Denver, CO
Additions of Audric Estime, Blake Watson set up intriguing Broncos running back competition
At Notre Dame, running back Audric Estime was fearsome.
Playing with power and strength, exemplified by his Hulk-like arms, Estime was wrecking a ball, mowing down or even leaping over tacklers that stood in his way.
Even with shorts and a practice jersey during the Broncos’ rookie minicamp on Saturday afternoon, the fifth-round pick still looked like an imposing figure that someone wouldn’t want to get in front of when he’s moving at full speed.
The addition of Estime and undrafted rookie free agent Blake Watson has created an interesting competition within Denver’s running back room that will be closely monitored throughout the team’s offseason program and training camp. The Broncos have Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine and Jaleel McLaughlin already under contract. Still, they added two running backs who have the potential to have key roles in Year 1.
“All these guys, they’re all competing for different roles, spots,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton said. “… I think that we never put a cap on what they’re competing for.”
After the Broncos lacked juice in the run game in 2023, competition was likely needed. Denver finished tied for 21st in yards per carry (four) and 28th in rushing touchdowns (eight). The Broncos rushed for under 100 yards in three of the final four games. Although Williams’ return from a torn ACL was remarkable, he averaged 3.6 yards per carry and didn’t surpass 50 rushing yards in the final four games.
Meanwhile, Perine’s game was limited to third downs and being a check down target.
Estime and Watson present two different skill sets that could be beneficial to Denver’s backfield. Estime is a power back who can generate yards after contact. In 2023, he rushed for 1,348 yards and 18 touchdowns, and in the final college game of his career he exploded for 238 yards and four touchdowns in a win at Stanford last November.
He also accumulated 892 yards after contact (4.27 per attempt) and 38 runs for over 10 yards, according to Pro Football Focus. Williams averaged 2.71 yards after contact while Perine had 2.92, according to PFF.
While Payton values Estime’s power and physicality, he is intrigued by Watson’s pass-catching ability. The former Memphis running back caught 53 passes for 480 yards and three touchdowns, while averaging 9.1 yards per catch.
Payton didn’t want to compare Watson to Saints running back Alvin Kamara, but both players had similar traits coming out of college.
“We saw a player that was (a) natural catching the ball,” Payton said. “That was a big draw. When we read a player, that was a draw to his vision.”
Denver’s running back competition will be one of the biggest ones to watch. Payton said on the last day of the NFL draft that Estime is viewed as a first- and second-down runner. If he flourished in that role during training camp, what happens to Williams and Perine, both of whom are in the final year of their deals?
Last season, the Broncos carried three running backs and fullback Michael Burton on the initial 53-man roster. Denver could very well have four running backs on the roster. Even still, how they split up the carries and roles is entirely up in the air.
“I want to see it, and then we’ll go by what we see,” Payton said. “That was the case with Jaleel a year ago. He sat here as an undrafted free agent that was going through the workouts, and then pretty soon you began to see it.”
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.
Denver, CO
What drivers will face traveling into mountains near Denver on I-70 amid Floyd Hill bridge building
Drivers heading west from metro Denver into the mountains on Interstate 70 on Monday and Tuesday face overnight closures, and 20-minute stops through Thursday at the base of Floyd Hill, the latest traffic disruptions for bridge building as part of the Colorado Department of Transportation’s $800 million reconstruction of I-70 through Clear Creek Canyon.
The nighttime closures this week, scheduled from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m., are planned around the I-70/U.S. 6 interchange at exit 244 and include on- and off-ramps.
Drivers also should expect to wait at 20-minute stops multiple times per day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on I-70 starting Monday, and continuing through Thursday, according to a CDOT notice.
But officials said there would be no planned traffic disruptions during the holidays from Dec. 20 to Jan. 5.
CDOT contractors will be blasting rock in the canyon above eastbound and westbound I-70 between the Veterans Memorial Tunnels and the Homestead Road interchange near Idaho Springs. And drivers may face intermittent traffic stops along the Central City Parkway, County Road 314, U.S. 6, and U.S. 40, CDOT officials said.
CDOT contractors are building a temporary framework to support their upcoming construction of a concrete bridge on I-70. When it’s done, the bridge will carry westbound drivers through a new route that CDOT officials say will be safer and improve traffic flows through the canyon, which long has loomed as a bottleneck.
The rebuilt highway, with an added westbound express toll lane, eventually will carry drivers through a widened canyon on viaducts 115 feet above Clear Creek. This safer route, designed to improve visibility for drivers, is expected to allow speeds of 55 miles per hour in areas now marked 45 mph.
Depending on the weather this week, disruptive construction work may shift to Wednesday and Thursday, CDOT officials said.
The I-70 Floyd Hill Project involves about eight miles of I-70 in the mountainous area between Evergreen and the eastern edge of Idaho Springs. CDOT officials have promised that, as part of the project, they’ll improve the Clear Creek Greenway trail and ensure safer routes for wildlife.
Construction began in July 2023. The project is expected to conclude in 2029.
Drivers learn more by calling CDOT at 720-994-2368 or by texting floydhill to 21000 and signing up for text alerts. CDOT officials also said information about weather, road conditions, and travel impacts is available at COtrip.org.
The Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) dropped from first to second in the NFC North and from the second seed to the seventh seed in the NFC after losing to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Significant injuries suffered against the Broncos will mean lasting implications are felt past Sunday. The Packers are also now a long shot to catch the Los Angeles Rams for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and it’ll take a win next Saturday night in Chicago to retake control in the NFC North.
But the Packers are still in a good spot in terms of making the postseason field, especially after the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys all lost on Sunday.
NFC playoff picture after Week 15
- Los Angeles Rams (11-3, 6-3 vs. NFC)
- Chicago Bears (10-4, 6-3 vs. NFC)
- Philadelphia Eagles (9-5, 7-3 vs. NFC)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7, 5-5 vs. NFC)
- Seattle Seahawks (11-3, 6-3 vs. NFC)
- San Francisco 49ers (10-4, 8-2 vs. NFC)
- Green Bay Packers (9-4-1, 7-2-1 vs. NFC)
Others: Lions (8-6), Panthers (7-7), Cowboys (6-7-1)
According to The Athletic’s NFL playoff simulator, the Packers have a 92 percent chance of making the postseason with three weeks to go. They become all but guaranteed of a playoff spot if they can beat the Bears in Chicago in Week 16. In fact, just one win over the final three weeks could be enough for the Packers to get in.
The NFC North winner looks like a coinflip. The Athletic’s model gives the Packers a 48 percent chance of winning the division right now, and it would go up to 82 percent with a win over the Bears on Saturday. Chicago took down the Cleveland Browns with ease in bitter cold temps at Soldier Field on Sunday.
The Athletic’s model also gives the Packers a 98 percent chance of being the No. 2 seed if Matt LaFleur’s team can win out. That will be much easier said than done without Micah Parsons (and potentially Christian Watson) down the stretch.
Two very possibilities for the Packers: Win the NFC North and host the Bears in the NFC Wild Card Round, or get in as the No. 7 seed and go to Chicago to play the Bears in the NFC Wild Card Round. A third round of the rivalry is increasingly possible in January.
Packers remaining games
Nothing easy here. The Bears, Ravens and Vikings all won Sunday. The Bears and Ravens won comfortably; the Vikings upset the Cowboys — who desperately needed to win — in Dallas. The Bears and Ravens are both playing to win division titles. The Vikings are a dangerously talented spoiler team, and winning at U.S. Bank Stadium is never easy. The Athletic’s model gives the Packers roughly a 40 percent chance of making the postseason even with an 0-3 finish. The Lions are the biggest threat to pass the Packers in the event they finish 0-3.
It appears the Packers can clinch a playoff spot next week with a win over the Bears and a Steelers win over the Lions.
It’s time for the AFC’s #1 team to meet the NFC’s #2. Today the Denver Broncos host the Green Bay Packers in a key late-season inter-conference matchup that could have playoff seeding implications for both teams.
In Denver, the Broncos will be trying to hold on to the top spot in the AFC and keep their impressive win streak rolling. Denver has won ten straight games, some of them in fairly ridiculous fashion, but they sit at 11-2, sharing the top record in the NFL with the New England Patriots, who are just behind them in the playoff picture based on conference record.
The Packers, meanwhile, want to hold on to the lead in the NFC North before they have their rematch with the Chicago Bears next Saturday night. Green Bay sits behind only the Los Angeles Rams in the playoff race in the NFC, and they want to return to the Central time zone with that lead intact.
Join us here at Acme Packing Company to discuss today’s game, and Go Pack Go!
‘Love being a pedo’: Metro Detroit doctor, attorney, therapist accused in web of child porn chats
This Week: E-Bikes, Happy Hour, Holiday Lights – Streetsblog San Francisco
81-year-old North Texas trailblazer to graduate from UNT Dallas
How to watch Miami (FL) at Texas A&M: CFP First Round TV channel and streaming options for December 20
Boston Police say homicides are up 30 percent as Mayor Wu sticks to ‘safest major city’ claim
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Video: Rob Reiner and His Wife Are Found Dead in Their Los Angeles Home
Biden officials go silent when asked about Afghan refugee program after guardsmen shooting
South Korea indicts ex-leader Yoon over power plot provoking North
BBC Verify: Videos show impact of mass drone attacks launched by Ukraine and Russia
Bill and Hillary Clinton’s Stance on Epstein Testimony Nov. 3
-
Alaska1 week agoHowling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power
-
Texas1 week agoTexas Tech football vs BYU live updates, start time, TV channel for Big 12 title
-
Washington6 days agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa1 week agoMatt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire
-
Iowa2 days agoHow much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals
-
Miami, FL1 week agoUrban Meyer, Brady Quinn get in heated exchange during Alabama, Notre Dame, Miami CFP discussion
-
Cleveland, OH1 week agoMan shot, killed at downtown Cleveland nightclub: EMS
-
World1 week ago
Chiefs’ offensive line woes deepen as Wanya Morris exits with knee injury against Texans
