Brandon Marshall: A Love/Hate Relationship

After a 6-0 start to the 2009 football season, the Denver Broncos lost eight of their last ten games. This was due in large part to one of the most difficult schedules in the league, but their collapse can also be attributed to lack of team chemistry and off-field issues.

Most of these off-field issues involved Broncos star receiver Brandon Marshall, who has been in the public spotlight ever since he entered the league.

Marshall has been arrested four times since 2006, or four more times than most of his teammates. His most recent arrest came during the 2009 offseason when he was charged for disorderly conduct.

Commissioner Roger Goodell was on the brink of suspending Marshall for the first three games this season because of the incident, but charges were dropped.

It wasn’t the first time Marshall suffered a suspension. He was suspended for one game in 2008 for violating the NFL‘s personal conduct policy.

Marshall has not gone one season without running into some kind of trouble with the law. It’s a wonder he hasn’t sustained greater punishment for the extent of his misbehavior.

Not only has Marshall been in trouble with the law, but also with his teammates and coaches. There was no greater evidence of this than this offseason when Marshall “threw a fit” during a practice and even went so far as to punt the ball away in an act of frustration.

It seems as though Brandon Marshall has not outgrown his adolescent stage. He has been participating in childish, unprofessional acts ever since he stepped foot in the league.

Marshall’s latest attention-getter came during the Broncos’ most pivotal week in the season—the week before they played their last game against the Kansas City Chiefs with a playoff berth on the line.

It was reported that Marshall arrived late for a therapy session for his pulled right hamstring. Head coach Josh McDaniels felt that Marshall was exaggerating the injury. When all was said and done Marshall was benched for the Broncos’ last game.

McDaniels said it was more because of accountability and lack of heart than because of the injury.

With all the mishaps Marshall has been a part of the last few seasons, he is still one of the most talented receivers in the NFL.

He has totaled 307 catches, 3,710 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns over the past three seasons, some of the best numbers in the league over that time span. Not to mention his 21 catch, 200 yard, two touchdown record-breaking performance against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 14.

Marshall is one of the most talented receivers in the league, but his character is one of the most lacking. He has yet to figure out that his responsibilities and actions off the field are just as important as those on the field. He has been taught this many times in the past, but ignorance and arrogance always seem to get in the way.

Sure, Josh McDaniels could have been more lenient and started Marshall for Sunday’s game, but the bottom line is that Brandon Marshall needs to understand that a reality check is just as important as a paycheck.

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Playoffs Or Not, Broncos Exceed 2009 Expectations

As the New Year begins and the football season comes to a close, one cannot help but look back to the beginning of the season, and even the year, when the Broncos were entrenched in one of the most attention-getting and controversial offseasons in franchise history.

The Broncos had fired long-time head coach Mike Shanahan and in mid-January hired former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to replace Shanahan at the helm.

Little did we know what would transpire. A couple months following McDaniels’ arrival, rumors spread that the new head coach tried to trade quarterback Jay Cutler in a deal that would have sent former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassell to the Broncos.

The McDaniels-Cutler relationship soon disintegrated and the disgruntled quarterback was eventually traded to the Chicago Bears for quarterback Kyle Orton, as well as two first-round draft picks and a third-round draft pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

This trade spawned a myriad of negativity from the Broncos faithful as well as the entire football community. The Broncos were soon considered a mockery; their demise seemed imminent.

The Broncos offseason was not a complete disaster. Former San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Nolan was brought in as the new defensive coordinator and the defense as a whole underwent an extreme makeover.

Additions to the defense included veterans such as safety Brian Dawkins, linebacker Andra Davis, defensive back Andre Goodman, defensive back Renaldo Hill and others.

The offense was also revamped. McDaniels brought in running backs Correll Buckhalter, Lamont Jordan and J.J. Arrington (who would eventually be cut). Wide receivers Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Lloyd were also acquired, not to mention the acquisitions of Orton via trade and rookie running back Knowshon Moreno as a first-round draft pick.

Possessing arguably the toughest schedule in the NFL the Broncos went into the 2009 season with less than attractive expectations. With their backs against the wall, the Broncos soon proved all the naysayers wrong as they began the season with six straight wins heading into their Week Seven bye.

Following the bye, they promptly lost their next four contests and were looking like the team everyone expected at the beginning of the season. They came back with back-to-back wins against the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs in Weeks 12 and 13. They proceeded to lose their next three games and are now in danger of missing out on the postseason.

However, even if the Broncos lose to the Chiefs on Sunday, and end up not making the playoffs, they will still finish at an even 8-8 on the season. Their defense, with one game left to play, has given up a respectable 280 points compared to the 448 points they rendered last season.

Kyle Orton has more than held his own this season and proven himself to be a very capable quarterback for the Broncos. Orton and wide receiver Brandon Marshall have established a potent Mile High connection as well.

Additionally, the Broncos are sending five players to Miami for the Pro Bowl in February, three of which are on defense. They had only three representatives in the Pro Bowl last year and they were all on offense.

Regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s game, the Broncos have overall been a pleasant surprise to their fans and it is hard to argue that they have not exceeded expectations this season.

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