The Denver Broncos were very close to be the AFC team on the Super Bowl. Now, they want to go back to the grind to get to the big game, and head coach Sean Payton knows where to improve and who to potentialize for the next NFL season.
Payton said the team was “able to (run under center) a few times, but not as much as I’d like.” And he wants to do it more often this next year. “That’ll be an important study, and with urgency,” Payton said.
Denver’s 64.9% under-center run rate was high enough to crack the NFL’s top ten, but it paled in comparison to the Rams, who led the league with a dominant 87.3%, according to ESPN’s Jeff Legwold. Doing this would make running back RJ Harvey a name to watch for next season.
How was RJ Harvey in his rookie year?
RJ Harvey was a highly-touted rookie and while he had great moments, he didn’t live up to all expectations. Harvey had 146 rushes, for 540 yards and seven touchdowns. He was also used on the receiving department, though. Harvey had 47 catches for 356 yards and five touchdowns. Hence, while he didn’t get to 1,000 scrimmage yards, he still had 12 touchdowns.
If the Broncos really made the change, it would benefit Harvey. If Sean Payton leans into more tight-end usage and under-center looks, it could provide the spark Harvey needs to bounce back from last year’s underwhelming 3.7 yards per carry he had.
There’s also another RB that could feature for the Broncos
Before Harvey took control of the backfield, NFL veteran JK Dobbins was incredibly effective. However, he suffered a season-ending injury. Dobbins had 772 yards in nine starts. Dobbins is now a free agent.
However, he has stated he would like to come back to the team. Dobbins will still weigh his options. What’s certain is that the Broncos will change their running style and Sean Payton is a very good play designer, so the Broncos could have a much more dynamic style next season.