Running back J.K. Dobbins re-emerged after three injury-plagued seasons to run for 905 yards and nine touchdowns with the Chargers last year, but they opted to sign Najee Harris as a free agent in March and Dobbins lingered on the market until he signed with the Broncos in June.
Dobbins has run 30 times for 139 yards and two scores in his first two games for Denver and his third will be a reunion with last year’s club. Dobbins said that his preparation for the AFC West matchup is the same as the last two weeks, but he admitted that the result will hit a little differently.
“I’m treating it as any other week,’’ Dobbins said, via Mike Klis of KUSA. “Of course, I’ll probably be more energetic. It’s going to be great. It’s going to a great opportunity for me and my team to go in there and win a divisional game. It’s a little more important. With it being my old team, it will make it that much better if we get a win. But any other week I try to do my best, make my plays and be a playmaker and help this team win.”
Dobbins has eyes on making quite a few plays in Los Angeles on Sunday. He said, via Chris Tomasson of the Denver Post, that it will “only be right” for him to go for 100 yards in familiar surroundings and the Broncos will be thrilled if that’s what winds up happening.
In early 2022 (if not during the 2021 season), the Dolphins were cooking up a plan that entailed coach Sean Payton and quarterback Tom Brady joining forces. (It didn’t go well for the Dolphins.)
Four years later, Brady and Payton will join forces.
Payton, along with Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers and Pete Carroll of the Raiders, will serve as the coaches for the three flag football teams to play in the March tournament in Saudi Arabia. Payton was asked about the development by reporters on Wednesday, and it became clear that — even though Carroll and Brady are colleagues in Las Vegas — Brady will be on Payton’s team in Riyadh.
“I had gotten a text from Tom [Brady], and he was explaining what the tournament was,” Payton said. “I looked at the calendar, it’s a vacation week. I don’t travel much. I think more importantly, it’s significant when it comes to growing our game with the Olympics not that far around the corner. There are three teams playing one day in a round-robin format. Then a final championship game. I don’t know if I had any conditions. One of them might have been. . . because he is playing, so it might’ve been that he’s my quarterback in that game. I have to look at 5-on-5 [flag football]. When I heard it, right away . . . I have enough headaches right now, but at some point it’ll be interesting to look at how that game is played. I think it’s a great opportunity for three or four days to travel abroad and be with some good people.”
The wire transfer will be good, too. Given the unlimited resources of Public Investment Fund, it’s safe to say that Brady, Payton, and the others who have signed up for the event have done so in exchange for a significant financial commitment.
The ability of Saudi Arabia to get involved in football landed on the radar screen the moment the country tried to corner the market on professional golf. This week’s news should be regarded as the first tangible step toward a football strategy that starts with flag — and possibly ends with tackle.
Three years ago, Sean Payton and Tom Brady became linked by the Dolphins’ effort to get them to join forces in South Florida. Now, they’re involved with AFC West rivals.
Regarding the topic of the moment, Payton shrugged at Brady’s dual role as Fox broadcaster and Raiders minority owner.
“It doesn’t concern me,” Payton told reporters on Wednesday. “I understand he’s part ownership with a division opponent. I get that. Then he covers games. He covers NFC games. That doesn’t bother me.”
It would be different if Brady worked for CBS, and if he were sniffing around the Broncos as part of his day job.
In theory, all Sunday afternoon games can now land with either CBS or Fox. If/when the Broncos land on Fox’s “America’s Game of the Week” and Brady is on the field for pregame warmups, don’t be surprised if Payton keeps his players and assistant coaches in the locker room for as long as possible.
Just like his mentor, Bill Parcells, used to do.
Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw still isn’t practicing.
Greenlaw missed all of the offseason program after hurting his quad while working out in April. The initial report was a tear, but the team clarified that a strain would keep Greenlaw out for eight weeks.
Greenlaw returned in time for training camp but then left practice early on July 31. He has not practiced since.
Linebacker Justin Strnad (foot) and tight end Evan Engram (back) also did not practice Wednesday. Both played Sunday, though Engram played through a calf injury that limited him last Wednesday.
Safety Talanoa Hufanga (chest) was a limited participant.
Tight end Nate Adkins (ankle) was a full participant for the first time this season, while outside linebacker Nik Bonitto (wrist) and inside linebacker Alex Singleton (thumb) also had full participation.
The Chargers got some relatively good news on edge rusher Khalil Mack.
According to NFL Media, Mack’s dislocated elbow suffered on Monday night is expected to keep him out for a few weeks and is not season-ending.
Mack had to leave the game midway through the first half of the contest and was shown on the sideline of the ESPN broadcast in a sling and with his elbow heavily bandaged.
In two games so far this season, Mack has recorded a sack, one tackle for loss, and two quarterback hits.
