The Broncos’ Monday Night Football win over the Buffalo will be remembered for quarterback Russell Wilson’s impossible touchdown pass to wideout Courtland Sutton, the defense forcing four turnovers and the Bills being penalized for having 12 men on the field during the final seconds of regulation.
But running back Samaje Perine might’ve been the unsung hero.
Denver was down by a point with 1:55 left in the fourth quarter when Wilson stepped up in a collapsing pocket. Perine turned his head to catch a shovel pass from Wilson before running down the field for an 18-yard gain, jump-starting the Broncos’ game-winning scoring drive.
“It wasn’t scripted (or) a part of the play,” Perine told The Denver Post. “In a crunch-time situation, I was lucky enough to be in the right spot.”
When the Broncos signed Perine in the offseason, they expected him to have a significant role in the passing game.
Through nine games, Perine has been one of the Broncos’ most reliable receivers. He has 25 catches for 266 receiving yards — third-most on the team. Perine is also projected to finish the year with career highs in receiving yards (502) and receptions (47).
“Perine has been special for us,” Wilson said. “He’s a physical football player and has one of the meanest stiff arms in the game. He’s a great guy to have in the backfield.”
In the offseason, head coach Sean Payton studied Perine’s game tape from his time in Cincinnati and noticed his impact on third downs and in two-minute situations. He also thought Perine, who had 287 receiving yards and four touchdowns for the Bengals in 2022, was good at advancing quickly in soft zone coverages.
Perine has averaged 10.6 yards per reception this season, while 13 of his catches have resulted in a first down.
Over the past few seasons, Perine said he has worked on becoming a better pass catcher because he knew the importance of being a versatile player. He had 549 receiving yards in 54 career games with the Bengals.
While Perine has had few opportunities rushing the ball (28 carries for 111 yards) so far in Denver, he has created value for himself as a receiver.
“If you are a one-dimensional (running) back, it doesn’t look pretty for you,” Perine said. “I tried to diversify myself just to stay in (the league) as long as I can.”
Some of Perine’s receptions have helped create scoring opportunities for the Broncos. In Week 7’s win against the Green Bay Packers, Perine caught a pass from Wilson before he pushed off a defender and ran down the sideline for a 19-yard reception. A few plays later, the Broncos converted a field goal to take a six-point advantage.
In Denver’s 31-21 loss to the New York Jets in Week 5, Perine had two catches that helped put the Broncos in scoring position. He had a 25-yard reception on an eight-play, 52-yard scoring drive that ended with a field goal to take a 10-5 advantage with 12:47 left in the second.
With 5:58 left in the fourth, Wilson rolled to his right before throwing to Perine, who slipped by a defender and then charged up the field for a 29-yard gain to New York’s 6-yard line. Two plays later, Wilson threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Adam Trautman to cut the deficit to 24-21.
Perine finished with a career-high 73 receiving yards on four catches while averaging 18.3 per reception.
Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said Perine’s role has been huge for the offense. When Wilson’s first or second option is unavailable, Perine sits underneath to receive the check down before advancing for positive yardage.
“We spend so much time trying to get the ball to the wide receivers and tight ends. It’s a huge thing to check it down and keep moving the sticks,” Lombardi said. “He’s been awesome.”
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