C.J. Anderson Discusses Early-Season Struggles, Injury Issues

The season has not gone the way C.J. Anderson envisioned it. The Denver Broncos running back, who was poised for a big year after a respectable 849 yards and eight touchdowns in 2014, has struggled through six games in 2015.

However, it appears his 179 yards and meager 2.7 yards per carry this year could be due to an injury and not just ineffectiveness, per Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post. Anderson told Wolfe he has not been fully healthy all season, even though he has not appeared on an injury report in recent weeks.

“I wasn’t as healthy as I thought,” Anderson said. “I had some old injuries that bothered (me), I can’t really say. I didn’t know it was that serious until I felt it.”  

Prior to the Broncos' Week 8 game against the Green Bay Packers, Mike Klis of 9NEWS reported Anderson would come off the bench and Ronnie Hillman would start the game. Hillman has 66 carries for 323 yards and two touchdowns this season. 

If you compare Anderson's final six games of 2014, when he became more of a feature back, to the six he's played this season, it seems likely the ankle and toe injuries he has dealt with played a role in his decline.

Year	Rush Att.	Rush Yards	YPC	Rush TD
2014	140	648	4.6	8
2015	67	180	2.7	0

It hasn't affected the Broncos much as they enter Week 8 undefeated at 6-0, but the wins can be mainly attributed to a defense that is allowing just 17 points per game. Anderson's production has been noticed by the fantasy football community, per Fox 2 Detroit sports director Dan Miller:

Wolfe said Anderson would not say he is 100 percent but that "he’s felt better than he has in a while." Anderson did have arguably his best game of the season in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns. He rushed for 41 yards on 13 carries and added four catches for 25 yards.

Wolfe pointed to one six-yard gain against the Browns as a step in the right direction for the 24-year-old running back. It came on 3rd-and-1 from the Cleveland 40-yard line in overtime and—coupled with an 11-yard run later in the drive from Anderson—helped set up Denver's game-winning field goal.

However, it's not just Anderson who seems to be improving. NFL Network's James Palmer said Denver quarterback Peyton Manning has been impressed with Hillman.

The good news for Anderson and the Broncos is Week 7's bye seems to have come at a good time. They have two capable running backs in Anderson and Hillman to go along with a potent passing offense. However, if Anderson's major injury issues are behind him, look for the third-year back to separate himself from the pack and become the team's feature runner.