J.K. Dobbins has been the running back the Denver Broncos have been searching for ever since Javonte Williams went down with a knee injury in 2022. The veteran has unlocked a ground attack that has been dormant throughout the first two years of Sean Payton’s tenure as the Broncos head coach.
Through ten games, Dobbins is sixth in the NFL in rushing yards per game, with 77.2. While he’s just tied for 16th in touchdowns, with four, his impact on early downs for this Broncos offense has been huge.
The only problem with Dobbins is that he’s not getting the football as much as he should in the first half of games. Of his 153 carries this season (third-most in the NFL), just 56 of them have come in the first half, 29 in the first quarter and 27 in the second. The second half has been a different story, as he’s gotten the ball handed off to him 49 times in the third quarter and 48 in the fourth.
It’s not just the fact that he’s getting the ball more in the second half, he’s also doing more with the ball in the second half. He’s averaging 6.2 yards per carry in the third quarter and 4.9 in the final frame. That number dips to 4.4 in the first quarter and even more to 3.8 in the second. All four of his touchdowns have come after the break as well.
That goes to show that this Broncos offense ramps up the physicality in the second half in the trenches. The offensive line is pushing the line of scrimmage back more often than not as the game goes on, Dobbins is breaking off longer runs in the second half more often than the first, and the overall success of the ground game is better later in contests.
Does it go back to play calling? Dobbins had just four carries for 22 yards in the first half of Thursday night’s ugly win over the Raiders, three of which came on the opening three-and-out. RJ Harvey got two carries in the first half, but Payton opted to try and throw the ball time and time again, a fate that didn’t work well for the struggling offense.
Whether it’s a play calling issue or a matter of physicality, the theme is the same, Dobbins has been a workhorse in the second half. He’s been a bright spot for this wavering offense, and the Broncos need to lean onto him more in the back half of the season, especially if Bo Nix is going to continue regressing.