The Denver Broncos want to run the ball against Jacksonville, but they'll have to do it without RJ Harvey.
The Denver Broncos got some tough news on the running back front going into Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, as RJ Harvey is not expected to play due to a hamstring injury, according to a report from Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk that referenced material from Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Harvey missed Wednesday’s practice, and he was limited in subsequent practices at the end of the week. Harvey didn’t do much against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night, as he had just three carries for 18 yards to go with four catches for 23 yards.
The injury is a blow to Harvey, who made a lot of noise in training camp about wanting to move up to become the lead back. Now he’ll take a seat behind J.K. Dobbins, the current lead back who was close to invisible against the Chiefs.
The Broncos were unbalanced on offense against Kansas City, but they couldn’t do much of anything on the ground or in the air. It was a tough night on defense as well, as they were also plagued by poor tackling when running back Kenneth Walker III ran wild for the Chiefs.
Dobbins has talked a lot about staying healthy and having a big year, and coach Sean Payton called him a “force multiplier” in training camp. But the Broncos didn’t show much force or fight on Monday night, and they’ll be looking to change that against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
It won’t be an easy task. The Jaguars pounded the Broncos 38-20 last year, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence had a big game against Denver. The Broncos can’t afford to get off to an 0-2 start if they want to successfully defend their AFC West title, especially not with the Chiefs looking like a force again.
The silver lining in this news is that it could mean more playing time for rookie running back Jonah Coleman, who was expected to energize the running game by giving Denver the size to run between the tackles. But Coleman was also MIA against the Chiefs, probably because the Broncos thought their veteran running backs could get the job done.
New play caller Davis Webb will be on the hot seat and under the microscope against the Jags, as the Broncos went to the pass early and virtually forgot about the running game. They’ll try to change that today, but Harvey won’t be part of the solution.
