Broncos vs. Saints score and live updates: Thursday Night Football features Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans

Broncos rookie running back Audric Estimé has completed two runs of 10 or more yards on just four carries this season. Starting running back Javonte Williams has had five such runs on 59 runs. Jaleel McLaughlin has three of those runs in 36 runs.

Estimé’s carry total is low as he was injured in Week 1 and spent the next four weeks on IR. He returned last week against the Chargers and scored with an 11-yard run. After the game, Broncos coach Sean Payton said, “I want to see the runner. I want to see Estime.”

But Payton also said it’s difficult to rotate three running backs consistently throughout a game.

“Working with two backs and feeding two backs is easy and something I’m used to and what a lot of teams do,” he said this week. “It’s hard with three. We wanted to get (Estimé) some work and get him some reps. Of course, we would have liked more if we had had more snaps. That’s maybe a little more challenging than the receiver position.”

We’ll see if Payton is more willing to work as a three-man defenseman tonight – or if the Broncos place Estimé in a two-man rotation ahead of Williams or McLaughlin.