The Denver Broncos enter Week 11 with momentum and heightened expectations, yet their preparation for the Kansas City Chiefs took on a new layer of intrigue after Sean Payton addressed the media on Wednesday afternoon. Payton’s comments signaled that adjustments are coming to the Broncos offense as the coaching staff looks to build on recent success and expand rookie running back RJ Harvey’s workload moving forward, beginning with a critical AFC divisional matchup with the Chiefs that carries significant playoff implications.
A video circulated Wednesday afternoon showing the 61-year-old coach outlining his approach headed into Sunday. Payton, now in his third season leading the Broncos, made it clear the rookie running back is set for a larger role. DNVR Sports’s Zac Stevens took to his X (formerly known as Twitter) account, sharing the clip as it gained traction on social media, where it underscored a notable shift in Denver’s offensive planning.
“He’ll have more opportunities in this game. He’s built to last and that’s important”
The change comes at an important moment for the Broncos offense. Veteran running back J.K. Dobbins is dealing with a foot injury that was not considered serious at first but was later revealed to be more concerning following the Broncos’ 10-7 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 10. His outlook grew cloudier on Wednesday when he was a non-participant in practice, and Sean Payton did not rule out placing him on injured reserve before the session. That uncertainty, combined with Harvey’s efficiency, has prompted Payton to accelerate the rookie’s workload. Through 10 games, Harvey has produced six touchdowns, 389 scrimmage yards, and 5.2 yards per touch despite averaging only 7.5 touches per contest.
The growing confidence in the former UCF Knights standout comes as the Broncos prepare for a Chiefs matchup that carries major AFC West implications. Denver enters at 8-2, riding a seven-game winning streak, while the Chiefs sit at 5-4 and are trying to regain ground. Payton’s commitment signals a strategic adjustment aimed at balancing the Broncos offense, easing pressure on quarterback Bo Nix, and creating mismatches with Harvey’s versatility.
The Broncos need Dobbins and Harvey to have a good game if they plan on beating the Chiefs.
Dobbins is Denver’s lead back, but the rookie Harvey is getting more involved each week. It may take a combined effort to get Denver a win this week.
Kansas City has a solid run defense unit. In fact, they’ve only allowed 104.6 rushing yards per game, which is 12th best in the NFL. They should offer some problems for Denver’s offense, but I still see Dobbins and Harvey gaining plenty of yards. After all, they play against Denver’s defense in practice, and they’re even better against the run.
Dobbins is quietly one of the most efficient runners in the NFL, averaging 5.0 yards per carry on 153 carries. His efficiency is what makes me most optimistic that he’ll have a good game. He may not get many good looks, but Dobbins will take full advantage of any opportunities.
I’m predicting that Dobbins and Harvey will combine for over 150 rushing yards.
I’ll make it even bolder and guarantee that Harvey will have at least one carry of 10+ yards.
Alex Bregman already is one of the most talked-about stars available in free agency right now.
This was the case before he even opted out of his deal with the Boston Red Sox and has only picked up steam since. He’s a star coming off his best season in a few years. Plus, he helped get one of baseball’s storied franchises back to the playoffs. It’s a perfect storm for free agency. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that he has the most well-known agent out there in Scott Boras.
On Wednesday, Boras held a press conference where he discussed some of his clients. Unsurprisingly, Bregman was brought up and he had a clever coffee-themed response.
“I would certainly think that you know, like in Boston, we learned a lot about Bregman in 2025,” Boras said. “In Boston, prior to ’25, they had a lot of lineup do-not-holes and certainly, prior to ’25, Boston has been kind of a club that has been Dunkin’ well below the playoff line. I think it was a bad roast in Beantown. Give the owners credit, in ’25 they went out and spent some star-bucks to bring in a Bregman blend and got them to the playoffs. I’m sure Boston fans don’t want this to be just a cup of coffee. No one wants a Bregxit.”
All jokes aside, Boras isn’t wrong. Boston had a tough few years before bringing Bregman in. The Boston lineup was lefty-heavy and young and desperately needed a right-handed veteran with pop.
Bregman fit the description and more. The Red Sox handed him an aggressive $120 million deal for three seasons and really showed the league that they were willing to get back into the mix for star-level talent again.
Also, he’s not wrong about the fact that Boston fans likely don’t want the partnership to be short-lived. Now, it’s in the hands of the front office and agents. But, Boston made the right move by bringing Bregman in last offseason and it’s going to be a big topic over at least the next few weeks.