We'll go right out of the Kwai Common Spirit health hotline. Bring on our guy, Nick cosmider at Nick Cosmeio on Twitter covers the Broncos for the Athletic and of course I'm jealous of his twenty twenty three Colorado Sports Writer of the Year, but he's much more deserving than I am, since I don't write anything.
Nick.
How you doing, good fellows, How you doing doing pretty well?
You know, the only streak we have to worry about now is the Broncos winning streak. The Raiders been snap chief snap last year, and we got a division rival and Chargers ahead of us.
That looks like an eminently winnable game.
You don't want to overlook it, but it does look something winnable that maybe, perhaps earlier in the season you may not have thought the same way as we look at this second quarter of the NFL season for the Denver Broncos.
This is starting to shape up kind of nice.
It is, and it really is shaping up a lot like how they were winning games during that five game streak a year ago. They just kind of figured out this formula without having to go into a one in five hole in order to do it and you know, this is a team right now turning the ball over right, one turnover total in the last three games, no interceptions
by bo Nicks. And then you have a defense that you know it's taking the ball away some obviously they had the three interceptions in Sunday's win against the Raiders, but but also playing I think a more sustainable style that's not just reliant on the takeaways, the way that they're playing up front and building everything else off of that.
So yeah, I agree with you. You know, going into this month, when you have three home games in October sandwiched around a trip to New Orleans against a Saints team that's gonna probably be without Derek Carr, among some other issues that they're dealing with, you look at it and say, this is a real opportunity to kind of get through this month, you know, potentially six and two, five and three before you have to deal with that back to
back with Baltimore and Kansas City there in early November, well.
Nick, before you came on, Ben and I were having a discussion about the the Broncos and their depth and grading the depth and usually I don't like to get into the grades, but based on what we've seen the injuries that they've sustained. How would you look at the team and grade the level of depth so far.
Well, it's a it's a great question, and I think one of the things that you you look at is this was a team last year that that they didn't have a lot of attrition. They were they were pretty healthy, and you didn't really have to test that depth, particularly of course on the offensive line, where they only combined to miss one start, and that was Mike McGlinchey in the in the season finale, and so right away you
had that test. Alex Palcewsky, you know, had largely passed that test in terms of the way that he was playing at right tackle, that they were playing better in those three games that he was in there than than the offensive line had in general early in the season. And then you get a guy like Justin Sternat who has to step in at inside linebacker when you lose
your leading tackler of the last couple of years. So I would say it's at the very very least because it is a work in progress, but but a passing grade at this point. Whenever you have guys get injured that are frontline starters and then you have to you have to dip into that. You know, you want to hold water and in some cases they're doing more than that, and so I think the depth in that regard has
been a positive. Now. Of course though this week is the biggest test of that yet when you talk about being down to your third right tackle with with Alex Palcewski not practicing today, we'll see what the the overall you know, kind of timeline is for him, Luke Wattenberg being out. So now you're down to your third right tackle, your second center. You know, you've had some other some
other issues there. So that will be the real test, Nick of like and they get through a game against a pretty physical Chargers front, you know, when you're down a couple guys in the offensive line.
Talking with Nick Cosm out of the athletic NI there is a very pressing issue for the never Broncos that has to get resolved immediately. And that is a nickname for Riley Moss. I have positive the PS two and ex Moss three sixty. Do you have any additional eight games you would like to throw in the hat?
You know, I wish I did because I was you know, that that Pat himself mentioned that the pulp fiction thing that was that was kind of going around there. You know, you got the white the white man can't jump right thing, which you know, obviously Riley turned on its head by by leaping the way that he did to catch that ball. You know that that is a pressing issue that that should be like, we should have our best people on
this is essentially the way that it's going. You know, Pat, Pat's kind of leaving it up to the Broncos country. I need to I need to go through and scan some of these posts because I'm sure there's there's always good ideas among Internet minds. I just I haven't come across from yet.
Yeah, I was worried I was never going to be able to top Casa Benito. But I think I think we're I think we're getting close there. We'll see, we'll figure this one out. We'll put our we'll put our best people on it, which does not obviously include me.
Norm Norm myself, I am not a like, not in the creative writing business as much, but you know, I think the defense as a whole too, like that that's another thing of you know, again, it it is five games in and you don't want to get out in front of it. But I just think some of their markers that they have are are sustainable to where you say this, this is gonna be a unit that is good all year long. And look they're they're blitzing at a rate right now that is the highest in the league.
You can't do that if you're if your foundational pieces aren't doing what they're supposed to do, you have to be able to cover one on one. That's why Moss's kind of elevation into the way that he's playing has been such a such a big deal because there's nothing that teams can just you know, easily pick on like there might have been at certain times last year. So I just I just think this is a group that's
going to continue to play well. You see the you see that the depths in the pass rush, like Nick Bonito, it's it's like people kind of forgetting about him and he's he's playing the way that he has. Jonah ellis you know, playing as well as any rookie you know pass rusher right now. So I just think it's a group that you look, you look at it and say that this this can keep going really all year.
So we haven't seen a lot of Marvin Mahams. And dating back to last year, we were we were told that, hey, listen, you know there's going to be the concervative effort to get mems involved. And that was last year. So coming into this year, I thought personally things were going to change. We haven't really seen that. What do you think is the reason why we're not seeing more of Marvin Maham's speed utilized in this Broncos offense.
Yeah, I think part of it is is of them. Sean has said this in a in a as an answer to a number of things, the fact that you're thirty first and third down conversion rate, you really just aren't getting enough opportunities to get to some of the things that you want to get to, and so I think that's part of it. I do think they kind of took a small step forward on Sunday in terms of you know, getting him, getting him on the jet sweep in a way that allowed him to use his speed.
You know, you got him, you got him in space on the quick draw, the quick the quick out in the flat where he gained seven yards on what became a touchdown touchdown drive a lot of a lot of things they're trying to do to sort of emulate what he can do in the open field when he's when he's on special teams, because he continues to be one of the most dynamic returners in the league. So it's for them figuring out ways to get him in those similar situations. Because look, we might have seen Jerry Judy
leave and say, oh, that's that that guy. Marvin Mims is gonna a step into that role. He's not the same player, he doesn't have the same route tree, So it's a matter of finding those things for him. And part of that is you just have to continue to get some more plays. But I like there was a couple of times where you saw Marvin Mims and Troy
Franklin on the field at the same time. Troy Franklin's gotten a little bit more burned over the last couple of weeks, you know, Like I said, Mims had a couple of plays on Sunday, So you hope that that was sort of a sign of things to come, that they're they're kind of slowly building toward more of that, because, yeah, you get those two guys on the same field. We
talked a lot about Troy Franklin's drop. Part of that other play, Marvin Mims was wide open in the middle of the field, like he could have You could have thrown to him for about a ten yard pass. He just beats the safety and he could have he could have gone all the way. So get them on the field together, let him put some stress on defenses and see what you can do.
Totalen Nick Cosmider of the Athletic Nick, you know Vance Joseph and the way that this defense is performing, it's it's getting Vance some more. Ronnie's absolutely a guy who's probably going to get head coach interviews having prior experience this offseason. If he were to leave and get a head coaching job. It puts the Broncos in line for
two third round compensatory picks. But which is the which is the better have at this point having Vance back and what he's been able to do or two extra third round draft picks?
Yeah, that's I mean, it's it's a great question. I think right now, the continuity that they have on that side of the ball, and you know, obviously they they came in last year and I think Vance really wanted to make things comfortable for the players, right, so they're they're using some of the same terminology that they had used under you know, Giro Everro, which was a lot
of the same Vic Fangio terminology. But but they they kind of about how you know, less than halfway through the year, just kind of scraped that and really just got back to doing it the way you know that Vance has And now that you have that continuity, that comfortability with what he's calling, you know, you would want you would want some of that back that they obviously think they have some talented coaches on this defensive staff, whether it's Jim Leonard, jamar Cain, some up and coming
young coaches you know that you could maybe feel comfortable with in a promotion and that kind of uh scenario that you that you're talking about, because I certainly do think that Vance is putting himself in position already to have to have another.
Look at it.
But but it's so at the same it's it's sort of like a good problem to have, is kind of the way that you would you would look at it. Because we know this team has had a lack of draft capital. That's been one of the issues with the roster over the last you know, a couple of seasons, they're gonna they're gonna be back to a full cupboard or pretty close to it this uh, this offseason, and so you know, anything you can do to continue to add to that the way that they're drafting would be
would be a bonus as well. But I would be in the camp of man, if you can, if you can run this back again, the way that they're playing, the way that they got some young players stepping into bigger roles like that would be that'd be a pretty good scenario going into twenty twenty five.
You know, Nick, with everything that you said and the possibility of Vance getting another opportunity to interview for a head coach, I mean, I personally feel as though the conversation hasn't really.
Been about Vance and what he's done. Now.
People have talked about individual Roley Moss Ps two, Jonah Eilers, Zach Allen, but I don't feel as though the enough credit here locally has been given to Vance. Joseph, do you feel the same way, And if you do, why do you think that's the case.
Yeah, it's it's kind of like you're pulling out my story that I have coming out later this year because I absolutely, I absolutely agree with you are you guys are on it.
No.
One of the things that's really interesting. I was talking to Zach Allen after the game on Sunday and he said that the thing that Vance has done so well for this group is they sort of came in with this this mission to make sure that they were giving you know, their their pass rushers, their interior end and outside guys, being so mindful of giving these guys one
on one opportunities as frequently as they can. And Zach said, look, that's as a as a pass rusher or a defensive lineman, that's all we can ask for is getting those chances because we we feel like one on one we can win most times. And so you have a team that's blitzing at the highest rate and doing it in ways where you are you're really praying on vulnerabilities of the opponent to give those one on one matchups to guys
like Zach Allen. It's it all. It's all kind of a wholesale thing, right because in order for that to still work, you had to upgrade the talent. You had to get a guy like John Franklin Myers who teams can't just you know, not pay attention to so they've they've done those things where it's kind of a holistic approach. But it's Advance who's been pressing these buttons, who's been able to create these matchups, who kind of listens to his players about, you know, the way that they wanted
to play being more one game. I've driven up front this year all those kinds of things I think come into play and talk about, you know, not only how he's calling plays on Sunday, but how how he and his staff have worked to understand what fits best for the group of players that they have. And I just think he's done a good job bringing all that together.
Talking Cosmoity the athletic Nick want to switch gears a little bit, talk about the Denver Nuggets and what you've seen so far there the addition of Russell Westbrook and you know what that brings to this team. I've been lobbying. I know Christian brawn is penciled in is the you know,
the starting two. But I've been lobbying much like Kenneth far Reid, He's an energy guy who probably is at his best coming off the bench, and maybe there are situations where you could have Westbrook start Murray at the two, Strawther or at the two, and then of course we've had seen this sort of move from Porter where he's put on some weight and is experimenting a little bit at.
The four in addition to play in the three.
What what have you seen so far with the new look Nuggets and what do you really expect this team to look like when we get to open the season.
Yeah, the Porter thing is like really interesting to me because I I was kind of, you know, not not necessarily as plugged in now to to sort of what they're doing in their in their offseason. So when they came back around Media Day and and then was talking to some people that were over there just about what he's done, that was kind of that was kind of
surprising to me. And I and I think the way that they when when they're able to run Aaron Gordon as as the as kind of the backup five that they they've experimented more with some of those lineups of the last couple of years. Uh, that that to me is is a winning formula. If you have Porter being able to play the four and being able to hang defensively at that position enough to where you can get his spacing and then you then you can you know, that can kind of trickle down you get more shooters
on the floor. So I think that'll be an interesting development. I'm just really eager to see because You're right, there's there's different combinations that they're going to be able to do in that backcourt. And that's why this this preseason is is kind of important for them. And then early in the season of you know, how how do these
combinations work around when we bring Russell Westbrook in? You know what, what kind of role can we put Julian Strath and you know, can he be good enough defensively in order to potentially be that starting two for you So it's it's a pretty fascinating deal when you when you've lost two guys back to back years that were pretty important parts of that of that backcourt in Bruce Brown and KCP, and now you've got guys that are
stepping into those new roles. It's going to be really interesting to see how it all pans out.
The biggest concern for me is the bench.
I mean because over the past couple of years, obviously the starting five, you know what you're gonna get out of those guys. But once Jamal comes off the floor, Nikola Joki comes off the floor, and Christian Brown is going from being on that second unit and the thought is inserting him in the starting unit. How is that that that second unit going to look and Kim may sustain the longevity of the season.
Yeah, And I think that's a big part of what they're hoping for with with Russell Westbrook is is to just be a little bit more attacking with that with that second unit. But going back to when I covered the team, the thing that Malone always really wants his second unit to be is sort of pestering defensively and
one that really gets out and runs in transition. Because it's not like they never play that way when Nikola Jokic is out there, but they're much more of a, you know, just a surgical half court team when when he's on the court, because that's what he does. He can he can pick you apart in that way when they are a second unit. They want to be able to win with defense and then get out and push the tempo. And that's that's a big part of why
they brought Russell Westbrook in here. But that being said, even if they play that way, you still have to have the shooting. And you know, you're you're if you're bringing Christian Brown into the starting lineup, you know that that opens up an opportunity in the backcourt to have
somebody who can shoot a little bit more like. That's why I think Strawther on the second unit being you know, getting some opportunity to handle the ball next to Jamal Murray or Russell Westbrook, but also like having him out there as a guy that can stretch the floor a little bit, like that's that's the guy that they have a lot kind of riding on to be that to be that answer, because yeah, the bench obviously toward the end of last season and certainly in the playoffs, it
wasn't enough. And now you're you're depending more on some of these some of these other guys you know, to come through. So it's a it's a huge question. Mark. I'm with you, Nick, like that, that's that's the part that we're gonna need to see pretty early on.
Nick Cosmider of the Athletic always appreciate the time, brother, look forward to seeing you out there on Sunday.
Absolutely so let's take care. Thanks a lot,