This is the first time I’ve seen the Colorado Rockies stick with a rebuild. I’m an old-school, through-thick-and-thin fan. I think the Rockies will make the playoffs before the Broncos.

– C.R., sees diamonds in rough

Kiz: Could the Rockies actually be closer to playoff relevancy than the Broncos? It all starts with talent, in short supply for both teams. But I will grant you the nature of shortstop Ezequiel Tovar’s job allows him to have more impact on a baseball game than cornerback Pat Surtain can bring to the football field. While Broncos coach Sean Payton sometimes seems as if he would rather be anywhere except Colorado, the personality of Rockies skipper Bud Black seems more suited to the patience required for a complete roster overhaul. Both the Broncos and Rockies have a long road and pain ahead of them. I can’t see either team making the playoffs next year. And if that’s the case, it wouldn’t surprise me if both Payton and Black are gone.

Payton will not let the Broncos go 0-3, or they will be dragging bodies out of the Denver locker room.

– Fred. not messing around

Kiz: We know the Broncos are bad, but going all Tony Soprano on them seems a wee bit harsh, don’t you think? And what does Payton have to be all riled up about? Whether Denver wins or loses against the Bucs, he is headed for a cushy few nights in the rolling hills of West Virginia at the Greenbrier Resort, where an overpaid coach can enjoy afternoon tea and croquet on the lawn, while his players are stuck away from home in preparation for a loss against the New York Jets.

How can the Broncos win in Tampa? Well, the Bucs could all get the flu right before kickoff.

– Jay, not optimistic

Kiz: Although I’m guessing the NFL would frown on germ warfare in pursuit of a football victory, thanks for the reminder to get my flu shot.

When the Denver running game fails, pass defense against Bo Nix becomes much easier, Kiz. Why don’t you grow the courage to ask Payton why he didn’t hire America’s best offensive line coach, Mike Munchak?

– Louis, braver than anyone

Kiz: Why stop there? Munchak might’ve been a better choice as head coach than Payton. But rather than more of my usual belly-aching, would you be so kind as to allow me to say a kind word about Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph? Nobody has been tougher on V.J. than me over the years. But if Payton was coaching up the offense anywhere close to the productivity Joseph has gotten from his defense, Denver could compete with any team in the league.

And today’s parting shot is a beef with a high-profile football coach that has made the CU Buffaloes more about style than substance.

Deion Sanders describing himself as Coach Prime is disgusting. Who does Sanders think he is? A college coach who leads a failing team, slaughters the English language and wears sunglasses inside during interviews. There are media members who promote his self-aggrandizing glory. Thankfully, Kiz, you’re not one of them. You tell it like it is.

– Joanne, unimpressed