Broncos rookie running back Audric Estimé has produced two rushes of 10 or more yards in just four carries this season. Starting running back Javonte Williams has produced five such runs in 59 carries. Jaleel McLaughlin has three of those runs in 36 carries.
Estimé’s carry total is low because he was injured in Week 1 and spent the next four weeks on IR. He returned against the Chargers last week and sparked a scoring drive with an 11-yard run. After the game, Broncos coach Sean Payton said, “I want to see the runner. I want to see Estimé.”
But Payton has also said it’s hard to consistently rotate three running backs throughout a game.
“Working with two backs and feeding two backs is easy, and kind of what I’m used to and what a lot of teams do,” he said this week. “It’s hard with three. We did want to get (Estimé) some work and get him some reps. Obviously, we would’ve liked more had we had more snaps. That’s a little bit bigger challenge maybe than the receiver position.”
We’ll see if Payton is more amenable to working in three backs tonight — or whether the Broncos move Estimé ahead of Williams or McLaughlin in a two-man rotation.
