To reach their first postseason berth since 2015, the Denver Broncos must resurrect their rushing assault.
According to The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider, Denver (7-7) rushed for 635 yards from Week 7 to Week 12—the eighth most in the league during that stretch—and won five straight games. However, during the last three games, the Broncos have ranked 23rd in yards per carry (3.4). In a 42-17 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 15, they had 83 running yards, their second-lowest total of the season.
“Cleveland was the last game where I felt like we ran it really well,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton recently said, per Kosmider. “I think in this next three-game stretch, we’re going to have to run it better than we have.”
Samaje Perine pounds his way for a #Broncos TOUCHDOWNpic.twitter.com/9T7eEApr4C
— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) November 26, 2023
Per The New York Times simulator, Denver’s playoff chances will increase from 23 percent to 83 percent if it wins its next three games. Tankathon notes it has the league’s third-easiest remaining schedule, so it seems like an excellent opportunity to do this.
Returning to the formula that helped the Broncos win five straight games makes sense. It also benefits the passing game.
“Analytics tell us in the NFL that a team doesn’t have to run the ball particularly efficiently for play-action to be effective,” The Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel wrote. “However, when a run game gets rolling, the offense is in control of the tempo of the game. Plus, when you’re confident that you can run the ball, you have more spots where you feel good about taking shots down the field.”
On Sunday, the Broncos host the Patriots (3-10), who are second in the league in rushing yards allowed (84.9). Even though it’s a challenge, reestablishing the ground attack against New England could help them regain momentum and spark another win streak.
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