Perseverance is a key characteristic to possess in the world of professional football. For C.J. Anderson, that perseverance is paying off.
On Wednesday morning, Denver Broncos running back Anderson was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week by the NFL for his sensational play in the 30-24 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football. For Anderson, it’s the second conference award in his career and it represents the second such award for Denver in a row, with Brock Osweiler taking the honor last week.
Anderson ran for 113 yards on 15 carries, a tremendous 7.5 yards per carry average, with two touchdowns. His first score came in the fourth quarter and brought the Broncos to within seven points of the Patriots at 24-17. Anderson’s second touchdown occurred in overtime, a 48-yard scamper to daylight for the game-winning touchdown.
“I saw confidence,” Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak said of Anderson after the win. “He was very confident. Actually, he said something to me on one of the drives down there when we had like third-and-3 at the 3 [yard line]—’Coach, give it to me.’ I love players like that. That’s what you want to hear. I think C.J. has gained confidence in what we do offensively as the season has gone on and should continue to gain some more.”
It hasn’t always been easy for the bruising back. He ended last year as the Broncos’ starter, getting stronger as the season wore on. But, Ronnie Hillman has been in the starter’s role for most of this season, with Anderson continuing to try and break through.
His 14-carry, 101-yard game against the Green Bay Packers was solid, and this performance was even more profound. Anderson hopes to build momentum off the last two weeks’ strong running.
“That’s the plan,” he said to the media Monday. “Consistency is huge in this league. We just want to continue to keep doing it. The only way we’re going to do that is just coming to work every day, putting our head down, keep grinding and good things will happen for us.”
Next up for Anderson and the 9-2 Denver Broncos is a road game at the San Diego Chargers (3-8). The game is scheduled to kick off at 2:05 p.m. MT.
