The Drive

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Will Petersen. The guys discuss the news of Bo Nix having a minor clean up surgery and if Broncos should be concerned. We revisit the Mikko Rantanen trade and debate if we see it any different now that more information has come out. Is the Avs moving on from Mikko similar to when the Nuggets decided to let KCP walk this past offseason? Has the Pro-Bowl been “watered down” with guys like Russell Wilson and Drake Maye being invited as alternates this year? Is it too early to give up on Troy Franklin after a lackluster rookie season? Zach reveals that Franklin’s rookie stats are very similar to some of the great wide receivers in Broncos history. Zach and Phil debate where Mikko ranked among the most important Avalanche trying to win another cup. Was bringing in Blackwood a bigger positive than the negative of losing Mikko Rantanen?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil grade how much pressure each GM in Denver sports is under at the moment. Has George Paton been cooling off his “hot seat” with the Broncos success this season? If the Nuggets don’t have playoff success, could this be the last season with Calvin Booth as the Nuggets GM? Has Booth proved enough by choosing Christian Braun and Peyton Watson? Today’s “Three Count” includes the massive donation the Broncos ownership made to high school football programs in Colorado and the viewership numbers from the AFC and NFC Championship games. Zach asks if Sean Payton is tempting fate by speaking up about great of a workout facility the Broncos have and how healthy the Broncos have been since Sean arrived. Did Sean need to take a shot at the previous strength and conditioning coaches in Denver when bragging about his current team?

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil discuss the departures from the Broncos coaching staff and front office. How important is it for Bo to have continuity in the coaching staff from year 1 to year 2 in the NFL? While a rookie Broncos had a lackluster season, Zach shares why it isn’t time to give up on Troy Franklin. The guys compare Franklin’s rookie season to some of the great Broncos wide receivers rookie season. Zach and Phil rank the most important Avalanche players to the team and where Mikko ranked among them. Is the loss of Mikko being overblown and the right move by the Avalanche front office? The Nuggets were in action last night as they fell to an underperforming team in Chicago. Do the Nuggets have a problem with taking their foot off the gas and playing down to their competition? Was last night’s result a matter of the Nuggets poor effort on defense or revealing the true colors of the Nuggets lack of defensive presence?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil debate which GM’s in Denver sports have the most pressure on them at the moment. Has George Paton’s hot seat, cooled off with the recent success of the Broncos? How much responsibility is on George Paton’s plate, since Sean Payton has taken over the reigns in Denver? Does Calvin Booth have more pressure at this point than Chris MacFarland? Although Booth has already won a championship as GM, does he still have pressure to maximize Jokic’s window? Did Sean Payton need to take a shot at the previous strength and conditioning coach for the Broncos, when applauding how healthy the Broncos have been the last 2 seasons? We wrap up the show with what the guys learned in Denver sports today. Should we be concerned about Bo Nix getting a procedure done? DenverSports,com’s Will Petersen joins the show to discuss the Mikko Rantanen trade and hear from Mikko himself. Should Mikko have been surprised by the trade or was this a long time coming?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Will Petersen. The guys do a full breakdown on the Mikko Rantanen trade. Is it too early to grade the trade from the Avalanche perspective? Zach shares his thoughts on his Buffalo Bills falling again to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs again in the playoffs. How much did the referees play a factor in the AFC Championship? We return to the blockbuster trade for the Avs as they trade away one of their stars in Mikko Rantanen to Carolina. Was now the time to make this trade or could the Avs and Mikko continued to work towards a contract extension? Zach looks back at the history between the Avs and Mikko and hos business has always come first between the two sides. Could the Avalanche have paid Mikko the money he was looking for but chose not to?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to the Jim Leonard agreeing to return the Broncos and not interview for a defensive coordinator position. Was there a promise made to Leonard to keep him in Denver, involving Leonard becoming the next defensive coordinator of the Broncos? Would it be a mistake for Sean Payton to move on from Vance Joseph? Zach and Phil react to Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft which projects the Broncos selecting a safety out of South Carolina. Would the guys be open to the Broncos not selecting a “position of need” in the first round? Today’s “Three Count” features a Bronco declining to play in the pro-bowl, Charlie Blackmon joining the Rockies office in a special assistant to the GM role, and Brian Schottenheimer being named the next coach of the Dallas Cowboys. The Nuggets had their chance for redemption vs the team that knocked them out of the playoffs a season ago and fell on their face.

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to the Broncos rookie class being ranked 7th in the NFL. How much impact did the Broncos rookies have and in what order? Zach shares his thoughts on his Bills falling to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs yet again in the playoffs. Did the referees play a part in the Chiefs victory? Does the NFL have a “Chiefs fatigue” problem? The guys react to the blockbuster trade the Avalanche made over the weekend. Is it too early to judge the Avs return from the trade? Who is to blame for the fractured relationship between Mikko and the Avs? We hear from Nathan Mackinnon and his thoughts on Mikko’s departure.

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to reports that Broncos defensive backs coach, Jim Leonard will return to the Broncos after having opportunities to interview for defensive coordinator positions. Is Sean Payton keeping Leonard around as his defensive coordinator in waiting. Veteran NFL reporter, James Palmer joins the show to discuss the Chiefs beating the Bills again in the playoffs, the referee’s role in the AFC Championship, and how the Eagles were able to blowout the Commanders in the NFL Championship. James finishes up his time with us with a preview of the Super Bowl and the key matchups on the field and with the coaching staffs. DenverSports.com’s Jake Shapiro joins the show to discuss Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft. Should the Broncos draft a position of need in the first round or select the best player available? Will Shedeur Sanders slide in the draft to the Las Vegas Raiders? We pivot to the Nuggets as they fell to the Timberwolves over the weekend. We wrap up the show with Jake’s thoughts on the Mikko Rantanen trade. Do the Avalanche have enough to compete for a championship this season?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil previewing the AFC championship. Is the “Super Bowl” being played this Sunday in Kansas City? Is Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, this generation’s Peyton Manning and Tom Brady? The guys react to the Raiders bringing in Pete Carroll to be their next head coach. How much did Tom Brady have to do with the hiring process for the Raiders? We breakdown Jokic’s historic night, last night. Despite already having 3 MVP’s, is Jokic having his best season yet? We pivot to the Broncos and the rumors that Courtland Sutton could be in for a $25 million per year extension coming. Is paying this kind of money to an aging wide receiver a mistake from the Broncos?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil rank the AFC west head coaches now that Pete Carroll has joined the division. 9News Broncos insider, Mike Klis joins the show to discuss if Courtland Sutton’s market value will command 25-30 million dollars per year, if the negotiations between the Broncos and Sutton could bleed into team activities this off season, and if the Broncos are eyeing a running back in the first round of the NFL draft. Today’s “Three Count” features Drew Brees describing the complexity of an NFL play call on Stephen Colbert and Jokic being named an All-Star game starter and receiving more votes than any other player in the west. The guys react to Chad Andrus theory that the Broncos have a defensive coordinator in waiting, in Jim Leonard. Will the Broncos have to move on Vance Joseph in order to keep Jim Leonard in the building and promote him to defensive coordinator, this offseason? Phil goes on a rant on the disrespect Vance gets and how Sean Payton needs to be more appreciative of Joseph leading a top 10 defense.