Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

For Broncos, running back stats pivotal

Shanahan requires 2,300 yards, doesn't care who gets them

By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 18, 2008 at 10:10 p.m.

Text size  
Broncos running back Andre Hall runs his way through the Dallas Cowboy defense in the first quarter of Saturday's preseason game.

Photo by Darin McGregor © The Rocky

Broncos running back Andre Hall runs his way through the Dallas Cowboy defense in the first quarter of Saturday's preseason game.

Poll

How will the Broncos' defensive line do this season?


  • See the results »
CLICK TO ENLARGE: Year-by-year rushing totals during Mike Shanahan's tenure.

CLICK TO ENLARGE: Year-by-year rushing totals during Mike Shanahan's tenure.

Related Links

Related Stories

More Denver Broncos

More stories »

It is a football lock, the-ever elusive sure thing.

It is the no-questions-asked, no-gray-area, dead-solid-perfect statistical truth:

If the Broncos rush for 2,300 yards, they will make the playoffs.

They always have in Mike Shanahan's time as the team's head coach.

Seven times in Shanahan's tenure the Broncos have topped the lofty 2,300-yard mark, and seven times they have made the postseason. And three of those times, they have advanced to the AFC Championship Game.

"With our running back," quarterback Jay Cutler said, "no matter who it is back there, you know and we know what we're going to get."

And with another training camp headed for the rearview mirror, countless words have been expended from both near and far about whether the Broncos will have one back who takes the majority of the carries or if they will once again be the league's most successful job-share program.

With rookie Ryan Torain now recovering from elbow surgery - he was rumbling up the depth chart as the team's best size/power/ speed combination in the backfield early on - the Broncos are poised to again open a regular season with a collection of backs divvying up the carries.

Whether it's one guy or one group, it's all the same to Shanahan. Which is why Selvin Young and Andre Hall - at 215 and 212 pounds, respectively, they're both on the lighter side for an every- down running back - have basically split time with the starting offense this preseason.

"I look at the production, that's what concerns me," Shanahan said. "Of course, if you have the one guy who can carry the load, stay healthy and be productive, you're going to use that guy. But those guys are hard to find - there aren't many of them around.

"So, in the end, I look at the yards, the yards per carry and just the production when we need it. T.D. was a special player, there aren't many like him who have ever played in the National Football League."

"T.D.," of course, is Terrell Davis, who just might be the zenith of the one-back approach for the Broncos through the years. Davis had three consecutive seasons (1996-98) of at least 345 carries, and the Broncos made the playoffs all three of those years and won at least 12 games in each of those seasons, in addition to two Super Bowls.

So, in the seasons since, that has become the comparison for the backs who have followed, the ideal of a one-ball, one-back offense. However, that might be a little more than unreasonable, since Davis is still the only back in franchise history to have carried the ball even 300 times in a season.

Not Clinton Portis, not Mike Anderson, not Sammy Winder, not Bobby Humphrey, not Floyd Little.

"It's a hard job," Shanahan said. "Those backs take a pounding in there, and defensive guys are getting bigger and faster all the time."

"(Three hundred) is a big number," said Michael Pittman, the only back on the team's roster with even a 150-carry season in the NFL. "You have to be on the field a lot, your team has to run the ball a lot, and you have to be healthy. I know every back would want that to happen, but not many get the chance."

Should the Broncos elect to use a roster spot on Torain when NFL rosters are cut to 53 players on Aug. 30, it will be an indication they expect him to be able to return to the field with at least nine games remaining in the season.

His recovery time - because of some ligament damage, in addition to a fracture - was expected to be three months. But because of the placement of the Broncos' bye week, the Broncos will have played only seven games before November.

At 225 pounds and with what Shanahan has called "first-round talent" because of Torain's ability to cut at full bore, the fifth-round pick has the size and speed the head coach likes in a primary back.

For his part, Young is explosive - he led the team in '07 with five runs of at least 30 yards - and has tried to add some weight in this offseason to convince the Broncos coaches he is up to the job.

Hall, too, has tried to show the coaches he could carry the ball as many times as required.

He caught Shanahan's eye with his 26-carry, 98-yard day in sloppy conditions in Chicago last season, when he also ran on a severely sprained ankle for 25 of those carries.

"I think that showed I'm a tough player that's going to give it all he has," Hall said.

Young has 13 carries in the preseason; Hall has 15. Pittman, playing against defensive reserves for the most part, leads the team with 21 carries in the two preseason games.

"We all know, if you run it like they tell you, the yards are going to be there," Hall said. "They've done it before we all got here, and they'll do it after we're gone."

legwoldj@RockyMountainNews.com

Comments

  • August 18, 2008

    10:45 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Dynamicdave writes:

    I don't know who they will release to keep Torain, but THEY NEED TO KEEP HIM! He will be our "bread and butter" down the road, if what they say about him is correct. I saw him play at ASU and he was a horse. We can part with a WR to open a spot for him. We also have more CB's then we need. We'll let Shanahan do the math and see what happens. How about keeping Young, Hall, Hillis, Torain and Pittman. But Alridge might be a keeper, also. Choices, choices....

  • August 19, 2008

    8:59 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Squatch writes:

    I think Pittman is the one going to get cut he is a veteren that is playing against 2nd & 3rd team defenses and has yet to show the player he was. I understand he is also playing with 2nd & 3rd team offensive lines and one of the worst backups in the league.

  • August 19, 2008

    10:59 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jugdish writes:

    Broncos need to make move for bigger back now. Shaun Alexander and Cedric Benson out there. Neither is final answer and both have baggage. But if they can be signed to ncentive-laden contract, then why not? Both are better answer than Pittman. As for Torain, 3 months a big chunk of time. However since its not leg injury he just might be available after bye week. But for first 7 weeks, Broncos need big back to go with Young, Hall and Alridge.

  • August 19, 2008

    11:05 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    bigbadthor writes:

    I think we are fine, Torain is the future, but Hall has shown he can handle the duties. Please stay away from Alexander or Benson, both are washed up and a waste of space on the roster.

  • August 19, 2008

    1:02 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    maverick7 writes:

    DynamicDave, do you like Pittman over Sapp? I too like Alridge.
    So really they don't have a true FB other than Hillis and Larsen (Rookies) right? Pittman and Sapp were change orders, and it sounds like they would rather be RB than FB?? Tough call on the backfield. Good Luck Shanny, I'm sure will berate you if it doesn't work.

  • August 19, 2008

    5:15 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Dynamicdave writes:

    maverick7, I like Sapp. He is more familiar with the offense. Alexander is too old, and Bensen has too many "off-the-field" issues. We had enough of that with other players. We are trying to clean up, so he would be a step backwards. Hillis was hurt and he is a true FB. He is starting to get back into it. Because he is a rookie and missed some time, he is a little behind, but once he is clicking, look out. Sapp can help him develop. Don't know much about Larsen except he is listed as an OLB. I know he played for Arizona. Alridge needs to get healthy and back in there or he will get cut. We won't get rid of Torain. I'm not worried about using Young and Hall. They are fast and can get the job done. Everybody seems to have got the mindset that they aren't big enough? They looked fine against the starting defense of Dallas. It's still early but the next game will give us a chance to see if they can duplicate it. I think they can. But, please, Mike Shanahan, don't even look at Shaun or Cedric. We've gone this route too many times and most have turned sour. Keep what we have and let the young kids get their shot.

  • August 19, 2008

    5:32 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    AKuser writes:

    Always seems funny to read that Selvin Young at 215 pounds and Andre Hall at 212 pounds are too small to play running back in an article that talks about Terrell Davis being the model back as we have seen over and over again in Denver area papers for the last year. As I am sure most Bronco fans know Terrell Davis played at 210 pounds or so. The issue is not weight it is power and durability. Selvin and Andre are plenty big and explosive but the question is can they consistently get 3rd and 1 or 2 and can they survive 20 carries a game.

  • August 19, 2008

    7:09 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Dynamicdave writes:

    AKuser, I think if Shanahan alternates them the way he does, it keeps them fast, explosive and healthy. I think they're up to the challenge. When Torain is healthy again, THEN let's give him a chance to work his way into the offense, but I said it before, if it's not broke, don't fix it. Let's see what our dynamic-duo can do.

  • August 19, 2008

    8:45 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Brain writes:

    I'm glad this is the Broncos, otherwise I would be worried that we don't have a running game; Selvin or Hall would not be starting on most teams in the NFL, on the other hand the Broncos will do just fine.

  • August 19, 2008

    9:06 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    aragornzxl writes:

    Seeing the Cowboys game, i am beginning to think that Michael Pittman will be cut soon. To be honest the Broncos have too many RBs on their roster, and they're all young. Selving Young, undrafted second year, was pretty good last year, but not likely to get 20 carries per game. Andre Hall, undrafted, battling Young for the second spot. Then in the mix is Aldrige, Torain, Pittman. Pittman will eventually be cut, and I dont know who else would be as well. WHat I do know is that this RB core is young, too young. If Pittman were to be cut, there would be a real problem. None of the players are past second year and a half of them are rookies. I am desperately hoping the Broncos can get some RB who is powerful, durable and experienced who can lead teh way for the young rookies and sophmores and maybe lead the way to a first down every now and then. True, Alexander is unlikely, but I feel the Broncos need to find someone or else this is the freshmen team right here, and none of them is Adrian Peterson of 2007.

  • August 19, 2008

    9:36 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Jupitron writes:

    @AKuser. I'm glad you mentioned that both Hall and Young are plenty big to be playing in the NFL. I don't think their critics pay attention to what they write from article to article. They write about them being too tall, too short. Whatever. Both are prototypical height 5-10 or 5-11, 212-215 lbs.
    Compare them to backs around the league. For expample; Frank Gore, 5-9, 217lbs; Chester Taylor, 5-11, 213lbs; Willie Parker, 5-10, 209lbs; Brian Westbrook, 5-10, 209; etc, etc.
    Seriously, if you look around the NFL, Selvin and Andre are in the same size bracket as most other running backs in the NFL. In some cases they are even bigger. So this 'not big enough' rant is old.
    Can they stay healthy? Remains to be seen. That's why they'll probably split time either until one of them proves they can carry the load or it's deemed that they'll be sharing the ball all season.
    So what.
    Bad for fantasy football stats
    So what.
    Oh yeah, and I laughed when I read the headline of this story.
    Stats?
    Who gives a damn about stats. Unless you're worried about your fantasy football team which I, for one, do not.
    Worry about the "W" before you worry about stats.
    I'm feeling totally fine with who we have in our backfield right now.
    And stop banging on Cecil. The dude only plays both fullback and tailback positions, he blocks well, he catches well, he runs well. He does anything the team asks of him. AND...he's a special teams beast.
    Stop messing with the Diesel.
    And as far as Ryan Torain. I'd love him to be the future but we know nothing about this kid. I hope I'm wrong, I really do, but to count on him bringing anything to the table is way too premature and silly at this point.
    Andre and Selvin are tested ready and they can bring it.
    C'mon guys. Selvin averaged 5.2 yards per carry last year. That's not enough for you? And this was A)Behind a line that wasn't really gelling and B) on an offense that was struggling. Period.
    And Hall? All he did was step up and tear off a 100 plus yard game against the Bears last year. All but shredding their dominating run defense last year.
    How about we get behind the dudes we have and stop worrying about 'what
    That being said, I'll give up a few running yards to watch Air Cutler and his fleet of weapons tear up the field any day.