What do you say we don’t overlook the obvious.
The Broncos are a mediocre team, one that’s in first place in its division more out of good fortune and bad tackling by the Chargers than any other factors.
If they’re going to take the next step and become a quality NFL team, one worthy of Super Bowl contention, the best players are going to have to get them there. Not the special teamers, not the solid contributors. The best players, the ones who stand out, the ones their teammates rely on to get the job done on Sundays.
The Broncos’ defense is shoddy and figures to stay that way for the foreseeable future. That means the Broncos’ young stars on offense are going to have to become better players than they are today.
Which brings us to Brandon Marshall. He’s the most talented player on the roster for his position, a player capable of running past or over any defensive back in the league. And the scary part is, he’s young enough for his best days to be ahead of him.
But he’s going to have to make it happen. We’re talking about a player who has caught one touchdown pass in his last seven games. That’s not good enough, not by Marshall’s standards. He’s capable of dominating games. There’s no reason for him to have reached the end zone once since late September.
And he knows it.
“I just want to pick it up statistically so I can give our team an opportunity to get in this postseason,” Marshall said. “My No. 1 goal is the playoffs, and my individual goals are second to that, but I always want to do well. I’ve kind of just been playing OK, and just good sometimes. I think it’s time for me to get back to playing great.”
For the record, Marshall made those comments after having dinner with Hall of Famer Michael Irvin. Irvin’s message to him? You’re better than you’ve been playing.
Maybe that tells us all we need to know about Marshall. If Michael Irvin takes the time to tell a young player he can be more productive, then he definitely has the ability to do it.
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
