Denver, CO

Fans Hope Sean Payton Heard Broncos OC’s Comment on Marvin Mims Jr.

Published

4 days ago

September 22, 2024

Fans Hope Sean Payton Heard Broncos OC’s Comment on Marvin Mims Jr.

The Denver Broncos parted ways with 2020 first-round wideout Jerry Jeudy this past offseason, to the collective relief of many. The expectation was that in his second year, Marvin Mims Jr. would settle into Jeudy’s vacated role because his confidence would be sky-high after making the Pro Bowl as a rookie return specialist.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton then doubled down by taking wideout Troy Franklin to add even more speed to the mix. While it’s troubling that neither Mims nor Franklin has made an impact yet, Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi isn’t pressing the panic button. Lombardi still wants to see that speed on the field.

“I hope it’s a lot. You have to certainly pay attention to when they’re on the field and make sure that we have some balance between run and pass,” Lombardi said of Mims and Franklin. “Both of those guys are good enough route runners, they don’t always have to run deep. You want to keep track of your tendencies, but I think they’re both. That speed is important, and it loosens up the defense so having them on the field is important.”

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The Broncos’ inability to stretch the field has been an open secret for opponents, and it’s happening for several reasons. The opposition stays close to the line of scrimmage with impunity and worrying frequency.

Payton will have to get his thinking cap on, but with Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey now out injured and the O-line struggling badly anyway, the jury is out on how much time it can afford rookie quarterback Bo Nix.

Payton is trying to solve these pressing riddles by juggling some of his personnel groupings and hoping for addition by subtraction.

“I think reducing the variables can help,” Payton said this week. “It’s something that I think you have to look at as a coach. You have to start, ‘All right, what could we do better?’ I think that’s one of the things that we’ve talked about quite a bit. How do we reduce the variables, and then who’s doing it? Those two things I would point to.”

Juggling his roster is one thing, but Payton’s decision to release trusted veteran Tim Patrick also looks like it hurt the wide receiver room and limited what the Broncos’ pass-catchers can do. Courtland Sutton has seemingly been drowning in detail and making rookie-like mistakes as a result. Payton addressed the complexity of his assignments this week.

“Early on – he plays ‘X’, but he can play other spots,” Payton said of Sutton. “A lot of it gets back to the third downs. Tonight we’ll be game planning third down, and we have to be better in that area to add more snaps throughout the course of the game.”

Somewhat ironically, the failure to get Mims going is giving Broncos fans some uncomfortable flashbacks to last year when it was a weekly occurrence to hear Payton insist he would get Jeudy more looks, though it never materialized. The rumors still persist that Mims is still stuck in Payton’s dog house for whatever reason.

Sitting winless and facing an aggressive Tampa Bay defense on Sunday, it might be time that Payton buries the hatchet — if there is one. After all, single-digit snaps on offense for Mims is not cutting the mustard.

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Denver, CO

Broadway in downtown Denver shut down for more than an hour during morning rush, but nobody knows why

Published

2 hours ago

September 26, 2024

Press Room

Broadway in downtown Denver shut down for more than an hour during morning rush, but nobody knows why

Broadway shut down for more than an hour during morning rush

00:22

Slow traffic on Broadway isn’t unusual on weekday mornings, but Thursday was particularly frustrating for drivers as they approached the state Capitol. Despite a sign warning of only an approaching left lane closure, it turns out the entire street was closed between Colfax and 14th Street.

Broadway was closed from approximately 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Denver police officers routed drivers east and west on Colfax to get around the closure.

Broadway was shut down in downtown Denver but nobody seems to know why.

CBS

CBS News Colorado asked the Denver Police Department why Broadway was closed, but the media relations unit told us they had no calls for service and that perhaps the closure was due to an event. CBS News Colorado checked with the Civic Center Conservancy, but they were unaware of any events on Thursday morning.

DOTI, which is Denver’s Department of Traffic and Infrastructure, has not yet responded to requests for information. Neither has RTD, which operates the Civic Center Station a block-and-a-half away.

Colorado State Patrol has jurisdiction over the state Capitol, but they also had no knowledge of the closure.

CBS News Colorado will continue to seek answers, but it’s looking like this closure may remain a mystery.

Laura Phillips

Laura Phillips is the Managing Editor at CBS News Colorado. She oversees the station’s daily news coverage and works closely with the reporters.

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Denver, CO

Broncos 2024 NFL power rankings tracker: How national experts rank Denver entering Week 4

Published

13 hours ago

September 26, 2024

Press Room

Broncos 2024 NFL power rankings tracker: How national experts rank Denver entering Week 4

It took six games, but the Broncos finally won a game in September under head coach Sean Payton.

Denver beat Tampa, 26-7, on Sunday and for the first time all season, every aspect of the team seemed to be clicking. The defense came up with a season-high seven sacks and a pair of takeaways. And running back Tyler Badie may be the answer to the team’s stagnant run game.

Now, can they replicate that performance against the Jets on Sunday?

Here’s a look at how various national experts rated the Broncos in their power rankings entering Week 4:

The Athletic (No. 28) | Last week: No. 30

“Bo Nix was Sunday’s best rookie quarterback”

“And he’s been the second-best this season. The competition is not as tough as we imagined it would be in April, but still. Nix is second among all quarterbacks this season in rushing (107 yards) and was efficient from the pocket Sunday as Denver got its first win. With Caleb Williams’ struggles, Nix is behind only Jayden Daniels in terms of rookie quarterback value so far,” Josh Kendall writes. See the full rankings.

Bleacher Report (No. 27) | Last week: No. 30

“The first two professional starts for rookie quarterback Bo Nix of the Broncos were rough. But Sunday in Tampa, the former Oregon and Auburn standout gave Denver fans some signs of what the future might hold under center in the Mile High City.” See the full rankings.

CBS Sports (No. 22) | Last week: No. 30

“Sean Payton showed he owns the Bucs with Todd Bowles as coach. That was a clinic. Bo Nix is getting better,” Pete Prisco writes. See the full rankings.

ESPN (No. 27) | Last week: No. 30

“Coach Sean Payton admitted it has been difficult finding a running back rotation that works, especially if Tyler Badie’s flashes are a sign of something bigger. Badie leads the team’s backs with 86 yards on only 10 carries, while Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin are each averaging just 2.2 yards per carry. Much like we saw from Badie in training camp, he patiently waits for openings before popping a big run — such as the 43-yarder in Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers. But Payton has said he typically leans on two-back rotations, whether it’s ‘right, wrong or indifferent.’ Trying to kick-start an inconsistent run game with three backs has proved challenging,” Jeff Legwold writes. See the full rankings.

NFL.com (No. 22) | Last week: No. 30

“Bo Nix played his best NFL game, top to bottom, and he looked remarkably comfortable at times — especially compared to the more chaotic feel the offense had in Weeks 1 and 2. The offensive line protected Nix well, and he made quality snap decisions and delivered very catchable balls more often than not. The run game did just enough, thanks to Nix’s scrambling, Jaleel McLaughlin’s miracle TD early and Tyler Badie’s fine work in the fourth quarter. And how about Denver’s defense? Patrick Surtain II clamped down on Mike Evans, and the front pressured Baker Mayfield relentlessly, to the tune of seven sacks and 18 pressures, per Next Gen Stats. Mayfield threw 33 times, but the longest pass play Denver allowed was for just 13 yards. This win was much-needed after the Broncos let a pair of close games slip away to start the year,” Eric Edholm writes. See the full rankings.

Pro Football Focus (No. 28) | Last week: No. 27

“The Broncos got off the mark in the win column with a competent and convincing win against the Buccaneers, with rookie quarterback Bo Nix earning a 74.1 grade. The defense has been equally impressive through three games and is eighth in EPA per play allowed (-0.173),” Thomas Valentine writes. See the full rankings.

Pro Football Talk (No. 21) | Last week: No. 29

“Well, now things are getting interesting,” Mike Florio writes. See the full rankings.

Sports Illustrated (No. 27) | Last week: No. 31

“I appreciated Sean Payton’s willingness to take the ball off the coin toss and place the game on Bo Nix’s shoulders. Nix has had by far the most ruthless start for rookie quarterbacks in terms of opponents — Seattle, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, and the Jets in Week 4 — and he has turned in two close losses and Sunday’s win,” Conor Orr writes. See the full rankings.

USA Today (No. 22) | Last week: No. 30

“Maybe they’re due a little more respect after facing three teams with a combined 8-1 record, the lone loss the Broncos’ shocking shellacking of the Bucs on Sunday,” Nate Davis writes. See the full rankings.

Yahoo! Sports (No. 28) | Last week: No. 30

“Running back Tyler Badie had 70 yards on nine carries Sunday. Javonte Williams has 52 yards on 24 carries through three games. Bo Nix had a nice breakout Sunday. He still needs support from the run game, and maybe Badie will be the next man up for that job,” Frank Schwab writes. See the full rankings.

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Originally Published: September 26, 2024 at 5:45 a.m.

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