BOOKER GIVES BRONCOS GLIMPSE OF SUCCESS
Young tailback in rush to ignite Denver offense
Tim Patrick leaped off the couch at his apartment in Denver on Monday night and hollered as Devontae Booker, his former teammate at Utah, sprinted through a massive hole and into the end zone from 6 yards out in the third quarter, pulling the Broncos to within one score of the Chiefs.
As a member of the Broncos’ practice squad, Patrick didn’t travel with the Broncos to Kansas City. But as he watched the telecast of the game, therewas nomistaking the old Booker, the one who left bruises on Pac- 12 defensive playerswho tried to stay in front of him.
“Devontae is the best running back I’ve ever seen, honestly, in person,” said Patrick, awide receiverwho joined the Broncos last month. “He was just waiting for his opportunity, so it was cool to see, but there are going to be many more by the end of this season.”
The Broncos on Monday provided a reminder— to themselves, most important— that perhaps the only way to emerge from the funk that has enveloped their season is
to consistently run the football. Denverwent run heavy in the second half, routinely pushing against the Chiefs’ defense with two tight ends. The result was 177 yards rushing in a 29- 19 loss — only 1 yard shy of the Broncos’ season high this year.
Denver’s players and coaches were left to wonder just how much damage they could have done in the running game were it not for an avalanche of five turnovers.
The Broncos averaged 5.7 yards per carry, with three running backs — Booker, C. J. Anderson and Jamaal Charles — all gaining at least 39 yards. Booker, who had a season- high 40 yards, set up his touchdown with a 26- yard run that provided a glimpse of what the Broncos were missing while the second- year prowas forced to sit out all of training camp and the first three games of the season while recovering from wrist surgery. Booker returned against the Raiders in Week 4 and had three carries for 14 yards. His workload had increased only incrementally since, but his second half against the Chiefs could be a signal that he’s ready to be a bigger part of a backfield rotation that was as equally distributed among the three running backsMonday as it had been all season.
“Devontae Booker has played well,” coach Vance Joseph said. “He’s had limited touches, but in those touches he’s had explosive plays. He’s a young guy with strong, fresh legs. He has great ball skills. Aswe go along here, he should get more opportunities.”
Injuries have been the biggest road block for Booker since his senior year at Utah, which ended after 10 games because of an injury to the meniscus in his knee that required two surgeries. That setback precipitated a fall in the draft that allowed the Broncos to select him in the fourth round. When Anderson was lost for the 2016 season after only seven games, Booker stepped into a starting role and finished as Denver’s leading rusher ( 612 yards) and its thirdleading receiver ( 265).
In June, Booker suffered an injury to his wrist while working out on his own. It was initially believed to be a sprain, but another X- raywhen he arrived for training camp at the end of July revealed a fracture. Itwas a blowfor a player whowas preparing to compete for a starting job.
“I feel good nowbeing back in it for some weeks now, just getting to play football again,” Booker said Thursday. “While I was sitting out, I was still here, still in tune, with the playbook and in the meetings. When I came back Iwas able to start fast, and there have been no setbacks for me out there on the field.”
Booker’s surge could put awrinkle into howthe Broncos use their three running backs. After fumbling on his third carry Monday, Charles was handed the ball only five more times, finishing with eight carries for 39 yards. Anderson led with 78 yards on 15 carries. Booker, meanwhile, gained 38 yards on his four second- half carries.
Being part of a three- man rotation has been a different experience for Booker, who was the featured back throughout his college career and then again at the midway point of his rookie season with the Broncos.
“Asweeks go on and game plans come, we kind of get adjusted to it,” he said. “All of us have certain plays for whatever type of situation in a game. It could be red zone, goal line orwhatever. We all have different packages thatwe go in on. We just learn to adjust to it andwe just try to spark one another when we’re out on the field. If we see one go out there and get a 10- yard run, one of us is going to want to do the same or do better. It’s been pretty good with all three of us in the backfield.”