Here's how it compares:

Games 1-7 for Lindsay, Freeman and Booker:

5.0 yards per carry

7.6 yards per reception

1 first down every 3.5 touches

Games 8-16 for them:

4.8 yards per carry

6.2 yards per reception

1 first down every 4.0 touches

The difference was pronounced for Freeman, whose per-carry average dropped from 4.4 yards before the injury to 3.6 after it.

Lindsay's recovery from wrist surgery is important, and it is one of the key stories of the summer. The Broncos need him to run with the same explosiveness and vigor as he did last year.

But keeping Freeman healthy can't be underestimated, either. The Broncos were at their best when those two then-rookies were effectively 1 and 1-A running backs.