Three tailbacks splitting the Broncos' carries

ENGLEWOOD • Realistically, the Denver Broncos running backs have little choice but to smile and accept their situation, which is that three of them will play and none of them will play that much.

Still, there has been no grumbling by Selvin Young, Andre Hall or Michael Pittman, the three tailbacks splitting time. Consider that two weeks ago, Chiefs running back Larry Johnson complained about a lack of carries after getting 12 against Oakland. Young leads the Broncos in carries and averages less than nine a game.

The Broncos have accepted their roles, and they'll tell you they're fine with the situation.

"You always want the ball 20-25 times a game, but at the same time, you accept your role and do your part," Pittman said.

Although disgruntled fantasy football owners might not like three players splitting the stats, the Broncos' approach has been pretty effective. They are 10th in the NFL in rushing yards per game, which is impressive considering they are tied for fifth in the league with 109 passing attempts. Denver has run the ball 82 times and is averaging 4.8 yards per carry.

The effectiveness isn't easy to notice because no player stands out. Young leads the team with 26 carries and 179 yards. For a comparison, Cowboys running back Marion Barber had 28 carries for 142 yards in last week's game against Green Bay.

Hall, who rotates every five plays with Young in normal situations, is second with 23 carries and 117 yards. He doesn't mind.

"That's the last thing we think about - stats," Hall said.

Pittman gets the vast majority of the touches near the goal line, which further limits the production from Hall and Young. Pittman has four short touchdowns this season. Hall is unconcerned about that as well.

"Why would I be upset when someone else scores?" Hall said. "We scored."

Pittman has split time at most stops in his 11-year career, whether it was with Thomas Jones in Arizona or Mike Alstott in Tampa Bay. He said it takes a special group to put individual concerns aside and work together.

"It takes guys who are unselfish," Pittman said. "Me, Selvin, Andre, we're all close. We're not selfish at all. We accept our roles, go out there and do our best."

Coach Mike Shanahan is happy with how the tailback committee is working. He said he likes the rotation, and given the results, he's unlikely to change it.

The rotation should keep all three backs fresh the entire season, and in less than two months rookie Ryan Torain is slated to return from an elbow injury to perhaps spread the workload even more. Also, the Broncos stay fresh within a game. Hall or Young only get five plays at a time and Pittman waits on the bench between his situational work, so it's easier to not conserve energy for later in the game.

"When they put those kids in there, they know they're not going to get a lot of carries, so when they get it they try to make sure they make the best out of it," Chiefs coach Herman Edwards said. "They run the ball well."

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