The Patriot Way is Working in Denver

By Rick Eggleston
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

The Marshall Plan is alive and well in Denver, and the Broncos may have the New England Patriots and coach Bill Belichick to thank.

After embattled Denver wideout Brandon Marshall's electrifying 51-yard catch and run resulted in the game-winning touchdown over the visiting Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, television cameras caught the lanky receiver in a full-tilt man hug with head coach Josh McDaniels, complete with tears.

A far cry, it turns out, from the contentious and difficult Marshall, who was kicked out of Broncos' training camp for his negative behavior after the team opted not to extend his contract. The suspension was lifted and Marshall started the regular season uninspired, when suddenly, almost miraculously, he had an epiphany.

"Josh McDaniels said that once (Marshall) rejoined the team, he's been an absolute professional," said Fox analyst Troy Aikman after the touchdown. "Other than Michael Ervin when I played, I've never seen a receiver work as hard in practice as Brandon Marshall did last Friday afternoon."

In his comments to the media following game, Denver QB Kyle Orton echoed Aikman's sentiment: "(Marshall) put in two or three great weeks of practices. He's bought in, worked hard and been a great teammate."

Bought in? Isn't that something Patriots players have been doing (and continue to do) for years under Belichick and his former right-hand man McDaniels?

Yes, that Josh McDaniels, the former Patriots offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, who was the apple of Belichick's eye when he joined the team as a personnel assistant in 2001. Young (McDaniels is only 33), smart, saavy and the son of an Ohio high school football coaching icon, McDaniels in many ways mirrors Belichick, who's probably taken back to his salad days as a successful upstart coach in the NFL every time he sees McDaniels.

And like a good apprentice learning from his master, McDaniels, who had a hand in all three of the Patriots' Super Bowl wins this decade, apparently brought the Patriot Way with him to the Mile-High City. It was right there on display for everybody to see on Sunday when Marshall and McDaniels embraced.

Just like Belichick has demanded and received the best out of the NFL's misfits, miscreants and mischievous (Cory Dillon, Jabar Gaffney and Randy Moss to name a few) it appears McDaniels, too, has inherited the trash-to-treasure touch, while preaching football's holy trinity of offense, defense and special teams. Simply put, like his former mentor, McDaniels can get the bad boy to settle down and play team football.

Exhibit A: The Marshall Plan, which went from bad during training camp to flipping great between McDaniels, the team, their star receiver and the fans. The Kool-Aid is flowing in Denver, where McDaniels (who a mere few months ago had Broncos fans calling for his head before he'd even coached a single down, and his new team divided after QB Jay Cutler was sent packing), has the Broncos off to a 4-0 start and boasts the league's top-rated defense.

Sound familiar?

"It certainly doesn't surprise me. I have all the respect in the world for Josh, both as a coach, a personnel evaluator and in general for his football knowledge and his ability to manage the game as a coordinator or as a head coach," Belichick said in his Monday press conference. "He has great insight into the game."

Just like the master himself. If anything, the postgame handshake between the two will be something to watch.