Nature Boy
12-26-2008, 05:28 PM
I still remember that dirty side helmet grab/facemask that Cromartie pulled on Brandon Marshall on their last meeting. I guess you'd be pissed too if someone grabbed 18 balls on you in a single game.
I'm hoping both Marshall and Royal each rack up double digit receptions and a few TDs on that Dolts defense. They should, the Dolts secondary is ranked 31st in the league.
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http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_11311163
Rematch requires Plan B for S.D.
The Chargers will take a different tactic with Brandon Marshall, who torched them in Sept.
By Lindsay H. Jones
The Denver Post
Posted: 12/26/2008 12:30:00 AM MST
Jay vs. Philip?
Please. That quarterback rivalry was so 2007.
The real battle to watch in Sunday night's game between the Broncos and Chargers in San Diego is between Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall and Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie.
Both started the 2008 season with the hype of being an up-and-coming star at his respective position.
What transpired in the two teams' first meeting in Denver in September, a thrilling 39-38 Broncos win, solidified that reputation for Marshall — at Cromartie's expense.
Marshall caught 18 passes in that game — the second-highest single- game total in NFL history — and no one on either team has forgotten it.
San Diego coach Norv Turner could only laugh Wednesday when asked if his team will take a different approach to defending Marshall on Sunday.
"He did some unbelievable things," Turner said. "They are really, really talented, that receiving group, and obviously Jay Cutler is playing at an extremely high level, and we know they're going to make some plays, they're going to complete some balls. We want to limit the big plays, and we've got to do a good job of tackling so those short gains don't turn into big plays."
Marshall parlayed that performance against San Diego — it was his 2008 debut after being suspended for the Broncos' season opener — into his first Pro Bowl berth. He has already surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the second straight season and is only two catches shy of reaching 100 for the season. He had 102 catches last year.
Meanwhile, San Diego's secondary has never fully recovered and is ranked No. 31 — second-to-last — in the NFL in passing defense.
"This is a game where we can erase a lot of things that happened this year," safety Clinton Hart told the San Diego Union-Tribune this week.
The Broncos will see some slight changes in the San Diego defense, mostly predicated by the October firing of defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell. Turner promoted linebackers coach Ron Rivera to run a defense that Turner said hadn't made improvement over the first half of the season.
"They have systematically kind of changed some stuff, but I don't think they are going to do some of the things they did in the first game," Cutler said. "They just can't. I think we attacked them a little bit differently than they were in the past, and it opened up some windows for us. They are going to make some changes, and we have to be ready for it."
Marshall is expecting some of those changes to be geared to him. In the first meeting, Marshall was able to do most of his damage on short, underneath routes. It was Eddie Royal who caught the winning touchdown and two-point conversion.
But Marshall — all 6-feet-4, 230 loud-mouthed pounds of him — got under Cromartie's skin and managed to draw three penalties on San Diego defensive backs, including unnecessary roughness and face-mask penalties on Cromartie, leading Marshall to comment after the game that he wasn't sure what happened because he thought he and Cromartie were friends.
"I hope they double me, triple me, put the whole team on me so it will be easier for Eddie to get the ball," Marshall said. "He'll be singled up. Tony Scheffler, Daniel Graham, we've got some weapons, so I hope they pay attention to me and leave some of these other guys one-on-one."
So expect few pleasantries between the two on Sunday.
"There will be a little jawing back and forth, I'm sure," Marshall said. "We are going to keep it all within the rules, but it is definitely going to be an exciting game."
Lindsay H. Jones: 303-954-1262 or ljones@denverpost.com
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I'm hoping both Marshall and Royal each rack up double digit receptions and a few TDs on that Dolts defense. They should, the Dolts secondary is ranked 31st in the league.
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http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_11311163
Rematch requires Plan B for S.D.
The Chargers will take a different tactic with Brandon Marshall, who torched them in Sept.
By Lindsay H. Jones
The Denver Post
Posted: 12/26/2008 12:30:00 AM MST
Jay vs. Philip?
Please. That quarterback rivalry was so 2007.
The real battle to watch in Sunday night's game between the Broncos and Chargers in San Diego is between Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall and Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie.
Both started the 2008 season with the hype of being an up-and-coming star at his respective position.
What transpired in the two teams' first meeting in Denver in September, a thrilling 39-38 Broncos win, solidified that reputation for Marshall — at Cromartie's expense.
Marshall caught 18 passes in that game — the second-highest single- game total in NFL history — and no one on either team has forgotten it.
San Diego coach Norv Turner could only laugh Wednesday when asked if his team will take a different approach to defending Marshall on Sunday.
"He did some unbelievable things," Turner said. "They are really, really talented, that receiving group, and obviously Jay Cutler is playing at an extremely high level, and we know they're going to make some plays, they're going to complete some balls. We want to limit the big plays, and we've got to do a good job of tackling so those short gains don't turn into big plays."
Marshall parlayed that performance against San Diego — it was his 2008 debut after being suspended for the Broncos' season opener — into his first Pro Bowl berth. He has already surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the second straight season and is only two catches shy of reaching 100 for the season. He had 102 catches last year.
Meanwhile, San Diego's secondary has never fully recovered and is ranked No. 31 — second-to-last — in the NFL in passing defense.
"This is a game where we can erase a lot of things that happened this year," safety Clinton Hart told the San Diego Union-Tribune this week.
The Broncos will see some slight changes in the San Diego defense, mostly predicated by the October firing of defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell. Turner promoted linebackers coach Ron Rivera to run a defense that Turner said hadn't made improvement over the first half of the season.
"They have systematically kind of changed some stuff, but I don't think they are going to do some of the things they did in the first game," Cutler said. "They just can't. I think we attacked them a little bit differently than they were in the past, and it opened up some windows for us. They are going to make some changes, and we have to be ready for it."
Marshall is expecting some of those changes to be geared to him. In the first meeting, Marshall was able to do most of his damage on short, underneath routes. It was Eddie Royal who caught the winning touchdown and two-point conversion.
But Marshall — all 6-feet-4, 230 loud-mouthed pounds of him — got under Cromartie's skin and managed to draw three penalties on San Diego defensive backs, including unnecessary roughness and face-mask penalties on Cromartie, leading Marshall to comment after the game that he wasn't sure what happened because he thought he and Cromartie were friends.
"I hope they double me, triple me, put the whole team on me so it will be easier for Eddie to get the ball," Marshall said. "He'll be singled up. Tony Scheffler, Daniel Graham, we've got some weapons, so I hope they pay attention to me and leave some of these other guys one-on-one."
So expect few pleasantries between the two on Sunday.
"There will be a little jawing back and forth, I'm sure," Marshall said. "We are going to keep it all within the rules, but it is definitely going to be an exciting game."
Lindsay H. Jones: 303-954-1262 or ljones@denverpost.com
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