The Denver Broncos will kick off Week 16 of the NFL season against the Los Angeles Chargers in a crucial game, as Denver could clinch a playoff spot for the first time since the 2015-16 season with a win on Thursday Night Football against their AFC West rivals on the road. The Broncos secured their first winning season since 2016, and now they could end a long negative playoff drought.
On Wednesday, the Broncos announced their final injury report for Thursday's AFC West showdown, and, as expected, Denver will be without rising star cornerback Riley Moss. Running back Jaleel McLaughlin injured himself during the Week 15 win over the Indianapolis Colts and will also miss Thursday's game. McLaughlin's absence could present 5h-round rookie running back Audric Estimé with the perfect opportunity to have a breakout game and potentially earn the number one back job moving forward.
Broncos rookie Audric Estimé has golden opportunity before him
The Broncos' recent struggles in the run game, starting with Javonte Williams plus McLaughlin's injury could give Estimé more carries on Thursday Night, helping Bo Nix by establishing a successful and consistent rushing attack. This situation provides a perfect opportunity for Denver to address their weaknesses in the running game before a potential playoffs run.
Javonte Williams Denver's starting running back, has been awful, combining 14 yards in 18 carries (0.77 YPC) over the last three games. And if Denver wants a solid run game, he cannot be your starter anymore. Passing the torch to the rookie Estimé would make a lot of sense. He has had fumbling problems but has been more effective than Williams despite fewer opportunities, specifically, he has 204 yards in 46 carries. The risk could be worth it at the end of the day.
Denver will face a poor Chargers run defense that has allowed 435 rushing yards in the last three games (145 per game on average), which could make Denver finally have a successful rushing attack. The Broncos have combined for over 100 yards multiple times this season but have not had a 100+ yard individual rusher. With Los Angeles' recent struggles in the area, they could take advantage and give Audric Estimé a heavy workload alongside undrafted free agent Blake Watson. Watson will likely be elevated for Thursday's game.
Quarterback Bo Nix leads Denver in multiple rushing categories, which shows how bad this unit has been. Luckily, including Thursday's game, three are left, before the regular season is over, which could help Denver find alternate solutions to this problem.