The Drive

Latest Episodes:

The Drive | Hour 4 | 08.28.26 Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue to break down the Cale Makar contract extension. How will Makar's contract impact how the Avs construct their roster moving forward? Did Joe Sakic's job just get harder with all the money going towards Makar, MacKinnon, and Necas? We pivot to the Broncos and preview their third and final preseason game tonight. What do the guys make of the list of guys that will and won't play tonight? We hear from Vance Joseph on what he's seeing from Que Robinson in year 2. Who needs to play well tonight to make the Broncos' 53-man roster? Could recent draft picks like Red Murdock or Justin Joly be in jeopardy of being cut? We wrap up the show previewing the Week 0 slate in college football and revisiting Cale Makar's record-breaking contract extension with the Avs.

The Drive | Hour 3 | 08.28.26 Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil preview the Broncos' final preseason game, and we debate what the defensive side of the ball will look like. We speculate why the Broncos are playing Jonathan Cooper but not many of the other starters on defense. Could Cooper start the season on the Commissioner's exempt list? Who are the guys expecting to make the Broncos' final 53-man roster? Zach, Phil, and the guys compete in our weekly trivia competition against the morning show. We review the Morning Show's gripe with one of our questions and try to beat their 2-2 performance from earlier today. We pivot to the Avalanche as Cale Makar signed an NHL record-breaking contract extension for 8 years. Could Makar's huge contract upset the "cap culture" within the Avalanche locker room?

The Drive | Hour 2 | 08.28.26 Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Broncos as they get set for their third and final preseason game tonight. With Bo Nix not playing, what is the biggest storyline heading into the game? With roster cut day around the corner, we project what the Broncos' 53-man roster will look like. Will the Broncos keep all three quarterbacks? Will the Broncos keep a 4^th running back as insurance for JK Dobbins' injury history? How many offensive linemen will they keep? Our 9News Broncos insider Mike Klis joins the show to discuss his projections for the 53-man roster, the latest with the Jonathan Cooper legal situation, and much more. Today's "Three Count" features Cale Makar's historic contract extension with the Avalanche, the Avs cap table moving forward, and how Nathan MacKinnon will feel about Makar making so much more money than him. How will Makar's contract impact how the Avs construct their roster moving forward? How have the expectations for Makar changed?

The Drive | Hour 1 | 08.28.26 Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil live from Murphey Creek Golf Course. The guys discuss the Broncos' upcoming third and final preseason game. Will Sean Payton rest most of his starters tonight? What are the Broncos getting from playing Evan Engram more than most of the other starters? Will JK Dobbins go into the season without a rushing attempt in a preseason game? Zach and Phil debate if Marvin Mims will play tonight as he returned to practice this week. Has Sean Payton treated this team too soft this training camp? With cut day coming, who on the roster is it "now or never" for? What position rooms are too full? We react to the latest with Deion Sanders and him having to testify directly following the Buffs game in Georgia. Will this cause a distraction to the team or coaching staff?

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?

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