Denver Broncos rookie running back Jonah Coleman has only received a rush attempt in two games this season. The yearly shuffle at their running back spot was already tough to decipher. But then, an ankle injury also knocked Coleman out for four games.
Coleman returned to the lineup last week against the Arizona Cardinals. He was the leading running back in snaps in that contest. Coleman was on the field for 50 percent of the Broncos' offensive plays. He finished with nine carries, 54 rushing yards, and six yards per carry on the day. Coleman also had a pair of receptions combining for 15 yards.
It was impressive to see Coleman's toughness as a runner looking back at that game. Kevin Harlan even mentioned on the broadcast that this particular running back's performance was what Denver had been hoping for. The Broncos saw Coleman bounce it outside when it appeared he was clogged in the middle. He even shed contact to find extra yards.
It was not a monster day for Coleman by any means. But as the running back carousel continues for the Broncos, Denver appears determined to get this rookie rolling.
Broncos continue to search for consistency on the ground
Denver possesses one of the best offensive line groups in the NFL. Yet they are near the bottom of the league in rushing yards (24th) and yards per carry (25th). J.K. Dobbins has received the bulk of the attempts so far. He has just 293 rushing yards, 3.4 yards per carry, and a 39.1 rushing success rate on 87 carries.
Coleman has already outperformed what RJ Harvey has done on the ground to this point, despite the rookie receiving five fewer rush attempts. Harvey is purely a much more effective pass catcher at this stage. Being a checkdown option for Bo Nix, he had a long receiving touchdown after a dump-off last week.
It has been puzzling how inconsistent Denver has been on the ground. Given the resources spent on the position and the offensive line's power, the Broncos could be in more comfortable positions with a better run game. Coleman's latest flashes may be enough to ride as a hot hand in a huge division matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Coleman's strengths as a runner
Coleman lasted until the fourth round of this past April's draft. But for some draft analysts, he was given a second-round grade. That was the case for Connor Rogers of NBC Sports and the NFL Stock Exchange podcast.
"He's such a pain in the ass to tackle," Rogers said. "Lower center of gravity, arguably pound-for-pound the strongest back in the class."
Rogers also mentioned items like his creativity in space, as Coleman can make opponents miss or run through them. His short-area quickness, instincts, and ball security were other areas where the analyst loved his game.
If you compare that to Dobbins or Harvey, it is easy to see why Denver may want to get Coleman rolling. Dobbins can still break tackles. But there is a one-trick pony aspect to how he sizes up defenders in space. Harvey is shifty. Can he truly be leaned on for a significant workload in the middle of the field, however? Coleman can simply win equally from both under-center looks and attempts out of shotgun.
Chiefs need bounce back on run defense
Kansas City needs a lot of areas to bounce back after the brutal showing in Seattle. Particularly on run defense, the Chiefs cannot make fundamental mistakes. The amount of missed tackles K.C. had was brutal. Plenty of point-blank chances to stop a runner in space were not executed.
Elsewhere, the Chiefs failed to provide much of a push or blowback against the Seahawks' offensive line. Getting driven off the ball was something Kansas City largely avoided on run defense in the first five games before Seattle. Denver is definitely able to play bully ball if they want to up front, though.
And similar to the Broncos' overall rushing numbers so far, the Seahawks were struggling as a rushing unit going into their matchup with the Chiefs. It still did not matter. Kansas City cannot let Denver get settled into a successful run of pounding the rock. Coleman will provide a stiffer test than most may realize.
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