The Drive

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil debate how the Broncos defense can back on track after a tough month of December. In the scenario the Broncos choke away a playoff spot after only needing 1 win in their last 3 games, could Vance Joseph be on the hot seat? Would a loss to the Chiefs backups be “embarrassing” for the Broncos? We hear from Sean Payton and his thoughts on Bo Nix stepping up in big moments this season. What are Bo Nix’s thoughts on high pressure situations and how important it is to get this Broncos franchise back in the playoffs. Will Jaleel McLaughlin be the first Broncos running back to have a carry over 22 yards this season? We wrap up the show with the guys making 5 predictions for this weekend in sports. Will the Broncos end their playoff draught and clinch a spot with win vs Kansa City? Will Bo Nix shine in the most important game of the season? Will Courtland Sutton reach the 1,000-yard mark for receiving on the season?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover. The guys discuss the New Years Eve and Jokic’s case to win his 4th MVP at the end of this season. The guys react to multiple Denver Broncos getting names to the 2025 Pro Bowl. Phil recounts about the time he was told he had made the Pro Bowl. Is Patrick Surtain on his way to having a Hall of Fame resume after being named to his third Pro Bowl? Zach explains why he has a problem with Zach Allen getting snubbed from the Pro Bowl. Are the Nuggets turning a corner and back to championship contender? Zach and Phil breakdown Russell Westbrook’s impact on the Nuggets and how surprising his addition has been. How can the Nuggets fix their defensive issues now that their offense is back to looking like a championship level?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to the official news of the Chiefs deciding to bench many of their star players and starters. How do the Broncos still get up and bring an edge to game where the Chiefs are resting their best players? We hear from Sean Payton and his thoughts on the Chiefs resting many of their players. What will we see from Carson Wentz in his opportunity to shine as the Chiefs backup? Today’s “Three Count” features a wrap up from the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals, the Avalanche dominating the Jets on their way to a 5th straight win, and the massive viewership for the Buffs in the Alamo Bowl. What did the guys make of the video of Gabe Landeskog at morning skate? Is Zach sold on a return for Landeskog? Now that the Avs have signed their long-term answer at goal, is the Gabe Landeskog situation not as much of an anchor to roster?

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to the Broncos named to the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl. What company did Pat Surtain join by making a third consecutive Pro Bowl? While the Broncos will have representatives at the Pro Bowl, which Broncos were snubbed from the honor? Did Drew Lock’s performance for the Giants in a win, cost Shedeur Sanders going number one overall to New York? Could the Giants falling out of the first pick, be a blessing in disguise similar to the 2023 Draft? Does Travis Hunter have a better chance of being the number one overall pick in the 2025 Draft now? Which teams do the guys think are most likely to win the Super Bowl at this point? Are the Nuggets turning a corner and returning to championship level basketball? How impressive was Jokic’s 30-point, triple double? Is Jokic on his wat to winning a 4th MVP? We hear from Michael Malone and his thoughts on the recent success from the Nuggets.

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil discuss if the Broncos will have a lack of urgency when facing off vs many of the Chiefs backups this weekend? We hear from Sean Payton and his thoughts on the Chiefs being in position to rest their players in week 18. DenverSports.com’s Will Petersen joins the show to discuss the video of Gabe Landeskog at morning skate. Are the guys sold on a Landeskog returning to the Avalanche? Did the video make the guys excited about the way Landeskog was moving? We wrap up the show with the top 5 things the guys learned in Denver sports today. Was Zach Allen snubbed from a Pro Bowl bid? What would the Broncos season look like if they had drafted Brock Bowers and thrown together a hodgepodge of quarterbacks? Has Nix taken a slight step back in recent weeks over how great he looked midseason?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss their holiday week’s and debate if the NFL has over done it with too many games and on all days of the week. How can the NFL bring my competitiveness to their late season? Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Broncos heart breaking loss in Cincinnati. Did the Broncos get outplayed by the Bengals, or did they play a part in the loss? What part did Sean Payton have in the Broncos loss? Should the Broncos have gone for a 2-point conversion at the end of regulation? Is Sean Payton still considered “an aggressive” coach if he chose to be conservative vs the Bengals? The guys review Bo Nix’s performance in the most important game of his NFL career. Even in a loss, did Nix impress?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil breakdown the Broncos playoff possibilities after their key loss in Cincinnati. Will the Broncos get a win vs the Chiefs and finally clinch their spot in the playoffs? Today’s “Three Count” features Jamal Murray’s best performance of the season in a dominant win over the Pistons, the Avs hitting their stride as they’ve won 4 in a row and 8 of their last 10 games, and Saquon Barkley joining the 2,000-yard club on Sunday. Will Barkley go for the single season rushing record and risk injury by playing in the Eagles week 18 game? The Buffs ended the Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter era with a butt-kicking in the Alamo Bowl. What were Phil’s takeaways from the game? We hear from Coach Prime and his thoughts on the final game coaching his sons.

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil question why Sean Payton went away from the run game after having success with the running backs. Does Sean Payton have too much confidence in Bo that it causes an unhealthy balance of throwing and running the ball? We hear from Sean Payton on his decision making to not go for a 2-point conversion and go for a win at the end of regulation for the Broncos. Zach and Phil are on opposite sides when it comes to if the Broncos should have gone for the win. Zach claims Sean Payton can no longer be considered “an aggressive” coach after deciding to go to overtime vs trying to win or loss the game on one play. The guys grade Bo Nix’s game after the Broncos heart breaking, overtime loss in Cincinnati. What were the positives from Bo and what throws and decisions do the guys think Nix would want back? Why was Nix targeting Troy Franklin in a key spot in overtime? Phil explains why Bo Nix’s next step to improve is getting better at the 2-minute drill.

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue their discussion on if Sean Payton cost the Broncos by playing for overtime vs risking the game on the final play of the game. Veteran NFL reporter, James Palmer joins the show to discuss Sean Payton’s decision to play for overtime vs going for the win at the end of the 4th quarter, Bo Nix’s performance and non-ability to throw the ball down field, and what the other most impactful plays were throughout the game. Does Sean Payton have a play calling issue by committing to throwing the ball too much? The Buffs finished up the Shedeur and Travis Hunter era with an embarrassing loss in the Alamo Bowl, Phil shares his thoughts form the game. Was it a bad idea to have Sanders and Hunter play in the game with their minds on the next level? We wrap up the show with the top 5 reasons the Broncos fell to the Bengals. Did Sean Payton get too conservative with his play calling in overtime?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Will cross talking with Dover. The guys debate if it matters how the Broncos make the playoffs or just that the team makes it to the playoffs. If the Broncos miss out on the playoffs, would the second half of the Broncos season be considered a collapse? Would the rest of the AFC be nervous if Joe Burrow and Bengals found their way into the playoffs? Saturday’s Broncos game will feature arguably the best wide receiver and best cornerback in the NFL, how excited are the guys to see this premier matchup? Will the weather in Cincinnati be a factor for Bo Nix and the Broncos offense? Will the rain be a reminder from when Nix struggled in New York? The Buffs take on BYU in the Alamo Bowl this weekend in what should be Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter’s final game in black and gold. Will CU end this era of Buffs football on a high note and get a win over their Big 12 conference opponent?