Jonah Coleman looked like the Broncos’ RB1 in win over Chiefs

DENVER — It’s all about what they do, not what they SAY.

And what Broncos coach Sean Payton did was trust Jonah Coleman, who played 41 snaps in Sunday’s game — 28 more than J.K. Dobbins, who worked 13 snaps after receiving 14 last week.

The two running backs started out close to even; in the first quarter, Dobbins saw seven snaps of work, with Coleman receiving six. But that began to flip in the second quarter, and in the second half, Dobbins saw the field just once.

When Dobbins lost eight yards on a carry early in the second quarter, the seven-year veteran had a 9-7 edge in snaps. After that, Coleman played 34 snaps to Dobbins’ four.

That’s a RB1 workload. Dobbins got the start, but Coleman was the top dog.

As was the case against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 and in Arizona last week, Coleman got stronger as the game progressed. Coleman averaged 5.8 yards per attempt on his four fourth-quarter carries, which included the touchdown run that put the Broncos in front to stay.

In the fourth quarter of the three games in which Coleman has carried the ball so far this regular season, he’s averaged 5.75 yards per attempt, gaining 92 yards on 16 rushes.

He’s a hammer. And three times now, Coleman drove the nail into an opponent’s coffin.

COLEMAN’S EMERGENCE NOT A SURPRISE TO TEAMMATES

“We knew he had game as soon as he stepped foot in the building,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said. “He’s been running the ball well the entire time he’s been here.”

So well that when he went to injured reserve in Week 3, his absence was palpable — even though he had just 10 regular-season rushing attempts to his name at that point.

“It was unfortunate that after the Jacksonville game, he went down for IR, and I think our team felt it,” McGlinchey said. “And now that he’s back, we’re feeling it the other way, and I think that’s a great thing. He’s been great for us and he’s going to continue to get better.”

With more carries and greater comfort within the team, Coleman’s ascent should continue. It’s a reason why the Broncos might not need to make a trade for a RB1 after all; Coleman might provide the answers they need without having to sacrifice draft capital.

“I think he’s seeing it well. He’s got really good ball security; we talk about it in the huddle all the time. I think he’s becoming more comfortable at being himself,” right guard Quinn Meinerz said.

“That’s kind of a hard thing to do as a rookie.”

Difficult, yes, but not too much for Coleman. Broncos coach Sean Payton has said on multiple occasions that the University of Washington product doesn’t appear like a rookie. His maturity is a significant reason why — which shows when he discusses what rests upon him when he totes the football.

“I’m prepared for whenever I get in the game and my job is to make plays and honestly, hold everybody’s dreams when I’m carrying that football — just protecting it,” Coleman said.

And his 51-yard catch-and-run late in the fourth quarter to set up his game-winning touchdown jaunt was an example of how the responsibility cuts both ways.

“When the opportunity presents itself … the offensive line, they make me look good. I don’t make that big play if Bo (Nix) doesn’t throw me the ball,” Coleman said. “So, it’s a team effort to drive one person’s success. But it definitely feels good to be out there.”

And Sunday, he showed why he belongs out there, too — and deserves a significant role in the offense, both now and in the weeks to come. Coleman looked the part of a RB1 — so much so, that an in-season trade for a runner with a multi-year contract to handle that job might be unnecessary.

Related

Broncos show they’re now truly the boss of the AFC West in turning back Mahomes, ChiefsBrittany Mahomes blasts the refs that erased Chiefs’ game-winning TD against the BroncosRoach’s historic sack has Broncos one-score magic echoing Manning’s ColtsBo Nix ‘extremely thrilled’ after epic Broncos win, but ‘ready to go home and go to sleep’Sean Payton says Broncos Country ‘won us the game tonight’ after insane finishSean Payton nearly went full Bob Knight — instead, he joined an elite list of coaches