The Denver Broncos haven't exactly run the ball consistently well during the 2025 season. Part of the issue is a lack of balance between the passing game and the running game with Bo Nix ranking near the top of the league in pass attempts, while the offense ranks 19th in the NFL in rushing attempts.
Every game tells a story of why that imbalance exists, but the Broncos also rank just 16th in rushing yards, 15th in yards per attempt, and those numbers are skewed heavily by JK Dobbins, who has been out since early November with a foot injury.
Thankfully, the solution may have been hiding in plain sight all along, and the Broncos have a chance to unleash him in the playoffs. That solution is Jaleel McLaughlin, who has been quietly running the ball exceptionally well over the past three games.
Jaleel McLaughlin could be Broncos' run game solution during playoffs
Over the last three games, McLaughlin has run the ball a total of just 18 times, but he's run for 118 yards and an average of 6.56 yards per carry. He also had a really nice catch and run against the Chargers in Week 18 (his only catch over the last three games) for 17 yards.
Although the Broncos desperately want RJ Harvey to be the most effective three-down back at their disposal right now, they might have to consider shuffling the deck one more time with the way McLaughlin has been running the ball.
Even if it's a limited sample, McLaughlin's average yards per carry have not been the result of a couple of big runs he's found a way to break off. They have been a collection of 18 really strong runs, with McLaughlin showing the type of vision and burst we saw more of in his rookie season as opposed to last year, when he struggled quite a bit.
The Broncos might not be inclined to give McLaughlin 20 carries in a game (unless he's dominating), but he can be the spark this running game has desperately needed since the JK Dobbins injury. Harvey can still do his thing in the passing game and providing the team with a home run threat every time he touches the ball, but for the divisional round, the wise course of action for the Broncos is likely going to be getting McLaughlin more carries and targets in the passing game.