Brandon Marshall’s Mighty Mouth

We all love and sometimes hate someone with a big mouth, somebody so courageous and fearless that they’ll say just about anything to prove a point. When we think of those players or coaches in the NFL, a few are easy to pick out like free agent Terrell Owens, circus performer Chad Ochocinco, and the obnoxious and overbearing Rex Ryan. Well, it just so happens that Ryan may not be the only loud mouth on the field this Monday night. Another rabble-rouser is tossing his hat into the ring for the Dolphins and Jets Monday night showdown and it is none other than Dolphin wide receiver and playmaker Brandon Marshall. His bold claim is one that could go down in history or up in flames depending on Marshall’s game-play. It just depends on if he is serious enough to warrant an ejection from the game.

This week the 0-4 Dolphins battle the wounded Jets in the Meadowlands. To many, this is just another Monday Night Football game, but one daring Dolphins wide-out has claimed that so far this season he has been playing with his emotions in check and is looking to change that. Brandon Marshall says he plans on showing more passion in this game, even going so far as to say that he may start a fight with some of the Jets secondary. What does Marshall get out of all this? Well, his goal is to be ejected sometime during the second quarter and face a predicted $50,000 fine. When asked if he was joking, Marshall said “no.” He went on to exclaim to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, “I’m not joking. I’m serious. They’re going to fine me. It’s probably going to be like a $50,000 fine. But that quarter and a half that I’m out there, I’m going to play like a monster.” What we all are wondering is what does playing like a monster entail? Halloween is right around the corner; maybe Marshall is trying his scare tactics on for size.

Monday night’s game is equally important to both teams. The Jets have begun the season sluggishly starting at a disappointing 2-3. Rex Ryan hasn’t kept his opinions a secret regarding his team going to the Super Bowl, but so far New York hasn’t played up to the hype, especially Ryan’s. This could be a game where the Jets find their groove again. Then again, Miami is 3-0 against the Jets in the Meadowlands in the past three years and Rex Ryan has a mere 1-3 record against their rivals from the south.

On the other hand, the Dolphins are for lack of a better term, struggling. This season has turned into a nightmare. It took a turn for the worse when Quarterback Chad Henne was lost for the season in the first quarter of a battle with San Diego, separating his shoulder. Back up QB Matt Moore is expected to start against the Jets, with the Dolphins desperate for a win. Head coach Tony Sparano is on the hot seat and doesn’t believe Marshall would do anything to hurt the team, while most of the Fins players are fighting to stay on a team that could possibly clean house by next year. Can Matt Moore save the ailing Dolphins? If not, Miami recently signed Quarterback Sage Rosenfels who might be another option. Furthermore, Brandon Marshall can certainly pick up the slack by running his mouth and possibly continuing to stir up the emotions of the league.

Overall, Monday night’s brawl should be fun to watch even if Marshall doesn’t live up to his prediction. With both teams needing a win, it could be no holds barred. If Marshall does decide to pick a fight with say, Bart Scott or Antonio Cromartie, things could get ugly fast. This could be a Monday Night Football match-up for the ages. We might just get a glimpse of Brandon Marshall performing the “Monster Mash.”