How The Broncos Can Win With Brandon Allen: 'He's Got Better Arm Strength'

DENVER (CBS4) - With Joe Flacco done for the season, the Broncos hand the keys of the offense to Brandon Allen. Allen is trying to become the first Broncos quarterback to win in his first start since Trevor Siemian in the 21-20 victory over the Carolina Panthers in 2016 season opener.

Allen has been in the NFL since he was drafted in the sixth round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016. The last two seasons with the he was with the Los Angeles Rams, which helped him learn the west coast offense under Rams head coach Sean McVay.

One of the positives of the offense allows for a quarterback to use his mobility to be effective on the field, which would highlight Allen's skill set.

"That's one thing about Brandon, Broncos offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello said. "He does have a good a feel in the pocket and he can go off schedule, so we're excited about that element of this game. Obviously, it's his first time starting and all that, you've just got to go out there and try to find a rhythm and the game is going to take you where is going to take you."

One of the best ways to allow Allen to get in a rhythm is with play action passes and bootlegs. This will allow him to have easy completions and build his confidence.

"He's got a nice release," Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said. "I think he's got better arm strength than people will give him credit for initially looking at him. I think he's got a good feel for the game. I don't think the game will be too big for him. I think he's got a chance to go out there and perform well."

Another way to set up easy completions is by having a good run game. The Cleveland Browns have the fourth-worst run defense in the NFL, allowing 143.3 rushing yards a game. It will be a focal point for the Broncos to help keep the offense on schedule and avoid 3rd down and long plays.

"We have to find ways to win the game," Phillip Lindsay said. "For us, we're going to have to run the ball, we're going to have to find ways to make first downs and make explosive plays. That's just it."

Allen hopes all these things will come together on Sunday, helping the Broncos improve to 3-6 as they enter the bye week.

"They are going to see that I play hard," Allen said. "They are going to see that I want to win and that's kind of the biggest takeaway is that he is going to do whatever he is capable of to help this team win."