RJ Harvey Has Emerged As Key Piece Of Broncos' Offense

Denver Broncos rookie running back RJ Harvey continues to catch fire down the stretch on offense. Harvey rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's super-impressive Week 15 win over the Green Bay Packers. There's an excellent chance he concludes the regular season as the TD-leader among all rookie running backs.

Harvey’s touchdown versus the Packers occurred at a critical moment. Leading 27-26 with 7:27 remaining in the fourth quarter, Harvey took a 1st-and-goal pitch for a hard-fought four-yard score. It was the game-clincher, with the Broncos winning 34-26.

Harvey entered the season as the backup to veteran ball-carrier J.K. Dobbins. Dobbins suffered a season-ending foot injury in a Week 10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Harvey has since caught fire in Sean Payton's backfield, maximizing the opportunity with totality.

In the four games Harvey has served as the unquestioned lead back, the former UCF standout has produced 277 yards of offense and four rushing touchdowns. The Broncos are 4-0 since then and are running away with the AFC West at 12-2, currently positioned as the top seed in the conference. Harvey has scored at least one rushing touchdown in three consecutive contests.

Harvey currently ranks third among all rookie running backs in rushing touchdowns with six. He trails TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins by one touchdown (seven) apiece. That's impressive considering he's had 110 rushing attempts, significantly fewer carries than Henderson (143) and Judkins (222) have handled.

Harvey has also been an excellent dual-threat playmaker for Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. He's scored four receiving touchdowns in addition to his six rushing touchdowns, and all four occurred when Dobbins was still healthy. He's tied with Ashton Jeanty for the rookie running back lead in receiving scores, and his 10 overall touchdowns are more than any other rookie has produced this season.

Harvey was a touchdown machine at UCF. He registered 22 rushing scores for the Knights in 2024 and left the program having produced a UCF-record 48 touchdowns. Harvey's touchdown production has immediately translated to the next level.

Harvey's advanced metrics leave a little to be desired, but there's no denying the touchdown production. The 60th overall selection is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry. His 282 yards after contact rank ninth among 12 rookie running backs who have earned at least 20% of their team's rushing attempts, per Pro Football Focus. Even Harvey's 2.56 yards after contact per attempt ranks ninth of 12 qualifying backs.

Perhaps that just means there's more meat on the bone to explore. The Broncos' run-block win-rate (RBWR) as an offensive line unit ranks seventh in the league with a success rate of 73%, according to ESPN Stats & Info. That insinuates there's more down-to-down production for Harvey to find.

Harvey has run with the opportunity to be the Broncos' lead ball-carrier since Dobbins went down. His 10 touchdowns lead all rookies and he could still lead first-year backs in rushing touchdowns, too. The Broncos are legitimate AFC juggernauts, and Harvey's emergence is a big reason why the offense is so efficient and productive.