Immediately after the Denver Broncos fired former special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica in January, speculation started that Sean Payton could hire Darren Rizzi as the club’s new special teams coach.
Last week, KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis reported that Rizzi “is in line” to get the ST job in Denver if he does not become the new head coach of the New Orleans Saints. That report has since been confirmed by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The Saints are expected to hire Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as their new head coach after the Super Bowl. That would leave Rizzi available to land with the Broncos.
“As the #Saints zero in on Kellen Moore, slated to have another conversation with him after the Super Bowl, interim coach Darren Rizzi is likely to become the new #Broncos special teams coordinator, sources say,” Rapoport tweeted last week.
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Rizzi, 54, served as a special teams coordinator under Payton in New Orleans and he was promoted to interim head coach last fall after the Saints fired Dennis Allen. He is now expected to reunite with Payton in Denver sometime after the Super Bowl.
The Denver Broncos have made significant work of the fourth quarter this season. Denver has outscored opponents 80-26 in the final 15 minutes during their six-game win streak, which have led to some heart-pounding games from the Broncos this year. Denver has scored 96 points in the final 15 minutes this season, tied with the Green Bay Packers for the most in the NFL.
In Sunday’s win over the Houston Texans, the Broncos entered the final frame down 15-7, before promptly scoring a touchdown and two-point conversion to tie the game with just over 12 minutes left. Bo Nix then led a final Denver drive to kick the game-winning field goal as time expired. Sunday marked the Broncos’ fourth fourth quarter comeback this year, tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the most this season. Twitter lit up after Nix’s latest great escape.
The Broncos now have a short week to prepare for the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday Night Football.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
There is a distinct before and after the night of Nov. 1, 1955, when a United Airlines flight exploded over a sugar beet field near Longmont, killing all 44 people on board in one of the deadliest mass murders in Colorado history.
There is before Susan Morgan lost her parents, Stewart and Anne, at 12 years old because a Denver man, Jack Gilbert Graham, put a homemade bomb in his mother’s suitcase.
Graham bought a life insurance policy as he escorted his mother, Daisie King, to the gate for United Airlines Flight 629 at Stapleton Airport. She unknowingly carried 25 sticks of dynamite, timed to explode after the Portland, Oregon-bound flight took off.
There is before Dave Benedict learned, at 3 years old, that he would never meet his grandparents, James and Sarah Dorey, because they were killed when a bomb exploded on their flight to visit him for the first time.
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Now 70 years after the bombing of Flight 629, families of the 44 victims gathered at the former Stapleton control tower for the unveiling of Colorado’s first memorial to the tragedy.
“Today’s commemoration is not just about what happened in 1955, it’s about who we became because of it,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek told hundreds of people gathered at the FlyteCo Tower on Saturday morning.
A military aircraft flies over a large American flag hanging above dozens of supporters and family members attending the United Flight 629 Memorial dedication at the FlyteCo Tower on Nov. 1, 2025, in Denver. (Photo By Kathryn Scott/Special to The Denver Post)
It was also about healing, Benedict said. He thought this weekend would include a dinner, maybe, and was at a loss for words to describe what the ceremonies and events organized by the Denver Police Museum and dozens of other organizations and volunteers meant to him.
“The ability to listen to other people’s stories and to hear what carrying 70 years of unspoken pain has been like… we’re hearing that over and over again,” he said. “Very few of the victims’ children or spouses had any context in which to talk about this, to work through it or process it, so that’s happening now.”
In the decades after losing her parents, Morgan came to realize she also had lost her life as she knew it and who she thought she would become, she said.
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Family members watch as red roses are place on a new memorial in front of the FlyteCo Tower, the former airport control tower, in honor of those killed aboard United Flight 629 in 1955. Dozens of supporters and family members of those who were aboard the flight, gather for a 70th Anniversary Memorial Dedication on Nov. 1, 2025 in Denver. (Photo By Kathryn Scott/Special to The Denver Post)
But even knowing the darkness that became part of her life, Morgan told the crowd of families, first responders, investigators and court officials, she cannot wish that it never happened. That she had never created her “second family,” or viewed the world with clear eyes.
Family members and supporters watch as red roses are placed on a new memorial in front of the FlyteCo Tower, the former airport control tower, in honor of those killed aboard United Flight 629 in 1955. The dozens of supporters and family members of those who were aboard the flight, gather for a 70th Anniversary Memorial Dedication on Nov. 1, 2025 in Denver. (Photo By Kathryn Scott/Special to The Denver Post)
“I’m among a large group of people whose lives have been scarred by the same tragedy as mine,” Morgan said. “That sense of something shared is a remarkable thing.”
It’s not clear why it took so long to create a memorial to the bombing, although some officials on Saturday speculated the scattered nature of the victims’ families – only one, Daisie King, was from Colorado – played a part.
But each one had a story, former Denver Police Department Deputy Chief William Nagle told the crowd. Nagle read out name after name, describing the life behind each one.
Capt. Lee Hall, a World War II veteran who was planning to retire early. He left behind a wife and four children.
Helen Fitzpatrick, who was flying with her 13-month-old son, James, so he could meet his father and namesake while he was deployed in Japan.
They were restaurant owners, general contractors, car salesmen. Folks taking the first airplane trip of their lives.
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“What is important now is that we tell the story of each of these 44 lives,” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston told the crowd.
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DENVER — A Denver woman turned her backyard into an emergency food pantry on Halloween, hoping to fill a need while federal food assistance remains uncertain.
Joanna Rosa-Saenz organized the grassroots food drive after hearing about food insecurity in her northwest Denver neighborhood.
“We live in America. We shouldn’t be hungry, we shouldn’t be hungry,” said Rosa-Saenz. “And I don’t want anyone on my block to be hungry.”
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Donations starting to pile up in Joanna Rosa-Saenz’s backyard.
Federal judges in two separate cases ruled Friday that the Trump administration cannot suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the government shutdown.
The Massachusetts ruling came after about two dozen states sued the federal government, arguing the Agriculture Department’s plan to halt all SNAP payments starting Nov. 1 would unlawfully cut off aid to millions of low-income families.
The Agriculture Department had argued it could not legally tap contingency funds to keep the program running. But the judge disagreed and ordered the agency to report back by Monday on how it will fund benefits. Under the ruling, payments could still be temporarily reduced depending on available funds.
Around the same time, the Massachusetts decision was issued, a federal judge in Rhode Island delivered a similar ruling from the bench. That case was brought by cities and nonprofit groups, and the court likewise found the administration must use available funds to continue providing benefits.
President Donald Trump indicated his administration would comply with the rulings, but accused the courts of issuing conflicting opinions and is seeking more clarity on how SNAP should be funded.
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Judges say Trump administration can’t suspend SNAP benefits during shutdown
Despite the rulings, it’s unclear when and how much assistance will be given out for the month of November.
With the need still there, Rosa-Saenz opened her backyard to the public Friday afternoon and asked the community to drop off canned goods while trick-or-treating.
The emergency food pantry now holds essential items like canned and dry goods, personal hygiene products and baby items.
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Joanna Rosa-Saenz organizing donations in her Denver backyard.
Rosa-Saenz, a single mother of three, told Denver7 she understands the challenges many families are facing today because she is a former SNAP recipient.
“I remember having to stand in line for a food box, things like that,” Rosa-Saenz said.
But to get the food drive up and running, Rosa-Saenz knew she needed help. Several nonprofits joined the effort, including Lacy McDonald, executive director of Outer Haven, a nonprofit working to reduce youth inequities.
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Pictured: Lacy McDonald, executive director of Outer Haven.
“One phone call can turn into this,” said McDonald. “And this is just a little snippet, so think what we could do together as a whole city.”
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Before trick-or-treating started Friday night, more than 900 pounds of food had been collected for Rosa-Saenz’s backyard.
“That’s what community is,” she said. “Community is stepping up, working together and really making unity in the community.”
Scripps News Group contributed to this report.
If you would like to donate, below is a list of donation locations:
4229 Irving St. in Denver.
Open from Nov 1 through Nov. 10
Donations can be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily
5123 Chase St. in Denver
Open from Oct. 31 through Nov. 2
Please place donations at the end of the driveway
Moonflower Coffee, located at 4200 W Colfax Ave. in Denver
Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
These are the most needed items:
Ramen, pasta, rice, cereal
Canned tuna, chicken, beans, soup
Canned fruits & veggies
Peanut butter & jelly
Baby food, formula, diapers & wipes
Menstrual products, toothpaste & soap
Denver7 Gives has created a campaign to help Coloradans struggling with food insecurity. Click on the form below and select “Help Fight Food Insecurity“ to donate.