Give C.J. the ball!
Man, what does Gary Kubiak have against C.J. Anderson? Heck, what does he have against the running game in general?
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Broncos had only rushed the ball 17 times, of which Anderson got seven. You could say it was because they were ineffective, but that’s not really fair; they weren’t given a real shot.
C.J. Anderson didn’t even get his first carry until the second quarter, but when he did, he was effective, rushing for 55 yards on seven carries (7.9 yards per carry).
I’ve given this stat several times over the last few weeks, but apparently it hasn’t sunk into the Broncos coaching staff: From Week 8 on, Anderson averaged 6.4 yards per carry (most in the NFL!) to finish out the regular season; Ronnie Hillman, meanwhile, only managed 3.8 yards per carry.
The Denver Broncos ABSOLUTELY do have a running game; they’ve just decided not to use it. Or, if they do decide to run the ball, they’re giving it to the wrong guy.
Over that same 10-week span, not only did Anderson receive far less attempts (85) than Hillman (141), but he received fewer snaps than 29 other running backs in the league. A bit odd for the guy leading the NFL in yards per carry, huh?
Even including Sunday’s game, C.J. Anderson has never received more than 15 carries in a game this season — he’s received fewer than 10 six times. Adversely, Hillman has received more than 15 carries five times this season (including against the Steelers on Sunday), yet since Week 8, he’s had four games where he’s averaged less than 3 yards per attempt.
Now, I like Ronnie Hillman, I think he’s a good change-of-pace back, but there is no reason why he should be getting the bulk of the carries over C.J. Anderson.
Please, Kubiak, give C.J. the ball!
