Just subbed today! Hoping I’m finding the right place to comment! Had to use Mares as my code only because he brought me to the network…. but I listen to you guys everyday! Mase I was in Minneapolis and tried to see you but alas I could not, it’s crazy that you get to go to NFL games like that every week! Thanks for the pod.
(For something for y’all to discuss- what if John Elway knows what he’s doing and in a year we all take everything back?)

On Rivers 2020: hard pass. A hard enough pass blast through Fant’s face mask and not just bounce off it.

On Rivers in general: I L O V E Phillip Rivers. I was annoyed by him, then hated him, then loathed him, then feared him, then respected him, then appreciated him, and now love him. What a fighter. What a throwback. The fact that we’ve had higher highs since 04 allows me to say it, but Philip Rivers was a joy to watch compete and I’m sad to see him withering like he is.

So I got 10 minutes into the podcast, paused it, and came straight to the comment section. First of all, let me just say I appreciate all the information you guys provide us on a daily basis.
Secondly, how in the world do you guys keep your cool when you continue to get these vague responses from coaches during media sessions? I for one would most likely be asked to leave within the first five minutes by continuously asking the “whys”. Why are you being so stingy with Drew Lock? Why would you bring him back as a backup? Why would you not play him at least five games to see what he has? Why? Why? Why? It honestly doesn’t make any sense!
Not getting a direct, clear-cut, honest answer would drive me absolutely crazy!
Sorry for my rant, but I would become way to aggravated if I were in you guy’s shoes. With that being said, thanks again, we appreciate you!

It sucks to say, but as the losing seasons start to pile up and this season already a lost cause its becoming impossible for me to be interested in this team. I’ve gone from intently watching Broncos games to flipping back from Redzone occasionally. I think I’m with most people when I say Drew Lock was the last thing keeping me interested. With the news that not only his starting date is delayed but maybe pushed to next year may have been the final straw for me this year. I wish Brandon Allen the best but hes just a guy and not the future of this team.

Current apathy level: Holding my hand over the stove to see if I still feel

Hey guys

This Drew Lock situation is starting to get more weird and confusing by the day. Elway and Fangio just really don’t want to play him. Honestly at this point I’m just hoping that the scenario of Lock being redshirted this year so he can learn or that he is Just really good and they want to wait until next year when the team is in sync to start him is the actual scenario Because can you guys imagine the chaos if Elway drafts another QB in the top 10 and Lock turn out to be horrible. Elway is a broncos legend and one of the great GM’s and I’ve continuously supported his moves as GM but it would be hard to back him up afrrr that.
Also Tom Brady is a hard yes, Rivers is a hard NO. But I would rather have Jameis Winston!! Yes I said it. I really like Mase’s comparison of Jake Plummer and I totally see that. If he is the next Plummer, I would definitely welcome that!!

Thanks guys

Hey boys. R.K., you’re alive kid! 🙂 If John is considering Phillis, please bring Jay out of retirement. Cutler is the only guy on this 3rd. rock from da sun that hates crybaby Rivers more than I do. Colo. School of Mines has an outstanding football program, just sayin. The TV reference Mase probably didn’t watch was Lucifer; a DC comics spin-off; originally on Fox butt after it was canceled; it is now on Netflix through the end of 2019, then it ends. GO Broncs & Zoomies & Mines

I feel as though Rk purposefully skipped over my comment yesterday (Yesterday’s pod will forever be known as the mucus episode.

That is all.

Ok, one more thing …
Zac and Mase are Demi Gods!

Love
The Count)

Perhaps my omission of his status as an a dark arc angel has me on his black list.

Mase how could you let this happen?

Hey guys, first I’d like to thank you for your work on the pod. With the way the last few years have gone your coverage has been one of the few bright spots in Broncos country.

In terms of Vic’s comment that a few games isn’t enough to make a determination on a guy, I feel like it’s given a bit more credence to the idea I mentioned a few weeks ago that the broncos have already committed to next year with Lock so they don’t feel rushed in playing him this year. I get the feeling they like what he has but are determined to take their time and not rush to a judgement one way or the other. I’m not entirely sure I agree with this plan but at least if that’s what they’re doing they finally have a plan.

As for the wait, it’s frustrating but just think how awful this year would be if they hadn’t lucked into lock falling to the second round.

Have we just become slaves to the new wave of playing QBs as soon as possible? What if the powers at be with the Broncos are actually doing the right thing by letting him learn to be a pro more and more before he goes out there. I think we also need to come down to earth and realize that we’re talking about the 3rd player that the broncos drafted, not a top 10 QB. This is a rough list so there might be some that are wrong, but let’s look at the QBs who started early vs QBs who waited their turn.

Early starters: Mariota, Winston, Goff, Wentz, Prescott, Baker, Darnold, Russell Wilson (?), Kyler, Trubusky, Haskins, Daniel Jones, Tannehill (?), Andrew Luck, Watson
, Rosen
Waited: Brees, Rodgers, Brady, Mahomes, Cousins, Lamar, Jimmy G

This is all I could think of off the top of my head, not saying anything specific about these lists just something to help put things in perspective

First of all, I couldn’t agree more with Mase when it comes to fans appreciating the highs when they have them. Part of being a fan is going through the trials and tribulations of being down. It weeds out all of the fair-weather fans and allows true fans to rise to the top.

I will fully admit that I was a band wagon fan in the 90’s when my dad was stationed in Fort Carson, CO. Watching the Broncos win back-to-back Super Bowls made me the life long fan that I am (on top of my idolization of Steve Atwater, of course). I earned my fandom through the coming years as we scratched and clawed our way back to the top….now it’s time for all of those “Peyton Manning” fans that we accrued along the way to run off to the next fad franchise. For me, I will still be here supporting my beloved Broncos until the crest that hill again!

Question: what are your thoughts on Carli Lloyd being a Denver Bronco? I personally would love to beat teams with the first female kicker in NFL history!

!Dont read if RK isn’t there!

Couldn’t help with all this Jokic talk…. y’all realize you aren’t even talking about the best euro player. Luka. That’s all just Luka.

RK – of course CJH and von love playing rivers. Who wouldn’t want to pad their bstats with a few easy sacks and picks?

Was fun to hear mines get a shoutout in pod – Go Miners! Fun fact: first time CU and mines played mines won 103-0!

Maybe rivers grandpa was the qb for CU that day!

There’s a new hot pocket coming out Called the Elway/Fangio pocket. Is a literal piece of bull crap wrApped neatly in a coating of megalomania and seasoned perfectly with a dash of “living in the past” seasoning. Maybe Zac and RK can eat one of these on camera- oh wait they have been doing this at every press conference for the last 8 weeks. Maybe a Mase off l-season “what if” could just be “What if John and Vic had told the truth in 2019!”? What do you say boys?

Love
The Count

Boys this Drew Lock situation is making my brain hurt. I can think of…. (mase backing away from the mic to shout)… 75!…. logical reasons to start Lock ASAP! Okay maybe not 75 but it there is a lot. But sadly, my prediction is that Lock will start only week 16 and 17 allowing Elway to pass on a qb in the upcoming draft. I honestly don’t know how I feel about this. Part of me is infuriated at Elway’s lack of urgency in trying to find the unicorn QB to go toe to toe with Mahomes for the next decade by playing Lock to see what he’s got. While other part of me is fine with them filling holes on the roster through free agency/the draft and rolling into next season with Lock or a “Fitzpatrick like” bridge that will hand over the reigns to Lock eventually.

If they’re sitting him because they think they already know what they have in Lock then I believe that is a positive. Everyone and their mother knew Lock was a project coming out of college and would take time to develop. Their plan was of course to not have him play at all this year. He didn’t exactly light up the preseason but he played decent and improved each game. Then, he doesn’t practice or play for 9 weeks and suddenly he’s not their guy and they want to move on after half a year? That just seems like a stretch. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking but hey, that’s all we Broncos fans have these days.

P.S. the “Rodish” is pronounced Row-Dish. Everyone gets it wrong so don’t feel bad.

I will agree with u guys that you love to hate rivers, I remember when i was a kid, rivers and cutler out at midfield talkin crap to each other, while a field goal was going on, I could have that mixed up but I’m sure mase could tell u what I’m referring to.
Man I miss having those heated and hated rivalry games, and by the way I’ve hated Mahomes since the left handed pass. F mahomes and the chiefs.
Cheers broncos country

1) Mase- an interesting what-if situation for the Broncos this year. What if they traded for Ryan Tannehill instead of Flacco? Draft compensation was the same. His contract was comparable. Where are we right now, if that trade gets made.

2) Vic Fangio reminds me a lot of Mike Zimmer. Do y’all see any similarities?

Zimmer became a first time head coach at 57. Vic, 4 years older at 61. Both have a reputation for being hard-nosed. Both have been called gruff consistently. This quote from Domato Peko in 2016 could easily be about Vic.

“He’s a very stern coach and he demands greatness. He demands you to play well, and that’s why guys were out there making sure we were always on point, always doing things right and trying to get better every day because Zim would come up and ask us every day, ‘What are you going to work on today? What are you going to get better at?'”

3) Mr B

4) I like a lot about Justin Herbert. But one thing I can’t shake is the fact that Herbert’s personality and leadership has been called into question several times over the years. He’s been called ‘aloof’ ‘immature’ ‘quirky’ and *sighs* ‘not a leader of men’ quite frequently. Assuming it’s true, how much stock do y’all put into this? It seems like a young team like ours would benefit a lot from having a QB who could be THE guy.

Greetings from Toronto, Canada. I can’t help but think that maybe the answer to the Lock conundrum is that John Elway is playing 4D Chess with everyone as it pertains to the 2020 NFL draft. One of two possible scenarios:
1. John thinks Lock is the answer but doesn’t want to tip his hand on draft day so he can score a haul of draft capital in a trade down with a QB needy team to trade into the broncos pick. By hiding Lock now he creates doubt about the Broncos intentions with their pick and increases the value of that pick in the draft.
2. John thinks Lock is NOT the answer and really is aiming for one of the top QB prospects in the 2020 draft. By not giving anyone a look at Lock this year, he could be sending up a smokescreen to other teams, saying he’s not interested in first round QB’s next year because they already have their guy in-house. This would hide their real intentions and may make it easier to move up, or stay put for the guy they really want.

Is this all about draft strategy on the part of Elway?

Is it still a BOLD prediction to say Lock will not play this year? It sounds like Fangio is saying they are going to act as if Lock is the starter for next year all through off season. My tin foil hat conspiracy is that they fear that by putting him out for the last few games he will play poorly which will cause the fans and the media to go stir crazy. The coaches might be sold on Lock just from what they’ve seen and want to start him on a fresh year without going through an off season of hearing “Broncos need to draft a QB”, “Lock is a bust”, “Elway shows he can’t be the GM once again”, etc. Either way I don’t trust them until they can prove otherwise. My one question is what have you seen from the players this year that shows you they respect Fangio more than VJ (offense and defense)?

Saw Allbright report broncos tried to trade back into round 1 for Lock – dont remember ever hearing that. Can you share any insight on that?

I want to talk about loyalty, and I am sorry to all if this turns into a long one (it has I am afraid), but all the talk about Rivers has made me think about it once more..

Mase, you dismissed my idea a few weeks back, about having a salary cap increase or hit reduction on players who were drafted by your team (as an example), in an attempt to keep fans rooting for the same players, and at least making it LOOK like players have some sense of loyalty to their team.

Von Miller, can NOT be praised enough for wanting to stay with the team that have backed him, paid him millions, and given him a ring (albeit with a lot of help from him too). We cheer him on, we support him, we even love him, and he’s returning our love, by wanting to be here for the rest of his career. I would be MORTIFIED if he went to the Raiders at ANY point in his career.

So, firstly, what system do you propose that keeps players with ‘their’ team, that stops them from being mercenaries? If this makes the salary cap too complicated, then what other way can we do it? Players get a bonus from the NFL for sticking with a team? Nothing to do with the salary cap, but perhaps they get a bonus from the league that makes them want to stay with their team more? We need to do something to stop them searching for the most money. It feels like they don’t care, which makes us don’t care, getting closer to the apathy you were talking about earlier this week.

Secondly, and this one is to the fans, especially all those wanting to ditch Von or trade him, because he has had a down year; do you CARE that players move from team to team? Do you CARE that he loves our town and our team? He’s been Lights Out since he was drafted, and a below par year should not mean we ditch him. You should love this guy.

Lastly, to everyone who was bigging up a move for Rivers (I think that’s just you Zac), I say that this works in reverse too. A player we have hated for so long, even if their play could help out our ball club, is NOT what we should want. He’s a mortal enemy. Players like Brady we should have respect for, and he’s been respectful to our team and players and organisation, but not Rivers, he’s HATED us for well over a decade. Does Divisional Rival mean nothing?? No, no and NOOOOOO for Rivers, or any divisional rival.

Let’s take the business out of football, and put the passion back in. After all, without the passion, you don’t have a business.

Hey guys what i took away from vics comments on lock is that they want to give him a bigger sample size shot that includes a full offseason and a full season to prove he is the guy, thats why he does not think its important to give him games this season. I think with a full offseason with scangs and making improvments on the o-line he can have a very good season.

By the way there are over 23,000,000 peopple in México city so even if the chargers are not now one of the most followed teams a small % out of that many people is still a lot. Imagine if they grow a fan base over a generation like mase said.

With Allen we dont have very good chance to win but at least he makes it fun.

Keep up the great work

I said last week that I’m done watching the broncos but let’s be honest, what do I have to do this Sunday? I might as well lol I’ll always listen to the pods boys. Can I submit a question to ask John Elway at the press conference? Please ask, “would you consider joe flacco still in his prime?” and that will tell you whether or not we should be worried about his mental state

Hi guys. Ummm Philip Rivers. Really guys? That move will make me refuse to partake in football until he was gone. This drama with Drew is making it hard enough. We need to see Drew in action like you said. After that if he is good we need O Line. If he is bad we need to draft. This whole retread thing with qbs is misery. I feel like Fangio is going to be a good head coach. I think Scangs is starting to get it but has more room to grow. Munchak is working miracles with what he has but needs better talents to get where he wants it to be. Elway as a qb I loved. Elway as a GM I hate. I have at this point found myself not telling people I am a Broncos fan but regularly refer to you guys as my source of all things football when I’m asked what football I follow. I am here for good but in Elway we rust.

I believe there is only one possible explanation for what is going on with Drew Lock, and here it is: The Broncos love Drew Lock and believe he is their franchise QB. Hear me out. I apologize for the long post, but these things need to be said. I will take two weeks off form commenting to make up for it. John Elway was infatuated with Lock for a long time. Before his senior season even started, Benjamin Allbright tweeted that Broncos fans needed to get familiar with the name Drew Lock. Elway then went to see him play multiple times, and it was reported by multiple outlets that Elway was infatuated with Lock. At the senior bowl, it was reported that Elway was following Lock around, and Lock told people that Elway had told him he was going to be a top 10 pick. Everyone interpreted this to mean that Denver would not let him get past 10, so Elway could say this to Lock with complete confidence.
But then things changed when Denver traded for Flacco and believed they had their starter in place for the next few years. With that being the case, they were not going to take a QB at 10. But here’s what people need to remember. As Allbright and others have reported, Denver did try to trade back into the first round to take Lock. After they took Fant at 20, they called every team in the first round trying to get back in so they could get Lock in the first round and get the fifth-year option. For those who ask why the Broncos took Risner before Lock, again it has been reported that Cincinnati was going to take Risner, so the trade with the Bengals only worked if Denver took Risner first. Cincinnati would not have made the trade if Denver had taken Lock. When people say that a second round QB should not preclude you from taking a QB if you’re drafting in the top 10, they have to remember that Denver doesn’t see it that way. They don’t think they have a second round QB; they think they have the best QB from last year’s draft, and a QB who was worthy of going in the top 10. In their minds, they already have the top 10 QB.
Now let’s look at what happened after Lock got to Denver. The first reports are that he spent hours after his first practice barking out plays to himself in the mirror. It was already apparent that they had the anti-Paxton Lynch in the house. Then Lock had a good training camp, and when the preseason started, he showed improvement in every game he played and was clearly on track to lock down the backup spot to Flacco. Then what happened after he got injured? He stared spending 12.5 hours a day at the facility and using the VR equipment to go through every practice twice. So are there really people who believe that after Lock was showing every sign of being exactly who Denver thought he was, Denver has now completely lost faith in him based on something that has happened during the 12.5 hours he spends every day working on the mental aspect of the game? Please. That is total insanity. John Elway wanted Paxton Lynch to be given a chance, and the Broncos knew he was a goofball who wasn’t putting in the work. There was a lot of friction between Elway and Kubiak at the end because Kubiak wouldn’t play Lynch, even in the last game of the season. But this same John Elway is now ready to give up on a guy he was obsessed with for over a year, a guy who is putting in the work and doing everything he’s asked to do, without even seeing him play? Come on.
The reason Fangio can say that it isn’t vitally important for Lock to play this year is that Denver is not planning on taking a QB this year. They believe they have their franchise QB in place, and they never intended for him to play this year. In fact, they probably didn’t even intend for him to play next year. Any narrative that the Broncos don’t like Lock and have soured on him without seeing him play makes no sense at all. If the Broncos thought they might have to take a QB this year, I guarantee they would be trying to get Lock in as soon as possible. The only thing that makes sense is that the Broncos love Lock, believe they have their franchise guy, and are going to bring him in when they think the time is right. We may not agree with their handling of it, but it is absurd to claim that they no longer believe in him.

I just read an article and I have no idea how much of it is true, but it basically laid out how Jerry Jones and Stan Kroenke manipulated and controlled everything with the stadium in CA and forced the Chargers to move to LA when they really didn’t want to. Is there any truth to this that you know of? (ESPN Article BTW)

I am going bold again, Zac and Mase are right. There is going to be a late week switch and Drew is going to be the back up but he will start Week 13 to give Allen and Lock equal looks. This is the game we break 24. Everyone says low scoring defensive game but I believe the Vikings D is as good if not better then the bills and that was 23 with a complete meltdown in the second half.

My last bold prediction, Noah Fant takes and end around for positive yards!! Then it will be a staple play in every game

Go Broncos

Bold Predication for the Bills game: Diontae Spencer returns a punt return for a TD AND Andre Roberts returns a kickoff for a TD. That’s all. Keep up the good work

Much like Ryan being on the podcast, I too used to think that charger fans were only a Myth but it’s TRUE! They absolutely exist, they’re just a very apathetic bunch. I discovered this when the station I was working for at the time got the broadcasting righs for the then San Diego Chargers games out here in Palm Springs, CA. Here’s a telling sign on where football sits in California. While at my old station I would produce the Rams, Raiders and Chargers broadcasts. The Rams have the premier spot on the local ESPN affiliate. The Raiders were given to our crappy generic hard rock station, and the chargers relegated to the ultra conservative talk radio station.

With all these narratives out there, I am still on the #Bomb4Fromm train. He has that dreaded “game manager” label on him, but that’s really all Georgia needs him to be as they are set up to win around him. I drive this train until the wheels come off!

I dont believe that the front office believe in drew. I think theyre just incompetent ive accepted it and its better for my mental state that trying to understand the logic of fools. Also we are wasting our breath with talking about a new quarterback next year its drew there is no way they are getting a real eval on him in what maybe 2 or 3 games.

Somebody yesterday said they didn’t want to sign “Crybaby Rivers” and I just had to point out the missed opportunity for “Cry me a Rivers”. That being said, I would be much more worried about the more Elway-esque moves of signing Dalton, Newton or Eli ?

Hope i can sneak this one in.

I love Punter talk, everyone acts like they are not important but, as soon as a punter starts shanking kicks, they become the big news.

Punters are important because field position is important.

Draft a Punter, then sign 5 UDFA punters. Trade for 3 more and have them hash it out. I DO NOT CARE.

Both Britton Colquitt and Riley Dixon knew how to punt… Get me a Punter!

#PinThemDeep

I know we’re beating a dead horse here with Drew Lock, but of all the scenarios you’ve run through for a reason why he wouldn’t be active I can’t help but think that this is just an over-reaction and over-correction to Paxton Lynch. I think Elway and co. are scared to miss yet again on a QB and want to prevent any chance Lock is even available to be seen in a game where he could fail. I have totally bought in to the idea Elway is as dead set on sitting him all year as Sonny Weaver Jr was on taking Vontee Mack in Draft Day. It may not be the best decision but Elway has proven he’s stubborn enough to do it. I don’t think we see him in action until 2020 and we roll with Allen until the wheels fall off (so maybe week 14?).

Oh, and as for Rivers in Denver? Do you really want someone who couldn’t beat Maryland in four years at NC State (0-4)? Nope! Can’t teach a cry baby new tricks.

Hey Gents,

I’ve been listening to you guys for about a year since I came home from my last deployment and finally made the big push to subscribe. I’ve been hearing you guys talk up this Strawberry Sky beer so much that I put in on my Christmas List to my wife. I live right outside Hershey, Pennsylvania and was wondering if you have tried Yuengling’s Hershey’s Chocolate Porter. It a seasonal beer and tastes like you are eating a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar. You guys have to try it. I promise it will change your life.

On a serious note, I am wondering what it would take for serious changes in personnel to occur at Broncos HQ. Towards the beginning of the season I heard many media outlets talk about if the Joe Flacco experiment fails heads would roll. Well Flacco was a complete failure to no one’s surprise except Elway. Now Fangio is talking about how Drew playing this year is not vital, while every person not named Vangio or Elway knows that is a terrible idea. I think we should all create a Go Fund Me page to buy a blimp that will fly over Broncos HQ every day with a picture of Elway’s face on a donkey’s rear end until something changes. I love Elway and no one can take away what he has done for this organization, but it is time for change!

Sorry for the long post, just had to get this off my chest.

I have loved the Denver Broncos for as many of my 42 years as I can remember. I cried when they lost super bowls as a kid, cried when they finally won and proudly wear a Broncos tattoo on my shoulder….that being said……if they don’t start Drew Lock soon I AM GONNA LOSE MY F’ING MIND! What in God’s name are they waiting for? I can’t believe there is a part of me that will be OK with the Broncos losing on Sunday because I feel like its the only way Lock has a chance to play. Truly mind boggling what Elway and staff are doing here. WE NEED TO SEE WHAT HE CAN DO! Also Mase, thanks for calling out Wadman. I have been texting my brother all year that he needs to go. Nothing more frustrating than having the TV cameras pan BACK to the line of scrimmage on a punt AKA, they are too damn short. Keep up the great work guys, and next time you are in Nashville beers are on me!