Even Jay Cutler Can’t Keep Down Brandon Marshall’s Mouth
By Brian Miller
Dec 16, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) during the second half against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. The Packers beat the Bears 21-13. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
Miami fans still stew to this day about the trade that sent Pro-Bowl WR Brandon Marshall to Chicago at the start of the 2012 free agency. Some screamed that the Dolphins failed to have a plan in place to replace him. Others said that Jeff Ireland got schooled and could only get 2 – third round draft picks for him. Others believed that Marshall was nothing more than an egomaniac “me-diva” and the Dolphins were smart to move on without him.
For the most part, Marshall has been the model citizen in Chicago. Unlike in Miami where he never attended a full slate of off-season voluntary workouts, in Chicago he couldn’t wait to join Cutler on the practice field. His 10 touchdowns on the season has him tied for second with the Cowboys Dez Bryant one back of the Bengals’ A.J. Green. His yardage is 2nd only to Calvin Johnson in Detroit. Not surprisingly he hold the top number of catches at 107.
There is no denying that Brandon Marshall is a talent on the field. There is also no denying that off of it, Marshall is a “me” guy through and through. It was only a matter of time before he fell off the train and landed back in “Marshallville“.
Following Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers, Marshall took to the podium and let his emotions run freely.
Marshall took to the offense and called them all out. He said that everyone on the offense must take “accountability” for what is going on. O.k. so far there is nothing wrong with that. When a team loses and their backs are against the wall you want your vocal leaders to try and rally the team. Only for Marshall, it’s not always a rallying cry.
"“Everyone on offense needs to be held accountable, even if it means jobs,” Marshall said. “There’s no excuse. We still have two games left, there’s still hope, but we need to be held accountable.”"
Marshall became more upset apparently, according to NFL.com when asked about the inability of the Bears to move the ball against the Packers. It was then that the “ME” came out.
"“It’s been the same way all year. It’s the same thing every single game. We need to be held accountable,” Marshall said. “What I got to do is try my best to keep it together and not let this affect me because it’s starting to affect me more than it should. And I love this game, I’m very passionate about this game, and right now it’s affecting me way too much.”"
Marshall in a bit more toned down fashion that some of his previous stops still made certain that the team needed get it together and that “HE” couldn’t let it affect him. Because, it is starting to affect him…apparently way too much. For Marshall’s sake it’s hard to go out each week and produce the numbers that he does and still come up on the losing end of the games on Sunday, but Marshall also needs to realize that there are other players on the team that could take some of the pressure off.
Marshall is the kind of receiver that we have seen over and over again complain about not getting the right number of touches in a game. Yet to win you need to be a more rounded offense where your top play-maker makes plays but the support cast gets theirs as well. After all it is a team game. While some will view Marshall’s comments as nothing remotely detrimental to the team or nothing more than and emotional player upset with a hard loss, it should be pointed out that this has happened at all three of his NFL stops at some point or another.
First it will be a shed tear as he walks away from the podium disgusted, then it will be locker-room bickering, and eventually he will workout on his own in the off-season like he has in the past. What Marshall should be saying is that Jay Cutler and the offensive coordinator need to find a way to use Marshall to draw coverage away from the other WR’s to give the QB and the team more options.
There is no denying that the extremely talented Marshall is giving his all in Chicago. A lot more it seems than he gave in Miami, but if we all know one thing it’s this. An unhappy Marshall is not someone you want on your roster. Marshall needs to stop letting his emotions get the best of him…even this little hiccup in an otherwise model stay in Chicago. It wasn’t much but it’s a cinder that could eventually ignite a firestorm. Chicago needs to figure out how to help Marshall so he can be…Marshall.
But then again, that would take numbers away from Marshall. Let me wipe that tear away Brandon. And yest I know…if the Dolphins hadn’t trade Brandon Marshall we would be a playoff contender right now.