Broncos running back R.J. Harvey is officially out for their Week 2 clash against the Jacksonville Jaguars today, according to ESPN’s lead NFL insider Adam Schefter. The second-year back was questionable all week with a hamstring injury, and even after back-to-back limited practices, he’s expected to be a scratch. This is a real punch to the gut for Denver’s offense.
Broncos Offense Takes a Hit Early
This is a pretty big loss for the Broncos, who are already trying to snag their first win of the season. Harvey is an absolute explosive weapon, and who could forget what he did against the Jaguars last season? He ripped them for 121 total yards and a touchdown on just 9 touches. That kind of production is hard to replace, especially when the team just struggled so much on offense last week and failed to run the ball. They’ve gotta find a way to get it together without their key playmaker.
Next Man Up: Who Steps Into the Backfield?
So, with Harvey likely among the inactives, who are we gonna see carrying the load? Expect starter JK Dobbins to be a whole lot more involved. He actually got out-snapped by Harvey last week, mostly due to game script, but they’re definitely gonna give him a heavy dose today. Keep an eye out for rookie Jonah Coleman too. He barely saw the field against the Chiefs, but he’s expected to be the RB2 behind Dobbins and should get a decent chunk of playing time. And don’t forget about backup Tyler Badie! He’ll be active and will be their guy on third downs, especially with his trusted pass-blocking skills. It looks like the Broncos are putting a huge emphasis on the run game early to try and fix those struggles.
Thankfully, this doesn’t sound like a season-ender for Harvey. He was able to practice, so there’s hope he could be back next Sunday Night against the Los Angeles Rams. But hey, hamstrings are notorious for lingering, so we’ll just have to wait and see how long this thing keeps him off the field.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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