The Starting Lineup

Turn on the game!

Three must-see events this week:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies (4:08 p.m. Monday, TBS) — With Philly in playoff baseball mode, the Broncos will sneak in and sneak out with a surprise football upset. 

2. Avalanche at Los Angeles Kings (8:30 p.m. Tuesday, ESPN) — Welcome back, Hockey Guys. How about riding the season opener in L.A. all the way into the Stanley Cup final in late June?

3. Broncos vs. N.Y. Jets at London (7:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 12) — Which is better: a Broncos game over pancakes, or Mark Kiszla and Chris Tomasson’s coverage all week from London?

Numbers game

10.7 points per game — the margin of victory for the Eagles over the Broncos in seven matchups between the teams in Philadelphia, where Denver is 1-6 and hasn’t won since 1986

Box office

$156 — the get-in price for Deion Sanders and Colorado on Saturday hosting No. 14 Iowa State, a Cyclones squad that could tumble out of the rankings after losing 38-30 at Cincinnati

On this day

Oct. 5, 2018 — The Rockies were blanked 4-0 by the Brewers in Game 2 of a National League Division Series, a frustrating affair in which catcher Chris Iannetta snapped a bat over his knee 

Final word

Colorado is on its sixth football coach since two-time Big 12 Coach of the Year Gary Barnett resigned 20 years ago. Considering CU hasn’t won a bowl game since 2004, when Coach Prime was still playing in the NFL, it’s fair to wonder if it’s even possible to sustain a winning program in Boulder.

—Paul Klee, The Denver Gazette