With the Wild Card round of the playoffs officially in the books, the Broncos are looking to welcome the Buffalo Bills to Mile High this Sunday. Things are different this year than they were last year. The Broncos are no longer a team just happy to be there. They’re a 1-seed juggernaut of football awesome, a real force to be reckoned with.

Truth be told, I think playing the Bills was the most ideal outcome for this weekend. After losing to each during the regular season, Denver wanted nothing to do with the Jaguars or the Chargers. While I’m confident the Broncos would have found a way to come out on top against either team, I’m glad this Sunday’s opponent is one Denver didn’t play during the regular season.

Most importantly, the Broncos are not facing the Bills team from last year, they’re facing thes year’s team who featured no fewer than 16-players on the injury report going into their Wild Card tilt. Versus the Jaguars, the Bills suffered further injury to QB Josh Allen (he was one of the 16 listed), RB James Cook, WR Gabe Davis, S Jordan Poyer, and WR Tyrell Shavers.

By the time the Denver Broncos take the field on Sunday, they will have had 14-days rest and has the opportunity to return guys, like Drew Sanders who may come off IR this week, that needed time to heal up to return to the field. The benefit to rest and health can’t be underestimated when you see teams like the Bills staggering into Sunday bandaged and bruised.

By contrast, the Broncos featured just 6 players on IR before their regular season finale against the Chargers. Sure, the injuries to S PJ Locke, T Garett Bolles, and CAlex Forsyth were less than ideal. We’ll get an idea soon how recovery has gone with the extra week rest, but we all know they’re better off for having the time off.

The playoff bye week is over. It’s time to get to work, Denver. You’ve got the Bills coming into town and it’s your task to show them their way out of town and into the postseason. It’s a tall order, but there’s no better time than the present to show the world exactly who you are.

During Gov. Gavin Newsom’s final annual address to the Legislature this week, he announced that the state’s principal homelessness program will get $500 million. 

That’s half the $1 billion that has been allocated for the program annually since 2019, reports our Nadia Lathan, except for this year when it was gutted completely. 

Service providers were disappointed by the news. Newsom previously suggested he needs to see more results before committing more dollars. 

But Mayor Todd Gloria is pushing hard to get that cash. He was in Sacramento last week rallying lawmakers to support restoring the funding, Lathan writes. 

Read more in the Sacramento Report here. 

Gloria is giving his State of the City address this week. We’ll have more deets and a summary for you later this week. 

Last year, he gave his speech from City Hall and declared that this was the “era of austerity” as city leaders faced a $350 million budget deficit. Our Mariana Martínez Barba looked out how the mayor’s plans to “right-size” the ship turned out in 2025. 

Read more here. 

VOSD Podcast: How About Them Parking Fees?

Our podcast crew is back for the new year, and boy has it been a busy controversial week for parking. The city of San Diego rolled out its parking program in Balboa Park last week and backlash from the public and City Council was swift. 

While some councilmembers wanted the mayor to suspend the fees, he said that wasn’t an option. It all went down in a memo war. The crew digs explains what this means for the city’s budget. 

Also on the podcast, the latest on the legal debacle between the city and people living in their RVs in Mission Bay. The city opened a safe parking lot, H Barracks, in May that would allow police to start ticketing vehicle dwellers in the area. But some people say H Barracks isn’t a viable option for everyone.

Listen to the Podcast here.

In Other News

• Fundraising for San Diego City Council races is kicking into high gear, with seats up for grabs in Districts 2 and 8. The possible entry of former Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey could shake things up in District 2. (Union-Tribune)
• Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Program, and other homelessness programs are facing big cuts this year. San Diegans who rely on food assistance, and immigrants who can no longer qualify for the state’s low-cost insurance could be some of the hardest hit. (inewsource)
• Unemployment across the region went down in November after holiday retail hiring brought the unemployment rate down from 4.9 percent to 4.6 percent. (Union-Tribune)

The Morning Report was written by Mariana Martínez Barba. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña.