FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Brandon Marshall took advantage of the rare opportunity to sit down, relax and watch an NFL football game Thursday night.
It didn't take long for the New York Jets wide receiver to change the channel as the New England Patriots and rookie third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett rolled to a 27-0 victory over the Houston Texans.
"I had to turn it off," Marshall said Friday, shaking his head while keeping a straight face. "It was disgusting."
The Patriots are the Jets' AFC East rivals, of course, and they haven't missed a beat without Tom Brady, suspended the first four games for his role in the "Deflategate" scandal.
Bill Belichick's bunch didn't even blink despite having backup Jimmy Garoppolo sidelined with a shoulder injury, suffered in a Week 2 win over Miami. Brissett, a third-round draft pick out of N.C. State, completed 11 of 19 passes for 103 yards, and also ran in a 27-yard touchdown while playing through an injured right thumb .
"Coach Belichick's really good," Marshall said with a big smile. "He's really good. Obviously, they're in our division. Just being honest and truthful, they're in our division and so you're watching and seeing what's going on, and I just thought, more so on the Houston Texans side, they've got a lot of good guys and a lot of good coaches and I'm familiar with a lot of those guys, so I expected them to come out strong -- as a fan.
"From a fan's perspective, I wanted to watch a good game. I wanted it to be entertaining. So, when it's 27-0, it's not really fun watching those games. I'm just a fan."
But, as a member of the Jets, you also want to see the Patriots lose, right?
"I was a fan last night," Marshall said, laughing. "A fan's perspective. I just wanted to see a good game. When I have time to watch football, I want to see a good game."
Marshall, who's questionable for Sunday's game at Kansas City with knee and foot ailments, said the Jets "control our own destiny" and aren't concerned about what other teams are doing, in their division or elsewhere.
But with the Patriots' ability to seemingly rebound from adversity and control the AFC East every year -- having won it seven straight years and 12 of the last 13 -- it could place added pressure on the other teams in the division to keep up.
"I wish I could curse right now," Marshall said calmly. "The only time I curse, sometimes, is in football, so I'm trying to be better. But I don't give a `D' about the Patriots. Can you feel me? I just care about the Jets. It's nothing against them. I just care about the Jets. It's all about us."
Marshall is confident this year's Jets team has the right mix of talent and attitude to have success, regardless of what the Patriots do.
The Jets and Patriots don't meet until Nov. 27 at the Meadowlands, then play Dec. 24 at New England.
"If we do our jobs, we'll be in any game," he said. "We have a good team and I'm not scared to say it. We have a really good team. It's about executing, staying focused and making the sacrifices throughout the week to be there on Sunday, and it seems like our guys are willing to do that."
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