The Denver Broncos are in dire straits right now when it comes to injuries, but they might be getting a key injured player back who could revitalize their struggling running game.
Running back J.K. Dobbins missed the final seven games of Denver’s season with a Lisfranc foot injury, but he’s been at the team’s facility for weeks now lobbying to return to the lineup.
The original timeline quoted for his return was late January, which aligns with this Sunday’s AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots, and yesterday the Broncos opened up up a window for Dobbins to begin practicing with the team, according to a story written by Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
The timing here is somewhat dicey, and so are the risks for Dobbins, given that he’s slated to become a free agent this offseason. As high as the risks are, though, the rewards are huge, too.
Dobbins was leading the Broncos with 772 yards on 153 carries when he was hurt, and his slashing runs were a big part of Denver’s offense. He was replaced by running back RJ Harvey, and Harvey has had his moment, but he’s basically a third-down back at this point who struggles in runs between the tackles.
His backup, running back Jaleel McLaughlin, has also had some good series with some slashing runs that remind Broncos fans how important Dobbins was, but he’s also undersized. The Broncos don’t have a bigger running back to do some of what Dobbins did between the tackles, and it was surprising that Denver didn’t sign a replacement as a practice-squad add.
The timing here is both ironic and fascinating. The Broncos lost Bo Nix to a broken ankle during their 33-30 win over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, and they’re now faced with playing a championship playoff game with their backup, quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who has appeared in only a single game and literally has no stat line for the season.
Getting Dobbins back could change coach Sean Payton’s game plan completely. It would allow him to rely on a running game that basically hasn’t existed for the last month or so, which would help him protect Stidham.
There are still a lot of unknowns in this situation, most of the medical variety. What we do know, though, is that Dobbins will do everything he can to get back on the field on Sunday, and his presence if he’s anything close to healthy would upgrade Denver’s “punchers chance” to some degree.