The Denver Broncos win over the Cleveland Browns was as surprising as that Courtland Sutton acrobatic touchdown catch in the first quarter. I actually jumped out of my seat, “He caught it!” No one saw that coming, but it sure felt great. It does, however, give us one thing to ponder; what has been going on in Broncos Country?
The big takeaway from the Broncos beating the Browns was the indictment of Joe Flacco as a starter in the NFL. After losing to the Colts on a last second field goal, Flacco called out Rich Scangarello for not being aggressive enough. As I said to Ian St. Clair on the MHR Radio Podcast (Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify), well Joe, was this aggressive enough for you?
Let me just say, I understand John Elway trading for Flacco. Bringing in a veteran QB with a winning pedigree seemed like a good idea at the time. Then we all watched Allen come in and make the Broncos offense look like a completely different unit.
It wasn’t just Sutton’s unbelievable grab in the first quarter. After the Browns kicked a field goal in the second quarter Allen hit Noah Fant with a pass to the left. He trucked his way past Jermaine Whitehead, and was gone for a 75 yard score. The final touchdown came when Phillip Lindsay followed Andy Janovich through a hole in the line and then hit the afterburners.
That’s right, I just described three offensive touchdowns for the Broncos... in the same game! How long has it been since we could have that discussion? As Ian says on the podcast, feels like 84 years. And why? Could it be the statue of a QB that has been under center all year?
The obvious issue here is Flacco’s inability to move. Allen was able to get outside the pocket and make plays. He escaped pressure a few times. He extended plays. Scangarello designed a game plan that fit his strengths, and he executed well enough to get the win. Flacco was incapable of maximizing the talents around him.
It wasn’t a perfect game, but the Broncos did things they couldn’t seem to do when Flacco was under center. His days in Denver are likely over. Could that mean more wins are in the works for Broncos Country?