Before he heard the cheers, Mike Anderson saw the open spaces.
The play was moving fast and Anderson was moving even faster, outrunning all would-be tacklers for the Indianapolis Colts in the Broncos’ preseason game Saturday at Invesco Field at Mile High. Anderson ran until he took a joyful leap into the end zone, the final exertion on a 93-yard touchdown run.
During the run, there wasn’t time to think. It wasn’t until Anderson later sat in darkness that he saw how all that daylight was created.
“When I looked at it on film, I didn’t realize the effort and energy that was put into the blocking,” the Broncos’ top tailback said. “The whole unit was pulling that play. The tight end was down the field on the safety. The tackle was up on the D-back. Linemen were on the backside. The fullback was taking one out in the backfield. Receivers were running with me downfield.
“It took all of them to get me there.”
As Anderson reached the line of scrimmage, the hole created by center Tom Nalen, right guard Cooper Carlisle and right tackle George Foster was so large, Maurice Clarett might have been able to pick up 5 or 6.
“All we can do is take care of the point of attack for them, and after that it’s all up to the back’s ability,” Foster said. “We have some great backs. All of them are different, too. I’ve never seen a group of people at one position that has so much diversity as far as ability. I’m glad to be blocking for them. They’re making me look good.”
The Broncos’ backfield will have Anderson and Ron Dayne as the power backs, and Tatum Bell and Quentin Griffin as the breakaway threats. Then again, with the Broncos’ offensive line, who isn’t a breakaway threat?
After the Houston Texans stacked the box and held Denver to 130 yards rushing in the preseason opener, adjustments were made. The result: The Broncos combined for 469 yards rushing, on 6.5 yards per carry, in their next two preseason games against the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis.
“Playing behind them is a joy,” Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer said. “Last year, we’d play a game on Sunday and on Monday, I’d walk around and think, ‘Wow, my neck doesn’t hurt, I don’t have any weird bruises anywhere.’ That’s nice. You can play a long time with those guys back there.”
To think that after age and bruises caught up to Dan Neil, an offseason ATV accident took out P.J. Alexander and backup center Josh Sewell turned to dentistry, there were concerns about whether the Broncos’ offensive line could maintain its decade-long dominance.
The Broncos’ line, however, always has been as much about the system as the blockers. While the first-team offense might rotate tight ends, running backs or receivers, the front five must stay together: from left to right, Matt Lepsis, Ben Hamilton, Nalen, Carlisle and Foster.
“I think this one’s really, really good,” said Lepsis, a seven-year starter. “I think it compares with the good ones we’ve had.”
Mike Klis can be reached at 303-820-5440 or mklis@denverpost.com.
