The Denver Broncos are a team rolling through the NFL season, clicking on all cylinders with home-field advantage as the AFC's No. 1 seed in their sights.
The Broncos have won their last eight games and, at 9-2, are one of the front-runners to reach the Super Bowl. But there could be a bump in the road.
That potential bump is the likely season-ending injury suffered by J.K. Dobbins. Dobbins was fifth in the league in rushing yards when he suffered a foot injury in Week 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders, and the impact of his loss is much greater than many seem to realize, including the team's front office.
The Broncos' decision not to add help at the running back position during the bye week is curious, to say the least. The Broncos have an exciting young running back in RJ Harvey, but he's inexperienced. The duo of Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie can be exciting, but they are not the kind of runners who are going to go get those tough yards when the team needs them the most.
In the playoffs, defense and a strong running game generally carry teams much further than the teams that don't have those two things.
The Broncos had a known interest in adding another running back, as it was reported that the team made a run to sign Dameon Pierce after he was released by the Houston Texans. He opted to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs, but the Broncos shouldn't have stopped there.
Veterans such as Zack Moss, Jamaal Williams and Gus Edwards are out there. Signing a player like Carson Steele off the Chiefs' practice squad would be a good call. Anything to give the team a bigger back who can get tough yards in short-yardage situations should have been (and still should be) considered.
READ: Denver Broncos vs. Washington Commanders Week 13 expert picks
This will be an interesting situation to keep tabs on. Did the Broncos make the right call to stick with the running game they have, or will they regret not looking for additional help?
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