National Football League

Broncos RB Buckhalter finds burst against Texans

Published Dec. 31, 2010 3:52 a.m. ET

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Broncos backup tailback Correll Buckhalter has heard the whispers that he might be washed up, even though he's never felt fresher or faster.

At 32, he believed his best days weren't all behind him. He just needed more of a chance.

The more work he got, the more he'd produce.

Buckhalter showed he still has plenty of burst left in his legs in a 24-23 win over Houston last weekend. Filling in for an injured Knowshon Moreno, Buckhalter had 92 combined yards and scored twice, including a 23-yard scamper in the fourth quarter on a screen pass in which he turned on the speed and raced away from the heart of the Texans defense.

So much for the notion he's over the hill.

''Nothing wrong with me,'' Buckhalter said, grinning. ''Just fell to the wayside.''

He's being neglected no longer.

With Moreno's sore ribs, Buckhalter and second-year player Lance Ball have been worked into the rotation. A day after the Texans game, Buckhalter was sore from all the hits he took.

Never has that ache been so welcome.

He's had six games this season with one carry or less and another in which he didn't play. Not exactly what he had in mind this season after rushing for a career-high 642 yards in 2009.

''It was very frustrating. But I've been doing this for a while. I never got down about it,'' said Buckhalter, who's in his 10th season out of Nebraska. ''I just stayed positive and kept working hard, kept doing the things they asked me to do. Just got to make sure you're ready.''

When Josh McDaniels was in charge, Moreno received the bulk of the work even as the running game struggled to find traction.

Since McDaniels was ousted and Eric Studesville was installed as interim coach, the Broncos (4-11) have had a different rotation. Studesville, who was promoted from running backs coach, has given each back a fair shot.

''The one thing I know about the group of running backs, and probably because I coached them for a little bit of time, is that I trust any of those guys to go in the football game and be productive for us,'' said Studesville, who walked out of the locker room Sunday after his first win with Ball, Moreno and Buckhalter at his side. ''I think they have demonstrated that. Buck certainly played really well against Houston, but Buck played really well early in the year when we gave him opportunities.''

Buckhalter got off to a slow start this season after hurting his neck and back in the first team drill of training camp, an injury that sidelined him for three weeks and had many people wondering if his career was over.

Since then, he's been healthy.

He missed three full seasons early in his career, tearing his left ACL in 2002 and missing back-to-back seasons with a torn patellar tendon in his right knee in '04 and '05.

That time off has come with an added benefit in Buckhalter's mind.

''I'm faster now in my career than when I was younger,'' Buckhalter insisted. ''Just the hard work I put in when I had the knee surgeries. It allowed me to drop my weight down and be a little more explosive.''

In the win over the Texans, Buckhalter had 11 carries for 42 yards and added another 50 on three receptions.

''I don't need more than that,'' Buckhalter said of his workload. ''I really don't even need that much. It just happened for me that way. With Lance, Knowshon and myself, we can get a lot of things done for this offense.''

Moreno said Thursday he's on the mend and even practiced on a limited basis. Asked if he would play Sunday in the season finale against the San Diego Chargers (8-7), Moreno shrugged.

''Just have to keep on doing treatment and see how I feel,'' he said.

The former first-round pick missed three games earlier in the year after pulling his left hamstring. With Moreno dinged up, and an offensive line attempting to find its footing, the Broncos had one of the worst rushing attacks in the league.

Since the bye week, however, the ground game has taken root. The team averaged 67.3 yards a game before the break and 122.9 since, the second-biggest improvement in the league behind Dallas.

''It comes from people still working hard, even though it's coming down to the last game, and still having pride in wanting to have our running game going,'' Moreno said. ''Everyone is just doing a good job of staying focused.''

That's been Buckhalter's mantra all along.