The Drive

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover. The guys breakdown the wild world of college football. Could Colorado get in the College Football Playoff over some higher profile SEC teams? Phil analyzes the Broncos running back room after Sean Payton shook up the carriers for each back. Will we get an answer at running back this season or will it be a worry the rest of the season? If the Buffs win out the rest of their regular season, could Coach Prime be in the running for coach of the year? Has what Deion has done in Boulder the most impressive coaching job in America? How will Val Nichushkin’s welcome back to the Avs be handled? Will Ball Arena give Val an ovation? How will his fellow teammates welcome him into the locker room?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil review the Broncos loss vs the Chiefs and what it means to the Broncos playoff hopes. How does the result of the Broncos and Falcons game affect the Broncos playoff probability? Will the Broncos be able to “get up off the matt” and bounce back at home? Zach brings up an interesting situation in which the Chiefs could be playing for an undefeated season when they come to Denver at the end of the season. Phil answers what the Broncos need to do in the final 7 games for a Broncos playoff push. Can the Broncos stay healthy to finish the year? Today’s “Three Count” features a CU and CSU gambling feat, a coaching change in Chicago and how that effects Caleb Williams, and Chet Holmgren’s major injury. We finish up the hour with our hot takes from the week. Can Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter go first and second in the NFL draft?

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil breakdown the Avs after their overtime win last night. Has Georgiev solidified himself as the Avalanche’s starting goaltender? We hear from Avs coach, Jared Bednar and his thoughts on Georgie’s bounce back. Can Nathan MacKinnon win the Hart Trophy and become the 12th player to ever win the award in back-to-back seasons? Would the guys trade Mikko for Sidney Crosby? Zach and Phil analyze the Broncos running back room and where they stand after Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs. We saw a shakeup with how many snaps each saw, does Phil expect Audric Estime to get a bulk of the carries going forward? What will the welcome for Val Nichushkin look like on Friday? Will the crowd cheer when his name is announced? How will his teammates welcome to the locker room differ from Avs fans? We read from the text line and what the Avs fans think of Val’s return.

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil ask if Coach Prime will be up for the coach of the year award. Zach speaks to how graceful Prime has been this season after “getting punched in the face” last season. Who would be Prime’s competition for the award? DenverSports.com’s Senior Broncos writer, Andrew Mason joins the show to discuss his takeaways from the Broncos gut-wrenching loss, if the Broncos will make a change at offensive line, and how impressive Nik Bonitto has been this season. Did Bo Nix outplay Patrick Mahomes this past Sunday? How important will the Broncos and Falcons game be for the Broncos legitimacy and playoff hopes? DenverSports.com and host of the Mile High Hockey podcast, Will Petersen joins the show to discuss the Broncos playoff probability. We wrap up the show with Will’s thoughts on Val Nichushkin’s return to the Avs.

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys recap Zach’s weekend in Austin and the Nuggets winning streak. Should we stop being panicked about the Nuggets or are their close wins cause for concern? Zach and Phil pivot the heartbreaking loss for the Broncos, on Sunday. Where does this loss rank among gut wrenching losses for the Broncos over the past decade? Phil walks us through what Sean Payton’s messaging will be to the team today. What do the guys make of game 10 of Bo Nix’s career? Is Bo Nix officially the guys for the Broncos? What were the highlights and lowlights for Nix? Was this the first of many great games between Patrick Mahomes and Bo Nix? Have the Colorado Buffaloes become “undeniable”? Are the Buffs on track to go to the Big 12 Championship and the College Football Playoff?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Broncos loss in Kansas City from yesterday. Are there moral victories to take away from the game? Did we see the growth from Bo Nix that Zach was looking for? Today’s “Three Count” includes Gabe Landeskog’s return to the ice at the Avs facility, Shedeur Sanders winning the Big 12 offensive player of the week, and Big Noon Kickoff heading back to Boulder this upcoming weekend. Are the Nuggets finally starting to look like themselves again? Phil explains why Aaron Gordon missing time now and giving the younger Nuggets opportunities will help the Nuggets in the long run.

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil breakdown the Broncos last second loss in Kansas City, yesterday. We hear from Sean Payton and his thoughts on the gut-wrenching loss. Did the Broncos outplay the Chiefs? Who is to blame for the Broncos blocked FG to end the game? The guys grade Bo Nix’s 10th career game. Are we primed to see more Patrick Mahomes and Bo Nix classic matchups going forward? How are both Jokic and MacKinnon following up their MVP seasons? Will Jokic be able to overcome the narratives of voters not wanting to give Jokic a 4th MVP? Zach shares a wild stat that the University of Colorado will be the only team in the country to be on national tv for every game of their season. The guys analyze CU’s big win in Texas. How good was Travis Hunter on both defense and offense on Saturday?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil recap the Broncos heart breaking loss to the Chiefs yesterday. Is there a silver lining and positives to take from the Broncos loss? Veteran NFL reporter, James Palmer joins the show to discuss the optimism around Bo Nix even in a loss, where Devaughn Vele ranks among Broncos wide receivers, and Audric Estime getting a bulk of the running back snaps. How can Bo Nix continue to grow and what more can Nix add to his game? What criticism is fair for the coaching staff for the result of the final play of the Broncos and Chiefs game? Will this loss linger in the Broncos locker room? What are the guys seeing from an emerging young pass rusher in Nik Bonitto? Are the Nuggets playing like the Nuggets we have grown accustomed to? What more can Jokic do to earn his 4th NBA MVP? Zach recaps his weekend in Austin and attending the UT vs Florida game. We wrap up the show with what Zach and Phil learned in Denver sports over the weekend.

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Phil and Will Petersen cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys react to Dover and Cecil’s predictions and preview the Broncos and Chiefs game. Could the Chiefs be overlooking the Broncos and fall into a “trap game”? Will the Chiefs be extra motivated to keep their undefeated season alive? What do the Broncos have to do to end their losing streak in Kansas City? Will the Broncos be able to wash the bad taste of a loss out of their mouth with a win vs a great team? Will a second loss in a row derail the Broncos season and discourage this young team? We pivot to the Buffs big game this weekend, will CU be able to put up big numbers in Lubbock this Saturday? Is getting into a shootout the best plan for CU to beat Texas Tech? Will explains why he is encouraged about the Avalanche goal tender situation, even after last night’s loss. Is there clarity for Avs goalies or are we still looking for more consistency from Georgie?

In Hour 2 of The Drive, Phil and Will Petersen take a deep dive into the Broncos and Chiefs game this weekend. How does Vance Joseph’s defense matchup with Andy Reid’s offense? Will shares the latest for the Broncos injury report, how big of a bump will a healthy Locke give the Broncos secondary? Will the Broncos be able to run the ball vs a top run defense? How will the Broncos split carries between Javonte, Jaleel, and Estime? Today’s “Three Count” features the Broncos getting help in a Bengals loss last night on TNF, LSU having a live tiger on the sideline, and a letter from Rockies manager Bud Black to Rockies fans. 9News Broncos insider, Mike Klis joins the show to discuss the field conditions in Kansas City, Drew Sanders returning from injury, and who the Broncos running back will be. Can the Broncos take advantage of the Chiefs looking ahead to Buffalo and get a win in a “trap game” for the Chiefs?