The Denver Broncos are suddenly very thin in the backfield after losing Andy Janovich and Kapri Bibbs in successive weeks. Fortunately, they’ve claimed a running back off waivers who is quite familiar with Gary Kubiak‘s offense, which should speed the transition for a unit that needs urgent help.
Denver was already without starter C.J. Anderson, who went on IR at the end of October. Janovich joined Anderson there less than one week ago after suffering an ankle injury and Bibbs was placed on IR Monday to make room for Justin Forsett. The 31-year-old running back played for Kubiak twice – in Houston in 2012 when Kubiak was head coach and again in 2014 in Baltimore with Kubiak as his offensive coordinator.
That familiarity with Kubiak’s system will expedite his integration into the Denver offense, says Dylan McGorty of 120 Sports.
“I think he might [get some touches this week],” McGorty said on Monday after news broke that Denver had claimed Forsett off waivers, “especially because there’s a familiarity there with Coach Kubiak, which obviously helps.”
Forsett played two games with Detroit and three with Baltimore in 2016, totaling 136 yards on 44 attempts with no touchdowns. In his two years in the Kubiak offense, Forsett averaged 5.9 and 5.4 yards per carry, respectively, and scored nine touchdowns on 298 total attempts.
“If you’re going to bring someone in that you have absolutely no rapport with, doesn’t know your system at all, it’s going to be harder to throw you right in and get you some snaps. But because Forsett has that familiarity, I expect him to maybe get some snaps [this week]. We don’t look at this team as the Saints or the Packers that just pass, pass, pass. [The Broncos] like to establish their offense with a little bit of a run game to open things up for the pass game, especially because they’ve had young quarterbacks,” McGorty says.
Although Denver is averaging more pass plays per game than rushes (34 to 27.5), they rank eighth in the league in rush attempts per game. They rank 27th in pass attempts.
“Whether it be second-year quarterback Trevor Siemian or rookie Paxton Lynch, a run game only aids their ability to be effective offensively,” McGorty says.
The Broncos will need to improve that offensive effectiveness if they are going to hang on to the sixth and final playoff spot they currently hold. Lynch and the Denver offense produced just 206 yards against Jacksonville in a 20-10 win on Sunday in a game in which the Broncos had more punts than first downs. Denver faces, Tennessee, New England, Oakland and Kansas City to close the season. The Raiders, Patriots and Titans all rank in the top 10 in scoring this year; Kansas City ranks No. 15.
