Denver, CO
NFL.com’s Prediction for Broncos’ 2024 MVP Might Not Thrill Sean Payton
Denver Broncos Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Surtain II has admitted this offseason that he plans on making improvements over last year’s performance. There’s little doubt that Surtain appears to be the Broncos’ most talented player, so expecting the 24-year-old to keep getting better is a solid bet.
NFL.com’s Eric Edholm went around the league to pick each team’s 2024 MVP, and Surtain was unsurprisingly pegged to be a new and improved version of himself in 2024.
“Though I admit that this race is wide open, I arrived at Surtain pretty quickly. It was never going to be one of the quarterbacks for me, not until I’ve seen more from Jarrett Stidham or Bo Nix. Receiver Courtland Sutton could be that guy, especially with Jerry Jeudy having been traded to Cleveland, but Sutton apparently remains at loggerheads with the team over his contract, and his production will be dependent on how the QBs perform.
“Surtain isn’t even coming off his best year, to be honest; in 2023, he committed more penalties (six) than he had in his first two seasons combined. He also allowed more receptions than he did in either Years 1 or 2, according to Pro Football Focus. But I believe he has the best chance to be Denver’s MVP in 2024, given the makeup of the offense and the fact that he’s the Broncos’ top defender right now, at least on paper. Surtain was a more reliable tackler last season than he’d been previously, and he’s tasked with containing WR1s on a weekly basis. If he can make a few more plays on the ball, earning this honor wouldn’t be a stretch at all,” Edholm wrote.
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Surtain has never been short on confidence, but the 70-point humiliation the Broncos defense took squarely on the chin in Miami last season was hard to look past. Year 1 under defensive coordinator Vance Joseph in Denver had its ups and downs, which fully tested Surtain’s mental fortitude.
Entering Year 2 in the system, Surtain has the familiarity with Joseph’s defense and what he’s trying to achieve. Surtain has sounded a lot more enthusiastic about the simplistic and attacking defensive scheme the Broncos are going to run under Joseph moving forward.
“It’s great. Vance, obviously, he’s set a great example for us, just believing in us with his playcalls, but also he’s simplifying it even more, so we can play faster, feel comfortable, and that’s the main thing you want in a defense,” Surtain said via Andrew Mason back in June. “We’ve got the utmost belief in Vance, and I know Vance has the utmost belief in us. It goes hand in hand.”
Truth be told, head coach Sean Payton would probably much prefer that Denver’s MVP ultimately ends up being first-round quarterback Bo Nix, rather than anyone on defense. Making any sweeping predictions that Nix will even be the full-time starter would be premature. Training camp will answer a great deal of questions on that front.
It’s generally accepted that Sutton will be the Broncos’ No.1 receiver. NFL.com has a theory that Sutton’s stubborn contractual issues might take him off his stride, but that’s probably being overplayed.
Sutton’s diligent approach to his craft won’t stop him from preparing to the best of his abilities, and that will include a private get-together between Denver’s quarterbacks and receivers for a throwing session or two prior to training camp. The challenge any receiver faces of bonding with a rookie quarterback during the season or with a career backup like Stidham could curtail Sutton’s chances of becoming the Broncos’ MVP.
The decreasing likelihood that Sutton, Nix, or another offensive player will become a dominant force, makes Surtain the heavy favorite for team MVP honors. Furthermore, Surtain will do it the hard way, simply on account of drawing the toughest one-on-one assignments on a weekly basis.
Factor in a looming lucrative contract extension for Surtain, and the Broncos and their star defender have every reason to be massively motivated for this season. All told, that makes Surtain the horse to back in the Broncos’ MVP battle — until someone else throws a wrench in the works.
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Denver, CO
Things To Do In And Around Denver This Weekend – 12/17-12/21 – 303 Magazine
Where: Fight Club – 1959 16th St Mall Denver
Cost: Price varies
The Lowdown:
Guests have the option of $39 bottomless flatbreads, which includes the price of their oche reservation for Social Darts®. The bottomless flatbread menu features Smoked Salmon Flatbread, Four Cheese Flatbread, Breakfast Flatbread, or Garden Vegetable Flatbread. Guests can also order off the á la carte menu, which includes a fresh-cut fruit plate, breakfast sliders,, avocado toast, and Flight Club’s famous churros.
Denver, CO
Denver airport delays, crashes, broken windows, downed power lines: What to know about Colorado’s windy Wednesday
Hurricane-force winds in Colorado on Wednesday had a major impact across the Denver metro area, Front Range, and foothills. It’s a First Alert Weather Day because of the dangerous conditions.
Gusts of over 100 mph — equivalent to a category 2 hurricane — were reported in some parts of the Front Range, and over 100,000 people were without power as of 7 p.m. On Berthoud Pass, between Empire and Winter Park, wind gusts reached at least 102 mph. They reached 97 mph at Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Boulder County, 96 mph in Marshall, and 93 mph in West Arvada.
Several highways were closed, Denver International Airport saw dozens of delays, power lines and other property damage were reported, schools were closed, Denver’s holiday events were canceled, and thousands of homes and businesses were without power after Xcel’s Public Safety Power Shutoff and unplanned outages.
Power shutoff
Xcel Energy was implementing what it calls a Public Safety Shutoff, for only the second time ever in Colorado. An estimated 50,000 people across the Front Range were impacted, mostly in Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties.
Restoration for some areas was expected to start around 6 p.m. Wednesday, but many customers told CBS News Colorado that Xcel told them it could be up to three days before their power is restored.
As a result, the Colorado Division of Emergency Management opened charging centers, shelters, and resource centers in the impacted areas.
Xcel said it shut off the power in these areas because of the combination of wind speeds and dry conditions that increase the chance of wildfires.
Once conditions improve, Xcel Energy Colorado President Robert Kenney said crews will begin inspecting lines to determine when power can be restored.
“Once the wind event stops, that does not mean your power will be immediately restored,” he said. “We have several hundred crew members that are already being pre-positioned, that are on standby, so that when the wind event does end, they will be able to immediately begin inspecting the lines. They have to visually inspect the lines for damage before restoring the power.”
Delayed flights
The Federal Aviation Administration called for a ground delay at Denver International Airport from 5 through 8 p.m., although that’s subject to change, based on evolving weather conditions.
As of about 6:30 p.m., 66 flights were delayed, and one was canceled.
Wind gusts were recorded at around 40 mph at the airport around 5 p.m.
School closures
Several school districts — including Jefferson County, Colorado’s second-largest — closed schools, and many also canceled after-school activities.
The University of Colorado cancelled classes, but the Buffs’ basketball game against Portland State is continuing, although fans are not allowed to attend.
Highway closures
Several highways in the foothills near Boulder, as well as in Northern Colorado up to the Wyoming state line, were closed. At least one crash also closed the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 on the Eastern Plains.
Those planned closures included:
- Highway 93 between Boulder and Arvada
- Highway 36 between Boulder and Lyons
- Highway 128 from Superior to Highway 93
- Highway 287 between Ted’s Place and the Wyoming border closed this afternoon, but has since reopened
Damage and other closures
Power lines were reported as having fallen across the Denver metro area, adding to the number of customers without power.
A number of local businesses were also forced to close — some out of caution, others due to a lack of power.
Car and structure windows were also broken by flying debris, like this car in Boulder, whose windows were shattered by small, flying rocks.
Despite losing power around 10 a.m., Ace Hardware in Golden remained open and kept busy, selling generators, flashlights, batteries, and tools and materials to prevent or fix damage.
Some business owners raised concerns about what a days-long outage could mean for their companies, products, and customers.
“We could lose everything,” DeAnn Wieber, owner of the Windy Saddle Cafe in Golden, said. “We could lose all our food, the time that it took to prepare everything, and we just don’t know. And there’s are a lot of businesses going through the same thing.”
Denver, CO
Canceled due to high winds: Wednesday’s drone show, holiday tree, Christkindlmarket
Downtown’s Mile High Drone Show, the Denver Christkindlmarket and access to the Mile High Tree have been canceled for Wednesday, Dec. 17, due to high winds, said producers at Visit Denver.
The city’s tourism arm on Wednesday morning decided to cancel the shows and outdoor holiday market for this evening “due to weather conditions,” as well as cut off access to the 110-foot LED icon known as the Mile High Tree, through which visitors can typically walk and snap selfies.
Denver is forecasted to endure wind gusts of up to 50 mph on Dec. 17, with gusts of up to 75 to 80mph possible in higher elevations. High winds, low humidity and the possibility of wildfire led Xcel Energy to cut power to more than 100,000 Front Range residents by Wednesday morning. Xcel Energy also sponsors the Mile High Tree.
Denver Christkindlmarket is scheduled to run through Dec. 23 at the Auraria Campus.
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