The Lead

The formula is relatively straightforward.

"[If] you keep gaining yards when you get the ball, we keep giving you the ball," Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi said Thursday.

Rookie running back Audric Estime was the beneficiary of that approach in Week 10, as he recorded career highs in rushing attempts (14) and rushing yards (53).

"He had some success early, and you ride the hot hand," Lombardi said. "We feel good about him, but we feel good about Javonte [Williams and] we feel good about Jaleel [McLaughlin]. He was the one that was kind of on the good end of the reps."

Estime's first three carries all went for at least six yards, and he also picked up a critical third-down conversion on the Broncos' end-of-game drive.

"I felt great," Estime said after the game. "Definitely a confidence booster that the coaches believed in me to keep me out there that many plays. They said I grew up today."

Only one player in the NFL is younger than Estime, who turned 21 just days before the Broncos' regular-season opener.

"I might be the second youngest in the league, but I had to play like a vet today," Estime said Sunday. "I definitely took a step forward, and I feel like we did together as a whole team."

After carrying the ball just 10 times over the first eight weeks of the season — which included a four-week stint on injured reserve — Estime has notched 19 carries over the last two games. Among players with at least 25 carries, Estime has averaged the third-most yards after contact per carry in the NFL — and he may continue to increase his workload.

"We'll see how it shakes out going forward," Lombardi said. "He's a big, tough, strong guy — and those guys are built to last. He can definitely handle the carries."

As the Broncos approach a matchup with the Falcons, Estime could again see a sizable workload.

"I was encouraged," Head Coach Sean Payton said Monday. "He'll continue to get more reps."