The Broncos finally established the run, but will they stick

Jeff Legwold, ESPN Senior WriterOct 21, 2024, 06:00 AM ET

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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Sean Payton will only say maybe about the Denver Broncos’ run game.

As in maybe it can be a bigger part of the game plan moving forward. As in maybe it can be the hammer-to-nail philosophy to settle in rookie quarterback Bo Nix.

“We are building, we are figuring it out,” Payton said after the Broncos’ 225 rushing yards in Thursday night’s 33-10 victory over the Saints. “You don’t say this is how we are going to play regardless. [It’s] based on who we were playing … that is what we feel we had to do to win that game. It might change a week from now.”

The Broncos’ offense has steadily, almost begrudgingly at times, gotten things going on the ground with a rejuvenated Javonte Williams and a mobile Nix. They’ve made up for one of the league’s worst passing offenses; Denver is 29th in yards per pass play (5.3) and had just three completions for at least 30 yards before this week.

The 225 rushing yards were the most by the Broncos since they notched 280 against the Patriots on Nov. 24, 2013. To put that in perspective, Peyton Manning was the Broncos’ quarterback, Knowshon Moreno was the team’s leading rusher and John Fox was their head coach — four non-interim head coaches ago.

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“I think it can be a good profile for us,” tackle Mike McGlinchey said. “I thought we did good things up front. … It gave us the tempo and we kind of made it the personality of the game.”

When the Broncos left Tampa Bay with their Week 3 win, Williams was averaging 2.2 yards per carry and looked out of sorts in a Broncos offense that was cold in their two opening losses. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi kept preaching he felt the players were in place to establish the run. It was just a matter of sticking with it.

Payton, the team’s playcaller, has also said the “two best allies” for a young quarterback are a good defense and a productive run game. But at the moment, Nix is far more comfortable operating from shotgun than under center, so Payton has largely kept him there at the expense of a shaky run game.

The Broncos were also still figuring out how to split up the run-game work among the running backs, especially since struggles on third down meant fewer offensive plays (and thus, fewer rushing opportunities). They are 31st in the league in third-down conversions (26.4%). But the Broncos showed more variety Thursday with wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. in the backfield. They also experimented with two or more backs on the field on 11 plays (6.4 yards per carry on nine rushes).

Payton has used Nix on more and more designed runs, too. Nix has rushed for at least 61 yards in each of the past two games and leads the team in rushing touchdowns (three).

“I think it is just an added bonus,” Nix said of his rushing yards. “Obviously, you want to run the ball with running backs in special ways and get behind the O-line. At times, things break down and those hidden yards, I think, are really important. They get extra first downs, and they are ways of sneaking yards in.”

The improved run-game efficiency impacts the pass game for Nix, too. The Broncos have spent much of the season among the league’s bottom third in use of play-action — they were 25th when they went to New Orleans (20.4%). But Payton put Nix in more of those situations Thursday night. Nix was 7-of-10 passing for 52 yards on play-action in the win, the team’s most play-action attempts since it had 12 in Week 1.