5 Studs who Were Instrumental in Broncos' Week 9 Victory Over Browns

When a team has to start a quarterback with zero NFL experience, it better make sure it gives him a helping hand. As overdue as it seems, the vital youth movement was finally empowered enough to swing the result in the Denver Broncos' favor.

All while the Broncos defense did enough to get Baker Mayfield off his reads and came up big — forcing the Browns into field goals and conceding only one touchdown out of Cleveland’s five trips inside the red zone. This was a day where most praise must go to the previously tame offense.

Which players were instrumental in the Broncos' getting their third win of the season in Week 9? Allow me to break it down.

Brandon Allen, QB: What the Broncos offense really missed under Joe Flacco was mobility at the QB position. Allen’s long sideline apprenticeship ended vs. the Browns in a cool and composed manner, shown by him not turning the ball over. He managed the game sufficiently and provided enough big plays and scoring to push the Broncos to their third win.

Noah Fant, TE: Was this the date we will remember when the big tight end emerged on the scene? Fant’s 75-yard catch and run was the highlight moment that should make his teammates and coaches really start to believe in him. His 115 yards on three grabs was a real coming of age moment and should build his confidence up greatly.

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Courtland Sutton, WR: His TD grab was a remarkable show of his athletic skills. Hanging in the air like a basketball player and snagging the ball brought gasps from the crowd in the stadium. If the offense can key on throwing more balls up for the big receiver to go get, he can become a dominant influence moving forward this season.

Phillip Lindsay, RB: His 92 rushing yards for an eye-popping 10.2 yard average only told part of the story. Both his 40-yard breakaway run and game-sealing scamper out of the Wildcat formation were hammer blows delivered by the Broncos talisman at exactly the right moments. When the game is on the line it’s always good practice to put the ball in No. 30's hands.

Rich Scangarello, OC: Under huge pressure, the first-year coordinator really needed to show up on Sunday. Scangarello called a much more aggressive and attacking game and keyed on protecting Allen while getting him into rhythm. Providing Scangarello with a mobile QB was maybe just the solution he needed to put out a more open set of play-calls. Along with mixing in his young weapons, Scangarello made a nice call on Lindsay’s aforementioned Wildcat run to close out the contest.

Thankfully for Broncos Country, there was no last-second heartbreak as complimentary football showed up and provided the 'W'. Heading into the bye week with more positive vibes, we can still likely expect the debate over Drew Lock to fill in the downtime.

Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.