Mile High Monday: After last dance, is Rodgers Denver-bound?

The Denver Broncos are on the verge of hiring a new head coach. They have narrowed it down to three finalists, and we wait to see if something will be done this week. At the same time, the NFL is going through the playoffs and what a wild group of playoff games we saw this weekend. Out of the four games on the docket, I picked three of the winners correctly, as upsets were the theme of this round for sure.

I like the Divisional Round because we get to see really, really good football. What an entertaining weekend of football, even though most of the games went differently than I expected!

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep TJ! The following is a result of those trips during the week.

Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.

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Sorry Aaron, Now Come to Denver!

The Green Bay Packers were the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and they were playing at home against the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday. That didn’t keep them from making a special teams gaffe that ultimately cost them the game against the 49ers. They are headed home after a great regular season, and the future of quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a huge unknown at this time.

Rodgers had dubbed this season the “Last Dance” after the final year the Chicago Bulls had with Michael Jordan years ago. Since everyone knew it was going to be the final season for Jordan and company, they went out there and won their third championship in a row – for the second time – sealing six titles for the greatest basketball player of all time.

Rodgers wanted to do the same thing with his friends like wide receivers Davante Adams and Randall Cobb.
Instead, Rodgers perhaps played his final game for the Packers with an 0-4 record against the 49ers in the playoffs. In his post-game press conference, Rodgers was asked about his future. Rodgers said he “(doesn’t) want to be part of a rebuild if I’m going to keep playing.”

Is Aaron Rodgers losing in the Divisional Round good for the #Broncos ? @1043TheFan

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) January 23, 2022

According to my Twitter poll done after the game, most Broncos fans believe this loss is good for the Broncos chances when it comes to landing the superstar quarterback. Now, Twitter polls aren’t an exact science, but I wanted an in-the-moment reaction from fans right after the Packers game was over.

Now, the ball is in the court of the Broncos – if Rodgers wants to leave Green Bay. Some believe he will never leave the Packers, even though things seemed to be rough then patched up as the season went on. Some believe that he will go ahead and retire after this disappointing loss. Still others believe Rodgers will end up in the Mile High City.

I’m hoping the Broncos land Rodgers. We’ll have to see what they can do to put together a package to get him if there as interested as they were last season (which I believe they are).

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Round Two or Is There a Knockout?

We might see the Broncos decide as to who their head coach will be as soon as this week. The East-West Shrine Game, which I will attend in Las Vegas, begins at the end of this week and the pre-draft process has officially begun. The week after that, starting February 1 is the Reese’s Senior Bowl, perhaps the most important stop of the offseason. The Broncos got three of the best players (Jonathan Cooper, Baron Browning, Quinn Meinerz) from that game last season.

Having their head coach – and his philosophies – in place by the time these two games roll around is paramount. I’m biased of course because I haven’t missed a Shrine Bowl or Senior Bowl since 2007, but the Broncos need to know what kind of system they’ll have in place, so they know which kind of players to scout. The dirty secret in the NFL is it’s all about fit. They need to know the makeup of the coaching staff in order to find the best fit.

The first round of interviews was done last week. The Broncos zig-zagged across the country to interview 10 potential candidates. According to 9News Mike Klis (#9sports), the Broncos have now narrowed their search. We don’t know who the search has been narrowed down to, but everyone has heard that list perhaps includes guys like Dan Quinn, Nathaniel Hackett and maybe even Jonathan Gannon.

Per sources familiar w/Bronco coaching candidates: Team informed numerous candidates today they are no longer in consideration. Dan Quinn, Nathaniel Hackett expected to be in play. Not sure on Kevin O'Connell, Eric Bieniemy who just had emotional playoff wins today. #9sports

— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) January 24, 2022

I’m still rooting for Hackett to get the job – and I want Rodgers to come with him. It’s my dream of the offseason, and it’s still alive so I will keep dreaming. The Broncos offense has been embarrassing for years – not because of the talent but because of the awful coaching they’ve received on that side of the ball.

Hiring a guy like Hackett would bring some youth and energy to the head coaching position. It would also give the Broncos a focus on offense – something they haven’t had with their last two coaches Vance Joseph and Vic Fangio. It’s time to do something different, and that includes the energetic Hackett as the top guy.

After the Packers loss, many fans went to Twitter – the realm of the lowest common denominator – to express distaste for either Rodgers or Hackett. That’s a weak take to say the least. Hackett doesn’t call plays, and Rodgers runs the bad plays which were called. During that whole game, in the cold of Lambeau Field, I felt the Packers were trying to get out with a close win. The weather was prohibitive, but they scored a touchdown on their first drive. After that, they seemed to take their foot off the gas. One mistake and the tables were turned.

I think Hackett and Rodgers would put the Broncos in a Super Bowl window immediately. It’s time for something new – for both parties. Time to party in Denver because they’ll be relevant and exciting league wide if they get the hottest coaching candidate (arguably) and a superstar quarterback looking for revenge (again).

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Playoff Von is Back!

Von Miller is a bad man. He’s going to the Hall of Fame five years after he’s done playing – but with the Los Angeles Rams Miller is showing that he still has a way to go. Miller only had 4.5 sacks in seven games with the Broncos in 2021. After a trade to the Rams, Miller added in another 5.0 sacks in eight games with his new team.

It took some time for him to warm up in Los Angeles, and now he’s red hot in the postseason. Miller has had at least one sack in six straight games for the Rams. He’s had a sack in each of the Rams playoff games, and against the Buccaneers on Sunday he came through with an even bigger play. With Tom Brady trying to drive his team down the field, Miller sacked him and stripped the ball away with the Rams recovering. It was one of the biggest plays for the Rams in the Divisional Round and helped them bounce last year’s Super Bowl champions.

.@VonMiller strip sack! What a PLAY. #RamsHouse

📺: #LARvsTB on NBC
📱: https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t pic.twitter.com/Yvyf7XbZGw

— NFL (@NFL) January 23, 2022

I do have a twinge of sadness watching Miller do his thing. I know it was time for a change with Miller this season, and I thought general manager George Paton did a great job of getting a second- and third-round pick for Miller this year from the Rams. That’s more than I thought they would get, but Paton secured a deal that gives them more assets to hang onto or to put into a trade for a quarterback.

Now, Miller is making this deal look good for the Rams side as well. He’s money in the playoffs, and Miller is part of the suffocating defense that is leading the way for the Rams run to the Super Bowl – with one game left to go in order to get there. It stings watching Miller do his thing for another team, but I’m happy for him when I see him make a huge play for his new team.

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Me, Me, Me, Finally!

Anyone who reads this article knows that I love comic books. One of my favorite comic book characters is Moon Knight from Marvel Comics. He’s a millionaire like Batman from DC Comics, but the two have many differences that some people gloss over. Moon Knight is often referred to as Marvel’s Batman, but he’s so much more than that.

This character should leap to the forefront of pop culture with the Disney-plus show “Moon Knight” hits the streaming service in March. The six-episode series begins on March 30, and it will take viewers and fans through the complicated and fascinating world of the avatar of the Egyptian god Khonshu. In addition to his connection to the supernatural, Moon Knight has multiple personalities and suffers from a condition called dissociative identity disorder. This examination of his mental health – and shaky grasp on reality – is going to be the driving force behind this show.

I’ve loved Moon Knight since I saw him in the comic pages years ago. Having a “Moon Knight” tv show is like a dream come true for a super nerd like me. When the trailer for the Disney-plus show debuted last week during Monday Night Football, I was like a kid in a candy store. I have high hopes for this project – and I think this show will more than live up to the hype.

Welcome to chaos 🌙 Watch the new trailer for Marvel Studios’ @MoonKnight and start streaming the Original series March 30 on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/T5E2ZTgaxP

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) January 18, 2022

What did you think of the trailer for “Moon Knight?” Hit me up on social networking and let me know!

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