Halfway through a disappointing season, Von Miller the optimist is hoping the Broncos are about to have their Gardner Minshew moment.

Minshew, the Jacksonville rookie quarterback who burst onto the NFL scene after Jaguars starter Nick Foles went down in the season opener, has played with moxie while throwing for 1,976 yards with a 98.8 passer rating.

Can Brandon Allen, making his first NFL start Sunday against Cleveland in place of the injured Joe Flacco, inject the same sort of life into Denver as Minshew Mania has in Jacksonville? It’s not out of the realm of possibility, Miller said.

“Quarterbacks break out every year, because it’s the National Football League,” Miller said Thursday. “Everybody here has talent, it doesn’t matter the string, and everybody’s been ‘the man’ at some point. They just have to harness that energy.

“Gardner Minshew, no one knew he was going to have the type of year he’s having right now, but he got a chance and he took advantage of it. I’m hoping for some of the same magic to happen with Brandon.” Related Articles Kiszla: At this point in storied NFL career, is old Tom Brady any better than Broncos journeyman Jeff Driskel?

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While Miller holds out hope that Allen can somehow help revive a stagnant Broncos offense ranked 28th in the league at 15.6 points per game, the linebacker said the sore knee that caused him to miss practice Wednesday isn’t an issue.

“Just from playing on the turf (in Indianapolis), and we practiced on the turf all last week too, (it’s sore),” said Miller, who was listed as a limited practice participant on Thursday. “That’s all that it is, so I’ll be good.”

Miller also expressed his happiness in having All-Pro cornerback Chris Harris still in blue and orange for at least the rest of 2019, after Harris wasn’t traded ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.

“He’s the longest teammate I’ve ever had — college, high school, little league included,” Miller said. “I’ve known Chris nine years. That’s almost a third of my life, and it’s pretty dope to still have him in the locker room.”

The linebacker knows a winnable game looms Sunday, especially considering the sophomore slump that Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield is going through as he’s tied for the league lead with 12 interceptions.

And while Miller acknowledged the Broncos defense has to continue its upward trajectory, he knows a fellow former Texas A&M star presents a big problem for Allen and the offense. Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett is tied for the league lead with 10 sacks, and also has 12 tackles for loss.

“He’s a superstar, and he’s been like that since Day 1,” Miller said. “He’s an Aggie legend, and he’s been unstoppable this year. He’s been killing tackles on the left and right side, he’s playing the run, rushing the passer, doing all that stuff (at a high level).”

Flacco update. The second opinion quarterback Joe Flacco received about his neck injury confirmed the Broncos’ initial diagnosis of a disc issue, a source said.

“Everything is still on the table with Joe,” coach Vic Fangio said. “We could leave him on the 53 and wait awhile or could (place him on injured reserve). We’ll make that decision here in the next couple days.

“By the end of the week, I think we’ll have a better understanding after getting all the medical advice and going over it and what plan we’ll take long-term.”

The plan appears to be trending toward placing Flacco on injured reserve to end his season, particularly if the estimate is he will be sidelined for a minimum of six weeks.

James, Heuerman sit. The Broncos moved back outside for Thursday’s practice. Right tackle Ja’Wuan James (knee) and tight end Jeff Heuerman (knee) missed a second consecutive day of work.

Running back Phillip Lindsay (wrist) was full-go after being limited on Wednesday and inside linebacker Todd Davis (hip/knee) was limited after sitting out. Inside linebacker Corey Nelson (biceps) is out for the year but remains on the roster. Rookie Josh Watson could be promoted from the practice squad when Nelson is placed on injured reserve Friday or Saturday.