Denver Broncos: C.J. Anderson’s redemption a reminder of his brilliance
In 2014, Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson became a fantasy darling, and writers, such as myself, hopped on the bandwagon, predicting an excellent 2015 campaign after he bulldozed, blocked, caught, and juked his way to big second-half numbers in the previous season.
But instead of shining, C.J. Anderson started the season as a monumental flop, leading the Denver Broncos to make change-of-pace guy Ronnie Hillman the main man in the backfield. Anderson’s frustrating season prevented him from averaging 4.0 yards per carry in a single game through the first six weeks of the season, but he showed signs of a rebound after exploding for 101 yards on just 14 carries against the Green Bay Packers after the bye in Week 8.
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It seemed like Anderson, who seemed far too naturally gifted in 2014 to be a mere one-hit wonder, had finally found himself again, but the Broncos didn’t reward him with a 15-carry workload until Week 12. In that game, Anderson helped lead the Broncos to a nail-biting victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, grinding out a season-high 113 yards.
Essentially, since he got himself right after nagging injury before the bye week, Anderson has been back to his best, and it showed in the Super Bowl. Facing an excellent Carolina Panthers run defense, Anderson wouldn’t be shut down, even though he had poor blocking up front.
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Just as he showed grit and determination in the Broncos disappointing postseason loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the previous season, Anderson never stopped his legs from churning tonight. He only averaged 3.9 yards per carry, but that doesn’t tell you the whole story. No player was important to their offense today than Anderson, who had a game-high 90 yards (no receiver hit 90 either, though Emmanuel Sanders and Corey Brown had at least 80) on the ground with ten receiving yards on four receptions to boot.
With Peyton Manning struggling to just 6.1 yards per pass attempt, a QB Rating under 60, and under 150 passing yards, the Broncos needed the running game to pull the squad. Since Ronnie Hillman failed to get anything going against Carolina (he didn’t even have a single yard on his five carries), Anderson had to shoulder the load. Sanders, the only viable pass-catching threat on the Broncos, more than did his part with six catches for 83 yards in a thorough crisping of Robert McClain on the outside, but the Broncos got their strongest lift from Anderson’s legs.
Not only did No. 22 have a big 34-yard run in which he showed off his trademark explosiveness, but he kept moving piles, picking up first downs, and falling forward. The Broncos clearly didn’t trust Manning to make plays at the end of the game- and rightfully so- and they therefore went with a heaping diet of runs to Anderson.
There’s a reason why Broncos fans love him, and there’s a reason why Brady praised him in fair-tale fashion after Denver’s AFC Championship Game victory over the Patriots. Anderson is a hard-nosed, lunch-pail player who has talent, gives it his all, fights through injuries, and bounces back from adversity.
When he’s needed and when the going gets tough, Anderson steps up to the plate, and he deserves a heavy dose of praise for his 100 yards from scrimmage today. Without them, there’s a small chance this game could have ended differently, though a certain defense (and punter) would have likely prevented Carolina from winning under any scenario.
Most of the praise should go to one of the greatest defenses ever assembled in NFL history, and their elite defensive mind in Wade Phillips, but don’t forget to kick some love to some of the guys on offense. I’m sure Peyton knows how valuable Anderson’s been in his route to a second ring, especially since he’s been immense when Manning’s second stint as the Broncos starting QB commenced in Week 17 against the San Diego Chargers.
Hillman’s inevitable cool-down to inconsistency has been expected, but Anderson critically more than picked up the slack. This is his norm. This is how good he is. He’s a foundation back who can play on every down, bounce off defenders, and rip off big runs that can change the game. Few backs have a better nose for the end zone, and few backs do a better job of overcoming bad blocking.
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Don’t underrate him, and take today’s solid, workhorse display against the Panthers as evidence of his return to stardom. His redemption story is one of talent and hard work triumphing, and Anderson is the type of player we can all root for, even if we happen to like a rival. This is a player who commands respect, and his relentless rushing style was a huge part of the Broncos Super Bowl-winning run.