You might be concerned about the Denver Broncos’ ground attack without J.K. Dobbins, the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher at the time of his (potential) season-ending foot injury.
But Broncos head coach Sean Payton is not.
“It’s nothing to do with the run,” Payton said after Sunday’s overtime win against the Commanders. “We’re gonna watch the tape, but trust me, it was just some looks where the evaluation will be on how we blocked it and then the scheme relative to what we were seeing defensively. The runners were good.”
#Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins has more rushing yards this season than Saquon Barkley.
Dobbins hasn’t played since Week 10.
— Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) December 3, 2025
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It was a mixed bag showing for the Broncos’ rushing offense on Sunday Night Football. The good: Rookie running back RJ Harvey, who replaced Dobbins as the starter, notched a pair of touchdowns, including the eventual game-winning score in OT.
The bad: Denver collectively averaged 3.8 yards per carry, with Harvey converting 13 totes into just 35 yards. Backup RB Jaleel McLaughlin was largely a non-factor, compiling 24 yards on six attempts. Third-stringer Tyler Badie did not receive a carry.
Payton, by word and by deed, isn’t sweating life without Dobbins. While continuing to support his incumbents, he’s simultaneously resisted turning to the free-agent market for help. (The team sooner added a veteran wide receiver than an experienced back.)
Because it doesn’t matter how the 10-2 Broncos — victors of nine straight and runaway favorites to capture the AFC West — win football games. So as long as they continue to.
“We began feeling it a long time ago, but when you get on a streak, yeah, I mean, generally, when you have a good team, you win how many games in a row at some point, and when you win nine in a row and then convert that to baseball or basketball, you guys do the math,” Payton said in his postgame press conference. “What would it be? You know, it’s like 45 games. So, it’s a lot. And so, you do begin to believe it’s gonna happen. But there can’t be that false belief. I mean, there has to be that preparation and corrections so that the next week is better.”
Nov 30, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey (12) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Commanders in overtime of the game at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images
Payton Lauds Harvey’s Performance in Final Frame
Although Harvey was mostly contained on the ground by a well prepared Washington defense, the second-round pick found better per-play success as a pass-catcher, hauling in three receptions for 27 yards amid the 27-26 thriller.
Harvey kickstarted the Broncos’ final offensive drive with a 12-yard catch and punctuated it with the aforementioned go-ahead rushing score — much to the delight of his watchful coach.
“There were a handful of plays in that game where the balls came underneath the coverage. [TE Adam] Trautman, [RB] RJ [Harvey], [TE] Evan [Engram]’s throw [was] obviously a different type of play, but we got a lot of zone,” Payton explained to reporters Monday. “We expected to get a lot of zone, so guys like the runner and the tight end, a lot of times those targets go underneath the coverage and it happened last night. RJ gives you the run after the catch.”
