Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall had been as quiet off the field through the first five weeks of the season as he has been on it.
That all ended Thursday when the 27-year-old, two-time Pro Bowl selection diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder this offseason amped up his pregame Jets talk by promising “to play like a monster” on Monday Night Football and declaring four times that his goal is to “get kicked out in the second quarter.”
“I think the past four games have been tough for me, trying to control some things, and, hey man, I’m just going to let it out,” Marshall said of his emotions.
“I don’t care if I have two, three cameras on me. I don’t care if I have penalties. It doesn’t matter; I’m going to let it all out. I don’t care what you guys write or what the commentators say. I’m just going to play football. That’s what I’m best at. I’m best when I play emotional. I’m best when I play with passion. You guys are going to see that on Monday Night Football. I don’t know if it’s throwing a football 15 yards in the bleachers, or getting a 15-yarder [penalty], or punting the ball and getting thrown out of the game. But something is going to happen. I’ll probably get kicked out after the second quarter.”
Asked if was kidding, Marshall said: “I’m not joking. I’m serious. They want to fine me, hit me with a $50,000 fine. I’m going to play. The quarter and a half I’m out there, I’m going to play like a monster. I might get into a fight with Bart Scott. [Antonio] Cromartie, we pretty much matured our relationship a little bit. We used to fight in Denver and San Diego. If that happens, it happens. We’ll see.”
Marshall’s pledge to play with emotion comes in the midst of a transition for the Dolphins, who lost quarterback Chad Henne to a season-ending shoulder injury on Oct. 2 in San Diego.
Matt Moore, who will make his first start with the Dolphins on Monday night, arched his eyebrows when told his star receiver said he hoped to get kicked out in the second quarter. Would a more emotional Marshall help the team?
“Um, I don’t know. Now it’s like I’m a doctor,” Moore said. “Brandon’s got to be himself. Everybody’s got to be themselves. He’s going to be at the emotional level he needs to be at to be at his best.”
Marshall, who hadn’t spoken to reporters since the Dolphins’ loss in San Diego, didn’t show anger or frustration as he fielded questions. He was composed and even kept talking after a team spokesman twice tried to end the interview session at Marshall’s locker.
Last week, Marshall promised reporters he would “have something for you” this week.
“Obviously, he was kidding … 50 percent kidding,” Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. “I know one thing about that guy, he’s not going to do anything to hurt this football team. That’s what I know. I know people in that locker room look up to him. I’ve seen him when he really is bigger than life out there when he gets the ball in his hands and starts rolling.
“I mess around with him and call him the werewolf when gets the ball and starts running around like that. He can be that way. I think that’s the part Brandon is talking about. He wants to be more passionate with the ball in his hands. He wants to be more passionate blocking and doing all the things necessary to help us win.”
