The Drive

Latest Episodes:

The Drive | Hour 4 | 08.27.26 Aug 27, 2026

Show notes

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

The Drive | Hour 3 | 08.27.26 Aug 27, 2026

Show notes

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

The Drive | Hour 2 | 08.27.26 Aug 27, 2026

Show notes

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

The Drive | Hour 1 | 08.27.26 Aug 27, 2026

Show notes

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

The Drive | Hour 4 | 08.26.26 Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

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

The Drive | Hour 3 | 08.26.26 Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

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

The Drive | Hour 2 | 08.26.26 Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

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

The Drive | Hour 1 | 08.26.26 Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

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

The Drive | Hour 4 | 08.25.26 Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

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

The Drive | Hour 3 | 08.25.26 Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue their conversation on Cale Makar's looming contract extension. Is Nathan MacKinnon rooting for Cale Makar to get the biggest contract possible? We hear from our 9News Broncos insider Mike Klis on the Broncos selecting Jahdae Barron in the first round after JaQuan MacMillian struggled, as well as Barron potentially being the nickel corner of the future. We debate the age-old question of whether the Broncos should play their starters in the final preseason game. The guys explain that they want to see the offense get more continuity together before the regular season and their toughest stretch of the season in the first 6 games. We react to Deion Sanders' press conference from yesterday. We hear about whether his lawsuits will be a distraction to the team, Shilo Sanders' lawsuit, and more.

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