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Keeler: Broncos should’ve given Nathaniel Hackett’s keys to Jerry Rosburg sooner

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Keeler: Broncos should’ve given Nathaniel Hackett’s keys to Jerry Rosburg sooner


That crew? That crew doesn’t lose to Josh McDaniels twice. No means. No how.

The Week 18 model of the Broncos, Jerry Rosburg’s model of the Broncos, finds a approach to end at Tennessee and at Baltimore. It will by no means have dug itself an enormous gap, at residence, in opposition to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.

As soon as is probability, however twice is a sample, youngsters. The Broncos that defeated the playoff-bound Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday had been reduce from the identical jib that scared the dwelling cheeseburgers out of Chiefs coach Andy Reid in Week 17.

In opposition to a Chargers crew that saved rolling out its starters within the face of standard knowledge, logic and coach Brandon Staley’s sanity, Denver was bodily on the level of assault (205 speeding yards). With a patchwork offensive line in opposition to Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, it in some way saved quarterback Russell Wilson (two sacks allowed) comparatively intact.

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The Broncos turned wideout Jerry Jeudy free (154 receiving yards, 39 speeding yards) and made tailback Latavius Murray (103 speeding yards on 15 carries), who turns 33 on Jan. 18, look 25 once more.

The soccer at Empower Area was air-tight, frenetic and enjoyable. A 12-loss Broncos crew led a 10-win Chargers crew with all these starters by 11 factors roughly 4 minutes into the fourth quarter. The Mile Excessive crowd that remained for the beginning of the ultimate stanza sang alongside to John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain Excessive” with full-throated glory as if the earlier 17 weeks of torture occurred to anyone else.

Ought to Rosburg have had the providers of a reliable punt returner over the ultimate 9 minutes, his guys would’ve wiped that model spanking new ground at Mile Excessive with the Bolts’ collective backsides.

“(The) type of soccer we performed is the type that I imagine is profitable soccer,” Rosburg mentioned after the Broncos’ 31-28 victory, his first-ever as an NFL head coach and a profitable completion of two weeks as an interim substitute for the fired Nathaniel Hackett.

“Watch that … you run the ball, (you) have the explosive performs we talked about final week … they had been attempting to run the ball, they couldn’t, and that put us in such a significantly better scenario. That’s profitable soccer.”

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Certain was. To the final. Frankly, it was the sort of soccer that made you surprise, in hindsight, why the heck the Broncos didn’t hand the keys to Rosburg sooner.

“I believe initially, the factor that coach Rosburg actually confirmed is his expertise of profitable, the expertise of profitable on the highest stage, profitable a Tremendous Bowl … solely so many individuals get to try this,” mentioned Wilson, who appeared to thrive throughout Rosburg’s fortnight in cost. “And that goes a good distance. I imply, to know what it seems like, feels like, smells like, talks like — you already know, all that. And I believe all of that has been actually superior to look at and expertise.”

They seemed like grown-ups, led by a grown-up. In Weeks 17 and 18, the Broncos dedicated six penalties mixed — three in every sport — for a median of 29.5 yards per contest.

Context: The Broncos had been flagged six instances throughout Week 16’s Christmas Day Bloodbath alone. Denver dedicated a median of 5.4 penalties within the 5 video games — all losses — that came about instantly after that victory over playoff-bound Jacksonville in London. They dedicated 25 penalties in Hackett’s first two video games in cost.

Would the Broncos be a postseason crew now in the event that they’d turned issues over to Rosburg’s regular arms after the Week 9 bye, with a report of 3-5 and previous wounds nonetheless festering? Perhaps.

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However they wouldn’t have dropped 5 straight video games. Heck, no. Defensive deal with Mike Purcell wouldn’t have confronted Wilson publicly the way in which he did at Carolina, the primary indicators of the locker-room fissures that will finally value Hackett his job after that 51-14 shellacking by SpongeBob SquarePants and the Rams.

Based mostly on the final two video games, it’s not onerous to think about them trying like Vegas did within the second half of final season, when interim Wealthy Bisaccia calmed the post-Gruden Raiders to a 7-5 end and gorgeous postseason berth.

“I’ve a robust perception in a sure type of soccer,” Rosburg, the 67-year-old interim, who’d been employed simply this previous September to assist Hackett’s shoddy sport administration, defined quietly.

“I prefer to see us run the ball. I prefer to see us play bodily run protection and reject the run. And I prefer to see us be affected person. I prefer to see us hit large performs and get the ball in your playmakers’ arms … I suppose, one phrase (could be) imaginative and prescient — that (type) suits my imaginative and prescient.”

It’s the sort of type that ought to grant Rosburg, on the very least, an interview with GM George Paton for the everlasting gig. And the sort of imaginative and prescient that Sean Payton, Jim Harbaugh, Dan Quinn — or whoever’s subsequent — could be silly to not construct upon.

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Denver, CO

Avalanche beats Flyers behind Samuel Girard, Nathan MacKinnon goals to win consecutive games for first time in a month

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Avalanche beats Flyers behind Samuel Girard, Nathan MacKinnon goals to win consecutive games for first time in a month


Perhaps Sunday marked the Avs getting their mojo back after a roller-coaster January underscored by a 7-6-2 record and the blockbuster trade of Mikko Rantanen to Carolina.

The Avs weathered a grinding opening period to pull away for a 2-0 victory over the Flyers at Ball Arena. Samuel Girard’s goal put the Avs ahead, Nathan MacKinnon’s power-play netter gave them cushion and Mackenzie Blackwood posted a second straight shutout as Colorado won consecutive games for the first time in a month.

As Colorado sits in fourth place in the Central Division and atop the wild card standings, coach Jared Bednar hopes that this weekend’s two-game homestand is a momentum builder for the club. Colorado routed St. Louis 5-0 on Friday, thus outscoring its pair of opponents 7-0 over the set of games.

“We’s been bouncing around for 16 games, and there’s always games you feel like we should’ve gotten a better result than we did, and there’s games where we feel like we didn’t get enough in order to win them,” Bednar said.

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“I want us to be stringing together performances like we just did over the last two, or better, and see where it takes us. I’m confident that we understand where we’re at, and the importance of each game. Now it’s time to go out and repeat it again and again and again (on the upcoming road trip) before we take our break.”

Philadelphia controlled the momentum early, tallying the game’s first six shots before Colorado finally started to find its footing. Blackwood called the Avs’ start “a little bit sleepy,” while Bednar labeled it “too safe, too vanilla.”

The Avs had several good looks in the opening period, but Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson turned them away each time and Blackwood also stopped 10 shots as the the teams took a 0-0 score into the intermission.

“There was nothing wrong with it defensively, but we were just out there seeing how it goes,” Bendar said. “In the second period, we got much more dangerous after there was some detail lacking (on offense) in the first period.”

In the second, Colorado started consistently beating the Flyers to loose pucks and doing a much better job of controlling possession than they did in the opening minutes of the game. They continued to press Ersson, but he stood his ground, including denying what looked like a sure goal by Martin Necas.

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The recently acquired center was perched in front of the crease on the weak side of the net, but Ersson slid over and stuffed the attempt to keep it scoreless after MacKinnon’s threaded pass found Necas’ stick.

A couple minutes later, Philadelphia had a chance to take the lead with a two-on-one rush but couldn’t covert as Scott Laughton’s errant shot went wide right. Colorado immediately gained possession and pushed the puck up ice.

Casey Mittelstadt skated with the puck down the left side and found Girard streaking down a void in the center of the ice. Girard took the pass, made a slick move to bypass the defender in front of him and then ripped off a slap shot that beat Ersson on the left side of the net to make it 1-0.

“(Taking chances to shoot) is something I need to be better at personally,” said Girard, who had two goals on the season coming into Sunday. “I need to put more pucks on the net, knowing it’s probably going to create some rebounds for us. … Today I was better at trying to find that shooting lane and just put a puck on the net.”

Colorado kept up the pressure following Girard’s goal, while Blackwood continued to stonewall.

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With four minutes left in the period, a clean game to that point finally saw its first penalty. A hooking call on the Flyers resulted in a 2-0 lead for the Avs after MacKinnon wristed one home from the left faceoff circle that beat Ersson in the top right shelf. The score was assisted by Cale Makar, while Jonathan Drouin screened Ersson’s vision in front of the net.

In the third, the Avs had multiple chances to extend the lead to three, but it was no matter. The defense played well, limiting Philadelphia’s clean looks and killing a power play, while Blackwood made six more saves to cement the win. That included preserving the shutout as the Flyers pulled the goalie for the final few minutes.

“The mentality the last two games is to play like it’s the playoffs, and we’re going to keep going with how we played in the second and third periods today, and how we played (on Friday),” Girard said.

Colorado now heads on a three-city Canadian road trip this week to Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton before the NHL goes on break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Avs’ next home game is Feb. 26 vs. New Jersey.

The Avs might lean heavily on Blackwood during the road trip, as fellow goalie Scott Wedgewood is day-to-day with an upper body injury. Wedgewood, who last played in a 3-1 loss in Boston on Jan. 25, will be traveling with the team this week.

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“It’s definitely getting good to have momentum going on the road,” Casey Mittelstadt said, “because we’re going to play some good teams and we’ve got to be ready to go.”

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Denver theatre company features Colorado community with all local cast and crew

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Denver theatre company features Colorado community with all local cast and crew


Denver theatre company features Colorado community with all local cast and crew – CBS Colorado

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Denver’s performing arts complex is always bustling with high-energy shows and performances. But the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company’s productions have a special focus on the community with all local cast, crew, sets and costumes.

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Peyton Manning Reacts to Bo Nix Skipping the Pro Bowl

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Peyton Manning Reacts to Bo Nix Skipping the Pro Bowl


With the Pro Bowl quarterbacks dropping out like flies, Denver Broncos rookie Bo Nix — voted an alternate in December — had the invitation to go fill a spot. Nix declined due to undergoing a “minor” procedure back home.

It would have been nice to have a Pro Bowl on Nix’s resume already. However, according to Peyton Manning, there are other benefits to the Pro Bowl games that Nix unfortunately opted to forgo.

“I wish he could have come down here,” Manning said via Denver Sports‘ Andrew Mason. “I think this would have benefited him to be around pros like Joe Burrow. Anyway, [he had a] great first year, and sky’s the limit for him.”

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In a perfect world, Nix would surely have loved to spend time around ‘Coach’ Manning and the other high-level AFC quarterbacks like Burrow. But delaying the “routine and minor” cleanup procedure this past week would have kicked the can down the road and risked further exacerbating the issue.

Nix suffered a transverse process fracture in his back in Week 12, and played through the injury. While mum’s been the word on exactly what Nix is having “cleaned up,” it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to deduce it might have something to do with his back.

Obviously, Nix opted to bite the bullet on the procedure now, despite the cost of declining the Pro Bowl, to allow himself the maximum amount of time possible to recover before OTAs roll around, which is followed by the grueling training camp experience, then the 17-game war of attrition that is the regular season.

Basically, Nix put the Broncos first, before the Pro Bowl accolade, and that should be an encouraging thing to fans. He wasn’t slathering to get the a Pro Bowl next to his name on Wikipedia. He wants to be 100% healthy to help the Broncos take the next step in 2025.

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Nix was the first quarterback to lead the Broncos to the playoffs since Manning in 2015. Manning joined the Broncos as a free agent in 2012, and led the team to four straight AFC West crowns, two AFC Championships, and won a Super Bowl.

Manning held the rookie passing touchdown record for 10-plus years before Russell Wilson tied him in 2012 (26). Baker Mayfield broke the record in 2018 with 27, which was followed by Justin Herbert obliterating the mark in 2020.

Nix passed for 29 touchdowns, the second-most in NFL history for a rookie, and just three short of breaking Herbert’s mark. In more ways than one, Nix’s rookie year was historic.

He reset the Broncos rookie record books, and joined John Elway in several distinctions and milestones. Best of all, he finally led the Broncos out of the doldrums, after wandering the quarterback desert for nearly a decade post-Manning.

Something tells me this won’t be Nix’s last chance to rub elbows with the NFL’s top quarterbacks at the Pro Bowl.

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