Former Denver music promoter and businessman Jay Bianchi will spend more than a decade behind bars after being convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault and unlawful sexual contact, the Denver District Attorney said Friday.

Bianchi’s November trial, which included dozens of witnesses and hundreds of pieces of evidence, followed years of allegations of sexual assault, drugging and other crimes at his Grateful Dead-themed bars, including Sancho’s Broken Arrow and So Many Roads Brewery. Those bars were also the site of police stings related to cocaine dealing, underage alcohol sales and flouting COVID-era business rules.

Broncos Country is getting ready to turn downtown Denver orange and blue and fans are being told to bundle up.

A free, family-friendly Denver Broncos fan rally is set for Saturday afternoon at Larimer Square, giving fans a chance to relive history and build excitement ahead of Sunday’s AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High. Frigid winter conditions are expected, but organizers say the cold won’t stop Broncos fans from showing up in full force.

The rally runs from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and does not require a ticket. Fans are encouraged to RSVP through the Broncos’ website before arriving. Admission is first-come, first-served.

The event comes nearly a decade after the Broncos’ last AFC Championship appearance, a 20-18 victory over the New England Patriots in 2016 that sent Denver to Super Bowl 50. That week, fans packed Larimer Square for a similar rally before the Broncos went on to win their third Lombardi Trophy.

Saturday’s rally will feature Miles the mascot, Broncos cheerleaders, Super Bowl trophies, live music, and appearances from team ambassadors. The official Broncos DJ will also be on site as the square transforms into a sea of orange and blue.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Atwater says events like this can have a real impact on a team’s mindset heading into a championship game.

“To get the chance to see all these people that are going to be there at the fan rally is going to be amazing,” Atwater said. “I remember we had something similar back in the day, but I’m sure it will be many more people here this time. It lets the team know Broncos Country is 100 percent behind them.”

Atwater, a legendary Broncos safety, played in four AFC Championship Games during his career, winning three, and was a key part of Denver’s championship runs in the late 1990s. He says that energy from fans can resonate inside the locker room.

Businesses along Larimer Square are also preparing for the crowds and the economic boost the rally is expected to bring.

“I grew up here and was here in 2016 when the Broncos won the Super Bowl,” said Shannon Manning, a sales associate at John Atencio Jewelry. “It’s exciting to see that energy revitalized again, especially for local Denver businesses.”

Despite the cold forecast, organizers expect a strong turnout as fans look to get the party started early ahead of Sunday’s showdown. Broncos Country is encouraged to dress warmly, arrive early and be ready to celebrate.

The Broncos host the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Fans who don’t want to brave the cold can watch it on CBS Colorado. 

Vance Joseph knows the knock on his defense.

Or, at least one of them.

Teams have had success throughout the season throwing the ball to tight ends, who often end up in coverage matchups against Joseph’s defense this season.

The Broncos in the regular season gave up the seventh-fewest passing yards overall but the sixth-most to tight ends. The numbers for opposing running backs are more moderate, but there have been instances of major hits against the defense out of the backfield, including long touchdown receptions by Green Bay’s Josh Jacobs and Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley.

Joseph has a logical answer for why teams test his middle-of-the-field players.

“Our corners are really good players,” he said, referring to the starting pair of Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss plus nickel Ja’Quan McMillian. “Pat, obviously, the best in football in my opinion. And Riley is always close. Sometimes, in (defenses’) minds, their better matchups are with backers and safeties. They can control the leverage, which is smart. So we understand that.”

That approach, Joseph said, is nothing new.

“That’s been that way for two years now,” he said.

It will likely be that way again on Sunday in the AFC championship. New England’s offense is balanced and features a high-quality tight end in Hunter Henry (768 yards and 7 TDs in the regular season) and a pair of capable backs in TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson, who combined for 67 catches.

The onus isn’t just on inside linebackers like Alex Singleton, Dre Greenlaw and Justin Strnad or safeties Talanoa Hufanga and P.J. Locke, though they do have to make their plays in coverage.

Joseph said it’s on him to put those players in more advantageous situations, too.

“Having certain calls to help our ‘backers and safeties cover these guys is always important,” he said. “But also putting (tight ends and running backs) in certain structures where it’s pressure structures where they have to block first before they go out. You can cover a back or tight end with certain structures. He can’t leave until he blocks first. So, absolutely.

“It’s tough to find tight ends, especially on first and second down. But on third downs, that’s the matchup they want because they get the leverage they want. That’s just football. It’s always been that way for my defense. We understand that.”

Joseph, Bonitto up for awards. Joseph and edge Nik Bonitto each were named finalists for awards on Thursday and Joseph won one, too.

The defensive coordinator won the Pro Football Writers Association of America’s assistant coach of the year award and was named a finalist for the same award given by the Associated Press.

“It’s cool, but I go back to the players and the coaches and the entire team,” Joseph said. “When you win games in this league, coaches get rewards and players get rewards. It’s a team game. It speaks to our team winning.

“The more we win around here, the more people will get rewarded for doing their job.”

Bonitto was named one of five finalists for the AP’s defensive player of the year award, which Surtain won last year.

“I’m super excited when I saw that news,” head coach Sean Payton said Thursday. “They’re two great candidates. Vance has been outstanding and a big reason we’re here. Then Nik, with the season he’s had — you know how I feel when they do these voting things every once in a while.

“Bonitto is an All-Pro player and a Pro Bowl player, and I’m happy for both of them.”

Bonitto finished one vote shy of earning second-team All-Pro from the AP last week and was seventh in voting among outside linebackers. But his 14-sack campaign was enough to land him among the top five for an award given to the best defensive player in football. Go figure.

Broncos’ health trending up. Every player on the 53-man roster except for quarterback Bo Nix (ankle) practiced Thursday. Nix is a mere formality on the team’s injury report before he is transferred to injured reserve, likely Saturday.