Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well them do it Broncos Country tonight.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
But with all Brannick Ferguson, Grant Smith right here on
KWA fifty am, Night.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Four NFL Home with the Cu Buffs.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
We got Sea Buffs basketball coming up, not that uh,
not that far away. I think our first game is Monday,
as a matter of fact, so Eastern Washington.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
How exciting.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
We're all very very excited for Sea Buffs men's basketball.
The enthusiasm in the room is palpable, as it will
take over our time slot. The only way that's exciting
about that is here and Mark Johnson on some basketball.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
That is true.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
We always love hearing Mark Johnson. So there is that
at least they excite it for.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
That is palpful.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
It does It is like a yeah, well.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
No, I guess not like a bunch of gibberish right now.
Well it is.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Gibberish because I didn't you know, I don't. I didn't
have a specific quote to put in there, so I.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Just you go to personate Mari at least do it right.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Okay, this was it off the cuff, and I didn't.
I wasn't prepared. I don't have notes, all right, right.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Between the eye there we go right between the eye.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
That's the that's the cast phrase. I should have gone
between the eyes, between the eyes perfect. I'm just saying.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
So we look forward to Ben's basketball Monday night next week,
h Eastern Washington take it on Colorado here, Uh, seven pm.
I imagine pre game stars by six thirty on that
when I'm not one hundred grants give me the shrug,
I'll give.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Them the shruck back. And then Tuesday, I we've got
a lession coverage right here. O k way.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
So next week's going to start off with a lot
of that Broncos country and we'll.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Be back on Wednesday.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
When we went to the break, we're talking a little
bit about mobile quarterbacks, defending the mobile quarterback. How to
defend the mobile quarterback. Obviously you've been on the defensive
side of the ball.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
I was a moderately mobile quarterback we back in the day.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
And I say moderately, and I might be telling myself
a little bit over on that, but you know, I
know what it's like to have that dimension to your game.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
I don't know what it's like to have to defend
that dimension.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Nick.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
It's the nightmare.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
It's a nightmare for every guy involved. He's a nightmare
for a defensive coordinator.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Because as a coordinator, you put.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
A scheme together that you think that is going to
be solid because there's no perfect way of defending mobile quarterbacks.
But you are now depending on eleven guys during the
same thing, thinking as one. And I can tell you
it's very.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Difficult to get five people to think the same way.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Two people, yes, not longe, eleven guys.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
And what happens is with a mobile quarterback there's a
lot of threats because once again, you don't know is
he running to run the ball or is he running
to throw the ball. And if all week you know,
to put the emphasis on we got to stop this guy.
What happens is he draws all the attention in the
eyes of everyone because all the guys eyes are looking
(03:00):
at him. And listen, Van said something a couple of
years ago, and people in the media really jumped on
and really kind of made a mockery of it. But
he's a guy that played both quarterback and he coached
defense as well and played it, so he knew what
he was talking about the quarterback because he was like, you.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Know, our guys have bad eyes.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
When when you playing against a guy like Lamar Jackson
and his talent, you have to be locked in from
a vision standpoint, because here's what I know is a
differensive player.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Our eyes tell us what we see and what to
do and how to react.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
But sometimes our eyes betray us because you get locked
in laser focused, and it's like a malt trapped, you know,
in the flame.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
I mean, you're just just drawing right into the light.
Speaker 5 (03:44):
I was.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
It's interesting because there's the philosophy of the zoner man
the spy not to spy, and we'll get to Vance's
comments on that in just a second, but for me,
I always prefer him in man.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Put your back to have your secondary put their backs
to me. Put you have your secondary put their back
to go out getting put back to me. You you
know what?
Speaker 4 (04:03):
Okay, So then what happens is like when when teams
play cover two, it exposes them in the run game.
But then some teams, okay, well, if they're getting hurt
on certain passing routes, they go to man. What that
means you still got too high two high safeties. But
everyone's playing underneath man. But those guys are turning their
backs to the ball, please do. But now that means
that your safeties have to be fast flow in run support.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
And what happens if the quarterback.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Runs like he's running the ball and he backs up
and he throws it down the field and one of
your safeties have already flashed come back.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Flash down. I love it.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Have your dbs turned the backs to because then I'm
for All I have to do is force two guys
to make a decision, one of two guys to make
a decision.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
I loved it. I got it for me. It's a
key read at that point. If you're coming down, I'm
going over the top. If you stay up, I'm coming
to you.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Or the only reason that you can run man, courage
to go to man.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
If your guys up front.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Getting home, they got to be doll Yeah, I mean
you have to have. They have to beat the.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Guy in front of them on every single play. And
if sometimes it may demand that you beat a double team.
Are the Broncos And can the Broncos do that? I
don't know, but it's gonna stretch them out on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
The other philosophical decision, just to spire or not to spy,
to contain or not to contain because if you're bringing
a regular pass rush, most of the time the ends
are gonna get too much depth, and then your quarterback
whose mobile is.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Just gonna get out the sea gap.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Right if you're just doing a regular rush, so you
kind of like that mush rush, they kind of collapse.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
I hate that.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
I hate the mush rush because you end up not
defending anything because ideas that well, we're gonna rush until
we get contact and we want to get one yard
over the opposing offense line of scrimmage, right, and we
just want to read. No, you don't want to read
and react. Look what you said is important. The Broncos
are gonna have to set an edge, no matter whether
they do it by running a t stun or looping
(05:53):
or linebacker. You gotta be solid on the edges because
numerically that's where you can get hurt the most because
there's very few players there, right.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
And then we talk about the spy situation as well,
which Vance Joseph pointed out one of the deficiencies.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
The positive obviously the signs of a spy is when
he does run, you can kind of track him down, right,
But having the right person who can catch him. That's
an issue, right, because he's a fasket of the field
for the most part. I think sometimes with a spy,
if it's not an aggressive spy, he can sit in
the pocket with a dream and rushing his fine open targets.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
And that's the issue with Lamar now.
Speaker 5 (06:29):
I think when he was a young quarterback, the spy
was good because you want him to be a pocket passer.
Now he's so accurate that kind of works against you
a little bit. So if you're going to a spy guy
like that, it's got to be a push him off
his spot spy. You not just linger and let him
sit in the pocket and make completions, but kind of
push him one way and then go grab him.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
A spy.
Speaker 5 (06:48):
It's almost a hunt versus a spy. But again, I
mean he's become a great passer, so the spies nonspies.
It's just hard to kind of know what's best until
you don't scribe the game starts. So how our challenge
is going to be to you know, play down for
down and have a you know, have an answer for
pass that as they come up or fix them quickly.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
And that's that's our challenge.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
I think it was a really good answer, because yes,
Lamar early on in his career, you could kind of
spy contain and you could you know your your back
anchet home. You can't send a three man at Lamar
Jackson now and let him carve you up, because he
will carve you up with his arm.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Well, then, as I was listening to Advance, I started
going back to my time as a player and my
time coaching, and I said, well, what coverage would give
the Broncos an opportunity to defend a portion of the
field also while being able to play their run game
(07:47):
by Lamar and by Derrick Henry. Now, I'm not saying
that it's it's perfect, but from uh the radical.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Situation thinking it out, it sounds perfect.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
But the practicality of being able to work it out
all depends on the players. And what I'm talking about
is you run one lurk or one robber, So that's
what you're visually giving a cover two look, So you're
telling Lamar, guess what you're not throwing the ball here. Now,
I know when you run two man or two look,
the way you beat that is for verticals. But the
idea is that you're going to tell them at the
(08:20):
very beginning. You're not going to throw it here. And
the luxury of having a one look one robber, you
can play with depth. You can cut in immediate routes,
you can cut routes from ten to twelve yards. But
also you can be fast flow in the run game.
The reason I'm saying that when Larry Corey was our
defensive coordinator here in Denver, we ran one lurk, one robber,
(08:42):
and it puts a lot of stress on your safety.
So they have to be great with the red and
they have to be great with their eyes. And when
you look at down in distance, the safest this third
and eight right, you come down to nine yards, and
now you can cut anything or even you can do
it from death from twelve because you know just thirty eight.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
You got to be disciplined on the front end.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Two to disguise it it look too high before you
rotate over, because when if you're showing too high, the
quarterbacks think of, well, I'm going to the honey hole
right there between the two safeties, right. But if you're
rotating and you got that one lurk, then you're moving
over to the center field and taking the post away
or taking that spot on the field away. But as
soon if I see you rotating pre snapt, then I
already know what you're doing. And I'm sticking with the album,
looking for receivers, the outside leverage and I'm going outside
(09:23):
of go balls.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
And this is what I've learned playing against paid man.
And you can't give.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
It too early, right, That's exactly you got to be disciplined.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
Yes, this is why I said, if it's third and
eight or whatever, it's second and six and your depth
is twelve, you don't have to come down give it
to one count before you rotate, because it's second and six,
it's thirty and eight, right, You just need to be
down there by the time the action starts to be
hit at that particular time.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Then you cut.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Now you can go top down from twelve to eight
to five and take anything away. But also if the
B gap opens, and that's your responsibility, just as you're
coming down, there's no pass, there's no pass, there's no
guys coming. You know the big routes, you run right
through the B gap.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
Now, why you run through the B gap?
Speaker 1 (10:07):
You gotta make the tackle.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
Beware what's on the other side that's got you have
to make the tackle because if you run through the
B gap and you miss, that's eight yards right there,
right And this is where the Broncos, as a collective group,
but as individuals advance defense puts you into place to
make a tackle.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
You have to make that tackle.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
It was one of the keys that was going to
bring up on this thing. I think the hidden key
isn't how do we contain this?
Speaker 1 (10:32):
How do we do?
Speaker 2 (10:32):
You know? I think the key is make your tackles,
no mistackles in this game, because that Joseph does a
pretty good job of containing mobile quarterbacks. You go back
and look at his history as a defensive coordinator and
as a head coach. You look at the game plans
that they had against early Pat Maholmes, and I mean
it was the blueprint everybody started using the treas to
shut homes down.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
It is and and the other thing is been being
able to win the one on ones. Whether you're outside
the numbers as a corner, or you're covering the tight end,
whether it's upfield, or or you're down in the line
of scrimmage, or you want of the defensivelignment, you have
to beat your one on ones consistently, because if you
provide a crease, or you don't beat your one on ones,
(11:10):
or you get up feeling like, hey, I'm right here,
but you don't flash to make Lamar move off his
spot because with other quarterbacks ideas, we want to move
him off his spot.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
But nowhere you moving him too? Do you have a
defender there?
Speaker 1 (11:25):
You line?
Speaker 2 (11:26):
The sideline is a defender for you in these scenarios,
you want to angle him to the sideline, right, and
I did?
Speaker 3 (11:30):
You want to box him?
Speaker 4 (11:31):
Man?
Speaker 3 (11:31):
And Lamar's Lamar is smart.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Enough now where he's going to take what you give
him offensively and he's going to fall on.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
The ground or he's gonna run out of bounce.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
The other thing I hope that Broncos heat is warning
because a lot of defensive players, whereas linebacker, safeties or
the D line, you're going to get close to him
and he's going to get.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Away from you and you're going to miss your opportunity.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Right, don't get so eager to get that get back
that you extend to drive by.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Hitting him late. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Yeah, I don't pick up flags for late hits.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
And that's the other thing either in this game, I
look at it two foe. From a deferent standpoint, you
don't want to be drive extenders. From the bronco's office standpoint,
you don't want to be drive killers. Right, You're going
into a hostile environment. The game is gonna be tough
enough you can't hurt yourself.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
The other aspect of this is the running ability of
Derek Henry. And anytime you've got a multile quarterback that's
gonna pick up, that's gonna open up lanes. Just how
you're defending the quarterback in and of itself, it's gonna
open up lanes for the running back. Derrick Henry already's
gonna make your pay. He's got the size, he's got
the speed. Who scares you more? Is it Lamar Jackson
and his ability to create, you know, on the fly,
(12:46):
or is it Derrick Henry and just is punishing physicality
wearing it down over time. Although to be fair, le
Broncos have kept Derek Henry mostly in check last couple
times they played him.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
Yeah, but uh, Lamar Jackson was in a quarterback. He
was not.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
He was U Ryan Tannehill.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Right. So to answer your question and answer it this way.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Both of them. I noticed I did say both.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
I say both boys, both of them right, because they
I can see Todd Monkin, Monken coming down hitting the
Broncos with some of those college plays. Because using an
r p O, because r PO is nothing to me
but just it's play action because you're reading someone on
the end, but you're holding that linebacker, you're holding a
(13:28):
player because they're checking the mesh point.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
But you give it or whether you don't.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Yeah, well yeah, I mean the difference between the RPO
is there is than the intent of one or the other.
The play action you're a run action. You're showing the
you're flashing the run in order to do the past.
With the r p O, you're if a key read
on the on the thing and then you're throwing the
backside if you know, if your key on the run.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
You know what, Rob this this takes me back for
a second.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
When Rob Long was on, I asked him a question
about what happens if what's Todd Mounkin's go to if
Lamar can't finished the game. Obviously, Johnson is not the quarterback.
He's not gonna do it all right, But I started
thinking as we started talking about this running stuff, the
one thing he could do. He could pull out the
Bijamin Albright playbook. He could he could pull out the
(14:14):
Biseman all Bright. And I can't believe I'm actually you
can't believe I'm saying it, But he can't. Right, if
you need to, you pull out the Bijamin Albright playbook,
because now you're moving the ball down the field very slowly,
very methodically. Well, you're controlling the game by controlling the clock, right,
and you're keeping bow Nicks in the offense on the
(14:37):
sideline spectator.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
And I do believe that that will be the game
plan early for Baltimore is a controlled, steady, punch you
in the mouth kind of drive. You go back and
you look at the last team to beat the Denver Broncos.
Who's the head coach over there? Who's he the brother of?
You don't think he's sharing things with his brother over
there in Baltimore for his division rivals. You don't think
he said, hey, look, if you could keep the ball
(14:59):
out of the hands, wear that defense down early, run
the ball with purpose, you're gonna be able to beat
them in this regard.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Well, the other thing that Jim Harbard did with the
Chargers that prove effective against the Broncos. They use j
K topps and they use and running those kind of
rail routes yep, and Cody Barden couldn't really get out.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
They all had that touchdown on the wheel route too.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
Yes, So so I can see the brothers sharing some information.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Wouldn't I wouldn't would probably I would venture to guess
we'll see Justice Hill on a cup, probably not Merrick Henry,
but we will probably see Justice Hill on that wheel
route once or twice next game.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
Because now there's the one two punts, right, We're gon
we're going to budget you in the middle, and then
we're gonna bring Justice Hill in and we're gonna.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Be a little crafted with some of the routes. Every run.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Yeah, I've gun two back.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
You're you're you know, you're losing the play action to
uh to Derrick Henry off this way, and then you
got Hill coming around, you know, almost in a backside
orbit motion and then up the sideline on that rail route.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
There you go. As That's the.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
Only thing I can say, man, when we watch the
game this week, that's the difference of players.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
Watch how they communicate.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
But more importantly, let's check the see where they their
eyes are because if the Broncos players their eyes are
not in the right place.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
This could be a very difficult game for the Broncos.
Moral victories do they exist?
Speaker 1 (16:15):
When we come back? Broncos Country not kaway, guys.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Sunday eleven to one, Enjoy myself and or b Bronco
Nick Ferguson at Larimer Beer Hall in Denver, twenty twelve,
Larimer Street for Kawe's Origin Blue Brunch presented.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
By Don Julio.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Watch football, enjoy food, drink specials. Enter to win an
autograph football. That's Sunday eleven to one at Larimer Beer Hall.
That's twenty twelve, Larimer Street. Myself at mister Ferguson aka
Doctor Love aka Cousin Randall.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Have you guys ever been to Larimer Beer Hat. Never been?
Speaker 2 (16:44):
It's a good time, you guys. Enjoy yourself well at
the Grand Smiths Sea of Approval.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Okay, let's explain that a good time.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Because okay, Nick, maybe not great time? Thank thank you,
thank you? Okay, Ben, great time, A phenomenal time?
Speaker 4 (17:00):
Yes, yes, well, well you know what that could have
turned into a good time for me because I get
a chance to watch Ben and have a bunch of laughter.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
I am.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
I am good for that. I am an entertaining person.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
There you go.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
I provide the entertainment I have been known. Actually I
really haven't. I really haven't cut loosened any of these things. Yeah,
I don't. I haven't cut loosened any of these things.
It's been a while since I you know, like I
guess the thing. I mean, I guess you know.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
I was talking about somebody about the end of the day,
about drinking and all that kind of stuff in your twenties,
you know whatever. But man, I'm in my forties now,
barely drink anymore. I just don't drink that much.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Okay, So when you were much younger, now obviously you
have uh, you know, faster metabolism than that have anything,
recovery time and all.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Like I said, I maybe I don't know if I mean,
I just like I don't have.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
The desire to be out there every night get putting
down like I used to.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Could it be it.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Was what you were drinking now the fact that you
were drinking, Like what what you were drinking? Like, okay,
there's a difference, Like I don't know the difference because
I never I have not.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
This theory out.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
But just logically, I'm thinking, if you're drinking like beer
cores whatever whatever it is that is not it doesn't
take as much of a toll on your body as
if you were drinking like hard alcohol.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Yeah, which I mean or is it the same?
Speaker 3 (18:24):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
I mean, you say the hard alcohol will it'll it'll
creep up on you. But I mean I do both.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
I mean, you know, I like a good Scotch every
now and again. No, I just I don't know. I
just I got older to slow down, you know. I mean,
that's that's all it really is. You just slow I mean,
I'll still, I'll still, I'll throw it down.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
I'll still. I'll throw down two three times a year,
you know.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
But it used to be used to be at every
weekend and sometimes on the week days kind of thing.
Now I'm two three times a year. I'll get out there,
really throw it down. It's about it.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
I get really wild and crazy on New Year's That's
when I totally lose it.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
On New Year's.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
A lot of Martin Ellie's is drink.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
Just it's like bodies with Martinelli's, a.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Gallon straw, maybe a gallon I bought him strawed out
in there.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Yes, we getting would up in my house.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Five six six nights zeroes of text slide Brian's asking
if he comes to you a Sunday, Yeah, come here,
come out, come hang out.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
I I guess that's that's just the thing. I've just
slowed down. I don't know, we'll see. I'm gonna have
one on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Thought you would be happy for Ben yesterday though he
had about eleven taco about tacos before the show, eleven,
so his metabolism is still working hard tonight.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
You can pay that twelfth.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
But a side bowl. I mean when I walked in,
that's the first thing he showed me. He was so
proud of it too.
Speaker 5 (19:43):
Got healthy.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
I mean you were here yesterday, Lire.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
That's November now, No no fast food November? Is that
a theme that something us? Just are you doing the
same thing?
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Grant?
Speaker 5 (19:57):
Hell?
Speaker 2 (19:57):
No, okay, So McDonald's gotty coola.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
I'm there a couple of days off work. Yeah, it's
like McDonald's breakfast.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
I'll risk you for the biscuit, or you could go
to our sponsor Wendy's and a pretty damn hot honey.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Chicken sandwiches. Good is the goods? I'm just saying they
are sponsors.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
So a spicy sandwich or well, you get the hot
hot chicken with the honey we talked about.
Speaker 4 (20:22):
Is that like the nasty hot chicken type thing or
just hot spicy chicken.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
It's just like spicy chicken with the honey on it.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
I'm on the man, Why are you looking at me
with that disapproving look?
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Because I don't know what the difference is, and I'm like,
I'm looking for a context me.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
I don't know because I'm asking.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
You went together. We're two dudes that don't know National Chicken.
Just Dudes on Dudes.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
You know that podcast is out there, disappointing one very
very specific demographic.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
I heard you say the other day you were disappointed
when you checked it out. Yeah, I was.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
They didn't have enough talk about the you know works
the patriots going on there. Oh okay, obviously, Julian Edelman
and Rob Garkowski. You have a podcast on I Art
network called Dudes on Dudes.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
That's a real thing. They have, very interesting I'm trying
to bait you right now.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Nope, I gonna have you.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
You are being a master at avoiding it. Yes, I
am five, six, six nine zeros.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
The text line, they got so many texts coming, I'm
not even gonna they're gonna touch it. Are there moral
victories in the NFL? I know there's not for the players.
There's not for teams, right, you lose, you lose. But
for a fan base, if you play a team like
Baltimore close and it proves that five and three isn't
a fluke. You weren't beaten up on bad in your teams,
you're competitive kid.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Fans take solace in that.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
Yeah, they can.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
They can by saying, okay, well, the Broncos would be
at a certain point in this season where not many predicted.
And you know, if you are a die hard fan,
every year, for certain individuals, you think that this is
going to be their year. For the most part, that
wasn't the idea for the Broncos.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Coming into the season.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
But even though what you said is true, there's no
such things at moral victories. But you can take solace
in knowing that you were closer than what you may
have thought at.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
The beginning of season.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
And I'm sure if you talk to anyone at the
Broncos facility, they would tell you, you know, maybe this
is exactly what he thought they should be or they
could be, And I would say maybe some of that
may be true, but you needed certain things to happen.
You needed Bo to really start to show really early
that he was capable of doing what he was doing
(22:43):
with the Oregon Ducks with his team. But that was
predicated on the changing of the scheme to cater to
what Bo can do. So if the team goes out
and let's just say they lose the game, but they
lose with Lamar having a great day and they lose
by three point six points, yeah, you take a victory
(23:05):
in there, because the following week you're going into Kansas
City and you need all the momentum you need.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
So it can give the team a confidence boost.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
Even if you lose a close one like that, it
can still give you the confidence that we can hang
with these teams.
Speaker 4 (23:19):
Yeah, it will, because man, it's not like we're talking
about the ending of the season, right Like, you beat
a team, you get closed, and you you lose, and
you go, okay, well if that's a more victory, No
it's not. You lost your going home. But it's mid
season with a lot of season to go. The Broncos
haven't even hit their bye week. So if you're able
to go out and play well and you lose against Baltimore,
(23:39):
then you follow that with a win over Kansas City,
that's a victory.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Then you've you've realized that, hey, we can hang with
these guys, we can hang with these front runners, these
people that people assume are the contenders.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
We're one of them.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Yes, Because to me, that's in back to back weeks.
You're not playing a beat up Carolina Panthers team, right,
You're not playing a Chargers team that was out you know,
Joey Bosa or one of their top quarters. No, you're
not dealing with that situation. You're facing two teams with
(24:12):
great records. One is still undefeated. Hopefully they would be
undefeated by the time the Broncos play them, to only
intensify the narrative associated with that game, but to know
that you are you were able to steal one of
those games. To me, that still is a good sign
and the sends a message not just to the fan base,
(24:32):
the players in the locker room, the coaches to know
that they're on the right track, but also sends a
message to the other teams in the league. Wherever you
thought the Vegas odds were before the season started to
say what the Broncos were capable of, they've now flipped
that narrative. Yeah, and once again no more victories. But
still because you in the middle of the season, I'll
(24:53):
take that as a w What of the.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
People who say that this is orange slices, that this
is a loss? Is you know, is a loss? There's
nothing positive to take from that.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
I mean, I.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Always it's just funny because that Trent Dilfert quote that
floats or you can't win games by losing, you know what,
Bloa and he's right.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
But at the end of the day, I think you're right.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
I think that there is something to getting the mental
toughness and confidence that comes from I'm able to hang
with these guys. Yeah we didn't, you know, we gave
each other our best shots, and yeah we didn't pull
this one off today. But also Vegas was saying we're
a ten point dog in this one, and we certainly
aren't a ten point up.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Well, I can understand why they're saying, and looking at
some of the games that the Broncos play, how those
games would play you look at the Thursday night game
against the Saints, their injuries, what Broncos were able to
do against that team, what they were able to do
with Caroline the Panthers. This is why for me, this
game is all It is really important because to go
(25:56):
out and be the team that's a playoff contender and
the team is not as beat up. And don't get
me wrong, Baltimore's beat up. Lamar was on the injury report,
Mala Humphrey on the injured report. I mean, they got
beat up in that Cleveland game. But to be able
to show that you can go and go toe to
toe with a team that's for the past couple of years,
(26:18):
have been in that conversation. Yes, man, if the Broncos
would have lose that game and it's a close game, yeah,
hold your head high. You knew walking in it was
going to be an Argubles task to begin with. But
the ideas go out there and compete and try to
hold your own and don't turn the ball over to
a team that they could shorten the game by just
(26:39):
running the ball.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
You don't want to do that.
Speaker 4 (26:41):
And if it's a drubbing of the Broncos, it would
be just a litmus test of letting the Broncos know
exactly what more they need to do and how far
away they are.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
But it's still puts.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Them in a good situation where they can say, you
know what, what are some of the positives that we
gain from playing a team like Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
What do you expect to happen in this game?
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Do you expect this to be a you know, a
chance at at Denver Broncos win.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
Do you think that this is going to be something
where we're lucky to win, where we have a really
good shot at winning. Where do you come down on
it this weekend?
Speaker 4 (27:14):
I feel as though the Broncos have a good shot
at winning. And the reason I say that, I go
back to the Cleveland game and Jameis Winston coming in
and you know, looking at the roster receivers know Mark Cooper,
but Jameis Winston filed David and Jokul. They ran the
ball with Nick Chubb right, and they just kind of
had a more of a balanced game, and they took
(27:36):
advantage of some of the players in the passing game
as well as they could, because I mean Cayl Hamilton
dropped the interception that would have found an ice to
game for Baltimore. But then right after that, Jamis came
back and they scored a touchdown. And for me, the
reason I'm giving the Broncos a chance in this game
is because of their defense, because of what their defense
(27:57):
has been able to do all season long. And knowing
though their defense has shown the propensity to take advantage
off of turnovers, now you gotta force them them.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Lamar's not gonna give them to you.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
But if there's a ball that so happened to be
touched out.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
And fall on the ground, you gotta get it.
Speaker 4 (28:15):
If there's a tip ball or whatever tips and over,
those gotta get those. So the Broncos are going to
have to be extra attentive and have a sense of
urgency in creating turnovers. And I don't mean that I
don't want you guys trying to make tackles and punch
at the same time. Meanwhile, Derek Henry's dragging you on
the ground. No first guy secured the tackle. You provide
(28:37):
a speed bump so everyone else can come in and
make the tackle.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
Yeah, I look, I guess you have to be privy.
Coming up top of the hour, do a little fantasy football.
Some props stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
What are the what are the keys for you for this?
Because for me, it is you're gonna have to generate
probably two turnovers. You're gonna have to get.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
Some points off at least one of those, I think,
in an effort to beat this team.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Well, for me, it's forcing turn and for the Broncos offense,
don't turn the ball over. Now, you're going to have
to have some of a balance attack to kind of
stay in this game. And we know Baltimore is not
great against the pass. They're tops in the league against
the run. So Sean Payne's gonna have to become really
(29:18):
creative with finding opportunities for his running backs to be effective.
That doesn't necessarily mean you want to run them into
a brick wall.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
No, don't do that.
Speaker 4 (29:28):
Understand who that guy is at middle linebacker for the
Baltimore Ravens and Roe Kwan Smith.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
No, he's not Ray Lewis, but he's close damn to it.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
So you have to find ways to put him at
a disadvantage. And I would say, Ben, you got to
make him run. You've got to make him run. So
now you're forcing him to guess what you're doing and
what I've seen from the Broncos of the past couple
of weeks, they show that they have the ability, but
how consistently can they be with the pre and posting
that motion? All of that would be key for this game.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
I think so too.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
I think you're gonna have to to use a little
bit of that tempo you rolled out in the last
couple of games. I think You're going to have to
find ways to be committed to the ground game. Even
if it isn't as effective as you'd like, You're still
going to have to give it service in an effort
to open up some of these other things, because otherwise
the Ravens are gonna pin their ears back and they
are going to muddy things up for Bonnicks. And when
he gets sped up, that's when you know he becomes undisciplined.
(30:21):
That's when he gets frantic, and that's when he makes
bad throws.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Yeah, you don't want Bow making bad throws.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
And for me, this is gonna be another game where
I'm watching not Bow's arm, I'm gonna watch Bo's feet.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
How active are his feet?
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Can he move himself in the pocket outside or climb
the pocket? And does he have the ability to reset
his feet, come to balance, and transfer his weight. All
of that is going to be important because he's going
to be forced to make pinpoint precision throws. And when
he throws it to a receiver, you gotta catch it.
Well more importantly, you got to hang on to it.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Yeah, we're looking specifically at Troy Franklin, but also it's
something what do you say that.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
You were just calling him out. I want to make
sure he.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
Didn't do anything.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
I'm sorry Nick Ferguson is calling out truff. Now you're
pulling the Ryan Edwards. That is classic pH d y
right there. I learned at the school of Ryan Edwards
moving the goalpost. No, I'm with you on this, though
you do this offense doesn't require you to make plays
after you catch the ball, but it does require you
(31:29):
to catch the ball.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
It's a schedule based offense.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
You've got to hang on to the football and when
you get those deep shots like that that are open,
you got to hang on to the ball.
Speaker 4 (31:37):
This is perfect game for one courtland sudden in the back,
show to fade.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
That's all I'm gonna say.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
And that is I think the matchup to watch because
you do have the two corners that are hurting.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey are hurting. They may not
playing this game.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
They do have some problems up front with got a
Uk the only healthy, truly healthy defensive lineman that they have.
There are things to take advantage of with this defense,
and I think the Broncos are going.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
To have to take advantage of it. You're gonna need
another big day probably out of the tight ends too.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
They're gonna have to find ways to get ro quand
Smith going backwards away from the ball instead of sideline
a sideline of downhill.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
That's gonna be one hell of a battle Troutman Kroll
versus Likely and Andrews.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
And we've seen that the Broncos have a susceptibility to
the tight end on defense.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
We have seen that, so they're.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Going to do They're going to have to find ways
for the offense to feature I don't know if feature
is the right word, but get completions to the tight
end and get those linebackers backed off to the point
where they're not.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
Just coming downhill.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
I think you use the proper word.
Speaker 4 (32:40):
It's feature features the tight end because once again you
feature those guys. Now that's gonna draw the tension of
the safeties and the linebackers, and that's.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
All you need.
Speaker 4 (32:50):
You just need to split second for those guys to
be occupied from a visions standpoint, by presing that movement
that create space. Boom, there's a whole We've seen Javonte
Williams drag guys once he gets to.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
The second level.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
I'm hoping we're getting a chance to see that. Broncos.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Of course, that one of the last two games on
the East Coast, they were early games. There used to
be a finality for them, and now they are able
to get.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Wins off that. Looking at Tampa and and looking at
the New York Jet.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
So we come back to meth Revie is gonna join
us Stuckholm fantasy football draft props, excuse me, little vetting
props with her.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Be good to check him with. This is a Broncos
country night. Are you're okay away