To Brandon Marshall’s credit, the Broncos wide receiver handled his lack of snaps in last Sunday’s game exactly as the team brass would hope.
Marshall got plenty of playing time against Cleveland, but there were many key moments of the game, especially in the second quarter, when he watched from the sideline. Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Stokley are preferred options for Josh McDaniels in some offensive sets.
Marshall’s most telling comment this week: “I’ve learned from trying to fight the system.”
Time will tell if he’s right, but Marshall has at least learned the right way to get back on the field this season and in McDaniels’ good graces. On Sunday, he may get a chance to prove he belongs on the field every snap.
Brandon Stokley is questionable for Denver’s game in Oakland, and missed practice Friday with a thigh injury. As the Denver Post points out, Stokley’s injury should help Marshall get more playing time.
And the change might be just in time for Denver.
The team is 2-0, but the passing game is still in its embryonic stages with Kyle Orton and the Oakland cornerbacks are a team strength. There’s a reason Marshall has gained 2,590 receiving yards over the last two years, easily more than Gaffney and Stokley combined: He’s a dominant football player.
And now that Marshall is behaving well, Denver needs as many players like him as they can get before facing a murderer’s row of upcoming opponents.
“Murderer’s Row” with Ray Lewis on the schedule? You got that right.
Nnamdi on Marshall = no passing game for the Donkeys.
Marshall is going to have a year like Ocho had last year, very little motivation and a realization that he’s stuck in what he considers a very bad situation.
In Ocho’s case he has Carson back and all is well but in Brandon’s case he’ll either have to be traded to a team with a viable QB or else Denver would have to pick up a viable QB. Orton is servicable if the rest of the team is very good but Denver’s defense isn’t going to come close to holding up as well as they have so far when they face decent opponents (after the Raiders). And in any case Orton won’t lead a dynamic passing offense.
Marshall has never performed well against Oakland, if anything he’ll keep Nnamdi away from others.
Any work on what caused Stokley’s injury? Insert Tanya Harding joke maybe?
gotta feel bad for this guy, he is the best receiver on this roster and hes getting shafted because of who mcdaniels likes more. The broncos cant win in the future without this guy. Lucky for him tho he will be a free agent at the end of the year. To Chicago to put up HOF numbers with cutler? or to whoever pays him the most?
does not matter if he plays the raiders suck they start to rookie recievers