The Broncos have been through these controversies before.
Elway or Kubiak. Griese or Brister. Foley or Lilly. Kay or Sharpe.
What coach Mike Shanahan might have now is a good, old running back controversy. The phone lines are open, talk-show listeners.
Is Ron Dayne supposed to disappear again?
He did the last time he was a one-game hero. Buried his previous two seasons with the New York Giants, inactive for the Broncos’ season opener in Miami, Dayne got his chance in this season’s second game. With the game tied, Dayne rushed for 39 yards on the final drive to set up a game-winning field goal in a 20-17 victory against the San Diego Chargers.
Go back to that game again, only this time imagine what would have happened to the respective seasons of the Broncos and Chargers had San Diego won. To this day, that win was undisputedly the most pivotal in the Broncos’ 9-2 season.
Yet, in the Broncos’ next eight games, Dayne had just five carries for 9 yards. Thanks for the Chargers game, Ron. Get ready for Thanksgiving.
That’s exactly what the Great Dayne did, without complaint.
“We’ve got a lot of guys, I call them outcasts,” Broncos receiver Rod Smith said. “People gave up on these guys. All the Cleveland guys we have who they gave up on. Guys like Ron, just tons of guys. And they come to this football team and adapt to what we like to do as a group.
“It’s never about one individual guy, it’s always about the team.”
While a healthy Dayne stood on the sideline, he watched Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell each take off on a 1,000-yard pace. Only three running back duos have pulled off the thousand- thousand double, and “Mr. Inside” Anderson and “Mr. Outside” Bell were well on their way to becoming the fourth.
That run at history was at least interrupted, if not halted, when Bell stopped to make a cut along the right sideline last week against the New York Jets. Unable to shift, Bell took the full brunt of a tackle by Jets safety Oliver Celestin and went down with a severe chest bruise near the right shoulder.
Unable to extend his arms to block in the hours leading up to the Broncos’ Thanksgiving game against the Dallas Cowboys, Bell was deactivated and Dayne got his chance to run behind Anderson. When Anderson committed a crucial, fourth- quarter fumble that set up the Cowboys’ game-tying touchdown, Dayne got his chance.
His 55-yard run in overtime set up Jason Elam’s game-winning field goal. The Broncos have had just two, beginning-to-end, heart-stopping victories this season. Dayne has been the final- minute hero in both.
“You don’t win a Heisman Trophy and not do some of the things he’s done in this league and not be a good football player,” Smith said. “I’m just so excited for him because he’s been so patient, waiting for his opportunity, and it came this week.”
Now what? Bell is certain to be healthy by the time the Broncos play again next Sunday in Kansas City. Anderson’s 32-year-old legs should also be strong and refreshed. And while the Broncos have drawn raves for their efficient use of a running back rotation, Shanahan has made it clear that for each particular game, three’s a crowd.
Does Dayne dare sit again?
“Whatever it takes for me to help the team win, I’m willing to do it,” Dayne said. “My job is to stay ready.”
While determining running back playing time, history may no longer be a factor, not that it would anyway for a team with legitimate aspirations for a first- round bye and home playoff game.
Still, for the first time since the sixth game, the Broncos are no longer on pace to pull off the thousand-thousand double. Anderson shouldn’t have a problem reaching the milestone, as he has 813 yards with five games remaining. But Bell will have to hurry, as the injury left him with 640 yards, a pace of 931.
Dayne’s problem may be his style more closely resembles Anderson, the No. 1 back, than Bell, whose change-of-pace, breakaway talent makes him ideally suited for the No. 2 role. In other words, for Dayne to move up from No. 3, he may have to jump all the way to No. 1.
Once again, this could be the last anyone sees of Dayne for a while. At least he had Thanksgiving. Even if he never makes a meaningful carry again, he’ll always have that.
Mike Klis can be reached at 303-820-5440 or mklis@denverpost.com.
