This is the C.J. Anderson we’ve all been waiting for.
C.J. Anderson: 48 yards.
FOR. THE. WIN. #NEvsDEN https://t.co/O1wXTVrFXR
— NFL (@NFL) November 30, 2015
I could watch that play a thousand more times; I’ve probably watched it a thousand times already.
But that run is only part of the C.J. Anderson story. Take his first touchdown for example:
https://twitter.com/_MarcusD_/status/671177023029649409
In both of these cases, Anderson was not turning that corner earlier in the season. Through the first six weeks, not only would Anderson have reached the hole well after it closed, but there was little to no chance he would have made a safety miss in the open field. While Ronnie Hillman earned the Broncos’ starting running back job, it’s probably more correct to say that Anderson lost it.
And it’s pretty shocking, really.
Anderson was great last season — GREAT — and it wasn’t just a flash in the pan. During the Broncos’ final seven games, including the playoff loss to the Colts, Anderson led the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, showing off the type speed, elusiveness and power very few running backs possess.
https://twitter.com/BobbyPatriots/status/531572916039979008
And even in a forgettable game, he was able to give Broncos fans a very memorable moment.
https://twitter.com/NFL_RealUpdates/status/554429006510948352
Most impressive of all, Pro Football Focus graded Anderson as the fourth best running back in the NFL last season, despite the fact that their final grades are a cumulative of their week to week grades — Anderson only started the final seven games.
He was great. There’s no getting around that. And coming into this season, I expected him to be even better. So when he came out as flat and uninspiring as he did, I was shocked.
But since the bye week, he’s been a completely different player, rushing for 6.32 yards per carry in the Broncos’ last five games and looking like the back that had so much promise following last season. Part of it has been the shift back under center with Brock Osweiler now running the offense, but I think a big part of it is simply that Anderson is finally healthy.
Following his resurgent game against the Packers, he admitted as much.
“I had some old injuries that bothered (me), I can’t really say,” Anderson said, via rotoworld.com. “I didn’t know it was that serious until I felt it.”
And if this really is the new, or maybe I should say old, C.J. Anderson, then the ceiling for the Broncos’ offense may be a lot higher than we could have even hoped for. If the run game is here to stay, and Osweiler can continue to just manage the game, then I don’t see any reason why Denver isn’t a strong Super Bowl contender with this defense leading the way; they’ve already gone 9-2 with an offense that has largely been entirely dysfunctional.
It’s time that Gary Kubiak starts leaning on Anderson once again. And that’s not to say that Hillman isn’t deserving of heavy run; he’s proven himself this season. But since getting that week of rest during the bye, Anderson has received less than 10 carries just twice … against the Colts and against the Chiefs, Denver’s only two losses.
It may have taken 10 weeks, but the Denver Broncos’ offense is finally starting to round into form, and it all starts with a dominant C.J. Anderson.