Denver Broncos: Who played well in the loss to the Chiefs?

Royce Freeman, RB

Not to be outdone by Phillip Lindsay was fellow rookie running back and fellow former PAC 12 star Royce Freeman, who has been a model of consistency since the beginning of the preseason.

Including preseason games, Freeman has scored a touchdown in six of his last seven games played.  The only game he has played in as a member of the Denver Broncos was the first game of the regular season when he helped seal a victory over the Seahawks with some hard-fought yards in the fourth quarter of the game.

The Broncos gave Freeman just eight carries in this game against the Chiefs and perhaps the biggest mistake the coaching staff made was not having he and another player on this list (Andy Janovich) on the field when the Broncos would ultimately go three-and-out, giving the Chiefs new life late in the fourth quarter.

Against the Chiefs, Freeman scored his third rushing touchdown of the season, perhaps his most impressive play of the year as well.

Freeman looked like he was going to get tackled for a loss quite easily before he broke some tackles (which has become the norm for him) on his way to the end zone for six.

Despite only 44 rushing attempts on the season, Freeman has 10 runs of 10 or more yards (3rd in the NFL), and is averaging 3.59 yards after contact per attempt (Pro Football Focus, 4th in the NFL).

Freeman’s effectiveness through four games is such that he needs a lot more usage and the Broncos have got to be aware of that at this point. He should be getting at least 15 touches per game right now, twice as many as he received against the Chiefs.