Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall turned more than a few heads when he said in advance of the Monday Night Football matchup with the Houston Texans, “It’s Brock. We know Brock. He came from here. And we want to kill him. That’s just what we want to do.”
Marshall certainly isn’t making nice with his former teammate, and many fans may be happy about that. But several other key members of the Broncos defense took a softer tone about facing the quarterback who helped, in part, guide the Broncos to Super Bowl 50.
Linebacker Shane Ray and cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Bradley Roby spoke from the media podium on Tuesday, offering their thoughts on the big showdown with the big former Bronco. Here’s what they had to say, courtesy of Broncos PR…
Outside Linebacker Shane Ray
On the criticism Texans QB Brock Osweiler has faced this year
“I don’t know if he’s put his head down. You don’t know what certain players go through. I’m sure it’s tough. He’s a quarterback for a new team with a new offense. He has a lot of expectations. He has a big check. If he’s not playing to a certain level, he gets brought down to this level. I’m sure he’s probably going through a lot, but this is football. You have to be ready for that if that situation happens to you. In a situation like mine, I have to be ready to play against him even though he used to be my teammate. It’s just the nature of the business.”
On facing Osweiler and the Texans
“You don’t even try to game plan it like that. You have to worry about the team as a whole. It’s not just about Brock. Everybody wants to make it about Brock leaving, but it’s not just about Brock. It’s about the whole team—him, his receivers and his line. That’s what it’s about. It’s our job to go out there and stop him, plain and simple.”
Cornerback Aqib Talib
On what can be learned from practicing against Texans QB Brock Osweiler
“I don’t think you can take a lot. He’s running a totally different offense, a lot of eleven personnel and a lot more spread so it’s a totally different offense. You just have to act like he’s brand new player. You wipe everything clean and study him like you’ve never seen him before.”
Cornerback Bradley Roby
On facing Texans QB Brock Osweiler
“I’m looking forward to every week I get to go out there and play. It doesn’t matter who I’m playing against, but I am looking forward to the game. I love Monday night games.”
On whether facing Osweiler in practice the past few seasons has helped prepare for Monday
“It can and it can’t. It’s a different system, it’s a new year and it’s a different person. You can kind of go off of what they do, but not really.”
