You knew what Brandon Marshall was thinking — or not thinking — when he made the kind of bonehead play that wise old veterans rarely make: my Harvard quarterback may be a Rubik’s Cube genius, but he isn’t getting us anywhere near the end zone. Let me make something happen here.
What Marshall made happen was 24-0 Eagles.
Game over.
In the second quarter.
Sure, Ryan Fitzpatrick huffed, and Ryan Fitzpatrick puffed, but he couldn’t blow down the Eagles, 24-17 winners over the 2-1 Jets Sunday at MetLife Stadium. These Ryan Fitzpatrick Jets are not equipped to play catch-up and overcome deficits. And certainly not on a day when Chris Ivory and Eric Decker weren’t playing. When Fitzpatrick was throwing to Jeremy Kerley and Quincy Enunwa and rookie Devin Smith and running back Bilal Powell. When Fitzpatrick was handing off to Powell and Zac Stacy.
“Wrong time to gamble … I was pressing, trying to make a play, but can’t do that,” Marshall said. “That was probably. … worst play in NFL history.”
Mark Sanchez, who watched from the visiting sideline, would beg to differ, of course. Marshall was not here for the Buttfumble. He was simply doing what the big boys are supposed to do — face the music like a man and take ownership of your brain lock. He has gone public with the notion that he doesn’t receive enough credit, and he’s right. He’s a beast. But beasts are human sometimes, and to err is human, and Marshall was very human, on the field and off, standing up to receive his fair share of the blame.
“The damage outweighs the reward so much,” Marshall said.
Bowles wasted little time pulling Marshall to the side on the sideline.
“He knows he can’t make that play, we both know he can’t make that play, he can’t pitch the ball, he understands that, he knows that,” Bowles said at his press conference.
Marshall waited too late to pitch back to Jeff Cumberland. He never should have entertained the thought.
“That’s backyard football, can’t do that … bonehead play,” Marshall said.
He wasn’t celebrating his 10 receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown.
“I played like crap today, to be honest with you,” Marshall said.
Fitzpatrick had thrown touchdown passes to Marshall and then early in the fourth quarter to Kerley before failing to capitalize on the Jets’ lone defensive takeaway at the Philly 41 by getting a pass deflected at the line and intercepted by Jordan Hicks. But with 4:48 left, he blocked out his two second-half interceptions and began marching the Jets to the Philly 37. Where he threw an out for Marshall and watched it bounce off his receiver’s hands into Walter Thurmond’s arms at the 18.
“The interception I gave up, thought the safety was right there so I tried to catch it really quick and bring it in, and short-armed it, and gave up a pick, so that’s on me,” Marshall said.
He was targeted 14 times, in the face of suffocating double- and, sometimes, triple-coverage.
“I wasn’t getting open, I wasn’t making a play, and that puts our offense in a bind,” Marshall said. “ ’Cause obviously I think everyone knows I’m a guy where a lot of offense is going to go through. So if I’m not getting open and making my play, that’s going to hurt us. And that’s what happened.”
The Eagles provided the blueprint for beating Bowles’ Jets: Jump on them early and make Fitzpatrick beat you.
Fitzpatrick throwing 58 times is not Tom Brady throwing 58 times. His first two series were three-and-outs. His two series following Darren Sproles’ 89-yard punt return touchdown were three-and-outs. The boobirds officially welcomed him to New York when on third-and-15 from his 25 late in the third quarter, trailing 24-7, he threw underneath for Kerley for no gain.
“Ryan’s our quarterback,” Bowles said.
As well he should be, One bad game doesn’t get Geno Smith his job back.
“The winning formula for us is not gonna be turning the ball over and throwing it 58 times,” Fitzpatrick said.
Marshall was asked about his 10,043 career receiving yards milestone, and the consistency it illustrates.
“Did you not see the fumble that I had?” he said, and chuckled. “I can’t really wrap my head around it right now ’cause I’m so disappointed in my performance. … I’ll be able to digest it in a few hours or maybe our next win.”