Comment on Smith’s slam beats Magic, clinches playoff spot

BALTIMORE — There’s no extra credit or demerits in the NFL. One win is one win, no matter how bad New Orleans might be. One loss is one loss, no matter how resoundingly Baltimore delivers it. Even though it all counts the same, Broncos wide receiver and captain Courtland Sutton acknowledged that he considers games like Sunday’s 41-10 loss to the Ravens to be in a different category. “For us, it’s on us to figure out our identity in these playoff games,” said Sutton, referring to the quality of the opponent.

The most promising and deflating takeaway from the Ravens’ rout of the Broncos centered on one player: Bo Nix. He met the moment but emerged as the Broncos’ QB1, WR2 and RB1. That combination will leave the Broncos SOL in pursuit of a playoff berth. It is not sustainable and requires change. Coach Sean Payton told reporters on Monday not to expect a big move at Tuesday’s trade deadline, despite the team clearly needing upgrades at receiver and tight end. “The focus is on the guys in this building,” Payton said.

The wait for the real version of the Colorado Avalanche might be coming to an end. Colorado’s six best forwards were all on the ice together Monday for the first time since May. Arturri Lehkonen will make his season debut Tuesday night against Seattle after offseason shoulder surgery. Not only did Valeri Nichushkin participate in a team practice for the first time since being suspended for at least six months and placed in Stage 3 of the NHL-NHLPA Player Assistance program, but the Avs believe they know his return date as well: Nov.

Eventually in the NFL, production is all that matters. Draft status comes with trimmings. Contracts can provide some level of protection. Talent buys second chances and longer runways after injuries. Ultimately, though, players who produce find their way to the field and eventually to the bank. That principle showed through as the Broncos set their long-term course at outside linebacker with a pair of consequential moves over the past three days. RELATED: Renck vs.

Renck: The symptoms were subtle at first. Widening eyes. Slight confusion. Missed details on assignments. But within 30 minutes, the Broncos were cooked, “Running Up That Hill” more than the spooked kids in “Stranger Things.” The Ravens clobbered the Broncos in every way, showing the gap between the AFC’s best and the rest, no matter how promising the start of the Broncos’ season.

The name’s Jokic. Nikola Jokic. He might have blown his cover last week. Jokic moonlights as an average defender, but he clearly has something going for him at his self-described weaker end of the floor: either revolutionary basketball intellect or James Bond-ian surveillance skills. In an amusing locker room exchange last Friday, Timberwolves stars Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert shared their disbelief that Jokic had correctly identified and demolished a play that Minnesota was about to run.