Broncos may have new RB1 after Tyler Badie's unlikely game in Week 3 win

The Denver Broncos' running game was down bad after a Week 2 performance in which Javonte Williams averaged an abysmal 1.5 yards per carry. But there was a ray of hope: Tyler Badie.

Badie, who was called up off the Broncos' practice squad for their Week 2 game against the Steelers, got just one carry against the Steelers, but it was arguably the most impressive run of the young season for the Broncos -- a 16-yard scamper. Everyone in Broncos Country was wondering out loud why Badie only got one carry in the game after he showed what he could do with the opportunity he was given, and apparently head coach Sean Payton agreed he needed more opportunities.

He may have seized the Broncos' RB1 job going forward after a breakthrough performance against the Buccaneers in the Broncos' Week 3 win.

Tyler Badie runs his way from practice squad to RB1 vs. Bucs

Badie let the Broncos' PR team know ahead of Week 3 that his last name is actually pronounced "bih-DAY" and everyone in Broncos Country owes the FOX crew an apology for clowning the color commentator for calling him "Bidet" all game long. Apparently, he was just pronouncing it right.

And regardless of how you actually pronounce his last name, it was nice to see the back of a running back's jersey with defenders giving chase on a big play again.

This was just an outstanding run and it had been percolating for Badie, who was hitting the hole hard all game and had a number of really solid runs for the Broncos' offense.

He finished the game against the Bucs with a team-leading nine carries for 70 yards (7.8 yards per carry) and that big 43-yard run. The reason why we might be talking about him as the RB1 for the Broncos going forward is that Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin combined for 10 carries and just 19 yards on this game.

In order for the Broncos to truly make Badie their RB1 going forward, they will have to actually sign him to the 53-man roster. The guy who just turned in the best performance from a running back so far this season isn't even actually on the roster -- he's on the practice squad.

Regardless, the Broncos know they can't let Badie go after this performance and they can't risk another team picking him up. The team entered the year with four running backs on the 53-man roster but with Audric Estimé on IR and Blake Watson inactive each week, the time to promote Badie once and for all is here. And his ascent should be from the practice squad into the RB1 role.