Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Guys tomorrow two to four Broncos Bengals, myself Nickferguson at
(00:05):
the Mill downtown Denver on Larimer Street. They get food,
drink specials and autograph football giveaway. It's presented by Don Julio.
Comeing out watch the game.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
With us for the Redulet's go out to the KA
com and spirit a hot line and bring on Mike
Petroglia at Trags on Twitter.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Mike, how you doing the seating.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
I'm doing very well.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
Looking forward to a pretty big.
Speaker 5 (00:25):
Game for both teams tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
That it is and fascinating way is these two teams
come into this game almost a kind of an opposite
as it were. The Broncos hot in the middle part
of the season and then kind of stumbled a little
bit lately. It was way we want to gainst the Colts,
but losing the game against the Chargers that they kind
of choked away.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
The Bengals meanwhile, red hot.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Over their last three and there's been a couple of
close games probably should have.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Gone their way. What four games, I think you guys
have scored thirty plus points and loss. That's better than
the rest of the league combined. It as three plus.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Games as we look at the Cincinnati team, and I
mean it's as in the outside looking in that there's
you know, it's a great offense and that so great
on defense. But what is it that we don't know?
What is it that the outsiders don't know about this football.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
Team as well?
Speaker 4 (01:11):
That I think that they're coming into form because they're
creating turnovers. Now that being said, the Bengals have played
Will Levis and Mason Rudolph and Drian Thompson Robinson the
last two weeks the Titans and the Browns, uh and
certainly that has helped. But the Bengals are playing a
(01:31):
lot more aggressively on defense.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Lou Ana Roumo.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Doesn't like this term, but he has simplified the defensive
calls and the Bengals.
Speaker 5 (01:42):
Are applying more pressure to the quarterback. And I think
that is something Bronco fans will be certainly wanting to
watch tomorrow. How does bow Nicks.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Handle the pressure from different places that lou Ana Roumo,
the defensive coordinator will apply. The other that I don't
think fans on the outside realize about this Bengals team
is how good their complimentary players are. To Jamar Chase
(02:13):
and Joe Burrow. Guys like rookie Amarus Mims. Their right
tackles played tremendously well really all season long. He's coming
into tomorrow's game with a broken hand and an ankle tweak,
so that is something to monitor. And also running back.
Second year running back out of Illinois, Dace Brown has
(02:34):
over one hundred yards from scrimmage in five straight games.
He has really exploded onto the scene for the Bengals.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
So those are some of the guys on the.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
Bengals to keep an eye on, besides the obvious of
Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase and Trey Hendrickson.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Teger Michael traglea the Jungle Roar Pod and author at CLNS.
Since the comment tracks on Twitter, I want to go back.
You were talking about loutroom start there. That's been one
of the things that I've noticed, you know, it seems
like on social media people bashing lou out of a room.
A lot of room's around a league a long time.
He's got somebody forgotten how to coach. What has been
the problem with the Bengals defense this year?
Speaker 4 (03:13):
They have not generated any pressure whatsoever on the quarterback.
Speaker 5 (03:17):
That's a simple one. And when you can't do that.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
It exposes your corners who have been who are inexperienced
for one and two have been injured. They lost Back's
Hill mid season to an ACL tear. They lost DJ
Turner and the loss out in LA to the Chargers on.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
Monday Night Football Sunday Night Football to a broken collarbone.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
Their depth in the secondary has been really depleted. Josh
Newton is a rookie corner on one end. Cam Taylor
Brittin really regressed in the middle part of the season,
but he's starting to bounce back a little bit as well.
But when you have Trey hen Yrickson accounting for I
believe it's twelve and a half of the twenty four
(04:04):
to twenty five sacks that the Bengals have this year,
that's not nearly good enough. And that's where lou Anarumo
has struggled to come up with ways in which to
generate a defensive pressure.
Speaker 5 (04:18):
The Broncos, of course, don't have that problem. They get
pressure from their five.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Man fronts up and down the defensive line.
Speaker 5 (04:26):
The Bengals have been beat up.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
They haven't really replaced Dj Reider as their nose tackle
and leader of.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
Their defensive line.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
They brought in Sheldon Rankins from Houston. He's been out
with viral meningitis for about five weeks now. That's really
hurt them. And Sam Hubbard just went out with a
torn pcl making that touchdown catch a couple of weeks
ago in Tennessee. So the Bengals don't have the defensive
(04:56):
weapons to generate pressure on the quarterback.
Speaker 5 (04:59):
That's religious what's really hurt the Bengals this year.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Talking with Mike patrogli At tracks on Twitter, uh, and
that it has to be it because I mean the
foreman front that you're looking at, yeah, without you know,
reader and bringing Rankings in, then he's out and U
without Hubard. That is the thing is Tray Henderson is
a heck of a player. Is this Sean Payton, no
doubt knows his referenced. And then you've got some decent
linebackers there. Jermaine Prattle was a guy I really liked,
uh in the run up to the draft, and then uh,
(05:23):
Keem Davis Gather as well. You know, I mean it
has to be To me, it has to be the
front four because it feels like the backers and everything
else that you've got going on, there would otherwise would
otherwise work. Is this a problem, is at all sort
of a fiscal problem because the amount of money on
the offensive side of the ball, or has this just
been a circumstance of the guys that they brought in
(05:45):
not panning out, the injuries, the attrition that you talked about. Uh,
what is the overall you know, kind of rendedy for this.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Well, I think what the Bengals really did incorrectly and
it really costs them this year. They did not sign
free agents to address the defense in the first two
days of free agency last year. And as we all know,
if you're.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
Going to make an impact, whether it's offense, defense, special teams,
and you want your guys, you need to get them
in the first two days. Sure, you can fill some
gaps and sign some nice role players veteran players in
days three through whatever ten of free agency, but if
you want your guys.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Your difference makers, you have to do that in the
first two days. And the Bengals swung and missed big
time in those first two days. They thought they had
a deal with DJ Reader, their defensive tackle, and that
fell through and he wound up obviously signing with the
Detroit Lions, being a pretty big leader in that locker
(06:50):
room in what Dan Campbell's trying to do in Detroit.
But the Bengals just missed the boat defensively last year.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
In the offseason.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Last year they drafted Miles Murphy in the first round.
He has been a huge disappointment for the Bengals as well.
So they have gotten no production from their young defensive
edges that they thought would be able to contribute. In
Cam Sample, who seems like a Knight's role player.
Speaker 5 (07:19):
He tore his acl or i'm sorry, his achilles on
the second day of camp and that really hurt the
Bengals depths in the pass rush as well. So those
just some of the factors, some of the variables that
have really impacted the defense.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Yeah, and Broncos certainly know about the disappointment of not
getting Reader. They were the other team in the mix
back when the Bengals actually signed him, but they had
a deal in place and will definitely them going the
other the other direction to Cincinnati's echo a player and
you know, obviously missed there in Cincinnati with the offensive
side of the ball, where the Bengals have had a
lot of success and you know this is a who's
who of weapons here. Obviously everybody knows a bunch of
(07:56):
Mark Chase and T Higgins. Chase Brown has really kind
of exploded on and is going from you know, being
a utility back to being an old purpose back. And then,
you know what scares me, I think a little bit
more than just those players is the fact you've got
two older athletic tight ends there, mikeah Schekey and Drew Sample.
I guess the defense that's a little susceptible to the
tight end. What can you tell us about this offense?
Speaker 4 (08:16):
Well, I think that's a great point about the tight ends.
Those guys, especially Mike Kasiki is really a wide receiver.
He is, and he plays in the flock quite a
bit for Zach Taylor's offense. He is somebody that Joe
Burrows certainly will go to. If Vance shows that decides
to go with Patzertan and double coverage Hunter, Mar Chase
(08:38):
or Cloud T Higgins.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
Joe Burrow will have no problem growing to Mike Kasicki
down the theme, and that's something that the Bengals frankly
really didn't have and didn't really implement as part of
their base offensive sets. The last couple of.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
Years and kind of out of necessity, they've done that
this year. But Marrio's the kind of game where you
don't forget about T Higgins. He is somebody who can
really compete high point the ball. I think everybody who's
seen highlights of T Higgins over the years knows what
I'm talking about.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
There.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
There's no question that he can definitely hurt the Bronco defense.
What I would be very.
Speaker 5 (09:21):
Cautious of tomorrow, and it's been a big topic of
conversation this week in Cincinnati, is how Joe Burrow uses
his cadence. Obviously, the Broncos front wants to get after
Joe Burrow and apply as much pressure as possible. What
he did last week is he did a brilliant job
of using his cadence to draw.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Two or three key off sides on the Cleveland Browns.
It really changed the complexion of the game early and
late on the last touchdown, he was able to draw
Miles Garrett off sides.
Speaker 5 (09:55):
So that is something that I would look for, and
I'm sure vance Joseph has hold his defensive players the
very alert. Do not go until the ball, watch the
ball tomorrow, don't go until the ball is snapped.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Yeah, talking with Mike Petrocoli at tracks on Twitter, Jungle
RAR podcast and CLS and CEL and excuse me since
he dot com. Yeah, it's been a thing. The Broncos
have jumped a.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Few times this year with some some off cadence stuff,
a little aggressive, uh. And sometimes you'll you're you know,
you're okay with that as as long as they get
after the quarterback. But sometimes they come in unopportune moments,
you know, on third down, those kinds of things when
they really.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Needed to stop.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
And that's that's been sort of a thing as as
we look at the Broncos offense and going up against
since he defense. I mean, obviously you mentioned the attrition
on the front floor, and in that there's Penser aggression, uh,
you know, in the secondary with can Taylor Brittle. Though
the tape I watched last two a couple of weeks
look look fairly decent from you.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
You know, you've got a rookie quarterback in Bow Nicks and.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Bow has played pretty well as long as he plays
within himself. The problem has been when they start chucking
the ball all over the field, of throwing up deep
shots and getting him outside of his game. How do
you suppose that Cincinnati, how successful do you suppose Cincinnati
will be an attempting to take away the easy stuff
around the line of scrimmage and behind a line of
scrimmage for Bow and force him to become that thrower.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
Well, I think the times in the last couple of
weeks that the Bengals have had success disrupting the quarterback.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
They've been able to get Trey hendrickson close and force
the quarterback off the spot. They've also used Geno Stone
their safety on zero blitzes.
Speaker 5 (11:36):
And I think that is something you might see tomorrow
as well. You're going to probably see a lot.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Of man coverage from the Bengals because I think they
feel more comfortable playing man because in zone defense, one
of the areas of the Bengals defense, especially their secondary
struggled in the middle portion of the year was with communication.
And in zone defense, obviously, if you're not communicating on
who has.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
Who and what part of the zone, and you know,
Lou likes to shift his zones quite a bit from
side to side. If you're not communicating, you're going to struggle.
So Lou has kind.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Of taking that, you know, possibility out of the equation. Uh,
and tried to make it a lot more simple for
the secondary to play. And I'm curious also to see
how lou uses his linebackers tomorrow. If he drops them, uh,
if he plays them closer to the line of scrimmage,
that is a big variable to me, and I'm very
(12:37):
curious to see how it plays.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Yeah, I am too.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
I wonder if, like you mentioned about that dropping them
leave him in there, you get those linebackers sugar in.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
The A gaps and you know, you send one and
drop the other, and.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
They could create confusing situations for for a young quarterback
like bo.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
What is the what would you say the confidence level
is right now?
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Mean Cincinnati's got to win out to Broncos, just have
to win one or two.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
What would you say the confidence level is of the
Cincinnati Faithful right now?
Speaker 4 (13:04):
I think pretty confidence simply because Burrow and Chase are
playing at a Pro Bowl.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
All pro level at this point.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
And it was interesting yesterday Jamar Chase was asked, do
you think you need the final two games to close
strong to really achieve one of your goals, and that
is to be an All Pro? And he said no,
I'm already there, I should already be all pro. So
that tells you gives you a window into Jamar Chase's
attitude that he's playing with a great deal of confidence.
(13:36):
And Burrow knows at this point that he has Jamar
Chase playing at an exceptional level. He has t Higgins
playing very very well. He has Chase Brown playing the
best football he's played in his two years in the NFL.
The question is going to be.
Speaker 5 (13:53):
Whether or not Orlando Brown Junior, who has been nursing
knee injuries and fibula injury, can he come back and
be effective. Can the middle part of the Bengals offensive line,
which has struggled against bull rushes this year, can they
with Cody Ford moving to left guard tomorrow, Can he
(14:15):
and Alex Kappa play well in the interior of the line.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
If they can, I think the Bengals feel like they
can put some points up on the board against a
very good defense.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Well, I hear you on that Broncos defense has been
very good all year, but shown some cracks in the
last few weeks. Obviously, Passer Tans dealing with the ankle
spring Riley Moss just fresh back off.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
The knee issue.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
So it's gonna be interesting to see how he shows
up in that one as well. Talking with Mike Petraglia
at Trags on Twitter, all right, Mike, give me your projection.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
What do you think happens tomorrow?
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Well, I said Bengals twenty two Broncos sixteen.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
That's the score I have.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
I think twenty three sixteen. I believe I had Bengals
kicking three field goals in a victory that they need
very bad, and I think they're playing well enough. They
have not beaten a team with a winning record all
year long, and they're zero to seven in the such games,
so I think.
Speaker 5 (15:11):
They finally get one tomorrow at home before what's supposed
to be a very raucous pay court crowd in the
home finale for the Bengals.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
STA, it'd be fun. You have a lower score projected
than anybody I've talked to. That's interesting. I'll add that
to the note.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Most of the Broncos fans think that Cincinnati get closer
to twenty five to twenty eight, even thirty points in
a victory.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
So just fascinating there that you're on the lower end
of the scoring.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
I think the track we appreciate you taking the time tonight.
Mike petragli Ad trags on Twitter.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Appreciate you taking the time.
Speaker 5 (15:40):
It should be a fun game tomorrow. Thank you very
much for having me.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Yep, looking forward to it. Mike patragli Ad trags on Twitter.
Jungle War podcast We come back.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
It's a n F six pack. I want to take
our guest tonight. Frankie Abbott and Mike for joining us.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
You missed any part of that, You go to Broncos
Country Night dot Com, slash Podcast wherever you gets your podcast,
Apple iTunes, be he totally new and redesigned.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
iHeartRadio app nailed it, did not nail it? Oh my goodness. Yeah,
some good discussion with those guys. You'll definitely want to
want to listen to that when you when you get
to Chance tomorrow. Guys, just reminding you. I come on
down to the Mill downtown us SO on Larimer Street,
(16:30):
across from Scruffy Murphy's myself Nick Ferguson.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Be there two pm to four pm. You can watch
Broncos Bengals game with us. We got food and drink specials,
autograph football to give away. It's presented by Don Julio.
They got some Don Julios who I had to give
away too. They get like they get.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
They got beanies and ball caps and all kinds of
stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
It's a it's a good time. Come on down, last
one of the seasons that we're doing. Come on down
and see me and Nick watch the ball game with us.
Let's route the Broncos to Victory's right across the street
from like a Philadelphia Eagles bar. So maybe we can
spend our time insulting Eagles fans, even though they're probably
gonna win and and doing doing quite well themselves. But
we can we can at least mix it up there.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Who knows. Right now, let's top for the NFL six pack.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
It's time for the NFL insight and insight information you
can't find anywhere else, I know, the top six NFL headlines.
Speaker 6 (17:18):
What starting off here with a little matchup that impacts
the Broncos in that NFC East. Anthony Richardson is already
listed as questionable for this weekend's matchup between the Indianapolis
Colts and the New York Giants. Is that injury enough though,
to make the Colts vulnerable to the drew locked Giants
and potentially eliminate the Colts from the playoff picture.
Speaker 5 (17:41):
Lock it in.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
No, it absolutely will not affect a thing. It does
not matter. The Giants are terrible and that really is
the end of that.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Honestly, Anthony Richardson being out might make the Colts offense
more potent, at least more.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Less high variance, I should say, raises the floor. Yeah,
raises the floor a little it. I would not be
too worried about that in any which way. Colts are
probably headed for elimination any which way you slice it.
But you know, we'll see.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
Even if the Broncos lose, I would still I still
think Cincinnati is the inside track on all of that,
and we'll see, we'll see how that shakes out for him.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
But no, I don't think that that changes or moves
the needle one way or the other.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Honestly, it might make it might make the spread a
little bit bigger for the Colts.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Two.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Now, looking at.
Speaker 6 (18:30):
A little bit of that Giants game some more, they
are currently in possession of the NFL's number one draft
pick for the upcoming NFL Draft.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (18:38):
The Raiders did have that number two pick, but after
beating the Jacksonville Jaguars, they've dropped all the way to
number six or seven. They are out of the you know, high.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Draft picks in a two quarterback class.
Speaker 6 (18:52):
You know, cam Ward Shador Sanders projected as those top
two picks maybe And with New England and Jacksonville now
and to have one of those top two picks and
not needing a quarterback, do you think we could see
a BigGAN war at the top of this huge draft
or is the demand just not there for the quarterback?
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Well, the bid starts for the number three pick. I mean,
because you've got Tennessee sitting there at four. There's probably
the other team gonna take a quarterback, right, So you're
you're probably looking at Jacksonville sitting in the Catbirds seat
New England saying, hey, if you want whoever is number two,
you got to get to us, because Tennessee could then
theoretically move up, you know, up into there. As far
as the rest of it goes, I don't think there's
any other draft picks that are any non quarterback draft
(19:31):
picks that you're sitting in jumping out of your skin for.
You know, Travis Hunter's gonna go in the top ten.
There's gonna be some you know some of these guys
are going the top ten, but.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
I don't think there's anybody there that everybody's just sitting
there and saying that's the guy. If he's not the quarterback,
that's the guy.
Speaker 5 (19:44):
So, you know, I.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Don't I don't really know. Jacksonville could use a corner,
New England could.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Use a receiver, you know, so Travis Hunter could could
go in there. But as far as Org cam Ward go,
I think number three Jacksonville is probably sitting in the
Catbirds seat and they would probably be more willing to
trade down.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
That's a team that needs to multi but I've got
a lot of issues.
Speaker 5 (20:01):
Hurry.
Speaker 6 (20:04):
Eric Dickerson talked about it a little earlier in the show.
He was taking some shots at Saquon Barkley, saying, you.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Know, he didn't think Saquon was.
Speaker 6 (20:13):
Going to be able to break his record, and he
didn't want to see him break his record. Barkley currently
two hundred and sixty seven yards behind that record. With
games against Dallas and the Giants remainian, though Philly might
not have anything to play for in Week eighteen, and
Hertz has already been ruled out of this week, And
we saw once Kenny Pickett enter that game, the run
game kind of collapsed at it.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
For the Eagles.
Speaker 6 (20:32):
Do you think Barkley will be able to pass Eric
Dickerson's long standing all time mark this season.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
He's got the ability the matchup certainly. Look there. I
don't know if Kenny Pickett in there.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Actually hurts him or helps him, because Jalen Hurts does
take away a little bit of those rushing layer open
up some of those rushing lanes a little bit for
Saquon at times. So Jalen Hurts, who's going to be
out for this game at least with the concussion protocol
and v and Kenny Pickett in there, it may be
a more app to run the ball, but it might
might lead to stack boxes that it may not benefit
him overall.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
I think he's got the ability.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
I think it's certainly attainable in terms of if you
look at it split over two weeks, if you look
at it, try to do it a sixteen game season
and do it now to match up with that now,
I don't think he's going to get two hundred and
sixty eight yards or whatever tomorrow, but one and thirty
three over each.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Yeah, that certainly looks feasible, and it seems like they
want him to get it in Philly too. It seems
like they're they're pushing for us.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Well, he has the opportunity to break that, But if
he breaks it in the final week of the season,
he has the opportuity to bak that against the Giants,
and I think they're.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Definitely going to try and set him up for that.
Speaker 6 (21:30):
Or The Chargers officially activated JK. Dobbins, a pretty critical
part of their offense from.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Earlier in the season.
Speaker 6 (21:39):
Off ir today, do you think this is enough, especially
with the Steelers kind of sinking?
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Concurrently, do you think the addition of JK.
Speaker 6 (21:50):
Dobbins is enough to make the Chargers the most dangerous
AFC Wildcard team?
Speaker 5 (21:54):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Absolutely, yes, I do think they're the most dangerous team.
They've got a really good defense. If they get they're healthy,
you get the personnel back. The one thing about playing
for Hardball is you're a very physical football team. But
the thing about being a physical football team is that
a lot of times you wind up grinding yourself down
over the course of the season. And the Chargers, you know,
obviously Dobbins was hurt. Now you've got Gus Edwards hurt
(22:17):
who gashed to Broncos. This is one of those one
of those set ups, one of those scenarios where you
want to win games which you want to find that
balance and stay healthy coasted into the playoffs and try
to be as healthy as you can for the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
I still believe that.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
The Chargers would be the most dangerous wildcard team of
any of these. Now, if the Bengals make it, you
might put them in that conversation, just.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Because they're so capable of piling on the points at
any time. But I would say that the Chargers otherwise,
at least of the teams that currently hold those positions,
that would be the most dangerous. I think that should
be a fun matchup. Whoever they end up playing on
that first round, that'll.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
Probably wind up being Pittsburgh, I guess, or Baltimore. Whoever,
the Pittsburgh and Baltimore, whichever team.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
Is horrible two point zero for this season, potentially five.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
More playoff talk here.
Speaker 6 (23:03):
The Vikings and Lions, in a hotly contested race for
the NFC's number one seed, both currently control their own destinies.
With a Week eighteen matchup between the two teams likely
being the determining factor in terms of which team will
host the NFC playoffs or at least have home field
advantage throughout them. Who do you think ends up with
(23:23):
the NFC's one seed when all is said and done.
The Vikings have games against the Packers and the Lions left.
I forget who the Lions have this week. Gosh, the
Toroy's got San Francisco this week. I do believe you
are correct they do HAVESCO. Yeah, and you know they're
not the only team in it.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
I mean theoretically, Philadelphia could still win by winning out,
which I believe they will do so for me, they
don't have the tie breakers though, so they'll need both
of them to at least lose drun.
Speaker 6 (23:51):
One and then I think one of the teams they
need them to lose too.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Yeah, right, so one of them has to lose one
one two. Minnesota is up against what green Day this
week too, Actually possible. I think Detroit is the most.
Like if I were seeding it, I would say Detroit,
then Philadelphia, then Minnesota for the for the number one seed.
And you know it's gonna be interesting to watch as
you could potentially have a fourteen win team having to
play a road wild card game.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
But you know, it is what it is.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
You know, Atlanta is currently sitting atop the division in
the South there, but I think Tampa overtakes him. I
think Tampa's gonna overtake Atlanta and get there. You know,
this is the NFC is the interesting one. The AFC
really just has is one thing left to kind of
figure out, and that's whether or not the Chargers, Broncos,
or one of the Bengals, Miami or or Indy can
can usurp them. There's a lot of movement for the
(24:40):
NFC over here. I mean you could the number one
seed can still still up for grabs. You've got three
teams that are in that race. The only thing that's
really settled, I think is is Philadelphia's clinched a division
you know over there.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
But that's that's really about it.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Everything else is still theoretically up for grabs, including the
NFC West.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
To where the Rams are sitting in the driver's seat
at Seattle's nip it on their heels six.
Speaker 6 (25:06):
Talking about that playoff picture. Now, if the playoffs started today,
you'd have the Broncos playing the Bills in Buffalo. The
Chargers playing the Ravens in Baltimore, Texans hosting the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Over on the FC side.
Speaker 6 (25:18):
On the NFC side, Commanders would travel to Philly for
a divisional rematch, The Falcons would be hosting the Vikings
and having Kirk Cousins watch on the sidelines, and the
last game would be the Packers traveling to LA to
play the Rams. Of those outside of the Broncos game,
because that's the easy one outside of that game, which
playoff matchup would you be most excited to watch?
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Oh, probably Pittsburgh and Houston.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
I mean, Houston's gonna.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Back door their way into the playoff even though they
probably really don't just you know, air quotes deserve to
be there. They're probably the Houston's probably the weakest team
in the playoffs no matter who ultimately makes it.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
And that regression I expected them to regrets this year.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Talked about it obviously in the preseason quite a bit,
but I did not expect them for a rest this hard. Yeah,
watching Russ play, you know, Russ and CJ. Strau battle
it out a little bit, that might be fun.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
A couple of good defenses there, pass rushes.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Yeah, I'm trying to you know, Commander's Philly is one
I would obviously be watching for our friends that are,
you know, on the Commander's staff. I get some friends
in the Philadelphia organization that would be that would be fun.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
To watch the rest of it.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
I mean, we already saw Falcons vikings albeit with cousins
uh and then the Packers rams. I mean that might
be a fun matchup. Laflora and Sean McVay are basically
best friends. Watching them go ahead to head with each
other is always fun, you know, as they try to
out chess mass each other. It would be interesting to
kind of watch that football chess match. I think from
a football purist standpoint.
Speaker 6 (26:48):
I think those are great matchups. The Harball would be
one like Harball two point zero. That one really intrigues me.
I think Baltimore is peaking at the right time, and
I think kind of like you were just talking about
with the Chargers, and I think the Chargers are peaking
at the right time too. Obviously you have the whole
brotherly angle. I think both those teams could be a
threat to whoever they see in the second round. So
I'd be very curious to see how those two teams
(27:08):
could square off against each other.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Yeah, I wonder how many of those matchups that we're
going to get going forward. I mean, you know, John
Horrible has been in boltim for a long time, Jim
Harble obviously just starting out in uh, you know, with
with Chargers, and it's just, you know, we saw them
take on each other in the Super.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Bowl a number of years ago. It's it's just this
is a fascinating going to be I think.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Long term rivalry, rest sibling rivalry. And now they're both
in the same conference instead of you know, of opposite
conferences where they'd only see each other.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
In the Super Bowl.
Speaker 5 (27:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (27:37):
What I'm rooting for from a Broncos perspective, so hopefully
it isn't so long lasting. Is Jim Harbaugh wearing down
his players and you know everyone kind of under him,
kind of like he did in San Francisco. Because if
he's a if he's there for a long time, that
I mean, we just saw it. They swept the Broncos
for the first time since twenty ten. That's going to
be a consistently pretty hard out.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Well, if he can keep Jesse Mentor, that'll be interesting
because his defensive coordinator when he was in San Francisco
was Vic Fangio, and so you know Vic famous for
grinding guys down. Horrball famous for grinding guys down.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
And then there was some dysfunction with.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
That front office that was perpetually finding ways to sell
out their head coach to the media in different ways.
So you know, I did San Francisco. Thing is not
all on Jim Harball, but there's there's a.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Lot to that, And yeah, I wonder if he'll I mean,
he has been a guy who's born out as well.
He's a zany guy.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
He's a unique guy, and he does wear out as
welcome after a while.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
You look around.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
He's not really been any any place for longer than
you know, four or five.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Six years.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
He just kind of continues to keep it moving because
you know, the welcome sort of gets worn out in
one way or the other. So, you know, I don't
know I wanted Jim Harball here. You know, the first
coaching staff, the search that we did after.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Fangio, I wanted Dan Quinn. We wound up with Nate
Hackett and everybody said no, read treads. Well, you got
what you wanted.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
And then in the second round of coaching everybody, We'll
give a retread with some experience, because holy crap, that
was bad. You know, I wanted horrorball. We wound up
with Sean Payton. You know, is is what it is.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
I I I look forward to all these matchups.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
This is an interesting because I'm sort of looking forward
to seeing who the Raiders hire. I believe Theil Jettison,
Antonio Pierce. That's not one hundred percent, but I believe
they will. And I'm courtly interested to see because I've heard,
you know, some rumors advance Joseph might be on their
their wish list. But that's an interesting division where you've
got Andy Reid, who's obviously won uh super Bowls. You've
(29:34):
got you know, Jim Harball, uh. And then you've got
uh who's been to a super Bowl and won a
national championship.
Speaker 5 (29:40):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
And then you've got you know, Sean Payton, who won
a super Bowl and you know, whatever the Raiders do.
And so it's it's cited an interesting division from I
guess from a coaching perspective, and that you've got a
lot of you know, you've got you first of all,
you've got all retreads and horrball reading. You know, and Peyton,
they're all in the second act.
Speaker 5 (29:59):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
And then second of all, they've all got you know,
they've all got Super Bowl at least appearances, you know,
so they've got winning pedigrees. It's gonna be interesting because
everybody can't win. Somebody's got to lose out of that
bunch and those three guys.
Speaker 6 (30:12):
You know, if you're taking that Raider's job, you have
to look at the fact that you're the only one
without a.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Clear future at quarterback. You know, bo Nix, we.
Speaker 6 (30:18):
Don't know if he's gonna ascend to the heights of
a Herbert or a Mahomes yet, but.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
There's certainly a starter in this league exactly, and the
future looks optimistic.
Speaker 6 (30:25):
You could see it maybe continuing to build on what
he's shown so far in reaching those heights eventually. Well,
if you're the Raiders, it's a totally wish casting a
Shador Sanders maybe, And again with them picking sixth in
the draft right now, it looks like that might not
be super likely, and you know, ownership's going to be handcuffing.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
You the whole way.
Speaker 6 (30:42):
That seems like to me, at least one of the
least appealing if not the least appealing job that's expected
to be on the market.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
Here is the Raiders show. I think, so you I mean,
you've got pieces to build around. You've got you know,
you've got Nate Hobbs, who's probably the most underrated.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Slot corner in the league. You've got Max Crosby.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
Obviously, uh and then on the offensive side you got Bowers.
I mean, you've got some pieces to build around as
far as that stuff goes.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
But it's you know, I think I think you're right.
But the good news is you've got a decent general.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Manager and that you just got to find that that
knows how to stock you know, the roster. You look
at Telesco's, you know, working in with the Chargers. It
wasn't the talent, it wasn't a problem. It was the coaching.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
You know.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
I don't know, I think that Raiders' job might be
more attractive than you think. I mean, you're got to
get carte blanche to basically put in what you want.
You've got a couple of foundational pieces, but nothing that
that hog ties you into having to do a certain thing.
I think the question is how meddlesome Tom Brady is
going to be as a partial owner, how much say
he's going to have in the building, and how meddlesome
he'll be. I think that's a question you have to
(31:44):
kind of ask yourself if you're taking that job and
and go from there, and so that that's that's the
thing I think they you know, my my take on
it is from what I've heard, is that they want
somebody with some experience. I don't think they're going to
do a first time the head coach there this time
with the Raiders. So that'll be interesting to see, you know,
if if it's if it's Mike Rabel or if it's
(32:04):
a you know, advanced shows or whatever the case may be.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
Yeah, Broncos Country tonight. Shit, you guys, beat along for
the ride. Obviously, come see us tomorrow at the Mill.
Two to four act rolls on at this
Guys tomorrow two to four Broncos Bengals, myself Nickferguson at
(00:05):
the Mill downtown Denver on Larimer Street. They get food,
drink specials and autograph football giveaway. It's presented by Don Julio.
Comeing out watch the game.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
With us for the Redulet's go out to the KA
com and spirit a hot line and bring on Mike
Petroglia at Trags on Twitter.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Mike, how you doing the seating.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
I'm doing very well.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
Looking forward to a pretty big.
Speaker 5 (00:25):
Game for both teams tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
That it is and fascinating way is these two teams
come into this game almost a kind of an opposite
as it were. The Broncos hot in the middle part
of the season and then kind of stumbled a little
bit lately. It was way we want to gainst the Colts,
but losing the game against the Chargers that they kind
of choked away.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
The Bengals meanwhile, red hot.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Over their last three and there's been a couple of
close games probably should have.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Gone their way. What four games, I think you guys
have scored thirty plus points and loss. That's better than
the rest of the league combined. It as three plus.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Games as we look at the Cincinnati team, and I
mean it's as in the outside looking in that there's
you know, it's a great offense and that so great
on defense. But what is it that we don't know?
What is it that the outsiders don't know about this football.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
Team as well?
Speaker 4 (01:11):
That I think that they're coming into form because they're
creating turnovers. Now that being said, the Bengals have played
Will Levis and Mason Rudolph and Drian Thompson Robinson the
last two weeks the Titans and the Browns, uh and
certainly that has helped. But the Bengals are playing a
(01:31):
lot more aggressively on defense.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Lou Ana Roumo.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Doesn't like this term, but he has simplified the defensive
calls and the Bengals.
Speaker 5 (01:42):
Are applying more pressure to the quarterback. And I think
that is something Bronco fans will be certainly wanting to
watch tomorrow. How does bow Nicks.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Handle the pressure from different places that lou Ana Roumo,
the defensive coordinator will apply. The other that I don't
think fans on the outside realize about this Bengals team
is how good their complimentary players are. To Jamar Chase
(02:13):
and Joe Burrow. Guys like rookie Amarus Mims. Their right
tackles played tremendously well really all season long. He's coming
into tomorrow's game with a broken hand and an ankle tweak,
so that is something to monitor. And also running back.
Second year running back out of Illinois, Dace Brown has
(02:34):
over one hundred yards from scrimmage in five straight games.
He has really exploded onto the scene for the Bengals.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
So those are some of the guys on the.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
Bengals to keep an eye on, besides the obvious of
Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase and Trey Hendrickson.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Teger Michael traglea the Jungle Roar Pod and author at CLNS.
Since the comment tracks on Twitter, I want to go back.
You were talking about loutroom start there. That's been one
of the things that I've noticed, you know, it seems
like on social media people bashing lou out of a room.
A lot of room's around a league a long time.
He's got somebody forgotten how to coach. What has been
the problem with the Bengals defense this year?
Speaker 4 (03:13):
They have not generated any pressure whatsoever on the quarterback.
Speaker 5 (03:17):
That's a simple one. And when you can't do that.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
It exposes your corners who have been who are inexperienced
for one and two have been injured. They lost Back's
Hill mid season to an ACL tear. They lost DJ
Turner and the loss out in LA to the Chargers on.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
Monday Night Football Sunday Night Football to a broken collarbone.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
Their depth in the secondary has been really depleted. Josh
Newton is a rookie corner on one end. Cam Taylor
Brittin really regressed in the middle part of the season,
but he's starting to bounce back a little bit as well.
But when you have Trey hen Yrickson accounting for I
believe it's twelve and a half of the twenty four
(04:04):
to twenty five sacks that the Bengals have this year,
that's not nearly good enough. And that's where lou Anarumo
has struggled to come up with ways in which to
generate a defensive pressure.
Speaker 5 (04:18):
The Broncos, of course, don't have that problem. They get
pressure from their five.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Man fronts up and down the defensive line.
Speaker 5 (04:26):
The Bengals have been beat up.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
They haven't really replaced Dj Reider as their nose tackle
and leader of.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
Their defensive line.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
They brought in Sheldon Rankins from Houston. He's been out
with viral meningitis for about five weeks now. That's really
hurt them. And Sam Hubbard just went out with a
torn pcl making that touchdown catch a couple of weeks
ago in Tennessee. So the Bengals don't have the defensive
(04:56):
weapons to generate pressure on the quarterback.
Speaker 5 (04:59):
That's religious what's really hurt the Bengals this year.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Talking with Mike patrogli At tracks on Twitter, uh, and
that it has to be it because I mean the
foreman front that you're looking at, yeah, without you know,
reader and bringing Rankings in, then he's out and U
without Hubard. That is the thing is Tray Henderson is
a heck of a player. Is this Sean Payton, no
doubt knows his referenced. And then you've got some decent
linebackers there. Jermaine Prattle was a guy I really liked,
uh in the run up to the draft, and then uh,
(05:23):
Keem Davis Gather as well. You know, I mean it
has to be To me, it has to be the
front four because it feels like the backers and everything
else that you've got going on, there would otherwise would
otherwise work. Is this a problem, is at all sort
of a fiscal problem because the amount of money on
the offensive side of the ball, or has this just
been a circumstance of the guys that they brought in
(05:45):
not panning out, the injuries, the attrition that you talked about. Uh,
what is the overall you know, kind of rendedy for this.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Well, I think what the Bengals really did incorrectly and
it really costs them this year. They did not sign
free agents to address the defense in the first two
days of free agency last year. And as we all know,
if you're.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
Going to make an impact, whether it's offense, defense, special teams,
and you want your guys, you need to get them
in the first two days. Sure, you can fill some
gaps and sign some nice role players veteran players in
days three through whatever ten of free agency, but if
you want your guys.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Your difference makers, you have to do that in the
first two days. And the Bengals swung and missed big
time in those first two days. They thought they had
a deal with DJ Reader, their defensive tackle, and that
fell through and he wound up obviously signing with the
Detroit Lions, being a pretty big leader in that locker
(06:50):
room in what Dan Campbell's trying to do in Detroit.
But the Bengals just missed the boat defensively last year.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
In the offseason.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Last year they drafted Miles Murphy in the first round.
He has been a huge disappointment for the Bengals as well.
So they have gotten no production from their young defensive
edges that they thought would be able to contribute. In
Cam Sample, who seems like a Knight's role player.
Speaker 5 (07:19):
He tore his acl or i'm sorry, his achilles on
the second day of camp and that really hurt the
Bengals depths in the pass rush as well. So those
just some of the factors, some of the variables that
have really impacted the defense.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Yeah, and Broncos certainly know about the disappointment of not
getting Reader. They were the other team in the mix
back when the Bengals actually signed him, but they had
a deal in place and will definitely them going the
other the other direction to Cincinnati's echo a player and
you know, obviously missed there in Cincinnati with the offensive
side of the ball, where the Bengals have had a
lot of success and you know this is a who's
who of weapons here. Obviously everybody knows a bunch of
(07:56):
Mark Chase and T Higgins. Chase Brown has really kind
of exploded on and is going from you know, being
a utility back to being an old purpose back. And then,
you know what scares me, I think a little bit
more than just those players is the fact you've got
two older athletic tight ends there, mikeah Schekey and Drew Sample.
I guess the defense that's a little susceptible to the
tight end. What can you tell us about this offense?
Speaker 4 (08:16):
Well, I think that's a great point about the tight ends.
Those guys, especially Mike Kasiki is really a wide receiver.
He is, and he plays in the flock quite a
bit for Zach Taylor's offense. He is somebody that Joe
Burrows certainly will go to. If Vance shows that decides
to go with Patzertan and double coverage Hunter, Mar Chase
(08:38):
or Cloud T Higgins.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
Joe Burrow will have no problem growing to Mike Kasicki
down the theme, and that's something that the Bengals frankly
really didn't have and didn't really implement as part of
their base offensive sets. The last couple of.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
Years and kind of out of necessity, they've done that
this year. But Marrio's the kind of game where you
don't forget about T Higgins. He is somebody who can
really compete high point the ball. I think everybody who's
seen highlights of T Higgins over the years knows what
I'm talking about.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
There.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
There's no question that he can definitely hurt the Bronco defense.
What I would be very.
Speaker 5 (09:21):
Cautious of tomorrow, and it's been a big topic of
conversation this week in Cincinnati, is how Joe Burrow uses
his cadence. Obviously, the Broncos front wants to get after
Joe Burrow and apply as much pressure as possible. What
he did last week is he did a brilliant job
of using his cadence to draw.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Two or three key off sides on the Cleveland Browns.
It really changed the complexion of the game early and
late on the last touchdown, he was able to draw
Miles Garrett off sides.
Speaker 5 (09:55):
So that is something that I would look for, and
I'm sure vance Joseph has hold his defensive players the
very alert. Do not go until the ball, watch the
ball tomorrow, don't go until the ball is snapped.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Yeah, talking with Mike Petrocoli at tracks on Twitter, Jungle
RAR podcast and CLS and CEL and excuse me since
he dot com. Yeah, it's been a thing. The Broncos
have jumped a.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Few times this year with some some off cadence stuff,
a little aggressive, uh. And sometimes you'll you're you know,
you're okay with that as as long as they get
after the quarterback. But sometimes they come in unopportune moments,
you know, on third down, those kinds of things when
they really.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Needed to stop.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
And that's that's been sort of a thing as as
we look at the Broncos offense and going up against
since he defense. I mean, obviously you mentioned the attrition
on the front floor, and in that there's Penser aggression, uh,
you know, in the secondary with can Taylor Brittle. Though
the tape I watched last two a couple of weeks
look look fairly decent from you.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
You know, you've got a rookie quarterback in Bow Nicks and.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Bow has played pretty well as long as he plays
within himself. The problem has been when they start chucking
the ball all over the field, of throwing up deep
shots and getting him outside of his game. How do
you suppose that Cincinnati, how successful do you suppose Cincinnati
will be an attempting to take away the easy stuff
around the line of scrimmage and behind a line of
scrimmage for Bow and force him to become that thrower.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
Well, I think the times in the last couple of
weeks that the Bengals have had success disrupting the quarterback.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
They've been able to get Trey hendrickson close and force
the quarterback off the spot. They've also used Geno Stone
their safety on zero blitzes.
Speaker 5 (11:36):
And I think that is something you might see tomorrow
as well. You're going to probably see a lot.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Of man coverage from the Bengals because I think they
feel more comfortable playing man because in zone defense, one
of the areas of the Bengals defense, especially their secondary
struggled in the middle portion of the year was with communication.
And in zone defense, obviously, if you're not communicating on
who has.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
Who and what part of the zone, and you know,
Lou likes to shift his zones quite a bit from
side to side. If you're not communicating, you're going to struggle.
So Lou has kind.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Of taking that, you know, possibility out of the equation. Uh,
and tried to make it a lot more simple for
the secondary to play. And I'm curious also to see
how lou uses his linebackers tomorrow. If he drops them, uh,
if he plays them closer to the line of scrimmage,
that is a big variable to me, and I'm very
(12:37):
curious to see how it plays.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Yeah, I am too.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
I wonder if, like you mentioned about that dropping them
leave him in there, you get those linebackers sugar in.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
The A gaps and you know, you send one and
drop the other, and.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
They could create confusing situations for for a young quarterback
like bo.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
What is the what would you say the confidence level
is right now?
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Mean Cincinnati's got to win out to Broncos, just have
to win one or two.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
What would you say the confidence level is of the
Cincinnati Faithful right now?
Speaker 4 (13:04):
I think pretty confidence simply because Burrow and Chase are
playing at a Pro Bowl.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
All pro level at this point.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
And it was interesting yesterday Jamar Chase was asked, do
you think you need the final two games to close
strong to really achieve one of your goals, and that
is to be an All Pro? And he said no,
I'm already there, I should already be all pro. So
that tells you gives you a window into Jamar Chase's
attitude that he's playing with a great deal of confidence.
(13:36):
And Burrow knows at this point that he has Jamar
Chase playing at an exceptional level. He has t Higgins
playing very very well. He has Chase Brown playing the
best football he's played in his two years in the NFL.
The question is going to be.
Speaker 5 (13:53):
Whether or not Orlando Brown Junior, who has been nursing
knee injuries and fibula injury, can he come back and
be effective. Can the middle part of the Bengals offensive line,
which has struggled against bull rushes this year, can they
with Cody Ford moving to left guard tomorrow, Can he
(14:15):
and Alex Kappa play well in the interior of the line.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
If they can, I think the Bengals feel like they
can put some points up on the board against a
very good defense.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Well, I hear you on that Broncos defense has been
very good all year, but shown some cracks in the
last few weeks. Obviously, Passer Tans dealing with the ankle
spring Riley Moss just fresh back off.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
The knee issue.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
So it's gonna be interesting to see how he shows
up in that one as well. Talking with Mike Petraglia
at Trags on Twitter, all right, Mike, give me your projection.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
What do you think happens tomorrow?
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Well, I said Bengals twenty two Broncos sixteen.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
That's the score I have.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
I think twenty three sixteen. I believe I had Bengals
kicking three field goals in a victory that they need
very bad, and I think they're playing well enough. They
have not beaten a team with a winning record all
year long, and they're zero to seven in the such games,
so I think.
Speaker 5 (15:11):
They finally get one tomorrow at home before what's supposed
to be a very raucous pay court crowd in the
home finale for the Bengals.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
STA, it'd be fun. You have a lower score projected
than anybody I've talked to. That's interesting. I'll add that
to the note.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Most of the Broncos fans think that Cincinnati get closer
to twenty five to twenty eight, even thirty points in
a victory.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
So just fascinating there that you're on the lower end
of the scoring.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
I think the track we appreciate you taking the time tonight.
Mike petragli Ad trags on Twitter.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Appreciate you taking the time.
Speaker 5 (15:40):
It should be a fun game tomorrow. Thank you very
much for having me.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Yep, looking forward to it. Mike patragli Ad trags on Twitter.
Jungle War podcast We come back.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
It's a n F six pack. I want to take
our guest tonight. Frankie Abbott and Mike for joining us.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
You missed any part of that, You go to Broncos
Country Night dot Com, slash Podcast wherever you gets your podcast,
Apple iTunes, be he totally new and redesigned.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
iHeartRadio app nailed it, did not nail it? Oh my goodness. Yeah,
some good discussion with those guys. You'll definitely want to
want to listen to that when you when you get
to Chance tomorrow. Guys, just reminding you. I come on
down to the Mill downtown us SO on Larimer Street,
(16:30):
across from Scruffy Murphy's myself Nick Ferguson.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Be there two pm to four pm. You can watch
Broncos Bengals game with us. We got food and drink specials,
autograph football to give away. It's presented by Don Julio.
They got some Don Julios who I had to give
away too. They get like they get.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
They got beanies and ball caps and all kinds of
stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
It's a it's a good time. Come on down, last
one of the seasons that we're doing. Come on down
and see me and Nick watch the ball game with us.
Let's route the Broncos to Victory's right across the street
from like a Philadelphia Eagles bar. So maybe we can
spend our time insulting Eagles fans, even though they're probably
gonna win and and doing doing quite well themselves. But
we can we can at least mix it up there.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Who knows. Right now, let's top for the NFL six pack.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
It's time for the NFL insight and insight information you
can't find anywhere else, I know, the top six NFL headlines.
Speaker 6 (17:18):
What starting off here with a little matchup that impacts
the Broncos in that NFC East. Anthony Richardson is already
listed as questionable for this weekend's matchup between the Indianapolis
Colts and the New York Giants. Is that injury enough though,
to make the Colts vulnerable to the drew locked Giants
and potentially eliminate the Colts from the playoff picture.
Speaker 5 (17:41):
Lock it in.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
No, it absolutely will not affect a thing. It does
not matter. The Giants are terrible and that really is
the end of that.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Honestly, Anthony Richardson being out might make the Colts offense
more potent, at least more.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Less high variance, I should say, raises the floor. Yeah,
raises the floor a little it. I would not be
too worried about that in any which way. Colts are
probably headed for elimination any which way you slice it.
But you know, we'll see.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
Even if the Broncos lose, I would still I still
think Cincinnati is the inside track on all of that,
and we'll see, we'll see how that shakes out for him.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
But no, I don't think that that changes or moves
the needle one way or the other.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Honestly, it might make it might make the spread a
little bit bigger for the Colts.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Two.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Now, looking at.
Speaker 6 (18:30):
A little bit of that Giants game some more, they
are currently in possession of the NFL's number one draft
pick for the upcoming NFL Draft.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (18:38):
The Raiders did have that number two pick, but after
beating the Jacksonville Jaguars, they've dropped all the way to
number six or seven. They are out of the you know, high.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Draft picks in a two quarterback class.
Speaker 6 (18:52):
You know, cam Ward Shador Sanders projected as those top
two picks maybe And with New England and Jacksonville now
and to have one of those top two picks and
not needing a quarterback, do you think we could see
a BigGAN war at the top of this huge draft
or is the demand just not there for the quarterback?
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Well, the bid starts for the number three pick. I mean,
because you've got Tennessee sitting there at four. There's probably
the other team gonna take a quarterback, right, So you're
you're probably looking at Jacksonville sitting in the Catbirds seat
New England saying, hey, if you want whoever is number two,
you got to get to us, because Tennessee could then
theoretically move up, you know, up into there. As far
as the rest of it goes, I don't think there's
any other draft picks that are any non quarterback draft
(19:31):
picks that you're sitting in jumping out of your skin for.
You know, Travis Hunter's gonna go in the top ten.
There's gonna be some you know some of these guys
are going the top ten, but.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
I don't think there's anybody there that everybody's just sitting
there and saying that's the guy. If he's not the quarterback,
that's the guy.
Speaker 5 (19:44):
So, you know, I.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Don't I don't really know. Jacksonville could use a corner,
New England could.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Use a receiver, you know, so Travis Hunter could could
go in there. But as far as Org cam Ward go,
I think number three Jacksonville is probably sitting in the
Catbirds seat and they would probably be more willing to
trade down.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
That's a team that needs to multi but I've got
a lot of issues.
Speaker 5 (20:01):
Hurry.
Speaker 6 (20:04):
Eric Dickerson talked about it a little earlier in the show.
He was taking some shots at Saquon Barkley, saying, you.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Know, he didn't think Saquon was.
Speaker 6 (20:13):
Going to be able to break his record, and he
didn't want to see him break his record. Barkley currently
two hundred and sixty seven yards behind that record. With
games against Dallas and the Giants remainian, though Philly might
not have anything to play for in Week eighteen, and
Hertz has already been ruled out of this week, And
we saw once Kenny Pickett enter that game, the run
game kind of collapsed at it.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
For the Eagles.
Speaker 6 (20:32):
Do you think Barkley will be able to pass Eric
Dickerson's long standing all time mark this season.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
He's got the ability the matchup certainly. Look there. I
don't know if Kenny Pickett in there.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Actually hurts him or helps him, because Jalen Hurts does
take away a little bit of those rushing layer open
up some of those rushing lanes a little bit for
Saquon at times. So Jalen Hurts, who's going to be
out for this game at least with the concussion protocol
and v and Kenny Pickett in there, it may be
a more app to run the ball, but it might
might lead to stack boxes that it may not benefit
him overall.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
I think he's got the ability.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
I think it's certainly attainable in terms of if you
look at it split over two weeks, if you look
at it, try to do it a sixteen game season
and do it now to match up with that now,
I don't think he's going to get two hundred and
sixty eight yards or whatever tomorrow, but one and thirty
three over each.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Yeah, that certainly looks feasible, and it seems like they
want him to get it in Philly too. It seems
like they're they're pushing for us.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Well, he has the opportunity to break that, But if
he breaks it in the final week of the season,
he has the opportuity to bak that against the Giants,
and I think they're.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Definitely going to try and set him up for that.
Speaker 6 (21:30):
Or The Chargers officially activated JK. Dobbins, a pretty critical
part of their offense from.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Earlier in the season.
Speaker 6 (21:39):
Off ir today, do you think this is enough, especially
with the Steelers kind of sinking?
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Concurrently, do you think the addition of JK.
Speaker 6 (21:50):
Dobbins is enough to make the Chargers the most dangerous
AFC Wildcard team?
Speaker 5 (21:54):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Absolutely, yes, I do think they're the most dangerous team.
They've got a really good defense. If they get they're healthy,
you get the personnel back. The one thing about playing
for Hardball is you're a very physical football team. But
the thing about being a physical football team is that
a lot of times you wind up grinding yourself down
over the course of the season. And the Chargers, you know,
obviously Dobbins was hurt. Now you've got Gus Edwards hurt
(22:17):
who gashed to Broncos. This is one of those one
of those set ups, one of those scenarios where you
want to win games which you want to find that
balance and stay healthy coasted into the playoffs and try
to be as healthy as you can for the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
I still believe that.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
The Chargers would be the most dangerous wildcard team of
any of these. Now, if the Bengals make it, you
might put them in that conversation, just.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Because they're so capable of piling on the points at
any time. But I would say that the Chargers otherwise,
at least of the teams that currently hold those positions,
that would be the most dangerous. I think that should
be a fun matchup. Whoever they end up playing on
that first round, that'll.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
Probably wind up being Pittsburgh, I guess, or Baltimore. Whoever,
the Pittsburgh and Baltimore, whichever team.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
Is horrible two point zero for this season, potentially five.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
More playoff talk here.
Speaker 6 (23:03):
The Vikings and Lions, in a hotly contested race for
the NFC's number one seed, both currently control their own destinies.
With a Week eighteen matchup between the two teams likely
being the determining factor in terms of which team will
host the NFC playoffs or at least have home field
advantage throughout them. Who do you think ends up with
(23:23):
the NFC's one seed when all is said and done.
The Vikings have games against the Packers and the Lions left.
I forget who the Lions have this week. Gosh, the
Toroy's got San Francisco this week. I do believe you
are correct they do HAVESCO. Yeah, and you know they're
not the only team in it.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
I mean theoretically, Philadelphia could still win by winning out,
which I believe they will do so for me, they
don't have the tie breakers though, so they'll need both
of them to at least lose drun.
Speaker 6 (23:51):
One and then I think one of the teams they
need them to lose too.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Yeah, right, so one of them has to lose one
one two. Minnesota is up against what green Day this
week too, Actually possible. I think Detroit is the most.
Like if I were seeding it, I would say Detroit,
then Philadelphia, then Minnesota for the for the number one seed.
And you know it's gonna be interesting to watch as
you could potentially have a fourteen win team having to
play a road wild card game.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
But you know, it is what it is.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
You know, Atlanta is currently sitting atop the division in
the South there, but I think Tampa overtakes him. I
think Tampa's gonna overtake Atlanta and get there. You know,
this is the NFC is the interesting one. The AFC
really just has is one thing left to kind of
figure out, and that's whether or not the Chargers, Broncos,
or one of the Bengals, Miami or or Indy can
can usurp them. There's a lot of movement for the
(24:40):
NFC over here. I mean you could the number one
seed can still still up for grabs. You've got three
teams that are in that race. The only thing that's
really settled, I think is is Philadelphia's clinched a division
you know over there.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
But that's that's really about it.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Everything else is still theoretically up for grabs, including the
NFC West.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
To where the Rams are sitting in the driver's seat
at Seattle's nip it on their heels six.
Speaker 6 (25:06):
Talking about that playoff picture. Now, if the playoffs started today,
you'd have the Broncos playing the Bills in Buffalo. The
Chargers playing the Ravens in Baltimore, Texans hosting the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Over on the FC side.
Speaker 6 (25:18):
On the NFC side, Commanders would travel to Philly for
a divisional rematch, The Falcons would be hosting the Vikings
and having Kirk Cousins watch on the sidelines, and the
last game would be the Packers traveling to LA to
play the Rams. Of those outside of the Broncos game,
because that's the easy one outside of that game, which
playoff matchup would you be most excited to watch?
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Oh, probably Pittsburgh and Houston.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
I mean, Houston's gonna.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Back door their way into the playoff even though they
probably really don't just you know, air quotes deserve to
be there. They're probably the Houston's probably the weakest team
in the playoffs no matter who ultimately makes it.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
And that regression I expected them to regrets this year.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Talked about it obviously in the preseason quite a bit,
but I did not expect them for a rest this hard. Yeah,
watching Russ play, you know, Russ and CJ. Strau battle
it out a little bit, that might be fun.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
A couple of good defenses there, pass rushes.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Yeah, I'm trying to you know, Commander's Philly is one
I would obviously be watching for our friends that are,
you know, on the Commander's staff. I get some friends
in the Philadelphia organization that would be that would be fun.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
To watch the rest of it.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
I mean, we already saw Falcons vikings albeit with cousins
uh and then the Packers rams. I mean that might
be a fun matchup. Laflora and Sean McVay are basically
best friends. Watching them go ahead to head with each
other is always fun, you know, as they try to
out chess mass each other. It would be interesting to
kind of watch that football chess match. I think from
a football purist standpoint.
Speaker 6 (26:48):
I think those are great matchups. The Harball would be
one like Harball two point zero. That one really intrigues me.
I think Baltimore is peaking at the right time, and
I think kind of like you were just talking about
with the Chargers, and I think the Chargers are peaking
at the right time too. Obviously you have the whole
brotherly angle. I think both those teams could be a
threat to whoever they see in the second round. So
I'd be very curious to see how those two teams
(27:08):
could square off against each other.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Yeah, I wonder how many of those matchups that we're
going to get going forward. I mean, you know, John
Horrible has been in boltim for a long time, Jim
Harble obviously just starting out in uh, you know, with
with Chargers, and it's just, you know, we saw them
take on each other in the Super.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Bowl a number of years ago. It's it's just this
is a fascinating going to be I think.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Long term rivalry, rest sibling rivalry. And now they're both
in the same conference instead of you know, of opposite
conferences where they'd only see each other.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
In the Super Bowl.
Speaker 5 (27:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (27:37):
What I'm rooting for from a Broncos perspective, so hopefully
it isn't so long lasting. Is Jim Harbaugh wearing down
his players and you know everyone kind of under him,
kind of like he did in San Francisco. Because if
he's a if he's there for a long time, that
I mean, we just saw it. They swept the Broncos
for the first time since twenty ten. That's going to
be a consistently pretty hard out.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Well, if he can keep Jesse Mentor, that'll be interesting
because his defensive coordinator when he was in San Francisco
was Vic Fangio, and so you know Vic famous for
grinding guys down. Horrball famous for grinding guys down.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
And then there was some dysfunction with.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
That front office that was perpetually finding ways to sell
out their head coach to the media in different ways.
So you know, I did San Francisco. Thing is not
all on Jim Harball, but there's there's a.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Lot to that, And yeah, I wonder if he'll I mean,
he has been a guy who's born out as well.
He's a zany guy.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
He's a unique guy, and he does wear out as
welcome after a while.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
You look around.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
He's not really been any any place for longer than
you know, four or five.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Six years.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
He just kind of continues to keep it moving because
you know, the welcome sort of gets worn out in
one way or the other. So, you know, I don't
know I wanted Jim Harball here. You know, the first
coaching staff, the search that we did after.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Fangio, I wanted Dan Quinn. We wound up with Nate
Hackett and everybody said no, read treads. Well, you got
what you wanted.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
And then in the second round of coaching everybody, We'll
give a retread with some experience, because holy crap, that
was bad. You know, I wanted horrorball. We wound up
with Sean Payton. You know, is is what it is.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
I I I look forward to all these matchups.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
This is an interesting because I'm sort of looking forward
to seeing who the Raiders hire. I believe Theil Jettison,
Antonio Pierce. That's not one hundred percent, but I believe
they will. And I'm courtly interested to see because I've heard,
you know, some rumors advance Joseph might be on their
their wish list. But that's an interesting division where you've
got Andy Reid, who's obviously won uh super Bowls. You've
(29:34):
got you know, Jim Harball, uh. And then you've got
uh who's been to a super Bowl and won a
national championship.
Speaker 5 (29:40):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
And then you've got you know, Sean Payton, who won
a super Bowl and you know, whatever the Raiders do.
And so it's it's cited an interesting division from I
guess from a coaching perspective, and that you've got a
lot of you know, you've got you first of all,
you've got all retreads and horrball reading. You know, and Peyton,
they're all in the second act.
Speaker 5 (29:59):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
And then second of all, they've all got you know,
they've all got Super Bowl at least appearances, you know,
so they've got winning pedigrees. It's gonna be interesting because
everybody can't win. Somebody's got to lose out of that
bunch and those three guys.
Speaker 6 (30:12):
You know, if you're taking that Raider's job, you have
to look at the fact that you're the only one
without a.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Clear future at quarterback. You know, bo Nix, we.
Speaker 6 (30:18):
Don't know if he's gonna ascend to the heights of
a Herbert or a Mahomes yet, but.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
There's certainly a starter in this league exactly, and the
future looks optimistic.
Speaker 6 (30:25):
You could see it maybe continuing to build on what
he's shown so far in reaching those heights eventually. Well,
if you're the Raiders, it's a totally wish casting a
Shador Sanders maybe, And again with them picking sixth in
the draft right now, it looks like that might not
be super likely, and you know, ownership's going to be handcuffing.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
You the whole way.
Speaker 6 (30:42):
That seems like to me, at least one of the
least appealing if not the least appealing job that's expected
to be on the market.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
Here is the Raiders show. I think, so you I mean,
you've got pieces to build around. You've got you know,
you've got Nate Hobbs, who's probably the most underrated.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Slot corner in the league. You've got Max Crosby.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
Obviously, uh and then on the offensive side you got Bowers.
I mean, you've got some pieces to build around as
far as that stuff goes.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
But it's you know, I think I think you're right.
But the good news is you've got a decent general.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Manager and that you just got to find that that
knows how to stock you know, the roster. You look
at Telesco's, you know, working in with the Chargers. It
wasn't the talent, it wasn't a problem. It was the coaching.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
You know.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
I don't know, I think that Raiders' job might be
more attractive than you think. I mean, you're got to
get carte blanche to basically put in what you want.
You've got a couple of foundational pieces, but nothing that
that hog ties you into having to do a certain thing.
I think the question is how meddlesome Tom Brady is
going to be as a partial owner, how much say
he's going to have in the building, and how meddlesome
he'll be. I think that's a question you have to
(31:44):
kind of ask yourself if you're taking that job and
and go from there, and so that that's that's the
thing I think they you know, my my take on
it is from what I've heard, is that they want
somebody with some experience. I don't think they're going to
do a first time the head coach there this time
with the Raiders. So that'll be interesting to see, you know,
if if it's if it's Mike Rabel or if it's
(32:04):
a you know, advanced shows or whatever the case may be.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
Yeah, Broncos Country tonight. Shit, you guys, beat along for
the ride. Obviously, come see us tomorrow at the Mill.
Two to four act rolls on at this
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