Yesterday, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall dominated the NFL's 2012 Pro Bowl, setting a new Pro Bowl record with four touchdowns, and walking away with the game's MVP award. With his performance, Marshall frustrated Dolphins fans, who wondered where this type of performance was all year for Miami, as well as clearly called for the franchise to find a quarterback upgrade.
And his calls weren't just his play yesterday.
"Hey man, listen, I'm out here at the Pro Bowl, and I'm not getting no balls thrown to me!" Marshall joked with NFL.com on Friday. "I need a quarterback. You've got Big Ben throwing to (Mike) Wallace, you've got Philip (Rivers) throwing to (Antonio) Gates and Vincent (Jackson), you've got Andy (Dalton) throwing to A.J. (Green). I'm the only guy out here, man!
"We'd love to have that tandem out here."
Marshall is reportedly doing whatever he can to try to help the Dolphins get that quarterback-wide receiver tandem he so badly wants. He admitted during Pro Bowl week that he has called soon-to-be free agent, and current Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn to discuss the idea of Flynn coming to Miami. Notably, he made the call before the Dolphins hired former Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin as head coach.
"You've got some guys in the draft, but there's not too many guys out there just walking the streets," Marshall said. "Matt [Flynn] is available. ... We've talked. I reached out to him. I get it from Ray Lewis. Around this time of year, players talk to players.
"Obviously, Matt [Moore] had a great year," Marshall continued. "You don't want to take anything away from Matt, but I think we really bring in somebody who can compete and make the team better.
"We need someone who is going to grab a hold of our offense, hold everyone accountable and be that leader."
Marshall also pointed out, and the league confirmed, it's not against tampering rules for players to talk to one another. Tampering only come in to play when team officials - coaches or executives - comment on or talk to another team's player.
During the game, Marshall did not change him comments, either. Speaking with NBC's sideline reporter, Marshall stated, "Down in Miami, getting a feel for different quarterbacks, had three or four of them throughout my two years there.
"Quarterbacks make it easier for me. These guys are putting it in the right places and I'm making plays. It's easy right now."
"Elite quarterbacks put [the ball] in the right spots," Marshall explained, when asked about his six catch, 176 yards, and four touchdown performance during the Pro Bowl. Marshall spoke highly about all of his quarterbacks in the game, giving them the praise for putting the ball exactly where he needs it - again stressing that the Dolphins have to find a guy like that.
"Since Jay Cutler I've had a few different quarterbacks and being in the Pro Bowl you have these elite quarterbacks and it's all them," Marshall said, following the game. "They put [the ball] in the right spots and make it easy for me to make the catch. It's all the quarterbacks."
Marshall also realizes that Flynn is not the only quarterback available, even if there are only a few available. He admitted he plans to call Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning if the Colts decline to pay Manning the $28 roster bonus due to him on March 8. Manning missed all of last season following three neck surgeries in eighteen months.
Quarterback isn't the only piece of the Dolphins structure Marshall is lobbying for. Marshall is hoping the Dolphins will consider LSU wide receivers coach D.J. McCarthy for the same position in Miami. McCarthy served as Marshall's wide receiver coach at the University of Central Florida, and was on the LSU staff when Flynn lead the Tigers to a 12-2 record and the National Championship, earning the BCS Championship Game MVP award.
"The reason why I'm here is Coach McCarthy, so I'd love to see Coach McCarthy get an interview," Marshall said. "Unfortunately, the past six years, I've had a different receivers coach. I haven't had any chemistry with any of them to take me to the next level. I'm looking forward to working with a coach who can fine-tune my game and recognize my weaknesses. Coach McCarthy has proven that."
However, Marshall clearly believes the quarterback piece may be the last piece that the Dolphins need. When asked about the team, Marshall replied, "It's strong. If you look at what coach [Tony] Sparano was able to do, the foundation he's built. A lot of people don't give him enough credit," Marshall said about the Dolphins team. "We have a solid locker room of high character guys. Leadership is there. The new coach coming in is inheriting a strong team."
0 recs | 29 comments
Has anyone seen
the Kraken?
PhinNomenol! - January 30, 2012 via Android app
He's been released..!!
Alpha6 - January 30, 2012
And by released..
Alpha means a 3"2, 25 pound, white monkey with a collar. The Kraken is still MIA.
Finhead83 - January 30, 2012
Last seen taking pictures of women's va- - -er, um legs.....
Alpha6 - January 31, 2012
"In Ireland We Trust"
All Brandon is doing is speaking the truth. He gave matt moore his praise said he was a good piece but needs competition to not just make himself better but the team. Competition brings out the best or worst its what allows you to rise to the occassiin. It’ll be good for matt moored will see what he’s really made of. If he rises then we found a steal. If he folds then he’s right back at square one as a serviceable backup. Personally I want someone that has that competitive fire, that desire to dominate teams, someone who will want the pressure and the game put on their shoulders. There’s a few guys out there with that, let’s hope Ireland gets us that. And ill admit I was against the possibility of bringing Flynn in but if we can’t get LSU’s receivers coach DJ McCarthy who was on the staff Flynn had so much success with then not only would he have his coach who’s groomed him since day 1 of the NFL (Philbin) but also one of his college coaches. As well as Brandon Marshall being comfortable with the guy its truly a win win. As the information leaks and the offseason soon to hit full swing after the Super Bowl the Smile on my face continues to inch its say from ear to ear lol. LOVE MY PHINS!
chad6 - January 30, 2012 via mobile
"Quarterbacks make it easier for me. These guys are putting it in the right places and I'm making plays. It's easy right now."
Thowing it right to two DBs so they can run into each other and deflect a ball of his knee into his hands is “putting it in the right places??”
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-pro-bowl/09000d5d8266f372/Marshall-named-Pro-Bowl-MVP
Check out the effort level of the pass rush and the DBs…great that he had a great day…but seriously folks.
PhrozenPhish - January 30, 2012
lol
jdelsandro - January 30, 2012
You hit the nail on the head
Bill Moody - January 30, 2012
The Pro Bowl is meaningless. But players know the difference between "good" and "great".
That’s what Marshall is saying. There is a difference between catching a pass from Matt Moore or Chad Henne and catching the same pass from Big Ben, Rivers, and Dalton. “Great” or “Pro Bowl” QB’s make it easier to catch a football. Those QB’s give the WR’s confidence.
Part of the reason that Marshall (and Hartline) had so many drops this year is because of the inconsistent play of the QB’s (Moore and Henne) that were throwing them the ball. When a WR has confidence in the QB to not put them in a bad situation, like Moore did to Bess when he got Bess hurt in the last game of the year, it makes it easier to catch the pass.
ct1361 - January 30, 2012
Exactly
I don’t even know why people are acting like Marshall is talking fluff, you can call it fluff all you want but these QBs are in the PB for a reason, he can tell the difference even in this meaningless game.
TAYDIGGA - January 30, 2012
Roddy White led the NFL with 15 dropped passes
Matt Ryan is a _________________ (fill in the blank) QB?
Jermichael Finley had one fewer dropped pass than Marshall in 48 fewer targets…because he didn’t have confidence in Aaron Rogers?
Nate Burleson had two fewer drops than Marshall with 30 fewer targets…do we chalk that up to inconsistent QB play?
PhrozenPhish - January 30, 2012
Finley isn't the same caliber player that Marshall is
White has always had big drop numbers IIRC, because he gets a lot of targets.
Nate Burleson drops passes because he sucks.
Anybody who watched the Dolphins play know that Bess is not a drop machine, but when he has to literally be a circus performer to catch passes, he’s going to drop some. When Marshall drops passes, some are lack of focus, others are bad ball placement, some are incorrectly credited as drops when the defender knocks them away (I believe I saw two of those this season that were counted as dropped passes). But you don’t catch 80+ passes in every year of your career if you can’t catch. He is a phenomenal receiver, and probably the best from a pure talent standpoint we’ve had here since Duper/Clayton, and maybe before them. You live with the drops, just like Atlanta lives with White’s drops, because he’s catching 6-7x that amount of passes, and making plays that other guys simply cannot make.
Little Nicky 21 - January 30, 2012
My point is you can't lay it all on the QBs
White had 15 drops for 179 targets. That’s 1 every 11.9. Marshall had 12 drops in 140 targets. That’s 1 every 11.6. Essentially the same rate. Is that all on Matt Ryan and White’s confidence in him?
If you lay Finlay’s and Burleson’s drops on them you’re helping prove my point…they were at least partly responsible.
Well as good as he is, so was Marshall.
I’m not saying we had Aaron Rogers level qb play…but the flat truth is Marshall dropped some balls he should have caught….and like Bess he caught some balls he had no earthly right to hang onto….the TD vs Dallas where the DB jumped on his back before the ball got there is an example….when you talk about Bess you talk about how he consistantly makes the catch, regardless of who threw the ball.
The issue is not Marshall’s ability…he is a phenominal wr capable of dominating a game. It’s that he’s not as consistant as he could be – and I have no problem living with that – and that part of his inconsistancy is his concentration levels, which is not the fault of whomever is throwing him the ball.
You can’t tell me one week with Andy Dalton is enough to instill unshakable confidence.
PhrozenPhish - January 31, 2012
In all fairness.
Marshall, like White, has always had drops as well. It didn’t matter if it was Henne, Moore, or Cutler throwing to him. There are a bunch of great WRs that drop passes and often, the ones that rank at the top are among the best WRs because they get the most targets.
Finhead83 - January 31, 2012
Roddy White led the NFL with 15 dropped passes
Matt Ryan is a _________________ (fill in the blank) QB?
Jermichael Finley had one fewer dropped pass than Marshall in 48 fewer targets…because he didn’t have confidence in Aaron Rogers?
Nate Burleson had two fewer drops than Marshall with 30 fewer targets…do we chalk that up to inconsistent QB play?
PhrozenPhish - January 30, 2012
Spot on
Agent J 78 - January 30, 2012
Marshall even tweeted during the game that the ball fell right to his hands on that play.
He said that he didn’t have anything to do with that one.
Kevin Nogle - January 30, 2012
Like that’s the only pass he caught. Come on man! Let him feel good about it. The other passes were good. Why are we hating here?
TAYDIGGA - January 30, 2012
Brandon Marshall is the Punisher
at flag football.
thulsa - January 30, 2012
I don't think this will create too many waves...
Quite possibly, because Miami is already looking for other QBs. Even the owner and GM said finding a franchise QB is their top need, giving a slight to Moore. Why should their WR essentially saying the same thing create any more of a storm than the owner and GM?
Finhead83 - January 30, 2012
Is that a picture of a chick in the middle of his trophy or is the chick in the wrong place?
Alpha6 - January 30, 2012
haha,
just caught that! Looks like she’s in the wrong place.
TAYDIGGA - January 30, 2012
haha, that's awesome!
I didn’t notice that because I was staring at that HOT Dolphins cheerleader.
Bill Moody - January 30, 2012
Well Im glad Marsh had a great game but
even so this guy could have had 10 plus td’s yes an elite qb is huge but even so elite wr’s make great plays regardless who is throwing the ball and most of those drops td’s or not that Marsh had looked like they were in the right spot to me, but aside from that he has not said anything us fans have said about the qb situation so his comments are fine with me.
Foy - January 30, 2012
I watched the entire game
Of his four touchdowns, the only one that was really impressive was the fade he caught against Patrick Peterson, that was ALL skill and a super tough play to make. The other three were either luck or a consequence of the defense not really trying, but that fade…was beautiful.
Dolphinole - January 30, 2012
he is stating the obvious
And he’s exactly right. All this talk of Peyton, and people saying don’t take him is just crazy..Peyton Manning coming here makes this team an INSTANT super bowl contender. Whether we agree or not is moot, cuz its just how it is..he’s THAT good. Teaming up with marshall would just be straight up nasty!!
CP10istheman - January 30, 2012 via mobile
what a DOUCHE
all season he has been dropping perfectly thrown passes for TD’s no less! He has the gaul to basically say Matt Moore is the reason he didnt play better. What a crock! i hope this offseason his fiance finishes the job! aim for the liver!
ADRIELSDAD - January 31, 2012
Thats going a bit too far dude
First and foremost im a firm believer that Matt Moore will only thrive in a WCO, but to wish harm on someone for saying they want COMPETITION at the QB postition is just dead wrong.
In retrospect, Marshall is just deciding to exhibit the passion and love for the sport. Bush did the same thing last year when he called out the players after going 0-7 to start the season. So did Kevin Burnett.
People dis Irelands ability to aqquire talent and his people skills, but one thing cant be looked over. His first free agency and draft solo he brought some players that were all but thrown under a bus and forgotten, written off by their old teams, and gave them a shot.
The end result? We got a perfect compliment to Dansby, who started to showcase after he got familiar in the system. We got a RB who not only surpassed expectations, but prooved to be a vocal leader of this team. We got a QB that could or couldnt be the answer at the position. Last but not least, we went 4 for 6 in the draft with a fifth that still may raise the bar a bit.
I really dont see why people are so crass towards the selections made both last year with the players, but this year with the coaches selected. This is turning out to be one of the better run ball clubs in a limited span of time.
Both Ireland and Ross deserve credit in how they have restructured this ball club, from the experience at games, to buying out home game tickets to showcase the talent they have put together, from the professionalism and desire of the players, to the possibility of having a great coaching staff.
dolphinfan4lyfe - January 31, 2012 via mobile
Oh... he's just cuttin up.....
Alpha6 - January 31, 2012
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