Jonah Coleman’s return has given Denver something it has been searching for all season: a running back who looks like he can actually settle the room down.
The Broncos rookie had barely touched the ball before an ankle injury wiped out four games, and even before that the backfield had been a weekly puzzle. But last week against the Arizona Cardinals, Coleman stepped right into the biggest role among Denver’s running backs.
He played on 50 percent of the offensive snaps, led the group in that category, and turned nine carries into 54 yards. He also added two catches for 15 yards.
The box score won’t jump off the page, but the tape gave Denver plenty to like. Coleman ran with real edge, bounced runs outside when the middle was clogged, and fought through contact to squeeze out extra yards. Kevin Harlan even said on the broadcast that this was the kind of performance Denver had been waiting for.
That matters because the Broncos still haven’t found anything close to consistency on the ground. They have one of the league’s better offensive line groups, yet they sit 24th in rushing yards and 25th in yards per carry.
J.K. Dobbins has handled most of the work, but his numbers have been modest: 293 rushing yards, 3.4 yards per carry, and a 39.1 rushing success rate on 87 carries.
Coleman has already outpaced RJ Harvey as a runner, even with five fewer attempts. Harvey, for now, is the more dangerous receiver.
He’s been a checkdown option for Bo Nix and even scored a long receiving touchdown after a dump-off last week. But as a pure ground-game option, Coleman has started to separate himself.
That’s part of why Denver may keep leaning into the rookie. The Broncos have invested in the position, they have the line to support it, and yet the run game has remained strangely uneven. Coleman’s latest flashes could be enough to earn him the hot-hand treatment in a major division game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
There’s a reason some evaluators were higher on Coleman than his fourth-round draft slot suggested. Connor Rogers of NBC Sports and the NFL Stock Exchange podcast had him graded as a second-round talent.
"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 pointed to Coleman’s creativity in space, his ability to make defenders miss or run through them, plus his short-area quickness, instincts, and ball security. Compared with Dobbins and Harvey, the fit makes sense.
Dobbins can still break tackles, but there’s a limited feel to how he attacks defenders. Harvey brings shiftiness, though it’s fair to wonder how much of a middle-of-the-field workload he can carry.
Coleman, by contrast, can function effectively whether Denver is under center or in shotgun.
That sets up an interesting challenge for Kansas City after its rough outing in Seattle. The Chiefs need a cleaner showing on run defense, especially when it comes to tackling.
Too many stops were left on the field because defenders simply missed in space. They also didn’t generate much push against the Seahawks’ offensive line, a problem that stood out after Kansas City had largely avoided getting moved around in the first five games.
Denver can play that same physical style if it wants to. And while the Broncos’ rushing numbers haven’t been impressive overall, that didn’t stop Seattle from finding success against the Chiefs.
Kansas City can’t afford to let Denver get comfortable and start rolling downhill. Coleman may be more of a problem than he looks at first glance.
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