Top 2 Rushing Matchups
Denver vs Buffalo
While Denver received some positive news for starting running back J.K. Dobbins, the Broncos will once again be without him this week as the running back looks to return from a foot injury suffered back in November. Dobbins was seen doing individual workouts on a side field at practice on Wednesday, but there are no signs that he has any chance of playing this week. That ultimately means that RJ Harvey will get the bulk of the carries this week for the Broncos, which ultimately means that this offense will be somewhat limited unless Harvey can break a long run. Averaging just 3.7 yards per carry on the season, that does not begin to tell the whole story. While all runs count, Dobbins' 3.7 yards per carry is greatly inflated due to three runs of 38, 40, and 50 yards this season. Without those three runs, he is averaging just 2.9 yards per carry as he’s just not getting consistent yardage and not able to break the 5+ yards nearly enough, as he’s not breaking tackles at his 5’8’’ 200-pound frame. Along the offensive line, there are still some significant questions at center as Alex Forsythe replaced Luke Wattenberg in Week 17 after Wattenberg suffered a shoulder injury that cost him his season. Forsythe is a 2023 seventh-round pick who has not seen much playing time throughout his career, so playing in his first playoff game will be a big test for the inexperienced center.
While it was the Jacksonville passing game that took most of the headlines against Buffalo last week, the rushing offense for the Jaguars was equally impressive. Travis Etienne Jr. and Bhayshul Tuten amassed 118 yards on just 14 carries, while Etienne also added 49 receiving yards and a touchdown against this Bills defense. This is a run defense that has struggled all season, as they’re allowing the sixth-most rushing yards to opponents and the most of any playoff team. They’re also allowing 4.9 yards per carry, which is the third-worst in the NFL. We seemingly repeat ourselves every week, but this is a defense that was built to stop Kansas City, and they’ve had to prioritize pass rush, linebackers, and safeties who can cover, and hope that their run defense is good enough. On the injury front, the Bills appear to be getting some good news and some bad news heading into this game. The good news is that their top defensive tackle Ed Oliver appears that he will return after being on IR since Week 6 with a bicep injury. He was a limited participant in both Tuesday and Wednesday’s practices, and his presence would be a significant upgrade to a defensive line that desperately needs a run-stopper. However, the bad news is that it is appearing unlikely that safety Jordan Poyer will be able to play due to a concussion suffered last week. Poyer is a key to this defense, avoiding big plays, as the veteran is still an excellent tackler and someone that they can bring down into the box on obvious rushing plays.
Seattle vs San Francisco