Javonte

Williams

Williams’ five catches and six targets all came in the first half. He was the only Broncos pass catcher to enter halftime with more than one reception yet Sean Payton sharply reduced Williams’ workload in the second half, deploying Jaleel McLaughlin at a near-even rate. Williams is an RB2 against the Chargers in Week 6, functioning as the Broncos’ only reliable skill position player.

Badie went down with the back injury after taking a hard hit in the first quarter of Denver’s Week 4 win over the Jets. He made it to the sidelines under his own power but was eventually taken to the locker room on a stretcher. Despite the frightening optics of the situation, the fact Badie wasn’t immediately placed on injured reserve this week suggests a best-case outcome for the young back. Until he returns, Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin will split the Denver backfield.

Williams led the Denver backfield in rushing attempts and yards after Tyler Badie exited the game with an apparently severe back injury. The Broncos trusted Williams in critical situations through the second half; Jaleel McLaughlin was hardly involved at all in the final two quarters. If Badie’s injury is of the long-term variety, Williams should be the lead back going forward. The Broncos take on the Raiders and their league-worst rush defense in Week 5.

Badie didn’t play in Week 1 but was called up from the practice squad for the following two games. He posted a minor breakout in Week 3 with nine carries for 70 yards. Though much of his work came late in a blowout win over the Bucs, his impressive showing was enough to carve out a permanent spot in the 53-man roster. His signing puts Javonte Williams on notice. Williams is averaging a dreadful 2.2 yards per carry this year and could see his role reduced if he doesn’t turn things around soon.

Williams also lost a fumble and shed close-out time work to Tyler Badie. Not the best development, even if the Broncos were just trying to put away a 23-7 game. Badie took advantage of the opportunity to easily lead the Broncos in rushing. Maybe Badie’s effort was a one-off, but Williams is now stuck on three brutal statistical efforts to begin the year. We would not assume anything heading into Week 4 against the Jets’ strong defense. Williams won’t be a recommended FLEX for that one.

It was par for the course for the Broncos today, who simply couldn’t move the ball at all against the Steelers. The offensive line seemed unable to get any push, and the Broncos had to go to the air often after being down by two scores for most of the game. Even with Audric Estime on the IR, it’s hard to feel confident about rostering Javonte Williams in what might be the worst offense in football. The good news in PPR formats is that it seems that Williams will be involved in the passing game, which could allow him to sneak into RB3 value in some weeks.

Williams saw nine touches in the loss to Seattle while Jaleel McLaughlin picked up 15 with Audric Estime getting just two carries. Williams’ lack of carries is partially explained by the Broncos falling behind, and neither tailback was very effective against the Seahawks’ front seven. Williams will likely see more touches in Week 2 against the Steelers, but it’s far from a guarantee he’ll be any more effective.

McLaughlin played very well as Javonte Williams’ primary rushing backup, forcing two missed tackles on the ground and adding an explosive, 15-plus-yard pass play through the air. It was a strong showing for the change-of-pace player. He also returned one kickoff for 21 yards.

Williams remained on-field for third-and-short and was only spelled by backup Samaje Perine in clear passing-down situations. Williams made his presence felt, registering a 0.5 missed tackles forced per rushing attempt rate. Concerns over his job security this spring and summer appear overblown. Williams is the Broncos’ No. 1 RB.

“This time last year, in fairness to him, he was recovering still, inside of eight months (removed from) an ACL (tear),” Payton said. “He’s fully healthy now. You can see it in his play.” Payton has been singing Williams’ praises since the Broncos reported, though we are still in the early days of camp and what is a supposedly sprawling Broncos running back battle. Payton also praised second-year pro Jaleel McLaughlin and rookie Audric Estime on Thursday. Williams began the competition as a light favorite, but a favorite nonetheless. It now appears he should be considered a better bet to earn the lion’s share of the Broncos’ touches. He still has several Payton teacher’s pets to stave off, however. It could be a long month of “Report:"s.