The Drive

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil breakdown the Broncos collapse and the details of what went wrong for the Broncos in the second half. Zach shares his problem with Sean Payton opting into a Thursday Night Football game and then mentioning the short week as a reason the defense struggled. Former Bronco and Super Bowl champion, Chris Harris Jr. joins the show to discuss the Broncos halftime adjustments or lack thereof, the Broncos going away from a successful running game, and Sean Payton’s decision to play the Chargers on a short week. Which rookies surprised the guys the most in last night’s game?  Did Sean Payton’s decision to play on Thursday night directly impact the Broncos chances of winning this game? Does Sean Payton get away from the running game and can’t help himself but pass the ball? We wrap up the show with what the guys are most excited to watch this weekend, including the first ever 12-team college football playoff.

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss the Broncos and how they cannot get swept by the Chargers after getting “punked” by them in Denver earlier this season. How does the injury report impact tonight’s game? Who will and will not be on the field for the Chargers and Broncos tonight? Will Blake Watson have an impact in a struggling Broncos backfield? Justin Herbert has been elite in one specific category this season; will the Broncos defense be able to create interception opportunities? Zach reveals a shocking stat about the Broncos and their struggles in the first quarter. Will the Broncos be able to buck this trend and start fast vs the Chargers? On the other side of the coin, the Chargers have had major struggles in the 4th quarter. Will the Broncos be able to take advantage of this trend?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep into tonight’s Broncos and Chargers Thursday Night Football game. Will the Broncos be able to match or exceed the Chargers hobbled running game? Phil reminisces on his breakout performances vs the Chargers and urges the Broncos running backs to follow suit. We hear from Sean Payton and his thoughts on the importance of third down. Will Sean Payton stick with the run and trust his running backs? Today’s “Three Count” features how Michael Porter Jr. will play tonight while his name has been surrounding NBA trade rumors this week, Alexander Georgiev’s revenge game tonight as the Sharks take on the Avalanche, and reports of Jets owner Woody Johnson vetoing a trade for Jerry Jeudy because his Madden rating was too low. Zach and Phil pour over the gambling props for tonight’s Broncos game and Zach shares his favorite plays of the night.

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil discuss how Broncos Country will show out tonight in Los Angeles. We hear from Sean Payton and Bo Nix and their thoughts on Broncos Country traveling and filling out SoFi Stadium. Will the change in the Broncos schedule impact how well Broncos fans are represented at the game? Zach shares the injury report for the Chargers and how many starters they will be missing tonight, while the Broncos are a much healthier team than when the two teams last met. 9News Broncos insider, Mike Klis joins the show to discuss the lack of injuries for the Broncos this season, the decision for the Broncos to accept an additional Thursday Night Football game this season, and much more to preview tonight’s game. The guys react to their conversation with Mike Klis and review the Broncos official injury report for tonight. Will a missing Riley Moss bite the Broncos defense?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Broncos pivotal game tonight. Will the Broncos officially punch their ticket to the postseason with a win? DenverSports.com’s Senior Broncos writer, Andrew Mason joins the show to discuss Mase’s expectations for Bo Nix tonight, the Broncos struggles in the first quarter, and how the Broncos will rotate their running backs tonight. Will tonight be a high or low scoring game? Will we see the Broncos revert back to a Bo Nix’s rushing game that we saw earlier this season? Will the Broncos have a running back run for 50 yards tonight? We wrap up the show with the guys 5 predictions for tonight’s pivotal Thursday Night Football matchup, including their winning picks. Will the Broncos secure their first playoff bid for the first time in a long time?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys breakdown the proposition of the Nuggets bringing in Zach Lavine. Would Lavine be enough to put the Nuggets over the hump? Do the Nuggets need to make a “big splash” trade or try to round out the roster with role players? Are the guys bothered by the Broncos resume this season? Will not being able to compete with the best teams in the NFL come back to bite the Broncos in the playoffs? Outside of the Broncos win over the Buccaneers, what is the best win of the Broncos season? Was Sean Payton thinking in the best interest of his team when the Broncos accepted to play a second Thursday Night Football game this season? The Nuggets have been involved in NBA trade rumors with superstars across the league. Should the Nuggets “blow up” their core four to bring in Zach Lavine?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue their conversation on the Nuggets potentially acquiring Zach Lavine. Would the guys prefer a big trade that would send Michael Porter Jr. out of town, or a smaller trade that brings in role players to round out the roster? We pivot the Broncos and Zach asks which award is most likely to come to Denver, coach of the year, rookie of the year, or defensive player of the year? Today’s “Three Count” includes Marvin Mims being named AFC special teams player of the week, Atlanta benching a struggling Kirk Cousins for rookie Michael Penix Jr., Patrick Mahomes participating in practice after an injury, and the Buffs bringing in a transfer portal quarterback. We hear from Bo Nix and his thoughts on the Broncos remaining schedule. Should the Broncos be happy to win just one more game or should they be focused on finishing the season, 3-0?

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to Coach Prime’s recent comments on wanting to plant his flag in Boulder. What will Prime’s next contract with Colorado look like? Will Prime coach for another team in his career after Colorado? We hear from Sean Payton and his thoughts on the Broncos playing a second Thursday Night Football game this season. Was Sean being selfish when the Broncos decided to accept taking on an additional road Thursday Night Football game? Zach and Phil react to trade rumors around the NBA about the Nuggets being in the market for a major piece. Should the Nuggets be willing to move Michael Porter Jr. out of town for Zach Lavine? Would trading MPJ now be the Nuggets “selling high” on him as he is having a career season?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil debate which award is most likely to come to Denver for the Broncos, coach of year, rookie of the year, or defensive player of the year? The guys dig into the full circle moments the Broncos have had as Vance Joesph went from head coach to returning as defensive coordinator, years later. Did the Broncos get lucky by settling for Sean Payton after missing out on Jim Harbaugh and settling for Vance after missing out on many other coordinator options? DenverSports.com’s Will Petersen joins the show to discuss the Broncos with potential to take home NFL awards this season. We wrap up the show with the guys debating if the Nuggets should pull the trigger on a trade for Zach Lavine or try to do a smaller trade that brings in depth to the bench.

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss Jonathon Taylor’s mistake from Sunday’s Bronco game and recount their own sports gaffs from over the years. Zach asks if Sean Payton should “rip off the band aid” and start Audric Estime at running back. Why has Payton been so hesitant to give Estime the starting job? Phil has some theories. The Broncos have a great chance of matching up with Steelers in the playoffs, would Broncos Country welcome a high stakes game vs their former quarterback? What matchup would Zach and Phil prefer for the Broncos in the first round of the NFL playoffs?