Offensive Line Shuffling Not Helping Denver Broncos Run the Ball

The Denver Broncos have been trying to get their rushing attack on track all season long. Entering Week 5, the Broncos had the 28th-ranked rushing offense in the league with only 315 rushing yards. The league average after four weeks in this pass-happy league is 420 yards. Denver is clearly behind in that category. They average only 3.5 yards per carry, well below the league average of 4.05.

After four weeks, the Oakland Raiders defense had allowed 373 rushing yards—a mark good for 13th-best in the NFL. This middle-of-the-road unit was taking on a below-average Broncos rushing attack in Week 5, and the Raiders won the battle in the trenches.

The Broncos offensive line has been shuffling talent around due to various injuries. That movement is preventing the Broncos from developing chemistry on the offensive line.

The offensive line shuffling is not helping the Broncos run the ball. Let’s take a look at why.

Offensive Line Injuries

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The entire reason for shuffling on the offensive line began with the shoulder injury to rookie left tackle Ty Sambrailo. That caused the Broncos to move right tackle Ryan Harris into Sambrailo’s spot. Michael Schofield then slid into the right tackle position.

Harris was a bit banged up this week, so the Broncos made it public that they would use Tyler Polumbus in certain situations in Week 5. Polumbus has plenty of experience, but the Broncos just added him to the roster last week.

Left guard Evan Mathis was also dinged up in practice, so head coach Gary Kubiak revealed during the week of practice that rookie Max Garcia would see some playing time against the Raiders. Garcia was set to be the starter at left guard as he practiced with the first team for most of training camp. That all changed when Mathis was signed in free agency. The rookie is a powerful player, but obviously lacks experience at the pro level.

The Broncos did see a rotation up front Sunday. However, none of the offensive line combinations worked when asked to spring the ground game.

C.J. Anderson Stuffed Inside

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Starting running back C.J. Anderson does not have any room to run. As a power back, most of his living is made between the tackles. Anderson has a low center of gravity, and he can be difficult to bring down when he builds a head of steam. That momentum has been nonexistent as Anderson doesn’t have any space to ramp up his power or speed. Instead, Anderson is either met in the backfield or is hesitant to hit a hole that doesn’t exist.

Against the Raiders Sunday, Anderson finished the game with 11 carries for 22 yards. That’s an average of two yards per carry, and that’s certainly not enough to concern opposing defenses.

Anderson has been a bit banged up this year, but it’s a lack of holes (or cutback lanes) up front that is causing him to get bottled up in 2015. In the final six games of the 2014 season, Anderson led the NFL in rushing yards. After five games this year, Anderson has one of the lowest rushing totals in the league of any starting running back.

No Big Run for Ronnie Hillman

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Last week against the Minnesota Vikings, change-of-pace back Ronnie Hillman ripped off a 72-yard touchdown run. He finished that game with 103 yards rushing, Hillman’s third 100-yard game of his career—and his first coming as a backup. He only had 11 carries against the Vikings, but that lone big play certainly gave him a healthy average per carry and boosted his numbers on the day.

There was no such big play for Hillman or the Broncos ground game Sunday.

Against the Raiders in Week 5, Hillman finished the game with seven carries for 21 yards. He averaged only three yards per carry, and Hillman’s longest run of the day was only good for six yards. Anderson had the longest run (10 yards) for the Broncos in Week 5.

For the season, Hillman had been averaging just below 10 carries per game. On Sunday, he tied for a season low in carries (he had seven carries for 13 yards against the Detroit Lions in Week 3). Hillman is a dangerous change-of-pace back, but he’s not built for a larger workload. The team will continue to feature him in his current role, but he’ll need a big play or two in order to produce at a high level.

Summary

The Broncos would like to run the ball effectively. The entire offense would be better off if/when they can run the ball with great command. The Kubiak offense is built around running the ball, but they’ve been limping along this season. If they can run the ball, then we’ll see a more efficient and effective offense.

Running the ball will also help out the passing game. If they can run the ball, that will force defenses to keep an eye on the backfield. When that happens, there will be some deep shots available via play-action passing.

Moving the ball on the ground will also benefit the defense. No longer will the team keep going three-and-out, forcing the defense back out on the field with little rest. With a strong rushing attack, the Broncos can control the time of possession and keep their ferocious defense fresh.

When players get healthier, then perhaps we’ll see a better effort up front. Sambrailo could return in Week 6, and the team could once again start the unit that began the season together. That’s if Mathis and Harris are both in the lineup. There have been multiple combinations up front, but the Broncos need to find the best group, have them stay healthy and then gain valuable chemistry through multiple weeks of playing together.

Next week, the Broncos get to face a Cleveland Browns rush defense that is among the worst in the league. There may be no matchup as good as the one they’re facing in Week 6. If the Broncos can’t run the ball against the Browns, then they may just stumble along with an ineffective rushing attack for the rest of the season.

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted. Advanced stats via ESPN's employees-only database.

Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions.