Published October 18, 2026 7:00am
Turn on the game!
Three must-see events this week:
Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder (7:30 p.m. Thursday, ESPN) — The Nuggets begin their new season with a tough test in Oklahoma City. Lu Dort may be gone, but Denver should still have ill feelings toward OKC.
Avalanche vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m. Friday, Altitude TV) — A rematch of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final comes to Ball Arena. When the Avs won that year, it looked like the beginning of a dynasty. They haven’t been back.
Broncos at Arizona Cardinals (2:05 p.m. Sunday, CBS) — Will the Broncos look like an NFL offense after 10 days off? Denver will get a chance to get right with a game at the Cardinals.
Numbers game
24 — quality starts for the Rockies starting rotation in 2026, who fired pitching coach Alon Leichman on Friday. The Braves led the league with 61 quality starts.
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Box office
$40 — to watch the Nuggets home opener against the New Orleans Pelicans at 7 p.m. Saturday at Ball Arena. (via StubHub)
Cleveland Browns running back Duke Johnson (29) is tackled by Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib (21) during an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015, in Cleveland. Denver won 26-23 in overtime. (AP Photo/David Richard)
On this day
Oct. 18, 2015 — A game against the Browns may have proved the Broncos defense was the real deal. Denver recovered from three Peyton Manning picks to beat Cleveland 26-23 in overtime to improve to 6-0. The real story was the Denver defense, which in overtime pushed the Browns out of game-winning field-goal range. Aqib Talib had a pick-six in the win.
Final word
Nikola Jokic is back on TV for the regular season, a win for everyone. Jokic has already been a social media star during the preseason with a couple of insane passes. The real question: How do the Nuggets get this man another championship? Jokic is an all-time player but only having one title would hurt his legacy. After last season’s first-round flop, Denver pretty much ran it back except for Peyton Watson. We’re fixing to find out if it’s enough.
— Chris Schmaedeke, The Denver Gazette