Broncos Film Room: Who is the real C.J. Anderson?

There was a time, not long ago, when C.J. Anderson was considered a breakout NFL running back who had “future star” written all over him. In weeks 10-17 of the 2014 season, Anderson averaged 109.5 yards per game on the ground and added another 41 yards in the air.

It’s not as if he’s fallen off the map completely since, he’s still been impressive at times—including in a crucial playoff run at the end of the 2015 season, where he was essential to Denver’s Super Bowl run—but he’s never quite achieved the heights of that final seven-game stretch in 2014.

Now, coming off a disappointing 2016 season in which he was sidelined from Week 8 on, some have begun to doubt whether Anderson will ever achieve his potential. Maybe that includes Broncos’ management, which has drafted a running back the past two years.

Because of all this, it was time to dig into the tape and find out who the real C.J. Anderson is and what to truly expect from him in this crucial 2017 season, a season in which the Denver offense is expected to have a bounce back year.

Mind you, Anderson is still only 26, and while it feels like he’s been around forever, this will only be his fifth NFL season and his third as the presumptive starter in Denver’s backfield.

Strengths

• In 2014 Anderson was used quite a bit in the receiving game, with a lot more shotgun formations. He’s a very talented receiver and very impactful in the passing game. He’s a menace in the open field and can be a beast on screens or other short passes. 
• In his best games, when 100-percent healthy, C.J. looked quick, elusive, and extremely explosive off his first step with some impressive power to boot. 
• His 5-foot-8, 224-pound frame makes him extremely hard to bring down. He’s a true bowling ball of a runner.
• Anderson’s lateral quickness and feet are close to elite even for NFL standards. He can be lethal in the open field. His ability to make quick lateral cuts and make defenders miss to gain extra yardage is among the best in the league – see above and below. 
• C.J.’s low base can make him a really tough back to bring down in the open field. He runs with power and can deliver punishment to the best of them. He relishes punishment and takes on contact as much as possible – this is clear when he’s healthy though he will avoid contact more in games when he’s not at his best.
• He runs with good vision and patience, crucial strengths for a back in the NFL. As a veteran, he’s smart with his patience, letting the play develop.
• In 2014, C.J. had lots of success running out of the shotgun in three-wide formations. His patience and vision really stood out as did his ability to make defenders miss.
• He’s a big-game player and has had some of his better performances when it mattered most. 
• Anderson is an incredibly smooth runner who, once he gets to the open field, is virtually impossible to bring down if he’s running with balance.
• He’s at his best when pushing runs to the outside.
• C.J.’s a complete back with a well-rounded skill set; he’s a willing and efficient blocker, a very talented receiver, and well-rounded runner who can run inside with power or outside with quickness.

Weaknesses

• The big weakness for Anderson has been an inability to stay healthy, which has led to inconsistent play. His explosiveness has also looked inconsistent as a result.
• Anderson has never been able to sustain success for an entire season.
• C.J. is at his best attacking the hole when the line is moving horizontally he’ll struggle running north and south in-between the tackles. You’d like to see more out of him when having to make one cut and attack the hole.
• While he’s shown some great deceptiveness, explosiveness, and elusiveness—particularly when healthy—Anderson isn’t a burner. He has adequate speed and can break big runs if given space in the open field, but he won’t run away from many defenders at the second level if in a straight line.
• A creative runner in the open field with good patience, Anderson at times lacks the vision and speed to break runs off on the backside.
• In a down year marred by injuries, Anderson didn’t look as explosive or as dynamic in the open field in 2016 as he did in the previews two seasons.

So, who is C.J. Anderson?

I must say that going into to this I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but coming out of it having watched extensive tape of Anderson over the last three years I feel quite optimistic about his prospects. The tape is impressive. There’s no other way to put it. When he’s at his best, and the line is blocking for him, he knows how to gain yards and how to make defenders miss.

While his 2014 tape was undoubtedly his best, he showed enough flashes in 2015-16 and is young enough that he can get back to that form.

The big question for Anderson is health and consistency. Add inconsistent or downright bad play from the offensive line, and it’s easy to understand why Anderson hasn’t always been ultra consistent in his three years as a contributor with the Broncos.

The switch in the offensive scheme should also help Anderson, who could see a few more runs out of the shotgun, and be used more as a receiver, where he’s shown himself to be a very valuable asset.

Anderson’s biggest year happened during Adam Gase’s one season as offensive coordinator in Denver, after having taken over for Mike McCoy who’d just left to coach the San Diego Chargers. McCoy’s return should revive lots of the same concepts that made Anderson so successful under Gase – having re-watched the tape, it’s no surprise Gase tried to lure Anderson to Miami two off-seasons ago.

Anderson might not be an elite back, but he has everything to be a very, very good back. If used more in the receiving game, there’s no telling how good he could be if healthy. Given the still large amount of upside he has and how crucial his role could be in this offense, C.J. Anderson is one of the big breakout candidates for Denver going into this new 2017 season.

With a smooth off-season so far and an offensive scheme that’s fit him well in the past, C.J. might just be ready to finally break out right when you’d given up hope.