Brandon Marshall has been a nonfactor for the New York Giants so far this season, but he got a golden opportunity to make up for it when Eli Manning lofted a deep pass his way during the fourth quarter of Monday's loss to the Detroit Lions.
The Giants were down a touchdown at the time of the play, but Marshall somehow let the ball bounce off his hands and New York was forced to punt. Rookie cornerback Jamal Agnew returned it for a spectacular touchdown and the game was over.
"That was the moment," Marshall said, according to Dan Duggan of NJ Advance Media. "That was the biggest play of the game. I let my team down. I got an opportunity to make a big play and change the momentum and I lost it."
Marshall caught just one of his five targets for 17 yards Monday following an equally unimpressive Week 1 performance. It's a far cry from what the Giants expected out of the six-time Pro Bowler when they signed him as a free agent this offseason.
"It was a perfect pass," Marshall said. "I beat the guy really bad at the line of scrimmage, knew the ball was coming, saw the ball, at the last second lost it in the light, and then I picked it back up and just dropped it. Just dropped it. Let the team down. That can't happen."
With Odell Beckham Jr. sidelined for the season opener and limited against the Lions due to a nagging ankle injury, Marshall was expected to fill the Giants' No. 1 receiver role.
Instead, he's gone missing. He was even outproduced versus Detroit by a clearly hobbled Beckham, who caught four passes for 36 yards in limited snaps.
"I don't think I'm pressing," Marshall said. "I actually think I'm doing a good job. It's a new role for me, so I'm in the game and I'm trying to make plays where ever I can. Whether it's in the run game or the pass game. I got an opportunity tonight, I got a few opportunities tonight and I let my team down."
