Denver, CO
Who will be the Broncos MVP in 2024?
Good morning, Broncos Country!
There are a lot of questions about the Denver Broncos this season.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
At least for the last almost nine seasons.
To add another to the mix, who will be the Broncos MVP this season?
NFL.com thinks it’ll be cornerback Pat Surtain II. That’s the most likely scenario, given how good Surtain is and how many questions there are for this roster. Surtain isn’t just the best defender in Denver; he’s one of the best cornerbacks in football.
After Surtain, the race is wide open.
Much of this will depend on how good the Broncos offense is and what it looks like. One guy who should be on the list is guard Quinn Meinerz. “The Belly” has become one of the guards in the NFL. If the offense is able to run the ball and protect whoever starts, likely Bo Nix, Meinerz will play a big role in that success.
Courtland Sutton will get thrown out. But if he’s healthy, Tim Patrick is more valuable to Denver’s offense. Patrick is also the more complete receiver. Since Patrick is returning from two brutal injuries, that’s the biggest question with Patrick. Hopefully he’s able to stay on the field.
On defense, newly acquired John Franklin-Myers is a guy to watch on the defensive line. Franklin-Myers will be a key contributor to the defensive front and help lead it to any success. For his career, Franklin-Myers has 135 tackles, 61 quarterback hits and 19.5 sacks. A disruptive force from the defensive line is what this defense needs.
The other player on defense for Denver is Baron Browning … if he can stay healthy. Consistent pressure off the edge is crucial for the Broncos defense, and Browning has the potential to be a great pass rusher. If he’s consistent, he could put himself in the Broncos MVP discussion.
Those are a few guys I think could compete with Surtain for Denver’s MVP this season. Who else could become a possibility?
Broncos news
Broncos training camp preview: What about the quarterbacks? | 9news.com
Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson: Here are Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton’s options on how to split up quarterback reps at training camp.
Why more efficiency in Broncos’ run game will be key in 2024 – ESPN
Denver coach Sean Payton says run-game production is a great ‘friend’ to a QB. But can the Broncos find more consistency on the ground this season?
NFL news
Best and worst NFL diets: Rams, Bengals, Dolphins dish it all – ESPN
ESPN spoke with several teams about the best — and worst — NFL food programs based on the NFLPA report cards released in February.
NFL DC crowns Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as biggest challenge – Pride Of Detroit
The praise for Lions OC Ben Johnson keeps coming in. The latest is directly from an NFL defensive coordinator.
The four most underrated NFL QBs going into 2024 – NBC Sports
Denny Carter details exactly why Geno Smith, Brock Purdy, Dak Prescott, and Jacoby Brissett are underrated headed into the 2024 NFL season.
Vikings rookie CB Khyree Jackson among 3 killed in crash – ESPN
Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson and two former college football players — Isaiah Hazel and Anthony Lytton Jr. — were killed in a car crash overnight, according to police.
Five NFL teams that could be more explosive in 2024
All NFL teams dream of being more explosive on offense in the coming year, but these five teams might already seeing a spark.
Denver, CO
Colorado weather: Icy roads, light snow along I-70 corridor; cold, windy conditions in Denver
Morning drivers can expect icy roads and light snow along the Interstate 70 Corridor in the mountains on Tuesday morning, National Weather Service forecasters said.
Summit County and other high-elevation areas could see another 1 to 3 inches of snowfall Tuesday morning, bringing the total snow count up to 4 to 8 inches, NWS forecasters said.
“Lesser amounts to the north, but a nice bonus for ski country,” forecasters said.
The snow could still make its way to the Denver area before 11 a.m. Tuesday and Aurora, Centennial, Golden, Highlands Ranch, Littleton and Parker could see less than an inch of snow accumulation, according to NWS snow forecasts. Snow isn’t expected to stick anywhere else in the metro area.
Denver and the Eastern Plains are also forecast to see windy, cold weather throughout Tuesday as temperatures drop 10 to 15 degrees below normal, forecasters said.
The Denver area is forecast to see temperature highs in the mid-30s Tuesday before dropping into the teens overnight, according to NWS forecasters.
“Temperatures will fall to the coldest readings so far this season tonight across southern Colorado,” NWS forecasters said.
In areas of the Eastern Plains not covered by snow, fire danger will be elevated Tuesday due to the gusty winds and dry air, NWS forecasters said in a Hazardous Weather Outlook.
Strong winds of up to 60 mph will continue Wednesday over the Front Range and foothills and dry weather will continue through Saturday, forecasters said in the outlook.
Starting Sunday, multiple storm systems will bring snow to Colorado that could last through mid-week — prime time for Thanksgiving-related travel.
How much snow will fall ahead of Thanksgiving, how long it will last and whether it will stick mostly in the mountains or spread across the Front Range and Eastern Plains remains unknown, forecasters said.
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Originally Published:
Denver, CO
Denver Broncos rookie Audric Estimé says he doesn’t want to overuse his hurdling abilities
In the second half at Sunday’s Broncos game, a rookie running back momentarily took all of the Denver crowd’s breath away. Audric Estimé caught a pass thrown by fellow rookie Bo Nix and hurdled an Atlanta Falcons defender, but the play got called back because of a penalty.
Cornerback Clark Phillips III came in low to try to tackle Estimé, who had the ball tucked in his left arm, and Estimé jumped high in the air and floated right over Phillips. Another Falcons defender then tackled him as he was returning to Earth.
See the play below:
The play got called back because of an unnecessary roughness penalty on a Broncos offensive lineman.
On Xfinity Monday Live, CBS Colorado host Romi Bean joked that he should be called “Air Estimé.” She asked him if he knew ahead of time that he was going to make his stunning leap.
“No I did not,” Estimé said. “It was kind of just like a reaction, honestly.”
“I saw (Phillips) kind of put his head down and close his eyes and that’s something I kind of did in college and I was like ‘This is my opportunity to do it,’” said Estimé, who played for Notre Dame in college.
“Have you always had hops?” Bean asked.
“I’d say so. I played basketball. I was grabbing rim in eighth grade,” he said. “I had pretty good vertical … like 30 and a half.”
Bean asked Estimé if he might flash the hurdle again in an upcoming game.
“We’ll see. I just can’t be doing it too much,” Estimé said.
Estime saw his first NFL action in Week 1 against the Seahawks, but he wound up with an ankle injury and missed several games after that while he was on IR. It’s only in recent weeks that he has started to get more work in the Broncos backfield. He had 14 carries for 53 yards against the Chiefs, and on Sunday he had 6 rushes for 16 yards plus three catches for 9 yards. And after an early fumble, he has been more cautious with the football.
“Once you change your perspective of what that ball represents, you kind of hold it differently,” he said. “Coach (Sean) Payton really told me like, this ball represents everyone’s dreams. Thinking of it, it’s like something I’ve done my whole life. And playing at the highest level is my dream, and carrying that ball my whole life is what got me there. So I just, no matter what, I just have to hold onto it.
“Ball security trumps yards, and I have to just keep improving and I believe I will.”
Estimé and the Broncos are now preparing for the Las Vegas Raiders. You can watch the game on Sunday afternoon on CBS Colorado.
Denver, CO
Denver Pro Bowler Patrick Surtain II on rookie QB Bo Nix: ‘It looks like MVP right now’
Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II and Auburn quarterback Bo Nix were opponents in the 2019 and 2020 Iron Bowls. Now they’re teammates on the Denver Broncos.
Surtain has been a first-team All-Pro selection once and a Pro Bowl pick twice, and he currently leads the NFL in interception-return yards in his fourth season since Denver selected him at No. 9 in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Nix is a rookie, but he’s begun to attract accolades 11 starts after becoming the 12th pick in the NFL Draft on April 25. And Surtain foresees more recognition ahead for the Broncos quarterback.
“He’s him,” Surtain said. “I told him, ‘Man, you’re trying to win MVP. It’s not even looking like Offensive Rookie of the Year. It looks like MVP right now.’
“But, man, it’s a testament to him. He puts the work in each and every week, and it shows with his preparation. He stays after hours to watch film, perfect his game. This is what you see from him. When you have games like this, it’s not a surprise because he puts the work in fundamentally each and every week.”
Surtain made the remark after the Broncos had beaten the Atlanta Falcons 38-6 on Sunday. Nix reached career highs in passing yards, touchdown passes, completion percentage and passing-efficiency rating as he completed 28-of-33 passes for 307 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He completed 84.8 percent of his passes and posted a passer rating of 145.0.
In his NFL debut, Nix completed 26-of-42 passes for 138 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. The former Pinson Valley High School star completed 61.9 percent of his passes and had a passer rating of 47.5 in a 26-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 8.
“Our league, you’re learning each week,” Denver coach Sean Payton said, “and then pretty soon, you’re like, ‘I belong here.’ And it’s clear he belongs here.”
Nix became the first rookie in NFL history with 300 passing yards, four TD passes, no interceptions and a completion percentage of more than .750 in the same game on Sunday.
“It’s a lot of fun to be able to be a part of, a lot of fun to watch him go out there and have fun,” Denver wide receiver Courtland Sutton said after Sunday’s game. “You can tell he’s like a kid, man. He’s just enjoying himself. And for your quarterback to be out there enjoying himself but not panic – there’s not one ounce of panic that goes upon him no matter what part of the game we’re in. It’s a lot of fun.”
Broncos safety P.J. Locke has his award projection for Nix set a little lower than Surtain, pitching the quarterback for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award after Sunday’s game.
“If it’s not, we got to go talk to somebody,” Locke said. “But, no, let me scale back. We still got a whole bunch of games, so I don’t want to mess up nothing. Keep taking it week by week. But I hope so. …
“Bo is not your average rookie, I would say. You can just tell, like, his confidence is growing. His leadership is growing. And it’s rubbing off on a lot of people. He’s going out there executing, getting that offense going, and it’s a fun sight to see. I think everybody feeds off of it.”
At 6-5, Denver is in the AFC’s final playoff spot in the current standings.
The Broncos play the Las Vegas Raiders at 3:05 p.m. CST Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Denver defeated the Raiders 34-18 on Oct. 6 as Nix threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in the “Ferris Bueller” game. Las Vegas has a 2-8 record after its 34-19 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
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