On a day that the Denver Broncos struggled to run the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tyler Badie ripped off a 16-yard run.
After that, Badie had one target as a receiver out of the backfield (a two-yard catch), and he ended the game with just three snaps on offense.
During his Zoom conference call with reporters on Monday, Broncos coach Sean Payton was asked why Badie did not get more opportunities after his 16-yard run.
“Fair question,” Payton said. “When we had the additional spot and obviously with Audric [Estime] down, then it’s about trying to find touches for the third back. [It’s] much easier with a rotation of two. Getting the third back involved, sometimes it’s special teams, sometimes in the passing game, and it was a good run by him.
“It’s something we’re — you take notice of it though. It’s something as a play caller, as someone who’s looking at the game, I’ve got to be able to see that. He is a player though who had his name on a lot of different plays that either were red zone or situational plays that we weren’t able to get to. It’s not intentional. It’s not like, ‘Hey we’re not aware.’ You’re just into the flow of the game and you have to be better that way.”
On an extremely small sample size of four career touches, Badie has totaled 42 yards and one touchdown. There’s no guarantee that he would remain productive with a larger workload, but with the run game struggling, Denver should find more touches for Badie.
When later asked about Javonte Williams (who averaged just 1.5 yards per carry), Payton indicated the offensive line was inconsistent, but he also noted that Williams himself could improve. Payton then hinted that other RBs could be in line to get more opportunities.
“He misses a cut or two in the game,” Payton said of watching Williams’ film from Sunday. “We need to make sure we get his eyes where they need to be. In other words, having coached that position before, it’s very easy to overcoach. Where’s your key? There’s usually one defensive player that you’re keying on. Then he can predicate or dictate your cut. I saw it in training camp. I look forward to seeing it this season.
“In the meantime, some of these other guys are doing a good job. Jaleel [McLaughlin] is another one that needs more touches. We talked about Tyler Badie earlier. You’re patient, and yet at some point — and it starts up front obviously — you want to see those runs.”
Up next for Denver’s offense is another tough test against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The good news for the Broncos is that Tampa Bay has allowed an average of 138.5 rushing yards through two games (13th-most). It is — once again — a small sample size, but Pittsburgh has allowed 76.5 rushing yards per game (fifth-fewest).
Perhaps Denver can get the ground game back on track this week. Time will tell if Badie has earned more touches after Sunday’s performance.
