Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos Must Address Biggest Issues vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Episode Date: January 1, 2025

The Denver Broncos must find a way to address their biggest issues vs. the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. How can Sean Payton help Bo Nix and the Broncos offense by committing to the run game? Did Vance Joseph show too much of his cards with the Broncos defense early on in the season? Cody Roark is a credentialed beat reporter for Mile High Sports and covers the Broncos daily in person. Sayre Bedinger is the site expert for Predominantly Orange. Both bring Broncos Country the most in-depth and objective coverage of the Denver Broncos. WANT MORE DAILY DENVER BRONCOS CONTENT?For all of the latest Denver Broncos news today -- Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOBroncos?sid=YouTube Locked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNFL Follow on Twitter: @CodyRoarkNFL and @SayreBedingerFollow the show on Twitter: @LockedOnBroncos Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!PrizePicksDownload the app and use code lockedonnfl to win $50 instantly when you play $5. You don't even need to win to receive your $50 bonus, it's guaranteed! Prizepicks. Run Your Game.Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFL GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms Apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuelYou can start the season with a big return on FanDuel. New customers can place a FIVE DOLLAR bet and you’ll get started with TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS - if you win your first FIVE DOLLAR BET ! Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started. 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.

With the biggest game of the season lingering here for the Denver Broncos, we're going to take a look at the offense, the defense, and the coaching side, and see what are some of the biggest areas they must fix here before the season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs where the playoffs are on the line. You're going to get that and much more on today's episode, Locked on Broncos. You are Locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey, what's happening at Broncos Country?

Welcome into another episode, Lockdown Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, where you know it is your team every day for all the Broncos news, content coverage analysis and more that you need. You get that here every single day every single day. Thank you so much to the Denver Broncos, a lot of excitement and trending upwards in terms of the first listen of the day every single day. We appreciate you so much as we ring in a new year here and hopefully for the Denver Broncos, a lot of excitement and trending upwards in terms of the first. future of the direction of there. We're grateful to have you here. I'm Cody Roark, Broncos, reporter from Mile High Sports. Join as always by Sarah Beninger, set expert, predominantly orange.com. And here's what we got in store to bring in the new year here, Broncos Country 4-year. We'll wrap up today's show by talking about the adjustments that this coaching staff needs to make in this final game here of the regular season for the Broncos where there is a lot at stake for them. We'll also highlight how the defense and can fix their communication issues that they've had, what things we'd like to see them do against Kansas City, regardless of the starters or

the backups play. But we're going to kick things off today by highlighting why the Broncos need to find a way to run all over the Chiefs this week. Set the tone from start to finish. It's a big, big game here in Broncos country. So Sarah, I mean, let's dive deep into it here. We're going to focus and kick things off on today's show by starting on the offensive side of the ball. And look, I'd say in those last four games, the Broncos offense, they've had their moments where they've struggled, but they've been a reason that Denver has been in a position to win, you know, some of the games that they've had. Obviously, they're on a two-game losing streak right now, but it's not necessarily because the offense, in totality, when the offense is finding ways to put up points, remember the days

we've been sitting here doing this podcast for a long time where we were just begging. Can the Broncos get more than 16 points in the game? We're well past those days now. But hey, this week against Kansas City, starters may or may not be playing here for Kansas City. Denver's offense needs to find a way to bring it against Steve Spagnolo's defense, which that scheme is not going to change. He's still going to be aggressive. No, absolutely. he's going to be aggressive and I think that Broncos have to take advantage by basically just being able to kind of smash the ball on the ground at will. The running game has to continue to get going.

We saw obviously in the most recent game against the Bengals, Jililil McLaughlin had some nice runs. And before that, the game before that against the charges, it felt like Audrick Estime ran the ball pretty well in the first half. Unfortunately, there was a little bit of a wall in both of those games, right? After the first half, the Broncos kind of went away from the run. and then the second half of the Bengals game, it was really more so of the runs not being quite as effective

as they were early on in that game. So got to continue to smash the ball down the Chief's throats. And there's reasons for that beyond just, we want to see the running game do well. In a game like this, where you're expecting to play against a lot of backups, if you can run the ball effectively, you're shortening the game.

You're shortening the game and saying, hey, we're not going to give them opportunities for any weird stuff to happen. And we're going to have long extended drives. We're going to be converting on third downs because we're setting ourselves up and favorable down and distant situations. And we're going to dictate this game at the line of scrimmage. So there's a lot of reasons why you want to do that, especially in the game where you're potentially facing off against Kansas City's backup guys. Yeah. And look, we've had some comments about this.

I know there's been some confusion. I think for people are saying, well, Kansas City is going to rest their starters. They're not going to rest 11 starters on offense, 11 starters on defense. It doesn't work that way. Like, you know, I think if people. pay attention to it. You have this scenario where the game day inactive, you can only make six or seven players inactive. That's going to have to be one of the things you have to do from an emphasis. So it's more likely to be Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones, Travis Kelsey, maybe Trette McDuffey,

George Karloftus, some of these other guys, but you can only have six or seven guys inactive. So that does mean that Kansas City is going to have several players that are starters, probably play some, but even maybe those backups might get more extended reps. And some of those other starters might be the backup in an emergency situation here. But man, I'm with you, Sarah, like, and you go back to the Bengals game here. I know you brought up some great points about how the Broncos approach the Chargers game, but the thing that absolutely drives me nuts a little bit was like in that second quarter, Denver kind of went away from the run after they got, you know, the run game was getting them down there.

Obviously, they kicked the field goal to go up three nothing at, you know, at one point. But the thing I want to see Denver do more of, they recommitted to the run to start the second half. and what did it do? It opened things up. Bow Nix finds Cortland Sutton for a touchdown because of it. You know, you go out and you take a shot down field to Marvin Mim, 67 yards through the air, 51 yards in totality. That's because the run game was going. Like, Jililu had a 9-yard run, an 11-yard run, a 13-yard run.

And so the defense is changing like, oh, what, this guy's gashing us. We have to try to stop the bleeding. And then that's where those opportunities and those shots came from Bo Nix. So that's what you want to see, like, commit to the run game. Like, that's my biggest thing this week that I'd love to see for the office. I know you have it run all over them. Commit to the run game, but more importantly, Sarah, stick to the run game if it's working and then open some things up far too many times this year.

And I understand like the Broncos, they haven't truly committed to the run game in a lot of different ways, but they've become too pass happy at times. And I think that's where the complaint about some of the coaching stuff that we've talked about and a lot of Broncos fans have certainly brought up, they've kind of brought that up as well. It's because they don't commit to it when it's working and they go away from it when it does commit to it if it's working and everything else, I promise you, will fall into place here. Yeah, 100%. And that's exactly what we want to see happen. You want to see a complete game,

just like we saw back in week, whatever it was against the Atlanta Falcons, right? You want to see this offense just kind of firing on all cylinders. And it does start with the running game because we know how good Bo has been off play action all season long. He's been one of the best in the NFL running off a play action or throwing off a play action, excuse me. Wouldn't mind seeing a little bit of Bo Nix in the running game as well, Cody. I know we've mentioned that in the past, but we could definitely stand to see a little bit more of that. If you want to put the game in his hands,

maybe let him run the ball a little bit more as we saw, I believe against Kansas City the first time these two teams played. He was running the ball well, throwing the ball well. So let's see what Bo can do in that phase of the game as well. Also, Cody, what we want to see from the offense against the chiefs, This is obvious, but touchdowns, not field goals. Like, I think you started off the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, kind of setting the tone perfectly up until you got down into the red area

and you had to settle for a field goal. And you had a really good drive that was cut short there. The Broncos against the Kansas City Chiefs, like, don't be settling for these field goals. Take points. I mean, I'm not saying leave points on the field, but man, find a way to get the job done,

especially if you are going up against backups. Look, this Broncos team is, been good enough to win nine games against everybody else's best of what they're putting out there anyway. And if Kansas City's out there, throwing the backups out there, I know those guys are still NFL ball players and things like that, but shoot, I mean, we can't sell the Broncos short either. Like they're an NFL team playing their starters. And so you should be able to go out there and whip them up a little bit. So go out there and finish drives. Make sure that especially early in this game, get a cushion built, allow that defense to pin its ears back, finish these

drives that you get early in the game sustaining the run and finishing in the red zone, it's going to set this Broncos team up to be, I mean, pretty comfortable going into the half. Well, and I always like when Denver finds a way to get it, like, if they start a game seven nothing, I've always felt more confident with them starting up seven nothing than if they fall down seven nothing. I feel like at times if they've gone down seven nothing, 10 nothing, it almost feels not, not quite like a death sentence and like how it used to feel. But it's like, we've seen now that this offense can fight and claw its way back, which I think is a very

promising development. And you're also now starting to see how teams are starting to play Cortland Sutton. I mean, if you look at the NFL NextGen Stats newsletter against Cincinnati, on a majority of his snaps, Cortland Sutton was getting pressed at the line of scrimmage with a corner playing outside leverage, so they'd have a safety over the top. And at times, they'd have a linebacker spying inside. That's really where you need other guys like Troy Franklin. Devon Valle had a great catch on that third down, but we didn't see much of Devon

Velae after that in the offense. So if teams are going to play Cortland, something like that, there needs to be a game plan for the tight ends to have a bigger impact in the passing game. We know last time Denver played the Chiefs, Adam Troutman had a really big catch and run run. Because the Chiefs, they're like, these guys don't run routes. These guys are just, you know, they're in there to block and set things up. And they're like, oh, shoot, Adam Troutman, 37-yard catch and run.

Get back to some of the things that are working. But even like you and I had said it in yesterday show, too, simplify some of the things like, let's see some of the slants. Let's just see some of those short to intermediate routes because a lot of times, teams are dropping those six to seven defenders back in zone coverage, and they're covering two to three different routes, right? So it's easier. You're at a number of disadvantage when you're playing a zone like that

because usually when you're running two or three man routes, you're always going to have a vertical concept and you're going to have an underneath concept. So when you make it easier for teams to see that, like it makes it hard. And then people get mad at Bow Nicks. It's like look at the design of the offense and watch how it all kind of builds. You need other things to help open things up. And that's where I say commit to the day.

gang, run game. That's going to open things up here for this offense. It's going to help Bo Nix be in a situation where he doesn't have to have a lot of pressure on his shoulders, but I also kind of like how Bo has responded at times there when there is pressure. No bigger pressure-filled situation than half of a lead your team down the field with under a like under two minutes, like a minute and 20, you have to go 70 yards to score to tie the game up against the Bengals. I loved what we saw from from Bow in that situation. He didn't panic. He didn't blink. You love to see that. So there are some things, I think, you know, some positives we have seen from it. But the offense can't just be as one-dimensional as it has been for the last handful of, you know, weeks here.

You've got to find a way to open things up in all facets, especially if you're going to make a bid to get to the postseason. So Broncos country, we want to know what you want to see from the Broncos offense this week against the Kansas City Chiefs. Now we're going to shift our gears to the defensive side of the ball. Miscommunication issues have been a big problem here for the Broncos defense in the last four games. Where is that problem stemming from? We'll highlight that much more. Here on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. Today's Lockdown Broncos podcast is brought to my friends over there at Fandu.

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We're going to break down exactly what those communications issues have been defensively for the Denver Broncos, as well as what else we want to see from the defensive side of the ball going up against Kansas City this week. But thanks so much to every single one of you that makes Lockdown Broncos your first listen of the day. Every single day. We appreciate all you every dayers out there, as well as all those of you that have hit subscribe, wherever you listen to podcasts, as well as on YouTube and the growing. audience there. Cody, let's talk about the communication issues for this Denver Broncos defense, because over the last four weeks, I think you and I and a lot of members of Broncos country have been

asking similar questions. Like, this defense was, I mean, let's be fair, going into the LA game, just a couple of, I don't know, not even two weeks ago at this point as we're recording this, going into that game, they were tied for number one in the NFL in total points allowed. So, I mean, we're kind of trying to talk about the issue. that have arisen in recent weeks. This has not necessarily been a, you know, devastating problem all year, but there have been communication issues that have kind of been, you know, here and there you see nuggets of it, but it's really reared its ugly head.

The more teams have gotten tape on this Denver defense. Yeah, look, I think it all started really with the Cleveland Browns. They found a way to exploit and attack it a little bit. And more so the Cleveland Browns game, Sarah, was a Levi-Wallis, you know, getting torched and man coverage a few times. but there were issues with guys running crossing routes free underneath. And what's happening here with Denver, and look, I think that there is a lot of extracurricular like anger and animosity being placed toward Justin Sternad.

Look, I think when you look at like the result as it's happening in the game, it's easy to be like, oh, he was the nearest guy there. He was the nearest guy like covering him. You know, he's getting torch. I think the scheme has probably been the bigger issue with the inside linebackers. It's not necessarily a personnel issue because what's happening and teams are keying in on this. I mean, if you go back and you look at that Bengals game specifically, at times where Jaquan Macmillan is blitzing, you're vacating because you got,

like, you're going to have a single receiver to one side, or you may have a receiver in a tight end, or as Cincinnati had sometimes, they'd have a wing player that would be underneath the formation, but you're blitzing Jaquan Macmillan, and then so you're locking up man to man on the outside with that corner on the number one receiver, and then you have leakage to the outside. So that means that essentially if you have a zone covered, like a zone coverage, of right if the rule is always going to be if you're a corner if you have one receiver to your side you've got to play him as man even if you're in zone right so if you get a vertical rule out that's going to clear out the corner but then it's like you're in zone so now justin sternod or cody barton they're going to have to play that curl to hook and then that means that the other linebacker's going to go replace that middle hook there if they're playing zone that's where teams are really trying to attack the Broncos and so for me i think my biggest thing said when i go back and i watch the film here part of me

he feels like Vance Joseph, did he show all of his cards too early on of the season with how all the different pressure looks that we're seeing the Broncos throw at different teams and all the blitz looks with the linebackers and the nickels or the, I don't remember the last time I've seen a safety blitz. When is the last time we've seen Brandon Jones or PJ Locke on a blitz to where they come close to getting home? No, they've been really just kind of just playing back there. And the linebackers, the inside guys, they have been blitzing quite a bit.

And so offenses have been piecing together because in man coverage, One of those linebackers, they're always going to be covering a tailback out of the backfield. So when you have a running back who's lined up to the left of the quarterback in shotgun, okay, you're going to get one linebacker there. But the rule is going to be, if that guy swings out, you've got to play him as man. If that guy goes across the other side of the formation, it's the other inside linebacker, or it's going to be the safety's responsibility there. But what happens when you have a tight end, if you have twins or trips to one side,

then it changes the communication stuff. Like if you've seen, like even on that early touchdown where there is, I think, Higgins first touchdown of the game. He runs a slant. And it's like, wait, where, where's the coverage there? You have two guys doubling Yosovas for the, for the Bengals there, and you've got no help inside against T. Higgins. To me, it was the wildest thing ever. And it's all miscommunication because of motion, because of formation changes. So they're not checking out of plays or the rules, or they have too many rules that they have to think about pre-snap. And that, I think, is what's causing the Broncos defense to struggle. And especially with the

communication because Sarah, what personnel has changed with this team? I know Riley Moss missed three games, but really personnel has not changed for them defensively from week one to now. Yeah, that's the most staggering thing to me. Yeah, Singleton, obviously, but he only played two, you know, three games, right? So it's, it's been the majority of the season without him. And my question, based on what you're saying, would be this, like for a quarterback that's coming in ice cold, like Carson Went. And even if the, the chiefs end up playing, you know, their practice squad quarterback out there. Is it more to the Broncos benefit to try to get home with four guys or five guys as opposed to

say, hey, we've been the highest rate of blitzing team other than the Vikings all year long? Do we want to stick with that strategy and attack these quarterbacks? Or do you want to drop as many guys into coverage as you can and think that you can get home with five or four even against these quarterbacks. Because what's going to make them think more? What's going to cause them more confusion out there? Because these guys, let's be honest, they could come out and have a otherworldly game.

They could start making throw after throw. What's going to confuse the quarterback more? Is it going to be sending guys at him? Or is it going to be maybe showing blitz looks and dropping guys into coverage? I think you're going to have to. You can't change who you are, I think, like in terms of your defense. But there's got to be reflection from the coaching staff is like,

all right, we're doing the same things that we have. But now that, you know, they got Riley Moss back and Riley had a rough game. I think Riley will bounce back. But the reality is like you can't change who you are philosophically. And if all of a sudden, like, Vince Joseph made that comment a couple weeks ago about, you know, we're late this late in the season, teams know the warts that you have on defense. Well, it's on you as a coach to adjust to those warts, to remove those warts and to put your players in a position where teams aren't going to attack that. So for me, I don't know where the true issue really lies.

Like you have to be aggressive at times, right? But are you going to be as aggressive against these guys as you were against Joe Burrow? Because the reality is you give Joe Burrow so much time to throw, he's going to carve you up. You give Justin Herbert so much time to throw. He's going to carve you up. Same thing with Patrick Williams. You give him so much time. He's going to carve you up because you can't cover it.

Like, it's so hard to cover that long from a secondary standpoint. Not only just being a linebacker in half the coverage, you have to respect scramble drill. Like you have to maintain the length of your coverage. The average NFL play. I think it's somewhere around it lasts like 4.3, 4.2 total seconds. If you have to extend that out by even two seconds, that's asking a lot for anybody, especially when some of the fastest guys in the NFL, like the Chiefs, a good portion of their key stars on offense and defense won't play, but they're still going to be Juju Smith-Schuster, Sarah, who's probably going to play in this game. McColl Hardman, I know, I think he's on IR if I'm not mistaken. So I don't know if he's going to

play. But you're going to be going against guys like Noah Gray, Justin Watson, like, these guys can still hurt you. These guys have played plenty of football. Yeah, they, I mean, that's, that's what the Broncos mentality has to be is that once again, as we've said on this show multiple times, like you've got to go out there and be the aggressor. You've got to make them look like backups. And that's the, that's just, how many times have we gone into games this season, feeling like so confident about it? And then being worried, the closer you get to game time, right? The New Orleans Saints game. Everybody. I mean, were the Broncos, they were favored in that game.

But, I mean, there was a lot of discussion in the fan base at the time. Like, don't underestimate Spencer Rattler. Don't underestimate the Saints team, even without Chris Oliva and Alvin Camara. They've still got guys who can make plays. Like, you've got to go out there and you've got to actually prove that you are the, you know, the big boys on the field. Right. And the Broncos starters, they hung with the chiefs. They should have beat them.

That's the reality. And so I think that right now, it's, there's a lot of worry and, and walking on eggshells in Broncos country because of the fact that this is a do or die now situation. Now we're in the playoffs. We're no longer, hey, you've got another chance next week. Oh, okay, well, you still got one more chance next week. There's no more chances at this point. So because of that, the stakes are so much higher. And it feels like, man, the chiefs, they could still, whoever's out there could still, Carson Steele.

It's going to be the Carson Bowl out there for Kansas City. those guys are going to, that's who's going to play this game. Yeah, Wentz, Carson Steele. You know, the, yeah, those guys are, it's not going to be all the recognizable chiefs, but you've got to go out there and shut this down. And if you're the Denver defense, what an opportunity right before the playoffs to maybe get your kind of groove back a little bit.

Yeah, no, I agree. Brock, because you want to hear from you. What are your thoughts on what Denver should have do to adjust their defensive issues that they've had? What is the biggest complaint that you've seen so far? Make sure you drop it in there as you're listening or watching lockdown. Broncos wherever you get your podcast. But we're going to wrap up today's show by highlighting what we feel like the coaches need to do

in this final game of the regular season. The only game that the Broncos have guaranteed remaining this year unless they win on Sunday. We'll break that down. How much more here on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. Broncos Country, today's episode, the show is brought to our friends over there at prize picks. It's playoff time. And if you're like me, you want to make the most of these final weeks of football action. That's where prize picks comes in.

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Download the app today. Use code locked on NFL to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup. Prize picks run your game. game. We're jumping to the fourth quarter action on today's episode, locked on Broncos to bring Broncos country into the new year. Hopefully Denver could start 2025 with a playoff appearance, but that won't be possible unless they beat the Kansas City Chiefs here on Sunday 2.25 p.m.

Mountain time kickoff on CBS Jim Nats. Tony Romo, you get the A team for this big game, even if Kansas City may not be playing players like Patrick Mahomes. And for Broncos head coach Sean Payton, he said it earlier this week, He says, you know, we're preparing. We're going to prepare for their scheme. And look, you're going to be watching film based on the players that are there. And if there's a different player there, so be it.

So you are preparing a lot for the scheme here. And I think you and I kind of laid the question out, how much does this scheme for Kansas City's offense change when Carson Wentz is in versus Patrick Mahomes? I mean, Mahomes has way more autonomy than I feel like a guy like Carson Winst would. I think Carson Wentz would probably have to play a little bit more under structure of what Andy Reid wants. When you have a guy like Mahomes, you can get away with a lot of different things. I think that's what makes Patrick Mahomes a very dangerous player to go against because he is good at improvising. He is good at taking advantage of that. How many times have we seen like a third and 15?

And then he scrambles for 20 yards on third and 15. He's done it against Denver. He's done it against a handful of other teams. So that'll be something that Denver won't necessarily have to account for. But Carson Wentz is also a guy who can be mobile enough to use his legs. I don't know if he's as fast or as athletic anymore as a guy like Patrick Mahomes is. I know he used to be before his ACL injury. They had years ago that dethroned the Eagles,

you know, his path with the Eagles, and then Nick Foles won the Super Bowl for them. But it all boils down this week, I think, to coaching, Sarah. And look, obviously the players are on the field. They have to execute. But it's on the coaches to put all of these guys in a position to succeed. And at times, I feel like that hasn't always been the case here. So for you, what do you want to see from the Broncos coaching staff here in Sunday's game?

Well, I think the first and foremost thing that I want to see, Cody, is no more playing not to lose, right? Because Sean Payton talked about it after the game, and he talked about it again early in the week of just like, yeah, we knew that the tie was an option going into an overtime period. And to me, like, that's okay. I mean, I get, I understand you want to give yourself as many paths to victory as possible, but how many times has a tie even happened around the league this year?

And over the last two years, like, ties just don't really happen. So I think that I know that they maybe happen once or twice a season, but to bank on that as even a possibility is kind of like me, you know, against Joe Burrow? Yeah, against Joe Burrow. Absolutely. It's kind of like me going to McDonald's drive through and being like, well, I mean, you know, there's a chance I was going to only get a Diet Coke. But then I saw the menu and, you know, I didn't. That's a terrible analogy. But I'm just thinking a high size stand.

Yeah, I'm thinking about a Diet Coke from McDonald's right now. But I mean, you can think of whatever analogy would best. fit for that because it's like one of those things that's like oh it's it's just not going to happen like yeah it's a possibility but it's it's not going to happen and so i just didn't like that i think that gave them kind of this mentality of playing not to lose as opposed to playing to win which there's there is a time that you don't want to go for broke like if you're in this game in particular if you're playing week 17 for a chance to go to the playoffs and you have the option of overtime or you know uh taking a two-point conversion down by one.

That's a situation where you want to, you know, maybe really think about the cost of going for two in that situation. So I just, I find it interesting that given they had this extra week here to say, hey, we've got another game that we could win. Can we go two yards to get a win? I didn't like the idea of not playing to win there.

And I think that that kind of burned them play calling wise, as you've mentioned in previous shows this week, throughout the course of that Bengals game. Well, and look, and this is where I said, We had a great melbag question, I think, from someone in Brockos country this week. And I answered over there at Mile High Sports as well because they talked about like Sean Payton and play calling. And look, I think for Sean, Sean is a smart guy.

He understands the game. He knows how to manipulate defenses. But I think the thing and the challenge of being a play caller sometimes is you have to go with the flow of the game. And obviously sometimes you get a little ahead of yourself. Like it is very hard. Like being a play caller often requires some ego. And look, Sean definitely has some of that. It's not necessarily always a bad thing, though.

I would say for me, my biggest complaint is that I feel like there have been times this season where Sean has been too conservative at times where he should be aggressive. And there's been times where he's been too aggressive in times where they should be conservative, right? That's the duality of being a play caller. So how do you find balance and how do you establish that trust? Like I think a lot of it has to go with and you delegate. Can you understand that? Sean says he delegates and listens to ideas from his staff. but like in the heat of the game, like I would be asking, I'd be trusting like Pete Carmichael and Joe Lombardi up top like,

hey, what are we seeing? What should we do here? Like I love, I love the nature and the desire to be aggressive here, right? But with this young team, with not having a legitimate player at the tight end position who can produce for you, the tight end threat is not a threat for opposing defenses that face the Broncos. They don't really game plan for Denver's tight ends. They're like, hey, let's keep everything in structure. Our biggest priority stop in Cortland Sutton. So how do you find that balance there to say, all right, we need to get away from being one dimensional. We need to figure out how like the run game's working. Okay. Hey, if I rattle off, let's say Jolulu McLaughlin, exactly what happened against Cincinnati.

He rattles off an 11-yard run. He rattles off a 13-yard run. Okay, it's first and 10. I'm okay with you taking a shot on the next play downfield. I like that because it's like, hey, they may think that you're going to run, but teams have played Denver to where, oh, they're not going to run. They don't like running the football. That's not their, that's not what they're doing. So they play, they drop everyone back and you can see it.

They play to stop the pass here for Denver. And then I think that amplifies, I think a lot of the negative commentary that you get on Bow Nicks from people that really don't know how to watch a football game and don't know what they're looking at and how a defense is playing. So for me, it's just like coaches have to paint a clearer picture here for the personnel for the players. It starts on offense. And it also starts on defense, which we also talked about as well. But even special teams, like, just being aware of the situation, right?

Understand like, hey, as the gunner, you got to watch. that return guy. I understand you're trying to track the football. Make sure you peek and try to watch because you got to see if there's a fair catch. You can't touch a guy. You can't give them an additional opportunity there to move the football up. That's just situational awareness.

I think that has to be nailed down a little tighter this week. Yeah, situational awareness, not having those terrible penalties in the most inopportune situations, right? That does come down to coaching. Ultimately, I mean, I know the players are out there. They're the ones that are doing some of this stuff. but man, you've got to have these guys ready for just to play a disciplined, clean game. And obviously, as we mentioned, you know, Vance Joseph, him and his staff,

they have to adjust to what teams are doing to them. Maybe the first time that Jim Leonard has come up in a while, the past game coordinator on the defensive side for Denver, what can he do to help kind of fix this? Because obviously, if they did show their cards too early, as you mentioned, Cody, that's problematic against anybody. It doesn't matter backups or starters. It's problematic against any quarterback, any receivers, anything like that because these guys, they are going to be able to hit crossing routes.

They are going to be able to catch the ball if they're wide open. They're going to be able to run through open lanes. Like that's the part that we're worried about right now is that the Broncos are going to have lapses. And so how do you prevent those lapses? Your coaches have to have you absolutely ready for the exam that is to come here on Sunday afternoon for the Broncos. What's the saying proper preparation prevents sports? poor execution or something along those lines there. Look, and I'll tell you this by just being,

I think that the Broncos practice well. I think they have structure. And you hear so many players talk about that, that they feel like the structure that is created within the team and how they go about their day-to-day prepares them. And certainly, I would say them being at nine wins with not having as much around them as some of these other teams do and how some of these other quarterbacks do, I think that's a big benefit there.

But, like, this is it. Like, we always talk about it. you want to be playing your best football in the month of December. Denver certainly hasn't done that in the month of December. It's been there. Honestly, you could say it's been the worst that they've played. And luckily, they've won a couple of games, but they've lost two straight here. Backs against the wall.

Now you're entering the new year. Got to find a way to get that 10th win of the season. 10 wins. Get you into the post season. You don't want to be hoping like, you know, you have to be watching and hoping for other teams to come through because if you're trying to bank on the New York Jets to beat the dolphins, good luck with that. Doesn't matter if it's the Snoop Huntley,

Skyler Thompson, don't matter who's the quarterback for the dolphins against that Jets team. That Jets team is checked out. They're dysfunctional. You cannot rely on that. And if that's what you're hoping for, it's not going to work out for you.

So go out there, take it to them. Look, the throwback uniforms are going to be worn. I don't know if you saw, but they posted a picture of what the field's going to look like. The old school D logo in the middle of the field, orange end zones with the old school logos like that right there. That should get you fired up.

It's going to be a chilly game, but the Broncos got to bring their A game. here. And look, Broncos Country, you always bring your A game every single day that you listen to us here. So if you're not an everyday listener, make sure you become one because every single day all year long, we've got you covered with the best Broncos news, content coverage, analysis, and more. I attend practices, games, Sarah and I, we've been plugged in for many, many years here in Broncos. We appreciate you so much for taking time out of your day to rock with us. Hope you have a happy new year. And, hey, maybe you all wish for a successful 2025 campaign for the Broncos.

and may that include a postseason appearance to start the year. That's the hope. Way of it covered tomorrow's episode of the show. Sarah's going to sit down with Lockdown Cheese for a crossover episode to preview the game and then we'll wrap things up on Friday with our final game preview, injury report and everything that you need to know. Keys to Victory, Bullet predictions, all that. You get that here.

Lockdown Broncos.