Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - IMPACT: Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga BOOST Denver Broncos' CHANCES vs. Buffalo Bills

Episode Date: January 14, 2026

The Denver Broncos are gearing up for playoff redemption against the Buffalo Bills, with Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga’s experience aiming to be a difference maker for the Broncos defense compare...d to last season. Can this defense overcome Josh Allen and contain James Cook’s game-breaking speed? Despite being underdogs going into Saturday's game, the Broncos level of maturity and leadership on this roster are reasons none of that matters. They're ready for the challenge. Cody Roark spotlights Denver’s injury report this week, revealing key updates on Brandon Jones, Luke Wattenberg, and J.K. Dobbins ahead of Saturday’s game. 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 Everydayer Club  If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans.Click here to join -- https://lockedonbroncos.supercast.com/ Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Ultimate QBUltimate QB is totally free to play, has no ads, and works 100% offline — perfect for when you want to sneak in a quick game or two on the go. Just head over to http://ULTIMATE-QB.COM. FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. FanDuel is officially in Playoff Mode. Every game day during the NFL playoffs, FanDuel is giving customers even more ways to get in on the action. Visit Fanduel.com to get started. PrizePicksDownload 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 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. RobinhoodTrade 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 QuoMake this the year where no opportunity — and no customer — slips away.Try Quo for free plus get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to http://Quo.com/lockedonnfl. GustoTry Gusto today at http://gusto.com/lockedonNFL and get three months free when you run your first payroll. Home ChefFor a limited time, Home Chef is offering my listeners 50% off your first box, free shipping, and free dessert for life. Just go to http://HomeChef.com/LOCKEDON. IndeedListeners 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.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 After last season's lost to the Buffalo Bills in the NFL playoffs, the Denver Broncos. They made it an emphasis to sign Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga and Saturday's game. We'll see why. You are Locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast. Part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day. What's up, Broncos? Everything is heating up here for the Denver Broncos as they continue to prepare for Saturday's matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
Starting point is 00:00:32 Welcome into a brand new episode, Lockdown Broncos, your daily day. Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, the number one sports podcast network in the country. And that's all things to all you every dayers out there. Thanks for tuning in, making us your first listen, however you choose to do so. We're going to break down a lot here on today's episode of show following the aftermath of Tuesday's practice, which was the first practice for the Broncos ahead of their matchup on Saturday against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. And we'll tell you why the Broncos are ready for the impact that comes with Drean-Law and Talaoa, who fungous playoff experience more.
Starting point is 00:01:05 more importantly, the difference they can make in this game that maybe the Broncos didn't have in last year's wildcard game against the bills. Plus, the Broncos, they're underdogs in this game and they do not care. We'll go through the mindset and the mentality of the team and also hear from Zach Allen, Troy Franklin, and what they said obviously after Tuesday's practice. And then the Broncos, healthy for the most part coming into Saturday's playoff game while the bills are banged up. Plus injury updates on players like Drew Sanders, Dre Greenlaw, Brandon Jones, Luke Watten, and J.K. Dobbage, you're going to get all that here on today's episode of the show. I'm Cody Rourke, credential Broncos reporter for Mile High Sports here.
Starting point is 00:01:43 Broncos country. Obviously, Tuesday's practice was yesterday in Dev Valley. I was there and the Broncos, the vibe inside the building, the energy on the field. I felt like was exactly where it needed to be, right? You're not too tight. You're not too loose. Everything just felt very smooth in terms of the focus, you know, the Broncos, in terms of what we get a seat during the media viewing period, We get to go out there. They go through team stretch. They go through individual drills. They were locked in.
Starting point is 00:02:10 It just had this very, hey, we're here on business. We got a job to do. We have these goals that we want to achieve. And we understand that if we don't play well, all that stuff is going to fall short. So I just, I like the mentality. And obviously that carried over when we got a chance to go back in the locker room after practice and talk to a handful of players. But overall here, I think one thing we have to highlight is in this game specifically
Starting point is 00:02:32 against the Buffalo Bills, John, Peyton acknowledged it. I talked to a handful of Broncos players in the locker room, and they said the same exact thing. James Cook is one of the bigger problems the Broncos are going to have to account for on top of Josh Allen. We all know, and everybody knows, the threat that Josh Allen certainly possesses with his size at around 245 pounds, his arm talent that he certainly has. And even if his wide receiver core is banged up right now, they are very capable of being a very dangerous team. In Denver, they're not overlooking Buffalo because of the injuries.
Starting point is 00:03:05 They know how big of a threat, Josh Allen is. They know James Cook is a threat. I talked to one Broncos defensive player who told me when it comes to James Cook. He felt like he is probably one of the more complete backs in the NFL. And on top of that, he has blazing speed that can absolutely just bust open, you know, a drive and can change the course of a game, not only as just a guy who can get on the outside in terms of the run game, but out of the backfield as a pass catcher, if things get blocked a certain way, he's a problem.
Starting point is 00:03:32 And, you know, there's a lot of respect, I would say, from this Denver team against this Buffalo's team. But there's also a lot of hunger from this unit compared to where they were at last year. And talking to guys in the locker room that, you know, they said last year, this was our first year for so many of us going into a playoff game. And there's a certain level of energy and excitement that goes into that. But I think so many people are forgetting how close this game was going into the third quarter before things really got away where a couple of plays broke the game open. You know, 31-7 was the final. But overall, Denver didn't feel like they played their best in the second half of that game. And we've talked about things like the drops, just some of the coverage busts.
Starting point is 00:04:10 That certainly had happened in that game initially. But this is a Denver Broncos team in 2025 that is much different than that unit last year. And that was something that was echoed throughout the entire locker room. And a big reason for that is because of Dre Greenlaw and Tala Noah Hufanga. Now for Greenlaw, we haven't necessarily seen him all season long. But I would say at times when he's been on the field, you certainly feel his impact a little bit. And I always think it's important to note. The idea here is, yes, you want Dre Greenland to play a large portion of the regular season.
Starting point is 00:04:37 That did not be the key. That did not happen. That was not the case here for Denver. But your ultimate goal is to get him and to get guys like Talaoa Hufanga to this position here, which is playing against the bills in the playoffs where I felt like last year, if these guys were on the roster when Denver faced off, I don't know how that game would have went. But I think it adds a juice. It certainly makes Denver better on paper.
Starting point is 00:04:59 And I do think schematically, I do think personnel-wise, Denver is much better right now than they were last year going into this matchup against the bills. This is a team that's hungrier. They're a little bit older. They're a little bit wiser. And guys like Greenland, Hufanga, those guys can be difference makers. And I think Hufonga has been a great example of that since he arrived here in Denver all season long. He's kind of been this unsung hero where you need a little bit of a heartbeat on the defense.
Starting point is 00:05:25 Look, you've got talented players across the board. Man, you just have this drive. Let's say where Denver's giving up a couple of plays here. here and there, you need someone to change the momentum or make a big play, tackle for a loss or a big hit that stops things. It's Ben Talanoa Hufanga. This guy has been a tremendous difference maker here for Denver's defense. And even we talked to him in the locker room on Tuesday after practice. And one of the things he said is I wasn't here last year when Denver faced buffily says, but I carry a chip for these guys here. I want to carry a chip on my shoulder because
Starting point is 00:05:54 they lost to them last year. And look, that playoff experience is there. And Hufonga certainly reflected on that being, you know, in a position when he was with the 49ers where they were a seven seed fighting for their wildcard lives to make it to the NFC championship or, you know, they had been a number one seed where they go and they play in a Super Bowl. He's talked about those and he says, look, I haven't won one yet. He said, I want to do that here. So these guys, the mentality they bring, I'd say not only from a physical standpoint, the experience factor, but certainly I think the leadership aspect is very underrated here. This is a very tight-knit unit. And I just think when you talk about trying to stop a guy like James Cook or you have to worry about Josh Allen a little bit here,
Starting point is 00:06:32 this is where I think guys like Hufanga and Greenlaw can be difference makers because there's been times, folks, I don't know. It's been a while since the Broncos played the Houston, Texas. But remember that goal line stand that Drake Greenlaw had against Woody Marks and Nick Chubb? And we've seen those guys have success so far here in the NFL playoffs. I think about that and I'd say, hey, these guys can make a difference against very good players. And James Cook, very fast. but Drey Greenlaw can be a difference maker against not only him, but I think there's a dynamic here when you're talking about covering a player like
Starting point is 00:07:02 Josh Allen who's not only big, he's strong, he fights for extra yards, he falls forward. That's where a guy like Drake Greenlaw, that's where you want a guy like that because he's got juice to him. He knows how to get low and he knows how to stick inside the pile there. That's why you bring in guys like Greenlaw and Hufanga because of what they do in the locker room, but what they do on the field that I think, think that Denver certainly didn't have last year when they were playing in the playoffs. And I'm very curious to see how the Broncos plan to deal with the bills when they get in short-yarded situations because last year in the playoffs, kind of what we saw last week
Starting point is 00:07:36 from Buffalo against the Jaguars, short-yarded situation. Josh Allen gets under center. He takes it off guard and falls forward for a few yards. Ended up having a 10-yard tush push that ultimately led to them winning the game against Jacksonville on the road. So Denver is going to have to bring their best effort forward here. in Saturday's game if they want to win. And I think that the message in a locker room,
Starting point is 00:07:58 the players understand that it is very clear. They want to be playing their best brand of football from now forward. You get three games. And I said it all week. Only one is guaranteed. Everybody in that locker room knows it. It's do or die. And they're willing to put it all out on the line.
Starting point is 00:08:12 And I think that's a great sign here. And I'm excited to see how Greenla and Hufanga are difference makers from the jump here against Buffalo on Saturday here. But Broncos country coming up next. We've heard the story all year long. Broncos, they're underdogs in games at home. They're underdogs against some of these teams. The Broncos, they simply do not care.
Starting point is 00:08:32 And we'll dive into why here on today's episode, Locked on Broncos. Today's episode, the show is brought to you by friends over there at Gusto. And let's be real, nobody starts a business for the joy of calculating tax withholdings or managing payroll spreadsheets. That stuff's not fun. But that's where Gusto comes in handy because it takes the stress out of payroll benefits and HR so you can just focus on running your business and supporting your team. because that's why you got into business as well.
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Starting point is 00:10:51 may vary. The Broncos, they've thrived in the underdog role all year to the point. They simply do not care. They are process oriented and they are rooted in substance. Only some of you might get that here. But as we continue on today's conversation, lockdown Broncos will dive deep into the Broncos mindset this week and how they're viewing being underdogs yet again at home as the number one seed in the AFC playoffs. But before we do that, let me tell you and encourage your Broncos country. If you love lockdown Broncos, you get this show every single day free. But there's extra content that you might be looking for, that you might not be able to get just here. So that's why we launched the Everydayer All Access Club, because under the All Access Club, not only do you get an ad-free version of the show, you get exclusive clips like behind the locker room scenes where we interview players like Garib Bulls,
Starting point is 00:11:37 Talanoa Hufanga, Troy Franklin, and others. You get that inside the locker room inside of the Everyday All Access here. On top of that, you get all 22 film breakdowns, exclusive episodes that aren't necessarily here on this specific feet. So if that's something you're interested in, make sure you check it out in the show notes below.
Starting point is 00:11:55 We're going to lock on Broncos. That supercast.com and becoming every day or all access member today here. Let's get into the conversation here. Underdogs for the Broncos here as they approach this weekend's game against the Buffalo bills. And this is more so a pick-em because, look, Denver, the number one seed. But a lot of people, I think, are basing this off of the fact that Denver has been in a lot of one-score games this year.
Starting point is 00:12:18 And they've won a majority of their games. late. They've been able to do that. And for some reason, that is viewed as a negative thing. When you talk to national pundits, or if you just look, for example, at Vegas, which folks, I don't care about Vegas. I don't care what Vegas has to say or has to think about the NFL or any team for that matter. But unfortunately, it is something that is a part of, I would say, the game of football now. But despite all that, the Broncos, they are viewed as underdogs to the point. And I think, depending on what type of team you have, being an underdog can be a blessing, Sometimes it can be a curse.
Starting point is 00:12:52 And I think the Broncos are falling under that blessing category just because of the experience, the level of maturity, I think that you have inside the locker room. Whereas sometimes you may have a team that is so mad about being underdogs, they fixate on it, and then they overconsume it. And they don't play as well because of it. I don't get that as the vibe here with this Denver team. And certainly, I mean, going through the locker room, talking to guys on the record, talking to guys off the record, they really do not care. One player specifically told me that stuff doesn't matter to us. We're going to go out there and we're going to play. The game is one in between the lines.
Starting point is 00:13:25 It's not one based off of betting lines, which fantastic line. I agree with that sentiment 100 to 10%. And when we factor in the national media, here's the thing, folks, the national media isn't coming into Broncos practice to watch. They haven't been in all year. I've been at every Broncos practice this season. We're here in the playoffs. Are the national media here in Denver this week coming to practice and paying attention?
Starting point is 00:13:47 Absolutely not. Why would they? That's not their brand. Their brand is to generate whatever is the hot talking topic. So even if there is disrespect from those outlets, players don't care about that. I think very much this team, 2025 is very similar to the 2015 team, whereas there's just a level of maturity about the room. You have a lot of veteran players and some important positions. You have really strong voices, great leadership traits, high character guys, captains that understand what it takes to win.
Starting point is 00:14:16 And you don't worry about that. Winners don't focus on what people are saying, right? Losers focus on all that stuff. And this Broncos team is very different. So I think that, you know, catching up with a handful of guys. I felt like Zach Allen had probably one of the better quotes of the day on Tuesday when he was talking with us.
Starting point is 00:14:33 He was asked about, you know, what is it in terms of you guys being underdogs this week? Is there any motivation for you? And Zach said, it's nothing that we haven't been through before. You know, we've been underdogs. We were underdogs going into the Green Bay Packers game. But he said, here, done that. While they've been underdogs, they've found ways to win. He said that we are
Starting point is 00:14:51 process driven and we are roots oriented, meaning that they have a foundation. They have a process and a way of doing things and how they prepare. They don't really care what the outside world thinks. And a handful of players too. I know this. Deactivate social media throughout the year or they have somebody else run social media for them. They're not paying attention to what the national talking heads are not even what most of us local talking heads are talking about here in the Mile High City. They're locked in. They're focused and they want to achieve winning a Super Bowl. Last year left a really sour taste in the mouths of so many players. And I would even say too, Jonathan Cooper, one of the more intense dudes that we get to cover. And I wish Broncos country
Starting point is 00:15:29 got to see a little bit more of Coop up close and personal the way that we do sometimes in the media. The dude is such a, such a competitor, has a heart of a lion, man, just a heart of gold here, really cares about it, wants to win. And I think everybody remembers Nick Benito last year as well. is also in the very same boat. That loss was devastating for Denver for so many of these guys. Nick Benito, I mean, he's used to trying to play winning football. And, you know, for him, they lost the playoff game. And I remember, you know, he was emotional after the game in the locker room after they had lost. Jonathan Cooper as well. Cooper was asked here today on Tuesday's practice about whether or not that loss against Buffalo still sits with him. He took a couple of
Starting point is 00:16:08 seconds. He paused and he said, it still sits with me to this day. And that was it. That was his answer. And it was more like he's got this motivation. he's got this chip on his shoulder going into Saturday's game. And look, I think that Josh Allen in terms of what he can do, guys like Jonathan Cooper, guys like Nick Benito getting after him, I think are going to be so important for this game. But you want to rush him the right way, right? Because he is dynamic.
Starting point is 00:16:31 There's a lot of respect, I think, from what Cooper and Benito said this week, Denver's defense about Josh Allen, about this Bill's team, in comparison to what we've seen from other things. I even think Bill's mafia, as fiery and as passionate as they can be, they've also been very civil with Bronco. country this week. It's been the less toxic discourse that I've seen. So this is a fun matchup here on paper. It is going to require the Broncos best effort. But here's the thing. It's also going to require the bill's best effort as well. You know, talking to guys like Troy
Starting point is 00:16:59 Franklin, some of the things that he said in terms of just messages of the week in terms of where Denver's been able to find ways to win games and one score games. One thing that Troy said is, you know, we always go like the message we give to ourselves is, you know, we always play the songs that we know by heart, essentially, which means that, hey, we know what we're good at. We know what we can do to improve. We have to go out and carry those things onto the field. And I just think that where the Broncos mentality is at from a preparation standpoint, being in this underdog role is the perfect place for them to be. You know, I had a conversation as well with a, you know, a key Broncos special teams player there. And he said, we're just excited to get out
Starting point is 00:17:33 there. We know the crowd is going to be raucous. You know, it's been loud all year, but we imagine it's going to be a different level here in the playoffs. And I think so because guess what? The last time there was a home playoff game is the 2015 AFC championship game. When Tom, Brady and Rob Grancowski were in town in Denver held on to win that one, 20 to 18. It was loud then. That atmosphere is going to be electrifying here once again. And players, they're excited about that. They're more tuned into the energy of the fan base and themselves and knowing what they have to accomplish against a very good Buffalo Bills team.
Starting point is 00:18:02 And that is the approach that they are taken certainly this week as they prepare for Buffalo here. But Broncos country coming up next, we're going to talk about the Broncos injury report and a little bit of an outlook on the overall health status of this team. including updates on J.K. Dobbins, Brandon Jones. You're going to get that on today's episode of the show. Today's episode is brought to you by friends over there at Kuo, New Year, new systems. This is the time when a lot of us look at the messier parts of how we run our business and we think there has to be a better way. And there is. Streamlining your communication is one of the quickest upgrades that you can make with Kuo today. And that's why today's episode is brought to you by Kuo. It's spelled QUO, the smarter way to run your business
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Starting point is 00:20:54 throughout the postseason run. And having a buy week was a big benefit here for the Broncos as they had a chance to rest some guys up over the week and get ready for the Buffalo Bills. And more importantly, it's who is ready to come back. some updates here on J.K. Dobbins and Brandon Jones. We'll get all that here on today's show. Just want to take some time to thank you once again for tuning in making lockdown Broncos, your first listen of the day. However, you choose to do so here. As we went to Tuesday's practice in Dove Valley, everybody was scanning. I had my binoculars and I'm sitting there looking through the warm up and the stretch lines, who's here, who's not, who's on the side field. And one of
Starting point is 00:21:32 things I always do first, because the side field is a little bit out of view. When stretching starts, you usually see players who are banged up or that are going to be on the side field, walk to that side field. So I looked, we saw Brandon Jones. We saw Matt Pert, who obviously suffered a torn Patelotendant in that New York Jets game. And then we also saw Luke Wattenberg, who's had the shoulder injured that landed him on IR. So first off, let's address that. The big news, the big name here, Brandon Jones.
Starting point is 00:22:01 I was there today, our good friend Mike Cliss of 9 News, he and I were chatting. And he had reported initially Brandon Jones did, in fact, have surgery. on the torn pectoral muscle that he had, which he suffered in the first half of the Broncos win against the Green Bay Packers. And there was maybe an outside chance. He could be ready for the Super Bowl. He's certainly not giving up hope on doing that,
Starting point is 00:22:22 even though the Sean Payton in Tuesday's press conference kind of gave the indication he didn't think Jones would be ready to go if the Broncos do in fact make it all the way to Santa Clara. But the fact that Jones is on the side field and he's doing that, I think is just him trying to stay as ready as he can. seen stranger things happen in the NFL. So while the belief is not expected that Jones would be available, if Denver makes it to the Super Bowl, certainly he's not going to be playing this week against Buffalo.
Starting point is 00:22:48 And if Denver wins, he's not going to play for the AFC championship. So that's just one to keep it out because he's kind of seven weeks post off after the injury. There's a timeline of just, I would say sensitivity in terms of making sure that you don't overdo something fresh off of a repair like that, especially when we talk about tendons, muscles, ligaments, you know, the nature of that. So there is that. So unfortunate for the Broncos in terms of not being able to have Brandon Jones, but PJ Locke is all good to go.
Starting point is 00:23:15 He didn't even appear on the injury report here for Denver this week after leaving the week 18 matchup against the Chargers with a leg injury. He's ready to rock and roll. So it will be him and Talanoa Hufanga on Saturday against Josh Allen and the bills. And you always have Devin Key waiting in the wings ready to step in, if in fact the Broncos need him to, which he's done a good job. In that department, obviously, special teams, he's done a fantastic job. there. But overall, Luke Wattenberg, he's our next guy up. So the NFL rules, sometimes
Starting point is 00:23:43 there's crazy. There are so many of them. Luke was initially placed on injured reserve prior to the Broncos facing the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day. So that means, hey, minimum, you got to miss a minimum of four games. The byweek in the playoffs actually counts as a game. So Luke essentially has one more game that he has to miss, which would be the division around this week. And if the Broncos make it to the AFC championship, there is a chance he could be back. for that next week. He was on the side field, which is obviously a great sign as he's working his way back here. John Payton initially noted to us after that Christmas Day matchup against Kansas City that Wattenberg's timeline was kind of really at that four week mark. So we are approaching
Starting point is 00:24:23 that. So that means that at least for this game, we will see Alex Forsyth continue to start at center here for Denver between he and Bone next at exchange and that chemistry and that relationship is going to be very important here against the Bill's defensive line that could in fact have Ed Oliver back this week. We know if you look at Buffalo's injury report, my goodness, they are banged up specifically a wide receiver. They lost another receiver. They lost Shavers to a torn ACL, but they have activated the windows of Curtis Samuel and Ed Oliver, who's very important to that defensive line. But even if Ed Oliver plays, though, he may be on a pitch count. I'm sure you can hear more about that from Joe Marino of Locked on Bills when he
Starting point is 00:25:01 and Sarah Betteger crossover for tomorrow's locked on Broncos crossover, Thursday playoff preview of the round of the playoffs. So there is that. It was good to see Matt Pert on the side field. Obviously, he had to fill in after Ben Power suffered his initial injury at left guard after the Broncos win against Philadelphia. But Denver starting offensive line minus Wattenberg. They're intact. They're ready to rock and roll. Some other players that were on the field here for the first time. We know Dre Greenlaw is expected to make his return. He was on the field in today's practice for Denver. Imagine that trend is going to continue all week. And if he doesn't suffer a setback, let's just knock on wood, Dre is going to be ready to
Starting point is 00:25:37 rock and roll here. And Sean Payton said he's excited to have a healthy Dre Greenlaw going into the playoffs. So a good sign early on here. But the official 21-day windows for linebacker Drew Sanders, who many of Broncos country I know wanted to hear about and tied in Lucas Crowe open. But here's the kicker here. When you talk about IR and you talk about the roster moves that Denver has to make in
Starting point is 00:25:58 the postseason, you can bring two guys off of IR. If Denver advances this week against the bills and makes it to the AFC championship, it's pretty clear that Luke Wattenberg is one of those guys. But what do you do with a player like Drew Sanders or a Lucas Kroll here at this point? You know, if Brandon Jones were to have a chance to return, it would be easy to say, okay, hey, it's Luke Wattenberg and Brandon Jones. But with that being unlikely, does Denver in this 21-day window activate Lucas Kroll or do they activate Drew Sanders? I think right now there's probably more value in Denver activating Drew Sanders off of IR to be able to just put him in the linebacker depth rotation at this point.
Starting point is 00:26:39 Not saying he's going to play defensive snaps, but he can play special teams for you. He's big. He's athletic and he's healthy after he suffered that scary foot injury initially in training camp. That timeline's gone a little bit longer because he had the surgical option conducted versus just to wait and see if the rehab and rest will work for him. He had surgery to repair it. It's taking him up to this point.
Starting point is 00:27:00 But he's also a player who has a lot to prove. I imagine if Denver had to make a choice between he and Kroll. I just think that Sanders would be the guy that gets the first look and the first opportunity, considering Denver's linebacker depth there, the injury history, certainly for Denver. There was other guys, including Sanders at that standpoint. But here you are three weeks left in the NFL season, only one guaranteed game. Denver's not in a pressure cooker right now to make that decision this week. I don't think we see them make any move with Drew this week, so to speak.
Starting point is 00:27:30 But maybe if they win, they make it to the AFC championship, maybe we could see that. Maybe if they make it to the Super Bowl, we could see that. certainly see that as the roster obviously sins out and some teams get eliminated. You don't necessarily have to worry about guys from playoff teams, maybe claiming your players in the waivers if you have to make space because that's what Denver will have to do. You bring one of these guys back, you have to make a corresponding roster move. You have to waive somebody from your roster and you don't want any of these playoff teams picking them up and maybe getting some inside intel before Denver faces off against them. So those dynamics are certainly there. And I know everybody in
Starting point is 00:28:03 Broncos country wants to know about J.K. Dobbins. I feel like I get asked about this on every tweet, and I think it is important. Like, everyone wants to know, is J.K. Dobbins going to come back. I don't think it's going to be this week. It doesn't seem like that. Tuesday's practice, we did not see him. Obviously, the Broncos will practice here on Wednesday. We'll see if he's out there, but he hasn't even been on the side field yet.
Starting point is 00:28:22 There were some rumblings there from Tony Romo on the CBS broadcast at Denver's Week 18 game against the Chargers, where he was talking about, he was talking to Sean Peyton said that maybe there's a chance he could play in the AFC champion. championship game. If that does, in fact, be the case if Denver advances, I think that there's a chance we could see JK. But as of right now, this week for the division around of the playoffs, I don't think that's very likely as Denver is rolling forward with their game plan with RJ Harvey and Jaloo McLaughlin. And they're going to need a lot of help from those guys as well. But Denver really healthy for the most part coming into this matchup against Buffalo, whereas I
Starting point is 00:28:58 think you look at how banged up Buffalo is you look how banged up teams like the San Francisco 49ers are. usually sometimes what sinks some really good teams in the playoffs is injuries. You suffer key injuries in the playoffs to key players, and it's hard to overcome that. Well, now some teams are entering the playoffs banged up, but the bills found a way to win despite being banged up. The 49ers found a way to win despite being banged up. It's just about your toughness, your grit, your resilience. I think that Denver is that.
Starting point is 00:29:25 And certainly you want to stay healthy the rest of the way here through the postseason. And that is a big hope here for the Broncos as they hope to get back to Santa Clara. But with that said, Broncos Country, that'll wrap up today's episode of show. Appreciate you, as always for tuning in, making us your first listen. However you choose to do so, tomorrow's episode for all you every dayers, you could expect a crossover Thursday with Sarah Bedinger and Joel Marino of Lockdown Bill's. As they preview Saturdays, big time, NFL, divisional playoff matchup here. And once again, just want to encourage listeners of the show here to join the Everydayer All-Axcess Club.
Starting point is 00:29:56 There's the member version, but then there's the All-access version. The all-access version gives you all the shiny bells and whistles. Not only do you get the ad-free version of the show, you get all 22 film breakdowns. You get exclusive chances to text Sarah and I one-on-one. You get access to our Discord server where we're looking to continue to build a large Broncos country community alongside some other NFL teams and your favorite other locked-on shows that you may listen to. Plus, you get locker room interviews, you get post-game interviews as well from players and so much more that we're going to bring forth to you even when the off-season is here. So make sure you come in every day.
Starting point is 00:30:29 day or all access member today, lockdown broncos. Supercast.com. With that said, Broncos country, I appreciate you so much. Stay tuned. Stay up to date. We got you covered here at lockdown Broncos. Also, milehighsports.com. If you want the daily written content for myself as well, I appreciate you.
Starting point is 00:30:45 We'll see you next time for a brand new episode of the show.

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