The Denver Broncos just did not have enough gas left in the tank in Week 4, as they dropped an ugly game to the San Francisco 49ers. In what appeared to be a game that was going to end in a one-score result, the 49ers managed to score a late touchdown thanks to George Kittle.
That ended any chance the Broncos had at getting back into this game. With Week 4 in the books, it's clear that the team has many of the same issues still present, and now that we're a month into the season, it's worth wondering if these issues are even going to go away at all.
Despite the ugly loss, though, there was a rather encouraging development coming out of the backfield, as second-year running back RJ Harvey had himself a game and should probably be the lead back going forward.
Denver Broncos' RJ Harvey should be the starting RB going forward after his Week 4 performance
While Harvey's rookie season was disappointing from a rushing standpoint, he did score 12 touchdowns and did also show how explosive he could be. We definitely got a good glimpse of the potential in Week 4. While Harvey didn't necessarily light up the stat sheet, his final numbers to make you look twice:
7 carries, 25 yards
10 receptions, 68 yards
2 kick returns, 64 yards
That's 157 all-purpose yards in Week 4 and 93 scrimmage yards on offense. In total, Harvey had 19 touches, so he averaged 8.3 yards per touch. While he might not be there as runner, he won't get better unless he keeps getting carries.
With Jonah Coleman still on IR and not eligible to come off until October 25th, Harvey needs to see the bulk of the carries, as J.K. Dobbins honestly looks like a shell of his former self, unfortunately. Dobbins was averaging 5.0 yards per carry last year, but through four games, he's not had a game with more than 4.5 yards per tote thus far.
When Coleman returns, things could get really frisky, as his ability to run between the tackles could pair nicely with Harvey's ability to thrive on outside runs. The Broncos were 2-2 to begin the 2025 season, so while this version of 2-2 feels a lot different, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Harvey's performance in Week 4 is part of that light. He needs to be featured more going forward.
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