The Broncos can win the AFC West, given good health and the Chiefs’ devil magic finally running out.

– Eric, trophy hunting

Kiz: Can Denver win 12 games and the AFC West for the first time since 2015? It’s certainly possible. But not likely. The same knuckleheads here at Kickin’ It Headquarters that were crazy enough to predict a playoff berth for the Broncos a year ago see a team that will be challenged to match that same 10-7 record in 2025. While there’s much to love about the skills of newcomers J.K. Dobbins, Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga, there’s reason to doubt any of them can stay healthy throughout the grind of a 17-game season. While the Broncos aren’t afraid to talk about their Super Bowl aspirations, what figures to be a stretch of three straight tight games to end September against the Colts, Chargers and Bengals will tell us much about if Denver has matured into a team that brings a championship focus week-in and week-out.

With great quarterbacking by Bo Nix, the Broncos can dethrone Kansas City as champs of the AFC West.

– J.C., follows the science

Kiz: If you listen to coach Sean Payton’s puppets in the national media, as Colin Cowherd and Dianna Russini gush about Nix, it will be a shock if the Broncos don’t go 12-5. While I certainly appreciate the competitive savvy he brings to the huddle, I do worry that maybe Nix has worked on his brand harder than his game prior to his second NFL season. While Payton sees “superstar” written all over Nix, is he ready to outduel Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels this season? The bumpy road of a young quarterback’s development is seldom a straight line to the stars. So here’s my prediction: Going into the final week of the regular season, the Broncos will be 9-7 and need Nix to beat Justin Herbert in what amounts to a play-in game to the postseason. I believe Nix can get that done. But a Super Bowl run will have to wait for another year.

The flames of football incompetence are burning bright in Boulder.

– Ted, Denver

Your daily report on everything sports in Colorado – covering the Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and columns from Woody Paige and Paul Klee.

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Kiz: I will be surprised if Byron Leftwich doesn’t replace Pat Shurmur as CU’s offensive coordinator by Halloween.

I’ve been attending Air Force football games since 1987 and frankly don’t know what more coach Troy Calhoun could do to elevate his team. While everyone knows the academic and leadership restrictions the Falcons face in recruiting talent, I believe not enough has been said about the even greater restrictions of no NIL or portal allowances. It’s a miracle the Falcons have not become more like the Colorado Rockies in giving away every good player on the roster.

– Von, into the wild blue yonder

Kiz: Every time I gaze at rows of empty seats in Falcon Stadium during home games, I wonder why Air Force football isn’t as ingrained in the community fabric of Colorado Springs as it was 15 or 20 years ago.

And today’s parting shot expresses dissatisfaction with Deion Sanders, Calhoun and Jay Norvell as the leaders of our state’s major-college football programs.

All three of them need to be fired. Bums!

– Fred, not easy to please