Bears' Brandon Marshall issues personal challenge to Packers
Some postgame interviews given by the Green Bay Packers defense after their 23-10 victory over the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on Sept. 13 have apparently brought the NFL's most ancient rivalry to another level -- at least in the mind of Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall.
Most of the Packers' postgame chirping seemed directed at Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, as Charles Woodson said he knew Cutler would throw it to them. And he was right.
"It's the same old Jay," Woodson said.
The Packers played a combination of coverages, but mostly used a "two-man" coverage devised by defensive coordinator Dom Capers with a safety over the top and corner trailing closely on Marshall's inside.
"Capers is their player MVP," Marshall said Wednesday at Halas Hall. "For their players to be over there talking about how awesome of a job they did shutting down certain players, I don't respect that when it's two and three guys on you or other guys.
"Coach Capers did an amazing job of game-planning us and game-planning me. I didn't beat double- or triple-coverage or whatever they were throwing at us. I take it as a slap in my face when guys talk about my lack of ability to do something against them when they have help all over the place."
Marshall more or less issued a challenge to the Packers for Sunday's game at Soldier Field, but it's unlikely to be accepted.
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"I'm looking forward to one-on-one coverage," he said. "Hopefully, those guys in games like this may go to their coach and say, 'Let me have him. I want Brandon Marshall. I want to stop Brandon Marshall. Let me have him one-on-one, press coverage.'
"And we'll see what happens."
Marshall, who has a team-record and league-best 101 catches and to go with 1,342 receiving yards (second in the NFL), continued harping on the attitudes of Packer defensive backs.
"I mean the way some people talk is like they did that," Marshall said. "I would love their play to back up their talk. But if they did, this game, it's not about stats. It's not about any of that. We just want to get the win.
"It's personal. So I want to impose my will this game. It doesn't matter if that's in the passing game or the running game. Our ultimate goal is the Super Bowl. It says if you speak it, you can speak things into existence. That's exactly what I'm doing."
If the Packers bring the same approach this game, Marshall thinks the Bears receivers will be ready, even if they are coming off their worst game of the year in terms of dropped passes.
"Whatever the formula is this game to win, I want to get it done," he said. "If they want to roll coverage to me, shoot, I've got Alshon Jeffery on the other side. He's not a rookie anymore. He's not rusty anymore. He's been making plays in practice. He had a bunch of opportunities in the game, and those plays that we expect him to make, he will make. I'll lean on Alshon. I'll lean on Matt Forte. I'll lean on Devin Hester this game.
"I invite double and triple coverage. I just don't like the talk afterwards about how great of a job the players did when it's not man-to-man coverage or single."
Marshall recalled some specific things he read or heard about what Packers defensive backs said leading up to the game.
"They were complaining about how big I was and I was a cheater because I grabbed and pushed at the line of scrimmage," he said. "I thought that is what bump coverage was about."
He continued: "So they put them off and throw them inside and a safety over the top and a linebacker running out to me. They did a bunch of things and it was good. But we won't make that mistake again. We won't force the ball to me. We'll lean on other guys, and if they want to give me one-on-one coverage, they will pay."
Marshall concluded his rant with some strong feelings that made it sound like he'd been part of the Bears-Packers rivalry for years.
"I don't like the Green Bay Packers," Marshall said. "I'm not going to use the word 'hate,' but I really dislike the Green Bay Packers and their players. But the talk, you have to back it up. We'll go out there and we'll do everything we need to do to get a win."
Coach Lovie Smith usually isn't into pregame talk much, but didn't come down on Marshall. Then again, if he did, he'd be coming down on the Bears' only weapon this year.
"I think guys talking does a little bit, I think guys performing does an awful lot," he said. "And what Brandon Marshall is doing that's stimulating our locker room and our team is his play on the football field. And from start to finish. So that's what he's doing for us in the end. Talking just doesn't get an awful lot done. But Brandon is just performing each week at a high level and those are the kind of guys that are going to carry us through this last stretch."
Follow Bears reporter Gene Chamberlain on Twitter @CBSBears.
