this point, is I
don't think the question is whether Denver has enough weapons anymore.
i think it's davis webb and sean payton can create
(29:43):
enough touches for all of them for them to eat
and that includes like a jaylen wattle um like is
this the year that we see an explosion from a
wide receiver that we simply just cannot get enough of
and i I'm going to limit myself here from getting
excited that there's going to be one standout offensive weapon.
(30:05):
My hope and what I think is going to happen
is there's going to be so much eating out on
that field by these weapons, whether it be in the
running back group with an RJ Harvey and a Jonah
Coleman and a J.K. Dobbins. And then you add in
all the fun over the top that you can find
with a Jalen Waddell and Cortland Sutton. This team feels
more dangerous than they have in recent memory. And it's
(30:27):
been a long decade of looking for what's going to
be the next iteration of this team. The Bo Nix
era is upon us, and now it feels like the
weaponry has been built around him. I would say that
that is what I'm looking forward to the most.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
I'm with you. I think we get a big leap
out of Bo this year. I just can't wait to
see it. Last one for you here, Bree, that quarterback
on the other side of the field for the week one.
opener Patrick Mahomes that's going to be his first on-field
action outside of practice I should say since the ACL
injury what version of Patrick Mahomes do you think the
(31:05):
Broncos get on Monday night is it going to be
the you know two-time MVP winner that's given him nightmares
in the past or do you think this is probably
a diminished version of Mahomes Oh, I think the.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
Short answer is the one where I have to be
risk adverse. And I expect Patrick Mahomes to look like
Patrick Mahomes until proven otherwise. I don't expect Kansas City
to let him play the peak Mahomes that we're used
to seeing with the type of injury that he suffered.
I think that there is just an expectation that you
(31:38):
have to be careful about and worried about because individuals
coming back from injuries surprise you all the time, but
he's saying it feels normal. And I believe Kansas City
is going to use him to the most that they're
able to. I just feel like there's going to be
a step missing from his game for a while as
(31:59):
he continues to understand his evolution and as he matures
through his NFL career. And ultimately, it's a big mystery
in this game. You know, medically being cleared and being
able to play are two different standards. And I don't
know where Patrick Mahomes falls on that. You don't believe
that it's going to have any indecision when it comes
(32:21):
to his arm or his talent there. But the part
I want to see is how is he moving? And
is he able to still deceive defenses to the rate
in which he has been able to overcome his entire career.
He has been practicing extensively. You get nervous when you
see that because, you know, Mahomes has something to prove
(32:41):
that he didn't take a step back. And, you know,
it's interesting. The conversation is like the NFL specifically sets
it up this way, but you have both parallel conversations
that mirror one another with him and Bo Nix. And
I just want to see the best football imaginable from
two competitors and in their respective positions that are really
just trying to play at a very high level. It's
(33:04):
an interesting battle. I don't know if it'll necessarily be
a torch passing of any sorts within the AFC West,
but it really does matter. That first scramble, we talk
about it a lot, is you don't take a deep
breath or a sigh of relief until that first player
gets tackled. The same thing when it comes to a
quarterback and their mobility. How is his lower body looking?
(33:26):
We're doing the same thing with Bo Nix. Week one
is almost biting your nails on the edge of your
seat as far as matchups go.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Could not agree more, Brie. Thank you so much again
for the time. And, you know, we'll talk again after
week one.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
Anytime, Zach. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
Thanks again to Brie Mastis for the time. If you
missed any part of that, make sure to find the
full interview over on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you
Listen to podcasts coming up next. We'll get a little
more into this. See you game and talk about the
Broncos season. That's right around the corner. What to expect
(34:06):
from them this year. All that coming up on Broncos
country tonight.
Hello everybody and welcome to some more late night post
Colorado Rockies Broncos country tonight action. We're in the thick
of football season now and we got Rockies season winding down.
They're trying to, you know, avoid loss number 100 for
(00:20):
the first time in the past several seasons. I'm rooting
them on, but we got football winding up now. Last
night we had our first dose of you know, meaningful
football action in the state, uh, you know, at the
college or professional level with CU traveling out to Atlanta
to play Georgia tech. Here's some sound from that game. And,
(00:44):
you know, a little bit of a, how the Buffaloes
ultimately emerged with the W.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Out of the shotgun, running back on his left hip,
Juju takes a snap, and he gives to Micah, cuts
it back to his left, foot race to the end zone,
he dives to the end.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Zone, touchdown, touchdown Colorado. Micah Welch, the first score for
the Buffaloes in 2026. Buffaloes on top 7-0, swings the
right leg.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
High end of her end. Smith drifts to his right.
Five yards deep. He'll bring it out. Out across the 10,
the 15, the 20, 25. Cuts to his right. Being
chased by Gerlach.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Down the far side. He's not going to catch him.
Smith to the 20.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
15, 10, 5.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
End zone.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
And we're a PAT away from a tie game.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
A 100-yard return by Rakeem Smith.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
What in the world?
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Third down to 12 for the 26. Ball on Tashmark.
Moving left to right. Empty backfield. Mendoza takes a snap. Backpedals. Scans.
Shifts off to his left. Under pressure. Got away from pressure.
Running to the near side. Turns the corner.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Looks.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Cox's arm. Fires it. And it is caught at the
5-yard line. He kept that play alive. Leonga LaFalle finally
got there. Played the one to the receiver, but not
before it. He secured the football and brought it down.
Kick is up. It's on its way. It's good. And
Georgia Tech has the lead 10-7. With 2-0-3 to play
(02:13):
in quarter number two here in Atlanta. 1-25 to play.
Juju drops.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
He lost the football.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Went back, picked it up, and he slid down at
the 15, and he's tackled. He lost the snap, went
to pick it up, and then lost his footing, and
Shymeet Jones, the 300-pound defensive tackle, came in and crushed him.
Third down and 25 for the 28-yard line. Snap to Mendoza. Drops.
Pressured off the edge. Grabbed and sacked back at the
(02:39):
20-yard line. And he got collapsed on either side. Lamont
Lester got there first. Toby Inene from the other side.
And the two defensive ends met at the quarterback. That's
a loss of eight yards. Drops to throw. Mendoza.
Speaker 5 (02:52):
Time.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Sacked back at the 40-yard line. And that time, right
up the middle came Lamont Lester. Holy cow, as he
makes himself known. Six-point Georgia Tech. 52 seconds remaining here
in Atlanta. Third down and three from the Tech 36-yard line.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
Juju.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Hand off.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
To Kalen Taylor. Right side of a tackle. He's got
the first down. Cuts to his left. Down to the
20-yard line. A first down by Colorado.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Perfect call. 42 seconds remaining. Moving to walk the right
ball at Peshawar. Juju's out of the shotgun. On his
right hip is to Kalen Taylor. Snap to Juju. Drops.
Steps over the pocket.
Speaker 5 (03:32):
Time.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Looks. Throws.
Speaker 5 (03:33):
Caught.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Five.
Speaker 5 (03:34):
Touchdown Colorado What a route to.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
The tight end And a throw by Juju Joy in
Atlanta And the Buster of PAT Away from taking the
win Here at Bobby Dodd Gerlach for the kick.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Lines up. Damon Greaves for the hold. For the lead. Snap.
Put down. Gerlach. Kick is up.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
It's on its way.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
And it's good.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
And Colorado takes the lead with 37 seconds to go
here at Bobby Dodd.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
What a comeback.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
What a return to Georgia for Juju Lewis.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Mendoza's out of the shotgun.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Snap.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Steps up of the pocket. Got time. Throws it downfield.
Grabbers made it to 45.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Turning upfield.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Running at the 40.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Hit from behind.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
And went down off the 35 inside both territories. The
catch was made by Dallin Pinson. A slant off the right.
Reed Thomas made the tackle. And remember, they've got one
of the best kickers in America. 45-yard attempt with three
seconds remaining. He makes it. They win. He misses. The
Bucs win. Snap put down. Kick is up. And it
(04:49):
got blocked.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
And the game is over.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Who Carter?
Speaker 5 (04:52):
And Colorado wins at Bobby Dodd. Boo Carter blocked a
field goal.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
How about the start to 2026 and Prime's return to Atlanta?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Oh, what a football game this was.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
And what an epic game it was indeed, Coach Barnett.
What an all-timer. You got to say that for this
prime era for CU. All these games that just come
down to the wire, classic endings, you know, the TCU
game that started everything. I think of the CSU game.
I think of the Nebraska games. I mean, it has been,
(05:33):
you know, some of the most fun time as a
CU Buff fan, even if there are some crazy ups
and downs, and a lot to take from that game.
You know, did a little truncated post-game reaction show last
night for a few minutes. And I think the big
story from that game, the number one thing we have
(05:56):
to discuss is the quarterback position. You know, most important
position on the field, obviously. And I think the Buffaloes
have some big questions with it right now. If you
get the version of Juju that led you on the
game-winning touchdown drive, this team could make some noise. We'll
(06:17):
get into it, but you saw a really improved, dramatically
improved run game. The pass-catching weapons look legit. The defense
looks like it's taken a serious step forward this season.
And yet, if that quarterback looks like he did for
(06:37):
the first... you know, three quarters and change, you know,
first 50, 55 minutes of game time. You might once again,
find yourself at the bottom of the big 12. You know,
this was a great defensive effort. This was a great
rushing performance. You know, last year they played Georgia tech.
(06:58):
They allowed 320 rushing yards alone, just on the ground
and hates King had a good passing day too, but
just on the ground alone, they allowed 320 yards. Against
Georgia Tech last night, they allowed 288 total yards, rushing
and passing. A much better defensive showing than what we
(07:19):
saw for much of last year. The rushing performance got
174 yards. That's the third most of the coach prime era.
The second most of the coach prime era against Power
4 schools and the most of the prime era against
Power 4 schools since the very first season he was
here in Boulder.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Right?
Speaker 1 (07:41):
That's excellent. And yet still it came down to the
final seconds and they win by one point. They only
produced 14 points because the quarterback just wasn't effective for
much of the game. And if, you know, he continued
to play like he did for the first 55 minutes
on that last drive, they would have finished the game
with seven total points of offense. You just need more
(08:04):
of now again, get that, that other version. where Dyson's
up five to seven for 76 yards and a pretty
sweet touchdown on that final drive, man, you could have
a really scary balanced attack where you've got Juju Lewis
able to dice up defenses in the passing game. You know,
the size does appear to be a concern, but if
(08:24):
you have a quick passing game, get it into the
hands of these skill position players quickly and let them
just work with the football. You know, they've got the
talent to make that work. It's just, you know, do
they have the talent at quarterback to make it work?
And I really don't know. I think that's a big
question because we saw such dramatic splits in this game.
(08:47):
You know, even the first drive looked solid from Juju. And,
you know, everything between that first and last drive was dreadful.
You know, on that first and last drive, he goes
eight for ten. which I'm not trying to say that's
(09:08):
something we've never seen before, but he goes 8 for 10.
On every other drive, all the drives in the middle
of the game, Juju Lewis goes 6 for 17. Just dramatic.
That's not even to mention, I think 6 for 17
for about 20, 30 yards. Even with that great drive,
(09:33):
to close the game, he ends 14 to 27 for
124 yards, one touchdown, you know, completing barely over 50%
of his passes, averaging less than five yards per attempt,
which to me is just a bar for like functional
quarterback play. If you're not getting five yards per attempt,
that's quarterback play that just is wildly inefficient. You know,
(10:00):
Up until that final drive, another one they showed on
the broadcast that jumped out to me is incredibly concerning.
Before that final drive, Juju Lewis was two of 11
for just 22 yards on throws of five or more
yards downfield. This is a pop gun offense that that
is going to be severely limited if you get that
version of Juju all season long. Now, maybe what we
(10:23):
saw last night was the game slowing down for him some,
him finding a bit of a rhythm, and how he
closed that game as a sign of things to come.
If so, man, this team can hang. They will be
able to put up points, and it seems like the
defense is a lot better than that speed bump of
a defense in 2025. And I think the rushing attack
(10:49):
is something we really got to highlight. And again, they
can only realize that potential if you get what you
need to get out of Juju Lewis. But this run
game that Brendan Marion has designed looks tremendous. One, the
running back talent is very exciting. And they've got some
(11:10):
size up front so that you're seeing them able to
get enough push But man, the design is doing a
lot of lifting. The design and running back talent is
doing a lot of lifting because you can see this
Buffs offensive line that's been a weak point for the
past few years. I think it's still a bit of
a weak point. This is not an above average, right?
(11:32):
Are you even average power for offensive line? You know,
they're struggling to maintain the point of attack. They're struggling
to get consistent push in the run game. And there's
still a fairly effective rushing attack. you know, even with
loaded boxes, even with the opponents knowing they're going to
try and run the ball because the designs are so good.
(11:53):
You know, that third and three conversion from to Kalen
Taylor under a minute left, they run the ball. Cause
they're just like, Hey, we know what we got here.
And it's a good bet. They've got, you know, four
or five really talented, exciting backs and all of them
bring a slightly different flavor to the offense. I really
like what they're building on the ground. You just, man, I,
(12:16):
I wish Prime had a different philosophy in regards to
team building because they need some more talent up front.
Some of it you can't help with Jordan Seedon leaving
for LSU, the bidding war that was going on between
CU and Texas and LSU. It was always going to
be hard to win that. But all the eggs shouldn't
(12:36):
have been in the Jordan Seedon basket. This is year
four of the Coach Prime program now. There should be
a bit more of a foundation being built in the trenches.
And again, it looks like it's working on defense. They
did a great job against that Georgia Tech rushing attack
last night. We know, you know, Tech wants that to
be the basis of their team. They've got one of
(12:58):
the most sought after transfer portal players, excuse me, in
running back Justice Haynes. And yet still, you know, they averaged,
or excuse me, didn't average, they totaled A mere 51
rushing yards. Now, I will say, as promising as the Buffs'
(13:21):
run defense was, their pass defense, I think, raised some concerns. Lester,
it looks like they've got a new pass rusher in
the wings. He had three sacks last night. That's very exciting.
That's the foundation of something they can keep building on.
Boo Carter, the defensive back, looks exciting. But, man, for
(13:45):
a lot of that game, they were struggling to get
pressure on Alberto Mendoza, the little Mendoza, and he was
just dicing them up. And I think you wonder, you know,
lack of pressure, you're missing some of those high-end defensive
back pieces this team has had for a lot of
(14:05):
the prime era. You know, can they... And you're losing
Livingston now. He went to be the defensive pass game
coordinator with the Broncos. He's important for that team's coverage
structures and everything, even if I do feel they were
a little simplistic at times. Are they going to be
able to hold up in coverage or hold up as
a passing defense? And if not, what does that mean
(14:29):
against these Big 12 aerial attacks? Who cares if you
make the gains against these rushing attacks if all of
a sudden Baylor and the like can throw the ball
all over the yard on you you know that that
Oklahoma State team where they just kind of pillaged North
Texas's whole offense from the prior season you know are
you going to be able to stop them from throwing
(14:50):
the ball all over the yard on you now with
this new look team I think that's something I'm curious
to watch and then of course the special teams man
kind of kind of starting to feel a little messed
up this team doesn't have a special teams coordinator I'll
get into that a little bit more coming up next.
You're listening to Broncos Country Tonight right here on KOA. Hello,
(15:19):
Broncos Country. Welcome on back to another edition of Broncos
Country Tonight. And now to head on over to the
KOA Common Spirit Hotline where we're joined by the one,
the only Bree Mastis. You can find her on Twitter
at Bree Mastis 303. Bree, how are you doing tonight?
Speaker 4 (15:42):
My goodness, I am just so happy to be here
with you. I love talking football, and as we know,
we are right in the thick of it. Anywhere from
eighth grade to high school to college to the NFL,
it really does feel like we're back.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
It does. And then we had our first meaningful game
in the state of Colorado, at least on the college
or pro level. Last night with the Colorado Buffaloes traveling
out to Atlanta to play the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets,
they got a thrilling victory there. What were your takeaways
from last night's game, Bree?
Speaker 4 (16:16):
Honestly, the go-ahead touchdown really... solidified what I would say
is a shift amongst Colorado Buffalo football, the fandom in general.
I think you have to take the game as a
whole because it wasn't pretty throughout. I think it was
(16:36):
an enormous win and it wasn't pretty football. There was
a lot to be left to be desired, but I
think it was really encouraging because The Buffs found a
way to get an ugly win on the road. And
there was a ton of opportunities, I think, for Georgia
Tech to really steal that away. There's a lot to
(16:56):
be cleaned up. Julian Lewis obviously wasn't perfect. But I
think when Colorado really needed a drive to close things
out there in the fourth quarter, Juju was right there
and he helped engineer it. And I think that tells
you the difference between a football team that is willing
to give up when it gets rough? Or are they
going to dig within themselves and deeply find what drives
(17:19):
and motivates them? And I think that's the difference that
we're going to see with this football team going forward.
Play the games aside, I think this Buffs team showed
an enormous amount of resilience. And I think before, when
we reflect on this team, it was defined so much
by star power and And attention. And I think this
(17:40):
this 14 to 13 almost would have been a loss
is a different kind of validation for what we're going
to be seeing in the future.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
I think that's very well put. And what I guess
what stood out to you about this team? I think
that the camaraderie is such a good point when you consider.
everything we've heard about this team, you know, doing camp
in Colorado Springs and all the bonding stuff. It felt
like that came through in Atlanta. Was there anything else
on the field that you come away from last night thinking, okay,
(18:09):
this is a strength the Buffs can continue to build
on moving forward? Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
The run game, I think, is the first evidence that
you can point to to say, okay, when you trust
in your run game, when you continuously go back into
it and pour into your efforts as an offensive coordinator
with what Coach Mary and has been able to show
us right off the bat is they have a ton
of fight within their team and their roster and their identity.
(18:35):
Now they're solidifying it. And I think where a lot
of teams could emotionally collapse, you saw a lot of the, um,
I guess, the dignified approach where you're able to position
yourself to steal a game away. So I think that
there's a lot to be looking forward to as far
as the talent that exists on this roster, right? We
(18:57):
got to see the glimpses of it. But I think
the definition is the Colorado Buffaloes are now willing to fight.
And they didn't fight hard and come up short. They
went on the road. They beat Georgia Tech. And now
they have something to fight for. That's each other. That's
this identity that they're building. That's this new camaraderie and
rapport that they're building with their new offensive coordinator. And
(19:20):
what it means to really buy into what they're being
told is the pride and tradition of the Colorado Buffaloes.
And so, I don't know, you kind of wait for
this moment and you anticipate it and you have the
disappointment that was last season. And it looks like they
built upon it. I feel like that's the nature of
change as we look forward to what this college football
(19:40):
program is able to do in the coming months and
the years. And I think that we've seen the shift
that is filling us with optimism at that point. But
you can be optimistic all you want. When you win
a hard-fought, ugly game like that, it carries you into
the weeks and months to come.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Speaking with Bree Mastis of Let's Talk Broncos. Bree, maybe
on the other side of things now, because it was
a fairly... you know, sloppy first game college doesn't have preseason,
of course. So, so we saw some, some messy play
out there. What was maybe something that stood out to
you as man, they've got to improve this moving forward.
(20:21):
If they want to live up to the lofty expectations
that prime is built around this program. Well, it's funny that.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
You mentioned it because it's almost a live by the sword,
die by the sword prerogative. When you mentioned something of
clean three phases of football, going into the season without
a special teams coordinator felt like a risk. And we
saw it fall by the wayside throughout three-fourths of that game.
And so I would like to see the Buffs lean
(20:51):
into that decision. Now, ultimately, much as the game of
football has a propensity to do, you saw the peaks
and valleys of that. The block was tremendously something that
changes your overall performance I guess, prerogative when you're talking
about the importance of special teams. I don't want to
place too much weight on an emphasis of, well, that
(21:14):
was a dumb play. You could have called that differently
because we all have the benefit of hindsight. But foresight
tells us that you don't want to overlook something that
could become an issue down the road. I don't believe
that Georgia Tech was somehow an inferior opponent. I think
that as we see in college football and the parity
that exists within Georgia you have to make sure that
(21:36):
you're consistently showing up and that you're paying mind to
all levels of the game. So whether that be offense, defense,
special teams, but also game and time management, I'm hoping
that those knots begin to be untied as they get
more reps under their belt and start to build, you know,
(21:57):
the continuity that you look for in well-seasoned teams in
the era of the transfer portal of I think you're
really limited when you have so much change year over year.
But what we've been able to see is that they're
taking a lot of pride in how they're showing up.
And I hope that that starts to spell success when
(22:20):
it comes to, yeah, your defense looked good along your line.
Your offense was able to get the ball moving, especially
on that ground game. And ultimately, your special teams is
able to capitalize on some advantageous end-of-the-game scenarios. How can
we make sure that those are well-balanced throughout the rest
(22:42):
of the season so you can compete versus some of
those more scary opponents that I'm sure the buffs are
going to be facing? So ultimately, I do like the
heart in the fight and what they showed from that.
But I also beg to see they show up consistently.
And a lot of that is buying from your team.
(23:02):
I don't think there's any lack of that this season.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Last little bus thing for you, Brie Juju Lewis. I
think it's gotta be one of the stories coming out
of that game with kind of the Dr.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Jekyll, Mr.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
Hyde nature of that performance, where it was one story
for much of the game and then really came alive
for that last drive and, you know, put the offense
on his back and kind of saved the day. What
is your, feelings on Juju Lewis or your take on
Juju Lewis as we exit week one?
Speaker 4 (23:34):
With the gold tinted glasses, I think the performance from
Juju was encouraging when it mattered. And I think that's
really important given the youngness, right? Like I'm perfectly comfortable
saying that both things can exist, that you can be
a little uncertain, but then be really motivated by what
(23:57):
you saw out of, you know, the game demanded a
drive late and he was able to respond. I think
those qualities are important because a lot of the time
in those high pressure situations, quarterbacks can be tasked with something,
have a rough start and ultimately let that dictate where
this game goes. And they're judged ultimately by what they do.
(24:21):
when everyone knows the game is sitting on their shoulders.
And so I think what Juju was able to do
at the end gives you a lot of optimism and
hope for, you know, the ongoing season and the future,
but there's, there's things to clean up. There always will be.
And as the game starts to slow down, I'd rather
have a young quarterback learning these lessons real time and
(24:43):
demonstrating that the moment isn't too big for him. That's
what really stood out. And, and, and, it enlivens this
fan base to, I don't know, feel like they couldn't
give up in that moment. I don't think anyone was
able to step away from their screen for this game.
And it really just shows that this era is changing
(25:05):
and no moment is too big for the Colorado Buffaloes
and Juju Lewis.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Speaking with Bree Mastis of Let's Talk Broncos. Now, Bree,
as we turn towards the Broncos here, just finished up
preseason play season kicks off Monday night at Arrowhead stadium
against the cheats. I should say a week from Monday night, rather.
What is one thing you feel like you learned about
this Broncos team over the course of preseason and training camp?
Speaker 4 (25:35):
You know, the expectation has changed last year. I really
feel as though we were shocked by the way in
which this Broncos team, um, won their 14 games. I
think the legitimate post-season run that was cut short really
nails that home because you're looking at a roster where
(25:58):
there's a ton of NFL caliber players getting cut because
Denver just can't legitimately keep everybody. And that's a different
sort of puzzle that George Payton and Sean Payton have
been tasked with. Difficult roster decisions exist across the entire plane.
I mean, you're You're having to decide to cut your
investments in a fifth round prospect in Justin Jolie simply
(26:22):
because you know that you've identified the 53 or the
52 ahead of him that can make this team. And
I wouldn't want to be tasked with that simply because
on paper, this this Broncos roster and you add in
their their absolute stellar dead cap space. they're in a
really great position. You can afford to make some riskier decisions.
(26:43):
You can afford to walk away from some of the
decisions you made in the offseason simply because your talent
runs deep. And I think it runs deep across the
defensive front as well. The offensive line is fully established
and you're seeing that continuity is paying off in the
form of being able to take on new additions like
(27:04):
Jalen Waddell, add in your resident veteran in Cortland Sutton
and Marvin Mims and really see what you can play
with when it comes to like a Pat Bryant insurgence.
So you've got a lot of fun, interesting concepts that
you can do and you add in a little bit
of the the flavor that Davis Webb is bringing as
(27:25):
the offensive coordinator, and the sky's the limit with this team.
So your expectations do shift a little bit. I think
they become a little more loftier. You resign yourself and thinking, okay,
maybe there's less wins this season, but it'll look better
because we know how the NFL is any given Sunday.
You could drop a game that you weren't anticipating. But
my take isn't really... You know, they closed out the
(27:48):
preseason strong, but it is some form of momentum heading
into this regular season. But now comes the harder part.
Last year, there was a hunt. It almost felt like
they were desperately seeking to confirm the narrative either way
of whether or not they were ready for this moment. Now,
I almost feel as though Denver is the hunted one.
(28:09):
And I think that's the different challenge that you face
as a team who got, you know, within steps of
a Super Bowl berth.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
So if that's what you, and again, speaking with Bree
Mastis of Let's Talk Broncos, if that's what you think
you learned in the preseason, what's, you know, the biggest
question that's still lingering for you as we enter week one?
What's something you're hoping to learn about this team or
finally find out as the real bullets start flying?
Speaker 4 (28:37):
I mean, the most fascinating storyline has to be, you know,
outside of Bo Nix and whether he's ready. It looks
like he's ready. I think a lot of it has
to be what is this offensive identity going to be?
The preseason gave us an opportunity to see the game
management responsibilities, the communications, the test runs of everything. And
it looked really fun. It looked like this added depth of, OK,
(29:01):
we can see interesting plays materialize. But it doesn't fundamentally
change what Sean Payton envisioned for this offense. And I
think that's what was important coming into this season. You
weren't expecting to replace a system necessarily. You were adding
an additional brain that Sean Payton trusts entirely. And then
(29:22):
you get to see the fruits of your labor because
you get to force defenses to have to second guess
maybe what they're seeing. My hope, and a lot of
this is really optimism farming at this point, is I
don't think the question is whether Denver has enough weapons anymore.
i think it's davis webb and sean payton can create
(29:43):
enough touches for all of them for them to eat
and that includes like a jaylen wattle um like is
this the year that we see an explosion from a
wide receiver that we simply just cannot get enough of
and i I'm going to limit myself here from getting
excited that there's going to be one standout offensive weapon.
(30:05):
My hope and what I think is going to happen
is there's going to be so much eating out on
that field by these weapons, whether it be in the
running back group with an RJ Harvey and a Jonah
Coleman and a J.K. Dobbins. And then you add in
all the fun over the top that you can find
with a Jalen Waddell and Cortland Sutton. This team feels
more dangerous than they have in recent memory. And it's
(30:27):
been a long decade of looking for what's going to
be the next iteration of this team. The Bo Nix
era is upon us, and now it feels like the
weaponry has been built around him. I would say that
that is what I'm looking forward to the most.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
I'm with you. I think we get a big leap
out of Bo this year. I just can't wait to
see it. Last one for you here, Bree, that quarterback
on the other side of the field for the week one.
opener Patrick Mahomes that's going to be his first on-field
action outside of practice I should say since the ACL
injury what version of Patrick Mahomes do you think the
(31:05):
Broncos get on Monday night is it going to be
the you know two-time MVP winner that's given him nightmares
in the past or do you think this is probably
a diminished version of Mahomes Oh, I think the.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
Short answer is the one where I have to be
risk adverse. And I expect Patrick Mahomes to look like
Patrick Mahomes until proven otherwise. I don't expect Kansas City
to let him play the peak Mahomes that we're used
to seeing with the type of injury that he suffered.
I think that there is just an expectation that you
(31:38):
have to be careful about and worried about because individuals
coming back from injuries surprise you all the time, but
he's saying it feels normal. And I believe Kansas City
is going to use him to the most that they're
able to. I just feel like there's going to be
a step missing from his game for a while as
(31:59):
he continues to understand his evolution and as he matures
through his NFL career. And ultimately, it's a big mystery
in this game. You know, medically being cleared and being
able to play are two different standards. And I don't
know where Patrick Mahomes falls on that. You don't believe
that it's going to have any indecision when it comes
(32:21):
to his arm or his talent there. But the part
I want to see is how is he moving? And
is he able to still deceive defenses to the rate
in which he has been able to overcome his entire career.
He has been practicing extensively. You get nervous when you
see that because, you know, Mahomes has something to prove
(32:41):
that he didn't take a step back. And, you know,
it's interesting. The conversation is like the NFL specifically sets
it up this way, but you have both parallel conversations
that mirror one another with him and Bo Nix. And
I just want to see the best football imaginable from
two competitors and in their respective positions that are really
just trying to play at a very high level. It's
(33:04):
an interesting battle. I don't know if it'll necessarily be
a torch passing of any sorts within the AFC West,
but it really does matter. That first scramble, we talk
about it a lot, is you don't take a deep
breath or a sigh of relief until that first player
gets tackled. The same thing when it comes to a
quarterback and their mobility. How is his lower body looking?
(33:26):
We're doing the same thing with Bo Nix. Week one
is almost biting your nails on the edge of your
seat as far as matchups go.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Could not agree more, Brie. Thank you so much again
for the time. And, you know, we'll talk again after
week one.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
Anytime, Zach. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
Thanks again to Brie Mastis for the time. If you
missed any part of that, make sure to find the
full interview over on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you
Listen to podcasts coming up next. We'll get a little
more into this. See you game and talk about the
Broncos season. That's right around the corner. What to expect
(34:06):
from them this year. All that coming up on Broncos
country tonight.
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