Anderson steps out of the spotlight
But running back realizes offense’s passing attack is good option to have
Finally out of the heat and humidity of downtown Cincinnati last weekend and inside the buzzing visiting team’s locker room at Paul Brown Stadium, Broncos running back C.J. Anderson got dressed in a bright purple suit. He looked like the Joker. “Why so serious?” Anderson said. The Broncos had just improved to 3-0, but in wildly different fashion from the previous wins. With Anderson slipping and sliding on the Bengals’ field, he faded from sight. And what had been a staunch running game disappeared. It didn’t matter all that much, because the Broncos won 29-17.
“It happens. It’s a part of football,” Anderson said. “We have two of the top receivers in the league. Y’all act that Emmanuel (Sanders) and D.T. (Demaryius Thomas) have never in their careers taken over a game. It’s comical.”
Anderson was the talk of the Denver locker room through two games to start the season, victories over the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts. Led by Anderson, the Broncos rushed for 148 and 134 yards, respectively, as they eased young quarterback Trevor Siemian into a starting role.
Then the Bengals all but stopped the Denver running game. They stacked eight, sometimes nine, defenders near the line of scrimmage, determined to snub out Anderson. It worked. The Broncos finished with only 52 yards rushing.
The Broncos have searched for balance on offense in each game. Under coach Gary Kubiak, they want close to a 50-50 run-pass offense that can go either way when necessary. In that quest, they are molding their offensive game plan around the opposing defense.
The Bengals were clearly a better defense at the line of scrimmage than in the secondary. And they doubled down, sending even more help to the front. So the Broncos went over the top, and Siemian threw for four
touchdowns.
That game plan might be duplicated Sunday at Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers have one of the worst defensive secondaries in the NFL. They signed 33-year-old cornerback Brent Grimes and drafted rookie Vernon Hargreaves. The Bucs allowed seven touchdown passes in three weeks, fourthmost in the NFL, and made only one interception, second-fewest in the league. Tampa Bay’s run defense, though, is respectable, allowing an average of 98 yards rushing per game, ranking 15th in the NFL.
Those tendencies may nudge the Bron- cos to the air.
“We can win either way,” Anderson said at team headquarters. “Run, pass, fullback dive — we can win. It’s just wonderful.”
Through three difficult games to begin their season, the Broncos proved they can find a way to win. The schedule now eases, at least on paper, with games against Tampa Bay (18th-ranked defense by total yards allowed), Atlanta (30th) and San Diego (26th).
“I would say this: I know we can block better and we can run better too,” Kubiak said. “That’s up to us as coaches to find more creases for them. We are going to have to do it better this week.”