Grinning as mischievously as a Cheshire cat, J.K. Dobbins might be fixing to mess up the New England Patriots. Or maybe he’s merely messing with all our heads and hearts. Either way, Dobbins ain’t saying. Under strict orders from the team, his lips are sealed. How large does the Cheshir e smile of Dobbins loom over the AFC Championship Game? A runner who hasn’t carried the rock in more than 10 weeks could be the X factor for a Denver offense that will sorely miss injured quarterback Bo Nix. The alternative view isn’t nearly as fun. Dobbins may be nothing more than a big tease used in a bit of gamesmanship by Broncos coach Sean Payton. After taking another step forward in recovery from a serious foot injury that has kept him sidelined since limping off the field against the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 6, Dobbins politely refused comment Thursday after practicing on a limited basis with the Broncos. I hate to be the one to break this to you, Bluto. But we’re in the double-secret probation part of the NFL playoffs. Don’t you dare ask Payton about the current state of Dobbins’ health or anybody else’s injury, because the coach won’t say one damn thing that could aid or abet the enemy. The silence, however, speaks volumes. If the Broncos have muted the voice of the ever-affable Dobbins, we can safely conclude this team knows he could make the difference between returning to the Super Bowl for the first time in a decade or taking their ball and going home. Maybe the only thing harder to do than tackle Dobbins, who rushed for 772 yards in 10 games before wrenching his foot on what he considered to be dirty play by the Raiders, is to zip his lip. This guy enjoys chatting almost as much as he loves moving the chains. In the aftermath of Dobbins’ injury, Denver has won seven of eight games, including that 33-30 overtime thriller in the playoffs. But the Broncos won’t win a championship without the return of Dobbins. Not now. Not with Nix in rehab, recovering from a broken ankle. In the absence of Dobbins, the Denver offense became dangerously reliant on Nix. With short, safe throws replacing runs in Payton’s game plan, Nix led the NFL with 612 passing attempts during the regular season. Even more telling: Nix led the Broncos in rushing during the past two games. And worse: He was asked to carry the football more often than running backs RJ Harvey and Jaleel McLaughlin combined against Buffalo, including the fateful run late in overtime when the quarterback suffered that devastating, season-ending injury. Would Nix still be playing football if the Broncos trusted their running backs? It would be foolish for Denver to ask backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham to do it all for the offense in his first NFL start in more than two years. “You hear people talk about, ‘This team is built for December, January football.’ That usually means you’ve got a good defense, which we do. And it means you run the ball well, which at times we have. I think it’s important, regardless of who the quarterback is,” said Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, who has been asked to apologize on an almost weekly basis for the lack of an effective rushing attack since Dobbins’ departure from the starting lineup.  Yes, the speed of Harvey and McLaughlin can make them explosive backs in space. But they aren’t built to carry a heavy load in the January cold. After an unseasonably warm start to winter, the temperature when the AFC Championship Game kicks off at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday is predicted to be 21 degrees. Time to bundle up. And bear down. Without their QB1, the Broncos desperately need the return of their only legit RB1. In mid-November, when the immediate future looked dark for Dobbins, he took to social media with a chip on his shoulder and a smile in his heart. “For those who count me out again … thank you,” Dobbins declared. “For those with me on this ride … stick with me!” Prior to this season, my fearless prediction was that Dobbins would be the team MVP who would lead the Broncos’ run to the playoffs. Well, that ride hit a major bump in the road. But I’m sticking with Dobbins. So here’s my new fearless prediction: If health allows Dobbins to carry the rock a dozen times against the Patriots, he’ll carry Denver to the Super Bowl. ...read more read less