Broncos Also Got A Big Contribution From Their Rookie RB

The Denver Broncos found their offense after a rough 17-14 overtime win against the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 15, and it came from some unexpected places. First and foremost, there was quarterback Bo Nix’s breakout run for 62 yards in a touchdown, which became the defining play in Denver’s 30-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals. 

But there’s an undercard in this story, and it’s probably more important. Rookie running back Jonah Coleman returned from the IR to get 54 yards on nine carries, and he would have been Denver’s leading rusher in the game if Nix hadn’t gone on his mad dash that had tackle Garrett Bolles calling the quarterback a “freaking gazelle.” 

Coleman didn’t face anywhere near the amont of open field Nix had on that run, though. He got some tough yards between the tackles, and the Broncos have been looking for someone to step up and do this consistently since the season started. 

Fellow running back J.K. Dobbins has done it intermittently, and Dobbins showed signs of life on Sunday. He had six carries for 23 yards, including a touchdown run from a yard out and a couple of his trademark slashing runs up the middle. 

Coleman won’t be replacing Dobbins any time soon — we think — but the usage pattern was right here. Coleman got more carries than Dobbins because he earned them, and because running back RJ Harvey continues to prove he’s not a between-the-tackles runner. 

The rooke running back gives Denver some breathing room, especially with the Nov. 11 trade deadline fast approaching. The drumbeats have been growing in Denver for the Broncos to trade for a running back, with Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts being the most frequently mentioned name.

The Broncos are now 5-2, although you wouldn’t know it from some of the reactions to Nix from both the national experts and the local media types. If you just read some of the stories, you’d think Denver was .500 and sinking fast. 

The Broncos do have a big game coming up on Sunday, though, against the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s a shame that both of the two matchups between the divisional rivals are happening in the first half of the season, but that was the NFL’s choice. 

The Chiefs game will tell us more about who the Broncos really are, but they’ll get even more breathing room after this game. They get a run of six very beatable opponents after Kansas City, and that includes two games against the Las Vegas Raiders as well as the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.