This season, Brandon Marshall wanted to become The Man.
More important, he has become a man.
The Broncos’ wide receiver caught 11 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns Sunday — and now has surpassed 1,000 yards in successive seasons.
The cocky, irresponsible kid seems to have grown up to be a humble, responsible adult at 24 1/2. Instead of hanging out late at night in disreputable clubs, he is hanging out on off days at youth centers. He is staying in bounds and out of trouble. The young man who had needed help is helping others.
Marshall once ripped the Broncos fans for leaving. On Sunday, he thanked them for staying.
The former me-first football player has realized there is no “I” in Brandon or Marshall, Broncos or team, or Denver.
“The last two weeks felt good. It was just a matter of time before I did things to help the team,” Marshall said after the Broncos’ tight, tense, necessary victory over the Chiefs on Sunday.
When Marshall scored on a 12-yard pass play in the second quarter, there was no contrived celebration. “I kissed the end zone. It feels good to be back there,” he said.
He hadn’t scored in a month, since the final touchdown (11 yards) in the Thursday night game on Nov. 6 at Cleveland — when he almost got into trouble for an intended salute to the president-elect.
On Sunday, rather than throw the ball in the stands, Marshall saved it for someone significant in his life — attorney Harvey Steinberg.
Giving gratitude to a lawyer is like throwing chum to a shark.
“Harvey and his family have done a lot for me over the past few months, and I really appreciate it. I promised him a game ball,” Marshall said.
Steinberg, who has represented Marshall and several other Broncos for their stupid players’ tricks, could get some votes this season for Broncos MVP. He persuaded the NFL to suspend Marshall for only two games — due to bad behavior — at the beginning of the season, then was able to reduce the time to one game.
Steinberg said three weeks ago in Atlanta that Marshall has found maturity and stability in his professional and personal life.
Jay Cutler found Marshall, his favorite target, over and over Sunday. Much of this season, Cutler has forced the ball toward Marshall in double coverage or thrown the balls away from him to other receivers left wandering free.
Mike Shanahan said that Marshall “always is a part of the game plan,” but when Kansas City loaded up against the run early Sunday, the Marshall Plan was enacted.
“I was hungry for the end zone,” Marshall said. “I could smell it.” Sounded like he missed brunch.
He was wearing a T-shirt and jeans afterward, in the manner of Cutler’s un-GQ game-day wardrobe. “I’ve run out of suits. You’ve seen them all,” he said, 13 games into the season. But not all his moves. Marshall has been witty and charming in Denver for three seasons. Too many times, though, his actions haven’t been so funny, or pleasant.
After missing the opening game at Oakland, Marshall returned the next week against San Diego with 18 catches for 166 yards and a touchdown. But two weeks later, against Kansas City, his fumble near the goal line cost the Broncos an early lead and the Broncos let the game get away. The Broncos and Marshall sort of lost their way during the season, but have won three of their past four — and are one victory or one San Diego loss away from clinching the division.
And Marshall can reach 100 catches for the second season — and will reach the Pro Bowl for the first time.
Although he scored twice, Marshall’s best and biggest catch occurred with 3:40 remaining. The Chiefs were only a touchdown away when the Broncos were confronted with third-and-10 at their 1-yard line. Marshall picked up 19 yards, and the Broncos were able to waste away the rest of the clock.
“Brandon made a good snag,” Cutler said. “We worked on that play all summer. That (performance) was big for (Marshall). As a team, we can function whether he has 10 catches or two, but this will help him a lot. He hasn’t been 100 percent all season, but he looked good today and had a good attitude.”
Marshall was only about 25 percent after ripping open his forearm in the offseason while playing around. He wasn’t playing around Sunday.
“For the past two weeks I felt great, even better than when I came into camp. It means a lot when you play good in front of the fans. They paid the big bucks to see us play. This is our way to pay them back. We have good fans, and we want to treat them good.
“This is football in December,where the best man wins.”
As Baby T.O. grows up, he and the Broncos’ loyalists have grown closer.
And because of that makeover, Marshall has become a better man — and can become The Man.
Woody Paige: 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com
