dragondawg
09-17-2008, 09:52 PM
Denver Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall said he ignored quarterback Jay Cutler's phone calls for about a week this past spring after Cutler was critical of Marshall's off-field indiscretions in the media.
Among other things, Cutler said of his friend and teammate: "He's not my favorite person right now."
But it wasn't long before they reconnected, going out together for a steak dinner.
"We didn't even talk about the issue. We just kind of got over it and moved on from there," said Marshall, who in a period from October to March was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and domestic violence, then required emergency surgery after crashing his arm through an entertainment center while roughhousing with his brother.
"When he made those comments, he did it for a reason. I wasn't going to go back and forth with him, because he was right," said Marshall, who has developed a close relationship with Cutler since they came to Denver together in the 2006 draft class -- Cutler in the first round, Marshall in the fourth. "It's kind of a brotherly type of relationship, and it has its ups and downs -- but in the end we're family, and that's all that matters."
That brotherly connection has produced one of the most potent combinations in the NFL, one that the Saints will have to deal with Sunday when they travel to Denver for a daunting road assignment.
Marshall, an imposing 6-foot-4, 230-pounder from Central Florida, emerged as Cutler's go-to guy last season, catching 102 passes for 1,325 yards.
This past Sunday, he broke out in an even bigger way, catching 18 passes for 166 yards during a 39-38 victory over the San Diego Chargers. The 18 receptions tied him for second in NFL history with former Los Angeles Rams receiver Tom Fears. Terrell Owens set the record with 20 catches in a game in 2000 when he was with the San Francisco 49ers.
"You know what, it didn't even seem like that many balls. I didn't know until I got to the sideline," said Marshall, who heard the news from former Broncos receiver Rod Smith. "He was at the game, and when I came to the sideline, he said, 'Hey, you little boy, you broke my record.' I said, 'What?' He said, 'Catches,' and I said, 'What was the record?' He said, '14,' and I said, 'How many did I have?' And he said, '18.'
"I was so tired man, I was out of it. I was just trying to stay focused and stay in the game mentally."
Marshall was making up for lost time against the Chargers after he served a one-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy. He insisted throughout the summer that the suspension wouldn't get in the way of his lofty goals, which include his quest to set several receiving records.
Statistically, he's on pace -- and by all accounts he's headed in the right direction off the field, as well.
His legal issues now are behind him. He pleaded to a lesser charge to resolve the DUI arrest, and no formal charges were filed in the domestic violence case. Marshall has a history of such charges with his longtime former girlfriend, whom he is no longer with.
"We all bump our heads. All we can do is just learn from that and not let it happen again," said Marshall, who credited all of his teammates, Coach Mike Shanahan and owner Pat Bowlen among others for being supportive. "You know, I've had some bad experiences, but in a way, I'm glad I'm experiencing all these things. It's only making me a better, stronger and wiser person. I'm looking forward to the direction I'm heading and the direction we're heading as a team."
The Broncos also seem to have benefited from their time away from Marshall.
In his absence in Week 1, Cutler got familiar with rookie receiver Eddie Royal, a small but speedy target who has 14 catches for 183 yards and two touchdowns this season. Royal caught a last-minute touchdown pass and a winning two-point conversion against San Diego on Sunday.
Cutler also has been connecting with athletic tight end Tony Scheffler to the tune of seven passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns.
That variety of offensive weapons has helped make the Broncos the NFL's No.¤1-ranked offense through two weeks, with an average of 463.5 yards per game.
"It's nice to get started off on the right foot," said Shanahan, who emphasized the understatement with two more: "Obviously, Brandon missed the first game but played very well in the second game -- and Jay's a lot more comfortable with the system."
Cutler leads all NFL quarterbacks with 650 yards passing and is tied for first with six touchdown passes. Not only has he grown as a passer, but his health and stamina also have improved since he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in the offseason.
Last year, Cutler was losing weight and strength and didn't know why. Now he knows how to treat it.
Perhaps surprisingly, Cutler now has moved to the head of the 2006 quarterback class, which included the more highly touted Vince Young and Matt Leinart, both of whom have fallen on hard times with the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals.
"That doesn't surprise me at all," Saints Coach Sean Payton said. "He's someone that they brought along real well. He has a great grasp of what they're doing on offense, and Mike (Shanahan) obviously has a lot of confidence in this player right now -- and he's playing with a lot of confidence."
That doesn't bode well for a Saints defense that is coming off a poor performance in a 29-24 loss at Washington and still is a little banged up.
It looks like New Orleans can expect to have starters Randall Gay and Roman Harper back in its secondary, but the Broncos will offer the stiffest test to date regardless.
"They're throwing and running the ball as effectively as anyone in the league right now," Payton said. "When you have that balance and the quarterback is playing like he's playing, that creates a lot of problems."
http://blog.nola.com/saintsbeat/2008/09/denver_broncos_qb_jay_cutler_w.html
Among other things, Cutler said of his friend and teammate: "He's not my favorite person right now."
But it wasn't long before they reconnected, going out together for a steak dinner.
"We didn't even talk about the issue. We just kind of got over it and moved on from there," said Marshall, who in a period from October to March was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and domestic violence, then required emergency surgery after crashing his arm through an entertainment center while roughhousing with his brother.
"When he made those comments, he did it for a reason. I wasn't going to go back and forth with him, because he was right," said Marshall, who has developed a close relationship with Cutler since they came to Denver together in the 2006 draft class -- Cutler in the first round, Marshall in the fourth. "It's kind of a brotherly type of relationship, and it has its ups and downs -- but in the end we're family, and that's all that matters."
That brotherly connection has produced one of the most potent combinations in the NFL, one that the Saints will have to deal with Sunday when they travel to Denver for a daunting road assignment.
Marshall, an imposing 6-foot-4, 230-pounder from Central Florida, emerged as Cutler's go-to guy last season, catching 102 passes for 1,325 yards.
This past Sunday, he broke out in an even bigger way, catching 18 passes for 166 yards during a 39-38 victory over the San Diego Chargers. The 18 receptions tied him for second in NFL history with former Los Angeles Rams receiver Tom Fears. Terrell Owens set the record with 20 catches in a game in 2000 when he was with the San Francisco 49ers.
"You know what, it didn't even seem like that many balls. I didn't know until I got to the sideline," said Marshall, who heard the news from former Broncos receiver Rod Smith. "He was at the game, and when I came to the sideline, he said, 'Hey, you little boy, you broke my record.' I said, 'What?' He said, 'Catches,' and I said, 'What was the record?' He said, '14,' and I said, 'How many did I have?' And he said, '18.'
"I was so tired man, I was out of it. I was just trying to stay focused and stay in the game mentally."
Marshall was making up for lost time against the Chargers after he served a one-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy. He insisted throughout the summer that the suspension wouldn't get in the way of his lofty goals, which include his quest to set several receiving records.
Statistically, he's on pace -- and by all accounts he's headed in the right direction off the field, as well.
His legal issues now are behind him. He pleaded to a lesser charge to resolve the DUI arrest, and no formal charges were filed in the domestic violence case. Marshall has a history of such charges with his longtime former girlfriend, whom he is no longer with.
"We all bump our heads. All we can do is just learn from that and not let it happen again," said Marshall, who credited all of his teammates, Coach Mike Shanahan and owner Pat Bowlen among others for being supportive. "You know, I've had some bad experiences, but in a way, I'm glad I'm experiencing all these things. It's only making me a better, stronger and wiser person. I'm looking forward to the direction I'm heading and the direction we're heading as a team."
The Broncos also seem to have benefited from their time away from Marshall.
In his absence in Week 1, Cutler got familiar with rookie receiver Eddie Royal, a small but speedy target who has 14 catches for 183 yards and two touchdowns this season. Royal caught a last-minute touchdown pass and a winning two-point conversion against San Diego on Sunday.
Cutler also has been connecting with athletic tight end Tony Scheffler to the tune of seven passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns.
That variety of offensive weapons has helped make the Broncos the NFL's No.¤1-ranked offense through two weeks, with an average of 463.5 yards per game.
"It's nice to get started off on the right foot," said Shanahan, who emphasized the understatement with two more: "Obviously, Brandon missed the first game but played very well in the second game -- and Jay's a lot more comfortable with the system."
Cutler leads all NFL quarterbacks with 650 yards passing and is tied for first with six touchdown passes. Not only has he grown as a passer, but his health and stamina also have improved since he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in the offseason.
Last year, Cutler was losing weight and strength and didn't know why. Now he knows how to treat it.
Perhaps surprisingly, Cutler now has moved to the head of the 2006 quarterback class, which included the more highly touted Vince Young and Matt Leinart, both of whom have fallen on hard times with the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals.
"That doesn't surprise me at all," Saints Coach Sean Payton said. "He's someone that they brought along real well. He has a great grasp of what they're doing on offense, and Mike (Shanahan) obviously has a lot of confidence in this player right now -- and he's playing with a lot of confidence."
That doesn't bode well for a Saints defense that is coming off a poor performance in a 29-24 loss at Washington and still is a little banged up.
It looks like New Orleans can expect to have starters Randall Gay and Roman Harper back in its secondary, but the Broncos will offer the stiffest test to date regardless.
"They're throwing and running the ball as effectively as anyone in the league right now," Payton said. "When you have that balance and the quarterback is playing like he's playing, that creates a lot of problems."
http://blog.nola.com/saintsbeat/2008/09/denver_broncos_qb_jay_cutler_w.html