Offensive Rookie of the Year? We’ll take Knowshon!

Rookie of the Year Prediction – Knowshon Moreno

By Steve O’Reilly

When the Denver Broncos selected Knowshon Moreno the first thing I thought was, YES…the Broncos got this pick absolutely correct. His style of running matches perfectly for what Denver likes to do in the running game.

The Zone Blocking Scheme is designed for running backs to head or flow in one direction and make a decisive one-cut, then head down hill to the second level. If those initial lanes are closed then the running back is taught to cut back to the backside of the play. The offensive line in the Zone Blocking scheme is taught to cut (get the defensive player to the ground) so that if the initial lane is clogged the backside is open. 

Coach McDaniels has eluded that he will use a combination of a pulling guard style, one that he ran in New England, along with the Zone Blocking scheme that Alex Gibbs installed and current line coach Rick Dennison teaches. Running Backs Coach Bobby Turner has made a career out of turning seldom heard of backs like Olandis Gary and Ruben Droughns into 1000 yard rushers. A RB with Knowshon’s pedigree should be exciting to watch. 

Knowshon has spectacular vision, patience, burst and cut back ability. What makes this marriage special is Knowshon has exceptional elusiveness and in the ZB scheme, often the O-Line will get to the second level putting a helmet on a Linebacker, so if Moreno can make one man miss, he will be off to the races. 

Similar to Clinton Portis, Moreno is quick and elusive and has the ability make a tackler miss. Similar to Terrell Davis, Knowshon has the patience and the burst to run over bigger defenders. Like both of them, his great lateral quickness will aid him when the original hole is clogged.

Aside from his natural ability to run the ball is the fact Moreno is a 3 down back meaning his blocking and catching abilities are sound and the coaches won’t need to replace him in passing or short yardage situations.

Couple this with the fact that the Broncos traded up in the 2nd Round of the 2009 draft to nab Richard Quinn, who was heralded as the best in line blocking TE in the draft, it’s clear to me that McDaniels is setting the stage to run the ball more than in recent history.

In the end, if one of the Quarterbacks like Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez has a ‘Matt Ryan’ kind of year than it will be pretty hard to not give the award to them but…out in the Rockies, there just might be fans who conjure images of two of the best running backs in recent memory, Clinton Portis and Terrell Davis blended into one dynamic back named Knowshon Moreno.