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Ejected Broncos S T.J. Ward calls Chiefs 'dirty'


DENVER – The Denver Broncos will get one Pro Bowl defensive player back from suspension Monday but are bracing themselves for the chance they could lose another after safety T.J. Ward was ejected from Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Officials flagged and ejected Ward for striking receiver Jeremy Maclin with a “blow to the head” in the fourth quarter after Maclin blocked Ward near the end of teammate Charcandrick West’s long touchdown reception.

“I got emotional. I didn't really punch him. I don't even think that I punched him, if you see it, but it looked like a windup,” Ward said. “You can take it how it is. It was an emotional game.”

Ward called the Chiefs “dirty” and said Kansas City players had been taking “cheap shots” at Denver’s defense.

“They were a pretty dirty team: The O-linemen, receivers and tight ends. They were doing it last game and they continued to do it this game. It took an effect on me,” Ward said.

That explanation likely won’t carry much weight with his coaches, who spent plenty of time last week preaching about the need to play smarter and eliminate what head coach Gary Kubiak describes as “selfish” penalties. The Broncos defense led the NFL in personal fouls heading into Week 10 with 16.

Two of those came last week from cornerback Aqib Talib, who missed Sunday’s game against Kansas City as he served a one-game suspension as punishment for poking Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen in the eye. Talib’s incident came after a play in the fourth quarter last week after he joined a confrontation between Allen and Broncos linebacker Von Miller.

Ward missed the Broncos’ season opener in September while serving a one-game suspension for a violation of the personal conduct policy, stemming from an arrest in May 2014.

Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @bylindsayhjones.

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