12-04-25 Hour 1 of Broncos Country Tonight with Grant Smith, Shawn Drotar & Rick Lewis

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ghost Country.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
My name is Chandro Sarm.

Speaker 3 (00:01):
Benjamin Albright is out tonight, and Nick Ferguson, well, if
you're paying attention, you just heard him. So we'll sit
back to Dick tomorrow. But delighted to be in with you,
granted with us today as Zexicet is producing as well.
So this is gonna be a fun one because look,
when every time you talk about Raiders Week, it still

(00:22):
means something to Denver Broncos fans when the Broncos are up,
when the Broncos are down, the Raiders games still matter,
and that part of this is going to be a
lot of fun. So looking forward to getting your feedback.
The KOA Common Spirit Health text line is five six
six nine oh if you want to weigh in on
it over the course of the evening. Delighted about the

(00:44):
cavalcade of guests that we will have some for you,
and yeah, of course Rick Lewis will join us. Nick
Edwards from Yahoo Sports will break down a little bit
of the latest with the Colorado Buffaloes after their disappointing season,
what does that mean for them and perhaps a new
offensive coordinator into the mix, and Super Bowl fifty champion
Ryan Harris will have an opportunity to join us later

(01:06):
in the program as well. Always good to talk to
one of those guys that wears a Super Bowl ring
with something.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
You get koa more often than.

Speaker 3 (01:14):
Not, so I'm delighted to have an opportunity to talk
to to Ryan as well. But you know, Grant, as
we get going here for four Raiders week for the Broncos,
this one means a lot more than usual, and it
means a lot more than I think maybe a lot
of people expected. I think even the most optimistic Broncos
fans at the beginning of the season in Bonnick's second

(01:36):
year probably did not expect the Broncos to be ten
and two at this point. But now, all of a sudden,
this game really matters in the time breaker, potentially with
maybe the other team in the AFC that nobody particularly
expected to be here, the eleven and two New England Patriots.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:53):
I mean, if you would have said at the beginning
of the year you got the Broncos and the Patriots
at the one and two seeds, I don't think anyone.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
Would have believe to you.

Speaker 4 (02:00):
As one of those guys, you know, I've worked here
for a while now running the Broncos games. And it's
been some rough years in the past decade or so
since Super Bowl fifty and I was my expectations for
this year, where you know, let's just try and get
back to the playoffs, right, And now we've moved far
past those expectations, exceeding those and now we're vilyed for
that number one seed. And if we win on Sunday

(02:22):
against the Raiders, I mean we win the tie, the
two way tiebreaker with.

Speaker 3 (02:25):
The Patriots if it gets it, if it gets.

Speaker 4 (02:27):
To that point, if both teams keep winning out then
we will be the number one seed in the AFC.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
In year two with Bo Nicks and year three and.

Speaker 4 (02:35):
Sewn Payton, I think he got to be excited in
Broncos country. We're way ahead of schedule in my opinion.

Speaker 3 (02:39):
Well, when you're in an enviable position, because now you
find yourself in a spot in which you control your destiny,
and that part is pretty exciting. The Patriots obviously have
an interesting record.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
At the Furthest.

Speaker 3 (02:50):
By the way, uh, when you look at the way
their schedule works out the Furthest.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
West, they travel all year with Cincinnati.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
I did not realize that schedule.

Speaker 3 (03:04):
Yeah, what a favorable schedule, But you know they've they've
done a good job.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
Drake May has been.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
Very very good in his second season.

Speaker 3 (03:09):
Legitimate MVP candidacy, and maybe we'll see even another one
of those in the NFL tonight. Had the Dallas Cowboys
been off to a better start, and they most certainly did.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
Not, maybe Dak Prescott would be part of that.

Speaker 3 (03:20):
And the Thursday night football game tonight with the Cowboys
who were resurgent with the Lions over in the NFC,
that's a fascinating story too. The NFL this season is
kind of a little bit upside down because we're talking
about the Patriots and the Broncos on top, but consider
right behind it the Jaguars.

Speaker 5 (03:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (03:37):
The only one that people might have said would be
a division leader at this point might have been the
Baltimore Ravens. But even those people would have said, well,
at six and six, right.

Speaker 4 (03:44):
With the tide with the Steelers in the game this
Sunday to determine who's in first place, and my Bengals
still not out of it, you know, not out of
the Wheelers and Ravens got to play time.

Speaker 2 (03:53):
And why am a Joe Burrow guy. Oh, I'm a
big Joe Burrow.

Speaker 1 (03:56):
Yeah, i am. I love watching Joe Burrow.

Speaker 3 (03:58):
It's better better when he's in the league, and that
they could protect them every once in a while.

Speaker 2 (04:01):
But now you're right, you speak of the truth. Technically
eliminated that at four and eight.

Speaker 3 (04:06):
But yeah, it's it's really an interesting year in the
NFL and in the AFC in particular, and sometimes this
thing happens, and the Broncos don't have to apologize for anything,
right at any point. This isn't college football. There's no polls,
there's no voters, there's nothing like that. You just go out.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
And win games.

Speaker 3 (04:25):
And the Broncos have been finding a way to do
that behind bon Nicks, who seems to have that slow
heartbeat that you want players to have in the fourth
quarter of football games. And maybe it's not pretty to
that point, maybe it's a little pedestrian for the first
three quarters at least has been for a lot of
the year, but point when it comes down to winning time,

(04:47):
Bonnicks has been nails.

Speaker 4 (04:48):
Yeah, And I mean, like you said that, that hasn't
been pretty. They've been behind in all twelve of their
games and managed to win ten of them and kind
of easily won the other two. I mean, you look
at the Colts game controversial leverage call there at the
end of the game, could have beat the Chargers earlier
in the year. Bo Knicks has that clutch gene and
it's something that is I think very underrated. You know,

(05:08):
we're driven by stats in this world of the NFL today.
But I was watching, you know, take it, take it
for what you will, the Pat McAfee show earlier today
and Mike McCarthy was on there and he said, you know,
the NFL is all about close games, and if you
have that guy that can have the ball in his
hands in the last two minutes of the game and
you believe in him that he's going to win it,

(05:29):
that's all you need. And I think that's that's what
Bo Nicks is. You know, it's not the numbers that
Drake may is putting up in his second year, but
he's finding ways to win games, like you said, and
Bo actually spoke about the clutch gene and if it's
something that he learned in the press conference yesterday, I
think it a little.

Speaker 2 (05:46):
Bit of both.

Speaker 6 (05:47):
I think a little bit is the competitive spirit you're
born with but also just the I've been through several
situations having to be down at the end of the game.
I've won some, I've lost some. In this year, we
just happened to win them more than we've lost. So
I think it's something that you can.

Speaker 2 (06:08):
Sort of build on over time.

Speaker 6 (06:09):
You learn how to not lose, you learn how to
not beat yourself, and you just learn a little bit
of how to control the controllables and control the jitters
when you get down at the end of the game,
and you know, I would say my first few times
in high school, when you have to go on a
two minute drill and you haven't really been comfortable with
a two minute drill before, You've never really done it,
you don't really know what you're doing. That can be

(06:30):
a little bit more nerve wracking than now. It's where
you've done it so many times.

Speaker 2 (06:34):
And I've been in.

Speaker 6 (06:35):
Both winning situations and losing situations in that you know,
situation in the final few minutes of a game. So
now it's just another drive and you know what they're
gonna do, and you just got to go out there
and find a.

Speaker 2 (06:46):
Way to score.

Speaker 6 (06:46):
So it's just a belief. I think that you've done
it before and you're gonna.

Speaker 2 (06:50):
Be able to do it again. It's such an even
keel guy. Yeah, well, it's important.

Speaker 3 (06:55):
The humility is too, because here's the here's the fact
of the matter.

Speaker 2 (06:58):
Last year, one of the narratives, and it ended.

Speaker 3 (07:01):
Up with the Kansas City Chiefs getting obliterated in the
Super Bowl, was that the Chiefs kept winning close games
to a point that it almost felt unsustainable, right, And
this year, for the Chiefs, that's flipped and it's one
of the reasons they're.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
In the spot they're in and now.

Speaker 3 (07:15):
They're they're trying to get themselves back into wild card
position in the a SE has the sales today, they're intense,
they're in trouble. But for the baranct Coffin, Yeah, I'm
sure Broncos fans would not mind that. But at the
same time, I think that's one of the things. You know,
we're seeing some feedback here on the KOA Common Spirit
healthline about the idea that the schedule may break down

(07:37):
a little bit differently for the Broncos. And that's true
because it is great you're winning those things and it
is all about those, but it's there is some luck involved.
With it, and that is not knocking the Broncos out,
because you will win some, you will lose some. Sometimes
you get lucky, sometimes you're not lucky. Sometimes you'll call

(07:59):
a play gainst the Colts to get a penalty on
a play and then they come back and they kick
it right right.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
That's the way it works, and you have to find
a way to.

Speaker 3 (08:10):
To understand that when those games are that close, and
the NFL is basically a league designed to be that close,
that sometimes it's out of your control. All you can
control is the things you can and every once in
a while if the breaks aren't going to go your way.
The Kansas City Chiefs had it last year, they don't
have it this year, and now all of a sudden
they're struggling. The Broncos last year were not as effective

(08:32):
in these situations.

Speaker 1 (08:33):
Now they are.

Speaker 3 (08:34):
Some of that is due to improvement by the team,
and some of that is random chance. And sometimes the
league is like this when you look at the upside
down nature of it. The Patriots, the Broncos, the Jaguars
right now at the top of the teams of the AFC.
Sometimes the years are just strange, and that happens in
every sport. But if you have the opportunity at times

(08:54):
to not worry about the style points right when there's
a year when other teams are down and you go
ahead and step up, there's nothing to apologize for that sports.
That's professional sports, and it's professional sports in a salary
cap league that is designed to create as much parody
as possible. So for the Broncos, that's another part of

(09:15):
this equation when you're looking at this season is who
cares if the traditional powers are having off years.

Speaker 1 (09:22):
That's why they award a trophy every year. They're not worried.

Speaker 3 (09:26):
About winning against the teams that one years before. You're
just worried about winning this year. Right now, with the
way teams are raided in front of you and the
Broncos have been doing it, there's an opportunity to hear
from one Broncos quarterback to another. Jake Plumber, who was
right here on Kayaway Sports talking about the idea of
in the end, it's just about getting the wins.

Speaker 5 (09:47):
Just win whatever it takes.

Speaker 7 (09:49):
Everyone's already starting to talk, Oh the Raiders, it's Vegas.

Speaker 8 (09:53):
They should go wait seet these guys. Yeah, it all
sounds great on TV and the fantasy prognosticaid and.

Speaker 7 (10:00):
All these people in suits and smelling good and sitting in.

Speaker 8 (10:03):
A warm, warm studio that this is the NFL. And
those guys have to go home and sit at a
table with their family. They got to walk around.

Speaker 7 (10:11):
In their communities. And the Raiders are going to come
trying to beat the hell out of the Broncos.

Speaker 2 (10:15):
And the Broncos better be ready.

Speaker 7 (10:17):
And that's the beautiful thing. When you're playing in these
close games. You learn who steps up, you learn who
you can count on. You learn who who's who's.

Speaker 8 (10:25):
Not afraid of those clutch situations.

Speaker 7 (10:28):
And right now, if you've got to organ if you're
the running this organization, you look at who you got behind.

Speaker 8 (10:33):
Center Number ten. He ain't afraid of nothing, and that
is all that I care about.

Speaker 7 (10:38):
He is not afraid of any score, any play, any player,
any play call, any throw that needs to be made.
He's the guy who sets the tone one percent. And
then there's a lot of other great leaders. But yeah,
that learning who you can count on and winning in
the way they have.

Speaker 8 (10:58):
Hey, it's not easy in the NFL.

Speaker 7 (11:00):
Everybody wants some and these teams this year there's really
the two standing out.

Speaker 8 (11:04):
I mean the Patriots and the Broncos. With their records.

Speaker 7 (11:07):
The Broncos haven't dominated.

Speaker 8 (11:09):
They haven't shown me that they're by far.

Speaker 2 (11:11):
And away the best team in the NFL.

Speaker 8 (11:13):
But they're one of the top teams for sure.

Speaker 7 (11:16):
And if they do the things that they've shown each week,
growing and guys stepping up from not just the ones
you expect, but the other guys. You know, Troutman stepped
up last week.

Speaker 5 (11:28):
We got J. L.

Speaker 7 (11:29):
Skinner who's balling on special teams. Let's not taking Let's
not forget about that phase of the game.

Speaker 8 (11:35):
It's gonna be huge. We can't We're gonna have to
have those plays made where you're.

Speaker 7 (11:39):
Down at on the half yard line and not get
a penalty or step on the end line.

Speaker 5 (11:43):
Those are the plays.

Speaker 8 (11:44):
That I know they can make and they know they
can too. And that's gonna be the fun part.

Speaker 7 (11:48):
Of watching this team go finish out the season is
that if it's close to the rest of the way
every game, what a hell of a year. I've been
enjoying every single ball game.

Speaker 1 (11:56):
Well, you enjoyed a lot more when they keep winning.

Speaker 2 (12:00):
Those close games aren't as fun when they lose it correct.

Speaker 1 (12:02):
In fact, you know you can.

Speaker 3 (12:03):
You can hear from Broncos country when they lose the
close ones. It's almost more difficult, right, losing the blowouts.
But the point it's making is really important, and not
only the fact that the whole team deserves credit. It's
not just Bonux. Look, Devon Key is leading the NFL
in special teams.

Speaker 2 (12:18):
Tackles, right Jale Skinners. It's one of those.

Speaker 3 (12:21):
Instants that that people don't pay attention to, but they
do make a difference in games, especially in one score
games where the field position is even more impactful than
it would be in other other games where the scores
are not as close. But the idea behind just going
out there winning is important. And I'm referring to the
party talked about. You and I aren't in suits, Zack's

(12:42):
not in the suit. In the booth, we tell fine,
I don't think there's any worry about that from what ja.

Speaker 1 (12:48):
Yeah, that's true, very.

Speaker 3 (12:51):
Back, and I look not so stylish tonight with the
bolo side that is that's a Colorado flex right there.
But there is kind of a a part of it
that I've impressed with the Knicks.

Speaker 1 (13:02):
It's the short memory.

Speaker 3 (13:04):
We get an interception last week, and yeah, and it's
the ones that you have to find a way, much
like a relief pitcher in baseball, right, sometimes you go
out there and for they come in and have to
go pitch to Shoe Aotani and he takes him four
fifty over the fence.

Speaker 1 (13:20):
You just got a picture to the next guy.

Speaker 2 (13:22):
You got Freddy Freeman coming up next.

Speaker 1 (13:23):
Now to worry about it.

Speaker 3 (13:24):
There's no time to cry over the spilled milk. You
got to get back to work. And Bonnix has shown
the ability really since the first couple games in his career,
first two games in his career last year, no touchdowns,
four interceptions. It's been better ever since. And some of
that is the clutch gene. Some of that is the
short memory and the mentality there, and some of that

(13:48):
is the part I don't know if he gets quite
enough credit for because it's it's easy to talk about,
like the guy's just clutch, he's just got it. Some
of it's the work.

Speaker 1 (13:55):
Bonicks is a coach's son. This is a guy that
likes to get in to the video. He wants to
take a look at it.

Speaker 3 (14:03):
And as a result, when you have the guys that
have the ability to play in the league, which Bonix
clearly has. But then they're also putting in the work
not only on the practice field, not only in the
weight room, but in the film room, where you find
yourself being able to reduce the number of times that
you make the same mistake twice. Bonix will throw a

(14:26):
lot of interceptions in the course of his career. Every
quarterback does. The longer you're in the league, the more
you pile up. But will he make the same mistake
multiple times? Thus far, we haven't seen the kind of
guy that makes the same mistake.

Speaker 1 (14:39):
A lot of the times.

Speaker 3 (14:40):
When he knows he made a mistake, he looks for
where it went wrong and tries to correct it. More
than all of the other stuff we're talking about. Clutch
gene is cool, all that, But you know what, the
part that I look at when I think of bon
Nix a year from now, three years from now, five
years from now in his career, it's the ability to
get into the film room is isolate where you made an

(15:00):
error and learn how to not make it again. That
is going to let him sustain as a successful quarterback
in the NFL.

Speaker 4 (15:08):
I couldn't agree more man and you see, you know,
like the greats we've had here in Denver. You know
Peyton Manning, he was always in the film room and
he just learned every year. Even when his arm started
to fail him, he was able to still read a defense,
know what they were going to do, and pick it apart.
And I think that's been the coolest part of bo
Nix's progression, is that you see him like getting sent
in the same looks and reacting in a different way.

(15:31):
And you see people, you know with Anthony Richardson with
the Colts, who has all the talent in the world,
he just can't figure it out. There's a lot more
to the brains of a quarterback in the NFL than
at any other level. In college, you can get by
with it being the better athlete, or being the better
thrower or having the bigger arm. But bo Nix is
his ability to learn his craft over and over again.

(15:52):
And I think that's what's so underrated. Like you said,
it's the repetition that you have to go through and
the mental fortitude that you have to have to just sit.

Speaker 2 (16:00):
In there and break down film for hours on end.

Speaker 4 (16:03):
That's a grinding process and it is not for everybody.
But if you can lock in and do that, you're
going to progress so much faster than your peers.

Speaker 2 (16:11):
And another thing about bon Nicks, you mentioned.

Speaker 4 (16:13):
Him being a coach's son, like his ability to be
coached hard. You have to have that if you're a
Sean Payton quarterback and he's not.

Speaker 2 (16:21):
He doesn't back down, but he.

Speaker 4 (16:23):
Takes that criticism, that constructive criticism, and learns from it
going forward. And we've seen it these last couple of weeks.
I mean, it's something about bon Nicks. In the second
half of seasons, he really turns it on. And these
last couple of weeks we've seen him progressing through his reads,
watching his footwork get better as the year goes on.
I mean, he's our franchise guy, and I couldn't be

(16:43):
happier with it.

Speaker 2 (16:44):
He is everything you want in a franchise quarterback.

Speaker 3 (16:47):
I think when you look at the idea and you
brought off Sean Payton, and I think that's an important
part of the equation. When the Broncos isolated very quickly
that they wanted bon Nicks and Sean Payton talked about
the idea that you know, they put up a smokes
for the they wanted JJ McCarthy. With all due inspector
Sean Payton, I think it was terribly effective right that
I'm believe me, the Broncos are not going to draft
JJ McCarthy. That was abundantly clear early going in the process.

Speaker 1 (17:10):
But part of what one.

Speaker 3 (17:13):
Knicks over so to Peyton, was early in the combine
process when they handed him the playbook when they wanted
to talk about things, and he was ready to break
down what draft trees, how they should change everything they're
putting together. He did that quickly, so he's a quick study.
And you pointed out the idea that it's a grind.
It is and as a result you kind of have
to like it, and from Nicks likes it. Not every

(17:34):
quarterback does. And it's more important now, granted, than it's
ever been because when you look at the way the
quarterbacksitioning Blake, when Jaye Plumber played.

Speaker 2 (17:44):
Gunslinger mentality right, yep, So you know.

Speaker 3 (17:47):
Throw an interception here and there, but you're pushing the
ball down the field, you're being aggressive, you're getting vertical, right.
The idea was that's okay, that's going to happen. When
John Elway played go back and look, Broncos fans, go
look at John Elway's stats, who, I will argue with
people till I'm blue in the face, is a top
five quarterback to ever play in this league. But go
look at his quarterback as quarterback stats, touch down interception ratio,

(18:11):
You will be surprised. But the league was fine with that.
Now the league is not offenses now. When you see
the average depth of target continue to shrink every year
has for Bonnicks. This year too, they are more turnover
averse than they've ever had. I remember having a conversation
out of the Super Bowl with Bok Brian Billick.

Speaker 1 (18:29):
Guy knows a little bit about defense.

Speaker 3 (18:30):
I won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens and
talked about this maybe about five six years ago, and
we chatted and he said that the purpose of defense
has changed. It is no longer just stop teams wherever
they are. It is minimize the number. Because the yards
between the twenty year comparatively cheap. In the NFL, you

(18:50):
have to tighten up in the red zone, and then moreover,
you have to go turnover hunting because the plays that
decide these close games are the are the plays in
which you find a way to get those turnovers. So
that's that's a big part of it too. It is
now harder than it's ever been because now your expectation
is you are supposed to be as efficient as effective

(19:11):
as you can with you know, completion rates up to
seventy and not turn the rock over.

Speaker 4 (19:16):
Yeah, and one fun stat before we hit the brake here,
Bon Knicks and John Elway stat tied for the franchise
lead in a single season with six comeback wins. That's incredible.
Speaks to bon Knicks. What we started out as segment
was winning close games. And we've got what four more games,
five more games to go?

Speaker 1 (19:34):
Hopefully we don't need more comebacks.

Speaker 2 (19:36):
That'd be nice, especially this week against the Raiders.

Speaker 3 (19:38):
Yeah, and Jake Plummer said, you know, oh, you're supposed
to beat those guys. Well, you're supposed to beat those guys.
Week we'll have an opportunity to talk about it with
our friend Rick lewis the color analyst for the Broncos
right here on Broncos Country.

Speaker 1 (19:52):
Tonight o Koe eight fifty AM and ninety four point
one FM.

Speaker 3 (20:00):
Our friend Rick lewis the color analys for the Denver
Broncos right here, Okay, Rick, delighted to get to talk
to you. Look, I started to show the same way
it is Raiders Week that means something every year for.

Speaker 2 (20:13):
The Denver Broncos fans.

Speaker 3 (20:14):
But at the same time, you don't have first place
of the AFC on the line every time for a
Raiders seem that's struggling for the Broncos, it feels like
you have to get this done. But this rivalry has
been going on since the AFL days for a reason.

Speaker 5 (20:28):
Absolutely, and Sewn, it's great to be on with you.
It's been a while since I've seen you. And what
the funk man? Listen to that voice.

Speaker 8 (20:37):
Sean Corozar, I bet you kill I.

Speaker 5 (20:41):
Bet you killed Barry White Knight at carry Over.

Speaker 2 (20:44):
I got neither to confirm nor deny that, Rick.

Speaker 3 (20:48):
But when when you look at this game in particular,
obviously it's a big one for the Broncos. The news
today the Max Crosby, who has been dealing with a
knee injury, did not practice today.

Speaker 1 (20:57):
You're never rooting for injuries.

Speaker 3 (20:59):
In fact, if you don't watching Max Crosby play football,
you might not like football. But injuries are injuries, and
for the Broncos for a guy that has had fifteen
and a half sacks in the only thirteen games he's
ever played against the Denver Broncos. If Crosby is even
slightly limited, boy, that makes things a lot easier for
the Broncos.

Speaker 5 (21:18):
Yeah, no doubt. He's been a game wrecker against the Broncos.
It really has been a game wrecker for every team
in the league. He's such a great player. I wouldn't
be surprised if he still plays on Sunday. Looking at
this team, he's the best guy they got. I mean,
this team is a hot mess. They're bad on defense,

(21:41):
they're bad on offense. I don't know how they hung
in the game that Thursday night game against the Broncos
when Broncos won ten to seven, because they're just when
you look at him, I still can't believe they were
able to hold the Broncos to ten points in that
I'm expecting something different this week in Vegas. I don't

(22:05):
want to call it a get right game, but this
is a game that I think both the offense and
the defense should kick ass in Vegas against this team,
especially if you get off to a fast start Sewan,
you get off to a fast start against this team
and by the end of the fourth quarter they realize
they're a terrible team. Now you got them on their heels.

(22:26):
Now you got them ready to quit, especially if Max
Crusby's not out there. He's never going to quit. But
the rest of these guys, man, they just don't have
much going for him right now.

Speaker 4 (22:35):
Yeah, and Rick, you mentioned it might be a get
right game. You don't want to use that phrase, but
what the funk is going on with our running game?
Maybe it's a get right game for RJ. Harvey and
Julia McLoughlin and the rest of the running back crew.
I like this take Nick Ferguson's spit this out last night.
He said, first three plays of the game, run the
ball at the Raiders.

Speaker 2 (22:55):
What do you think of that philosophy?

Speaker 4 (22:57):
Just getting the offensive line pushing forward right off the
bat and trying to get something big for RJ.

Speaker 2 (23:02):
Harvey or Jaliel.

Speaker 5 (23:04):
Yeah. I wouldn't wind that at all. And what the
fun JK Dobbins got hurt? I mean JK. Dobbins was
having a career year. He was well on his way
to a thousand yard season. Another piece that's missing is
Ben Powers at left guard. They haven't been the same
running the ball since Ben Powers went out. Now, nothing

(23:26):
against Alex Pelchewsky, I think he's been solid, but Ben
Powers has been a big part of that line, especially
running the football. He's not so good in passed protection,
but running the ball, he's been a factor for this
football team. So that to me is what's going on
with that. And then you have a rookie RJ. Harvey

(23:50):
who really still trying to figure things out. Now, this
guy's got a ton of talent and he's been productive.
He's scoring touchdowns. He's got eight touchdowns on the season.
Them out as Ashton gent by the way, who was
one of the what sixth overall pick in the draft
last year? R J. Harvey in the second round. He
has eight total touchdowns, four in the ground for the air.

(24:11):
But Ashton Genty, I can see the talent there, but
he doesn't seem to want to wait for blocks to
set up. He just kind of blasts through the hole.
Early in the season, we saw him kind of tiptoeing
a lot through the hole and kind of stuttering, and
he looked indecisive, and I think somebody told him, hey man,

(24:33):
you just got to bust through that hole. Man, don't
mess around behind the line of scrimmage.

Speaker 8 (24:38):
And I think he took that to heart because that's
what he's.

Speaker 5 (24:41):
Been doing the last couple of weeks. And there's been
a couple of times where it's worked out, but most
of the time he's either not letting the block set
up or he's picking the wrong hole to run through.
And I do think he's going to get better. Like
I said, he's got big time talent. They drafted him
in the second round for a reason. We're going to

(25:01):
see a better version of him. Now. We've got five
games left here down the stretch for him to figure
things out. Hopefully they get JK. Dobbins back. They kind
of hit it that that's possible if they make a
run in the playoffs. But R. J. Harvey's got to
figure it out.

Speaker 3 (25:17):
And back to this situation with with Dobbins. Obviously you
talked about that, Nick Ferguson talked about given you know,
running three straight times at the Raiders. Well, here's the thing.
In the last couple of games the JK. Dobbins did play,
the Broncos did exactly that. They gave Dobbins three carries
on the very first drive, and in both those games
he only had one more carry the remainder of the
first half.

Speaker 1 (25:37):
The Broncos in.

Speaker 3 (25:38):
This game last week against Washington, forty five pass attempts
for Bonnicks, only twenty carries for Non for Non. You
know quarterbacks, You don't about the running backs that were
a total of twenty so more than two to one
in a game that the Broncos never trailed by more
than one on the road. That's the time you generally

(25:58):
think you want to come to the run.

Speaker 1 (26:01):
So I don't know what the funk.

Speaker 5 (26:04):
Yeah, good question, Good question, Sean. We say this every
week and it's frustrating to watch, and they just don't
seem like they want to commit to running the football. Bonnist,
in my opinion, is throwing too much. I would like
to see them have a more balanced offense. But maybe
Sean Payton doesn't have confidence in the run game at

(26:26):
this point, and even with JK. Dobbins, he seemed reluctant
to just pound the rock. I think once you get
in the postseason, you're going to have to be able
to run the football at least a bit. I don't
see them in a rushing for one hundred and forty
hundred and fifty yards a game, but you need to

(26:46):
at least run the ball one hundred and twenty yards
a game and play tough defense. And we know that
defense travels. So this defense, no matter what, this defense
is going to keep you on every game. But offensively,
if you can't run the ball, we're gonna have these
nail biers every single week. Man, it's been such a
roller coaster, and that one in Washington, I don't think

(27:08):
I've ever seen a game quite like that, and I
was ready to get off that roller coaster at the
end of that game. And you can only take so
much of that. Man, it's been fun, it's been exciting,
and looking back on it, I think we'll say, man,
that was one of the craziest Broncos seasons we've ever seen,
So that being set, enjoy it, but it would be

(27:30):
nice to win a game easily. So going away for
a change this week should be the week that they
do that.

Speaker 3 (27:37):
Well, here's hoping that happens for you so you don't
have to sit through another one of those. Course, you
can catch Rick Lewis on the broadcast with Dave lob
Right here on KOA with a game on Sunday afternoon.
Looking forward to a Rick so much. Appreciate the time.
Great to talk to you.

Speaker 5 (27:53):
Let's do karaoke nights sometime together.

Speaker 2 (27:55):
You can't like so much. Rink ate it man, Oh
good one, thanks so much.

Speaker 3 (28:04):
It's obviously great to break that down with Rick and
it will be exciting. But you know, Webbins, he has
to talk about this more a little bit with the
Denver Nuggets.

Speaker 2 (28:15):
Eighty five.

Speaker 3 (28:16):
Text us on the Common Spirit Heel sex Line at
fifty six six nine zero, or leave us a.

Speaker 1 (28:21):
Message on the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 3 (28:23):
Just stream the station, click on the microphone to leave
us a message. Chandro Turk Grant Smith with you want
to turn our atention for a moment here to the
to the Denver Nuggets. We're going to talk about the
Colado Buffaloes in a bit with the sports Nikki Edwards.
The Buffs getting a new off to coordinator reportedly. We'll
talk about that. But the Nuggets last night. The Nuggets
sitting now at fifteen and six after their win. They

(28:45):
won their eighth consecutive road game last night, which is
a new franchise record, which is good because the home
record is a little squarely of.

Speaker 2 (28:53):
Late four in a row. They've lost a right.

Speaker 3 (28:55):
Highly unusual there, and they find themselves at fifteen and six,
tied with the Spurs for four. But they are missing
two of their five starters in Christian Brown and Aaron Gordon.
But that doesn't seem to impact the points at all
because Jamal Murray, you had to leave the previous game
for a little bit after an injury. Let's just say
last night he looked better.

Speaker 7 (29:15):
Nuggets need to keep scoring Murray corner, Yes, away, get
off the Barsmellows.

Speaker 3 (29:23):
He's on the third fifty point game in his career.

Speaker 4 (29:29):
I love that that call from out to the TV
and you sent me a great stat on the three
players that have scored fifty points for the Nuggets earlier today.

Speaker 3 (29:38):
Yeah, I mean, we know that ar Gordon got to
the fifty burger the opening night loss to the Warriors,
and over.

Speaker 2 (29:43):
Time, Nikola Jokic has done it.

Speaker 3 (29:44):
Nikola yoks just does Nikola Jokic things, obviously with regularity.
But then with Jamal Murray's fifty two last night, that
puts the Nuggets in very rarefied air because when you
look at the history of the NBA teams that have
had three different plays in a season get fifty or
more points. The Nuggets have done it previously. You have

(30:06):
to go back to the Warriors of twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen.
Those price there, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, then Klay Thompson.

Speaker 1 (30:12):
What are those games?

Speaker 3 (30:12):
But to there you want to go back a bit.
And when I say a bit, I mean to.

Speaker 2 (30:17):
The sixties or in the sixties.

Speaker 3 (30:19):
Nineteen sixty one, sixty two Lakers, Elgin Baylor, the Logo,
Jerry West, and Rudy LaRusso all had fifty point scores
and that is end of list.

Speaker 1 (30:29):
That grant.

Speaker 2 (30:30):
That's incredible.

Speaker 3 (30:31):
Teams in the history of the NBA have had a
season in which three different players at fifty or more points.
Keep in mind, the Nuggets have done it in twenty
one games.

Speaker 4 (30:41):
You know what's incredible to me about all those fifty
point games. I saw this earlier on Instagram, all three
of them, Jamal Murray fifty two points, to Nikola Yokitz
fifty five points, and Aaron Gordon fifty points, all twenty
five or less field.

Speaker 2 (30:53):
Goal attempts, right, I mean talk about the efficiency?

Speaker 3 (30:56):
Yes, this when this team is healthy, knock on whatever
would you confine near you? Yeah, And when it is healthy,
this team does have the ability to win a championship
because the bench is deeper, because the scoring is now diversified.
Aaron Gordon has worked very hard for the last couple
of years to improve his shot, and then the idea
that you can't get better at three point shooting by

(31:17):
working on it obviously absolutely the case. So you hope
that you get health right now, there are a couple issues.
Three point defense is a major problem. Teams are realizing
they can just you know, your NBA two K players out,
they're just spamming three and that works against the Denver
Nuggets right now, and they do have to shore that up.

Speaker 1 (31:37):
But you do wonder you are missing your.

Speaker 3 (31:39):
Two best defensive on ball defenders as starters in Christian
Brown and Aaron Gordon. They're also pretty good at Gordon,
especially at closeouts. So you would think when they get healthier,
that will get better. But it would be good because
I think the Nuggets right now at fifteen and six,
despite the injuries, I think they're still disappointed. And Nicola
Yokis talked about it after the last loss at home

(32:00):
basically a little frustrated and confused as to why things
aren't going the way they want them to go. But
I think when you're talking about this for the Nuggets,
this to me is more of an injury issue, and
if they can be healthy and right, this team can
absolutely win the title again.

Speaker 5 (32:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (32:16):
I think it's a blessing in the skies that these
injuries are happening early in the year because if you
can get healthy at the right time. We took to
thunder and six seven games last year. Our team is
much deeper and much better in my opinion this year. Oh,
I think we got a chance to win it all again.
Another championship parade and you know, maybe two or three
with the Broncos and the Abs.

Speaker 3 (32:33):
Yeah, this comes up to the greatest November in sports
history for teams with the NBA, NHL, and NFL teams.
No city has ever won more games in a month
than the Denver one in November. So, I mean, it's
a good time to be a fan.

Speaker 2 (32:46):
Best sports city in the country right now. We knew
that already.

Speaker 3 (32:48):
Regard that's what the records are, that doesn't matter. Well,
things are happening up in Boulder. The Colorado. Buffalo's had
a disappointing three and nine campaign this year. I have
an opportunity to turn things around. Deon Sanders made it
clear he's not going anywhere, said that he's going to
fix it if it's the last thing he does. Well,
the first steps to fix it seemed to be happening.

(33:09):
We'll have an opportunity to talk with the other sports
Nikki Edwards about it. Perhaps moves happening as soon as today.
We'll do that in just a couple of moments. But
four point for Zach for me, We'll be back in
just a little bit on Broncos Country tonight on KOA
eight fifty am and ninety four point one SM.