According to ESPN’s lead NFL insider Adam Schefter, Denver Broncos running back R.J. Harvey is unlikely to play vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars later today. The second-year back was listed as questionable with a hamstring injury and had back-to-back limited practices to end the week, but he is expected to be sidelined for their Week 2 matchup.
This is a bit of a loss for the Broncos offense. Harvey is an explosive weapon out of the backfield and had 121 total yards and a touchdown on 9 touches vs. the Jaguars last season. Now, the Broncos will have to attempt to get their first victory of the season without Harvey on the field.
With Harvey sidelined, look for starter JK Dobbins to be more involved this week. The veteran was out-snapped by Harvey last week, mostly due to game script, but I anticipate a heavy dose of the Broncos’ starting running back today. We should also see a good bit of rookie Jonah Coleman. He did not play much vs. the Chiefs, but he is expected to be the Broncos’ RB2 today behind Dobbins and should see a decent amount of playing time. With Harvey likely among the Broncos’ inactives, look for backup runner Tyler Badie to be active and play on third downs today. He was their trusted pass blocker last season and made the team again this season due to that skill set, so he should see a decent amount of playing time as well.
After the Broncos failed to run the ball last week and struggled mightily on offense, I anticipate them putting an emphasis on the run game early in this one. We should see a heavy dose of Dobbins early on, with Coleman mixing in and Badie playing on key third downs as a pass blocker.
Thankfully for the Broncos and Harvey, this doesn’t seem like a long-term injury. He was able to practice this week, so hopefully, he will be able to return to the field next Sunday Night vs. the Los Angeles Rams. However, hamstring injuries can be tricky and linger for a bit, so we will have to see how long this injury sidelines and limits Harvey moving forward.
