Opinion: Imagination, and Brandon Marshall's talent, would be terrible to waste

DENVER • The imagination is full of endless power.

But who could have imagined this scene?

Brandon Marshall, the prodigal receiver, was sprinting across the end zone as dozens of Broncos fans reached out, just hoping to touch his garment.

He was the most popular man on the Front Range after dancing through half of the Dallas Cowboys defense on his way to a momentous, ridiculous 51-yard touchdown.

Now, crank up that imagination. The Broncos have a 4-0 record with little help from Marshall.

As Marshall raced to the end zone, he looked like the healthy, hungry, big-play receiver the Broncos require to terrify defenses.

How high can the Broncos soar with this version of Marshall?

Oh, I know it’s difficult to trust Marshall.

And I know today’s hero was considered a cancer as recently as Saturday.

Marshall has tormented us. He griped about his contract. He couldn’t be bothered with practice.

But his talent never went anywhere. Marshall is, no doubt, a brat. He’s also football’s most dangerous receiver in the open field.

“He’s like a running back,” said Champ Bailey. “He’s hard to tackle. He has great balance.”

On the touchdown, quarterback Kyle Orton threw a jump ball to Marshall, giving him the chance to explore an open field.

Orton’s pass hung for a tantalizing moment in front of Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman. Newman didn’t know Marshall was sneaking up behind him. Marshall outleaped Newman in a sequence that resembled a rebound more than a catch.

When Marshall turned, his eyes were locked on the end zone.

Tight end Daniel Graham helped spring Marshall with a block on linebacker Bradie James, but otherwise it was all Marshall.

“As soon as I caught it and I hit the middle of the field,” Marshall said, “I thought I had a chance to score, but the big body wasn’t fast enough so I had to make some cuts to get to the end zone.”

Marshall sprinted to the center of the field, arriving at the 20 at the same time as safety Ken Hamlin, who had a clean shot.

But Marshall reversed direction, leaving Hamlin off balance. Marshall gave Hamlin a hard shove and headed to the sideline. He never took his eyes off the end zone.

Give Newman and Jones credit. They didn’t give up. They chased  Marshall … and collided into each other at the 17.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones watched Marshall’s remarkable journey with a mixture of admiration and agony.

“He’s a great athlete and one who can make great football plays,” Jones said. “That’s why you do the things you do to have a player like that on your team.”

The Broncos have done a lot of things to keep a player like Marshall on their team. They’ve tolerated childlike practice behavior and a depressing list of off-field transgressions.

This is no surprise. Receivers who ramble to game-winning touchdowns tend to inspire patience.

When Marshall departed the end zone and the shouts of worshipful fans, he sprinted to the waiting arms of coach Josh McDaniels. The two men embraced for a long moment.

McDaniels and Marshall were once at war.

Imagine what they might accomplish now that they’ve made peace.
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