Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams had a quiet day on the ground against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, running five times for 12 yards for a terrible 2.4 yards per carry average. Jaleel McLaughlin’s average (1.4 YPC) was even worse as he ran five times for seven yards.

Denver’s offense got a spark in the fourth quarter when Tyler Badie came into the game and made the most of his opportunities. To stay with the hot hand, Broncos coach Sean Payton gave Badie all seven runs in the fourth quarter against the Bucs, and the 24-year-old defensive back totaled 70 yards on the ground.

“He was really crucial,” Payton said of Badie. “He had some big runs for us. He’s smart. He knows the system. He’s good at passing, he brings a lot to the table.”

Badie only played in two of the team’s three games this season, but he leads the team’s running backs in yards (86) and yards per carry (8.6). Badie has a small sample size of just 10 carriers, but he has earned the right to get more chances. Denver’s staff apparently agrees with that assessment, as Badie was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster this week.

#Broncos RB Tyler Badie clocked 20.99 mph on a 43-yard run against the Bucs, the second-fastest ball carrier in Week 3 in the NFL. “I’m very fast. Shoot, I wish I had hit. But I was a little tight. My legs were a bit tight. I definitely pride myself on being fast.”

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) September 26, 2024

“He played great on Sunday,” quarterback Bo Nix said of Badie’s performance in Week 3. “He gives us some extra depth at the back. He’s just one of those guys in the backfield who can make explosive plays. We are delighted to have him on board and continue his production.

“At the same time, Jaleel and Javonte will continue to do what they do and what makes them great. I think we have a really good running back group right now.”

Nix was understandably diplomatic in his response to the backfield, but fans want to see more from Badie. It’s worth noting that Williams remains the best pass-blocking running back on the team. Badie is also two inches shorter and, more importantly, 23 pounds lighter than Williams. So Badie probably doesn’t have the size to establish himself as a workhorse, but could he be more involved in the future?

“We’ll see,” Payton said when asked what role he envisions for Badie. “He’s kind of going to be – we’ve played three times in a game and we’re going to continue to mix up roles based on what we do.”

Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi indicated this week that the team won’t give up on Williams or McLaughlin despite their poor numbers.

“Obviously Tyler has made a big break, and he’s a guy we really like,” Lombardi said. “(But) the running game is one of those things where not every run is a 20-yard gain, and you stick with it and think you know the players you have.” Just because the stats say they don’t Gaining a lot of yards doesn’t mean they’re suddenly crap. So you keep giving them the ball and you know that we’re getting better and better, the plan is getting better and we’re getting better at blocking. Your big runs are just around the corner.

“It’s like anything, it’s tempting when you run the ball a few times early and don’t gain any yards and just say, ‘To hell with it, we’ll just start throwing.’ The running game is one of those things where if you stick with it, you’re going to fail some runs. It’s just a matter of patience and we’ll get better as we execute.”

Badie has been the team’s third running back in each of the last two games, with rookie Blake Watson a healthy backup. Williams, McLaughlin and Badie are likely to continue to be the three RBs dressed on game days. How the touches will be divided among them remains to be seen.