Angela Rae Harris's Blog, page 15

Denver Nuggets’ momentum stalls in loss to Timberwolves in preseason opener | Vinny’s take

The vibes were high to start the Nuggets’ stay in San Diego, but things didn’t end that way.

Denver started its five-game preseason slate with a 126-116 loss to a shorthanded Timberwolves squad. Here are three takeaways from the Nuggets’ first preseason game:

1. There was a lot of excitement surrounding the Nuggets’ new-look starting five, but there’s still plenty of work to be done. The Nuggets started Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic, as expected, against a Timberwolves squad that was without Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. Denver’s 3-point defense and turnovers were the primary issues to start.

Jokic, Gordon and Murray scored efficiently, but the group lacked chemistry.  Jokic and Gordon led Denver with 14 points apiece, while Murray added 12. Johnson missed both of his 3s and scored two points with one assist and one block. It’s too early to be concerned, but some progress would be encouraging when the Nuggets play their second preseason game against the Raptors on Monday in Vancouver.

2. Coach David Adelman stuck with the same second unit he utilized throughout training camp — Bruce Brown, Julian Strawther, Tim Hardaway Jr., Peyton Watson and Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas’ size gave the Timberwolves problems to start, and the second unit started the second half with good energy with the regular starters done for the night.

Watson built on what was an encouraging training camp, finishing with 10 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown went a combined 1 of 6 from the field, while former Nuggets Bones Hyland came off the bench and led the Timberwolves with 18 points on eight field-goal attempts.

3. It was a pretty vanilla game plan from Adelman and the Nuggets, but there was at least one interesting decision displayed in the preseason opener: Two-way player Spencer Jones received playing time while DaRon Holmes II, Zeke Nnaji and Hunter Tyson still had their warmups on.

Players and coaches have been very complimentary of Jones’s play in training camp, but two steals and a rebound were his only contributions in more than 10 minutes of playing time. Holmes, last year’s first-round pick, didn’t get off the bench until the final minutes and finished with five points, two assists and a rebound. Tyson added nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point range, while Nnaji added four points on six shots with two rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Jones looks like the most likely player to fill Denver’s 15th and final roster spot after one preseason game.

CU Buffs at TCU | 3 takeaways from Colorado’s third-straight loss to begin Big 12 play

FORT WORTH, Texas — Colorado keeps finding more firsts in the Deion Sanders era. Only the latest one isn’t positive.

For the first time under Coach Prime, the Buffaloes are 0-3 in conference play.

CU will be left to rue more missed chances, as for the third time this season, they blew a double-digit first-half lead in the 35-21 loss at TCU that drops the Buffs to 2-4 on the season.

Despite some promising signs on both sides of the ball, it was another fruitless trip back to Texas for Sanders and company. Here are three takeaways from the game:

Salter’s up-and-down night

There was some good and there was some bad for veteran quarterback Kaidon Salter as he made a third straight start for the Buffs.

He became the first CU quarterback since Steven Montez in 2018 to throw three interceptions in one half as he made two mind-boggling throws that either led to a TCU score or denied his team from points.

Still, Salter led a couple of impressive long touchdown drives in the game and showed why the Buffs don’t really have a better option despite some of the obvious frustration in another game where CU lost the turnover battle.

Defense steadies the ship

Sanders wouldn’t go so far as to say his defense gave the entire team a chance to win in last week’s 24-21 loss to BYU. He should feel very different this week.

Against the second-best passing offense in the Big 12, the Buffs defense did its part. TCU quarterback Josh Hoover was far from his best for much of the night, and Robert Livingston’s unit deserves a lot of credit for that.

After forcing a turnover on downs on the opening series, the Buffs defense didn’t allow a score until the final three minutes of the first half. TCU’s second touchdown also came on a short field following one of Salter’s interceptions. The game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter was also a tough spot following the muffed punt.

Defensive end Keaten Wade had his best performance of the season with a sack and another tackle for loss.

Depth at running back shines

Even without the team’s top two running backs for a second-straight game, the Buffs found a way to have success on the ground. Dre’lon Miller remained in his hybrid role and spent even more time in the backfield, but it was the duo of Micah Welch and Dallan Hayden who did the majority of the damage.

Hayden, who was set to be the starter before an injury in late August set him back, was the most impressive as he made the most of his eight carries, racking up 61 yards, including a big 25-yard run on a third-and-long. CU finished with over 100 yards rushing for the fifth time in six games.

Peyton Watson prioritizing progress over payday from Denver Nuggets: ‘P-Wat is moving different’

LA JOLLA, Calif. — An offseason gamble has paid off for Peyton Watson at training camp. Whether it’s rewarded with a payday will be determined.

Watson and others in the NBA’s 2022 draft class became eligible for extensions on their rookie contracts this summer, but there’s an Oct. 20 deadline. Some players opt to protect their most valuable asset — their health — in such situations. Watson went the other way.

“The emphasis of my offseason was just playing as much as possible,” Watson told The Denver Gazette during camp at UC San Diego. “When I play a lot as opposed to just work out all summer or be in LA, it just brings me back to who I truly am as a basketball player.”

Individual drills have their place, especially when it comes to getting up a high volume of shots in a short period of time, but Watson felt like his other skills and feel are best improved in game-like situations. The results have been a talking point of training camp.

“’P-Wat’ is moving different,” Aaron Gordon said unprompted after Thursday’s practice.

So, what does moving different look like?

“Just his shot-making ability, I think his pace to the game, yeah, he’s picking his spots. He’s doing it on both ends. P-Wat is hooping,” Gordon explained.

“P-Wat is doing his thing.”

Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson heads into an NBA basketball media day news conference Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Through the first few days of training camp, Watson was part of Denver’s second unit alongside Bruce Brown, Julian Strawther, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas. Watson and Strawther are the only returners from last year’s team.

“Peyton’s been a bright spot,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said Thursday. “I think the best compliment you give somebody is he’s played like a professional basketball player. He’s been that all three days.”

For all that group brings to the table, Brown is the closest thing to a true point guard. That’s hardly been his primary role for most of his NBA career, though he did prove to be capable in his first stint with the Nuggets a few years ago. Watson’s ability to take on some of that responsibility has impressed his new coach.

“Peyton’s been really good. He’s been really responsible with the ball. He’s had the ball in his hands a lot with the second unit, and he’s made really sound decisions. That’s what we’re looking for,” Adelman said. “Sometimes guys go into the summer, and they want to show off whatever dribbling mechanics they’ve mastered, and he’s played in straight lines. When you do that, you can be a playmaker, and, obviously, we know what he can do on the defensive end.”

The 23-year-old already feels like one of the game’s elite defenders. The addition of Valanciunas, Watson believes, will allow him to play more aggressively on that end whether it’s picking up his defenders higher up the court or being even more of an on-ball pest.

“In previous years, I think I was kind of playing it safe, because I was our rim protection and our perimeter defender, so I kind of just had it my head that I’ve got to give guys a little bit of room or a little bit of cushion so that if I do get beat I can still meet them at the rim as well.” Watson said. “I think just having a big body like Val this year is definitely going to allow me to step out of my comfort zone a little bit more and pick those guys up higher and have a little bit of a resistance on my back line to help out.”

The additional on-ball responsibility is more of a return to the norm than it is new. Watson waited for the growth spurt that took him to his listed 6-foot-7 until his junior year of high school, so he’s spent most of his basketball career on the perimeter despite playing both forward positions early in his NBA career. It was important for him to show Denver’s new coaching staff this summer he was ready to expand his game against NBA defenders, even if that came with a risk that could be measured in millions of dollars.

“People forewarned me about it and just staying healthy, because getting injured and being unhealthy could affect my money that I get or whatever the contract is,” Watson said.

“I played cautiously, but at the same time I think you get injured more when you’re not playing, when you’re not prepared for what’s to come. I think just training my body hard and practicing harder than I play is going to set me up to be durable in the long run and just show them that I’m out here with no ego. I’m out here playing, and I’m here for the team. I’m here to get better. I want to learn from these coaches.  Everything has been good.”

***

Playing five-on-five was the focus, but there was still time for fine tuning. When Watson was back in Los Angeles, he continued to work with Dorell Wright, who had an 11-year NBA career. Wright shot 36% or better from 3-point range in five of his final six NBA seasons.

“He’s always kind of been a big-brother figure, somebody that I know I can tap in with. He’ll give me advice, tell me how he sees the game from a player’s perspective,” Watson said.

“This summer was the first summer I really, really locked in with him. I had worked out with him when I was in college at UCLA when I was struggling to find myself and find what my role was on that team. …This summer we really locked in and honed in on a few things with my shot.”

Denver Nuggets’ Peyton Watson shakes hands with Colorado Rockies’ Kyle Karros after throwing out the first pitch before a baseball game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

The same wingspan that helps Watson on the defensive end complicates his shooting mechanics on the other. There’s more room for error, Watson has said. Wright and Watson worked to remove any unnecessary motion or dip with the ball as he gets into his shot in hopes of continuing a positive trend. Watson improved his 3-point percentage from 29.6% in his second NBA season to 35.3% last season. He shot 36.8% in his most extensive playoff action last season.

“I can’t say enough good things about him,” Watson said of Wright.

“The attention to detail was on another level this summer.”

***

It wasn’t all work all the time.

Watson singled out time with family in friends in Los Angeles and a trip to Hawaii with his girlfriend as the non-basketball highlights of his offseason. He also attended a few concerts with the standouts being Chris Brown at Coors Field, a Lil Baby show and an NBA YoungBoy show that was “a spectacle, to say the least.”

Now, he’s ready for more work.

“I definitely got my fair share of work and pleasure in,” Watson said. “I’m just ready for this thing to be back starting. I love basketball.”

***

Only four members of the 2022 draft class have inked big extensions a couple of weeks before the deadline.

Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 pick in the class, signed a five-year extension worth $239 million. Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren, the second pick, and Jalen Williams, the No. 12 pick, signed deals identical to Banchero after helping the Thunder to the championship. The fourth pick in the draft, Jabari Smith Jr., got a five-year, $122 million extension.

Other key pieces like Detroit’s Jalen Duren, Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels, Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin, Utah’s Walker Kessler and one of Watson’s teammates remain without extensions.

“There’s a lot of really, really good guys that haven’t signed extensions in my class,” Watson said. “Guys with accolades, guys who had good years last year, including my teammate (and) right-hand man Christian Braun.”

***

The Nuggets have established a reputation for extending their guys in recent years, but a lot has changed since Michael Porter Jr. and Zeke Nnaji’s extensions largely limited Denver’s options.

First, the new collective bargaining agreement with more punitive aprons for the top-spending teams. There’s also a new front-office structure responsible for determining just how much Braun and Watson are worth to the franchise. Many are projecting Braun to receive an extension offer in the neighborhood of $25 million annually. Add that to the combined $164 million the Nuggets owe to Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Cam Johnson next season, and Denver’s on the verge of the second apron, something many teams have worked to avoid.

The only player drafted in the final five picks of the 2022 first round, like Watson, to agree to an extension was Miami’s Nikola Jovic. The Heat and the Serbian forward reached a four-year extension worth $62.4 million.

Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (8) shoots as Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren, left, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and Alex Caruso, right, look on in the first half of Game 7 in the Western Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs, Sunday, May 18, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

If the Nuggets don’t reach a contract extension with Watson before the season starts, he and every other player from his draft class in a similar situation will become restricted free agents next summer. That means teams with more cap space could sign him to a deal the Nuggets might not be willing, or able, to match, especially if his training camp breakout translates to the regular season.

“For me, it’s just always been implemented in my brain to just let my play do the talking, let my production do the talking. Everything else will work itself out,” Watson said. “I’ve had an amazing training camp, and if anything, it’s only helping me. I’m excited for what’s going on, and I’m excited for my future with this team.”

Mark Kiszla: Is Air Force football too essential to stop during federal government shutdown?

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – On the fourth day of the U.S. federal government shutdown, the Air Force and Navy football teams did their part by ceasing to play defense.

Make touchdowns, not war.

But there are no moral victories in football.

After his feisty Falcons lost 34-31 to Navy on a Saturday afternoon when the scoreboard lit up like a laser show and tackling was strictly optional, dejected Air Force coach Troy Calhoun groused: “We didn’t come here to be close.”

Wearing a ballcap proudly emblazoned with USA in red, white, and blue letters, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth flipped the coin before kickoff, then bore witness to the shock and awe of two military academy offenses that exploded for nearly 1,000 yards between them.

Maybe the best defense is a good offense.

Or perhaps the Falcons, surrendering an average of 44 points per game this season against FCS-caliber foes, are utterly defenseless. “It’s cutting deep. It’s not a fun thing,” said Air Force senior nose guard Payton Zdroik.

He and his defensive mates couldn’t make a stop at the end of the fourth quarter to give the Falcons a shot at pulling off the upset against the undefeated Midshipmen.

 “I can’t B.S. anybody,” Zdroik said. “The defense has an issue right now … We know it. Everyone knows it.”.

Since Wednesday, regional offices for the Department of Veteran Affairs have been closed because legislators in nearby Washington, D.C., are engaged in partisan finger-pointing that could do billions of dollars of damage to the American economy on a weekly basis.

But football with the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy at stake?

That’s essential bread and circus that America can’t live without.

“All hands on deck,” said Air Force athletic director Nathan Pine.

Outside the visitors’ locker room, Pine handed out the disappointing statistical analysis of the Falcons’ fourth loss of this young season, because football communications director Troy Garnhart was a government employee benched on the no-fly list by the government shutdown.

While football teams go out to play, the grunts behind the scenes pay the price of political gridlock.

How does a taxpayer-supported military academy get around the constraints of a federal government shutdown in order to airlift a football team more than halfway across the country?

Nobody asked me but: It doesn’t feel right when playing football is a priority over the imminent layoffs of federal employees promised by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Make it make sense to me. Pine tried. He explained the Falcons football team is a privately funded enterprise operated under the guise of the Air Force Academy Athletic Corporation.

“We were playing the game. Period,” Calhoun said. “We never had any other inclination for anything but that, even though we’re well aware there’s a government shutdown.” 

The Smithsonian Museum won’t be forced to shutter its doors until at least next weekend.  So maybe there’s time to donate the helmet of AFA quarterback Liam “The Great Sphinx” Szarka. He produced another museum-quality piece of art in only his second start for the Zoomies, throwing for  212 yards, running for 152, and producing four touchdowns with his arm or legs.

I’d love to tell you what Szarka, a sophomore from Grandview High School in Aurora, thinks about honoring the grand tradition of great dual-threat quarterbacks for the Falcons.

Calhoun, however, has zipped his quarterback’s lip. The reasoning? It’s as nonsensical as the government shutdown. Although this young and able-bodied man is entrusted with operating the Air Force offense, Calhoun doesn’t believe a sophomore like Szarka is man enough to speak for himself.

So don’t even ask, because The Great Sphinx of Szarka is not allowed to tell.

With Navy quarterback Blake Horvath setting a school record with 469 total yards from scrimmage, the action was so fast and furious that you could miss a touchdown if you blinked. There were only four punts in the game, and twice as many touchdowns.

Transfixed by the offensive fireworks, I hustled from the press box to the field late in the fourth quarter. Bounding off the final step from the stands onto the sideline, I was so distracted that I almost stepped on Hegseth, who was striding with purpose toward the Navy bench.

I’m not certain the heavily armed security detail for the Secretary of War would’ve taken too kindly to me clumsily bumping into Hegseth.

But I missed him.

Maybe that figures.

On this afternoon, there was no stopping any military man on the march.

Navy throws its way past Air Force in a rare pass-happy service academy shootout

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Six if by air, for a change.

In an oddly pass-happy service academy shootout Navy senior Blake Horvath set a program record for total yards and passed for more yards than any Midshipmen quarterback in 31 years as his squad won 34-31, outdueling an Air Force squad that was led by another prolific day by sophomore quarterback Liam Szarka.

Seniority ruled. And in the chase the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, so did the defending champs.

“You never thought you’d see a day when there were almost 600 passing yards in a service academy game, right?” Navy coach Brian Newberry said after the game saw 588 passing yards, compared to 389 yards of rushing output in a series generally dominated by ground warfare. “Pretty wild.”

Ultimately, it came down to the final two possessions. Navy (5-0) forced a stop. Air Force (1-4) could not.

“The defense has an issue right now and the offense is doing pretty good,” Falcons nose guard Payton Zdroik said. “We know it, everyone knows it; we’ve got to rally and do better as a defense.

“It hurts. … I hurt for my brothers. I’m a senior, so it means a little more to me right now. It’s cutting deep. It’s not a fun thing.”

Air Force Falcons quarterback Liam Szarka (9) throws down field against Navy during the first half Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

The Falcons’ offense, behind Szarka and a career day from tight end Bruin Fleischmann, nearly kept pace, coming back to tie the game at 17, 24, and 31 after the Midshipmen kept moving in front.

Navy moved in front with a field goal with 6:47 remaining, then made the game’s biggest defensive stop when linebacker Jackson Campbell knocked the ball up and out of Szarka’s hand with 3:07 remaining.

“It was awesome to see the ball in the air and finally get the takeaway we needed,” said nose guard Landon Robinson, who caught the loose ball.

Air Force’s defense then couldn’t stop Navy on a third and 8 or, later, a fourth and 2 as Horvath made the necessary plays to keep Szarka and Co. off the field for one final shot.

Navy Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath (11) runs past the tackle of Air Force Falcons defensive lineman Daniel Grobe (95) during the second half Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

Horvath had answers throughout, amassing a team-record 469 yards.

“I’m glad he’s on our side,” Newberry said. “I can’t say enough good things about him. He never flinches, he never panics, he never presses. He just goes out and plays. He’s calm, cool and collected and just a special talent. He’s a winner and that permeates on the rest of our team.”

Navy outgained the Falcons 517-460 as Horvath completed 20-of-26 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns and ran 17 times for 130 yards and a touchdown.

“The guy’s dynamic,” Zdroik said. “He’s actually a lot harder to take down than we anticipated.”

Navy senior receiver Eli Heidenreich set a program record with 243 receiving yards on eight catches with three scores.

There were times Air Force draped Heidenreich in coverage and he made the catch anyway. And there were times he found the soft spots in the defense that teams have exposed throughout the season.

The Falcons have given up 49, 49, 44 and 34 points in their four games against FBS competition.

“Obviously one heck of a football game, right? For everybody here, both squads, they laid it on the line,” Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said. “Tremendous game. Just, we didn’t come here to be close.”

Szarka, making his second start, completed 11-of-19 throws for 212 yards and two touchdowns, adding 152 rushing yards with two scores. It was his third consecutive game with 200 passing yards and 100 rushing yards after the program had gone seven years without a player accomplishing the feat.

Air Force Falcons tight end Bruin Fleischmann (88) runs down field a head of Navy Midshipmen linebackers Luke Pirris (35) and Marcanthony Parker (56) for a long reception during the first half Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

Fleishmann caught six passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns, more than doubling the 138 career receiving yards he had entering the game. And that was after starting 16 consecutive contests.

“Honestly, I just do my job and sometimes they throw it to me and I’ll do my job there, too,” Fleishmann said.

Air Force sophomore kicker Jacob Medina misfired on a 35-yard field goal in the first quarter, which loomed large late in the three-point loss.

Medina later connected on an attempt from 24 yards.

Each team punted just two times.

“We’ve got to make that plays that we’re supposed to make,” Air Force linebacker Blake Fletcher said. “And we’ve also got to make plays that are harder plays, that not everyone’s supposed to make, but that’s football.”

The win removes Air Force from contention for the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy. Navy can win it when it plays Army in December or retain it if the three teams go 1-1 against each other.

The Air Force Drum and Bugle Corps march in front of the Air Force fans Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, outside the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium before the start of the Air Force game against Navy in Annapolis, Md. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

Woody Paige: Broncos need to take advantage of opportunity in Philly

It seems like only 39 years ago that the Broncos won their only game in Philadelphia.

They must repeat the feat.

The Broncos whacked the Eagles, sacked quarterbacks  Ron Jaworski and Randall Cunninham four times, packed running back Keith Byars for 21 yards, hacked coordinator Wade Phillips’ defense for 195 yards rushing by Sammy “Mississippi Mud” Winder and Gerald “Highlight” Wilhite, jacked Philadelphia for 33 points (while limiting Philly to just one touchdown) and constantly clacked the Liberty Bell.

Backup Gary Kubiak got to clean-up for quarterback John Elway.

The Broncos dined on Philly Cheese Steaks for the flight home after winning the third of their first six games in route to “The Drive’’ in the Cleveland comeback conference championship and their second advancement to the Super Bowl.

Memory made.

However, the Broncos haven’t scratched in Philadelphia since – losing 30-0, 31-13, 30-27 and 51-23 in their last trip to the Penn-itentiary in 2017.

Now is new. Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto, fresh from a four-year contract extension that could earn up to $120 million, is the early-season preference for NFL defensive player of the year – an award bestowed on 2024 recipient Patrick Surtain II. Two different players on the same team haven’t received the honor since linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed in 2003-2004. Pat & Nik have a chance. Bonitto is second in sacks (by a half) with 4.5 and leads in 27 quarterback stresses and 31.42 pressure percentages.

He would need a Randy Gradishar-Von Miller kind of game in Philadelphia to keep up the pace. But Bonitto’s ambition is loftier. “We are “trying to go win the game,’’ he says. “We know we’re a good team. We can go into an opponent’s house and win a football game . . .  We’ve been so close on the road multiple times this year, and being finally able to get over the hump against a team of this caliber, as great as they are, Super Bowl champs, it would be a major boost for us as a team to be able to go on the road and win a game like that.”

Yet, the Broncos haven’t proven themselves so far. They lost by a point in Indianapolis and a field goal in Los Angeles to the Chargers.
  
They’ll have to win against the No. 1-rated team in the league in a city where the franchise has prevailed only once since 1971, a season following the merger. Elway won’t be playing for three quarters, and Peyton Manning isn’t the quarterback for the Broncos at Mile High in 2013 fracking the Eagles 52-20 when Brock Osweiler actually did enter the game briefly.
 
The Eagles will be offering Jalen Hurts at quarterback and Saquan Barkley at running back – and the provocative rump thump. Truth is, however, Bo Nix and J.K. Dobbins have produced individual superior results through four games despite an unsatisfactory 2-2 record. Nix is ranked 17th — 7 touchdowns, 4 interceptions and only 3 sacks with 861 yards passing. Hurts has thrown 5 touchdowns without a pick, but his sacks have totaled nine while compiling 609 yards in the air – with an overall ranking of 28th.
 
Bonitto should get his pressure probabilities against a weaker offensive front.

Barkley’s rushing is pedestrian at 237 yards (3.1 per) in a rare 21st place with 3 touchdowns, while Dobbins, replying from his first 101-yard game with the Broncos, has gained 323 yards (5.7), and he also has scored three TDs among the league’s top five runners.

The Broncos struggled on both sides at the end of two games; the Eagles have been offensively inconsistent throughout one half of all four. They average 27.6 points on offense and allow 22 on defense, while the Broncos are 24 and 16.8.
 
This game is promoted as the Broncos’ most difficult trip of the season, while the Eagles could be confronting their strongest non-division Lincoln Financial Field opponent.

Neither will be scorched for 50 points or accumulate more than 50. But Both could be in the 25-30-point range.

Win, and the Eagles stay at the summit. If the Broncos triumph, though, they are back in playoff play in 2025 and where they were in 1986.

The Broncos should take a hint from former famous Philadelphian Ben Franklin. “If you think the cost of winning is high, just wait until you get the bill for regret”.

NFL Insider: Ex-Broncos star DeMarcus Ware a mentor to Nik Bonitto, admires his ‘heart of a pass rusher’

The next time Nik Bonitto sacks a quarterback, watch closely and see if it conjures up memories of DeMarcus Ware. 

Ware played his final game as an outside linebacker for the Broncos in 2016 and Bonitto was a Denver rookie at the position in 2022. But with the Hall of Famer having returned to town on several occasions in recent years for alumni functions, he has become a mentor to the Broncos star. 

“(Bonitto) reached out and said, ‘Hey man, let me know what you think of this,’ and for me that’s a cool thing for me because I’m like, ‘Hey, listen, I’m going to tell you everything I know because I want for you to be a baller,'” Ware told The Denver Gazette about Bonitto having been in regular contact with him in recent years. 

Bonitto, 26, has become a baller, and Ware expects he will continue to get better. Bonitto was named second-team All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl last season, when he had 13.5 sacks. Entering Sunday’s game at Philadelphia, he has 4.5 sacks, tied for third in the NFL, and leads the league with 27 quarterback pressures. 

Ware starred for the Dallas Cowboys from 2005-13 and for the Broncos from 2014-16, winning a Super Bowl with them in the 2015 season and being inducted in 2023 into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. So what are some of the pointers he has given Bonitto?  

“Just about his get-off and also just keeping his motor going and working on his underneath move,” said Ware, who lives in the Dallas area. “Even if he’s not as good at (the underneath move) right now, being young he can still put that in his arsenal, so they don’t have a beat on him.” 

Ware had 138.5 career sacks, ninth in NFL history, including 20 for the Cowboys in 2008. He was known for his quick get-off from the line of scrimmage, something Bonitto also is mastering. 

“He’s moving a little bit before the ball (is snapped) like I used to, like Von (Miller) still does,” said Ware, referring to the star pass rusher who was his teammate on the Broncos and is now with Washington. “That can’t be taught. That has to be you studying so much during the week that you can anticipate the voice inflection of the quarterback, the leaning of the left tackle and all the little movements on the front line.” 

Ware calls it a “triangle” what he did with pass rushing and what Bonitto also has been doing with great efficiency. 

“The three things are the center, the quarterback and the guy you’re going against,” Ware said. “All those things start moving before the ball (is snapped). … You move a split second before the ball is snapped. It looks like you’re getting off faster than everybody but it’s your anticipation. I call it the gunslinger mentality. … It’s how fast you can draw and (Bonitto) does that very well.” 

Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) reacts after a sac against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Ware said the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Bonitto is ideally suited to be a terror to opposing quarterbacks. 

“He’s got the right size, and he has the athleticism and he’s very flexible,’’ Ware said. “What I mean by flexible is being able to bend the corner. And he has great power. People don’t see that. It’s real subtle but he can power through those tackles. … He has the heart of a pass rusher and that type of heart that (says) I will never be stopped.” 

Ware has been thrilled with Bonitto’s work ethic but still provides him with tips along those lines. 

“It’s ‘E’ and ‘A,’ effort and your attitude,’’ Ware said about what he stresses. “If your effort is always 100% and your attitude is always positive and you never let any of the offensive plays get in your way, your anticipation can always be high because you have hyper focus on every play.” 

Bonitto has improved rapidly in recent seasons, going from 1.5 sacks as a rookie in 2022 to eight in 2023 and then having his breakout year in 2024. He is grateful for anything he can learn from Ware. 

“Great rusher,” Bonitto said. “Anything he wants to give me to help me out, I’ll take.” 

Bonitto soon could get some in-person tips from Ware. Ware will be in Denver in two weeks when the Broncos have a 10-year reunion of the team that defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50, a game in which Ware had two sacks. Returning members of the team will be introduced at halftime of Denver’s game against the New York Giants on Oct. 19 at Empower Field at Mile High. 

Bonitto does wonder if he will get any tips from Ware for Denver’s game after that, Oct. 26 against Dallas at home. After all, Ware played a lot longer for the Cowboys than for the Broncos. 

“You know, if he asks, I’ll give them,” Ware said with a laugh. 

What I’m hearing 

—How important is it for former Broncos tackle Ryan Harris to be at the 10-year reunion for the Super Bowl 50 winners? Harris, in his eighth season as a radio analyst for alma mater Notre Dame, will miss the Fighting Irish’s Oct. 18 home game against USC so he can take part in all reunion activities, running Oct. 17-19. “It’s the first game I’m not calling in years for Notre Dame,” said Harris, who played for the Broncos from 2007-10 and in 2015. “I missed one game due to (coronavirus restrictions in 2020). At the beginning of the year, I told them, ‘Hey we have a reunion,’ and everybody understands how rare it is (to win a Super Bowl). I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” 

—Bonitto laughed when asked about Broncos coach Sean Payton playing Philadelphia’s fight song “Fly Eagles Fly” in practice leading into Sunday’s game. “I hate it when Sean does that but it gets you ready for sure,” Bonitto said. The outside linebacker is very confident entering the game against the defending Super Bowl champions. When asked if the Eagles are beatable, he said, “Oh, yeah. I know we’re going to have a good game plan and it’s going to be a good game.” 

What I’m seeing 

—After signing as a free agent last March, tight end Evan Engram hasn’t done a lot in his first three games with the Broncos, having eight catches for 62 yards. But Payton doesn’t seem too concerned about Engram, who for Jacksonville in 2023 caught 114 passes, the second-most for an NFL tight end, for 963 yards. “There’s times where, yeah, you definitely look to involve him, but we don’t come off a game like last week and then look at who got touches,” Payton said about Engram having four catches for 29 yards against the Bengals. “We’re not playing the fantasy game. We’re trying to win.”  

Engram, who played for the Giants from 2017-21 and Jaguars from 2022-24, at least will face Sunday a foe he has seen plenty. In eight career games, against the Eagles, a rival of the Giants in the NFC East, he has 34 catches for 308 yards. 

—Payton has been doing his best to make sure his players aren’t thinking about their trip to London before the game against the Eagles. The Broncos will leave Philadelphia Sunday night and arrive Monday morning in London in preparation for next Sunday’s game against the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Linebacker Alex Singleton said players brought in their bags for London on Friday, when they flew from Denver to Philadelphia, “but we’re not seeing those until Monday.” Singleton said it was easy to not be distracted entering a game against the 4-0 Eagles. “This is a huge game for us’’ he said. “It almost makes it better that it’s not a lower-tier team in this league. We’re playing the best of the best. If you’re not focused for this game, there’s probably something wrong with you.” 

How ex-NFL QB Matt Ryan, city of Philadelphia shaped Broncos OT Mike McGlinchey

Matt Ryan knew from the very beginning his cousin was special. 

The retired NFL quarterback grew up in what he called “a big Irish Catholic family” that gathered often to celebrate personal milestones and holidays. Ryan’s aunt, Janet McGlinchey, had six children — including a boy born on Aug. 29, 1994, in Philadelphia. Mike McGlinchey grew up to become the Broncos’ starting right tackle. 

On Sunday, with Lincoln Financial Field hosting Broncos-Eagles in Week 5, McGlinchey returns to the place and people who made his football dreams possible. Ryan is an NFL studio analyst for CBS Sports’ The NFL Today and The NFL Today . 

“I remember (McGlinchey) as a baby,” said Ryan, who played in 15 NFL seasons between the Falcons and Colts, in a phone interview with The Denver Gazette. “Him growing up and becoming not only the player, but the dad and the husband and the man — I’m just so proud of everything he’s done. … He was a massive kid as a young toddler. You’re looking at him and you’re like: ‘I think this guy was put on this earth to play offensive line or defensive line in the NFL.’  

“We knew right from the start.” 

McGlinchey is almost nine years younger than Ryan. They grew up in neighboring towns within 30 minutes of driving distance around Philadelphia. McGlinchey told The Denver Gazette he considers the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback a valued NFL mentor. 

“Matt was one of the biggest resources I ever had, whether he knew it or not,” McGlinchey said. “Indirectly, Matt helped me out in a lot of ways. He was always a shining example of how to be, how to act and be a professional. … The passion that I have for the game of football is because I’m a Philadelphian. They love it there. And I love it just as much as they do.” 

The Broncos (2-2) are riding high after a dominant 28-3 home victory in Week 4 over the Bengals. Denver’s offense produced 512 total yards behind one of the better NFL offensive lines — especially on the edges.  

According to Next Gen Stats, starting left tackle Garett Bolles leads all NFL offensive tackles through four games with the lowest quarterback pressure rate (4.6 %). McGlinchey ranks a close second (5.3%). They are two big reasons why Bo Nix is among the least-sacked quarterbacks in the NFL. 

“It’s comforting having those two bookends on the offensive line,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said after a practice last week at Broncos Park. 

McGlinchey’s rise to become one of the NFL’s best offensive tackles started at William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia. It’s where Ryan also played high school football. Jeff Humble was the head coach when McGlinchey almost never came off the field. 

“I believe Michael played almost every position on offense,” Humble told The Denver Gazette. “He played quarterback for a play. He played fullback. He played guard, center and tackle. We used to swap out his number to put him in at tight end on the goal line. He was that athletic where we could just move him around to get mismatches.” 

McGlinchey added: “I got to go to school with my brother and my sister. I had three or four cousins that I went to high school with that were all football players as well. My high school was a little bit of a family affair. Some of the best friends I have in the world are from there. There’s nothing quite like the purity of high school football and chasing a dream with your best friends.” 

McGlinchey became a top-rated recruit who signed to play at Notre Dame. He developed into one of the nation’s top college offensive linemen as a second-team All-American selection his senior year. McGlinchey was projected as a first-round NFL draft pick, and he wanted to share the moment with friends and family back in Philadelphia.  

McGlinchey opted to host a draft party just outside the city at a local spot — Giuseppe’s Pizza & Family Restaurant in Richboro, Penn. — owned by a close family friend. More than 150 people showed up. 

“I had a great party with the people that affected my life and my journey in football,” McGlinchey said. “High school coaches, friends, college teammates, high school teammates, teachers that I had growing up. Aunts, uncles and cousins. … They closed the restaurant down for us. It was one of the greatest nights of my life.” 

The 49ers selected McGlinchey with the No. 9 overall pick.  

“I have that picture of him putting the hat on sitting at the table with tears in his eyes. Giving his brother a hug after he got drafted. It’s burned in my brain,” Humble said. “Just to be surrounded by all the people that he loved and loved him made for a really special event. At a pizza place.” 

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) throws during the second half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021, in Atlanta. The Atlanta Falcons won 20-16. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)

McGlinchey started his NFL career under 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who spent two previous seasons with the Falcons (2015-16) as offensive coordinator with Ryan at quarterback. McGlinchey always looked up to Ryan. Then he joined him in the NFL.  

“My feelings of (Ryan) being my sports hero were validated,” McGlinchey said. “I was drafted by San Francisco and Kyle was our coach, and he coached Matt for a number of years in Atlanta. The first thing they ever said about him was: ‘Your cousin was the toughest guy I ever coached.’” 

Ryan’s message to McGlinchey: “I’m just here if you need me.” 

“It’s everybody’s own journey to kind of figure out their path. But if there are any questions or helping with off-the-field stuff, like finding your agent, and all of the little things that go into it that make your life easier,” Ryan said. “So, I tried to help in any way that I could. But for the most part, he was a guy that had his stuff in order. I think that’s partly going to Notre Dame. … I couldn’t give him any advice on playing offensive lineman. I have no idea.” 

McGlinchey played on a 49ers team that reached Super Bowl LIV against the Chiefs. He’s now a key piece of the Broncos rebuild under coach Sean Payton. Denver made the playoffs a year ago for the first time since 2015. The Broncos now must prove they can beat elite competition, like the Eagles (4-0), to take the next step. 

“I think you need players like Mike to win,” Ryan told The Denver Gazette. “You need the glue guys. You need the guys that are tone setters, are physical and are going to play through things when they’re nicked up. And (to) set the example for some of the young guys in that building for what it takes to be a true pro.” 

McGlinchey expects a large group of family and friends in the crowd Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Philadelphia will always be home.  

“I’m really proud of where I came from,” McGlinchey said. “I’m proud of the family that I have and the passion that city breathes for the game of football. Now, at the same time, because of that passion, there are a lot of close family and friends that are rooting against me this weekend. It’s a weird thing.”

Elway coming to conquer 2025 Denver Film Festival

Netflix doc on Broncos great will close fest; Lucy Liu, Gus Van Sant and Delroy Lindo among Denver-bound honorees

Film or football, no matter: John Elway takes second billing to no one.

That means you, Lucy Liu, Gus Van Sant and Delroy Lindo – just a few of the bold-faced names coming to Denver to be honored at the 48th Denver Film Festival, running Halloween night through Nov. 9 at venues across the metro area.

This is Broncos country, so the name that naturally shot to the top of today’s programming announcement from Denver Film was Elway’s. Why? Because the festival will close with a world-premiere screening of “Elway,” an upcoming Netflix documentary on the quarterback whose real-life NFL swan song was a Hollywood scriptwriter’s dream.

You can’t make this up: After 14 largely frustrating seasons, Elway led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl win in 1998, upending the heavily favored Packers. Rather than riding off into the sunset with nothing left to prove, Elway doubled down on his newfound legacy by coming back for a 16th season, brazenly winning a second world championship and cementing his place as one of the great QBs in NFL history.

The doc chronicles Elway’s early collegiate career at Stanford through his years with the Broncos. Elway is coming to the festival screening, joined by co-directors Ken Rodgers and Chris Weaver on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Netflix has not even announced a drop date for the doc, so you could be seeing it well before the rest of the country.

Delroy Lindo, as he appeared in the Denver Center Theatre Company’s very first season program in 1979. He’s coming back to Denver for the 2025 Denver Film festival. JOHN MOORE/DENVER GAZETTE

When it comes to the Denver Film Festival, no one can possibly see much more than, say, a dozen films. But audiences’ choices will be significantly slimmer this year, with 136 films to choose from, down from 185. That’s a dramatic drop of 26.5% – and fully attributable to the previously reported end of the Denver Film Festival’s three-year association with the AMC 9+10 cinema near Rose Hospital.

That leaves the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Botanic Gardens, MCA at the Holiday Theater and the Sie FilmCenter as this year’s festival screening venues.

“These are all fantastic festival sites that allow us to do everything we want to do from a programming standpoint, and helps us minimize any reduction in the total number of screenings across the 10 days of our festival.” the org said in a collective statement issued to the Denver Gazette in August.
The reduced screen availability surely meant tougher programming decisions for festival Artistic Director Matthew Campbell – and, in turn, made for better (if harder) choices for audiences. And inevitably, greater competition for available seats.

Opening night

“Knives Out” was the opening night film for the 2019 Denver Film Festival, giving local audiences a head start on what would soon turn into a global franchise. Six years later, the fest will again open with a Halloween red-carpet showing of “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

Colorado-raised writer/director Rian Johnson brought the first “Knives out” movie to the Denver Film Festival for a sneak peek in 2019. The third film in the series will launch the 2025 fest. JOHN MOORE/DENVER GAZETTE

This is Colorado-raised writer and director Rian Johnson’s third “Knives” installment featuring detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), this time chasing a star-studded ensemble including Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner and Kerry Washington. No word yet on whether Johnson will attend.

Across town, the fest will “co-open” with a Halloween-appropriate screening of “Primate,” a new horror film directed and co-written by Johannes Roberts and starring Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander and the en fuego Troy Kotsur (“Black Rabbit”).

Another centerpiece screening will be “Is This Thing On?” on Nov. 3 at the MCA Denver at the Holiday Theater. It’s directed by Bradley Cooper and features Cooper alongside Will Arnett and Laura Dern.

From left: Denver-bound film honorees Lucy Liu, Gus Van Sant and Niecy Nash-Betts. DENVER FILM

Who’s coming to Denver?

Lucy Liu (“Charlie’s Angels”) will receive the John Cassavetes Award at a screening of Rosemead on Nov. 8 at the MCA Denver at the Holiday Theater. Gus Van Sant (“Good Will Hunting”) will receive the Excellence in Directing Award at a screening of “Dead Man’s Wire” on Nov. 4 at the MCA Denver at the Holiday Theater. And Niecy Nash-Betts (“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”) will receive the fourth CinemaQ LaBahn Ikon Award for contributions to the LGBTQIA+ community.

But old-school Denver theatergoers will likely be most excited to welcome Delroy Lindo (“Malcolm X”) back to town. Lindo will receive Denver Film’s Next50 Career Achievement Award on Nov. 1 following a special screening of “Sinners” at the Sie FilmCenter.

Lindo was a member of the Denver Center Theatre Company’s inaugural, 40-strong resident acting company back in the inaugural 1979-80 season. He performed in several plays alongside Tyne Daly, Tandy Cronyn and many others.

”Hamnet,” featuring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, is one of the big-buzz titles of the 2025 Denver Film Festival. AGATA GRZYBOWSKA/FOCUS FEATURES

What to do?

Every Denver Film festival is jam-packed with screenings, red carpets, panels, awards and parties. There will be feature-length films, documentaries, episodic television and shorts. To deep-dive into all of your choices, go to denverfilm.org for an A-Z film guide.

With the exception of special screenings like “Sinners,” Denver Film is known for only showing feature films that have not yet been released. That makes its place on the calendar near the end of the year something of a blessing and a curse.

The blessing is that most of the year’s Oscar contenders don’t get released until the end of December, just in time for Oscar nominations. That means Denver Film gets to cherry-pick the very best films that have emerged at other festivals throughout the year (that, again, have not yet been released).

That means Denver Film has come to be known as a primo opportunity for Denver-area festivalgoers to get sneak peeks at presently unknown but soon-to-be-nominated films like  “Knives Out,” “Belfast,” “Diana,” “American Fiction” and “The Whale.” This year is no different. 

To help you zero in on some of the higher-profile opportunities coming your way, here are a few titles that most definitely will be in the conversation come Oscars nomination time:

• ”Jay Kelly,” a Noah Baumbach-directed dramedy with George Clooney as a movie star reflecting on his life choices and Adam Sandler as his manager

• ”Hamnet,” directed by Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao and featuring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal in a story about the real-life tragedy that influenced William Shakespeare’s greatest work.

• ”The Testament of Ann Lee,” award-winning writer-director Mona Fastvold’s (“The Brutalist”) speculative retelling of the extraordinary story of Ann Lee, founder of the religious sect known as the Shakers.

• ”Rental Family,”  a crowd-pleaser featuring Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”) as an actor who stumbles into an unusual job playing stand-in roles for strangers in a foreign country

• ”Christy,” with Sydney Sweeney in a career-making performance as boxer Christy Martin.

• ”Nuremberg,” starring Rami Malek and Russell Crowe in a psychological drama about one of the most important trials of the 20th century.

• ”Man on the Run,” Morgan Neville’s documentary on the Denver-bound Paul McCartney (playing in concert Oct. 11 at Coors Field).

That’s a look at the Creede Repertory’s Main Street theater; it has a smaller studio space just down the block. JOHN MOORE/DENVER GAZETTE

A taste of Colorado

In 25 years of covering Colorado theater community, nothing has provided greater storytelling opportunities than the Creede Repertory Theatre, the economic and artistic engine of tiny Creede Colorado, nestled 250 miles southwest of Denver in the San Juan mountains. Director Kahane Corn Cooperman is the latstet to discover Creede, and her “Creede U.S.A.” documentary love letter will be a hot ticket at the festival.

“We’ve curated a lineup that reflects both the diversity and strength of contemporary storytelling with a remarkable selection of films, storylines and performances,” Campbell said in a statement. “These eclectic and thought-provoking films ask urgent questions about our past, present and future, alongside deeply personal stories of resilience and triumph.

“The Denver Film Festival is an opportunity to come together in a communal experience and discover both big-name titles and hidden gems that shine just as brightly.”

John Moore is the Denver Gazette’s Senior Arts Journalist. Email him at john.moore@denvergazette.com

2025 DENVER FILM FESTIVAL

• When: Oct. 31-Nov. 9

• What: Feature-length films, documentaries and shorts, as well as music videos, episodic television, panel conversations, parties and more

• Where: Sie FilmCenter (2510 E. Colfax Ave.); Ellie Caulkins Opera House (Denver Performing Arts Complex), Denver Botanic Gardens (1007 York St.), MCA Denver at the Holiday (2644 W. 32nd Ave., Denver Museum of Nature and Science Infinity Theatre (2001 Colorado Blvd.)

• Tickets and complete festival lineup: denverfilm.org

PHOTOS: Colorado mountains show their aspen colors

The sun peeks through the aspens on the westside of Kebler Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, near Crested Butte, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)Drops of water lie on an aspen leaf as it rests on the top of a braken fern in the forest west of Kebler Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, near Crested Butte, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)A photographer captures the multicolored aspens on Ohio Pass between Gunnison and Kebler Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)An old mining cabin is framed between a pair of aspen trees on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2025, with the San Juan Mountains in the background on Colorado Highway 550 south of Silverton. The cabin has been a destination for photographers in recent years thanks to its rustic look and the surrounding forest. (The Gazette, Jon Mitchell) Photographers capture the multicolored aspens on Ohio Pass between Gunnison and Kebler Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)Photographers capture the multicolored aspens on Ohio Pass between Gunnison and Kebler Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)Rain drops fall on a pond on Kebler Pass as the water reflects the dark clouds above on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The fall foliage colors the valley below Kebler Pass on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The evening light shines on Cimarron Ridge South near Owl Creek Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, outside Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)Anglers fish Taylor River below the reservoir Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, as the fall colors reflect on the water. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The setting sun casts a red glow on Chimney Rock and Courthouse Mountain Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, on Owl Creek Pass east of Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)Storm clouds build over the turning aspen south of Crested Butte, Colo., on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The turning aspens on Ohio Pass frame The Castles Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The Castles stand above the turning aspens on Ohio Pass between Gunnison and the Kebler Pass summit Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)Aspen trees stands alone Ohio Pass south of the Kebler Pass summit on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The turning aspens on Ohio Pass frame The Castles Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The multicolored aspens below Ohio Pass west of Crested Butte, Colo., shine brightly on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The multicolored, turning aspens decorate the landscape on the west side of Kebler Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)Denver photographer Marcela Suter and Kevin and Sudan Piersol wait for a rain shower to pas’s while Suter captured their wedding day among the turning aspens at Lost Lake on Kebler Pass outside Crested Butte, Colo. The couple from Myerstown, Pa., searched online for a beautiful play to elope and found Crested Butte. The couple was wed on the edge of the lake. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The turning aspens reflect on Lost Lake Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, near Kebler Pass. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The evening light shines on Cimarron Ridge South near Owl Creek Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, outside Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)Denver photographer Marcela Suter captures Kevin and Sudan Piersol’s wedding day among the turning aspens at Lost Lake on Kebler Pass outside Crested Butte, Colo. The couple from Myerstown, Pa., searched online for a beautiful play to elope and found Crested Butte. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)Denver photographer Marcela Suter captures Kevin and Sudan Piersol’s wedding day among the turning aspens at Lost Lake on Kebler Pass outside Crested Butte, Colo. The couple from Myerstown, Pa., searched online for a beautiful play to elope and found Crested Butte. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The evening light shines on Cimarron Ridge South near Owl Creek Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, outside Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The last minute of sun spotlights the a peak above Owl Creek Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The last minute of sun spotlights the a peak above Owl Creek Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The afternoon sun spotlights Chimney Rock and Courthouse Mountain on Owl Creek Pass near Ridgway, Colo., on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The last minute of sun spotlights the a peak above Owl Creek Pass Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The setting sun casts a red glow on Chimney Rock and Courthouse Mountain Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, on Owl Creek Pass east of Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The setting sun casts a red glow on Chimney Rock and Courthouse Mountain Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, on Owl Creek Pass east of Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The sun breaking through the clouds cast a stream of light on the turning aspens below the San Juan Mountains on the Dallas Divide Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, west of Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The sun breaking through the clouds cast a stream of light on the turning aspens below the San Juan Mountains on the Dallas Divide Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, west of Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The Animas River flows through the fall foliage outside Silverton, Colo. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The Animas River flows through the fall foliage outside Silverton, Colo. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)An off-highway vehicle makes its way toward 12,800-foot Engineer Pass in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The afternoon sun spotlights the turning aspen along the Million Dollar Highway Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, as seen from Engineer Pass between Silverton and Lake City, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)Aspen leaves turn bright red on Engineer Pass in the San Juan Mountains on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The aspens turn multicolored below the San Juan Mountains on the Dallas Divide Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, west of Ridgway, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)Motor vehicles drive the U.S. Route 550, the Million Dollar Highway, as the aspens turn on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, south of Ouray, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)Motorists drive through the changing aspens making their way south on U.S. Route 550, the Million Dollar Highway, between Ouray and Silverton, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The changing aspens are framed by the window of an old cabin on Molas Pass south of Silverton, Colo., in the San Juan Mountains on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The turning aspens show their colors on Molas Pass between Silverton and Durango, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The turning aspens surround the city of Silverton, Colo., in the San Juan Mountains on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The Animas River flows through the fall foliage outside Silverton, Colo. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)Vistors stop at the ghost town Animas Fork while exploring the San Juan Mountains near Silverton, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The aspens turn on Engineer Pass outside of Lake City, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)A fly fisherman casts his line on the Taylor River Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, as the fall colors reflect on the water. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)Aspen turn yellow above the Million Dollar Highway, U.S. Route 550, between Ouray and Silverton, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)A recreation vehicle drives the U.S. Route 550, the Million Dollar Highway, as the aspens above the town Ouray, Colo., turn yellow on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The turning aspens show their colors in the morning sun as storm clouds build in the background Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, on Red Mountain Pass between Ouray and Silverton, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The turning aspens show their colors in the morning sun Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, on Red Mountain Pass between Ouray and Silverton, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)Motorist drive Red Mountain Pass between Ouray and Silverton, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, as the aspens turn. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The turning aspens show their colors on Molas Pass between Silverton and Durango, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The turning aspens surround the city of Silverton, Colo., in the San Juan Mountains on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)The turning aspens surround the city of Silverton, Colo., in the San Juan Mountains on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)A jeep passes some of Colorado’s mining history as the aspens turn outside Silverton, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)