This is the weekend when fall officially puts summer in the rearview mirror, embracing winter as its next of kin. Kiddos will be running around the neighborhood, dressed as ghosts and goblins in pursuit of candy. October will give way to November, meaning Thanksgiving and Black Friday are less than a month away. And that pesky foe of sleep known as Daylight Saving will arrive, throwing everyone’s schedule off by an hour.
It’s also the time of year when sports is at its peak. The NFL and college football move into the parts of their seasons when games take on added meaning. The World Series closes out another Major League Baseball season. And the NBA and NHL are underway, with both leagues regular seasons finally started.
That means the action on the local sports front will be at a fever pitch, as well. And in the process, plenty of big-name players and coaches will be under pressure. Given what’s on the horizon, some will be feeling the heat more than others. But none more so than these three well-known figures:
No. 3 – Wade Phillips
“The Denver defense is no joke … best in the NFL and excellent at all 3 levels.” #TheSqueeze https://t.co/QNKhT2sTM2 (via @FieldYates)
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 24, 2015
So far this season, the Broncos defense has been nothing short of sensational. And most of the credit for their play has been the team’s new defensive coordinator, as Phillips has taken roughly the same ingredients Jack Del Rio had last season and turned them into a much better recipe this year. But to be fair, his defense hasn’t really been tested yet. So far, Denver has faced quarterbacks named Joe Flacco, Alex Smith, Matthew Stafford, Teddy Bridgewater, Derek Carr and Josh McCown; that’s not exactly a bunch of guys in the HOV lane to Canton. This week, however, they get Aaron Rodgers, arguably the best player in the entire NFL. That’ll provide a true test, as everyone will see if Wade’s defense is a mirage or the real deal on Sunday night. No. 2 – Peyton Manning
14.) Is Peyton Manning done? — . (@MinnesotaGOAT) October 23, 2015
The only thing that is going to get the nonsense to stop is a great performance from one of the game’s masters; and even that won’t suffice for the true non-believers. Currently, more people think that the Broncos quarterback has lost it than have faith in his ability to get it done, especially against great teams. When the 6-0 Packers come to town for a national TV game on Sunday night, Manning will have a grand stage for proving them wrong. He needs to look like the QB of old in order for Denver to have a chance to win, meaning he can’t make bad throws and questionable decisions against one of the league’s best defenses. If he throws for 300-plus yards, multiple TDs and no interceptions, some of the talk will quiet down.
No. 1 – Patrick Roy
Patrick Roy answered, “Not at all,” when I asked if losing to 0-8 team angered or embarrassed him. Then… https://t.co/0x86jjtgTh
— Terry Frei (@TFrei) October 25, 2015
Eight games into the 2015-16 season, the Avalanche look lost; their dismal 2-5-1 record doesn’t even adequately reflect the way they’ve played, as Colorado has been dreadful in multiple games thus far. However, their head coach doesn’t seem to see it that way; Roy appears to be in denial of reality, not aware of the problems that are ailing his team. If that continues, with Colorado playing poorly and the head coach seemingly clueless about how to fix things, the Hall of Fame goaltender will start to feel the heat. Goodwill only goes so far, even in a town where you helped the franchise win a pair of Stanley Cups. Roy needs to show that he can spot the problem, but also fix it. And he needs to do it in a hurry.