ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Early in the first half of Thursday's game vs. the Chargers, Denver's young running backs gave the Broncos a boost.
The Broncos got things going on the ground, running the ball seven times — with four different players — on the team's opening 10-play touchdown drive.
Rookie running back Blake Watson — who was elevated to the active roster for Thursday's game — was a key contributor on the drive, picking up a first down with a 7-yard carry in LA territory before adding another 13 yards on a catch-and-run on the next play. Three yards were tacked onto the end of that gain for a defensive unnecessary roughness penalty, and rookie running back Audric Estime found the end zone for his first career touchdown on the very next play.
For Head Coach Sean Payton, it was the ideal start to a game in which the Broncos were looking for the run game to provide an offensive spark.
"The first drive was the rhythm we wanted, the tempo we wanted," Payton said after the game. "... We had plenty of work on the run game going into the game. I thought the young backs did a good job. We'll keep working those guys."
That drive was the beginning of a productive day for Estime, who led the team in rushing yards for the second time this season. His 48 yards on the ground marked the second-highest total of his young career. And while the Broncos ultimately fell short in their search for a victory on Thursday, the Notre Dame product relished his first opportunity to put points on the board.
"It's definitely cool," Estime said of the touchdown. "It's cool to contribute to the score, but we didn't get the job done, which [stinks and] which overtakes the touchdown, I feel like."
The Broncos posted 89 of their 110 net rushing yards in the first half, and seven of the team's 16 first downs before halftime came on the ground. Javonte Williams joined Watson and Estime as a key contributor, posting 22 rushing yards in the first half. In the second half, though, all six of Denver's first downs came through the air.
Estime stressed the importance of finishing games, noting that while Denver's goal heading into this game was to "start fast" — and the team did that — keeping a "foot on the pedal" for four quarters will be a point of emphasis heading into the Broncos' final two contests this season.
"We had a good scheme coming in, and I feel like we executed well early in the game," Estime said. "[We've] just got to stay on it and finish the game."
Estime believes that Watson has the potential to continue to contribute to these efforts. After being named to the Broncos' initial active roster, Watson has spent a portion of the season on Denver's practice squad. The undrafted rookie out of Memphis was active for the Broncos' Week 5 win over the Raiders — and played a pair of snaps — but Thursday marked the first carries of his NFL career.
"It was just amazing," Estime said of Watson's contribution on Thursday. "He stayed ready all season and when his time was called, he did well. Just got to keep building on that, keep building as a team, keep building as a running back unit."
And although Denver's offensive execution faltered in the second half of the loss, quarterback Bo Nix believes that the fast start — specifically on the ground — is a sign of good things to come for the unit and specifically the running back room.
"They played really well in the first half," Nix said of Watson and Estime. "Gave us a spark, especially on the first drive. They both had a few good runs, and it's just good to see those guys. They got their opportunity. We've seen it from [Estime] and with [Watson]. He's been practicing really well, so he got his opportunity and ran the ball really well. I think that's going to be good for us going forward."
As the Broncos look ahead to their final two games in search of the team's 10th win and first playoff berth since 2015, Estime said it will be important to apply the lessons learned from the loss to help get the job done.
"You've got to flush it," Estime said. "We've still got a golden opportunity ahead of us. We've just got to be able to take advantage of these next two games."
