The Orchid Olympics

Bo Nix turned, looked to his right and threw his hands in the air as a gaping hole came into his periphery. As Audric Estime plunged into the end zone to cap a bruising opening drive last week in Los Angeles, he did so over a right side that had been completely caved in. Right guard Quinn Meinerz watched Chargers defensive tackle Poona Ford shift from his outside shoulder to inside and knew he had the big man right where he wanted him. Same for Mike McGlinchey, who saw Joey Bosa move to his inside and collapsed him down right into the path of linebacker Junior Colson. That left little work for pulling left guard Ben Powers, who cleaned up Colson as Estime easily hit pay dirt. That’s $211.5 million in total contract value and $48.5 million in average pay per year paving the way at the point of attack for Denver. This is what the Broncos are built to do.

For both the veterans playing their last game in a Colorado State uniform to young players looking to make an impact, Saturday’s Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl is all about opportunities. CSU is going to Tucson to win a football game, but for the old and young alike still on the teams’ roster, the Rams’ first bowl experience since 2017 will be a chance to showcase not only the university on a national stage, but also the culmination of the team’s most successful season in a decade. The Rams (8-4) and Miami (Ohio) (8-5) will kick off at 2:30 p.m.

With its crackling fires and holiday cheer, winter is a warm and fuzzy time. What better to match it than a wintry cocktail that makes you warm and fuzzy inside? Dylan O’Brien is a longtime bartender and East Bay lifer who, along with wife Polly Hancock, runs the Prizefighter Bar in Emeryville, California, plus its new sister business Prizefighter Bottle Shop. O’Brien recently discussed what he loves drinking during the colder months, shared strategies to follow when you’re throwing a holiday party and shared three favorite recipes for this time of year. Q: What cocktails make you think of winter and the holidays? A: There are flavor profiles that work well in colder months.

By CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL, Associated Press Pasticceria Gollini in Vignola, Italy, not far from Modena, is home to the sumptuous flourless chocolate cake known as torta Barozzi. Created in 1886 by pastry chef Eugenio Gollini and named for Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, a 16th-century architect, the much-loved sweet continues today to be produced according to a closely guarded secret recipe. Professional and home bakers alike have attempted to re-create the dessert, and we set out to devise a formula.

CINCINNATI – There is no mildness to his method. Aggression defines Sean Payton. He craves touchdowns like Homer Simpson does Duff beer. He defended his end-of-first-half clock management against the Chargers with exclamation points. Run out the clock? No chance. He had 17 seconds to go 55 yards for a field goal.

Jim Leonhard is eager to come into work every day. The Broncos are building something special at cornerback, and Denver’s first-year defensive backs coach senses it. Pat Surtain II established himself as a high-level cornerback from the moment he stepped onto the field as a rookie in 2021. But the emergence of second-year CB Riley Moss, nickel cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian and feisty rookie Kris Abrams-Draine has made the unit a formidable bunch with immense potential, which has the franchise anticipating a bright future. “There’s a lot of excitement within the organization,” Leonhard told The Denver Post.