NFL Week 9, 2019: 20 Bold predictions to consider
By Dan Parzych
20. Allen gets benched for Lock
In an unexpected turn of events, the Denver Broncos will turn to Brandon Allen for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns now that Joe Flacco will miss some time due to a neck injury.
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Once again, the Broncos just can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to the quarterback position, as this has quickly turned into another year of the offense struggling to come through on their end due to poor play under center.
Back in the offseason, Denver felt confident enough in Flacco being their answer for at least the 2019 season before eventually handing the keys over to rookie Drew Lock down the road.
And while some will question why the Broncos aren’t just rolling with Lock if they have hope for the rookie being the long-term answer, this must be a sign that Denver doesn’t believe he’s truly ready to handle the responsibilities on offense.
Plus, when looking at all of the brutal hits Flacco took in recent weeks, it’s safe to assume the Broncos aren’t feeling as confident in their offensive line being able to protect their rookie quarterback, which is why Allen is getting the start.
With that being said, just because Allen will get the start doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll last the entire game against a Cleveland Browns team on the verge of hitting desperation mode.
If Allen struggles, the Broncos may end up just giving Lock a shot to see where he stands at this point in his rookie campaign, although it doesn’t seem like it would make much of a difference.