The Drive

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue their conversation on the Broncos running backs and Javonte Williams lack of explosive plays. The guys don’t expect to see Javonte back in a Broncos uniform next season and Phil shares the story about being told he would not be returning to the Broncos in 2020. We pivot to Bo Nix and when Zach and Phil knew he was “the guy”. We hear from Sean Payton and his thoughts on Bo Nix being able to avoid sacks at the collegiate and NFL level. Today’s “Three Count: includes the history between NFL referee Bill Vinovich, Sean Payton and the Broncos, Bradley Beal being open to getting traded to the Nuggets, and the Avs continuing their run with a win vs the defending champion, Florida Panthers. DenverSports.com’s senior Broncos writer, Andrew Mason joins the show to discuss if the Broncos are already Bo Nix’s team, what Nix still has to improve on during the offseason, and how Vance Joseph will fare with head coaching opportunities.

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to the news of the Raiders firing Antionio Peirce after just one season. Will the Raiders attempt to pair Coach Prime and Shedeur Sanders at the NFL level? Would continuing a father/son relationship into the NFL be a good move for all parties involved? The Nuggets have a huge test tonight as they play the defending champion, Boston Celtics on national tv. How will the Nuggets matchup with a team that shoots so may more three-point shots than they do? Who will defend the two-headed monster that is Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown? Zach and Phil discuss Von Miller playing against his former team, the Broncos in the playoffs. Will Miller record a sack on Sunday? Would Broncos Country be rooting for Von Miller and the Bills to win the Super Bowl if the Broncos fall in Buffalo this weekend? Do the Broncos have to be able to run the ball to win in Buffalo? Phil explains why the Broncos have had trouble running the ball this season.

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil share and debate when they knew Bo Nix was “the guy” during his rookie season. Which runs, passes or specific moments come t mind for the guys? We hear from Patrick Surtain and Courtland Sutton and when they knew Nix was the guy. Zach talks us through his confliction between rooting for the Bills and Broncos this weekend. While Zach is from upstate New York and a lifelong Bills fan, he now resides in Colorado and covers the Broncos on a day-today basis. Who will Zach be rooting for come Sunday morning? We wrap up the show with the guys’ hot takes for a “Hot take Tuesday”.

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover. The guys discuss the achievement that is making the playoffs for the Broncos. We look back at where we were in life, the last time the Broncos made the playoffs, 9 years ago. Zach speaks to the CEO energy that Bo Nix brings to the Broncos and asks if this Broncos team is already “his” team. After the worst stretch in Broncos history, the Broncos are back in the playoffs after their win over Kansas City. How did the Broncos get it done on the field yesterday? How impressive was Vance Joseph’s defense shutting out the Chiefs? What more would the guys liked to have seen from Bo Nix in his rookie season? Zach and Phil give credit to Garrett Bolles and Courtland Sutton for being able to stick through the rough times with the Broncos and come out the other side and into the playoffs.

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Broncos playoff clinching win over AFC west foe, Kansas City. Zach makes the argument that the Broncos would not be here without Sean Payton and his ability to turn around this franchise and pick the next Broncos franchise quarterback. What is the most impressive thing Sean Payton has done since arriving in Denver? Today’s “Three Count” features Sean Payton’s decision to bring in Wil Lutz and how well that has paid off for the Broncos, the Broncos throwbacks uniforms from Sunday, and Tyreek Hill saying he’s out the door in Miami. Should the Broncos be willing to pursue Tyreek Hill now that he is unhappy with the Dolphins? James Merilatt, of DenverSports.com joins the show to discuss James’ post which was featured on “old takes exposed”. Will James finally admit he was wrong about Sean Payton and Bo Nix?

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to the Broncos punching their ticket to the playoffs. We hear from Bo Nix and his thoughts on the success of the Broncos when it comes to winning more than the media and Vegas expected. How have the Broncos come together and been able to compete as a team while not rostering highly rated players as individuals? What did Nix have to say about the challenge awaiting them in Buffalo? The guys give Garrett Bolles and Courtland Sutton their credit for being able to see the worst stretch of Broncos football and come out the other end and reach the playoff for the first time in each of their careers. Phil walks us through what Justin Simmons is feeling after not being a part of the Broncos team to turnaround the franchise. Although the Chiefs did not play many of their starters, what takeaways did the guys have from the Broncos dominant win over Kansas City? Did Bo Nix cap off one of the greatest rookie seasons of all time? Is the rookie of year award down to just Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix and Brock Bowers?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil breakdown how impressive Sean Payton has been at developing Bo Nix and put him in situations to be successful. Veteran NFL reporter, James Palmer joins the show to discuss the accomplishments of Sean Payton this season, if the Broncos are already Bo Nix’s team, and if Tyreek Hill would be a fit for the Denver Broncos. How will Sean Payton be able to show the ceiling of Bo Nix? The Broncos finally have a double-digit sack artist again and not only do they have one, they have two. Zach expresses his hesitations with bringing in a player like Tyreek Hill and the problems he can bring, while Phil says a talent like Hill could set this team up for a Super Bowl. We wrap up the show with DenverSports.com’s Will Petersen joining the show. Do the Broncos have a chance in Buffalo? Will makes the case for why he doesn’t want heartbreak in Buffalo but prefers a blow out for the Broncos.

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover. The guys discuss the Broncos attitude heading into a must win game for the Broncos. Would it be considered a choke if the Broncos lose on Sunday and miss out on the playoffs after having three games to win just one of them to clinch the playoffs? Courtland Sutton is zeroing in on a 1,000-yard season with needing 17 more yards on Sunday, will Sutton reach this mark for the first time in a long time for the Broncos? Phil recounts about the time he was going for 1,000 yards in the final game of the season. The guys discuss the Broncos running backs and how Sean Payton has mishandled the backs and their usage.

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue their conversation surrounding the Broncos running backs. Does Sean Payton trust running backs enough to keep a balanced play calling? The guys react to the list of inactives from the Chiefs for this weekend’s game in Denver. How do the Broncos get their defense back on track after struggling in December? Will Riley Moss return to his early season form after having a rusty game vs the Bengals? Could Vance Joseph be on the hot seat if the Broncos defense doesn’t show up in the final week of the season? Today’s “Three Count” includes the Avalanche rally to come back and beat the Sabers in overtime, Denver receiving the 16th National Women’s Soccer League franchise, and an ESPN story on Jimmy Butler wanting out of Miami and open to playing basketball anywhere besides Miami. 9News Broncos insider, Mike Klis joins the show to discuss the growth from Marvin Mims in later half of the season, the vibe in the Broncos locker room, and how Carson Wentz will play on Sunday after going through “football rehab” with Sean McVay and Andy Reid.

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to Patrick Surtain turning into a major favorite to win the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award. Could a big game from TJ Watt on national tv, steal the award from Surtain? What does Surtain have to do on Sunday to secure the award? We hear from Chiefs defensive coordinator and his thoughts the Chiefs keeping their edge and how Bo Nix has impressed him. Does Nix bring a similar run threat as Josh Allen? As we circle the final week of the regular season, we are close to answer Zach was asking at the beginning of the season, will Courland Sutton be a 1,000-yard receiver? Sutton needs just 17 yards to reach this mark, do the guys think he will hit this milestone? What has been Sutton’s signature moments from this season? We finish up the hour with Zach and Phil debating how Sean Payton will go about utilizing the Broncos running backs. Has Sean been too selfish by throwing the ball so many times per game?