EP Chicago: Brandon Marshall Comes Up Big Against Carolina

By Micky Shaked

(AP Photo/Charles Arbogast)

Brandon Marshall. Saying his name, even thinking it, makes me feel like no other Chicago receiver has before. Brandon Marshall. A sense of calm comes over, like a glass of warm milk before bedtime.

Seven games into the season Marshall’s acquisition is making Bears’ management look competent, even savvy. Marshall is on pace to do exactly what he has done the last five years and exactly what he was brought in from Miami to do. It feels as though Chicago and Miami traded Halloween candy, only while the Bears gave the Dolphins the toothbrushes they got from the neighborhood dentist (two third round picks), they received the Dolphins’ prized full-size Snickers bar in return.

Seven games into the season Marshall is on pace to catch over 100 passes for the fourth time in six years and clear 1,000 yards receiving for the sixth straight season.

Seven games into the season Marshall has been targeted on 37 percent of Jay Cutler’s passes, nearly double the amount he has targeted a Chicago receiver in the past. Of the top ten most targeted pass-catchers in the NFL, Marshall ranks behind Percy Harvin, Jason Witten, and Wes Welker in completion percentage.

Seven games into the season and Marshall has shown that he is more than capable of carrying the offense down the field when it matters most. People watching Chicago’s last-minute drive against Carolina shouldn’t be blamed for thinking they were watching a replay of the same play four times. That is exactly what happened. Marshall accounted for 36 of the 55 yards Chicago gained in setting up Robbie Gould for the game-winning field goal. He did it by running the same slant route four times, and four times getting himself wide open for Cutler to comfortably feed him the ball. Though Marshall humbly attributed that late-game success to Cutler’s calm demeanor heading onto the field, Marshall’s awareness was key in gaining three first downs to sustain the final drive.

Seven games into the season Marshall is a different person than he has been in the past, which drove him out of Denver and then Miami. In fact, his attitude was just about the only thing between Marshall and ‘Best In Show’ status. Now that he has turned that corner on the road to maturity, Marshall is doing all he can to make his first career playoff appearance.

Seven games into the season Chicago is 6-1, thanks in large part to Brandon Marshall. Mmmm. Brandon Marshall.