Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to it.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
To quote the guy who normally sits in his chair,
Benjamin Albright, he is under the weather, so he got me.
Brandon Christall and of course Nick Ferguson. We are here
to talk all things Broncos live from the Sporty Pickle
Bar and Grill in Centennial, just up the road right
off four to seventy half.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
A mile north.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
It's not even a mile, right, it's half a monk
quarter mile about a half, pretty pretty darn close. And
so we are here until nine o'clock. You can register
to win Broncos and Panthers tickets the next home game,
so come on buy and we will be signing people
up until eight o'clock for that. And uh, it's been
up and down for the home games this year. In fact,
(00:47):
you lose two of the three. Nothing's given in this league.
But I definitely like their chances, barring a catastrophe between
now and then, for them to beat the Panthers in
two weeks. But let's get the rewind button before we
worry about that, none of the If you want to
be there for their next home win, come on by
the Sporty Pickle.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Bar and Grill here in Centennial off.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
You are also played some pickleball, but its three thousand
square foot sports bar.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Gonna have Monday Night Football on, Gonna.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Have the Avs on a Sejos Islanders, and of course
we will get the Yankees on here as well in
just a little bit so or maybe it's on one
of the TV's.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
I don't see it right now.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Maybe they're commercial. So come on, buy a sporty pickle
bar and grill. But Nick, let's just jump right into
it plenty to break down the good, the bad, and
lots of ugly from yesterday's twenty three to sixteen loss.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So I will just give you the floor and then
we will go from there.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Well, it was really disappointing yesterday, especially coming off an
alumni week where the team honored the nineteen seventy seven
Orange Crush and the team played well, I mean the
first time they broke an eight great eight game losing
streak to the Raiders and established a three game winning.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Streak of their own.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
So knowing as though there were a couple of players
coming into yesterday's game from the Chargers who were injured,
like Joey Bosa was battling a hip injury, and it
was unknown whether he was going to play or not,
and the early reports before the game started it was like, yes,
he's questionable, but he was going to play. But we
learned at the beginning of the game he didn't play.
(02:15):
Asante Samuel Junior did not play as well. And granted,
the Chargers defense was definitely one of the stingiest defenses
in the NFL for the first two weeks of the season.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Even in the two game loser streak.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
That they had bk they were still right there towards
the end and making sure that they were losing by
maybe four, maybe six points. So I knew it was
going to be one of those defensive types of games,
but I did not expect to see the Broncos not
be able to score. And to the fourth quarter when
there it was like fourteen nine on the clock, the
(02:51):
Broncos were faced with the fourth and two situation with
ten minutes and nine seconds remaining on the clock, and
for me, there was some of a gas in the
stadium because to my knowledge, the Broncos had never lost
a home game and not scored a point, so that
was the part that was in jeopardy. But luckily the
(03:13):
offense was able to corode on that fourth and two
and able to score. But that was really hard to
watch because I didn't really anticipate the offense not being
able to produce for almost three and a half quarters.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
It was a surprise.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
We knew the Chargers defense, like you said, would be stingy.
Their points against were number one league. The Broncos d
has been great, They've been upstanding. They were actually second
in the league at fourteen and changed fourteen to six
the Chargers, including only seventeen against the Chiefs in LA,
which was again more of a Chiefs home game. I
got a little cousin lives out there and he goes
every year when the Chiefs play the Chargers. Now there
(03:49):
are as many Chiefs fans that red as bold. We
know the Chargers like the Raiders. The Raiders have a
regional home field advantage. The Raiders have a home field
advantage when they play at the Chargers, but Raiders home
games are not a home field advantage most times, and
the Chargers certainly aren't. But they hung in with the
Chiefs and held Patrick Mahomes and company, which hasn't really
started clicking on all sillers, but still you hold Patrick
Mahomes anywhere at any time so far at this point
(04:11):
in his career, to seventeen points or less, you feel
like you've got a great chance.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
And they were in.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
It, so we knew they'd be stingy, but I don't
think anyone expected it to be twenty to nothing at halftime,
even with PS two going down five plays in.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Well, here's the other thing that was kind of astonishing
looking at the first two quarters type of production. At halftime,
the Broncos had no points. They only had fourteen yards
passing and thirty eight yards rushing. Right, because right before
before the half, there was a pass on the right
sideline close to the Broncos bench. I think that pass
(04:43):
went to Courtland Sudden, but that came back because of
a penalty, right. So I was hoping, well, that was
going to be the turn of events that the Broncos
needed to get the offense into someone's rhythm.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
But it proved not being the case.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
And we've seen this last year as we carry over
to this year, where there were drive killers for the
Broncos offensively, either there was a turnover or there was
an untimely penalty, right, And it seems as though it's
happening at the most inopportune moment for the team when
they're trying to generate rhythm.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
And I know when everyone's looking at.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
The game, they looked at Bo Nicks because most people
look at the quarterback as far as the success and
failures of the team. And there's some people who are
still are disappointed with Bow and saying negative things about Bow.
But there's a lot to take away from that game
where you can say, well, both threw that first interception
of the game, right, and that's kind of his first
(05:41):
interception in three games, So no, you don't want that interception,
but you still had more time within the games to
actually play and the Broncos offense still didn't have any rhythm.
But I truly believe in Bo because Bo did some
things in the later in that game to actually make
sure that the Broncos were able to move the ball.
(06:02):
And this is why man I like Bow both inside
and outside the pocket, but I like Bo on the move.
We've seen Bow on the move turn into more productive
plays for the Broncos offense.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
So to that end with Bo on the move, because
this is brought up, are there shades of Russell Wilson,
who up until Patrick Mahomes came along, was maybe the
best quarterback on the move that we've seen in the
history of the NFL consistently in terms of at least
off schedule.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
And we understand there's some you know, fake toss this way.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Roll fake to the left, roll right, your fullback's coming,
your tight ends coming to different levels easy, that's designed
to misdirection, So that doesn't count as on the move. Yes,
you are moving, but you when you say on the movie,
you also mean as things are breaking down, right, it's
not just design. Hey let's sprint out and get out
to the edge. It's that didn't work in the pocket.
Oh he's gonna use that lets them certainly the gain
(06:56):
yards on the ground like we saw yesterday. I think
everyone likes that, including my favorite past of the day
was the one to ala late with like a minute
and change where he rolls right and then just whips
it about fifteen yards on the out.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
But I think you want to see.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Him make a few more throws from the pocket, and
that's probably the biggest concern for me right now. But
not that he's not gonna get there, he's just not
doing it enough. For the I think for the sake
of what this offense would like to be listen, or
what Sean would like it to be.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
I understand what coach wants it to be, but we
have to deal in the present time as far as
what it is right now, right, That's what we have
to look at. And I said this before early on
in the season, and I'll push my chips to the
center to the table on this same idea.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
And I got some pitchback on social media, but.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
I really don't care because I'm looking at it from
a defensive standpoint the position I coached and the position
I played.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
When your quarterback stays between the.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Tackles at eight to nine yards, you play to the
hands of the defense. When that quarterback is eight to
use your skill set and move in the pocket.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
You talk about the play to Bela.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
When the pocket starts to break down, bo is looking
for receiving options down the field.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Nothing is there.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
He starts to take off, but then Olive Patrick Mahomes
he looks and find as a receiver down the field.
So my point is I see more of Russell Wilson
and Josh Allen and dare I even say my former
teammate Jake Plummer in the skill set that Bow knicks
has opposed to Drew Brees, who when Bow was coming
(08:35):
out of Oregon he was constantly compared to. And my
thing is, you want to put the defense on their
heels on every single play. If you constantly stay in
the pocket, they're gonna think, Okay, well we're gonna just
rush and get to him and then he'll be right
there when we get to him. But if they know
that there's a threat that when things break down, the
quarterback has a tendency to make plays with his legs
(08:57):
and stem place.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
That becomes a problem for the different edge rushers and.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
A defensive coordinator because I'll give you a couple of names,
like when you think about Kyler Murray, when you think
about facing Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Jane Dames and what
he's doing with the commanders, that is a problem for
a defense because you can hear the defensive coordinator screaming
in the box in the.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Press box, you gotta contain, you have to contain.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
But allowing Bo to get out there on the move,
that stretches the defense, that adds.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
More layers to it.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
So I'm not one of those individuals that subscribe to
this idea that I want to see my quarterback make
plays from the pocket. No, there's a feel, right, and
you have to be able to defend both vertically and horizontally.
But if you have a player at the quarterback position
that's putting stress on you in that way, it's going
to force and change how you defend.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
And I think Bo surprised people with his athleticism, maybe
not surprising him as much now in terms of being
aware of it and what he can do, but even yesterday,
when he's getting outside the pocket using his legs, I
think you're fine if he's carrying the ball with a
random twenty yarder, and if.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
He gets the sixty yards, great.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
You just would love to have your other ball carriers
be north of seventy each. Even if he's given you that,
you don't want him to be your leading ball carrier
most of the time unless it's kind of fluky where
he's got a couple of those because they're busted and
it's just one of those days and he takes one
of the house like Burrow last night with a forty
something yarder. But your plan is to get the running
backs running the ball. I do agree with you about
(10:27):
the legs being a weapon, the athletics, athleticism being a weapon,
and being able to use that to his advantage, and
that Sean Payton should be leaning into that more. I
guess it's also a question of the balance, and that
was always a concern with Russ.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
I think it has been his whole life.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Is is Bo bailing a little more quickly because of
how athletic he is, or is heven just more comfortable
operating on the edges because it's worked for him for
so long. I want to ask you this because I
was able to talk to Tiki Barber and Jason mccordy
at halftime. You know, I used to work with take
and I've known Jason and his brother a long time,
and I'm just talking about Bo. And obviously it's twenty
(11:06):
and nothing is gross. But I had asked Sean this
couple weeks ago. I said, does Bo just need more
time on the field, Not not because he doesn't understand
the offense, not because he doesn't have the confidence to
make the throws, but more just seeing it.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
The more you're out there, the more you do it.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
There's a reason we can name all of the great
rookie performances year. Andrew Luck had, Justin Herbert put up
some nice numbers, certainly C. J. Stroud, but we also
can name Peyton Mannings twenty eight interceptions and nobody is
are watching Peyton throw. They're like, you know what, he's
gonna go down as the best quarterback we you know
or in a very short list John Elway bench as
(11:41):
a rookie. Plenty of rookies who don't play or that struggle.
But the ones who play struggle, they're in and out
of the lineup, or they're starting later in the year.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
So it's only six games.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
And so I'm saying all that to say, talk to
me in ten weeks when he's seen it all and
it's just used to where defenders are going to be
and what's open. What's I mean, bad throws are bad throws.
That's a different dealers and a guy, but just seeing
it more in a game because you cannot mimic that
in practice or in the preseason.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
But that's part of being a young quarterback in the development.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
That's that's part for the course.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
So until Bow gets to that point where he is
seeing the the game through the same eyes as Sean Payton.
The idea is that you want to win games. How
we got to do that? We want to win games.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
At the end of the day.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
And the idea if your quarterback skills said the nobility
in the pocket, not saying that every time.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
Bow's gonna pull the ball and run the ball.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
No, we saw that he's using his legs to extend
the play and finding the open wide receiver. But just
so what happens if something opens up, you take it.
But the idea is not the handcuff him and say well,
here's what I want you to be down the road.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
He We're not. We're not there yet right now.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
That's not to say that Bow doesn't have the propensity
to get there, Yes he does. But we we we
can't over look the fact that this kid has an
undeniable skill set that when you look around the league
at the other thirty one teams, there are teams that
have that guy. The Atlanta Falcons they don't have that guy.
The New York Jets, they don't have that guy.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Right, they have a shell of what that used to be.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
That's what the league used to be. It's not that.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Aaron ran closer to how Bo runs now both flat
out faster. I think in a forty Bo's top end
is faster. We saw that, But Aaron moved as well
as anybody in the pocket and was able to extend
plays better than anyone. From that standpoint, Yeah, the other
than Patrick Mahomes is rewriting all of this. So it's
kind of silly to whether you're talking about Russ off
schedule or Aaron just kind of extending plays, making every throw,
(13:45):
making it look cool and all that mile high profit
in the.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
House, although not a not in his profit gear. But
I think.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
I'm with you in that. I don't think it's forcing
a square peg into a round hole. I think it's
just Sewan continuing to adapt. And you hear people talk
about how well they're playing in the tempo tempo situations
versus this personnel grouping and now this personnel grouping and
now that. And there's guys that are open even on
the you know, you look at the miss deep shot
(14:16):
to Marvin Man where Bow underthrows him. Courtland was also
open as he basically ran what looked like a kind
of a post cornerlo. I guess it was flattened out,
but he had good separation, and no one's really accused
Courtland of having great separation.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
All year long on every route.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Shawn's concepts work, but they aren't meshing with where Bo's
development is right now, and so I think you're right
when we talk about the developmental process. The hardest thing
I think for Broncos fans is that the Charges didn't
run away.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
With that game yesterday.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
They did beat you up pretty good from the jump,
and them coming out flat, I think has nothing to
do with Seawn's play calling. I feel like that's a
whole separate conversation, but them coming out flat as a
team on both sides of the ball, and I understand
losing your best player doesn't make things easier.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Riley Moss talked about that post.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Game, But when you come out flat, that starts with
the head coach. The head coach has nobody that he
can look at beyond himself. If your team isn't ready
to plan, put ready, and just their effort level.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
From the jump.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
And it's been a little suspect throughout the season, saved
for Tampa. Now in Seattle, they came out ready to
play defensively, and yesterday they just kind of weren't and
and so I think that that's and I guess against.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
The Steelers too.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
But so the other side of it before obviously I
kick it back to you, is this frustration comes from
the fact that you have a top five, top three
kind of defense that's playing that well and it's kind
of being squandered because of the offensive development and where
that process is and how long it it's just gonna take,
because that's just usually how long it takes.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Sorry CJ. Stroud, you were ahead of the curve.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Well, it's one of those things because this happened to
not just the Broncos, but a lot.
Speaker 4 (15:52):
Of the teams.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
When it's like, okay, well you come out flat, you
don't come out with any kind of pace. Sometimes you
can dictate that right, especially here in Denver, and that's
kind of been the frustrating thing. And really quickly both
the Broncos and the CU Buffs have the same problem,
which I don't understand. You live in Denmer, Colorado, and
if you have other the team's coming from different places,
you have the altitude as your friend, that is your
(16:14):
super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
Lean on that.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Every sport baseball being different, basketball, hockey, soccer coach Malone
for the Nuggets, he leans into that if his team.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
Is not done it up point, that's the problem.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
And we remember that last year where they're coming off
the championship and they were having rough first quarters. He's like, Yeah,
this doesn't make sense. We should be up in the
first quarter, and then his team's adjusted jokers coming up.
But absolutely in football when you've got the ability to
certainly step on the gas pedal. Definitely in hockey, and
in basketball and in soccer where you're running the teams
(16:48):
that come here, whether they're playing any of the pro
teams or Colorado or Colorado State and football or basketball
or I think soccer specifically, you should be able to
jump up every time and set the pace the tone.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
So why is the pace in the tone not being
set when you get the ball.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
First, even and you get the script the plays.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yes, so even if you take a shot down the
field on the very first player of the game, because
I could tell you most defensive players are not awaiting
a shot to be taken, So you can take the
shot even if you unsuccessful, you back the defense up.
We're not really seeing that. So you can orchestrate like
a maestro.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
I'm a orchestra.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
If you want to look, there's certain tenants I have
that would probably end up working against me if I
were a full time head coach. You know, I coached
freshman football a couple of years ago at Rock Canyon,
but I didn't stick with it. My kiddo stopped playing,
and you know, life gets in the way, and I'm
pretty busy during most afternoons. VIC Fangio schedule made it
a little easier, yes, but and this isn't apples to apples,
(17:47):
but it's still a philosophy. I'm gonna come from the
Wade Phillips Vance Joseph school, let's call it Madden.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
I'm gonna blitz a hell out of you.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
And if you end up making the plays, great, but
I'm gonna blitzer. I'm gonna make it, and I'm gonna
this guy's and I'm with you one hundred percent. I
feel like if I were a play caller in the NFL,
and I understand there's patterns, I would be looking for
shot plays early, right off the bat, And I understand
you can go three and out, but you must go
three and out by running into the line of scrimmage
then throwing a short pass in you're at third and seven.
(18:16):
I'm actually in favor of. There was a play, and
I can't remember the verbiage. I bet I could look
it up, or I could probably reach out to some
people and try to figure it out. But Mike Mike
Leach back into Texas Tech, Michael Crabtree days, that's how
hard we're going back. But the play was called just
make it up, jet right, zipper whatever, three fifty two puke,
And here's what he'd throw. And he had guys like
Graham Harrold and Cliff kings Bear and all that. He'd
(18:37):
have Michael Crabtree run a quick out. Okay, run off
the field. My Crabtree in the other top receiver, run
off the field. Send the next backups in go routes. Okay,
maybe you hit it, You probably don't. Corners huffing and puffing.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Come back now.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Michael Crabtree and the number two receiver are back in
go routes again.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
And the corners, even in the NFL where they're in the.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Best shape, but especially up here a mile high, why
aren't you sending Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims, even Josh Reynolds
when he's healthy. I'm with you, I think you lean
into to your advantages and in this case they haven't.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
And it does feel like at times, is it that.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
They're trying to make things so usual friendly for Bo,
which you should, and Bo's trying to that they're they're not.
Their scripted plays are more comfort plays.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
Let's not use it friendly for him?
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Yeah, well was right.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
What would use it friendly for him is what we've
seen happen both with Bowl this year and Russ last year.
It's the two minute offense in the fourth quarter with twelve.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
Or eight minutes remaining in the game.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
And I'll tell you because there's more to unpack as
far as why that has been successful both for Russ
last year and for Bow this year.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
All right, we will take a quick time out and
then you will get into all of that. We are
just getting started here at the Sporty Pickle Bar and Grill.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
He is Nick Ferguson. I'm Brandon Christal in for Benjamin.
All right, come on by and till eight o'clock.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
We were read and everybody that stops by, you just
come on scan the QR code and you have a
chance to win. Broncos in Panthers tickets against forty Pickle
Bar and Grill and Centennial just off Peoria and for
seventy don't go anywhere. You're listening to KOA eight fifty
an ninety four one FM.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
It is Broncos Country tonight. No Benjamin Albright tonight though
he's under the weather.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
It feels like that's going around. We know Big Al
dealing with that the last few days. And so you
got me, Brandon, chrisal and of course Nick Ferguson, who
was here for what do you say, ninety five percent.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
Of the shows?
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Probably it feels feels.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Like a good approximation about ninety five percent of the shows,
Nick Ferguson and Ben. But you got Nick and BK tonight.
You can give us a call if you want three
ZHO three seven to one, three eighty five, eighty five.
You can also text us on the Common Spirit Health
text line at five six six, and I know I
will get that dialed up.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
But we're talking bo.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
Nicks before we went to break because there's some other
stuff that we're gonna get into. You know, I want
to talk about some injuries around the league and some
other league news, and we'll get to PS two's injury
as well, but as it relates to bone Nicks and
the way they're running this offense, every week we're seeing
and maybe this is.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
I don't say that we're nitpicking or look, but we're.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Looking for kernels of what can become, you know, full
blown popcorn if you will, or something along those lines.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Hey, why wouldn't Travis Kelsey and Taylor Swift be at
the Yankees game tonight?
Speaker 2 (21:44):
You gotta spend your time somehow during the Chiefs by week,
which apparently doesn't end till tomorrow or Wednesday when they
gotta be back.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Hey, they're five and I can't really complain in private.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Aviation's awesome, But I just looked up and saw as
the Yankees lead one nothing against the Guardians, Bills up
seven to three over the Jets, and both those games
going on in the Big Apple.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
But back to bow Nicks. So you look for the positives.
The negatives are obvious, and with what you saw on.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
The fourth Qurt and just in general week over a week,
a six.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Weeks in, have you seen enough positives where it gives
you hope? So I think it's unfair to say, oh,
he's going to the Hall of Famer he's a ten
year starter. But I think it's also unfair to say
all the mistakes he doesn't have it. Well, here we
go again. We're back in the draft. Can we get
Shador Sanders? Can we get Quinn Yours?
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Can we.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
I'm exhausted with that con The mirror thought of that conversation. Yeah,
the idea is that to answer your question, yes, I've
seen things in Bow's game that encouraged me to let
me know that the Broncos spent their pick on the
right player. And obviously things are are not that perfect.
(22:50):
They haven't been that perfect with the offense all season long,
so there's a number of things that you can point to,
And for me, I would question anyone who specifically pointing
all of their fingers towards Bow and say, well, he
is the reason why the Broncos offense is struggling and
we saw a very little offensive output yesterday. Because if
(23:14):
you're gonna talk about the bad, you got to talk
about the good at the same time. And what I
saw from Bow is that here's a guy who cares
a lot about the game. He's passionate about the game,
and his skill set translate to today's NFL quarterbacks. Yes, I
get it, he's young. But then we look at a
(23:34):
couple of things. Where are the Broncos where they need
to be from a personnel standpoint offensively, I'm gonna say no.
And even if you looked at the wide receiver group
and say, well, is that group where it needs to
be to actually support bow Knicks, I'm gonna say no.
Now that's not to say that the guys are not
trying their their damns to go out there and run routes,
(23:57):
but sometimes.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
There's a lack of sense of urgency.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
And even in the two minute offense that the Broncos
were running, I.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
Am sitting there watching it.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Once again, I'm watching it from not a fan perspective,
from a defensive perspective. So you're running two minute offense,
but there's not a sense of urgency to get to
the line of scrimmage. A receiver catches the ball, you
pick it up, if you tag down, you give the
ball back to the referee.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
Because time is of the essence.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
And that is something that I'm not seeing being focused
or wasn't focused in the game yesterday.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
But bo is doing a lot of things.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
Let me take you back to the point where it's
fourteen minutes and nine seconds and the Broncos are down
twenty three to nothing, and we're thinking there's going to
be a shutout. The Broncos are backed up into their
own end zone. Right here's Bud Dupre coming off the
corner and it looked like it was a naked bootleg
or whatever. Bo was able to ebaye him and get
(24:57):
out and make it play. Then they hand it off
to Audrey Fsime off the right side. The next ensuing play,
the Broncos got trips to the left. Durren James is
down in the box, then he comes off the edge.
Guess what, Bo, having pocket presence, spins out again to
his left and he makes the play.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
Down the field to uh, I think it was Troy Franklin.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
So yes, am I seeing things in Bow's game that
gives me optimism that this kid has the skill set
to become a professional quarterback and the quarterback who's gonna
play well for the Broncos. Yes, but everything isn't there
to support him well.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
And you talk about that support right now, your true
gold standard among the handful of rookies, and we're now
up to five rookies that have started with Spencer Rattler,
and we're bringing it into that maybe a little day,
but certainly throughout the week leading up to Thursday night's game.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
But you have.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Jayden Daniels as your.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Poster chick all but let's let's be fair, and he
only has two interceptions, fourteen hundred yards, six tds.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Doing quick math, Bo's got to have four or five now, right,
just without I mean touchdowns, Yeah, maybe six. I'm just
saying here, I can pull up I need to. I
guess I'm gonna make this argument. I need to have
bow stats too. The point is Jayden Daniels doesn't have
twenty touchdowns and two or three picks.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
He has six touchdowns bos five and five. Not great.
You don't want to be one to one, but he's
five and five and then Kayleb Williams is nine touchdowns
to five picks.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
What's helped Jayden Daniels is there the best rushing team
in the league to this point, and he's a big
part of that. Brian Robinson healthy is a big part
of that, you know, and Brian Robinson yesterday they're in
the game.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
But it's not the same when.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
You take your best running back off the field, and
then Kayleb Williams. They've won a couple games where he
hasn't done anything, including their opener where they had I
think a defensive score and a special team score and
there were zero offensive touchdowns.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
I'm just saying, with what we saw with CJ.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Stroud, Jaden Daniels isn't even doing that yet and so way.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
But yeah, yeah, Ceia Strout is the outlier.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Each guy's gonna get there when they get there, and
some guys, we may sit here a week eight or
nine and say, you know what so and so is dialed.
Then it could be Bo Nicks, it could be Jade
names could be where you're like, Okay, they've got it
figured out, but odds are we're not going to I'm
curious if you think this, because we're talking a little
bit aout high scholotball.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
And I remember having this.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Conversation with David Shaw and Mike Sandford as we're sitting
there talking at training camp, you know, and you were
actually I think working in your.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
Internship with the team at the time.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
But so David Shaw obviously he's been a great football
coach for a long time, and so I was asking
both these guys who coached college for the last you know,
for David almost thirty years since he left the NFL,
and and his dad was a college coach and or
an NFL coach, And same with Mike Sanford, his dad's coach.
Forever about quarterback development, because you and I are about
say made you're a couple of years older me, but
I'm forty six, you a couple years older than me.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
And you think about you grew up in Miami and
I grew up in Dallas.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Okay, we're not going to find better high school football
hotbed and development. But seven on seve leagues didn't even
come around until I was in my going into my
senior year in nineteen ninety five, and so by then you.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Were already in college. Did they have seven on seven
leagues when you were high school? I don't think so.
They came a little bit after, but that was even exploded.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
But between seven on seven leagues, quarterback coaches the accessibility
to game film.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Not that the kids know what they're watching, but.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
You at least have the ability where you don't have
to go into your to your coach and fire up
the clicker and you can watch every everyone's game film,
So these kids should be at least further along even
as rookies, as fast as the NFL is in terms
of understanding the concepts, understanding progressions.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
I understand also that coaching matters.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
From every level up having good fundamentals to go with
the other like having good footwork and pocket presence and
awareness and understanding the other things.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
It should come.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
But this shouldn't be a surprise that rookies are at
least having some success, even if it's not all pro success.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
And also there's a big gap, Like.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
We know Patrick mahomes is he's the outlier, and Aaron
Rodgers when he was healthy, and the guys have now
just retired.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Nobody's ready to put Josh Allen in the Hall of
Fame or Lamar.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
They're all awesome at times, Joe Burrow at times, but
there's an inconsistency, is what I'm saying. It just feels
like it's caught up a little more, but it still doesn't.
We still don't have thirty two good quarterbacks, and you gotta.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
Ask yourself, why are those guys performing the way that
they have, Like Jaden has been playing well all season long,
Caleb has struggled early on in the season, but then
he started to improve, and you got to go back
to asking yourself why.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
What is the why?
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Okay, what's changing from week one to week five to
week six is because the offensive coordinators are saying, Look,
these guys have a unique skill set. I want them
to do to certain things that play within the confinement
of the rule book that I give them right in
the scheme.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
But you can't forget that. How did they get there?
Why did you draft them?
Speaker 3 (29:53):
They had a unique skill set, So you have to
allow them to be a little of themselves while asking
them to do a little what you asked them to do.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
But once you touch the field, you are the player.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
You have to see what's going on and you have
to adapt to what you see and then come.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
Back to the sideline and try to fix those problems.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
So what Cliff Kingsbury's doing with Jane Daniels, He's allowing
him to play well because Kingsbury has had quarterbacks similar
to Jane Dames.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
The reason why they drafted him.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Yeah, and it makes total sense. We gotta step aside
here quickly for traffic. But I'm gonna talk about Kingsbury
and the Caleb Williams, Things and Jane Daniels. We're gona
getto some inner injury news. A touchdown not call the
touchdown at first for Garrett Wilson, and then at second
look the league got it right at the replay boot
the rest got wrong on the field. Garrett Wilson with
(30:44):
a score and the Jets jump up here pending extra point.
It's nine to seven, could be ten to seven. But
we're gonna step aside now and get the latest on
your drive home. As we head to the KA Traffic Center.
Here is Dave O'Brien. Thanks Peyton for that intro. I
(31:17):
don't think Peyton it's enough recognition for how good he
is on the Common Spirit enter.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
That would have been a heck of a catch there.
This show is called Broncos Country Tonight.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
We are live from Sporty Pickle Bar and Grill in Centennial.
If you're looking for a place to come check out
awesome pickleball courts. They got a bunch almost too many
account but also a three thousand square foot sports barm.
Brandon chrisaul In for Benjamin all Bright, Nick Ferguson here
as always come on bye until eight o'clock you can
register for a chance to win Panthers at Broncos tickets,
the return of Guero Rivero, the return of Josie Jewel.
(31:48):
This week we're going to see Conor McGovern By the way,
I didn't realize he was with the Saints now, the
former Broncos offensive lineman at the University of Missouri who
one year if you remember Nick, when his bye week
he went and did a powerless contest in Miami. Wow
and our power Nikki Giavala found it online like someone posted, Hey,
here's Broncos lineman Connor mc governor of power lifting.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
It's like, hey, some.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
People go to Cabo. Some people will go to South
Beach to enjoy South Beach. He went to do some
power That's dedication.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
That's dedication.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
So well, that will not be the biggest reunion though
we'll get to that here in a little bit. But
what one thing I did want to get to Nick
is uh, the injuries both league wide but also starting
here because top players around the league. With Aiden Hutchinson
going down and no return on his timeline successful surgery today,
pretty grewsome leg break. There to be a break, you
(32:38):
have to think his year is done. Unless he's the
fastest healer of all time. But here when Pats Tartan
goes down, you you think two things. Okay, how's that
gonn affect this game? And clearly it did, But then
also with the short turnaround, it seem almost impossible he
or Chris Alave who left the Saints game, that either
can get through the concussion protocols. And I looked it
up during the game. There's not a day like five days,
(33:00):
seven days for it. But it's a five basically a
five point checklist. You have to hit each threshold. So
you lose your best player and perhaps the best player
in all the football for very likely not just yesterday,
but at least a second a second game. How much
does that Let's start with that before we touch on
some of the other injuries, and we make it into
some of those throughout the night too.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
Well, it changes a lot of things. Let's talk about
the game itself on Sunday. It changed what Vance Joseph
wanted to do with his pressure package. When you think
about what the Broncos were coming into the game yesterday
against the Chargers, they were one of the league's top
of teams at pressure rate, and when you think about
zero coverage. I think the Broncos were, but maybe by
(33:41):
ten percent of their coverages were zero coverage. And when
you lose her ten it makes things a little more difficult. Yeah,
you go to Levi Wallace, who has a lot of experience,
who I believe will fill in handsomely on Thursday, but
still at the same time, he's not PS two, so
that changes what you can do. But the biggest thing
is your confidence level. I remember playing in the six
(34:02):
AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Champ and
John went down on similar plays and for our defense,
it took away took away what Larry coy you wanted
to do defensively, but it was rather deflating to our
team because you get to that point with all your
guys healthy, then all of a sudden, two of your
top guys are.
Speaker 4 (34:21):
No longer in the game.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
It changes you and players may not want to admit it,
but from a confidence level of being able to play
against a superior opponent like we play, it really was
kind of like a shock and awe to us.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
So same thing for the Broncos. I believe it happened
on Sunday and.
Speaker 1 (34:36):
Let's be honest. I think it's human nature. There's plenty
of instances we've.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Seen where a player goes down in a game or
during the weekend practice or whatever, and you know they're
gonna now miss the next game, and whomever is coming
in for them is.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
Ready to go. And I'm not trying to be dismissive.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
I mean, Levi Wallace had seventy NFL starts. He's ready
to go, Like I played plenty of football. That's not
what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
But you talk about how it effects you entire team,
because you know, okay, we don't.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Alex Singleton going down is maybe the best example in
the subsequent games. Justice sternad fifty three games played, zero starts.
He's ready for his chance, and he's made the most
of it. I think you can say, I don't know,
I guess how he grated yesterday, but's certainly been around
the football plenty. But in game, when it happens in
the game, especially if it happens early, because it happens late,
I think you're like, let's just get through this game.
(35:23):
When it happens early, it's like, okay, he looks like
he's gonna be out he's gonna get checked. Okay, he's
definitely out. There is a domino effect and that you
talk about the shock and awe, like, oh wait, now
we don't have him this week. They will have a
full game plan. Not the coaches, cana A just but
everybody will be ready. Levi Wallace is almost certainly gonna
start again thirty. I mean seventy career starts nine last year,
(35:46):
So I think that you're absolutely right. Then when it
happens in game, it can be jarring versus when you
know going into the game, Oh that we have to shift.
We all have to step up because so and so
is out PS two, Alex Singleton or whatever side. That's
a really good point. All right, we're gonna step aside
on this side. Pretty big homecoming and a pretty big return.
It's not Connor mc govern facing the team that drafted him,
(36:08):
but a bigger one that I think you all know about.
So I don't go anywhere. He's Nick Ferguson on Brandon Christal.
We're live at forty Pickle Bar and Grill in Centennial.
This is Broncos Country Tonight on KOA eight fifty AM
and ninety four one FM.