The Denver Broncos wanted to be a run-first offense in 2019, but the team ranked 20th in the league in rushing, averaging just under 104 yards per game on the ground as a team.

The Broncos used a two-headed running back system with Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman but the backfield was hampered when fullback Andy Janovich went down with a season-ending injury.

Trailing often in games and just not being able to run the ball they wanted to in a system ran by recently-fired offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello helped contribute to Denver being in the bottom half of the league’s rushing teams.

Here, we will grade each running back on the team based on their 2019 performance.

Phillip Lindsay

Stats: 224 carries, 1,011 yards, 4.5 yards per carry, 7 touchdowns, 35 receptions, 196 yards

Lindsay ran the ball effectively but the coaching staff didn’t seem to trust him as much as it possibly should have.

Though Lindsay became the first undrafted running back in NFL history to go over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, he only went over 100 yards rushing in two games and was only given more than 15 carries in eight games.

Still, Lindsay’s grade can’t come down because he wasn’t on the field. The coaching staff seemed insistent on a full split in the backfield and that is evident when you look at the snap counts.

Lindsay was on the field for 513 offensive snaps while 506 went to Freeman.

Lindsay was a little bit better as a rookie but had a solid follow-up season and while he may never be viewed as the kind of guy who can be a lead back due to his small stature, he’s one of the most important pieces on offense.

Grade: B+