The Drive

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue their conversation with our 9News Broncos insider Mike Klis. Zach questions Mike's comments from a piece with Von Miller missing meetings, a health update on Dre Greenlaw, and more. We react to the quarterfinal games in the college football playoff which included Indiana blowing out Alabama and debating which upset was more surprising with Ohio State and Georgia both losing. How were the Nuggets able to beat the Raptors in Toronto without 4 of their 5 starters? How impressed have the guys been with Spencer Jones this season? What will the Nuggets do at center with Jonas Valanciunas being sidelined for the foreseeable future? Former Bronco and Super Bowl champion Brandon Marshall joins the show to discuss if the Broncos will win with "style points" on Sunday, if there's a concern in getting a bye in the playoffs, and more. 

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue their conversation on the Nuggets and debate if Denver should have paid Peyton Watson instead of Christian Braun last off season and if it is worth it for the nuggets to go into the second apron to pay Watson now. We pivot to the Broncos and breakdown what players will have incentives on the line this weekend. Phil explains the dynamic with incentives between the player and the organization. Today's "Three Count" features the Broncos updated projections for the AFC title game and Super Bowl, fun facts from the College Football Playoff's final four teams, and which NFL game we are most looking forward to this weekend. Our 9News Broncos insider Mike Klis joins the show to discuss if Mike is looking for "style points" on Sunday, the concerns with the Broncos sack numbers going down, and more. 

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys if they expect "style points" out of the Broncos this weekend to build momentum heading into the postseason. Zach and Phil preview the Broncos and Chargers matchup this weekend and Zach shares the three things we should be looking for during the game including if RJ Harvey can extend his touchdown streak to 6 games. We react to the quarterfinal games in the college football playoff which included Indiana blowing out Alabama, Miami pulling off their second upset in a row now taking down Ohio State, and more. How were the Nuggets able to beat the Raptors in Toronto without 4 of their 5 starters? What will the Nuggets look like going forward now that Jonas Valanciunas is out for the foreseeable future? 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue to preview the College Football Playoff with tomorrow night's Sugar Bowl. Will Ole Miss's lack of head finally come back to bite them as they face one of the best coaches in college football in Kirby Smart. What has been the biggest surprise in Denver sports in 2025? We debate between Bo Nix's second half comeback proving he is a franchise quarterback, Gabe Landeskog returning to the ice to be an impact player after missing 3 years, and much more. Who was the biggest disappointment in Denver sports in 2025? We wrap up the show discussing who in Denver sports, the guys are buying stock in for 2026, including Jim Mora and Troy Franklin. 

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil look back at the year of 2025 and summarize each of the Broncos, Nuggets, Avalanche and Rockies years. How have the Broncos changed from the beginning of this year to now? Will 2026 be less chaotic then 2025? Today's "Three Count" features the crazy viewership numbers for the NBA on Christmas Day, SGA's MVP odds soaring after news of Nikola Jokic's injury, and previewing the Nuggets first of many games tonight without Jokic as the Nuggets travel to Toronto. We preview the remaining College Football Playoff games. Will Indiana be able to overcome the pedigree of Alabama? Zach explains why he expects #1 Indiana to take care of business and win by double digits in a rainy Rose Bowl. 

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Will. The guys discuss the path for the Broncos to the Super Bowl and if the guys would be rooting for the easiest path possible? Zach and Phil debate who the scariest team in the AFC is outside of the Broncos. Are the Charges a sneaky team to watch out for in the playoffs with Jim Harbaugh's success against Sean Payton? We preview tonight and tomorrow's quarterfinal games of the College Football Playoffs. Will Miami's defense keep it closer with #2 Ohio State than most think? Will Texas Tech and Oregon be the best game of the quarterfinal with #5 taking on #4? Will Oregon be too fast for Texas Tech? 

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil share and react to the great news we received today as a show and a station. We thank the listeners for tuning into the show the previous two and a half years since Zach and Phil started working The Drive. We shift gears to the Broncos and react to the Broncos 2026 opponents and how difficult of a road it will be with 10 playoff teams on the schedule. We breakdown the Avalanche as they continue their red-hot streak, winning their 8th straight game. While the Avs scored 5 goals, is there still reason to be concerned with the power play as they went 0-4 last night? We wrap up the show with DenverSports.com's Will Petersen joining the show to discuss the good news we got today from the Nuggets and Nikola Jokic only missing about a month instead of the possible year with a torn ACL. Can the Nuggets still stay out of the NBA playoff play-in tournament? 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil are joined by veteran NFL reporter James Palmer to discuss the Chargers sitting and resting a handful of players in their week 18 matchup with the Broncos, if we will see the Broncos win with style points on Sunday, and how much tougher road the Broncos will have next year with a first place schedule. We look back at many of the quarterbacks the Broncos have faced this season and debate if the lesser talent they've faced is reason for concern when it comes to the playoffs? We react to the injury update on Nikola Jokic and his knee being re-evaluated in four weeks. Zach explains why "sky is not falling" and how he doesn't have high expectations for January but they will still be in the playoff picture. How will the Nuggets re-learn how to play basketball without the three-time MVP? What should the Nuggets record be during Jokic's absence? 

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil share and react to the great news we received today as a show and a station. We thank the listeners for tuning into the show the previous two and a half years since Zach and Phil started working The Drive. We shift gears to the Broncos and react to the Broncos 2026 opponents and how difficult of a road it will be with 10 playoff teams on the schedule. Today's "Three Count" includes the Avalanche continuing the hot streak they are on with winning their 8th straight in a 5-2 win last night over the Kings and Phillip Rivers' legendary comeback coming to an end as the Colts announce Riley Leonard will start in week 18. We react to the injury update on Nikola Jokic and his knee being re-evaluated in four weeks. 

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Richie. The guys discuss their reactions in real time to Nikola Jokic going down and grabbing at his knee during last night's Nuggets and Heat game. The guys compare it to their knee injuries in the past and how a torn ACL can feel. Zach and Phil dive into Jokic's injury further and how we have taken Jokic's health for granted throughout his career. How will the Nuggets re-learn how to play basketball without the three-time MVP? What will the Nuggets record be during the next month when Jokic is supposed to be sidelined? Will they be able to weather the storm and stay in the upper half of the western conference? We look back at many of the quarterbacks the Broncos have faced this season and debate if the lesser talent they've faced is reason for concern when it comes to the playoffs?