Phillip Lindsay Resolved to Forge Ahead Despite Devastating Janovich Injury

Phillip Lindsay knows the onus will fall even more on him to make plays in the absence of his lead-blocker.

David Berding-USA TODAY Sports

Tailbacks tend to become married to their fullbacks. The ball-carrier prizes the unselfish tough guys that plow through linebackers to provide the vital chinks of daylight to deliver the yardage. 

For the Denver Broncos talismanic runner, Phillip Lindsay will be without his own blocking bulldozer in fullback Andy Janovich for the remainder of this season, while the team lost one of its most versatile roster components.

Beyond his obvious fullback blocking duties, Janovich is a special teams ace, a handy receiver and a gritty power runner when his number gets called, like it did last Sunday. Before he got hurt, we saw that ball-carrying mojo in action as Janovich's second and third effort on the goal-line put a first-half touchdown on the board for Denver. 

Jano’s gruesome elbow dislocation was graphic enough for even the CBS Sports producers covering the game to not replay the unfortunate incident to its audience. Janovich has since been placed on injured reserve, ending his season. 

As a result, Lindsay faces up to suiting up in the backfield for the remaining schedule without his trusted lead blocker, and he knows how vital this void will be.

“First off, it does suck to have Jano not going to play. He’s been putting his heart and soul into this," Lindsay said. “To have an injury like that happen, it sucks for anybody, but he’s taking it well.”

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What the Pro Bowl running back fully understands, from his own recent injury setback, is that injuries are inevitable when you go into physical battle every weekend. It builds a special bond that makes the combo of fullback and tailback like a band of brothers, and for now, Lindsay is fully aware of how much that special relationship will be missed.

“For me, it hurt’s for me because that’s my dude," Lindsay said. "We have a connection and he’s made a lot of holes for me in the last two years we’ve played together so far. At the end of the day, we have a couple of other great fullbacks and we’re going to continue to roll. That’s how it goes.”

True to his emerging role as a prominent locker room leader, Lindsay is placing his faith in Jano’s new replacements to jump into the fray and fill the void. For the rest of this campaign, it will fall on the shoulders of both Andrew Beck and the newly-acquired Orson Charles to blast open the running lanes for No. 30 to race through.

“We just have to be on the same page.” Lindsay said of Jano’s replacements, “Jano was able to fix things when things went wrong. I think someone like Beck, he’s smart and he’s capable of it.”

With the Broncos' No. 1 tailback onboard with the positive vibes to get the job done in the wake of Janovich’s injury, the knock-on effect was pretty much immediate when the Broncos fullback limped out of the lineup vs. the Vikings.

Starkly, Denver's offense was short on vital power and strength with Jano no longer leading the way, as subsequent drives stalled in short-yardage situations, allowing the Vikings to get the ball back quicker and more often. Something that Lindsay was keen to point out.

"I just look back at that physically we dominated them, but we have to make big plays when it matters.” Lindsay observed. “We didn’t go in there and play a full game.”

The 'next man up' mantra is in play for the upcoming visit to the Buffalo Bills as the Broncos adjust to their stud fullback being out of the lineup. With Janovich's talent and leadership leaving a substantial void, it will now fall on the Broncos star running back to provide even more.

Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.