The Drive

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to the news of the day: the NBA handing down its punishment to the Clippers for their Kawhi Leonard scandal. Is stripping the organization of 5 first-round picks and a $30 million fine too harsh? Is this good news from a Nuggets perspective? Dan Jacobs joins the show live after sitting in on Shilo Sanders' trial today. Dan tells us about Shilo getting "got" a few times in court today by the opposition's lawyer and even his own lawyer. Will the judge in the case believe Shilo over his opponent and a few witnesses? We react to Peyton Watson and Michael Porter Jr.'s comments on Watson's restricted free agency, missing the playoffs with an injury, and more. How do the guys feel about Watson sitting out of games with a potential big payday coming? Is there a trust issue between Nuggets players and their training staff? We wrap up the show with DenverSports.com's Will Petersen joining the show to recap the day in Denver sports. 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to Sean Payton's comments on the Broncos starting faster this season than the past two seasons and how Bo Nix can shift the narrative about him from a national media sense. Are media members still holding on to their pre-draft evaluations of Nix? We debate if there is value in a Jonah Coleman future for Rookie of the Year at 55-to-1 odds. Would Coleman profile into the starting running back role if JK Dobbins gets injured again this season? We dive into the latest with Shilo Sanders' court case, with the trial taking place today. Will Deion Sanders get roped into this mess? What do the guys make of Bo Nix's lack of throws down the middle of the field last season? We hear from Nix on what the next step is for him to develop. We hear from Sean Payton on Bo Nix being "slighted" by not being named on ESPN's top-100 player list. 

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil are joined by former Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno. Knowshon shares about his journey to getting offers to play big-time college football and why he chose Georgia. What was it like having Matthew Stafford as a college teammate? What did Knowshon know about Denver before getting drafted to the Broncos in the first round? What does Knowshon remember about the Tim Tebow season with the Broncos? What was it like being Peyton Manning's teammate? Today's "Three Count" features more time with Knowshon Moreno, asking him about what he remembers about Super Bowl 48, crying during the National Anthem, and what he makes of the Broncos' current running back room. What are the realistic expectations for CSU Football in year 1 of Jim Mora, following a 2-10 season? How does Jim Mora feel about kicking off the season against a rival? 

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross-talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss JK Dobbins and if the Broncos' approach of holding him out of preseason games and having an easy training camp will lead to a healthier season for Dobbins. Zach and Phil debate if there is value in a Jonah Coleman future for Rookie of the Year at 55-to-1 odds. Would Coleman profile into the starting running back role if JK Dobbins gets injured again this season? We react to the breaking news of the NBA coming down with a harsh punishment for the Clippers regarding the Kawhi Leonard scandal. Is stripping the organization of 5 first-round picks and a $30 million fine too harsh? Why was Leonard not punished more than the $700,000 fine? Is this the harshest punishment in professional sports history? 

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Broncos and Bo Nix, as he was left off ESPN's top 100 players in the NFL list. Is this more disrespect, or do we overrate Nix here in Denver? Why do people continue to hold on to their old takes on Nix and not adjust as he is setting records in his first two seasons in the NFL? We react to Joe Sakic's comments on Cale Makar from his press conference yesterday. Is Makar already a Hall of Famer? What challenges does Sakic face moving forward with Makar, MacKinnon, and Necas taking up so much of the Avs salary cap? We wrap up the show previewing Colorado and Colorado State's first game of the college football season this week and weekend. 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil dive into the latest on Jonathon Cooper, as his "case management conference" has been scheduled for September 14th. Do the guys expect this Cooper situation to finish playing out until the end of October? Will this case reach the official trial or settle out of court? We break down Sean Payton as he is on the brink of history this season with the Broncos. Will Payton finish this season in the top-10 for all-time NFL coaching wins? If he coaches throughout his recent contract extension, where could he rank among the best coaches of all time? Would he be a Hall of Famer? We preview the Colorado and Georgia Tech season opener this Thursday. Will CU be able to run the ball this season in a way they haven't been able to under Deion Sanders? Longtime NFL reporter James Palmer joins the show to discuss his new role with Amazon for Thursday Night Football, James' biggest takeaway from the Broncos offseason, and if Sean Payton is on track to be one of the best NFL coaches of all time. 

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue their conversation on CSU Football, and Zach shares his pick for who will be the starting quarterback for the Rams this season. We pivot to the Broncos and take a deep dive into Bo Nix, as he was left off ESPN's top 100 players in the NFL list. Is this more disrespect, or do we overrate Nix here in Denver? Are the guys fans of the Broncos starting their season on Monday Night Football, with the whole country watching? What players that got cut and are on the Broncos' practice squad have the biggest chance to make an impact for the Broncos this season? Today's "Three Count" includes who has and has not returned to practice for the Broncos this week, the Rockies getting robbed on a potential walk-off home run in last night's thrilling game, and Kroenke Sports and Entertainment acquiring the Los Angeles Angels. We react to Joe Sakic's comments on Cale Makar's contract extension and balancing the roster moving forward with the salary cap steadily going up. 

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross-talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss Kroenke Sports and Entertainment purchasing the Los Angeles Angels and why the Nuggets had to shed salary by not paying Peyton Watson, but can afford to buy a baseball team. Zach and Phil break down Sean Payton as he is on the brink of history this season with the Broncos. Will Payton finish this season in the top-10 for all-time NFL coaching wins? If he coaches throughout his recent contract extension, where could he rank among the best coaches of all time? We preview the Colorado and Georgia Tech season opener this Thursday. Will CU be able to run the ball this season in a way they haven't been able to under Deion Sanders? We pivot to CSU as they open up the season hosting Wyoming in the "Border War". 

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Broncos as they cut down their roster to 53 guys over the weekend. Who was the biggest surprise cut for the guys? What do the guys make of the Broncos cutting Justin Joly? Could Joly have been the Broncos' tight end of the future if he didn't burn bridges in the building? Should Jaleel McLaughlin have made the final roster over Tyler Badie? We react to Marvin Mims getting injured again in Friday's final preseason game, after missing much of training camp with a lower-body injury. Is there an added urgency for the Broncos to go out and win a Super Bowl now, as they are the 4^th oldest team in the NFL now? We wrap up the show recapping the day in Denver sports, which includes Jonathon Cooper being placed on the Commissioner's exempt list and more. 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to Marvin Mims getting injured again, after missing much of training camp with a lower-body injury. Zach shares why he's anxious about Mims as he heads into a contract season in which his offensive role shrunk during the offseason and he might not be available to start the season. We hear from Sean Payton on the Broncos roster after they whittled it down to 53 guys. Is this roster in a better position than it was a year ago? What do the guys make of the Broncos practice squad? Were we surprised that former 3rd-round pick Drew Sanders was cut? We dive into the latest with Jonathon Cooper, as he was placed on the Commissioner's exempt list and has a trial set for November. We hear from George Paton on the situation and the replacements for Cooper while he misses time. Could Cooper cause a distraction for the Broncos this season? We react to Cale Makar's historic NHL contract extension. We hear from Makar on signing an 8-year contract instead of going for a shorter 4-year deal. Does Makar's new deal add pressure for him to be even better moving forward? 

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue their conversation on the Avalanche and failing to meet expectations last postseason. We pivot to the Broncos and break down the cuts they made over the weekend. What do the guys make of the Broncos cutting Justin Joly and Red Murdock? Could Joly have been the Broncos' tight end of the future if he didn't burn bridges in the building? Should Jaleel McLaughlin have made the final roster over Tyler Badie? Today's "Three Count" features Peyton Watson's comments on Michael Porter Jr's podcast following his absence in the playoffs, reacting to Week 0 in college football, and reacting to how empty USC's stadium was when hosting San Jose State. With the Broncos being one of the oldest teams in the NFL, we debate if there is an added level of urgency to win a Super Bowl now. 

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross-talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss "cut down" day in the NFL, and Phil shares his personal experiences from making the Broncos as an undrafted free agent to getting cut with the Colts as a veteran. Zach and Phil recap the Broncos' three preseason games now that preseason is in the books. What were the guys' biggest takeaways from Friday and all three games? What did the guys make of Justin Joly getting cut after an 88-yard touchdown during Friday's game? We review the latest with Jonathon Cooper, as he was placed on the Commissioner's exempt list. We hear from George Paton on the situation and the replacements for Cooper while he misses time. Will Petersen joins the show live after being down at Cale Makar's press conference following his historic contract extension with the Avalanche. 

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue to break down the Cale Makar contract extension. How will Makar's contract impact how the Avs construct their roster moving forward? Did Joe Sakic's job just get harder with all the money going towards Makar, MacKinnon, and Necas? We pivot to the Broncos and preview their third and final preseason game tonight. What do the guys make of the list of guys that will and won't play tonight? We hear from Vance Joseph on what he's seeing from Que Robinson in year 2. Who needs to play well tonight to make the Broncos' 53-man roster? Could recent draft picks like Red Murdock or Justin Joly be in jeopardy of being cut? We wrap up the show previewing the Week 0 slate in college football and revisiting Cale Makar's record-breaking contract extension with the Avs. 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil preview the Broncos' final preseason game, and we debate what the defensive side of the ball will look like. We speculate why the Broncos are playing Jonathan Cooper but not many of the other starters on defense. Could Cooper start the season on the Commissioner's exempt list? Who are the guys expecting to make the Broncos' final 53-man roster? Zach, Phil, and the guys compete in our weekly trivia competition against the morning show. We review the Morning Show's gripe with one of our questions and try to beat their 2-2 performance from earlier today. We pivot to the Avalanche as Cale Makar signed an NHL record-breaking contract extension for 8 years. Could Makar's huge contract upset the "cap culture" within the Avalanche locker room? 

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Broncos as they get set for their third and final preseason game tonight. With Bo Nix not playing, what is the biggest storyline heading into the game? With roster cut day around the corner, we project what the Broncos' 53-man roster will look like. Will the Broncos keep all three quarterbacks? Will the Broncos keep a 4^th running back as insurance for JK Dobbins' injury history? How many offensive linemen will they keep? Our 9News Broncos insider Mike Klis joins the show to discuss his projections for the 53-man roster, the latest with the Jonathan Cooper legal situation, and much more. Today's "Three Count" features Cale Makar's historic contract extension with the Avalanche, the Avs cap table moving forward, and how Nathan MacKinnon will feel about Makar making so much more money than him. How will Makar's contract impact how the Avs construct their roster moving forward? How have the expectations for Makar changed? 

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil live from Murphey Creek Golf Course. The guys discuss the Broncos' upcoming third and final preseason game. Will Sean Payton rest most of his starters tonight? What are the Broncos getting from playing Evan Engram more than most of the other starters? Will JK Dobbins go into the season without a rushing attempt in a preseason game? Zach and Phil debate if Marvin Mims will play tonight as he returned to practice this week. Has Sean Payton treated this team too soft this training camp? With cut day coming, who on the roster is it "now or never" for? What position rooms are too full? We react to the latest with Deion Sanders and him having to testify directly following the Buffs game in Georgia. Will this cause a distraction to the team or coaching staff? 

In hour 4 of The Drive, Phil and Aniello take a deep dive into the Broncos and preview the 3^rd preseason game. Has the 3^rd preseason game become meaningless for many NFL teams? What position battles are still up for grabs? Would it make sense for the Broncos to bring in Bobby Wagner as a depth piece for the linebacking core? Has Evan Engram proved that he can be both a blocking and receiving threat? Should the Broncos look at getting their own next great young tight end like Colston Loveland or Trey McBride? Was the backup quarterback competition ever a real competition? We react to Christian Braun's comments about the Nuggets having everything they need to win a championship. Is this blind optimism, or has the Nuggets offseason given them a chance to compete? We wrap up the show recapping the day in Denver sports, including Cale Makar's looming contract extension. 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Phil and Aniello preview Cale Makar's looming contract extension. How soon are we expecting to see news of his extension? Will Makar take the most amount of money possible, or will he settle for an AAV in the teens? Could Makar sign a shorter-term deal so he can leave his option open to sign a bigger deal in 4 years or leave the Avalanche in free agency if the team isn't competitive anymore? Are we seeing teams change their approach on early downs against the Broncos? How can the Broncos defense still put offenses in uncomfortable situations where they pin their ears back and rush the passer? We react to Ben Solak's rankings of the most watchable teams in the NFL. Are the Broncos underrated in the excitement that comes with watching a team that played in so many close games last year? 

In hour 2 of The Drive, Phil and Aniello take a deep dive into the Broncos and preview the 3^rd preseason game. Has the 3^rd preseason game become meaningless for many NFL teams? How important will Friday's game be to depth players and players on the roster bubble? What position battles are still up for grabs? How are the guys feeling about the Broncos tight end room heading into the season? Has Evan Engram proved that he can be both a blocking and receiving threat? Today's "Three Count" includes Connor Hellebuyck officially requesting a trade from the Winnipeg Jets, the Rockies raising their prices on season tickets by as much as 14% for next season, and the Broncos introducing a new 2-foot hot dog. We react to Christian Braun's comments about the Nuggets having everything they need to win a championship. Is this blind optimism, or has the Nuggets' offseason given them a chance to compete? 

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Aniello and Phil cross-talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss the Broncos' running back room. Phil makes the case for the Broncos to keep 4 running backs on the active roster as an insurance plan for JK Dobbins. Phil and Aniello preview Cale Makar's looming contract extension. How soon are we expecting to see news of his extension? Will Makar take the most amount of money possible, or will he settle for an AAV in the teens? We react to Sean Payton getting into it on Twitter and calling out a media member for his criticism of Bo Nix and not throwing the ball downfield. Is there a false narrative that Bo Nix doesn't throw the ball downfield or throw it in the middle of the field? We react to Ben Solak's rankings of the most watchable teams in the NFL. Are the Broncos underrated in the excitement that comes with watching a team that played in so many close games last year? 

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue to break down the Broncos and the AFC West. Where does Bo Nix rank in the division as far as quarterbacks go? How do the guys feel about Sean Payton saying that Bo Nix will likely not play in the Broncos' third preseason game? Are the Broncos doing a disservice to JK Dobbins if he doesn't play at all in preseason? We pivot to the Colorado Buffaloes and react to a report that Juju Lewis was considering transferring to Georgia Tech this offseason, the Buffs' first opponent of the season. Does this explain why Deion Sanders has talked about Lewis the way he has? Is Lewis still a lock to be the Buffs' starting quarterback this season, or could Isaac Wilson take over that role? We wrap up the show recapping what we learned in Denver sports today, including the NFL's Pro Bowl going away. 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil debate what Jonathan Cooper's future with the Broncos and NFL will look like. Could Cooper end up on the NFL Commissioner's exempt list to start the season? Which Broncos would be asked to step up if Cooper misses part of the regular season? We hear from Vance Joseph on the lessons learned from what the Packers did on offense against the Broncos' defense. How can the Broncos' defense combat offenses that get the ball out quickly and don't allow the pass rush to get home to the quarterback? We debate if the Broncos have a penalty issue. Are the Broncos an undisciplined team? We analyze who the Broncos' biggest offenders are when it comes to penalties and discuss if running more zone defense will help. Do the Broncos need to win the AFC West to win the Super Bowl this season? Where does the Broncos' run game stack up in the AFC West?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue to react to the story that Juju Lewis looked into transferring to Georgia Tech in the offseason. Will we see both Lewis and Isaac Wilson play quarterback for the Buffs this season? We pivot to the Broncos and hear from Sean Payton saying Bo Nix "probably won't play this Friday". Do the guys agree with this approach to preserve Nix? Could this cause the Broncos to have a slow start to the season? Today's "Three Count" features Colorado being one of the top 5 most bet-on teams to hit their season win total, Jamal Murray not making it to the Nuggets workouts in Puerto Rico with JJ Barrea, and the Avalanche being announced to have 16 games this season. We react to a new study that details the link between CTE and former football players who passed away between 2016 and 2021. 

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross-talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys preview college football as Week 0 kicks off this weekend. Zach shares his Heisman sleeper and the sleeper team he's picking to make the college football playoff. Zach and Phil debate if the Broncos have a penalty issue. Are the Broncos undisciplined? Will an increase in zone coverage help the Broncos avoid defensive holding and pass interference calls? Do the Broncos need to win the AFC West to win the Super Bowl this season? Where does the Broncos' run game stack up in the AFC West? We react to a report that Juju Lewis was considering transferring to Georgia Tech this offseason, the Buffs' first opponent of the season. Is Lewis still a lock to be the Buffs' starting quarterback this season, or could Isaac Wilson take over that role?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Broncos and react to Bill Barnwell's article in which he predicts the Broncos to regress. We look back at Barnwell's impressive history when predicting teams to regress or improve. Will the Broncos be able to mostly avoid the injury bug again for the third straight season? What is the most important game on the schedule for the Broncos to avoid a decline? What do the guys make of future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner being linked to the Broncos? Would Wagner be accepting of a bench role behind Singleton and Strnad? We hear from our 9News Broncos insider Mike Klis on the Broncos selecting Jahdae Barron in the first round after JaQuan MacMillian struggled, as well as Barron potentially being the nickel corner of the future. We wrap up the show with Justin Adams joining the show to share his thoughts on the Colorado Buffaloes as they enter a massively important season and share his ceiling and floor for the team in 2026.