Good Morning Broncos Country!
Good Morning Broncos Country!
The Denver Broncos play their first playoff game since Super Bowl 50 this Sunday when they head east to take on Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. This will be a tough matchup against one of the best teams in the league and they’ll be facing an MVP contender in Josh Allen, but the Broncos have a shot.
If they want to defeat Allen and the Bills, the Broncos must get their run game going in the playoffs. Rookie running back Audric Estime echoed these thoughts earlier in the week and told reporters “I believe we’re going to need to run the ball to win this game”.
#Broncos RB Audric Estime vs Bills: “I believe we’re going to need to run the ball to win this game. It’s run-the-ball weather when it gets this cold. I don’t know who it’s going to go to but we got a bunch of dawgs Whoever gets the bulk of the carries is going to do a great job”
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) January 9, 2025
The Broncos run game has been a weak spot on the offense this season, but they’ll need to get it going in the playoffs if they want to make a run. It will be cold in Buffalo, likely some wind, and you’ll want to keep Allen on the sidelines as much as possible. The best way to do that is to run the ball consistently and control the clock.
The problem is, the Broncos have struggled to run the ball all season.
Javonte Williams started the season as the starter, but recently, has been mostly utilized as a pass catcher and blocker. Jaleel McLaughlin has taken over the lead back role and has had some success and is averaging 4.4 yards per carry on the year. However, at 5-7, 187 pounds, how he is utilized is limited and he isn’t necessarily built to be a lead back in the NFL. Rookie Audric Estime has the size and strength you look for, but lacks McLaughlin’s speed and has averaged less than 3 yards per carry in three out of the last four games. So, the Broncos enter this game with some questions on the ground.
One area they could improve their rushing attack is using quarterback Bo Nix more as a runner. He has instantly become one of the better running quarterbacks in the league as we saw last Sunday vs. the Chiefs. I’d like to see some more designed runs like we saw earlier in the year and for him to just take off if his reads aren’t open. Be aggressive and leave it all on the field.
Ideally, the Broncos runners will do enough where Nix doesn’t have to be the leading rusher. With that said, Nix has led the team in rushing multiple times this season and is only 83 yards off from Javonte Williams’s 513 rushing yards total which leads the team.
We’re in the playoffs and defense and a running game is what travels well and helps you advance in the postseason. The Broncos have the defense already but can they get their run game going when it matters the most?
If they want to win, they better.
Horse Tracks
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