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Keeler: Marvin Mims Jr., let’s ride! Broncos Country needs hero now that Tim Patrick is lost to another season-ending injury.

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Keeler: Marvin Mims Jr., let’s ride! Broncos Country needs hero now that Tim Patrick is lost to another season-ending injury.


On a cloudy day in Broncos Country, the silver lining won the day by simply walking away on his own two feet.

“He’s doing well. He’s feeling good,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of rookie wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr., who returned to the practice field Monday after a hamstring issue.

“You are going to see him more and more this week. He’s going to be ramping up. We’re encouraged.”

The rest of the forecast? Hide your eyes. The Broncos’ wide receivers room doesn’t need a coach right now. It needs an exorcist.

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Speedster KJ Hamler revealed he’s battling pericarditis, a condition that involves swelling or irritation of the lining around the heart, which is awful enough. And yet that somehow wasn’t the worst of it.

On the first day of contact at Broncos training camp, the most crushing blow of the day came high from light wind and low from a patch of slippery grass.

You can’t make this stuff up. Veteran wideout Tim Patrick appeared to slip during 7-on-7 drills while trying to plant.  Left Achilles tear, sources tell The Post’s Parker Gabriel. On Aug. 2, 2022, a year ago Wednesday, Big 81 went for a pass down the sideline and blew his right anterior cruciate ligament in the process.

Patrick is a class act, win or lose, the sort of undrafted-player-makes-good tale you root for, the kind of professional adored by teammates and respected by cynical reporters alike. The football gods got this one wrong.

But whenever the NFL ecosystem closes a window, it inevitably opens a door, too. You just hope Mims, a 5-foot-11 quick-twitch type and second-round pick out of Oklahoma, has the wheels to run through it.

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Patrick’s return for 2023 was supposed to make Mims a luxury item. Now?

Now the kid might become a necessity.

In a perfect world, the rook could ease his way onto the field while ramping up to the game’s speed and physicality gradually. He could be tried out in different slots and scenarios because Patrick could be trusted to handle the dirty work, the grunt stuff, down low. The quick hitches. The sideline outs. The red-zone acrobatics.

The Broncos are missing a burner in Hamler and a “hands” guy in Patrick. A reported 4.38-second time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this year gives you hope for Mims on the speed front.

But where Big Russ needs the most help going forward is probably on third downs and short fields, when the Broncos’ offense ran the gamut from completely pathetic to darkly comic.

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Patrick has been more steady than spectacular since he worked his way onto the depth chart, but the steady has been very, very steady. His drop percentages, per Pro-Football-Reference:

2020: 0.0% on 79 targets

2021: 3.5% on 85 targets

Courtland Sutton’s drop percentages, same source:

2021: 3.1% on 98 targets

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2022: 8.3% on 109 targets

Jerry Jeudy’s drop rate:

2021: 1.5% on 56 targets

2022: 5.0% on 100 targets

Ex-Saint Marquez Callaway ticks some boxes. He knows Payton. He knows the system. He brings decent size (6-2, 204) to the table.

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As for Callaway’s hands? Well …

2021: 4.8% drop rate on 84 targets

2022: 9.4% on 32 targets

And there’s the rub. Jeudy’s on the cusp of stardom. Sutton’s on the cusp of being labeled as the most overpaid wideout in the league. Big Russ needs a safety blanket. Payton needs a hero.

Broncos Country needs one, too.

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Is that fair to Mims in the big picture? Heck, no. Then again, NFL karma has never had much time for “fair” once the pads come out. Just ask Patrick.

Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.



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Denver, CO

Denver extends cold-weather homeless shelter hours ahead of snow

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Denver extends cold-weather homeless shelter hours ahead of snow


Denver is expanding its homeless shelter offerings Monday afternoon through Wednesday morning, as cold weather and snow threaten residents sleeping outdoors.

The city faces a 50% chance of snow Monday night, with temperatures expected to fall as low as 19, followed by more snow Tuesday and an overnight low of 11, according to the National Weather Service.

Individual men seeking shelter should go to the Denver Rescue Mission Lawrence Street Community Center at 2222 Lawrence St., while individual women can find shelter through Samaritan House at 2301 Lawrence St.

Teenagers and young adults between the ages of 15 and 20 can shelter at Urban Peak, located at 1630 S. Acoma St. Families looking for shelter can call Denver’s Connection Center at 303-295-3366.

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Other spaces offering shelter include the Stone Creek shelter, formerly the Best Western hotel, at 4595 Quebec St. as well as city facilities at 2601 W. 7th Ave. and 375 S. Zuni St. Additional overflow shelter will be available through the St. Charles Recreation Center at 3777 Lafayette St.

While the expansion of shelter offerings is scheduled to last from 1 p.m. Monday through 11 a.m. Wednesday, Denver’s Department of Housing Stability wrote in a news release that “an additional extension may be possible pending future weather forecasts.”

Snow is also likely Saturday night and possible Sunday morning in Denver, with forecasters projecting one to two inches of accumulation and an overnight low of 16.



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Denver, CO

Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs Denver Nuggets

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Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs Denver Nuggets


Winning streaks, no matter how modest, have a way of turning heads. After all, winning doesn’t just mask flaws— for a young team it can serve as a megaphone for potential. For the Spurs, riding the wave of a two-game winning streak, Saturday night’s rematch against the Denver Nuggets presents an opportunity to keep the good vibes rolling.

Last night’s victory over the Nuggets was no small feat. Facing a team headlined by Nikola Jokić, the Spurs managed to pull off an upset that featured standout performances from their young core, including—you guessed it—Victor Wembanyama. The rookie sensation’s presence in the paint and versatility on both ends of the floor were instrumental, and if San Antonio hopes to repeat the feat, they’ll likely need another big night from him.

Of course, back-to-back matchups in the NBA often turn into chess matches. Denver will surely make adjustments, particularly after a game where their offense stalled for stretches against a Spurs team that seemed to find its defensive rhythm. Expect Jokić to come out firing, eager to remind everyone why he’s a two-time MVP, and watch for Jamal Murray to step up after a quiet-ish performance last night.

For the Spurs, sustaining momentum means ironing out their weak points. Their defense in transition remains a question mark, and while the bench contributed admirably in the last outing, consistency has been elusive this season. San Antonio’s backup bigs will need to hold the fort when Wembanyama takes a breather, especially against a Denver front-court maestro who can easily punish mismatches.

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The Nuggets, for their part, know how to respond to adversity. They’re still a top-tier team, ranking in the NBA’s upper echelon in offensive efficiency (4th in offensive rating, 3rd in scoring) and one off-night isn’t going to derail their championship ambitions.

For now, though, San Antonio has a chance to extend their win streak to three games. Can they stay one step ahead of a determined Denver squad, or will the Nuggets squash the Spurs’ momentum before it really gets rolling?

One thing’s for sure: The Frost Bank Center should be buzzing, and with Wembanyama on the court, anything feels possible.

Denver Nuggets at San Antonio Spurs

January 4th, 2025 | 7:00 CT

Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Southwest |Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Jeremy Sochan – Out (Back)

Nuggets Injuries: Aaron Gordon – Out (Calf), Vlatko Cancar – Out (Knee)

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What to watch for

Victor Wembanyama: Winter Terror

By this point, you’ve probably seen the glory that is Wemby’s December stat line, but somehow he’s managed to find yet another gear over the last 10 games, sitting within spitting distance of averaging a 4×5 (29/9/4/4.9) on a 39/49/90 shooting split in just 33 minutes. To say that he’s must-watch television is somehow an understatement right now.

For the Nuggets fan’s perspective, please visit Denver Stiffs.

PtR’s Game thread will be up this evening for those who want to chat through the game. You can also follow along with the action through PtR’s Twitter feed.





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Denver, CO

Broncos HC Sean Payton says CB Pat Surtain II should win DPOY: “It’s an easy case to make”

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Broncos HC Sean Payton says CB Pat Surtain II should win DPOY: “It’s an easy case to make”


No cornerback has been named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year since Stephon Gilmore in 2019. Sean Payton strongly believes Pat Surtain II should end that streak.

“It’s an easy case to make,” the Broncos head coach said. “Sometimes it’s a more difficult case to make, but certainly he’s deserving of that type of award. He’s that good.”

Surtain, Denver’s star defensive back, is currently a betting favorite to be named the AP Defensive Player of the Year, according to FanDuel. He is ahead of outside linebackers T.J. Watt (Steelers), Myles Garrett (Browns) and Andrew Van Ginkel (Vikings), and safety Kerby Joseph (Lions).

Teammate and outside linebacker Nik Bonitto has the ninth-best odds to win the award.

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The last three winners have been edge rushers, most recently Garrett in 2023. Surtain, however, has a strong case to end that run.

Surtain has taken his game to another level after signing a four-year, $96 million extension in the offseason. In 15 games, he has given up 33 catches for 279 yards, two touchdowns and 56 passer rating on 54 targets. Surtain also has four interceptions, including a 100-yard pick-six in a Week 5 win over the Raiders.

He was named to his third Pro Bowl in four years on Thursday, and will more than likely be named an All-Pro for the second time.

“Pat is the standard,” Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said. “Every game, he has been focused on playing his best ball. Whoever he went against this year, he was trying to dominate that player.”

Chiefs resting a handful of key players: Kansas City revealed on Friday a long list of players who will be sidelined for Sunday’s regular-season finale at Empower Field at Mile High.

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Defensive tackle Chris Jones, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, cornerback Trent McDuffie, linebacker Nick Bolton, running back Kareem Hunt, outside linebacker George Karlaftis, tight end Travis Kelce, safety Justin Reid and linebacker Drue Tranquill — who blocked the potential game-winning field goal in Week 10 — are doubtful to play against Denver.

Meanwhile, running back Isiah Pacheco, offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, wide receiver Mecole Hardman and cornerback Jaylen Watson have been officially ruled out.

Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.

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