After barely using wide receiver Marvin Mims on offense earlier this season, the Denver Broncos found a creative way to get him more snaps against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10.
Broncos coach Sean Payton installed several plays that feature Mims lining up as a running back, and those plays have had success over the last three games.
Earlier this week, Payton was asked about the new role for Mims.
“I think as a coach, I’m mad at myself that we didn’t begin looking at this earlier,” Payton said Wednesday. “He does such a good job running when you watch him return punts that that vision can carry over to certain runs in your offense and then certain things in the passing game. That third down-and-8 where he kind of leaked out of the backfield, they dropped the coverage, it was hard for them to find… It’s hard to figure out what direction he’s going. It’s allowed us to expand some packages with him.”
Mims has 17 touches (nine catches and eight carries) for 125 yards and a touchdown over the last three weeks, plus five punt returns for 107 yards on special teams. He’s been a dynamic player for Denver, and it’s hard for defenses to matchup against him.
“I think the challenge sometimes [is] we have to know: What do we expect to get when we put him in there?” Payton said. “It’s not him being in there. [It’s] who he’s in there with. If he’s in there with three other receivers and a tight end, you might say it’s ‘01’ [because] there’s no running backs in there. If he’s in there with a fullback… So we do give a lot of thought to what we think we’ll get defensibly based on the other people that are in there with him.”
Mims will continue playing in his hybrid role when the Broncos host the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football in Week 13.
