Marshall, BrandonI guess it had to happen sooner or later. The Denver Broncos were handed their first loss of the season yesterday, falling 30-7 to the Baltimore Ravens. Anyone who watched the game knows the Broncos couldn’t get anything going against the stifling Ravens defense, which has pillaged teams for years.

The Broncos managed only 66 yards on the ground, and quarterback Kyle Orton amassed just 152 passing yards, 62 of which came on the Broncos’ last possession of the game, when it didn’t really matter much, notes The Denver Post (free registration required).

Sports Illustrated keeps the Broncos listed among its top five NFL teams, saying one loss doesn’t negate the quality wins over three playoff contenders.

And it wasn’t all bad news yesterday. During the Fox pregame show, Jay Glazer reported the Broncos have agreed to rescind roughly $73,000 in fines imposed on wide receiver Brandon Marshall (pictured) during the preseason for missing a mandatory mini-camp and his petulant behavior during a practice that led to a suspension (via Pro Football Talk).

Let’s hope it’s a sign that the rift between Marshall and the team continues to mend and that the Broncos will pony up and pay him more money soon. Let’s also hope the goodwill helps the team overcome yesterday’s loss before the defending-Super-Bowl-champion Pittsburgh Steelers come to town next week.