Early returns good for Brandon Marshall, Broncos' run defense

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- As far as sample sizes go, two weeks in September are not often considered to be of the set-in-stone variety.

But after two weeks, Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall likes what he sees from the defense overall, from the linebackers as a group and what he has seen in his own play when he has looked at the game video. And it’s all part of the offseason tweaks that were made when Joe Woods was promoted to replace Wade Phillips as the Broncos' defensive coordinator.

Woods said early on plenty of what the Broncos would do on defense this season could be traced to Phillips’ scheme but that he was looking to “sprinkle some sugar" on it. Some of that meant getting the…