During the Denver Broncos' 28-24 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, one thing became crystal clear... Jonah Coleman is the best running back on the team.
The Broncos have lacked an effective running game for some time now and it is one of the biggest reasons the team failed to defeat the New England Patriots in last year's AFC Championship Game. Many fans felt the team would be aggressive in signing a running back in free agency. Kenneth Walker III, Travis Etienne, Tyler Allgeier and Rico Dowdle were some of the names available.
Instead, the Broncos opted to bring back J.K. Dobbins on a new two-year deal. It was a surprising move given Dobbins' injury history. However, in April's draft, the team used a fourth-round selection to take Jonah
Coleman out of Washington.
Jonah Coleman should leap J.K. Dobbins on depth chart
Coleman spent some time nursing an ankle injury earlier this season, but he made his presence felt on Sunday against the Chiefs.
Coleman had 11 carries for 41 yards and what ended up being the game-winning touchdown. He also had four receptions for 63 yards, including this 51-yard play that set up his score. Meanwhile, Dobbins carried the ball seven times for 13 yards... not even two yards per attempt.
Looking at the snap counts from Sunday, the Broncos are already leaning towards Coleman becoming the team's top running back. Dobbins was only on the field for 13 offensive snaps while Coleman was given 41.
Dobbins has just not been good this season. He has just 306 yards rushing on 94 carries this year, good for an average of 3.3 yards per attempt. Conversely, Coleman is averaging 4.5 yards per carry and has much more of an explosion with the ball in his hands. It's not really a question as to who the Broncos should be riding with for the rest of this season.
Asked about Coleman's 51-yard reception, head coach Sean Payton had this to say: “Oh my gosh. So it’s like a slipper boot. …He got it right away because Bo [Nix] recognized and when he caught it, there wasn’t... The defense was just... It was like last week’s Bo’s scramble. Everyone was covering someone. No one had Jonah, and there’s nothing like a one-play, two-minute drive that takes you to the two.”
Denver quarterback Bo Nix was also full of praise for the rookie running back after Sunday's win.
“Jonah played great, ran the ball really tough," Nix said. "He’s explosive when he gets the football. He runs hard, hard to tackle, very quick to the hole and through it. I thought he did a really good job of... He just made the plays that were there. He didn’t let the moment get too big.”
Dobbins can serve as an experienced veteran who the team can call on from time to time, but Coleman is the player who should be leading this backfield going forward.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos have an easy decision to replace J.K. Dobbins with Jonah Coleman
