The Drive

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Phil and Will Petersen cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss the progress the Rockies have made this offseason and the backup quarterback situation with the Broncos. Phil and Will react to the Avalanche rolling as they beat Anaheim 5-1 last night in California. We speculate on what trade deadline deals the Avs could make and debate if it makes sense for them to bring back a familiar face in Kadri. We react to a report about the Broncos listening to offers on backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham. How much would it take in assets to move on from Stidham? Will makes the case why there are better backup quarterbacks on the market that could help the Broncos win important games if Nix were to miss any time. How close is Aaron Gordon to returning to the Nuggets lineup? Should the Nuggets hold back Gordon and Peyton Watson to make sure they are healthy for a playoff run? 

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue their conversation on Mike Evans' criticism of Gabe Landeskog and his underachieving this season. We pivot to the Broncos as NFL free agency kicks off in less than a week. We look at the running back market as David Montgomery was traded this week, Breece Hall was franchise tagged by the Jets, and Kenneth Walker not getting tagged by the Seahawks. We hear from Mike Klis and his thoughts on the Broncos wanting JK Dobbins back in 2026. Would Dobbins be willing to take a backseat in the Broncos running back room? Could Ben Powers be a cut or trade candidate as he heads into the last year of his contract? We react to Rockies' Paul Depodesta's comments on why Schaffer was the right hire for their manager and raising the floor of the team by bringing in veterans. We wrap up the show with DenverSports.com's Will Petersen joining the show to discuss Mike Evans' criticism of Gabe Landeskog this season. 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue their conversation on the Rockies and debate what would be a successful season for the team. We pivot to the Broncos and react to Russell Wilson addressing his tweet in which he fired back at Sean Payton after Payton took a shot at Wilson. What did the guys make of Russ defending himself? Will the Broncos re-vamp the offensive line? Could Alex Palczewski step into Ben Powers' role is Powers is cut or traded? We react to the Nuggets winning a tight one against a bad team in the Jazz. Is it fair to be concerned with the Nuggets defensive effort after barley winning a game in which Jamal Murray shot at a superhuman rate and the team shot at a 50/40/90 rate? Zach shares the impressive stats Nathan MacKinnon is putting up this season and how he is likely on his way to another MVP trophy. Will Nate become the first Avs player ever and join Jokic as the only Denver athlete to win multiple MVP's? We react to Mike Evans' comments on Gabe Landeskog underachieving and debate if Mike is fair to criticize Landy. 

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue their conversation on Mike Evans calling out Gabe Landeskog for underachieving. Is it fair to call Landeskog underachieving after a slow start and missing so much time this season? We pivot the Broncos and look at the running back market as David Montgomery was traded this week, Breece Hall was franchise tagged by the Jets, and Kenneth Walker not getting tagged by the Seahawks. Will the Broncos be big spenders at running back, paying someone $8 million or more per year? Today's "Three Count" includes Brennan Marion's comments on the Buffs after their first practice after the death of Dominiq Ponder, Rob Walton reportedly buying a 10% stake in the Diamondbacks 2 years ago, and the Colts placing a transition tag on Daniel Jones. We react to Rockies' Paul Depodesta's comments on why Schaffer was the right hire for their manager and raising the floor of the team by bringing in veterans. 

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss Russell Wilson "defending" himself on a podcast when talking about the back and forth between him and Sean Payton. Zach and Phil dive into the Broncos plans as NFL free agency beings in less than a week. Will the Broncos re-vamp the offensive line? Could Ben Powers be a cut or trade candidate as he heads into the last year of his contract? We react to the Nuggets winning a tight one against a bad team in the Jazz. Zach voices his frustrations with how Jokic reacts to aggressive defenses and tries to foul-bait. What do the guys make of David Adelman's adjustments and trying out a double big lineup with Val and Jokic? Zach shares the impressive stats Nathan MacKinnon is putting up this season and how he is likely on his way to another MVP trophy. 

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and James Merilatt take a deep dive into the Nuggets as they went 0-2 this weekend losing to the Thunder and Timberwolves. How fair is it to blame the Nuggets shortcomings on their injuries? Why have the Nuggets struggled in clutch time so much this season compared to years past? Does Jokic deserve some criticism? Are the Nuggets lacking a toughness with their current group of players? How much will the Nuggets have to overcome to win a championship this season? We react to ESPN's tiers for college football coaches on the hot seat. Is Deion Sanders on the list and should he be on hot seat in Boulder? We wrap up the show recapping the day in Denver sports with the Nuggets signing Tyus Jones to a contract and Nathan MacKinnon talking about his Olympic hockey experience. 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and James Merilatt debate if Davis Webb will have any voice in how the Broncos approach free agency, now that he has play-calling duties. Is Webb in line to the best next head coach of the Broncos? We question if Sean Payton gave up play calling on his own volition. Are the Broncos in a Super Bowl or bust window heading into next season? With NFL free agency kicking off next week, we debate how aggressive the Broncos will be in free agency. James explains why he believes the Broncos will address middle linebacker early in free agency or with a premium draft pick. We react to the Lions trading David Montgomery to the Texans today and question if the Broncos should have shown interest in Montgomery. The Avalanche were able to beat Chicago 3-1 over the weekend but is there still something missing from this Avs team?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and James Merilatt take a deep dive into the Nuggets as they went 0-2 this weekend losing to the Thunder and Timberwolves. Why have the Nuggets not excelled at home the way they have in the past? Will the Nuggets be able to stay healthy throughout the playoff after an injury riddled regular season? Why have the Nuggets struggled in clutch time so much this season compared to years past? Has the Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Johnson proved to be the wrong move for the Nuggets? We react to the breaking news of the Nuggets signing Tyus Jones. Today's "Three Count" features some athletes that ran incredible 40-times at the NFL combine last week and if the Broncos should be interested in them and the sad story in Boulder with quarterback Dominiq Ponder passing away after being in a single-car crash. We react to ESPN's tiers for college football coaches on the hot seat. Is Deion Sanders on the list and should he be on hot seat in Boulder?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and James Merilatt cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss how bad Colorado basketball has been this season under Tad Boyle and then shift to how all of CU's athletics are struggling with the football team also underperforming under Deion Sanders. Zach and James react to the Nuggets two losses over the weekend to the Thunder and Timberwolves. Is it time to hit the panic button with the Nuggets struggling against above .400 teams? Has Aaron Gordon's absence proved he is the second most important Nugget? We react to the Lions trading David Montgomery to the Texans today and question if the Broncos should have shown interest in Montgomery. James makes the case for RJ Harvey being capable of leading the Broncos running back room. The Avalanche were able to beat Chicago 3-1 over the weekend but is there still something missing from this Avs team?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a dive into the odd story in which Sean Payton almost became the head coach of the Cowboys if it wasn't for Anthony Davis wanting out of New Orleans. We hear from a former New Orleans Saints player and how the locker room was ready to move on from Sean Payton to get Dan Campbell to be their head coach. How could the situation in New Orleans have gotten to the point where players wanted Payton out and could that happen here in Denver? Zach and Phil share their biggest targets in free agency as NFL free agency kicks off in 10 days. We wrap up the show previewing tonight's huge Nuggets game as they take on the conference's best team in the Thunder.