Like 27 % of the Broncos’ drives, J.K. Dobbins went three-and-out.
In minutes, that is how long his press conference lasted Thursday.
Dobbins is no longer the fun story, the bilingual back who makes people smile and teammates laugh.
He is the central piece to a running game that is running in place.
Once the underdog, signed as an insurance policy before training camp in 2025, Dobbins must morph into a Great Dane.
He needs to reward the Broncos, specifically coach Sean Payton, for the faith this team showed in him. Rather than make an aggressive play for Travis Etienne or Kenneth Walker in free agency, Denver brought back Dobbins.
Where others had reservations — myself included — Denver pardoned his questionable durability and made him a centerpiece to Team Continuity.
Dobbins responded with declarations that reflected his confidence. He vowed to lead the league in rushing. He made a pinky promise that he would stay healthy.
The Broncos need him to give a middle finger to the Chargers’ defense.
They need Dobbins of last season, a player with burst, attitude and edge. A running back capable of controlling a second half on the ground.
Every offensive player must wear coordinator Davis Webb’s demotion. He did not drape himself in glory, but the lack of execution by the highly-regarded offensive line and from the running backs has been stunning.
Time to own it. And do something about it.
Sean Payton officially returning as the play-caller — he was already deeply involved, probably too much so — grabbed the attention of the locker room. It is the equivalent of when the boss returns from a work trip.
Backs straighten in chairs. Eyes stay wide open in meetings. The process takes precedent over the outcome. Details start getting ironed out (or else).
Don’t count on a rebrand. It was Payton’s offense the first month. And it will be Payton’s offense on Sunday.
What must look different is the balance. Like he has so many times before, Payton talked Thursday about the importance of running the ball. The Broncos rank 26th in rushing attempts per game (22.5) and 29th in yards (325).
They are not running enough. And when they do, they don’t run well.
Is this Payton’s way of protecting Bo Nix from criticism, emphasizing that he isn’t solely responsible because his teammates must improve around him? Absolutely.
But that does not mean others are blameless.
To be clear, the offensive line remains part of the problem. The group returns intact and is too good to block like this, with missed assignments and inconsistent production. Watching the group on film, it is hard to determine what the Broncos’ identity is in the run game.
Settling on a main blocking scheme — wide zone, power, etc — is imperative. You get good at what you emphasize, and it’s past time to narrow the focus.
This should help revive Dobbins. He is averaging 3.5 yards per attempt and had to plead his case to get into the game last week, making it look like he lost his starting job to R.J. Harvey.
Through the first four games last season, Dobbins ripped off gains at 5.7 per clip. He scored three times. He was a catalytic force.
A year later, he has yet to provide even a spark, bothered, perhaps, by a hamstring injury sustained against Jacksonville.
It has prompted the uncomfortable question about a player seven years into his NFL career: Can the Broncos get the Dobbins of old? Or must they settle for an old Dobbins?
“Yeah, I’m healthy. I’m healthy. I’m out there playing. Any time — whether it’s fully healthy, not healthy, 75%, 60, 80, 90, 100, if I’m out there, I’ve got to play good, you know what I mean?” Dobbins said. “No matter what’s going on, if I’m going out there, that means I think I can make plays. So if I’m 60%, 70%, 80, 90, it doesn’t matter. I’ve got to make my plays and I’ve got to be me.”
And that is where this story has settled.
The first chapter was a blast to Broncos Country, “El Toro” collecting 772 yards through the first 10 games before a Lisfranc injury ended his campaign. Dobbins was on pace to become the Broncos’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Phillip Lindsay in 2019.
He was a bargain at $2 million. Now, as he makes $8 million guaranteed on a two-year, $16 million deal, the talk is about whether he is worth it.
After a month, the answer is no.
Even with giving grace for a leg issue, Dobbins hasn’t looked like himself. The Broncos need 4 yards per carry to improve early-down efficiency. They need Dobbins to loosen the middle to create play-action opportunities that will hopefully shake Nix out of his slump.
When asked about Dobbins’ slow start, Payton responded, “It’s early, but he’s an important piece to what we’re doing.”
It doesn’t feel like Payton will spend much time waiting on Dobbins. Rookie Jonah Coleman should be back after missing two more games. Harvey got more run against the 49ers because he was running better than Dobbins and became a first option on dump passes.
But checkdowns don’t lead to touchdowns. Those come from gash runs. Bigger plays.
If the Broncos have to methodically drive 12 to 15 plays, it will work against them. The Chargers will gladly play a game where each team gets six possessions.
Again, it goes back to Dobbins. While many have sunk the Broncos’ offense, Dobbins represents a long-term solution if he gets going.
In his weekly short meetings with the media, Dobbins still talks fast, brings energy, says something funny. But that is not enough anymore.
Bo Nix needs a sidekick. It is time for Dobbins to kick-start his season.
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