Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - BRONCOS SQUAD SHOW: Denver season ends with BRUTAL loss to Patriots in AFC Championship

Episode Date: January 26, 2026

The Denver Broncos season is over after they lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship, 10-7. The Broncos started the game off hot, but a controversial decision from Sean Payton not to a kick a field goal came back to haunt Denver in the end. Snow certainly impacted the 2nd half of the game as the both teams offenses went cold. Join Aniello Piro, Cody Roark, Sayre Bedinger and Nick Ferguson as they break down the game and what comes next for the Broncos heading into the offseason. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! TurboTax For a limited time, you can have your taxes done by a local TurboTax expert for just $150 — all in, if a TurboTax expert didn’t file for you last year. Just file by February 28. Visit http://TurboTax.com/local to book your appointment today. Rocket Money Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at http://RocketMoney.com/LOCKEDON FanDuel If you’re a new customer, bet just $5 and get $200 in Bonus Bets if you win. Make it count — because after the Super Bowl, the season is over. Last call for football on FanDuel, an Official Sportsbook Partner of Super Bowl Sixty. PrizePicks Download the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFL Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. Robinhood Trade Every Play with Robinhood. Now available across the U.S. Download the Robinhood app now to begin. Futures and cleared swaps trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Event contracts are offered by Robinhood Derivatives, LLC., a registered futures commission merchant and swap firm Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/lockedonnfl. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I'm Anilo Piro and is Sean Payton to blame for the Denver Broncos season ending? I'm Cody Rourke for the Denver Broncos falling up short in aFC championship game. It's going to sting, but on the other side of pain is a reward. I'm Sarah Bredinger. We're on to the off season. Hey, I'm Nick Ferguson and see these hands? Boy, there was a lot of drops today. Let's bring it down on tonight.

night's Locked-on Broncos squad show. From the South stands, it's the Broncos squad. Everything Denver Broncos every week. Covering all the big hits and game-changing plays from the Mile High City, the way only the Locked-on podcast network can. Gear up and squad up. The Broncos Squad show starts now. It is your Locked-on Broncos squad show right here on your Locked-on Broncos YouTube channel.

Hope everyone in Broncos Country is hanging out, or hanging in there, rather, and hanging out with us here on the live stream. Anilo Piro, Cody, War, Sarah Bedinger and Nick Ferguson reacting to the end of the road for the Denver Broncos in the 2025-26 NFL season. Plenty to unpack here on the program tonight. Broncos Country, as always, you want to hear from you guys. So let us know your thoughts in the comments section. And for all of our audio listeners, appreciate you guys as well. rocking and rolling with us throughout the course of the season. Cody, I will start with you,

my friend. We were chatting a little bit in the press box. Nick, you and I caught each other before the game as well. We'll get into that conversation and say, I'm sure that you were wanting to punch your TV watching that game play out. But Cody, talk to me about this loss. Yeah, man. Just such a tough way for the season to end here for the Denver Broncos in a game that, I mean, we're going to get into almost every aspect of it, coaching, offense, defense, special teams, you name it. But man, This is just one. It felt like the Broncos just let get away from them, right? And it had nothing to do with the defensive. The defense gave them every opportunity to win. It's just a couple of decisions here and there.

Like you look at the butterfly effect of this game, there's going to be a lot of what ifs, right, when we look back on it. And I couldn't help but think, you know, as we sit here and culminate on what is the end of a very good season for Denver, there's a lot of things that the team's going to have to do in the off season, which we'll have obviously time to talk about. But man, just a gut-punching way to lose in a snowy cold day in the mile high city, watching another team host up the AFC championship trophy in your own home. It stings, man. It stings. But there is some motivation to be had in that.

And certainly talking to players in the locker room after the game, this is going to sit with them for quite some time. Yeah, we'll get into some of the locker room conversations. Obviously, a mixed bag, a lot of sadness and just frustration, I think. But also a little bit of optimism. obviously from the team moving forward, but very raw emotions in the locker room after the game. So Nick and Cody and myself were in attendance at the game. We brace the weather, at least driving home, the roads are slick out there.

So if you live with a mile high city and really across the country right now, I know everyone's getting pelted with snow. Please be safe, drive safe, and stay warm. But, Sarah, you had the couch perspective of this game today. You saw it on the television. We kind of saw it in real life. I mean, talk to me about what you saw from this game today from the Broncos. Well, I certainly have a couch, and I did not sit on it at all during the game, but I do have one to sit on if need be.

This is not good for Broncos games. I usually pace back and forth, but that's really a lot of just what this game was, right? It's a lot of just kind of sitting on pins and needles, hoping for the best possible outcome, hoping that the ball will bounce the Broncos way. And when you have a backup quarterback that's been ice cold for a couple of years, obviously he's practicing. Obviously, he's played preseason games. but this is the AFC championship game. And then you start to add the elements into the mix.

And you start to add missed field goals and blocked kicks into the mix and drop passes into the mix. I mean, I was being tortured. So I personally am thankful that I did not have to drive in this. As a resident of the great state of Nebraska at this point, guys, I'm usually on the wrong end of these discussions. I'm usually the one trudging through the snow. I'm usually the one that's dealing with minus 20.

I mean, what? I kind of feel good about this. I can drive anywhere I want to do right now. It's crazy. But at the same time, I just, the Broncos, they stress me out in this game because it felt like everything was there for the taking.

And yet they just didn't go take it. That's what bothers me the most about it is that they were better than the Patriots in so many ways, so many ways. And I think they should have won this game. Yeah, Nick, feel free to disagree with me here. But at least in my opinion, it felt like the Broncos lost the game more than the Patriots won it.

And we'll kind of get into some of the details, a couple of critical errors or mishaps that happened throughout the course of the game. But it's not like Drake May lit up the stat sheet today. I just don't think the Broncos were ever at executing clutch moments when they needed to. You're absolutely right. They didn't. And this is definitely a game where the Broncos actually lost this game and not the fact that the Patriots, you know, won the game.

Now, I give the Patriots credit and plays that they needed to make in the run game, they definitely made those particular plays. And this is something when I ran into you outside in the VIP tailgate, I brought it up to you why I did not pick the Broncos to win this particular game. And it was because of some of what Sarah mentioned is the fact that you have a quarterback who was one in three, now one and four in his starts. Now, you're thrusting him in a very important game like this, a kind of history-making game for Sean Payton.

And I know Sean Payton told us earlier this week, he said, well, I'm not concerned about Stee. I'm concerned about everyone else. Well, on the defensive side of the ball, everyone else on that side showed up. Offensively, they didn't show up. And this is something I've been bringing up for the past couple weeks, but I know the pushback was always, well, you know what?

At least they won the game. And I'm like, okay, well, you celebrate that win, but still you got to look at some of the shortcomings that throw their ugly head today, the inability to run the ball. And the inability to run the ball, when you needed to, then also, what's up with those damn screen passes again? I mean, you need to go vertical.

I mean, when I watched the Broncos lineup in certain situations, fellas, hell, even I was going on. I'm thinking what those tendencies were going to be broken because that's what I was told after the game against the charges. Well, Sean Payton is waiting. He's just in the playoffs. Well, guess what? Coach Colon, I didn't even see that.

So that's the part that was. so disappointing because I wanted to believe that they were going to do something different, right? And I was hoping that they were proved me wrong, but they didn't. Yeah, I think it's fair. And I think it's also necessary. And we can kind of dive into this conversation later on. If Bo Nix was playing, like, what would the outcome of this game be? And I think it would have been much different for the Denver Broncos. I mean, you are kind of between a rock and a hard place to Sarah's point when you have a nice, cold quarterback coming off the bench. And Nick, I'll kind of go back to the conversation that you and I had prior to the game.

And my two keys to victory for Denver heading into this match, if I said as much on the last squatter that we did is Jared Stidham has to play a clean game, which he did not. And the Broncos defense, who was really good today for the most part, obviously the weather, all that kind of stuff, but pressuring Drake May, they didn't generate any turnovers. And I thought they were going to have to try to give Jared Stidiv's some short field opportunities to just, you know, make life a little bit easier for this Broncos offense. And neither of those two. things really came to fruition today. I think it's more about Stidim than it is the defense and the lack of

turnovers because I think the defense was getting after May, as I said, for majority of this afternoon. I mean, Drake May, look at what, I know they just lost, but look at what Matt Stafford just did points-wise in that game against the Seattle Seahawks. And I understand that weather played into this as well. But Cody, let's just rip the band-aid off with this one. I think a lot of Broncos country is very frustrated.

In hindsight, it's always 2020, right, about Sean Payton's decision to not kick the field goal when they're up seven zip. That obviously would have put them up 10 zip. It was a chip shot before the snow came in. Instead, they elect to go for it on fourth down. Pretty ugly play call that was kind of blown up from the moment the ball was snapped. And, you know, ultimately, like I said, hindsight's 20-20.

You kick the field goal there. Maybe it's a different game. Yeah, I mean, it changes the way that the New England Patriots play. But, you know, your defense has all the momentum at that point, right? So I like, I mean, based on how Denver's D was playing today, them being up to nothing, I would have felt great about, to be honest with you, because of what you mentioned.

They were taking away the downfield shots. Like, Drake May tried testing pass her tan downfield. PS2 was like, no, not today. Textbook, knockaway. You almost had an interception with Riley Moss and Tala Noah, who Fonga already on this game. Man, Denver's defense, they were ramped up. They had good, I'd say integrity in their rushing lanes.

There were a couple times, and really what only hurt them was Drake May at times with his legs, making a couple of plays, right? The six-yard touchdown, I mean, Denver locked up. It was cover zero. They had no spy and they were trying to get a stop. They didn't think that Drake was going to use his legs. I mean, that's not a really big part of his game.

It never really has been, but he's underrated in that regard. And then he did the same exact thing a little bit later on. He had a 28-hour run. And then really to kind of ice the game, he got outside of Jonah Ellis on a third down in the final minute or so that ended up sealing the game. So he did use his legs in a couple situations. aside from that Denver's defense, you couldn't have asked them to play a better game. They stopped the run when necessary.

I mean, you even force a shanked punt that gave the offense great field position. They couldn't do anything with it. And ultimately, it boils down to this, gents. I think what we saw from the offense this season, I think we saw in this game, how valuable Bo Nix really has been to the offensive operation. Nothing against Jerr-Sidom. We talked about it in the build-up to this game. Garrett does not have the foot athleticism that Bo Nix has and the ability to avoid.

sacks. Look, Jared avoided pressure a few times, but man, I couldn't help but think while watching this game several times like, man, if Bow Nix plays in this game, they win. They win. It's not even a question. And to the point about Sean Payton going forward on fourth down, they initially had a nice, you know, what would have been a nice play called against a nickel personnel. Instead, they went to a six one front after the Broncos had to burn a time out because the clock was down to four seconds and they couldn't get the playoff in time. Take the points, man. I understand. the playoffs. You want to be aggressive. You want to put your wavis in the, in the willbarrow here, but here's the reality of it. When you've got a backup quarterback, and this isn't a shot,

Jarrett stood in any way, shape, or form. Jarrett, I think, stepped up and did a tremendous job, all the circumstances considered. Bo Nix, okay, yeah, you go four on fourth on. Backup quarterback in? No, take the points. Yeah, backup quarterback in the AFC championship game, right? And I know Sean kind of gave the explanation after the game that he thought there'd be more points scored and the game would take a different direction. Like obviously, if you knew it was going to be a three point game 10-7, maybe the, you know, the play call is different there. I, in the moment, I didn't really have a problem with them going for it.

I mean, obviously you prefer them now to kick the field goal. To me, it was more so the play call and the play call coming out of the timeout. Like you burn a time out, as Cody alluded to. And that's what you come up with. And it just looked like New England completely sniff them out. So I understand the aggression. I mean, Sean Payton's a guy who's going to live and die by his own source. right? But to me, it's more about the play call than the act of going for it on fourth down.

But again, now that we've seen how the game plays out, I mean, you're talking about pushing the game in overtime and so many different factors come into play if Denver were to kick that field goals there. Yeah, 100%. It felt like that was where the momentum shift. I know that the Patriots didn't get any points off of that situation. But at the same time, like Cody was saying earlier, I mean, you put yourself up 10 to nothing in a situation where the Patriots didn't run a play in Broncos territory until that, you know, I guess guys, I've never seen a backwards pass that was tipped by the defense, but you tell me. I mean, uh, so that that's a whole other discussion, but that was the first plays that the Patriots ran in Broncos territory was after that

backwards pass from, uh, Jared Stidham there, which was initially ruled intentional grounding, which is what it should have stayed. But I think that, look, that was, that was what your defense was doing in this game. We talked about it on the last. last squad show, right? Well, the Buffalo Bill's offense kind of ran it down your throat. And Josh Allen, despite all the turnovers, was able to move the ball effectively down the field and put up a bunch of yards. And what we were talking about on the squad show last Tuesday is the fact that, hey, the Patriots offense coming to Denver matches up way better with Denver's defense. And it played out in this game. The pass rush dominated their offensive front. Drake May was

totally off his spot from the very beginning. They're only successful. offense was broken down plays in which he was able to escape the pressure. And that to me is indicative of, uh, we take the points. Like we talked about this as well. Old school big 10, you know, bull crap type offense stuff,

Wisconsin, Iowa. It's going to be one of those type of games. We talked about all this. We all saw this coming from a million miles away. And as much as I wanted to dream about three touchdowns for Jared Stidham and, oh my gosh, he throws that pass to Marvin Mim. and then you cap off that drive with the touchdown to Sutton.

Like, I'm dreaming of a 30 plus points. You know, I love it. I want to see it. But at the same time, the most realistic outcome was the Big 10 old school football Kirk Ferrence versus Brett Beelma type stuff. And they just did not want to play into that for whatever reason. Well, I think that comes down to the head coach, right? And look, I think Sean Payton's a really good head coach in the NFL.

Like, don't get it twisted. I mean, part of the reason why the Broncos are back in the play, playoffs for consecutive seasons and had an opportunity to go to the Super Bowl this year is because of the stewardship of Sean Payton turning this franchise around. But again, live by the sword, die by the sword. It's just not in his DNA to be conservative. He's going to take these shots. And, you know, he came out this week and was like, I'm not worried about Stitty. I'm worried about everybody else. And turns out, Nick, maybe you should have been a little worried about steady in the offense. Yeah, that was kind of the message that I was pushing out. But I was getting

a lot of flag from everyone on the outside, even my own wife, but I was just telling her this is not Broncos hate. This is just facts, right? Because when you are an analyst, I mean, the whole idea is that you take what you're seeing on the film and stats and you break it down and you make a comprehensive plan. And sometimes does things work out the way you want them to? No, right? Because there's always an X factor.

And that was the thing. the Broncos did not have an X factor in this particular game. And I was just wondering, you know, instead of him being in this position, it was going to be a lot of pressure. I was wishing him well. But as a former player, I know how difficult it is.

And Cody, you know this playing the game, that when you will come in after a starter gets injured and it gives you enough quarters to get yourself settled, then you settle in. But being thrust into a role where now is like, you know what? No bull, no bow. Here are the keys.

Take us to the problem. is one game. Yeah, it's all be it is against a second year quarterback and you've been in the game seven to eight years. But we expect for you to do it. We expect for everyone else to rally behind you. Hell, we expect everyone in Powerfield to rally behind you too because there's so, there were so many, I believe in Steady. And then I saw so many media people changing their avatars on social media to Jared Stidham. So I got, I understand. I got the memo. I knew what the assignment. was. But at the same time, I go back, what's the real assignment? Your level of production on the field, I feel as though, you know, Steve's got to take some blame, but Coach Payton's got to take some blame, too, because you needed to help him out. Also, too, I'll talk about the offensive line, right? You guys started talking about Bo Nix. And if Bo Nix had played in his game, my prediction

would have been entirely different. But he wasn't playing in his game because I went back to what I saw for the past couple of weeks when you look at who was leading the team in rushing. It wasn't a running back. It was a damn quarterback. And knowing as though Stitty is very athletic, but he's no damn Bo Nicks, right? So here's what I hope everyone else gets around the league about this is that where those individuals who are down on so-called backyard quarterbacks, if you don't have one who has that skill set, most likely you're going to find yourself on the outs.

Yeah, no, I think it's well said. and obviously a massive drop off from Bo Nix to Jared's sit-up in this game. I do think the weather played a factor will get to Will Lutz and the kicking dynamic in this game. And he had some interesting words after the game as well about kicking those environment, that type of environment. But it is what it is. The reality of situation is the Denver Broncos season is now over and done with. We're on to the off season, the NFL draft, OTAs, rookie mini camp, training camp as well.

So I know it's a disappointing end to a really good season for this Broncos team. So it is what it is. life goes on and I think this Broncos team will be hopefully right back in this position sooner rather than later. All right. Let's hit a quick break. When we come back, let's continue along with the conversation. We talked about the controversial decision not to kick the field goal.

We'll talk about, in my opinion, what was actually the more impactful play that happened in this game. All that more when we come back right here on your locked on Bronco squad show. All right, you guys, real quick, let me tell you about our friends over at prize picks because the big game is almost here and there's no better way to stay locked. into every moment than with prize picks, the daily fantasy app where it always feels good to be right. With football season coming down to his final stretch, now's the perfect time to close it out strong. Prize picks makes watching the game even more exciting by letting you build simple lineups around player projections, no drafts, no waiting, just football action all the way through the playoffs. Price picks is incredibly easy to get started with, pick two or more players and choose more or less

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it's good to be right. Be sure to check out our friends over at Price Picks and let him know that Locked-on Broncos sent you. Okay, welcome on back into your Lockedon Broncos squad show. Anilo Piro, Cody Wark,

Sarah Bredinger, and Nick Ferguson reacting to the funeral of the 2025, 2025, 2006, Denver. Funeral? What? What are we doing?

The season's over. I mean it's a funeral. Yeah, it's a funeral. The season's dead. That was the comparison I was trying to make. I was bringing her. I'm just saying I don't, I don't, I, I didn't mean to trigger you guys with that, but I mean, I'm saying a funeral would have been a funeral was like just dead, no good like, you know, the loss. This was a good game.

This was a good season for Denver. Like, you know, I agree. A life well lived. A funeral. Come on. It was a life well lived this season. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, I apologize for my word choice there.

You test the nerve, man. You test the nerve. It's a sad ending to a great season. That's more so the point I was trying to make, you know. Okay. I apologize. I apologize to my vocabulary choice there. Let it hurt.

I mean, yes, it's supposed to hurt. It's supposed to hurt Broncos country. I mean, you're in a moment of grief now, you know? Like, I don't think it's that far off. Well, if I knew it was going to be a frunal, I would have dressed in black and wore my dark shades. Fair. I can't take my shirt off. I'll blind everybody.

We don't want to see that, Cody. I don't somber. I mean, I sombered. I don't get tan. Oh, I know. You'd be wearing long sleeves and pants at training camp when it's 95 degrees out. Amen. What is wrong with you, bro?

I'm trying to preserve this. Jeez. I respect it. Appreciate everyone listening to the show here right now. Make sure to hit that like button, smash that subscribe button for us. But, guys, to me, the most impactful play of the game was the Jared Stidham, intentional grounding, not intentional. grounding, fumble, no fumble.

Like, that to me is where the momentum really kind of felt like it shifted in this game. And to be honest with you, it never really felt like the New England Patriots like took command of this game. But with as good as Denver was playing on defense, right, the first four drives of the game for New England all resulted in punts to just kind of give them the ball there in the red zone. I mean, just a really kind of ugly way to get the scoring started for New England in that game. And look, you got to be smart enough in that situation to probably just take the sack.

No, Nix is taking the sack there more often than not in that situation. But Cody, what? No, go ahead. Oh, no, I was just going to say, give me your thoughts on that play because I just feel like that was terrible. Just throw it away. Throw it away. I mean, once again, like, here's a thing.

Well, he tried to float it. He was going to try to float it over the defense alignment. The problem I have with that play, right? It is not the result, the end result. It is the process and how they got there, right? so to speak. Every third down this season, who's in the game? Tyler Badegh, number 28. What is the tendency? I mean, outside of today, today, he actually got a carry on third down. And that was it, one carry. But the tendency has been third down. They're running a screen to Badee or they're throwing it.

They know it's, hey, we're dropping back. We know we're covering here on third down. If he's in the game, we know it's a pass. The tendency has been revealed for quite some time now, right? And the New England Patriots tip of the hat to them defensively. They paid attention to that because you know what they did? They swarmed around. Like behind the line of scrimmage, you can hold an offensive player. You can impede them, right? Because it's behind the line of scrimmage.

They did that to bidet. And it's just like at that point, Jared's got to no one to just throw it away, right? And I understand. Easier said than done it in the moment. You don't want to take a sack, but you also want to try to make a play. I get it. Unfortunately, it ended up costing them the only touchdown the Patriots. scored in that game. I mean, if that play does

happen, I think it's very safe, very safe for us to sit here and assume Denver's going to hold on and win somehow. Right. And it also stings like going back to the field goal, no field goal decision. Like even if the Patriot, if you kick the field goal and the Patriot score there, you're still up three points. And obviously with the final score being 10-7,

like all of these thoughts kind of come to mind. Again, it's over and done with at this point. But I mean, that's just a critical error in a critical situation, Sarah. It's just something that can't happen. And look, I'm not trying to throw Stiddy under the bus. Like, it happens, he's human. It's a real life moment. He's a backup. We know the same, you know, the story that comes along with it, but just a gut punch on that place there. Yeah, I really was.

And it was, like I said, that was the first plays that the Patriots ran in Broncos territory in the entire first half where the Broncos not only dominated defensively, but they dominated field position, right? I mean, you mentioned at the show open, like the Broncos weren't necessarily forcing turnovers in this game, but they were dominating field position in a different way. They were being set up at or near midfield on multiple occasions. In fact, even in the second half, one of their drives started at the 33. And it's crazy to think back to this game at how many opportunities the Broncos had at just, you know, 20 yards. I know that's easier said than done from, you know, my spot watching the game on TV. But I mean, 20 yards and you're relatively in field goal range,

at least for the first three quarters of the game until the snow really started to pick up. So it's that play, that moment, it just gave the Patriots that one opportunity that they needed. I mean, this was a horrible game for the Patriots. I've seen a lot of people, whether it's people who are on Twitter or wherever, which is a dangerous place to be right now,

people talking about the Broncos being out coached in this game and stuff like that. Look, the Patriots sucked. Like the Patriots stunk. They were bad. Like, they were not good. They gave up the big plays defensively. They got gifted everything in this game. Nick and Cody said it earlier.

And you said it in Nilo as well that the Broncos lost this game. Like the Patriots did not do anything that I'm sitting here. This is why I'm so flustered about this is because I'm sitting there watching this game. And it's like, oh, shoot, if the Broncos didn't do this. Oh, shoot. If Jarrett Stinn didn't do this. Oh, shoot. If Sean Payton would have done this.

Oh, shoot. If that's the game that none of us wanted to play after this game. game is saying, all right, let's go through like Cody said earlier, the butterfly effect of moments throughout the course of this game, because that's the bull crap that we're talking about right now. We're not, I could take it if the Patriots beat the brakes off the Broncos. I could take it if the Patriots came into Denver. They ran for 200 yards. Drake may throws a couple of touchdowns. They dominate in the red zone, yada, yada. That's, that's not what happened in this game. And I know the elements and the weather played a factor for some of it, but not all of

it. And when the elements weren't playing a factor, the Broncos crushed New England. And they just did. That's just the truth. And I don't know, that's the part about it that sucks is that you had that moment where, shoot, a split second, a guy who's been playing all season probably doesn't make the play that Jarrett Stidham made right there in that moment. And that's the difficult part of this whole situation. Drake May had 86 passing yards in this game. 86. You would have told me that beforehand. I would have been like, did he get hurt or did he not play? Like what happened?

Yeah. He would have said that was what he finished with. Look, but he also was 65 on the ground. Yeah, 100%. He was very effective with the legs. And Nick, I know you could speak to that. That's something that we've harped on the course of our shows together is Denver struggles with mobile quarterbacks.

Now look, Drake May isn't a true dual threat type of guy. But once again, Denver's defense is getting carved up by a guy that can move with his legs, Nick. Yeah. And that was one of my concerns early on in the season. as we started combing through, especially starting with that week with the Green Bay Packers. And I was bringing that up.

But once again, it was that, well, the team won. So, you know, that's the only thing that matters. I was like, yeah, but pay attention to me. If you don't fix those things, that's going to be problematic. And it's not just the Broncos we're talking about. Every team when facing mobile athletic quarterback, you're going to have issues because as a defense's a coordinator, here's what you're tasked with.

do I dedicate a spy to the quarterback, taking someone else out of coverage? And what Vance Joseph tried to do as he did with some of the other games, hey, try to win with your guys are from. We need someone to win, someone need to get to the depth of the quarterback, force the quarterback into making some kind of bonehead era, which the Broncos didn't really get. I mean, they got to the quarterback. They created some chaos.

They got Drake May on the ground. I think that was five sex for 21 yards, but there was no turnovers. and we saw in the Buffalo game what this defense can do when you're turning the ball over. But I knew coming in, like the idea of the Broncos duplicating what they did the prior week with five turnovers do. I'm telling you, it doesn't always happen that way. And if you try to do that, now you're pressing. Now you're going to get yourself out of playing your defense the way that it was kind of put together.

Now you put yourself in a tough situation. But this defense, man, I tip my cap to those guys. they played their behinds off and they kept this offense in the game and saying, listen, we know what Stidham is. We are hoping that he can be competent enough to make enough plays to make sure

that we score. And that play, like that explosive play to Marvin Mims over Gonzalez, to me, I was like, oh, we got something here. And I know Sean Bateson wanted to take a shot because Sean wants to throw the ball, but he also wanted to build confidence

in Jared Stittam, but also having a crowd to kind of swell behind that and go, yes, and Stiddy, we trust. But after that, all of that went away. It went back to doing the same things that you were doing that were so repetitive that Cody was talking about during the season. And I was waiting once again, man, for Sean to break his own tendencies. But he stayed true to who he was. And Mike Braybill and the Patriots realized he wasn't going to change.

He was going to stay true to who he was. and that's one of the reasons that kind of cost them the game. Yeah, no doubt. I think Sean Payton and I've seen a couple of comments from our YouTube viewers. He kind of outcoached himself if that's like even possible. Just some of the decisions. And again, you have to take it with a grain of salt to a certain extent with a backup quarterback in there. Like I think if Bo Nix is playing in this game, the Broncos win.

I'm pretty sure we all probably unanimously feel that way. But the reality situation is I don't really think that Sean catered the game plan necessarily to Jared's strength. But also I think I think I can't. got to be fair and also say this. Like, Jared looked flustered out there a number of different times. I mean, the amount of times he was just backpedaling, like the moment the ball would be snapped and, you know, it just was not a fluid game. Yeah.

They were blitzing the nickel from the field side, not the boundary. They were blitzing him from the field. And it was like, hey, we're going to send five or six consistently. And man, you know what would have changed this to? And I hate that we're sitting here having this conversation. A run game. Oh, run game. All you need is a run game.

game to help compliment it. Like the fact that Denver got as far as they did without a consistent run game, man, it just shows, it speaks volumes as to like what Bo Nix actually did for this offense this season. Man, if they had a way to run the football, this is a different story. Denver wins this game. They could run the ball. Plain and simple.

Yeah. Yeah. It's not like Alvin Cameras walking through that door. So towards the end of the show, we'll kind of get into some big picture thoughts about what needs to happen. Trading for Breeze Hall? that that could very well be on the radar is he a free agent after this year

yes so he's a free agent to be yeah or David Montgomery literally anybody there's so much we have to talk about thanks I'll take three I'm with you

I'm with you guys all right let's hit a quick break when we come back it was kind of a tale of two halves I know that the score isn't necessarily reflective of that, but I do think the weather played a significant role in the overall outcome of this game. We'll talk about the kicking game, Will Lutz 0 for 2 from field goal range, and a little bit more when we come back on the other side right here on your locked on Broncos squad show. Back in just a moment, folks.

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Anilo Piro Cody Warks here, Bedinger, and Nick Ferguson. Shout out to Broncos Country. I know it's a tough loss, but we appreciate you guys rocking with us here tonight. and on every single episode of your Lacton Broncos squad show and of course the standard Lacton Broncos podcast. Okay. I know, dude. I'm like, bleh.

Like, I don't mind talking draft, but it's like you could also only talk draft so much. We don't talk about draft now. Draft ain't on the radar. No, I know, I know. You want to talk about the draft? I'll talk about the draft. Come on, now.

I'm going to miss just, you know, oh, they're playing the Packers this week. Like, what is Bo Nick's going to? do, right? I mean, this was such a fun season for this Broncos team. And here's maybe some mercy for Broncos country. I think the Patriots are going to get absolutely waxed against the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl. And if Bo Nicks were out there as a different conversation, but if the Broncos had won this game and it was against Seattle, like that might be a repeat of Super Bowl 48. But wait a minute. Would that make Broncos country happy, right? I mean, the fact

that watching Seattle just dismantle, Drake May and the Patriots, it's not going to take it away. What happened actually happened. And there's a lot of things that this team needs to do in the offseason, a lot of self-reflecting. I mean, that's coaches and players alike. But just saying, okay, well, yeah, we lost to the Patriots. We were the better team. Yeah, you're damn right. You were the better team. But you didn't do what you need to. So looking at that Super Bowl going like, yeah, they lost, they lost by 30. It is not going to heal those wounds. Those wounds are still going to be there. It's going to hurt more. Yes, exactly. Because you're going to say, well, we said, have been there. We should have done that. You know how I know fellas? 20 years ago, I was in the same

damn game. And guess what? I could say, if I could or would or should have, and it's not going to change a damn thing. We lost the Pittsburgh and we were home watching with everyone else, watching, you know, the Pittsburgh still beat the Seattle Seahawks. So it doesn't change. Yeah, no, it's unfortunate, but it's the reality situation of where Broncos country and the team is at right now. Getting back to the game here for a moment, Will Lutz, after the game pretty candid just about his struggles in this game. Obviously, 0 for 2 for field goal range. And the reason I say it's kind of a tail of two halves,

I mean, just drive it home was like hellacious with all the snow and the ice that's piling up out there. I mean, the field was covered in snow. And I think it's really more so the second missed field goal that irks Broncos country or is just maybe a bit more frustrating in general, the tipped kick because I don't think of that tip or I don't think of that kick was tipped. It probably goes through the upright.

And then we're talking about a whole new ball game here potentially. but, you know, Will was talking about how they thought maybe they, like, lined up a yard short or something. I forget exactly the verb that you could check it out on social media of what Will Lutz was alluding to. But he talked about how he's never really kicked in conditions like that. He has kicked into the snow, but like that was like a wet, heavy, flurry, blinding type of snow, Cody. Yeah, I mean, it was pretty crazy. I know I was in the press box of my binoculars. I'm like, I can't see.

It's like, you know, if it was a night game, it would have been like Star Wars when they're traveling through space. It's like, br-br-br-roo-br-room, like you see all the, you know, all the stars there. But, no, that's the frustrating part about it, too, because think about it. You line up one yard shorter than you normally are in terms of where your holder's at from the long snapper. Then your process is a kicker where you're, you know, you have your steps. I don't know how many steps will necessarily takes. You know, each kicker has a little bit of a different routine. But all of a sudden, now it's easier for that interior rush to get one step closer, right,

to get their hand up to alter the trajectory of the foot. football. So if that actually happened, man, that is rough. But usually when you're coming out, you got to have someone who's kicking, kicking the snow out of the way just so you know where your landmarks are here, so to speak. We've seen kickers do this before in worse conditions than what we saw. And yet Denver couldn't do it. Will Lutz has been money all year, right? I'm not going to bag on the guy, but man, you have one right before halftime before it even snows from 54 yards. It just simply, it doesn't go in. it's wide right. Like to me,

just little things, just the little things to add up. These little mistakes is what former Broncos head coach used to call death by inches, right? And that's exactly what happened in this game.

It stinks to see because Jeremy Crosher on special teams, hell of a damn game by him. And also the Broncos coverage unit, hell of a damn game by them in terms of stopping, kick returns, punt returns. But man,

the kicking game, a lot to be desired there. Yeah. And I think, you know, the kicks missed for different reasons, right? You bring up the first one before the snow was really coming down. The second one, it was just terrible conditions, right? And I hate to make this comparison, but it keeps coming up in my mind. You know what kind of lost that was? That was a 2016 through 2023 era Denver Broncos loss, where the defense shows up and shows out, right? Low

scoring game. Offense can't do anything. And you're just kind of banging your head against the wall, like, can we get a score? Can we get a field? Can we get a touch? can we get a big play and you know after that touchdown passed a court on Sutton set up by the Marvin mims deep ball like it was just all crickets for the most part for this broncos team on offense so look I don't think there's any one person to blame for this game now I do think Sean Payton again going back to that fourth down play call and whatnot thinking kind of out coaching himself at times you at the course of this game but the defense did their part Jared Stitton's a backup quarterback it just kind of is what it is there yeah it really is you know I mean I think this

game proved to me and probably to many others in Broncos country that this team has its quarterback. Like there's no question about it. Bo Nix, when he's out there on the field, I mean, shoot, it doesn't matter if there's snow or not. You feel like that guy gives you a chance to win just about any game. And he's proven that over two straight years now in the NFL. And that's, that's the real unfortunate aspect about this is that you feel like, man, we do have our guy and we do have the player that we can build around and the guy who gives us a chance to win every single game, right? But then you get into a game where he's not there and everybody else is trying to kind of rally around. All right, we got to win it for bow. We got to go do it for number 10, right?

We got to, you know, pick it up in some other way and figure it out, find a way, get to the Super Bowl, yada, yada. And I just think that that pressure for the Broncos, I don't think there was necessarily the pressure that was too much. But like you said, you know, Sean maybe kind of out coaching himself in certain situations. I don't feel like there was any strategic like, oh man, like Mike Rable and the Patriots. They, they knew that was coming.

Like, that's the whole thing about it is like, I think a lot of Broncos country wants it to be something like that so that they can point to something to blame or, you know, even that fourth down play. Like, let's be real,

the Patriots didn't score off it. I know you took points out the board, but you also missed two opportunities later in the game for stupid reasons. Like you miss a 54-yarder and it was only 50-4-yarder, and it was only 50s. 54 yards because Jared Stidham ran out of bounds instead of throwing the ball away. So it should have been at least two yards closer. And later in the game, your holder and kicker line up at the wrong spot.

I mean, it's just all these different things. Like we want so badly to point to one specific thing or like Sean Payton's the reason why the Broncos lost this game. Like it could be a number of factors, right? Obviously, the head coach always falls on the sword. But I think the frustrating aspect is knowing that you have a guy. on the team who where's number 10, who can go out there and win you any game. And in a game where you needed a quarterback who can do that,

you just didn't have him available. And that's the worst possible timing that you could ever ask for. I don't really have anything else to add to that, to be honest. I mean, it's just, it just sucks. Like, it just sucks, dude. Like, it's just kind of the reality of the situation. And look, it's not totally unexpected. Like, I know I was optimistic.

Sarah, you were optimistic. Broncos country is optimistic, changing their profile picture with Jared Stidham. But it was a tough ask. And I agree with you. I think the most frustrating part is like New England didn't do anything really great today. Like they really didn't. I mean, again, Drake Babe was affected with his legs. Yes, I'll give him that.

Like 86 passing yards. You know, they took away the chunk plays. I will, I got to point this out. I know Broncos country is going to hate this, but that flea flicker call from Josh McDaniels, I mean, that was like a one big play that you saw from New England as well. But again, Nick, it felt like more of Denver. I don't know if they lost the game necessarily more than New England won it. I know I said that earlier, but they just couldn't put it together.

They couldn't string any momentum together after the first quarter. Yeah, so that means that the Broncos lost the game. And I want to back up to something that Cody was talking about when Will Lutz was kicking those field goals. I'm going to take you back in a way back machine. Remember when the Raiders played the Patriots at home, right? And we got the tuck rule now. Yes, sir. Adam Venetary. Now, the snow was thicker than for them, the Patriots, opposed to what it was.

But did you see all the guys previously moving the snow out of the way for Adam Venetary? I didn't see that on either kick by Will Lutz. And that within itself troubled me because the ground was really slippery. And the traction for both teams offensively and defensively, we saw how the weather actually played a row. So I'm thinking, okay, well, points are at a premium. I'm getting back there. I don't care if I got to take my sock off. I'm moving the snow out of the way,

clearing a path to make sure that it's as clear as possible. That proved to be a problem. But when we look at this game and we're going to say, well, with Sean being the head coach, obviously like Sarah said, he's going to fall on that grenade. He has no choice but to jump on it. But we saw a lot of small things here and there

that the team could have done. And for me, they all were offensively. Well, here's what you could have done. If Stidham doesn't run out of bounds, two yards shy, maybe Will Lutz is a lot closer, right? But this is where you have to be smart enough, but you only get that with playing time to throw the ball away.

And how many times if we watch Peyton Manning over the years, knowing as though he's not a mobile guy, a guy comes off the edge, he feels as though he's getting pressure, he just gives himself up. He's not going to turn the ball over it. Right. He's just going to give himself.

self up. And if Stedham did that, a lot of the things are bad situations that they were in offensively, they would have never been in those situations, but also by the way, when you look at some of the play call and the execution, it wasn't what it was. Like Corlin Sutton, being a number one wire receiver, you need to make some of those grabs. And I get it. Not every pass is going to be center mass where you can reach out and grab them. Sometimes you have to make your quarterback look great. With Jordan Humphrey, we saw, you know, in the Buffalo game, he dropped the ball, he redeemed himself.

In this game, that third down play would have been awesome because it would have set the Broncos up either for a field goal or put them in a sport position where they would have scored and then they would just been able to kind of put the game out of reach. But it is a culmination of all those things taking place because, like I said, all season long, this offense was not good enough to overcome their own. shortcomings and it came back to bite him in the back end. I think it's very well said and it's a good transition. Let's hit our final break.

When we come back, let's do a little offseason outlook. What are some things that desperately need to change for the Broncos? What are things that can stay the same? And I will kind of take a look into the future here as the Broncos season has come to an end and they'll prepare for next year. All that more. When we come back right here on your locked on Broncos squad show. All right, you guys real quick, let me tell you about our friends. over at Robin Hood.

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Event contracts are offered by Robin Hood derivatives LLC, a registered futures commission merchant and swap firm. Be sure to check out our friends over at Robin Hood and let them know that Lockdown Broncos sent you. Okay, well, come on back into your Lockdown Broncos squad show winding down here on the program as the Denver Broncos season, unfortunately came to a conclusion with their 10 to 7 loss over the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game.

Look, it was a great season for the Broncos. 14 wins, one seen in the AFC. Unfortunately, Bonaics get hurt, and that kind of derails some stuff for them in this game against the New England Patriots. but you look back on this season with fond memories, but there's still plenty of work to be done, right? And I was one of those guys that was skeptical at points

throughout the course of this season with the Broncos. Like when they're on that wind streak, like I was pumped up, they were winning, and I was thrilled about that. But I'm also like, okay, like, they probably need to improve this. They got to improve that. Like, there were some holes with this team

is the point that I'm trying to make. And we've talked about the running game. We've talked about defensively, their deficiencies when it comes to defending mobile quarterbacks that can run. So there's definitely some work that needs to be done to this roster, this offseason. We'll see what happens with Vance Joseph if he gets a head coaching job

throughout the course of this. We actually got some news here from Jordan Schultz that just came out a few minutes ago. With the Broncos lost, the expectation is that the Buffalo Bills will reach out to Denver about interviewing past game coordinator Davis Webb for their head coaching job. So yeah. So point being, we'll see what happens with Davis Webb and Vance Joseph. But let's start with the players.

in particular, Cody. What is a position group that you need to see this Broncos team upgrading the offseason? I think wide receiver. You know, look, Cortland Sutton's your number one guy, but you know what Cortland needs? He needs another number one type of guy near him and nothing. This is not a shade against any of the other wide receivers. I think Marvin Mims needs to be featured more wide receiver, period.

I'll say that. Take him off kick return, leave him as a pert return, but more Marvin Mims on offense has to happen. This isn't a shot at Pat Bryant or Troy. I mean, yeah, and Troy Franklin or little Jordan Humphrey. I don't think little Jordan Humphrey will be back next season. Pat Bryant and Troy, there are two young players that are going to continue to grow. Pat has had a lot of value, but it's been injured. You know, he's had the concussions, left the game with a hamstring injury.

Troy, unfortunately, his season ended, you know, today he didn't play because he had a hamstring injury. But Denver just needs another guy that's going to be a difference maker because if you can have, let's look at what happens in Cincinnati, right? They got Jamar Chase and T. Higgins. Jamar Chase is going to see a lot of attention, right? But what happens when Jamar sees attention? T. Higgins eats. And then all of a sudden now it forces the defense to change their game plan.

Denver doesn't have that other type of wide receiver right now. They got some young, talented guys that are coming through, but they're developing. They're young. They're not where they need to be yet. And so expecting them to make that major leap, it's tough. It's a hard expectation. So in order to take the pressure off of court, and of course, I agree, like Nick said earlier, there are times where court has to come up with some of these passes that are thrown his way that are ultimately drops.

You have to come up big in some of those situations. But I guarantee you court will produce a lot more if there were other guys away from him that were being more consistent. And we're even talking about this offense that has no run game. We're talking about this offense that really has no threat at tight end right now because they don't even use it. The tight end position is an entirely decoy element of the offense. To me, if that changes, I think that they're going to be explosive next year. but they got to make these changes. They got to figure out how to get it going.

I don't mean this is a jab at all, but I agree with what you say with respect to Cortland's son. I think he's a guy that's an excellent complimentary wide receiver. And I mean, they haven't really had like that true dominant number one ride receiver since like Demarius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. And you even think back to that one two punch with like Emmanuel popping off, the Mary is popping off. But you had those two dynamics on the outside during those great years for the Denver Broncos.

And I just think whether it's Cortland is the number one or whatever it might be. Like you just need another layer to the receiving game. And I agree with you wholeheartedly about Marvin Mames. I think Pat Bryant has a bright future in this league. Here's what I'll say. And I'll toss it to you, Sarah. I need some known commodities on this offense. And I'm not saying like going out there and, you know, just signing a Cooper Cup type of guy.

I mean, that wouldn't be a terrible thing either. But like right now, like what was the line that Steve Smith threw out about Jerry Judy? He called him like a jag, like just a guy. Just a guy. Like there's a lot of jags. right like there's guys that you know, Troy Franklin has a nice game. Gordon Sutton has a nice game, right? Marvin Mims has a nice game.

Like they need a locked in consistent contributor at a skill position where that's running back, wide receiver or tight ends there. The easy button. That's what we've been hoping for from Evan Ingram. But once again, when the Broncos do 12 personnel or 13 or jumbo personnel, they're running two-man route concepts. They're trying to disguise what they're doing with these, you know, big guys out there on the field and it just ultimately doesn't give it what it results in is evan ingram playing fewer

than 50% of the snaps in the season and everybody wondering where's this guy been all season long had one touchdown all year it was against philadelphia to me i think you trace it back to yes you need a star player at receiver do you need a new wide receivers coach because these guys have struggled with drops for two straight years and i'm not saying that kerry colbert is out there catching the passes or or getting the opportunities to catch the passes but here's the question that I want to ask you guys. Number one, why does Marvin Mims not run the full route tree out there? And is that all Sean Payton? Or is that the way that he's being coached up? Why is he not getting inside leverage on some of these opportunities and using his vertical speed and ability

against a defense without breaking routes after getting that inside leverage? I don't understand that kind of stuff. I don't understand why Troy Franklin is not running more crossing routes and getting opportunities after the catch. Cortland Sutton is not an after the catch guy. Your wide receiver one has to be an after the catch guy in today's NFL and especially in the Denver Broncos offense because why? Well, we know that Bow Nix gets rid of the ball quickly. Does he get rid of the ball quickly to the perimeter or does he get rid of the ball quickly to the middle of the field? He gets rid of the ball quickly to the perimeter. So if your wide receiver one is not a threat after the catch and your wide receivers don't block and your wide receivers can't catch and they can't run

routes, then you got to start from the top and work your way down. And it starts with George and Sean saying, ah, shoot, we screwed up. But then number two is your wide receivers coach. And then number three, you've got to decide, all right, so who do we have to add? So yes, your guys, your top guys are going to absolutely fall on the sword for this one. George and Sean, remember last January, K. Adams or February, whenever it was, she's like, Sean, I think I want to tell you what your number one need is, right? I think your number one need is a wide receiver. And Sean Payton is like,

I don't think so. I like our guys. And now here we are sitting January 25. The wide receiver stunk all year long, guys. They did. As much as they made plays throughout the course of the year, one or two games here or there, like they either aren't being developed enough or they simply just don't,

they don't have it. So you've got to figure out who's at fault for this. How do we change it? And stop with the almost. You know who's maybe the bigger if-man right now than Justin Herbert? It might be George Peyton and Sean Peyton when it comes to making an acquisition at wide receiver. Oh, we almost got Stefan Diggs. Oh, we almost got Jalen Waddle.

Oh, we almost got X, Y, or Z, fill in the blank. Oh, we almost traded up for Colston Loveland. I'm done with this almost if-man stuff. Get me some freaking skill players for this dang team. otherwise we're going to be having the same discussion next year after the a fc championship game i love it i love it i think you're spot on and you know colston lovelin's a guy you know we all thought the broncos are going to go tight end or running back in the drafts and they're gonna stay there here's a guy

i'm just think colston lovelin not have a good impact this season no here's i was giving you crap you sounded like chris collins worked there i was just throwing some but yet no you're right bro lovelin balled out this year for chicago man i i couldn't help but watch chicago this year, even in the playoffs. I'm like, man, Matthew Bonix had a guy like that. Who he, he would have been nice. But here's the biggest thing, guys. As you talk about what the Broncos need to change heading into

the 2026 season. All of those things are correct. But you talk about, you know, leveling. And why was he making the pipe of plays that he was making? One had to do with the scheme itself. The other is like you're dialing up plays to actually get him involved. That's the biggest thing. And it comes into question when we think about, well, what the hell happened with Evan Ingram? I mean, at the beginning of this season, there was this

whole big thing about Joker and even he put somewhat like a photo once he signed of Heath Ledger. And everyone in Broncos country went crazy because of his athletic ability and the projection of what he could possibly be. But that never really came to fruition. Sarah brought up Marvin Mims. Now, I don't know if Marvin Mims can run every route on a route tree because we're not out there and allow it to really watch practice the way we would like to watch practice. But here's what I do know. He runs vertical routes really well. And it's reminiscent of a guy that played for Sean down with the Saints and Ted Ginn Jr. Ted Ginn can take the top off the defense.

Your biggest concern was will he catch the damn ball, right? So we know Marvin Mims has proven in two consecutive years. and even with the play against Kristen Gonzalez and the Buffalo game, that he is a vertical threat. So if you are suffering where you don't think that Pat Bryan can do that, you don't think that Troy Franklin can do that. And we know that Colin Sutton at this stage in his career, he doesn't have that foot speed.

Use Marvin Mims to run up the scene, back the safeties off, and then you work the short intermediate games. So we're talking about making some changes and adjustments with the roster, but we're also talking about the play calling and how things are called. Because here's what I do know, right? Coaching changes everything. Remember Caleb Williams' first year?

Everyone's thinking he was a bus. Ben Johnson comes over and guess what? Now, all of a sudden, he's like a Phoenix rising from the ashes. So when we talk about this, it is a number of things that the Broncos need to do. They need to get back in the lab and they need to try to fix some of these roster things first. But the first thing they need to fix, what type of offense are you? and then go out and get those types of players and put him in this offense. Now, we know Sean Payton is a really creative guy.

We've seen what he's been able to do with Drew Breeze, but his quarterback isn't freaking Drew Breeze. It is both freaking Knicks. So now you have a mobile quarterback. Cater your system to fit him and make all of those players offensively get to hell on board. I love it. I think you're 100% right with that comment. And, you know, we'll see what the Broncos do this off season.

and I expected to be a pretty busy offseason for them, no doubt. Before we get out of here, what's one thing we all want to see? I know we've kind of talked about the position group. Like if there's one thing that you want to see this Broncos team spice up this off season, what would it be? Cody, I'll start with you. Yeah, here's my thing. Don Payton, name Davis Webb as the offensive coordinator and let him call the place, period.

Let him call the place. He's going to get an opportunity else, or this is an opportunity for Sean to still have his hand in the mix, right, but also hand it to where you maybe can make the offense a little more innovative. I think Davis can do that. The attention he's getting from Vegas, these other teams for head coaching jobs, he hadn't

even been a coordinator yet and he's getting strong interested for head coaching jobs. To me, that's crazy, right? But the number one thing is don't let good coaches leave and go elsewhere. Yes, at the end of the day, for a guy like Sean, he'll sit there and say, hey, look at my coaching tree. Look at Davis.

He's going here. Look at Declan Doyle. He's in Chicago. with Ben Johnson and look what they've been able to do. Look at Aaron Glenn. He's now the head coach of the New York Jets. Don't do that. At this point, Davis Webb, he might be able to call plays quicker. We might see a little more innovation there.

But can you marry the two between Sean as the head coach and Davis Webb is a play caller where all of a sudden, maybe Sean's saying, you know what, I'm seeing this from a different angle now. Maybe, right? Is it likely? Probably not. But you know what?

That's what I hope to see. It ain't happening because Sean's in the back of his. head probably like if Bo Knicks is out there today, we're winning that game. I think Sean would rather step down his head coach to give a play calling. Like that's just my personal opinion. But I like the thought. I like to thought. I think Davis Webb is an up and coming coach in this league for show.

Sarah, one thing you want to see. I think the team just needs to go shopping. You know what I'm saying? I mean, after a loss like this, a little retail therapy might help everybody. And I think nobody more so than Sean Payton and George Payton. You know what I'm saying?

So go go get your shopping done, guys. that shopping list ready. Get your players on the recruiting trail. You know what I'm saying? Like, let's get this party started. I mean, free agency is what? You know, not even, not even two months away at this point. So the clock's already ticking.

And free agency is so much more important this year for the Broncos than the NFL draft. I mean, I can't even, I can't even overstate it a little bit. This draft class stinks. And I'm not, that's not to say the Broncos can't get good players from it. They might get good players from it, but free agency and trades are so much more important for this team this off season. They've got to be ready to spend big, to be aggressive, to pull the trigger, to part with draft picks, to do whatever it takes to get the right players on this team to go win the Super Bowl. This has got to be like a 2014 caliber off season from the Broncos or 20, whatever the year that was that they brought in all those guys.

That loss in the playoffs has to motivate every move. that you make from this point forward. Nick, what do you want to see this off? I like everything that you guys have said, but I think there's something that's a little more important. It goes back to roster building, but it's a mentality. I would like to see the offensive line be a little more grimy,

a little more physical, dirty, if you would say, because I haven't really seen all season long, this offensive line as a group from tackle to tackle, really drive people off the ball, And I'm talking about like some John Ryan type of Tom Nayland type of stuff. Things that I've seen being a member of the Denver Broncos, things that I played against as a player in this league, they need to be more dominating.

I want to see them pushing guys off the ball, you know, both like physically and mentally, just driving guys off the ball, talking trash, got their fingers in their faces. I want to see a little more toughness from this offensive line because if you ought to get that, and I'm not saying, man, factory. Don't be out there selling

wolf tickets. You need to go out there own it, be that guy, driving guys off the ball. And I'm talking about that old school football that Sarah was talking about, that Big 12 type of football, that SEC football where you leave and your knuckles are rare

and red and your nose is bleeding because you've just been just kind of slobber knocking all day. That's what you need. That's how you establish to run. I've seen it happen. I've been a part of teams. that possess those types of attitudes. It's not what people say about these backs and just criticizing this backs.

It's not all on them. You have to carve out space and you have to be willing to be. I would only say it in this setting. I would not say it in another setting, but you need to be like the Broad Street bullies. Yeah, I mean, to double down on that, I want to see this Broncos offense

inject some fear into their opponents. I don't think there's anything, like opposing teams like, okay, like they got this, they got that, Bo can do this, but there's nothing that you truly fear about this Denver Broncos offense, right? Okay, you got a game plan for the receivers. You got a game plan for the running back. You even got a game plan for Bo Nix.

And I think you just kind of bring it all together with what you and Sarah said as well, is like, let's see them go out there and just get a little tougher on offense, right? Like not get pushed around and have to come from behind. Look, as fun as this season was, the way they were winning games is not a sustainable way to continue winning games. And I love the fact that they were great and gritty in one score games, but you need to come out there next season and flex on some teams and solidify yourself as one of the best teams in the NFL,

as opposed to kind of backing into some wins like we saw them throughout the course of this season. So it is what it is. We'll see what this off season holds, but kind of in conclusion here, it was a great season. It was a fun year for this Broncos team, another step forward for them. You know, you build on that wild card appearance last year. You're the one seed to get to the championship game. If Bo Nix plays, maybe it's a whole different story.

But the reality situation is this season is done. it's on to the offseason. It's on a 2026, and this Broncos team has got some holes that they need to fill for sure. But Broncos country want to thank each and every one of you for rocking and rolling with us. Do have the course of the season. It's been awesome being a part of the squad show with Cody, Sarah, and Nick. We're going to have offseason content throughout the course of the coming weeks, the months, all that good stuff.

We'll talk some NFL drafts. So really appreciate each and every one of you. Free agency. Yeah, free agency, all that kind of stuff. I just, my mind is out. I don't know, dude. just still thinking lost, black, you know. That's what happens when you bet too much.

Your brain starts to deteriorate. I do one hit for a national betting company and you're just, oh, yeah, yie, oh my goodness. As long as we can not talk funerals. Four and a half was good today.

Oh, talk what? Funerals. Okay. Yeah, no more funeral. No more funeral. More life ahead. We got so much to.

Yes. Literally. There is no off season for the truth fan. So make sure you stay locked in, all right. They are locked on, as some might say. No, for real.

It's been an awesome year. It's been a pleasure doing these shows with you guys. We're not going anywhere, but we kind of turn the page and focus on what is to come for this Broncos team moving forward into this off season.

All right, that is going to do for us here on the program on your way out of the door, hit that like button, smash that subscribe button, really helps us out here on the channel. But for Cody Rourke, Sarah Beninger, and Nick Ferguson, I am Anilo Piro signing off on your locked-on Bronco squad show.

great season, fond memories, get ready for the offseason, folks, buckle up.