The Denver Broncos earned their fifth straight win by defeating the Carolina Panthers 26-21 on Sunday, improving their record to 7-2 on the season. The Broncos, San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears are the only teams with seven wins this season, though the winner of the game between the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings on Monday night will join them.
The Broncos set a record by winning their 16th straight one-score game, a statistic that seems hard to believe. They once again overcame some adversity late to pull off the victory, making many fans question how good the team actually is.
But looking at the team's snap counts from each side of the ball in this game, there were several things to take away.
Broncos' Week 9 snap count takeaways
Jonah Coleman is the RB1
If it wasn't clear before this game, it certainly
is now. Jonah Coleman is the unquestioned RB1 for this team going forward. Looking at the offensive snap counts, he saw 58 snaps in this game. Meanwhile, J.K. Dobbins was on the field for just 11. No other running back (outside of fullback Adam Prentice) played a single snap on offense.
Dobbins had just four carries for 18 yards and he caught his only target for four yards. Coleman had 21 total touches (17 carries, 4 receptions), gaining a total of 88 yards and scoring a touchdown.
JL Skinner draws start at safety
The Broncos continued to use a three-headed combination at safety with starters Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones still sidelined with injuries, but it was JL Skinner who drew the start and saw the most snaps on defense with 60.
Taylor Rapp, who was released and then re-signed to the practice squad over the weekend before being elevated for this game, was next with 46. But it was Devon Key, who had just 24 defensive snaps, who made the biggest play in the game, recording his first career interception in the process.
Skinner had six tackles while Rapp and Key each had four.
Jahdae Barron goes back to key role
Jahdae Barron slid back into a major defensive role after doing little last week, following Riley Moss having to leave the game to be evaluated for a concussion. Barron ended up playing 79 percent of the team's defensive snaps and while it wasn't his best day in coverage, he did lead the team with eight tackles.
Barron is a strong tackler and it's clear that when the team needs to turn to him, he can be counted upon.
Tyler Onyedim makes NFL debut
The Broncos placed defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike on injured reserve ahead of this game, clearing the path for third-round pick Tyler Onyedim to make his NFL debut. Onyedim had been a healthy scratch in each of the first eight games.
Onyedim played just 10 snaps, but he grabbed a tackle and forced a fumble. It's nice to see the rookie get his feet wet. With Uwazurike having to miss at least the next three games, it will be interesting to see if Onyedim gets more of a look on defense.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 4 takeaways from Broncos' snap counts: Jonah Coleman new RB1?
