Entering the Denver Broncos' Week 6 matchup in London, JK Dobbins was top-three in the NFL in rushing yards. Across the pond, Dobbins turned in a relatively poor performance. In total, Dobbins clocked just 40 rushing yards on 13 carries, easily his worst performance as a Bronco. Following said poor performance, Dobbins can ill afford another one, let alone consecutively.
Regardless of his on-the-field results, Dobbins finds himself in a weird situation. He is on his third team in three years, is only on a one-year deal, and his backup is a rookie that the Broncos invested a second-round pick on this past April. To compound that, RJ Harvey is already 24, and the Broncos likely want him to contribute as much as possible as quickly as possible. Pressingly, the Broncos will need him to contribute in Week 7 at home.
Dobbins' performance last week raised questions over his role with the Broncos going forward. If the league is adjusting to him and beginning to defend him better, the Broncos might be more willing to give any of their three other running backs a look. If that is what transpires, Dobbins' time as a Bronco could be limited to just one season.
With another quiet week, JK Dobbins could begin losing playing time to RJ Harvey
For the Broncos, their long-term implications in the backfield are clear: Dobbins is on a one-year deal, Harvey is in the first of four, and has significant draft capital invested in him. The Broncos will obviously welcome any contributions they can receive from JK Dobbins, but they surely won't let him stand in the way of RJ Harvey if he begins to struggle. Let's be perfectly clear: JK Dobbins struggled against the Jets.
To Dobbins' credit, he still sits in the top 10 in the league in rushing yards entering Week 7. He was top-five entering Week 6, but only 40 rushing yards against the Jets was enough to slide him down the rankings. If his overall numbers continue to slip, Dobbins' playing time could as well.
At best, the split between the two backs could start to resemble what we saw against the Bengals, which was effectively a 50/50 split.
Simply put, JK Dobbins needs a big week against the Giants in order to keep a strong grasp on the starting running back gig in Denver. Dobbins has already shown multiple times that he can put up incredibly strong numbers on a smaller selection of touches, and the Broncos will need to see that again this week. If he falls short again, unfortunate discussions might begin before Week 8.