Brandon Marshall vs. Vontae Davis : a premier matchup with history ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

 -- Brandon Marshall and Vontae Davis have a history. Bad history. Good history.

It's confusing.

Marshall and Davis, the key matchup Monday night when the New York Jets face the Indianapolis Colts, were teammates with the Miami Dolphins in 2010 and 2011. During the 2011 season, they had an altercation at practice in which Marshall reportedly fired a football in Davis' face. The Dolphins were in the midst of a long losing streak and tensions were high. According to reports, Davis missed the start of practice after a late night out with teammates, prompting Marshall to get in his face. It escalated and Davis had to be restrained by teammates. 

Neither player made it to the 2012 season with the Dolphins: Marshall was traded to the Chicago Bears, Davis to the Colts. In fact, they faced each other in the 2012 opener.In the past, Marshall has described Davis as "a little brother to me," saying he tried to mentor Davis during his early days with the Dolphins. They remain friends, according to Marshall. For obvious reasons, it'll be a fascinating matchup to watch. Marshall is the Jets' No. 1 receiver and Davis hasn't allowed a touchdown reception since December 2013."Vontae is super patient now; that wasn’t the case back then," Marshall said last week. "He’s always been a smart guy, but it seems like he’s locked in on every single play now. His focus is on an all-time high. He’s always been super talented, that’s never been the issue with him. It just seems like he’s finally put it all together, and that’s a scary thing for a wide receiver."

Marshall said they've engaged in "some good battles. This kid’s really talented. I always thought when Vontae’s super focused, he’s one of the best in the business, if not the best, behind our guy (Darrelle Revis)."It would be an upset if the Colts (0-1) don't use Davis on Marshall. In the opener, the Cleveland Browns assigned Pro Bowl corner Joe Haden to Marshall, who scored anyway.

"No, I'm old and washed up," Marshall joked. "No one should follow me now."

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