ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Yeah, sure, the Tennessee Titans have the greatest running back in all the land in Derrick Henry, what with all his 100-yard and even 200-yard rushing games.
The Denver Broncos can counter with the second-most prolific group of running backs in all the NFL. Now that the Broncos have added Marlon Mack and Chase Edmonds in back-to-back weeks to a running back room that already included Melvin Gordon III and Latavius Murray, only the New Orleans Saints boast more collective rushing yards than Denver’s 16,247.
“I'm grateful for the opportunity to meet so many of these guys,’’ said Edmonds, who was acquired from Miami as part of the Bradley Chubb trade. “I got to talk to the running backs, Melvin, Latavius, Mike (Boone, who is sidelined with a high ankle sprain), Marlon, all those guys.”
Denver RBs ….. Rush yds … TD …. Rec …… Yds … TD
Melvin Gordon ...….. 6,407 ..… 55 ..… 300 .… 2,382 … 14
Latavius Murray ...… 5,685 ..… 52 ..… 200 .… 1,387 ..… 2
Marlon Mack …...…. 2,484 ….. 20 …… 57 …… 448 ..… 2
Chase Edmonds .… 1,671 ..… 11 ...… 138 .… 1,017 ….. 6
Total …………….. 16,247 .... 138 ...…. 695 … 5,234 … 24
The issue, of course, is not enough of those yards have come this year for the Broncos.
The Saints, who elevated Jordan Howard from their practice squad for their game Monday night against Baltimore, have 17,671 yards and 151 touchdowns when combining Mark Ingram II (8,074 yards, 65 touchdowns), Alvin Kamara (4,651 yards, 48 TDs), Howard (4,361, 37 TDs) and Dwayne Washington (585, 1).
Howard will revert back to the Saints’ practice squad Tuesday, which will again give the Broncos’ No. 1 standing among combined active rushing yards on 53-man rosters.
Gordon and Murray, who rank No. 4 and 5 all-time among active rushers, will get bulk of the Broncos’ carries Sunday at Tennessee. It’s unclear whether Mack, who was signed off the San Francisco practice squad two weeks ago, or Edmonds will be the No. 3 back.
Edmonds is the different back, the change of pace who figures to be used as a third-down back. He has almost as many receiving yards as rushing yards in his five-year career, the first four of which were spent with the Arizona Cardinals.
“I think definitely in the passing game, probably get me outside the back field, utilize me there, and just kind of go from there,’’ he said.
Henry ranks No. 3 among active rushers – behind only Ingram and Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott – with 7,667 yards, but he’s been the league’s No. 1 back by far the past four seasons. He’ll bring a five-game streak of at least 100 yards rushing into the meeting with the Broncos on Sunday at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium.
“Derrick Henry is a special back in this league,’’ said Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett. “He has been for a while now. That stiff arm everybody talks about—it’s real. He times it up perfect. He’s got great vision. He’s able to run, break tackles. He’s niftier than you would think with as big as he is.
“He’s a guy that we’re going to have to be great at stopping. It’s going to be a great challenge for our defense. We’ve had some hiccups here and there in the run game. I know the guys are evaluating that and they’re going to correct that. They’re going to run the ball. That’s what they do, and they do it with a very good football player back there. The line is playing really well. Derrick is special. You really can’t stop him. You have to try to contain him as much as you possibly can.”
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