Broncos' J.K. Dobbins has chance to return from foot injury for AFC Championship vs. Patriots, per report
Denver could get back an important member of its offense for the game of the year
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The Denver Broncos will not have Bo Nix when they host the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game Sunday, as the quarterback suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the overtime victory against the Buffalo Bills, but they could return another important member of their offense.
The Broncos are opening the practice window for running back J.K. Dobbins, and he has a chance to play, per ESPN. Dobbins suffered what was reported to be a season-ending Lisfranc injury to his left foot in November. It was a major hit for Denver, as Dobbins was averaging a career-high 77.2 rushing yards per contest and rushed for four touchdowns through the first 10 games of the season.
Despite missing the final seven games, Dobbins finished the regular season as the Broncos' leading rusher with 772 yards on 153 carries. Rookie RJ Harvey stepped up in his absence and rushed for 540 yards and seven touchdowns. Denver did not do much on the ground in the 33-30 divisional-round victory over Buffalo on Saturday, as Nix led the Broncos in rushing with 29 yards on 12 carries. Jaleel McLaughlin rushed four times for 21 yards, while Harvey rushed six times for 20 yards.
The Broncos ranked top 10 in rushing yards per game and yards per rush when Dobbins suffered his foot injury. The Broncos finished bottom 10 in both categories after Dobbins went down.
| Weeks 1-10 | Weeks 11-18 | |
|---|---|---|
Rushing yards per game | 9th | 23rd |
Yards per rush | 8th | 24th |
It remains to be seen how spry Dobbins will be if he does in fact return to the lineup this weekend, but running the ball vs. the Patriots will be important with the Broncos starting Jarrett Stidham at quarterback.
The Broncos are set to be the largest home underdog in a conference championship game since 1970, as DraftKings Sportsbook has Denver listed as 5.5-point underdogs. However, the Patriots are 0-4 on the road in Denver in the postseason all time.
