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Broncos suspend receiver Marshall
FROM NEWS SERVICES
01/02/2010
Just when they finally patched things up after preseason flare-ups, Denver All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Marshall and coach Josh McDaniels are at odds again. McDaniels said Friday he's benching Marshall for the team's pivotal season finale Sunday against Kansas City.
"Our word for the week has been 'accountability,' and we're looking to put the 45 guys on the field on Sunday that want to play together, want to help us try to win and qualify for the playoffs,'' McDaniels said. "... And anybody that showed any indifference to that, we'll play without them.''
There are scenarios in which Denver (8-7) can make the playoffs with a loss to the Chiefs, but those are farfetched. The Broncos' most realistic scenarios to qualify all involve beating the Chiefs, then getting help. Nonetheless, McDaniels decided it was better to play without Marshall.
"This isn't about sending a message, it's about fielding a team that wants to go out there and win and give us the best opportunity to do that,'' McDaniels said.
Marshall suggested he couldn't have played anyway after pulling his right hamstring at practice this week. Marshall said an MRI showed no structural damage, "but when you try to explode and take off, if you don't have it, you don't have it."
McDaniels indicated that Marshall was exaggerating the extent of his injury. Marshall countered that McDaniels never played in the NFL and hinted he might be getting called out by his coach because the Broncos' season is unraveling. Since a 6-0 start, the Broncos have gone 2-7.
They'll try to make the playoffs Sunday without their big-play receiver or tight end Tony Scheffler, demoted to the scout team, and maybe minus wide receiver Eddie Royal, who has a head injury.
Marshall, who is second in the NFL with 101 receptions this season, has had a controversial season. After having hip surgery, he said the Broncos' training staff misdiagnosed his injury last year. He requested a trade and held out of a mandatory minicamp in June. During training camp he acted up at practice, at one point punting a ball away during a drill, and was suspended for two exhibition games for conduct detrimental to the team.
FROM NEWS SERVICES
01/02/2010
Just when they finally patched things up after preseason flare-ups, Denver All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Marshall and coach Josh McDaniels are at odds again. McDaniels said Friday he's benching Marshall for the team's pivotal season finale Sunday against Kansas City.
"Our word for the week has been 'accountability,' and we're looking to put the 45 guys on the field on Sunday that want to play together, want to help us try to win and qualify for the playoffs,'' McDaniels said. "... And anybody that showed any indifference to that, we'll play without them.''
There are scenarios in which Denver (8-7) can make the playoffs with a loss to the Chiefs, but those are farfetched. The Broncos' most realistic scenarios to qualify all involve beating the Chiefs, then getting help. Nonetheless, McDaniels decided it was better to play without Marshall.
"This isn't about sending a message, it's about fielding a team that wants to go out there and win and give us the best opportunity to do that,'' McDaniels said.
Marshall suggested he couldn't have played anyway after pulling his right hamstring at practice this week. Marshall said an MRI showed no structural damage, "but when you try to explode and take off, if you don't have it, you don't have it."
McDaniels indicated that Marshall was exaggerating the extent of his injury. Marshall countered that McDaniels never played in the NFL and hinted he might be getting called out by his coach because the Broncos' season is unraveling. Since a 6-0 start, the Broncos have gone 2-7.
They'll try to make the playoffs Sunday without their big-play receiver or tight end Tony Scheffler, demoted to the scout team, and maybe minus wide receiver Eddie Royal, who has a head injury.
Marshall, who is second in the NFL with 101 receptions this season, has had a controversial season. After having hip surgery, he said the Broncos' training staff misdiagnosed his injury last year. He requested a trade and held out of a mandatory minicamp in June. During training camp he acted up at practice, at one point punting a ball away during a drill, and was suspended for two exhibition games for conduct detrimental to the team.
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