The Drive

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys debate if snow football is real football. Will the Broncos new stadium be a dome, retractable roof or open air? We switch gears to the momentum Travis Hunter is gathering to be the first overall pick in the NFL draft. Will Shedeur Sanders and Coach Prime force their way to the New York Giants with the third overall pick? Will the Titans use their first overall pick on a quarterback? Will they trade back to gain more assets? Is Sean Payton the right coach to utilize a great running back like Ashton Jeanty? Would Payton use him as a “bell cow” back? We hand out a progress report as the Nuggets have hit the halfway point of the season. What grades do the guys give Jokic, Jamal Murray, Westbrook, and more? Is Jokic having his best season yet? How has Russell Westbrook gone from almost being out of the NBA, to being a major contributor for a championship level team?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil discuss Sean Payton being in the running for coach of the year in the NFL this season. Does Sean Payton have the best story out of all the coach of the year candidates? The guys preview the Broncos 2025 opponents and decide if the Broncos have the edge at head coach vs these teams? Zach and Phil disagree on a handful of the coaches around the NFL and where hey stack up against Sean Payton. Today’s “Three Count” includes Russell Wilson taking a shot at Sean Payton by paying compliments to Pete Carroll and Mike Tomlin and the Avalanche dropping a close one in overtime against the Winnipeg Jets. Will Sean Payton and Russ Wilson ever have a conversation about their fractured relationship? Can the Avs figure out their powerplay unit? Zach and Phil react to the changing odds in Travis Hunter to be the first overall pick in the NFL draft. The guys list all the possibilities to be the first overall pick including Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter. Will Hunter be able to play on both sides of the ball in the NFL?

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to Maurice Jones-Drew’s comments on the Broncos brining in Najee Harris in the offseason. Should the Broncos bring in Harris and how much should they be willing to pay him in free agency? The guys agree that the Broncos need to address the running back position but aren’t sold on Harris. The other option for the Broncos would be to draft a running back in the upcoming draft, which ESPN’s Mel Kiper is projecting. If the Broncos were to draft a guy like Ashton Jeanty, would Sean Payton be able to maximize his talents? There are new reports for the Dallas Cowboys head coaching job and Coach Prime could potentially be back in the mix for the position. Are the guys buying that Prime could be coaching anywhere besides Boulder come this fall? As we hit the halfway mark of the NBA season, Zach and Phil had out grades for the Nuggets.

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil debate the who should win the NFL’s coach of the year award after Sean Payton was named a finalist today. Is Sean more deserving of the award after taking a team with low expectations to the playoffs? We examine the Broncos opponents for 2025 and decide in which games the Broncos will have the edge at coach. Zach and Phil get heated over some disagreements on if Sean Payton is a better coach than Nick Siriani and Zac Taylor. DenverSports.com’s Will Petersen joins the show to continue the guys conversation on where Sean Payton stacks up against the Broncos opponents’ coaches in 2025. Will asks, if the Raiders hire Pete Carroll, would Sean Payton be the worst coach in the AFC west? We wrap up the show with a conversation on Mackenzie Blackwood and if the Avs have enough to surround their stars with. Do the Avalanche need to add depth to their roster or just have their players step up?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys breakdown the Nuggets blowout win on national television over the 76ers. Is Jamal Murray still the second-best player on the Nuggets? Can the Nuggets win a championship with an inconsistent Murray, now that the rest of the team is playing so well? We pivot to the Broncos as Patrick Surtain is on the cusp of joining rarified air by winning the defensive playoff of the year as a defensive back. Who would Surtain be joining by winning this award as a defensive back and a Bronco? Zach and Phil react to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.’s mock draft. Where will CU’s Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter go in the draft? Does Hunter have a better chance of being the number one pick than Shedeur? Will Travis Hunter play on both sides of the ball at the NFL level? Who does Kiper project the Broncos to chose with the 20th pick? Should the Broncos be open to drafting a running back in the first round?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil preview the Broncos 2025 opponents. While we don’t know when the Broncos will play certain teams, we do know who they’ll play and the guys decide in which games the Broncos will have the edge at quarterback. Where do the Broncos rank just among the AFC west going forward? Will Nix be able to leapfrog some veteran quarterbacks with more experience than him by the end of next season? Today’s “Three Count” features Bills Mafia giving back to Mark Andrew’s charity and Phil explains why he has a problem with it, the recent trend of NFL teams hiring former players to be their head coach, and the viewership from the national championship game. We have an update with Val Nichushkin’s injury and it’s not a good one. How important is it for the Avs to get Nichushkin back on the ice? Phil compares Val’s injury to a similar one he went through during his time in the league.

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil are joined by DenverSports.com’s Jake Shapiro to discuss the latest for the Nuggets. Is their recent hot-streak sustainable going forward and into the playoffs? Will Aaron Gordon be re-integrated into the Nuggets starting lineup? And if so, who will take his place coming off the bench? Zach points out how happy Nikola Jokic has looked recently and asks if it’s the most connected the team has looked in months/years. Zach and Phil react to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.’s mock draft and where CU’s Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders will land. Could Shedeur and Coach Prime “pull an Eli” and work their way to the New York Giants? We move to further back in Mel’s mock draft and how the Broncos will use their 20th pick. Should the Broncos consider drafting a running back in the first round in Ashton Jeanty? Would the guys be excited to bring in Jeanty to help Bo Nix’s development?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil debate where the Broncos stand in the AFC west going forward. Are the Broncos dead even with the Chargers or slightly behind? We examine the Broncos opponents for 2025 and decide who the biggest challenge will be out of the teams visiting Denver in 2025. In which games will the Broncos have the edge at quarterback? DenverSports.com’s Will Petersen joins the show to discuss if the Broncos were blown out vs the Bills. Will reacts to the guys list of teams the Broncos will and will not have the edge at quarterback that are on the schedule, next season. We wrap up the show with a conversation on the latest with Val Nichushkin and his injury. Is there a fear we will not see Val again in an Avalanche sweater? Can the Avalanche win another Cup without Val on the ice?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss the Bills and Ravens and the evolution of Josh Allen. Zach and Phil recap the entire Divisional round of the playoffs from over the weekend. Phil answers for his Ravens fandom and Lamar Jackson failing in the playoffs again. Is Jayden Daniels having the best rookie season from a quarterback? Should Daniels performance in the playoffs this year, inspire Bo Nix that he can do the same a year from now? Zach asks, if the Broncos should pick up the phone and call the Ravens about acquiring their tight end, Mark Andrews. Does Phil think this is a good idea? And how much are the guys willing to give up for a veteran TE like Andrews?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil debate what the goals for the Broncos should be in 2025. Is it Super Bowl or bust for the Broncos going forward? Would just winning a playoff game constitute a successful season for the Broncos? Is it too much to ask the Broncos to win the AFC west and host a playoff game, next season? Today’s “Three Count” includes reaction to the College Football Playoff championship and takeaways the first ever 12-team playoff, the Bears hiring Ben Johnson to be the next head coach and pair with their young quarterback in Caleb Williams, and the Buffs coming at number 25 in the final AP poll this season. What grade do the guys give the Colorado Buffs season? Zach asks if the shine is coming off the “new kid” for the Colorado Avalanche. Is Mackenzie Blackwood coming back down to earth or just in a little slump? Does it concern the guys that Blackwood has never played in a playoff game and the Avs have championship aspirations?