By admin 
Bo Nix was asked this week why he is not running more, and the Denver Broncos quarterback answered with a question about RJ Harvey. “Y’all want me with the ball or RJ (Harvey) with the ball?” Nix asked reporters Wednesday, four days before a trip to face the Los Angeles Chargers.
Read more Jeremiyah Love vs. Lions Week 5: Four Expectations for Cardinals RB
He did not wait for an answer before choosing Harvey, and the last game backs him up. The second-year running back led Denver with 93 scrimmage yards at San Francisco and caught all 10 of his targets, a day that sent his stock soaring. Since then Pat Bryant has gone on injured reserve and Sean Payton has reclaimed the play-calling duties. Here are three expectations for Harvey on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
At least eight targets from Bo Nix
Harvey’s targets have climbed from four to seven to 10 in his three games (a hamstring injury kept him out against Jacksonville), and he has caught 20 of 21. On throws under 10 yards, Nix is 66 of 99 with three touchdown passes and no interceptions, according to the Chargers’ website. All three of his interceptions have come on deeper throws.
Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley has a 32.4 coverage grade through Week 4 on 111 coverage snaps, according to PFF, and has allowed nine catches on 13 targets. Safety Derwin James Jr. is out with a hamstring injury. With Bryant’s nine catches and 133 yards off the field, the Broncos have a sudden void to fill, and Harvey is already the quarterback’s most reliable outlet.
At least eight carries, his most this season
Harvey’s carries have gone three, two and seven. J.K. Dobbins’ have gone eight, 10, 17 and 11, and the returns have been thin: 161 yards on 46 attempts, a 3.5-yard average, with no touchdowns. “I got to play better,” Dobbins said after Thursday’s practice. Denver has not had a 1,000-yard rusher since Phillip Lindsay in 2019, and Dobbins is nowhere near that pace.
Read more Prep talk: Volunteers fill multiple roles to help high school teams succeed
Harvey’s 4.1 yards per carry comes on only 12 attempts. The usage says more. He has run 53 pass routes in three games to Dobbins’ 25 in four, according to PFF, so he is already the back Denver uses most when it throws. The Chargers rank 22nd against the run at 121.8 yards allowed per game, and Buffalo’s James Cook III ran for 154 against them in Week 3. A ground game poor enough that a trade for Tony Pollard has been floated gives a returning play-caller reason to hand Harvey a few more.
His first touchdown of the season
Harvey has 181 scrimmage yards and has not scored. Los Angeles is a reasonable place for that to change. The Chargers have allowed six rushing touchdowns in four games, and a running back has scored on the ground against them in three of the four. Seattle added a touchdown catch by a back last week. The Chargers are giving up 26.5 points per game.
The only rushing touchdown by a Broncos running back this season belongs to Jonah Coleman, who is on injured reserve. Payton has not said whether the play-calling change is permanent, so how he uses his backs near the goal line is unknown until Sunday. Harvey caught everything thrown to him a week ago, which is a reason to give him those chances.
Read more Gov. Abbott bets beer, BBQ on Texas football victory over Oklahoma
More on the Denver Broncos
- NFL Insider Reports League Sources Aren’t Blaming Davis Webb for Broncos’ Offensive Struggles
- Broncos Need Bo Nix to Answer the Bell Against Lowly Chargers
- Pat Bryant’s Four-Game Absence Leaves the Broncos Choosing Between Troy Franklin and a Trade
- Broncos Linked to 164-Tackle LB Who Lost His Every-Down Role With the Titans After a Concussion
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published October 11, 2026 at 4:07 AM.