Has Denver Broncos RB Kapri Bibbs earned a larger role?

The Denver Broncos need to get back to running the football. Since C.J. Anderson went down after a 100-yard game against the Houston Texans, the Broncos have struggled to produce on the ground.

Rookie fourth-round pick Devontae Booker has taken over as the starter in place of Anderson, but he has just 76 yards rushing on 29 carries (2.62 yards per carry) in two games as the lead back.

Behind him, former CSU running back Kapri Bibbs has been patiently waiting for an opportunity. In the loss to the Oakland Raiders in Week 9, Bibbs only had 11 yards on two carries, but it was his 69-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter that could earn him more playing time.

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak said this week that he likes what he’s seen from Bibbs.

“I think we’re gaining confidence in him. Booker is not doing anything wrong. We have to get him some room. He’s got 12 carries for 2.2, so we have to find somebody some room, whoever is in there,” Kubiak said. “… Those are our two guys here down the stretch. They have to play well, and we have to trust both of them to play.”

Should Bibbs have a larger role going forward? Let’s take a look:

Bibbs’ skill set

Bibbs has a compact frame and does a good job of staying low to the ground when he runs. He’s a swift back, but he’s not overly fast.

He does not lose much speed when he has to change direction, and he’s generally a creative runner in the open field. Watch his 69-yard touchdown against the Raiders to see his field vision and ability to set up defenders.

He certainly has a proven nose for the end zone. Bibbs is one of only three college running backs in FBS history to have 30 or more rushing touchdowns in a single season. The other two? Barry Sanders and Montee Ball.

Bibbs hasn’t been able to show off his nose for pay dirt, but it could be on display if he gets more playing time in the near future.

He has good instincts running between the tackles. He’s not your classic banger or pile-pusher, but Bibbs can grind out tough yards inside if necessary.

And as we’ve seen on a couple of toss plays this year, Bibbs also has the juice to take it outside when asked.

It makes no difference to Bibbs if he’s running inside or outside concepts.

“I think all of the runs that we have put in place I can do something with. As long as the guys up front execute like they have been doing in some space, I think I can always do something with it. I like outside plays, I like inside plays, and I like all of it.” Bibbs said.

More than a change of pace?

With only eight receptions during his one season at CSU, Bibbs’ skills as a receiver out of the backfield were unknown. He’s spent two years on the Broncos practice squad, and during that time I’ve seen a tremendous increase in his receiving ability.

Bibbs now looks in passes properly before turning to run. With the ball in his grasp, he can quickly tuck it and run without losing much speed or gathering himself after the catch. It’s almost like a long handoff with the way that Bibbs runs under wheel routes down the sideline.

And that big touchdown catch and run against the Raiders did wonders for his confidence.

“Confidence. It just definitely boosts my morale. I had to go watch that like 20 times, especially for it being my first career TD. It definitely feels great,” Bibbs said.

RBBC FTW

I’ve asked Kubiak multiple times if he’s a “bell cow” guy or a “running back by committee” guy. His answer has always been the same: “It depends on the back.”

When Kubiak has had a bell cow back like Arian Foster, he rides him into the ground. With Anderson early this year, the team tried the bell cow approach, but his most successful game of 2016 came against the Houston Texans, where the workload was split between him and Booker.

After Anderson went down, the Broncos seemed to lock onto Booker as their primary back.

I believe that Booker is a bell cow back who wants the football all the time. That hasn’t been a recipe for success, so the Broncos are likely to change things up. That means a 50-50 split between Booker and Bibbs could be in the game plan against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10.