After the Denver Broncos’ second preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, their offensive game plan heading into the 2017 season looks pretty straightforward.
Just like last season, the Broncos offense is going to rely heavily on running back C.J. Anderson.
In Paxton Lynch‘s big start, Anderson helped him extend drives early on. Lynch hit Anderson three times for 13 yards in the one quarter that Anderson played, and the back added 24 rushing yards on seven carries and the Broncos’ first touchdown of the game.
It’s not a surprise that the Broncos are going to need Anderson to be successful. They realized his value when they signed him to a four-year, $18 million contract extension prior to the 2016 season. He’s a difference maker, and to understand his importance to the Broncos you don’t have to look any further than Denver’s offensive numbers after Anderson went down with a meniscus injury ended his season after just seven games.
Anderson ran for 437 yards and four touchdowns on 110 carries in just seven games in 2016. Averaging 62.4 yards per game, he was on track for just under 1,000 yards on the season. Anderson’s injury was a brutal blow for an offense that had already trouble putting points on the board when he was healthy.
Now, with what seems to be an offensive line that’s improved from what the Broncos were working with last season, Denver will once again need Anderson to serve as a safety blanket when the offense isn’t operating like its supposed to.
Everything that the Broncos have shown through two preseason games should be taken with a grain of salt. This isn’t close to a finished product. But what they’ve shown through the first two instances of live action show that they aren’t too different than the team that took the field in 2016. The Broncos’ key contributors, unlike in the first preseason game against the Bears, were able to put the ball in the end zone due largely to the four turnovers the defense was able to force and they were able to convert in some short yardage situations.
If all else fails, a healthy Anderson will be just what the Broncos need when the going gets rough.