SANTA CLARA, Calif. — All the attention was on Javonte Williams.
First game back since tearing an ACL 10 ½ months ago. Javonte would get 10 to 12 snaps in the Broncos’ second preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers (he got 12). Javonte would get three or four carries (he got 3 for 12 yards). Javonte might get a catch (he caught 4 for 18 yards).
Meanwhile, Broncos’ 1B back Samaje Perine came in and slashed for 6 yards on his first carry. Perine on the second series with the No. 1 offense picked up 7 yards. Perine got one more carry and powered to the red zone for 9 yards. Perine got 22 yards from his three carries.
Same ol’, same ol’ for Perine who became accustomed to operating with little notice the previous three years in Cincinnati as backup to Joe Mixon.
“Yeah, for the most part,’’ Perine said at his locker after the game Saturday night. “However the job gets done it gets done. However, it helps the team win that’s what I’m here for.”
Javonte, Perine will give the Broncos a formidable power rushing game. Can you imagine what an opposing inside linebacker will feel like as the bowling ball Williams and 240-pound Perine lower their shoulders run after run? And then, as a change of pace, there goes undrafted rookie Jaleel McLaughlin flying by.
All that running and then a handoff fake from quarterback Russell Wilson as he rolls out, or sets up to pass. What’s a linebacker or safety to do?
“If we continue to put the pieces together and continue to head in that right direction I feel like this can be a special offense,’’ Perine said. “We have to keep working at it. There’s never enough work that can be done. So we’re going to get back to work and continue to get this boat rolling.’’
Perine has earned the right to be taken for granted. At Javonte’s comeback game Saturday, Perine was like everybody else: Excited to see how his running back partner would fare.
“He didn’t waste any time,’’ Perine said. “Javonte looked good. For him, it was getting out there and actually getting tackled. It’s one thing to practice -- you can simulate as much you want -- but to get real game reps it was good for him to get back out there and it looked like he got his confidence back and looking like he’s heading in the right direction.”
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