The Broncos running game can be summed up by one stat: 2.6 yards per carry. That’s brutal. And despite their best efforts, Denver hasn’t been able to solve the problem.
Gary Kubiak has had Peyton Manning under center, in the shotgun and in the pistol – three formations, same result. Kubiak has used all three of his running backs to no avail. C.J. Anderson, Ronnie Hillman and Juwan Thompson have all been equally ineffective. So what’s the answer? Kapri Bibbs? Matt Forte?
Bibbs isn’t going to set the world on fire if he’s signed off the practice squad, and adding Forte would be a mistake. Not because Forte isn’t a great back, but because the running game’s biggest problem isn’t the back; it’s the lack of a capable tight end.
The Denver Broncos are short on talent at the tight end position and it’s killing the offense. As the Bears continue their fire sale, there is no doubt that Denver should take advantage, but Forte isn’t who they need. John Elway should do everything in his power to land Martellus Bennett.
Opposing defensive coordinators aren’t losing sleep trying to figure out how to cover Owen Daniels or Vigil Green. Frankly, they aren’t even wasting their time planning for them.
Linebackers have easily covered Daniels and Green all season. This has been the biggest detriment to the running game. Teams don’t have to run their nickel defense when Daniels or Green are on the field (something they had to do last season when Julius Thomas was healthy). This is the biggest concern Kubiak and Elway need to address.
Bennett has the ability to transform Denver’s offense just as Thomas did last season, with the added bonus that Bennett can block.
Thomas created huge matchup issues for defenses last season. No one dared cover him with a linebacker because of his speed and most cornerbacks weren’t big enough to stop him. Which meant on most plays there was a combination of guys responsible for stopping Denver’s tight end. The Broncos are sorely missing this from their offense.
Last season, fans saw what kind of havoc a good tight end can create for a defense and how an offense can desperately miss that when it’s gone.
During the first nine weeks of 2014, the Broncos offense was unstoppable. Thomas was leading the league in touchdown receptions (he was actually scoring at an historic clip), the running game was starting to flourish and the Demaryius Thomas-Emmanuel Sanders combo was a back-breaker. Denver was 9-1 and all was good.
Then, in the first half against the St. Louis Rams, Thomas went down and nothing was the same. Manning and the offense looked dazed against the Rams. Following the game, John Fox and Adam Gase decided they needed to change the offense. A run-heavy attack was implemented. Manning’s hands were tied. By the time Thomas returned to the lineup his position had been all but eliminated.
It’s no coincidence that following Week 9 Thomas was a complete non-factor and Denver’s offense struggled. They were no longer forcing the hand of defensive coordinators, making them pick their poison. The same thing is happening this season.
It’s not that Kubiak’s offense is predictable; it just doesn’t have enough playmakers to create mismatches. Teams focus on stopping DT and Sanders because the running backs and tight ends don’t scare anyone.
Bennett would completely change that dynamic. If a defense tried to cover him with a linebacker, it’s a matchup he’d exploit – something Daniels has completely failed to do. If a defense tried to match him up against a defensive back, that’d be a situation the running game could exploit – Bennett is also a solid blocker, Daniels isn’t.
Denver currently has two tight ends that don’t excel at anything. Neither has proven they can block, nor have they provided any support in the passing game (outside of two touchdown catches). The Broncos offense has been better off putting Jordon Norwood or Bernie Fowler on the field; at least they can create separation from the defender in front of them.
The running game has been bad, yes, but it isn’t going to get fixed by plugging in a new back (even if that back is All-Pro). Denver’s offense needs to do a better job creating mismatches and exploiting those mismatches. That needs to start with a dynamic tight end.
For as much vitriol as there is for Julius Thomas, it’s becoming clear that he meant more to this offense than anyone thought. Luckily, John Elway has the opportunity to bring in a tight end that can bring that same versatility, if he so chooses.
Everyone had the right team Elway needed to make a trade with; they just had the wrong player. Martellus Bennett is just what this offense needs to take the next step.
