As the thermometer drops, the ability to run the football takes on added importance. With perfect timing, Denver running back C.J. Anderson is turning up the heat.
Over the last four games he has amassed an impressive +15.8 overall grade with 658 yards from scrimmage. He’s proving to be a big-play threat with a league-best Elusive Rating (89.1) among backs with at least 120 touches and the ninth-highest Breakaway Percentage (32.1%) among backs with at least 98 carries. Not bad for a third-string back.
The Broncos are counting on Anderson to keep up his exceptional work. But considering he totaled just 220 touches in his two years at the University of California and had only 24 offensive snaps last year in his NFL rookie season, he hasn’t had the chance yet to prove he can handle a feature-back load.
Help could come from previous starters Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman returning from injuries, but neither has had a stretch quite like Anderson. Can he keep performing up to the bar he’s set?
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