When Brandon Marshall went down with a knee injury in the first half of Thursday night’s win over the Buffalo Bills, fans immediately thought the worst. Marshall thought the same.
After being dragged down by the facemask on a catch over the middle, Marshall immediately grabbed his left knee with both hands. After the game, he revealed that he feared he had just suffered a season-ending injury.
“I thought it was over,” Marshall said, per Connor Hughes of NJ.com. “Thought I would be fishing in my backyard in Florida.”
The majority of us who were watching the game from our couches are not doctors, but we’ve all seen enough torn ACLs to know how a player reacts when going down with one. Marshall’s reaction was the same.
“All I cared about was my ACL and if I was going to get feeling back in my leg,” he said. “Once I got that, I said I’m going to go out and run. I was able to make a few plays and draw coverage.”
Marshall walked off the field under his own power and later returned after an examination in the locker room. Jets head coach Todd Bowles revealed after the game that the All-Pro receiver suffered only a “minor sprain.” You can see a video of the play here.
Knees aren’t supposed to bend the way Marshall’s did. The fact that he returned and finished the game with nine catches for 101 yards is remarkable. The Jets dodged a massive bullet.
