ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — J.K. Dobbins offered a mea culpa of sorts when he addressed reporters following a 10-7 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders last Thursday.
Yes, the Broncos had just run their winning streak to seven games, the longest for the franchise since its Super Bowl-winning season in 2015, but the offense, as the veteran running back saw it, wasn’t lifting its share.
“We owe it to the fan base and to ourselves to stop playing like how we’re playing,” Dobbins said bluntly. “We have to do better. We just have to do better because eventually it is going to bite us in the butt. That’s not what I want, and that’s not what my teammates want. So we’re going to get it fixed.”
Correcting the issues that have plagued Denver’s offense ahead of Sunday’s massive AFC West showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs will be challenging if the unit doesn’t have its most consistent weapon available — and that’s looking like an increasingly likely scenario.
Wednesday’s #KCvsDEN injury report:
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— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 12, 2025
Dobbins, whose 772 rushing yards are the most by a Broncos running back through the first 10 weeks of a season since 2003 (Clinton Portis, 793), did not participate in Wednesday’s practice for the Broncos as he recovers from a foot injury he suffered in the third quarter against the Raiders. The injury occurred after Dobbins was brought down by Las Vegas defensive end Tyree Wilson with what the veteran running back described as a hip-drop tackle in an expletive-laden post on social media Friday.
The Broncos have been evaluating treatment options for Dobbins in the days since the injury and did not place him on injured reserve as the team began preparation for Sunday’s game. Still, Dobbins’ absence on Wednesday — it was the first practice he has missed this season — isn’t a good sign for his availability Sunday. Not having Dobbins, who has rushed for at least 61 yards in all but one game this season, would be a big loss for an offense that hasn’t been able to hang its hat on much else besides the veteran’s consistent production in the run game. Quarterback Bo Nix produced the second-worst passer rating of his career (54.2) against the Raiders last week. His NFL debut in Seattle last season was the only game in which Nix produced a worse mark (47.5). The Broncos have been unable to avoid batches of three-and-outs early in games, including four straight to start the game against Las Vegas.
“Look, it’s our jobs to, offensively, put ourselves in a position of starting faster,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “When I discussed this after the (Raiders) game, there aren’t many times when a game’s over — when you win, even — where you’re fully satisfied. There’s something bugging you. Certainly, getting that balance with the time of possession, that will help our defense. I like that this year we’re doing better in these one-score games … but to go where we want to go, there has to be improvement, and certainly we understand that. … It’s not Bo. It’s part of the whole process offensively.”
The quarterback is not the only one who has dealt with bouts of inconsistency. His targets have dropped 23 passes during the 8-2 start, according to Pro Football Focus, the second-highest total in the league behind the 25 drops charged to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Penalties have been a massive problem, too. Denver has been called for 40 offensive infractions for 314 yards, figures that rank third- and second-worst in the league, respectively.
If Dobbins is unable to play Sunday, it would mean a bigger role for rookie RJ Harvey, who has been a distant No. 2 in Denver’s backfield in terms of workload. He has carried the ball 50 times in 10 games to Dobbins’ 153 attempts. Harvey has showcased big-play ability with runs of 50 and 40 yards, the latter a touchdown in Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys. His other 48 carries, though, have averaged 2.58 yards. One plus of more snaps for Harvey, though, is his versatility in the passing game. His 25 receptions rank fourth on the team and he’s scored a team-high four touchdowns as a receiver this season.
“I feel like he’s barely scratching the surface of his potential,” teammate Courtland Sutton said of Harvey.
The Broncos were also without cornerback Pat Surtain II (pectoral), pass rusher Jonah Elliss (hamstring), tight end Nate Adkins (knee) and wide receiver Trent Sherfield (toe) at Wednesday’s practice. Surtain, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, has missed the past two games after suffering his injury against the Cowboys. The Broncos will have a bye after playing the Chiefs, so Surtain would have two more weeks of rest and recovery before a Nov. 30 game at Washington if he doesn’t play Sunday.
“I think it’s our league,” Payton said of potentially being short-handed against the Chiefs (5-4). “We played teams earlier in the season that have been in this position. I won’t get into any of the individuals, but it has to be the next man up. It is what it is.”
One positive piece of injury news for the Broncos: wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr., who missed the past two games after suffering a concussion against the Cowboys, was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice. The Broncos have missed Mims’ field-stretching speed on offense, and they also felt a void at returner in his absence. The average kick return of 22.2 yards for Denver the past two weeks was the second-lowest rate in the league during that stretch.
The Broncos on Wednesday also signed wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey off the New York Giants’ practice squad. The 27-year-old veteran spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons with the Broncos and had previously played for Payton in New Orleans. Humphrey had a career-high 31 catches for 293 yards for Denver last season. He played in only three games for the Giants this season, catching four passes for 55 yards.
The Broncos currently have a 48 percent chance to win the AFC West, according to The Athletic’s NFL Playoff Simulator, the best odds of any team in the division. A victory would vault Denver’s chances of winning the West to 69 percent. A loss would drop those odds to 33 percent.
Making the offense look more aesthetically pleasing than it has in the past few weeks won’t be easy if Denver doesn’t have its leading rusher. But perhaps more than at any time during their current winning streak, the Broncos don’t care how it looks so long as the victory comes.
“There’s a reason (the Chiefs) have won for a long period of time,” Payton said. “It’s talent, it’s coaching, it’s a program, it’s a GM, it’s ownership. That’s where we’re aspiring to go.”