Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here is every team’s leading rusher from the 2023 campaign
A Carolina Panther led the entire NFL in rushing this past season!
Oh, wait . . . our apologies . . .
A former Carolina Panther led the entire NFL in rushing this past season! So, congratulations to Christian McCaffrey, who is also just days away from playing on the game’s biggest stage.
Now, as we continue to put a bow on the year, let’s look back at each team’s leading rusher from the 2023 regular season.
Who was Denver’s MVP in 2023? Check out Broncos Wire’s team awards from the 2023 season.
Every year, the NFL hands out its annual awards before the Super Bowl for both offensive and defensive excellence.
At Broncos Wire, we’d also like to recognize several Denver Broncos players who would be considered for those awards on a team level in 2023.
Javonte Williams (774), Jaleel McLaughlin (410) and Russell Wilson (341) were the Broncos’ leading rushers in 2023.
Sean Payton aimed to beef up the Denver Broncos’ rushing attack when he joined the team in 2023, but it’s fair to say the ground game was a disappointment in Year 1 under Payton.
The Broncos rushed for 1,810 yards in 2023, a downgrade from the team’s 2022 total of 1,935 yards. As a team, Denver averaged 4.0 yards per carry, which was also lower than last year (4.4 YPC).
A contributing factor was the Broncos’ lead running back, Javonte Williams, returned from a serious knee injury and never regained his old form. After averaging 4.4 YPC in 2021 and 4.3 YPC in 2022, Williams saw his average drop down to 3.6 YPC in 2023.
Jaleel McLaughlin ended up being Denver’s most efficient rusher in 2023, averaging 5.4 YPC. After him were fellow running back Samaje Perine (4.5) and quarterback Russell Wilson (4.3).
The Broncos only gave carries to three RBs in 2023 — Williams, McLaughlin and Perine — with fullback Michael Burton (1.3 YPC), wide receiver Marvin Mims (3.3 YPC) and quarterback Jarrett Stidham (0.9 YPC) each rushing fewer than 10 times. In terms of yards, Wilson was the team’s third-best rusher.
Here’s a look at Denver’s leading rushers from the 2023 season.
Here are 15 quick takeaways from Sean Payton’s first season with the Broncos.
After starting 4-11 last season, the Denver Broncos fired first-time head coach Nathaniel Hackett with two games remaining. Jerry Rosburg then took over on an interim basis and the club split their final two games to finish the year with a 5-12 record.
After firing Hackett, the Broncos’ new ownership group wanted to go big, so they agreed to trade first- and second-round draft picks to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a third-round pick and the rights to head coach Sean Payton last January.
While Denver did not qualify for the playoffs, the team did take a step forward in Year 1 under Payton, improving from 5-12 in 2022 to 8-9 in 2023. That marked the team’s best record since 2017. The next step is posting a winning record and qualifying for the postseason in 2024.
So, what did we learn from Payton’s first season in Denver? Here are 15 quick takeaways from the Broncos’ 2023 season.
Start ’em, Sit ’em for fantasy football in Week 18.
Though most fantasy football championships have already been concluded, there’s a faction of leagues holding the crucial, final matchup in Week 18.
Though that’s not recommended considering the implications of fantasy studs sitting out the final week of the regular season, we’re still here to help with those lineup decisions.
The Chargers lost their fourth-straight game.
The Chargers lost their fourth-straight game, falling to the Broncos on Sunday 16-9.
To recap the Week 17 game between Los Angeles and Denver, here is everything to know.
Here’s how the Chargers and Broncos stack up statistically ahead of the Week 17 matchup.
The Chargers and Broncos are set to square off this Sunday.
Here’s how Los Angeles and Denver stack up statistically ahead of the Week 17 matchup:
Here are our takeaways from the Broncos’ loss to the Patriots on Christmas Eve.
The Denver Broncos lost to the New England Patriots 26-23 on Christmas Eve, which essentially ends the team’s hopes of reaching the NFL playoffs. Here are five quick takeaways from the disappointing game.
Javonte Williams’ touchdown gives the Broncos a 7-0 lead over the Patriots!
Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams scored on a three-yard touchdown run in the third quarter of a Christmas Eve showdown with the New England Patriots in Week 16.
Here’s video of the play, courtesy of the team’s official Twitter/X page:
3️⃣3️⃣ barreling his way into the end zone 😤
📺: @nflnetwork | @javontewill33 pic.twitter.com/3Ts4xYgp0j
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 25, 2023
At the time of publication, Denver leads New England 7-0.
[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=482983128]
Check out these starts and sits for fantasy football in Week 16.
The fantasy football playoffs are officially underway as just two more weeks remain in the season for the majority of leagues. Now, it’s time to look at some start/sit decisions for Week 16.
Doing start/sit articles can be a little challenging. The players featured on the list below should not be taken as “must starts” or “must sits.” Instead, these are more suggestions on what we believe managers should do with fringe players heading into the weekend. The choice is ultimately up to the manager.
Just because a player is listed as a “start” doesn’t mean he should be put in the lineup over the secure, bona fide studs. Vice versa for the “sits.” If there’s no better option on the waiver wire or the bench, a manager shouldn’t automatically sit the player. That’s why these can be tricky waters to navigate.
Feel free to ask any specific start/sit questions via X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11), or check out our start/bench list for Week 16:
