The Drive

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys preview Michael Porter Jr.’s game 5 tonight, how healthy will he be? We dive into the conspiracy theories related to the NBA draft lottery and Dallas miraculously winning the first overall pick. Zach questions if an unhappy Trey Hendrickson in Cincinnati could be the perfect trade candidate for the Broncos. How much would the guys be willing to trade for Hendrickson and how big a contract extension would the guys want to give him? Phil explains why he’d prefer to take care of the guys already in the Broncos locker room than bring in an outside guy. Does Travis Hunter have an opportunity to make history and win the offensive and defensive rookie of the year award? With the Broncos playing on Christmas Day, the guys look into the history of the Broncos on Christmas Day and playing the Chiefs on the road. Can the Broncos get the monkey off their back and find a way to win at Arrowhead?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil examine the landscape of the NBA playoffs. Now with an injury to Jayson Tatum and Steph Curry, how wide open is the competition for the NBA championship? Will Jokic finally have a breakout game in this series? Will the Nuggets be able to push the series to a game 7 even if they can’t win tonight in Oklahoma City? Zach has a theory as to why SGA will not be receiving the NBA MVP award tonight and it involves someone else winning the award. Today’s “Three Count” includes Sean Payton and George Paton sitting courtside together at the Nuggets playoff game and Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson getting off the banned list for the MLB Hall of Fame. Zach and Phil react to NFL.com’s list of the 10 best rookie fits after the draft. Is Jahdae Barron in the perfect situation having PS2 and Riley Moss to lean on? We hear from Sean Payton and his early thoughts on Barron.

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys react to the Nuggets weekend and splitting games 3 and 4 at Ball Arena. How should we be feeling as the Nuggets head back to Oklahoma City? Has David Adelman impressed the guys in this series? Are the Thunder a fraudulent 68-win team? How surprising was it to see the Thunder out-execute the Nuggets down the stretch on Sunday? Zach details the 4 quarter and the Nuggets letting their lead slip away. Have the Thunder’s “others” been the difference in the Thunder’s wins this series? Why has Jokic struggled so much as of late? We hear from Sean Payton and his thoughts on RJ Harvey being a three down back and how the Broncos can use him to Harvey’s strengths. Will Harvey be an offensive weapon and be able to pass block? We are less than 48 hours away from the NFL schedule release, what are we looking for from the Broncos schedule?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil discuss how big of an opportunity the Nuggets blew in Sunday’s game 4. Should the Nuggets exhaustion be an excuse as to why the Nuggets have struggled? How did the Thunder go from looking dog tired and defeated in the third quarter to rallying to take the lead in the fourth quarter? Why are we seeing one of the worst playoff series Jokic has played? Will Jamal Murray be able to contribute more going forward than he was so far this series? Today’s “Three Count” features the NBA draft lottery and Cooper Flag sweepstakes going on tonight, Giannis Antetokounmpo being open minded about playing elsewhere outside of Milwaukee, and Kareem Jackson working with the Broncos during minicamp in a personnel department. We react to the Rockies firing their 9-year manager, Bud Black. Will this be the first of many dominos to fall in the Rockies organization?

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to Nuggets interim coach David Adelman’s comments after game 4 on Sunday. How can the Nuggets mix in more players to take minutes off of his starters? Will we get another good Michael Porter Jr. game this series? Is MPJ’s injury a reasonable excuse as to why he has had such a poor series, for the most part? We hear from Sean Payton and his thoughts on RJ Harvey being a three down back and how the Broncos can use him to Harvey’s strengths. Will Harvey be an offensive weapon and be able to pass block? Does Sean Payton finally have a running back he will feel comfortable with and use as a bell cow back? We have rumors coming out of the Broncos schedule and Zach and Phil join in on the speculation. How many prime-time games will the Broncos get? Will the Broncos be involved in any international games? Could we see the Broncos on Christmas Day again?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Nuggets games 3 and 4. How big of an opportunity did the Nuggets blow by not taking a commanding 3-1 lead over the weekend? What was the moment or moments that lost the Nuggets the game on Sunday? Should the Nuggets exhaustion be an excuse as to why the Nuggets have struggled? Zach details the frustration he saw on the Thunder bench, firsthand. How did the Thunder go from looking dog tired and defeated in the third quarter to rallying to take the lead in the fourth quarter? Why are we seeing one of the worst playoff series Jokic has played? We have breaking news as the Broncos are confirmed to play on Christmas Day this season. How do we feel about the NFL encroaching on Christmas Day and specifically the Broncos playing on that day? We wrap up the show with more breaking news as the Dallas Mavericks have won the NBA draft lottery. Do the guys think there was something fishy or rigged to get Dallas the first overall pick?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Cecil and Will. The guys preview the pivotal game 3 tonight in Denver. Will the Nuggets lack of depth come to bite them as this series continues? How short of a leash will Michael Porter Jr. have? Could we see a shake up the starting lineup? Do the Broncos have a chance to have the number one defense in the NFL this season? How much do the guys buy into preseason rankings? What are the expectations for this Broncos defense, and would there be any excuses if they do not meet the expectations? The Broncos kick off rookie minicamp today and Phil shares what he remembers from his rookie minicamp experience. Which rookie are the guys looking forward to watching the most out of this rookie class? What do the guys make of CBS sports list of the top quarterbacks in the NFL?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil preview the Nuggets and Thunder big game 3 tonight. What do the Nuggets need to do to take a 2-1 lead tonight? Can Jamal Murray be effective even with the Lu Dort and the Thunder’s tough defense? Can Christian Braun step up after having a tough game in game 2? Could we see a change in the starting lineup if Michael Porter Jr. struggles again? Will the Nuggets be able to slow down the rest of the Thunder scorers outside of SGA? Today’s “Three Count” features Kyle Freeland breaking down at the podium and pleading Rockies fans to stick with them and the weird Bill Belichick girlfriend story continuing to grow every day. Phil explains what his rookie mini camp was like. Phil shares the story of his flat tire on the way to his first Broncos home game and the dynamic of saving your money while you’re in the league.

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach, Phil and the guys compete in our weekly trivia vs the morning show. How will we compare to the morning show’s 3-1 performance from yesterday? 9News Broncos insider Mike Klis joins the show to discuss the biggest story lines going into rookie minicamp, who will be the Broncos number two wide receiver, and who will be getting next big pay day for the Broncos. Wen react to Klis stating that there are no discussions between the Broncos and Nik Bonitto on an extension. How is Bonitto feeling after such a great season and not receiving a new deal yet? What can be the negatives if the Broncos decide not to get a deal done with Bonitto. Zach Allen or John Franklin-Meyers? Do the Broncos have a chance to have the number one defense in the NFL this season? How much do the guys buy into preseason rankings?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil preview the pivotal game 3 between the Nuggets and Thunder tonight in Ball Arena. Would the guys take a 1-1 split in games 3 and 4 in Denver? Will the Nuggets role players perform better at home? Who will be the x-factor if the Nuggets want to take a 2-1 lead tonight? How will tonight’s game be officiated? With the Broncos rookie minicamp, Phil shares what he remembers from his rookie minicamp. What are the guys looking for the most during minicamp? Did the Broncos get a gem in Pat Bryant? We wrap up the show with Zach and Phil’s predictions for tonight’s big Nuggets game. Will tonight be the best chance for the Nuggets to split games 3 and 4?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Phil and Richie cross talking with Cecil and Will. Would you rather the Nuggets have lost in a close game than getting blown out last night? How easy is it for the Nuggets to flush that loss away and move on to game 3? What did the guys make of Mike Clay’s projections for Bo Nix’s second NFL season? Is it fair to expect a slight dip in his rookie year stats as we usually see a “sophomore slump” from quarterbacks as defenses have the book on Nix? Where does Nix rank on CBSsports.com’s list of top quarterbacks? Richie shares the shocking top of the list and lists till we hit Bo Nix. Is Nix being underrated going into 2025? Richie shares his own list of how he would rank the NFL’s quarterbacks heading into next season. We react to ESPN’s article detailing the biggest hole on every NFL roster, what is the Broncos biggest hole after free agency and the draft? Who will be the Broncos number two receiver this upcoming season?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Nuggets blow out loss in Oklahoma City last night. What was the most disappointing aspect of the game for the Nuggets? Did the Thunder have a fighting mentality while the Nuggets turtled and packed it in for the night? At what point did the guys know last night’s game was a lost cause? Will we see another effort like that from the Nuggets in this series? Should the goal of games 3 and 4 be to split and head back to OKC tied 2-2? Should David Adelman have pulled his starters sooner in last night’s game? Today’s “Three Count” includes the new pope getting announced and being from America, the Knicks taking a 2-0 lead in Boston, and Travis Hunter back in Boulder for his graduation. Will either the Cavs or Celtics come back to win their series and move onto the ECF? We react to CBS sports’ tiers of running backs in the NFL.

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to the Nuggets blow out loss in game 2. Would the guys rather have had the Nuggets get blown out or lose in a tight game? We hear from David Adelman and his thoughts on the Nuggets tough night and leaving OKC tied 1-1. Did the Thunder dare Christian Braun, MPJ and Russell Westbrook to beat them from the three-point line? Zach and Phil react to Demarcus Ware’s comments on Nik Bonitto and comparing him to Shaq Barrett and Von Miller. Will Bonitto get his big pay day, and does it help that former players are advocating for him? Is there a chance Bonitto becomes the highest paid pass rusher of all time? The Mikko Rantanen trade has already burned the Avalanche, but it keeps getting worse by the day. Rantanen is setting NHL playoff history and now we have a report that Mikko chose to sign with Dallas over Toronto, so the Avalanche have to see him for the next 8 years. We react to ESPN’s article detailing the biggest hole on every NFL roster, what is the Broncos biggest hole after free agency and the draft? Do the guys agree that the Broncos do not have many holes if any on their roster?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Nuggets blowout loss in Oklahoma City last night. At what point did the guys know last night’s game was a lost cause? Would you rather the Nuggets have lost in a close game than getting blown out? How concerned should we be with last night’s result? How much of an impact did the referee’s have in the Nuggets getting blown out? We react to CBS sports’ tiers of running backs in the NFL. Are the Broncos running backs getting disrespected or properly rated after not accomplishing much? We wrap up the show with Demarcus Ware’s comments on Nik Bonitto and comparing him to Shaq Barrett and Von Miller. Will Bonitto get his big pay day, and does it help that former players are advocating for him? Is there a chance Bonitto becomes the highest paid pass rusher of all time?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Cecil and Richie. The guys debate who will be the x-factor for the Nuggets tonight. Has interim coach David Adelman proved he deserves to be the next head coach of the Nuggets? Was Michael Malone holding Jokic back from being a leader? Zach and Phil react to ESPN’s Mike Clay projections for Bo Nix’s 2025 passing stats. If Bo put’s up similar stats to his rookie year, would that be a successful season? We also react to an AI projection of Bo Nix’s 2025 stats and Phil explains why he wouldn’t like to see Nix air the ball out for 4,000 yards and prefers the Broncos to be a running team and that will lead to more wins. There are two specific Broncos looking for a pay-day, how should the Broncos proceed with Nik Bonitto and John Franklin Meyers? Should the Broncos give them an extension now or wait till they prove it again this upcoming season and risk having to pay even more?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil question if the Nuggets can pull off what the Pacers just did in taking a 2-0 lead on the road. Will the Thunder continue to show they aren’t ready to win tough games? Should the Nuggets be happy with a 1-1 split coming back to Denver? Will Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. be able to get back on track and help the Nuggets pull off a second upset in Oklahoma City? Will tonight’s game be similar to game 1 in how many points are scored and Jokic having a big game? Today’s “Three Count” features Desmond Ridder getting a try out with the Broncos at minicamp, Shedeur Sanders to wear number 12 for the Browns, and the Cowboys acquiring George Pickens from the Steelers. How much of the Avalanche loss stings due to the Avs not getting out of the first round and how much of the loss stings due to Mikko Rantanen being the reason why they lost?

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to ESPN’s Mike Clay projections for Bo Nix’s 2025 passing stats. If Bo put’s up similar stats to his rookie year, would that be a successful season? We also react to an AI projection of Bo Nix’s 2025 stats and Phil explains why he wouldn’t like to see Nix air the ball out for 4,000 yards and prefers the Broncos to be a running team and that will lead to more wins. DenverSports.com’s James Merilatt joins the show to discuss if the Avalanche should have made a bigger move than only firing their power play coach, if the Nuggets are becoming more believable as championship contenders and much more. There are two specific Broncos looking for a pay-day, how should the Broncos proceed with Nik Bonitto and John Franklin Meyers? Is it premature to give these guys contracts this off season or should they make them go out and prove their worth next season?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil preview tonight’s Nuggets and Thunder game 2. We detail Jokic’s genius on the final inbound for the Thunder and not letting SGA get the ball in the critical moment. Will the Nuggets be able to use their championship meddle to win another game in Oklahoma City? Will Michael Porter Jr. continue his trend of stepping up with a big game directly after disappointing games? What adjustment if any will the Thunder have after Jokic had a monster game? How much of the Avalanche loss stings due to the Avs not getting out of the first round and how much of the loss stings due to Mikko Rantanen being the reason why they lost? We wrap up the show with Zach and Phil’s predictions for tonight’s Nuggets and thunder game. Will the Thunder’s role players show up tonight? Will Jamal Murray continue to struggle with the Thunder’s tough defense?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil reacting to the Nuggets surprising game 1 victory in Oklahoma City. Did last night prove the Thunder have not built up enough “playoff scares” yet? Will the Nuggets experience and championship meddle be enough to get them past the best team in the NBA? How did an interim coach in David Adelman out-coach the 2024 NBA coach of the year? Where does Aaron Gordon belong on the list of all-time Denver sports role players? Zach and Phil detail all the great things Gordon brings to this team time and time again whether its scoring, defense or anything in between. Are things about to get awkward in the Nuggets and Thunder series if SGA wins the MVP but Jokic looks like the greatest player in the world? Is this most invested we have seen Jokic in an NBA season and team?

Hour 2