Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
De Bend's been all right here with you.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Special thanks to the Hall of Famers Steve Atwater for
joining us in studio last hour. We missed any part
of that, we obviously you can go to Broncos Country
dot com, Slash podcast wherever each podcast, Apple iTunes, Spotify,
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quite nail it, but we're getting there. Gotta go up
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we'll get. We'll get it there. You can download it
(00:23):
there as always. If you ever missed any part of that,
we appreciate you guys doing that and like writing and subscribe.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
All that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
We don't have to gaateway comment Spirit Health Hotline though.
Get behind Enemy Lines with Deston Adams on Twitter at
the Deston Adams is a Colt beat writer and fil
draft analysts for.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Agency Sports and a good friend of mine. Destin. How
you doing this evening?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
I'm doing good, guys. How are you guys doing doing well?
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Doing well? This?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
This game which you know, I know every hot take
artist out there with the microphones says every game is
must win and all that kind of stuff and all
that Hyperboley. But for the Denver Broncos, this game might
be the most important game in Denver for the Broncos
since the run up to Super Bowl fifty because you
lose this game to the Colts and all of a sudden,
every wild card eligible team owns a tiebreaker on you. Uh,
(01:07):
you win this game and you put a game distance
and have a tiebreaker on at least one team going
into a Thursday night football game on the road against
the Chargers. From the Broncos side of the house, I
would say fans here feel pretty confident about this game
coming off the bye week.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
But what is the sentiment up there in Indy from
the fan base.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Yeah, I mean I've had this game circled for about
three weeks as well. I mean, this is do or
die for Indianapolis. I mean, you look at the standings.
They're two full games back from the Broncos, the Chargers,
and the Ravens in this wild card hunt. You lose
this game, you're you're pretty much out of it. You're
you're basically asking these other teams to lose out which
(01:48):
is a lot to ask down the stretch to even
have a chance. And I'd like I said, that's a
lot to ask. And then for the Colts, you get
this win gives you the tiebreaker over Miami, who's below you,
and the Broncos, who are a love you. So I
really can't stretch how big of a game this is.
I don't think the Colts as a fan base feel
good about any game right now. Ben. I think every
(02:11):
game is a sit at the end of your seat
and just kind of see what happens. I think Anthony
Richardson's a roll of the dice and what you're going
to get on any given Sunday. There's some fun in that,
there's some good in that, but there's definitely been some
low moments as well.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Yeah, there have, and I wanted to dive in on that.
I mean, fans in Denver here.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Now what a quarterback with a forty seven percent completion
percentage looks like they had Tim Tebow.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
But Anthony Richardson is also doing something and Tebow did not.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
And that's leading the NFL in hearts per completion with
a lot of these deep shots, specifically with Alec Pearce.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
How you know, you look at the hit on paper.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I mean, the Broncos have won their last three the
Colts who won to it last three.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
But the Colts have been one point victory's.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
On the road against you know, lesser Uns East teams
and then you know, convincing loss to the Detroit Lions.
As you look at these, he's Anthony richard It's been
the guy in terms of now and is he the
guy for the future.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Can you win with a guy.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Who's throwing passes complete?
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Yeah? I mean I think the benching was a big
wake up call for him, and I think the team
is in general. I think a lot of these bets
took some ownership in their part in their poor play,
leading to that decision having to be made for some
other reasons as well, and I think he showed in
two of these last three weeks. I mean, there's the
(03:31):
rollercoaster of a season for him in terms of good
and bad moments, but I think these games even have
have it. And since coming back from the bye week,
I feel like there is a sense of trust in
this locker room, in the fact that you said they'd
won two of their last three and the fact that
both of those wins come off of clutch drives that
(03:53):
are on Anthony Richardson's back. I think this team is
just starting to trust the kid a little bit more,
and I think because that trust is there, we've seen
him be able to move on a little bit faster
from some of these bad throws that he'll have here
and there, Whereas pre Benching, we didn't see that as much.
We saw a kid that would go out, throw a
(04:13):
bad interception, come back out and then try and force
another ball deep. I don't think we see that same
mentality in the kids since he's came back, and I
think that's been really interesting to watch, and I think
that's been a big development for this team and how
much they actually believe the playoffs might be possible this year.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Talk with Destin Adams at the Destin Adams on Twitter.
If you were to describe this Colts team to a
Broncos fan base that largely hasn't seen them play much,
what would you say?
Speaker 1 (04:41):
This team is offensively and defensively.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Yeah, I mean on offense, this is a team that
they want to live by the run game. And when
I say that, usually with other teams it's handoff over
and over and over again. In terms of the run game,
with the Colts is a little bit more mystery there
because of the play one that Richson gives you in
the backfield since the mention coming back that they've really
dove in to the direct quarterback runs and design quarterback
(05:10):
runs and that's been a big element of what they
want to do. And I also think because of that,
like it is a situation that gets the kid a
little bit more confident going forward to where run is.
It's probably like a seventy to thirty run game plan
early on to open it up to be a fifty
to fifty game in the end. In the end periods,
(05:31):
which is really what you can expect, you can expect
a lot of deep shots after that that first half
is over entering the second half and you really see
them kind of dive into the past game a little
bit more On defense, man, I don't know if anyone
here even knows what to expect from this post defense.
I mean, there's been so many different directions this team
have gone. They really like the defensive line here. They
(05:54):
have multiple guys that have been able to create pressure
at a pretty consistent rate when they're healthy. Before ors
Buster is one of the best defensive tackles in football.
Crover Stewart is a great run stopper, but after the
defensive line, they hit a bunch of question marks. I mean,
the linebackers have good games, but they've they've had a
lot of tackling issues with mistackles. Nick Cross is having
(06:15):
a really good year of safety. I wouldn't say he's
on pace, but he's gonna have a chance to break
the safety tackle record. It's going to take forty eight
over the next four games, which is a tall task,
but even have the ability to do it shows that
he's had a lot of tackles this season. But you
don't really want to safety to have that many tackles,
(06:35):
and that tells you that It tells you that the
Colts run defense has just not been where it needs
to be this season. So it'll be interesting down the stretch.
Not a whole bunch of teams that really live and
die by the run left on the schedule for Indianapolis.
But I mean, I really feel like other opposing offenses
should look at this Colts defense and be licking their
(06:58):
lips at the idea of running the ball on them
until they can stop it.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Well, at Coach's defense that's not been great against the
run can meet at Denver's Broncos offense, it's not been
very good running the football, and you know see where
the rubber meets the road on that Shane Snyken head
coach there in front of the show obviously, and you know,
we all love Shane here and he's done a great
job of getting the most out of quarterbacks. But this
is his first go as a head coach. How has
(07:21):
he been received there by Indy? And then you know,
I heard some some rumblings out there, but Chris Ballard
and you know on his job security.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
How does the fan base feel about that? Duell?
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Yeah, I mean I think Shane after year one, I
think fans were in love with the with the offensive
mind that Shane Stikein brings and the creativity that he
was able to keep in the offense even after having
to go to the back of Gardner Minshew for the
majority of the season. I think in year two, the
game playing with Richardson early on turned some of the
fans off. The fact that we didn't see a whole
(07:55):
lot of direct quarterback runs and design quarterback runs early
and the fact that it's not but come a big
part of this offense until after his benching and returning
to the lineup. It was a little bit puzzling, but
I think overall, I think Shane has looked at as
a guy who knows often in terms of football so
well that it's hard to question him in terms of
(08:16):
game planning and play calling, where I mean every fan base,
if you have any fail on any given Sunday, they're
going to say they hate their play calling, no matter
who their play caller is. It's one consistency that there
is a cross NFL fan bases. But personally, as someone
who covers the team, I think the Colts have a
pretty dang good play caller in Shane Psiken and a
guy that just loves football. And when it comes to
(08:39):
Chris Ballard, I think the fan base are are really
starting to realize how long it's been since they won
an AFC South championship and the fact that Chris Ballad
has never been the general manager of a Colts team
that has won the AFC South. And there was a
lot of excuses and some of them are warranted early
on in his tenure, obviously, but we when you're in
(09:00):
the year eight and you are still bringing up Andrew
looks crazy retirement right before a season, it starts to
lose a little bit of its weight when it comes
to being a rightful excuse for what's being put on
the field. I've been a person that's been against saying
he's on the hot seat just because I know how
close Chris and Jim Rthay are, But personally, I really
(09:22):
started to buy in a lot from things that I've
heard and things that I am starting to believe on
the situation that this team needs to end this year
well for Chris Power to be back, and that's where
that's the That's where I'm starting to fall on the topic.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Talking with Justin Adams at the Destin Adams on Twitter,
this team's been a little bit injured on the offense,
you shide of the ball. Defense has been fairly healthy.
What can we expect in terms of the receiving core
for this game?
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Yeah, I mean getting the buye week came in a
great time. I mean, they weren't able to have Josh
Downs against the Patriots, and I mean there'd be a
lot of arguments with this statement, but I'll make I
think Josh Downs is the best receiver on this Colts team.
I think what he brings is just so consistent and
he can be such a big part and I think
he is a major part of what their game plan
(10:12):
is as a passing offense. Where As I know Michael
Pittman just god his contract in his event in the
room and has had multiple thousand yard seasons. I think
missing Josh downs is that big of a deal. So
hopefully the bye week was able to get his shoulder
where it needs to be and he's able to go
out there. That kid's tough his nails, So if he
has the chance to go out there and it's his call,
(10:32):
I know he's going to be out there in Denver.
So we'll see how it all plays out. But besides that,
I mean, Pittman's been dealing with a back injury, but
he's been on the field. I'm sure the bye week
has helped him. He's not a guy that's going to
go down without a lot of fighting on his end,
so I'd expect him to be out there. So the
Colts receiving room should be pretty healthy, and then the
offensive line is where the big question mark is and
(10:53):
how well the buye was able to get some guys back.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Talking with Justin Adams here allout a lot too, somebody
a lot of a lot of Broncos fans were interested
in before ultimately they selected Bowe Knicks. How has he
acclimated to the NFL game there and how has the
team enjoyed him as a rookie.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Yeah, I mean these guys have really bought it. Even
the other pass rushers that maybe win Indy takes a
pass rusher over a secondary player at fifteen whenever, it's
some shock initially, like they bought fully into the kid.
I mean, Leatu Latu is a guy that loves ball,
maybe as much as Shane Styche does, so I bet
they get along. Even though Shane's expertise is on the
(11:33):
offensive end. Lots of the guy who has just spends
time and time again just on his craft and perfecting
so many different pass rushers. I don't think you see
rookies come into the NFL and have as many ways
that they can go up and beat a left tackle
like we've seen from Leotu Latsu does what he does,
(11:54):
it'll be interesting. I mean, I personally feel if he
goes to a team that plays him had a higher
snap town and doesn't have him so much on a
rotation and only playing on passing downs, like the Colts
have this year. He's probably talked about more as Rookie
of the Year. He doesn't have that luxury like we've
seen from Jared Verse, who they kind of opened the
(12:15):
door day one and kind of just unleashed him. The
Colts are a little bit slower putting him out there.
He's getting on the field a little bit more now
and a little bit more consistently, and we've seen the
stack totals start to come here in this that can
happen the year as a result.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yeah, it's just one that a lot of fans here,
Jared Vers a lot of two guys they kept an eye,
they kept eyes on, and then ultimately team selected bon
Nicks and you know, you've had guys like John Cooper
and you know, especially Nick Ben you don't really have
a breakout seasons, So that's kind of fallen by the wayside.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
But the excitement for those.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Guys in the run up and getting to see them
on the field is certainly something that fans enjoy looking
at this game.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
The Colts win, if what the Colts lose, if.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
What I mean, if the Colts win, the goal very
much is the playoffs. I mean, like I said, earlier.
You win this game against Denver, you have the tiebreaker
against the team below you and the Dolphins already, and
then you'll own a tiebreaker against a Broncos team who
has a very tough go of it after this. I
mean just pulling it up. And you guys know this
(13:11):
already obviously. But after the Colts, the Broncos play the Chargers,
the Bengals, the Chiefs. After this game, the Colts are
going to play the Titans, Giants, Jaguars, very different into
your schedule, two teams, and if the Colts can get
this win over Denver, they just need the Broncos to
lose one down the stretch and then the Colts have
the tiebreaker over the Broncos in terms of that wild
(13:34):
card spot if it comes to it. So it's crucial
if you lose this game, your playoff ods dropped to
less than five percent to make it. If you're Indianapolis,
where you need a team to essentially lose out, you
have to win out after the stretch, and that's a
lot to ask. And these three very talented teams ahead
of you, and I think any time you're banking on
another team messing up for you to get in, you
(13:55):
probably don't deserve to get in. So I think the
Colts as a team look into the mirror and have
to decide what that goal is after this. And like
I said earlier, I think a guy who's fate really
really relies on a good finish right now is Chris
Ballard as the GM. I really feel like if the
Colts fall down and down this stretch and are not
(14:16):
able to at least see and punching distance at that
playoffs come week eighteen, I'd be worried if I was in.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Yeah, it sounds like it sounds like, yeah, Well, it's
going to be an interesting game on Sunday, And like
I said, for Broncos fans, this is probably the most
important game since the run up to Super Bowl fifty.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Looking forward to these two teams square it off. And
appreciate you taking some time.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
For us anytime, man. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Absolutely take care of Deston Adams.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
That the Destin Adams on Twitter, and I always appreciate
you getting a chance to talk to him, and I
get a little pulse of what's going on there with
the with the Indianapolis Colts this game. You know again,
I hate it when you get every shock jock out
there hot take orders out there with a microphone talking
about hyper about something.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
It's important. But this game is it is that important?
Speaker 3 (15:04):
It is?
Speaker 2 (15:05):
You know, it is one of those ones you have
to win because it's much easier to take the win
bank to win against the Colts here at home than
it is to count on your next two games going
on the road a short week against one of the
most physical teams in football to Los Angeles Chargers, and
then you turn around after that and you're on the
road at Cincinnati, one of the highest octane offenses in
the NFL. So I you know, if you're the Broncos,
(15:27):
it's very feasible that you could win this win and
lose out. You know that there are all kinds of
scenarios here which the thing could blow up.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
You have to win this game, finally, agree.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
You know, you feel like maybe you have two games
margin verir to work with. Even then that's projecting a lot,
But you don't want to waste some of that margin
frer on the easiest game or second easiest game remaining
on your schedule Bengals and Colts. You just got to
take care of business those two weeks because you know,
the Chargers are a nightmare and the Chiefs, I mean,
maybe they're resting starters for that game, but you do
(15:55):
not want.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
To be banking on that a month out, No, you
really don't.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
And so that's you know, I would love to be
surprised by the Stidham versus Carson Wentz game in week
seventeen Week eighteen, but that's not something that you want
to bank on it at this point. Banking on the
Chiefs to be resting starters that you can try to
get a dub is not something that I think.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
At the end of the day, that's hope is not
a strategy, right, So.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Go in handle business against this Colt's team, and if
you get that out of the way, then some of
these games you can afford a loss down the stretch
and still be in good shape.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Rocco's Country Tonight, We'll be back after this. Five to
six six.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Nine Zeros use the text line, Guys, the Heroes to
thank You is back to get less than a week
to get these these nominations. Stories in Heroes Thank You
is presented by Common Spirit Health and Heating and air Conditioning,
and a Credit Union nominated Colorado Family of a veteran
act the Militari first responder that could use twenty five
hundred dollars. We'll choose five stories and hand deliver twenty
five hundred dollars to each. Submit your recorded or written
(16:59):
nomination Away Colorado dot Com slash Contest. You got about
what six days left? Six days left, so I think
you've got basically till Sunday at midnight to get those in.
So we've got the sponsors, we got to cash. We
just need to know where to put it. You guys,
go to ka Colorado dot com. We love doing that
every year. Myself used to be myself right Edwards, not myself.
Nick Ferguson and Rod Smith. We get to go out
(17:23):
there and deliver these checks.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
It's great. We love doing this.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
We love being able to do this every year. We
just need you guys tell us where to put the money.
Five six sixty nine zero is the text line, Zach,
how disappointed are you that BYU is the opponent for
CU in the bowl game?
Speaker 1 (17:39):
I talked a little bit about it yesterday with Nick.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Nobody wants to see a conference matchup for a bowl game,
even if it's.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Not a rematch.
Speaker 4 (17:47):
Yeah, it's incredibly disappointing. I think, you know, you don't
want to see that. Conference Like, part of the joy
of a bowl game is, oh, I'm getting to see
Penn State, the exotic matchup Riami. You can easily had
Colorado Miami and beyond that. You know, so much of
the booking the Bulls is is the television ratings and
trying to appeal to sponsors and fans and whatnot. Let
(18:07):
me see cam Ward and Shador Sanders battle for QB
one and the upcoming NFL draft, because both of those
are some of the rare NFL prospects that are actually gonna.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
Play in these ball games.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
I just I don't know why they didn't take that
obvious opportunity.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Yeah there was, it was just one. As as soon as
you saw that, you're kind like really really uh. As
far as college football goes, most of college football is over.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Obviously we have the playoffs and the the bowl games,
but the regular season stuff is over except for one game,
and that is the Army Navy game coming up on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Do you watch the Army Navy game? For some people,
this is appointment television. For some people, they don't even care.
Is this how does this.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
I don't know what the younger general with the youth,
younger generation feel about the Army Navy game.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
I guess somewhere in the middle.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
You know, I don't have, admittedly a huge military tradition
in my family, so I wouldn't say it's it's appointment
viewing like you said, But I love me some football.
I think it's it's such a cool spectacle every year.
I do think it's a really cool tradition that college
football has, so I always try and catch it if
I can, Okay, I.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Yeah, I'll obviously be watching and tweeting incessantly about how
Bryson Day was robbed of being a Heisman finalist because
he plays for Army, and you know, that's the thing,
you know, one of the other aspects of that. We
you know, we've gone back and forth those for a
couple of days, and obviously I'm beat at that horse
at this point. But the the idea that Bryson Daily
(19:28):
did all that without having a single dollar of nil
on that football team anywhere, I mean, chante, you know,
not to take anything away from him, but at least
they they've got a full team of nil players, their
head boys, they play in the Mountain West, which only
had what three other winning schools with a winning a record.
You know, I just I, for the life of me,
(19:50):
I can't understand a guy who you know, threw for
nearly a thousand yards, rushed for nearly fifteen hundred yards,
and had you know, twenty nine rushing touchdowns eight passing touchdown.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Didn't fight a way to be in that conversation.
Speaker 4 (20:04):
Well, when you highlighted you know, historic examples like Eric Crouch,
who you know played that same position, a flexbone quarterback,
and Jylee's numbers are dramatically better, not only a little better,
daggeringly better.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
And the thing about it is is not like Crouch
wasn't up against quarterbacks who had good numbers that year.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
He was up against.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Guys like Rex Grossman, who was playing in Steve Spurrier's
offense down there in Florida. Uh, he was up against
you know Carr did Carr whose numbers at Fresno were
pretty eye popping, got himdrafted number one overall, Joey Harrington,
who had good numbers there.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Ore.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
That wasn't like he was up against that.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
But I guess I don't, and I'm trying to remember
if Krouch got that Heisman as sort of a throwback,
because you know, the past, the golden passing era was
kind of started starting in college football.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
I don't remember. It's been so long. I don't really remember.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Exactly why it was that he won the Heisman. I
mean he was upside down on touchdowns interception. Crouch threw
only seven touchdowns that year and he had ten interceptions.
Bryson Daily has eight touches, He has more touchdowns and
only one interception.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
The one thing that Krouch did that Daily didn't do.
Krouch caught a sixty three yard touchdown pass that year.
Daily's not caught any passes. Nobody's thrown him the ball.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
But beyond that, I mean he smoked him statistically.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
And then the Ken Dorsey too, another one in that
two thousand and one crop.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
I just pulled up. Yeah, his stts don't.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
I mean, if we're going to use these same metrics,
we are for arguing cam Ward or a Dylan Gabriel
to be in that crop of finalists over of Bryson Daily.
You could easily have argued again in two thousand and
one for Rex Grossman or Ken Dorsey.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
David Carr, Aer Crutch or David Carr.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Carr threw for forty three hundred yards and forty two
touchdowns that year. Rex Grossman thirty eight hundred yards thirty
four touchdowns for a Florida team that was pretty successful.
It's kind of reminiscent of what his transpired this year
because you don't have a Travis Hunter or a Janty
in that class. Now, they had Antoine Randall l who
played quarterback, ran around all the kind of stuff as well,
(22:10):
but you know, most of the people in that class
was it was quarterbacks. You didn't have a Janty or
a Hunter who. By the way, it's one too like
whenever your preference is fine, I think Travis Hunter, but
there are people out there that think Chanty.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
It's fine. I'm fine either way. I'm fine with either one.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
What I'm not fine with is getting Dylan Gabriel a
Lifetime Achievement award for playing college football for eight years.
You know what I'm not fine with is just defaulting
to cam Ward because he happened to have, you know,
a certain number of touchdowns or whatever. When Kyle McCord,
you know, had had as many yards and all that
kind of stuff as well. So like for me, those kids,
just because Ward figures to be one of the top
NFL prospects, I'm not fine with doing that. The award
(22:48):
itself is most Outstanding Player, and to me, if you
look at that, Bryson Daly has one loss on the
season to Notre Dame, a game in which he went
over a hunter rushing and two touchdowns himself. By the way,
their defense just couldn't stop anybody. Army could not stop
Notre Dame. And to be fair, I mean, nobody stopped
Notre Dame this year outside of Northern Illinois, which is
still hilarious. Absolutely is it, Absolutely is. But I'm just saying, like,
(23:12):
you know, this isn't because I was in This isn't
because I was in the Army thing. I get it
because I get it when people go there and say
stuff like that. But I'm not biased for against Army
as far as that kind of stuff goes. That's not
even that's not even the thing. I think he deserves
it on accomplishment. He ran for one hundred and thirty
nine yards and two touchdowns against Notre Dame, the only
ranked opponent they played that year. I mean, you go
(23:33):
back and look at Janti stats against Oregon and it's
in a similar vein like you know, it's he went
out there and did what he was supposed to. You know,
I guesst A good part of the problem was is
that they, you know, Army just could not stop the
run game of Notre Dame. Jeremiah Love ran seven times
for one hundred and thirty yards and two touchdowns. He
averaged eighteen point six perchase per carry. Oh, by the way,
(23:57):
and he is will of three for sixty two had
a touchdown. They just couldn't stop. They could not stop
Notre Dame running the football.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
They just did.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
And that's what happens when you got a defense there's
no nil money against a top five program like, that's
what happens. But you know, Bryson Daily led led a
team to a ten to one record on the season
and had you know he was He played in two
fewer games than Janty, had the same number of touchdowns.
(24:25):
He averages one hundred and thirty four rushing yards a game,
five point six to carry. He had more touchdowns from
outside the five than Janty. It wasn't like they were
giving them layups, you know, of the flexbeller touch push stuff.
He had more touchdowns that were you know, a longer
touchdown run. And oh, by the way he played quarterback position.
He threw for another you know, close to one thousand
yards and eight touchdowns. Not a whole lot, but that's
(24:46):
still that's something. And so I just I don't understand
at the end of the day, how this isn't in
the conversation, it wasn't like the it wasn't like the
competition was significantly different either way. I mean, the Mountain
West schedule was brutally easy for Auntie.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Not again not to take.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Anything away from Janty, because what he did was spectacular,
But at the same time, when you're comparing the strength
of schedule with what Army was with, I mean, it
was virtually the same strength as schedule in terms of
the defense as they played. So again, I don't understand
why they wouldn't have put him, you know, in the conversation,
I hate that. I hate the kid just because he
went to a service academy, he is going to get
(25:22):
jipped to something that it probably should have gone his
way so that you can favor some quarterbacks.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Who might make a splash in the league.
Speaker 4 (25:29):
Maybe, Yeah, it does feel like that's what they're doing here,
you know, And to get really literal with the ord
it is most outstanding player. It isn't best, it isn't
most valuable, it is most outstanding.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
And I have cited that as you know, I'm.
Speaker 4 (25:44):
A CEO along as part of the Travis Hunter case
in terms of outline being an outlying talent, we have
never seen someone do this at this level since like
Paul Horning. That's more outstanding to me than what gent
he's done. As how outstanding is that is as well
Bryson Day League, all the flexbun stuff. You know, you
and Nick were going back and forth about last night.
(26:04):
The rushing touchdowns don't counter whatever to me. Those are
cases for him being in outstanding talent.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
He is a throwback. He is a unique player.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
We haven't seen since the days of Eric Crouch and
his own.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Team in rushing. Yeah, that year Crouch did not even
lead his own team.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
They're on Derek Littl of the Nebraska Cornhausers in rushing
that you're with thirteen hundred yards in fifteen touchdowns.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
So it was it's just funny to me.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Bryce and Newly is ten more rushing touchdowns than Eric
Crouch had that season ten more. I can't even use
this if let the NCAA Ashton Chanty and and Rice
and Daily Tide. Now after this Navy game Arman Navy game,
Daily figures to pass him and still be a game
short of where Chanty was.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
And there's not four amazing candidates this year, there's two.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
I wouldn't put Daily ahead of the top, and it
should be.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
But the but for for the love of God, you
have the right guy to put him and make a
finalist and send him up there to New York and
you didn't.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
And kend I'm disappointed these voters. Kim Ward's resume is
really really weak. Like Dylan Gabriels isn't great, but you
could there's the whole Oregon thing.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
Yea time achievement award he got, you know what he got.
He got the John Wayne Award. Right, John Wayne.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Couldn't get an oscar, so he finally give him the
thing if it's a lifetime achievement award.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
And that's not to take anything away from Dylan gabriel
who executed the offense and did what he's supposed to
at Oregon, but was Dylan Gabriel really the most outstanding
player in college football?
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Was he one of the top five most outstanding players
in college football?
Speaker 2 (27:36):
I would venture he wasn't even one of the top
five quarterbacks in college football. How frequently was he the
most outstanding player on the field at any given time.
I mean that with Tess Johnson and Evan Sewart and
all those talented, those tight ends that Oregon has, the
lineman they have, they are the players.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
Oregon is the best team in the country. They are
the best team in the country. And I'm not taking
anything away from them, but they plugged.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
And this is in a sense, it would be like
giving the MVP to Sam Donald. And that's not to
take anything away from Sam Donald, who has had a
career resurgence.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
But Sam Donald doesn't belong.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
He's none in the same breath as Lamar Jackson or
Josh Allen or any of those guys, or Saquon Barkley
or any of those guys. Sam Darnold plugged and played
into already made offense that was already good, that already
had Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
You know, they added the running.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Back the like they got the tight end position.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
They got TJ.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Hockinson, They've got a good offensive line. Like that's what
we're talking about here, We're talking about giving him a
you know, an achievement award because he was drafted in
the top five a while ago. It has resurrected himself,
Dylan Gabriel, with all due respect to Dylan Gabriel, and
by the way, that seven too. I think it's prophecys.
Don't laugh at my at my Irish, don't make me
(28:57):
come to that. I'm not laugh at the Irish. No day.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
It's a good football team, Notre Dame. It's a fantastic
football team. Army just had Armies just not in the
same weight class.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
You know, Like at the end of the day, the
Army cannot feel, it couldn't feel the defense to stop
Notre Dame. It had nothing to do with any other
part of that Notre Dame one, because their offense was
vastly superior to Army's defense. But Bryson Daily still went
for a buck thirty nine and through touchdowns on Notre
Dame with no help from anyone.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
I think there.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
I think the fullback who gets the ball of their carriage,
you know, the kind of you know, I.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
Think he had thirty five yards in that game something
like that, Like he couldn't do anything. Their offensive line
was overmatched. But my point here is, again, we.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Get into this bubble of conventional thinking and group think
and everybody starts banding names around, and that's just we
all just follow into the trap and put those names
on the board.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
Travis Hunter did something we had never seen before. I'm
fine with that.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Ashton Janty didn't do something we'd never seen before, but
did an incredible job being the focal point. Bryson Daly
was the same thing. He was the focal point of
that offense. He was the offense, right. Why can't he
get the same accolades the chance was getting just because
we expect Janty to have a very good pro career.
Bryson Day is probably gonna go pro when you know,
(30:14):
stopping the next Osama bin Latin. It just frustrates me.
And again, it has nothing to do with Army and
me and Ben and I nothing to do with that
at all. If you go back and you listen to
my this is the most outspoken I've been about it.
But I've left you hints before over the past couple
of years, guys I would have put the Heisman conversation
that nobody voted for. There was a running back at
(30:38):
South Alabama a couple of years ago. I was unstoppable,
played a weaker conference.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
But he was the offense.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Didn't get a sniff of a Heisman or any of
that kind of stuff. It's because he played in a
lesser conference, and I just I don't know. For me,
I look at this stuff and I'm like, for me,
for most outstanding player, I take the approach like, if
I pulled this guy off this team, what are they?
If I put somebody else in here, what are they?
If you put cam Ward on Oregon and you put
(31:09):
Dylan Gabriel on Miami, those two teams have the exact
same record at the end of the day, doesn't change anything, right,
But now those guys aren't flexbone quarterbacks, so it's not
a one to one comparison in terms of putting them
in there at Army.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
But you get the idea.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
Army wasn't gonna beat Notre Dame with Dylan Gabriel or
cam Ward at the quarterback position, even if they weren't
running the flex bone.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
So like the way that.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
I look at this in the way that I get
frustrated about this is the amount of people who continue
to give me pushback.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
I even got push back on social media.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Put it on a blue sky, the new one or whatever,
like it stinks that he wasn't I didn't put it
on Twitter because I wasn't prepared for the notification storm.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
But I put it on a blue sky and I
was still getting who.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
How do you not know who the quarter that the leading,
the guy who led the NCAA and rushing touchdowns is
and you're gonna send who.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
Like even if if you don't agree with my premise,
that's ignorance, that's disrespectful.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
And you know, I hope that the Army Navy game
this weekend puts on a show so people watching can
see that this kid is a stone col killer. It
was great to have TJ Ward on last night. It
got TJ on from the No Fly Zone and he
was straight up like Nick was.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Was getting ready to clown it.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
And TJ was like, aw Son, I'm gonna need you
to I'm gonna need you to know Rice and Daily
is a stone cold killer and probably will be down
the line as well.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
Broncos Country Night back after this
De Bend's been all right here with you.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Special thanks to the Hall of Famers Steve Atwater for
joining us in studio last hour. We missed any part
of that, we obviously you can go to Broncos Country
dot com, Slash podcast wherever each podcast, Apple iTunes, Spotify,
to the Train also my heart radio app Neoda. Didn't
quite nail it, but we're getting there. Gotta go up
like an octave almost to the Grand Smith levels that
we'll get. We'll get it there. You can download it
(00:23):
there as always. If you ever missed any part of that,
we appreciate you guys doing that and like writing and subscribe.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
All that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
We don't have to gaateway comment Spirit Health Hotline though.
Get behind Enemy Lines with Deston Adams on Twitter at
the Deston Adams is a Colt beat writer and fil
draft analysts for.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Agency Sports and a good friend of mine. Destin. How
you doing this evening?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
I'm doing good, guys. How are you guys doing doing well?
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Doing well? This?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
This game which you know, I know every hot take
artist out there with the microphones says every game is
must win and all that kind of stuff and all
that Hyperboley. But for the Denver Broncos, this game might
be the most important game in Denver for the Broncos
since the run up to Super Bowl fifty because you
lose this game to the Colts and all of a sudden,
every wild card eligible team owns a tiebreaker on you. Uh,
(01:07):
you win this game and you put a game distance
and have a tiebreaker on at least one team going
into a Thursday night football game on the road against
the Chargers. From the Broncos side of the house, I
would say fans here feel pretty confident about this game
coming off the bye week.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
But what is the sentiment up there in Indy from
the fan base.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Yeah, I mean I've had this game circled for about
three weeks as well. I mean, this is do or
die for Indianapolis. I mean, you look at the standings.
They're two full games back from the Broncos, the Chargers,
and the Ravens in this wild card hunt. You lose
this game, you're you're pretty much out of it. You're
you're basically asking these other teams to lose out which
(01:48):
is a lot to ask down the stretch to even
have a chance. And I'd like I said, that's a
lot to ask. And then for the Colts, you get
this win gives you the tiebreaker over Miami, who's below you,
and the Broncos, who are a love you. So I
really can't stretch how big of a game this is.
I don't think the Colts as a fan base feel
good about any game right now. Ben. I think every
(02:11):
game is a sit at the end of your seat
and just kind of see what happens. I think Anthony
Richardson's a roll of the dice and what you're going
to get on any given Sunday. There's some fun in that,
there's some good in that, but there's definitely been some
low moments as well.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Yeah, there have, and I wanted to dive in on that.
I mean, fans in Denver here.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Now what a quarterback with a forty seven percent completion
percentage looks like they had Tim Tebow.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
But Anthony Richardson is also doing something and Tebow did not.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
And that's leading the NFL in hearts per completion with
a lot of these deep shots, specifically with Alec Pearce.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
How you know, you look at the hit on paper.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I mean, the Broncos have won their last three the
Colts who won to it last three.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
But the Colts have been one point victory's.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
On the road against you know, lesser Uns East teams
and then you know, convincing loss to the Detroit Lions.
As you look at these, he's Anthony richard It's been
the guy in terms of now and is he the
guy for the future.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Can you win with a guy.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Who's throwing passes complete?
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Yeah? I mean I think the benching was a big
wake up call for him, and I think the team
is in general. I think a lot of these bets
took some ownership in their part in their poor play,
leading to that decision having to be made for some
other reasons as well, and I think he showed in
two of these last three weeks. I mean, there's the
(03:31):
rollercoaster of a season for him in terms of good
and bad moments, but I think these games even have
have it. And since coming back from the bye week,
I feel like there is a sense of trust in
this locker room, in the fact that you said they'd
won two of their last three and the fact that
both of those wins come off of clutch drives that
(03:53):
are on Anthony Richardson's back. I think this team is
just starting to trust the kid a little bit more,
and I think because that trust is there, we've seen
him be able to move on a little bit faster
from some of these bad throws that he'll have here
and there, Whereas pre Benching, we didn't see that as much.
We saw a kid that would go out, throw a
(04:13):
bad interception, come back out and then try and force
another ball deep. I don't think we see that same
mentality in the kids since he's came back, and I
think that's been really interesting to watch, and I think
that's been a big development for this team and how
much they actually believe the playoffs might be possible this year.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Talk with Destin Adams at the Destin Adams on Twitter.
If you were to describe this Colts team to a
Broncos fan base that largely hasn't seen them play much,
what would you say?
Speaker 1 (04:41):
This team is offensively and defensively.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Yeah, I mean on offense, this is a team that
they want to live by the run game. And when
I say that, usually with other teams it's handoff over
and over and over again. In terms of the run game,
with the Colts is a little bit more mystery there
because of the play one that Richson gives you in
the backfield since the mention coming back that they've really
dove in to the direct quarterback runs and design quarterback
(05:10):
runs and that's been a big element of what they
want to do. And I also think because of that,
like it is a situation that gets the kid a
little bit more confident going forward to where run is.
It's probably like a seventy to thirty run game plan
early on to open it up to be a fifty
to fifty game in the end. In the end periods,
(05:31):
which is really what you can expect, you can expect
a lot of deep shots after that that first half
is over entering the second half and you really see
them kind of dive into the past game a little
bit more On defense, man, I don't know if anyone
here even knows what to expect from this post defense.
I mean, there's been so many different directions this team
have gone. They really like the defensive line here. They
(05:54):
have multiple guys that have been able to create pressure
at a pretty consistent rate when they're healthy. Before ors
Buster is one of the best defensive tackles in football.
Crover Stewart is a great run stopper, but after the
defensive line, they hit a bunch of question marks. I mean,
the linebackers have good games, but they've they've had a
lot of tackling issues with mistackles. Nick Cross is having
(06:15):
a really good year of safety. I wouldn't say he's
on pace, but he's gonna have a chance to break
the safety tackle record. It's going to take forty eight
over the next four games, which is a tall task,
but even have the ability to do it shows that
he's had a lot of tackles this season. But you
don't really want to safety to have that many tackles,
(06:35):
and that tells you that It tells you that the
Colts run defense has just not been where it needs
to be this season. So it'll be interesting down the stretch.
Not a whole bunch of teams that really live and
die by the run left on the schedule for Indianapolis.
But I mean, I really feel like other opposing offenses
should look at this Colts defense and be licking their
(06:58):
lips at the idea of running the ball on them
until they can stop it.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Well, at Coach's defense that's not been great against the
run can meet at Denver's Broncos offense, it's not been
very good running the football, and you know see where
the rubber meets the road on that Shane Snyken head
coach there in front of the show obviously, and you know,
we all love Shane here and he's done a great
job of getting the most out of quarterbacks. But this
is his first go as a head coach. How has
(07:21):
he been received there by Indy? And then you know,
I heard some some rumblings out there, but Chris Ballard
and you know on his job security.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
How does the fan base feel about that? Duell?
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Yeah, I mean I think Shane after year one, I
think fans were in love with the with the offensive
mind that Shane Stikein brings and the creativity that he
was able to keep in the offense even after having
to go to the back of Gardner Minshew for the
majority of the season. I think in year two, the
game playing with Richardson early on turned some of the
fans off. The fact that we didn't see a whole
(07:55):
lot of direct quarterback runs and design quarterback runs early
and the fact that it's not but come a big
part of this offense until after his benching and returning
to the lineup. It was a little bit puzzling, but
I think overall, I think Shane has looked at as
a guy who knows often in terms of football so
well that it's hard to question him in terms of
(08:16):
game planning and play calling, where I mean every fan base,
if you have any fail on any given Sunday, they're
going to say they hate their play calling, no matter
who their play caller is. It's one consistency that there
is a cross NFL fan bases. But personally, as someone
who covers the team, I think the Colts have a
pretty dang good play caller in Shane Psiken and a
guy that just loves football. And when it comes to
(08:39):
Chris Ballard, I think the fan base are are really
starting to realize how long it's been since they won
an AFC South championship and the fact that Chris Ballad
has never been the general manager of a Colts team
that has won the AFC South. And there was a
lot of excuses and some of them are warranted early
on in his tenure, obviously, but we when you're in
(09:00):
the year eight and you are still bringing up Andrew
looks crazy retirement right before a season, it starts to
lose a little bit of its weight when it comes
to being a rightful excuse for what's being put on
the field. I've been a person that's been against saying
he's on the hot seat just because I know how
close Chris and Jim Rthay are, But personally, I really
(09:22):
started to buy in a lot from things that I've
heard and things that I am starting to believe on
the situation that this team needs to end this year
well for Chris Power to be back, and that's where
that's the That's where I'm starting to fall on the topic.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Talking with Justin Adams at the Destin Adams on Twitter,
this team's been a little bit injured on the offense,
you shide of the ball. Defense has been fairly healthy.
What can we expect in terms of the receiving core
for this game?
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Yeah, I mean getting the buye week came in a
great time. I mean, they weren't able to have Josh
Downs against the Patriots, and I mean there'd be a
lot of arguments with this statement, but I'll make I
think Josh Downs is the best receiver on this Colts team.
I think what he brings is just so consistent and
he can be such a big part and I think
he is a major part of what their game plan
(10:12):
is as a passing offense. Where As I know Michael
Pittman just god his contract in his event in the
room and has had multiple thousand yard seasons. I think
missing Josh downs is that big of a deal. So
hopefully the bye week was able to get his shoulder
where it needs to be and he's able to go
out there. That kid's tough his nails, So if he
has the chance to go out there and it's his call,
(10:32):
I know he's going to be out there in Denver.
So we'll see how it all plays out. But besides that,
I mean, Pittman's been dealing with a back injury, but
he's been on the field. I'm sure the bye week
has helped him. He's not a guy that's going to
go down without a lot of fighting on his end,
so I'd expect him to be out there. So the
Colts receiving room should be pretty healthy, and then the
offensive line is where the big question mark is and
(10:53):
how well the buye was able to get some guys back.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Talking with Justin Adams here allout a lot too, somebody
a lot of a lot of Broncos fans were interested
in before ultimately they selected Bowe Knicks. How has he
acclimated to the NFL game there and how has the
team enjoyed him as a rookie.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Yeah, I mean these guys have really bought it. Even
the other pass rushers that maybe win Indy takes a
pass rusher over a secondary player at fifteen whenever, it's
some shock initially, like they bought fully into the kid.
I mean, Leatu Latu is a guy that loves ball,
maybe as much as Shane Styche does, so I bet
they get along. Even though Shane's expertise is on the
(11:33):
offensive end. Lots of the guy who has just spends
time and time again just on his craft and perfecting
so many different pass rushers. I don't think you see
rookies come into the NFL and have as many ways
that they can go up and beat a left tackle
like we've seen from Leotu Latsu does what he does,
(11:54):
it'll be interesting. I mean, I personally feel if he
goes to a team that plays him had a higher
snap town and doesn't have him so much on a
rotation and only playing on passing downs, like the Colts
have this year. He's probably talked about more as Rookie
of the Year. He doesn't have that luxury like we've
seen from Jared Verse, who they kind of opened the
(12:15):
door day one and kind of just unleashed him. The
Colts are a little bit slower putting him out there.
He's getting on the field a little bit more now
and a little bit more consistently, and we've seen the
stack totals start to come here in this that can
happen the year as a result.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yeah, it's just one that a lot of fans here,
Jared Vers a lot of two guys they kept an eye,
they kept eyes on, and then ultimately team selected bon
Nicks and you know, you've had guys like John Cooper
and you know, especially Nick Ben you don't really have
a breakout seasons, So that's kind of fallen by the wayside.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
But the excitement for those.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Guys in the run up and getting to see them
on the field is certainly something that fans enjoy looking
at this game.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
The Colts win, if what the Colts lose, if.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
What I mean, if the Colts win, the goal very
much is the playoffs. I mean, like I said, earlier.
You win this game against Denver, you have the tiebreaker
against the team below you and the Dolphins already, and
then you'll own a tiebreaker against a Broncos team who
has a very tough go of it after this. I
mean just pulling it up. And you guys know this
(13:11):
already obviously. But after the Colts, the Broncos play the Chargers,
the Bengals, the Chiefs. After this game, the Colts are
going to play the Titans, Giants, Jaguars, very different into
your schedule, two teams, and if the Colts can get
this win over Denver, they just need the Broncos to
lose one down the stretch and then the Colts have
the tiebreaker over the Broncos in terms of that wild
(13:34):
card spot if it comes to it. So it's crucial
if you lose this game, your playoff ods dropped to
less than five percent to make it. If you're Indianapolis,
where you need a team to essentially lose out, you
have to win out after the stretch, and that's a
lot to ask. And these three very talented teams ahead
of you, and I think any time you're banking on
another team messing up for you to get in, you
(13:55):
probably don't deserve to get in. So I think the
Colts as a team look into the mirror and have
to decide what that goal is after this. And like
I said earlier, I think a guy who's fate really
really relies on a good finish right now is Chris
Ballard as the GM. I really feel like if the
Colts fall down and down this stretch and are not
(14:16):
able to at least see and punching distance at that
playoffs come week eighteen, I'd be worried if I was in.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Yeah, it sounds like it sounds like, yeah, Well, it's
going to be an interesting game on Sunday, And like
I said, for Broncos fans, this is probably the most
important game since the run up to Super Bowl fifty.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Looking forward to these two teams square it off. And
appreciate you taking some time.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
For us anytime, man. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Absolutely take care of Deston Adams.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
That the Destin Adams on Twitter, and I always appreciate
you getting a chance to talk to him, and I
get a little pulse of what's going on there with
the with the Indianapolis Colts this game. You know again,
I hate it when you get every shock jock out
there hot take orders out there with a microphone talking
about hyper about something.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
It's important. But this game is it is that important?
Speaker 3 (15:04):
It is?
Speaker 2 (15:05):
You know, it is one of those ones you have
to win because it's much easier to take the win
bank to win against the Colts here at home than
it is to count on your next two games going
on the road a short week against one of the
most physical teams in football to Los Angeles Chargers, and
then you turn around after that and you're on the
road at Cincinnati, one of the highest octane offenses in
the NFL. So I you know, if you're the Broncos,
(15:27):
it's very feasible that you could win this win and
lose out. You know that there are all kinds of
scenarios here which the thing could blow up.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
You have to win this game, finally, agree.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
You know, you feel like maybe you have two games
margin verir to work with. Even then that's projecting a lot,
But you don't want to waste some of that margin
frer on the easiest game or second easiest game remaining
on your schedule Bengals and Colts. You just got to
take care of business those two weeks because you know,
the Chargers are a nightmare and the Chiefs, I mean,
maybe they're resting starters for that game, but you do
(15:55):
not want.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
To be banking on that a month out, No, you
really don't.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
And so that's you know, I would love to be
surprised by the Stidham versus Carson Wentz game in week
seventeen Week eighteen, but that's not something that you want
to bank on it at this point. Banking on the
Chiefs to be resting starters that you can try to
get a dub is not something that I think.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
At the end of the day, that's hope is not
a strategy, right, So.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Go in handle business against this Colt's team, and if
you get that out of the way, then some of
these games you can afford a loss down the stretch
and still be in good shape.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Rocco's Country Tonight, We'll be back after this. Five to
six six.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Nine Zeros use the text line, Guys, the Heroes to
thank You is back to get less than a week
to get these these nominations. Stories in Heroes Thank You
is presented by Common Spirit Health and Heating and air Conditioning,
and a Credit Union nominated Colorado Family of a veteran
act the Militari first responder that could use twenty five
hundred dollars. We'll choose five stories and hand deliver twenty
five hundred dollars to each. Submit your recorded or written
(16:59):
nomination Away Colorado dot Com slash Contest. You got about
what six days left? Six days left, so I think
you've got basically till Sunday at midnight to get those in.
So we've got the sponsors, we got to cash. We
just need to know where to put it. You guys,
go to ka Colorado dot com. We love doing that
every year. Myself used to be myself right Edwards, not myself.
Nick Ferguson and Rod Smith. We get to go out
(17:23):
there and deliver these checks.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
It's great. We love doing this.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
We love being able to do this every year. We
just need you guys tell us where to put the money.
Five six sixty nine zero is the text line, Zach,
how disappointed are you that BYU is the opponent for
CU in the bowl game?
Speaker 1 (17:39):
I talked a little bit about it yesterday with Nick.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Nobody wants to see a conference matchup for a bowl game,
even if it's.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Not a rematch.
Speaker 4 (17:47):
Yeah, it's incredibly disappointing. I think, you know, you don't
want to see that. Conference Like, part of the joy
of a bowl game is, oh, I'm getting to see
Penn State, the exotic matchup Riami. You can easily had
Colorado Miami and beyond that. You know, so much of
the booking the Bulls is is the television ratings and
trying to appeal to sponsors and fans and whatnot. Let
(18:07):
me see cam Ward and Shador Sanders battle for QB
one and the upcoming NFL draft, because both of those
are some of the rare NFL prospects that are actually gonna.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
Play in these ball games.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
I just I don't know why they didn't take that
obvious opportunity.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Yeah there was, it was just one. As as soon as
you saw that, you're kind like really really uh. As
far as college football goes, most of college football is over.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Obviously we have the playoffs and the the bowl games,
but the regular season stuff is over except for one game,
and that is the Army Navy game coming up on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Do you watch the Army Navy game? For some people,
this is appointment television. For some people, they don't even care.
Is this how does this.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
I don't know what the younger general with the youth,
younger generation feel about the Army Navy game.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
I guess somewhere in the middle.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
You know, I don't have, admittedly a huge military tradition
in my family, so I wouldn't say it's it's appointment
viewing like you said, But I love me some football.
I think it's it's such a cool spectacle every year.
I do think it's a really cool tradition that college
football has, so I always try and catch it if
I can, Okay, I.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Yeah, I'll obviously be watching and tweeting incessantly about how
Bryson Day was robbed of being a Heisman finalist because
he plays for Army, and you know, that's the thing,
you know, one of the other aspects of that. We
you know, we've gone back and forth those for a
couple of days, and obviously I'm beat at that horse
at this point. But the the idea that Bryson Daily
(19:28):
did all that without having a single dollar of nil
on that football team anywhere, I mean, chante, you know,
not to take anything away from him, but at least
they they've got a full team of nil players, their
head boys, they play in the Mountain West, which only
had what three other winning schools with a winning a record.
You know, I just I, for the life of me,
(19:50):
I can't understand a guy who you know, threw for
nearly a thousand yards, rushed for nearly fifteen hundred yards,
and had you know, twenty nine rushing touchdowns eight passing touchdown.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Didn't fight a way to be in that conversation.
Speaker 4 (20:04):
Well, when you highlighted you know, historic examples like Eric Crouch,
who you know played that same position, a flexbone quarterback,
and Jylee's numbers are dramatically better, not only a little better,
daggeringly better.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
And the thing about it is is not like Crouch
wasn't up against quarterbacks who had good numbers that year.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
He was up against.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Guys like Rex Grossman, who was playing in Steve Spurrier's
offense down there in Florida. Uh, he was up against
you know Carr did Carr whose numbers at Fresno were
pretty eye popping, got himdrafted number one overall, Joey Harrington,
who had good numbers there.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Ore.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
That wasn't like he was up against that.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
But I guess I don't, and I'm trying to remember
if Krouch got that Heisman as sort of a throwback,
because you know, the past, the golden passing era was
kind of started starting in college football.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
I don't remember. It's been so long. I don't really remember.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Exactly why it was that he won the Heisman. I
mean he was upside down on touchdowns interception. Crouch threw
only seven touchdowns that year and he had ten interceptions.
Bryson Daily has eight touches, He has more touchdowns and
only one interception.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
The one thing that Krouch did that Daily didn't do.
Krouch caught a sixty three yard touchdown pass that year.
Daily's not caught any passes. Nobody's thrown him the ball.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
But beyond that, I mean he smoked him statistically.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
And then the Ken Dorsey too, another one in that
two thousand and one crop.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
I just pulled up. Yeah, his stts don't.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
I mean, if we're going to use these same metrics,
we are for arguing cam Ward or a Dylan Gabriel
to be in that crop of finalists over of Bryson Daily.
You could easily have argued again in two thousand and
one for Rex Grossman or Ken Dorsey.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
David Carr, Aer Crutch or David Carr.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Carr threw for forty three hundred yards and forty two
touchdowns that year. Rex Grossman thirty eight hundred yards thirty
four touchdowns for a Florida team that was pretty successful.
It's kind of reminiscent of what his transpired this year
because you don't have a Travis Hunter or a Janty
in that class. Now, they had Antoine Randall l who
played quarterback, ran around all the kind of stuff as well,
(22:10):
but you know, most of the people in that class
was it was quarterbacks. You didn't have a Janty or
a Hunter who. By the way, it's one too like
whenever your preference is fine, I think Travis Hunter, but
there are people out there that think Chanty.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
It's fine. I'm fine either way. I'm fine with either one.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
What I'm not fine with is getting Dylan Gabriel a
Lifetime Achievement award for playing college football for eight years.
You know what I'm not fine with is just defaulting
to cam Ward because he happened to have, you know,
a certain number of touchdowns or whatever. When Kyle McCord,
you know, had had as many yards and all that
kind of stuff as well. So like for me, those kids,
just because Ward figures to be one of the top
NFL prospects, I'm not fine with doing that. The award
(22:48):
itself is most Outstanding Player, and to me, if you
look at that, Bryson Daly has one loss on the
season to Notre Dame, a game in which he went
over a hunter rushing and two touchdowns himself. By the way,
their defense just couldn't stop anybody. Army could not stop
Notre Dame. And to be fair, I mean, nobody stopped
Notre Dame this year outside of Northern Illinois, which is
still hilarious. Absolutely is it, Absolutely is. But I'm just saying, like,
(23:12):
you know, this isn't because I was in This isn't
because I was in the Army thing. I get it
because I get it when people go there and say
stuff like that. But I'm not biased for against Army
as far as that kind of stuff goes. That's not
even that's not even the thing. I think he deserves
it on accomplishment. He ran for one hundred and thirty
nine yards and two touchdowns against Notre Dame, the only
ranked opponent they played that year. I mean, you go
(23:33):
back and look at Janti stats against Oregon and it's
in a similar vein like you know, it's he went
out there and did what he was supposed to. You know,
I guesst A good part of the problem was is
that they, you know, Army just could not stop the
run game of Notre Dame. Jeremiah Love ran seven times
for one hundred and thirty yards and two touchdowns. He
averaged eighteen point six perchase per carry. Oh, by the way,
(23:57):
and he is will of three for sixty two had
a touchdown. They just couldn't stop. They could not stop
Notre Dame running the football.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
They just did.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
And that's what happens when you got a defense there's
no nil money against a top five program like, that's
what happens. But you know, Bryson Daily led led a
team to a ten to one record on the season
and had you know he was He played in two
fewer games than Janty, had the same number of touchdowns.
(24:25):
He averages one hundred and thirty four rushing yards a game,
five point six to carry. He had more touchdowns from
outside the five than Janty. It wasn't like they were
giving them layups, you know, of the flexbeller touch push stuff.
He had more touchdowns that were you know, a longer
touchdown run. And oh, by the way he played quarterback position.
He threw for another you know, close to one thousand
yards and eight touchdowns. Not a whole lot, but that's
(24:46):
still that's something. And so I just I don't understand
at the end of the day, how this isn't in
the conversation, it wasn't like the it wasn't like the
competition was significantly different either way. I mean, the Mountain
West schedule was brutally easy for Auntie.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Not again not to take.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Anything away from Janty, because what he did was spectacular,
But at the same time, when you're comparing the strength
of schedule with what Army was with, I mean, it
was virtually the same strength as schedule in terms of
the defense as they played. So again, I don't understand
why they wouldn't have put him, you know, in the conversation,
I hate that. I hate the kid just because he
went to a service academy, he is going to get
(25:22):
jipped to something that it probably should have gone his
way so that you can favor some quarterbacks.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Who might make a splash in the league.
Speaker 4 (25:29):
Maybe, Yeah, it does feel like that's what they're doing here,
you know, And to get really literal with the ord
it is most outstanding player. It isn't best, it isn't
most valuable, it is most outstanding.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
And I have cited that as you know, I'm.
Speaker 4 (25:44):
A CEO along as part of the Travis Hunter case
in terms of outline being an outlying talent, we have
never seen someone do this at this level since like
Paul Horning. That's more outstanding to me than what gent
he's done. As how outstanding is that is as well
Bryson Day League, all the flexbun stuff. You know, you
and Nick were going back and forth about last night.
(26:04):
The rushing touchdowns don't counter whatever to me. Those are
cases for him being in outstanding talent.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
He is a throwback. He is a unique player.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
We haven't seen since the days of Eric Crouch and
his own.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Team in rushing. Yeah, that year Crouch did not even
lead his own team.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
They're on Derek Littl of the Nebraska Cornhausers in rushing
that you're with thirteen hundred yards in fifteen touchdowns.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
So it was it's just funny to me.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Bryce and Newly is ten more rushing touchdowns than Eric
Crouch had that season ten more. I can't even use
this if let the NCAA Ashton Chanty and and Rice
and Daily Tide. Now after this Navy game Arman Navy game,
Daily figures to pass him and still be a game
short of where Chanty was.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
And there's not four amazing candidates this year, there's two.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
I wouldn't put Daily ahead of the top, and it
should be.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
But the but for for the love of God, you
have the right guy to put him and make a
finalist and send him up there to New York and
you didn't.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
And kend I'm disappointed these voters. Kim Ward's resume is
really really weak. Like Dylan Gabriels isn't great, but you
could there's the whole Oregon thing.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
Yea time achievement award he got, you know what he got.
He got the John Wayne Award. Right, John Wayne.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Couldn't get an oscar, so he finally give him the
thing if it's a lifetime achievement award.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
And that's not to take anything away from Dylan gabriel
who executed the offense and did what he's supposed to
at Oregon, but was Dylan Gabriel really the most outstanding
player in college football?
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Was he one of the top five most outstanding players
in college football?
Speaker 2 (27:36):
I would venture he wasn't even one of the top
five quarterbacks in college football. How frequently was he the
most outstanding player on the field at any given time.
I mean that with Tess Johnson and Evan Sewart and
all those talented, those tight ends that Oregon has, the
lineman they have, they are the players.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
Oregon is the best team in the country. They are
the best team in the country. And I'm not taking
anything away from them, but they plugged.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
And this is in a sense, it would be like
giving the MVP to Sam Donald. And that's not to
take anything away from Sam Donald, who has had a
career resurgence.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
But Sam Donald doesn't belong.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
He's none in the same breath as Lamar Jackson or
Josh Allen or any of those guys, or Saquon Barkley
or any of those guys. Sam Darnold plugged and played
into already made offense that was already good, that already
had Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
You know, they added the running.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Back the like they got the tight end position.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
They got TJ.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Hockinson, They've got a good offensive line. Like that's what
we're talking about here, We're talking about giving him a
you know, an achievement award because he was drafted in
the top five a while ago. It has resurrected himself,
Dylan Gabriel, with all due respect to Dylan Gabriel, and
by the way, that seven too. I think it's prophecys.
Don't laugh at my at my Irish, don't make me
(28:57):
come to that. I'm not laugh at the Irish. No day.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
It's a good football team, Notre Dame. It's a fantastic
football team. Army just had Armies just not in the
same weight class.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
You know, Like at the end of the day, the
Army cannot feel, it couldn't feel the defense to stop
Notre Dame. It had nothing to do with any other
part of that Notre Dame one, because their offense was
vastly superior to Army's defense. But Bryson Daily still went
for a buck thirty nine and through touchdowns on Notre
Dame with no help from anyone.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
I think there.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
I think the fullback who gets the ball of their carriage,
you know, the kind of you know, I.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
Think he had thirty five yards in that game something
like that, Like he couldn't do anything. Their offensive line
was overmatched. But my point here is, again, we.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Get into this bubble of conventional thinking and group think
and everybody starts banding names around, and that's just we
all just follow into the trap and put those names
on the board.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
Travis Hunter did something we had never seen before. I'm
fine with that.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Ashton Janty didn't do something we'd never seen before, but
did an incredible job being the focal point. Bryson Daly
was the same thing. He was the focal point of
that offense. He was the offense, right. Why can't he
get the same accolades the chance was getting just because
we expect Janty to have a very good pro career.
Bryson Day is probably gonna go pro when you know,
(30:14):
stopping the next Osama bin Latin. It just frustrates me.
And again, it has nothing to do with Army and
me and Ben and I nothing to do with that
at all. If you go back and you listen to
my this is the most outspoken I've been about it.
But I've left you hints before over the past couple
of years, guys I would have put the Heisman conversation
that nobody voted for. There was a running back at
(30:38):
South Alabama a couple of years ago. I was unstoppable,
played a weaker conference.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
But he was the offense.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Didn't get a sniff of a Heisman or any of
that kind of stuff. It's because he played in a
lesser conference, and I just I don't know. For me,
I look at this stuff and I'm like, for me,
for most outstanding player, I take the approach like, if
I pulled this guy off this team, what are they?
If I put somebody else in here, what are they?
If you put cam Ward on Oregon and you put
(31:09):
Dylan Gabriel on Miami, those two teams have the exact
same record at the end of the day, doesn't change anything, right,
But now those guys aren't flexbone quarterbacks, so it's not
a one to one comparison in terms of putting them
in there at Army.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
But you get the idea.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
Army wasn't gonna beat Notre Dame with Dylan Gabriel or
cam Ward at the quarterback position, even if they weren't
running the flex bone.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
So like the way that.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
I look at this in the way that I get
frustrated about this is the amount of people who continue
to give me pushback.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
I even got push back on social media.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Put it on a blue sky, the new one or whatever,
like it stinks that he wasn't I didn't put it
on Twitter because I wasn't prepared for the notification storm.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
But I put it on a blue sky and I
was still getting who.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
How do you not know who the quarter that the leading,
the guy who led the NCAA and rushing touchdowns is
and you're gonna send who.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
Like even if if you don't agree with my premise,
that's ignorance, that's disrespectful.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
And you know, I hope that the Army Navy game
this weekend puts on a show so people watching can
see that this kid is a stone col killer. It
was great to have TJ Ward on last night. It
got TJ on from the No Fly Zone and he
was straight up like Nick was.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Was getting ready to clown it.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
And TJ was like, aw Son, I'm gonna need you
to I'm gonna need you to know Rice and Daily
is a stone cold killer and probably will be down
the line as well.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
Broncos Country Night back after this
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