They’re big, tall and fast — and a nightmare for any secondary trying to covering them, much less an injury-ravaged unit like the winless Giants.
Chicago wideouts Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery are one of the top pass-catching duos in the NFL, and will be one of Big Blue’s biggest concerns Thursday at Soldier Field.
“They’re a tremendous concern. They’re outstanding players and they’ve got the numbers to back it up,” said Tom Coughlin. “Jeffery just set a big record out there. They’re good players. They have two of those big guys who can run, physical receivers who do a nice job blocking downfield. They’re big targets for the quarterback.’’
And quarterback Jay Cutler has done a great job of finding them this season, one of only three duos (joining the Broncos’ Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, and the Giants’ own Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks) to both rank in the Top 20 in receiving yards.
“They’re both good receivers, they’re both big and they’re both explosive, but we’re still going to stick to our game plan,’’ said cornerback Prince Amukamara. “They’re both big receivers and they’re both explosive. We just have to learn to play with them. We have big guys on our team, so we’ve gotten those things in practice.’’
With the operative word being big. Marshall is 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, Jeffery nearly as imposing at 6-3, 216. And the Giants will have to cover them with a decimated secondary. Aaron Ross is out for the year, and defensive coordinator Perry Fewell acknowledged Corey Webster (groin) is expected to be out Thursday, with Jayron Hosley likely out as well.
“Oh, I’m playing Thursday. … We’re all brothers,” said Terrell Thomas, who had offseason surgery and played just one of 81 snaps on Sunday to rest his surgically repaired knee for Thursday. “We’re all in this together, all pushing each other trying to get better. We lost Ross for the season, Corey’s still out, [Hosley] is still banged-up,’’
Marshall has 378 receiving yards, and an NFL-high 149 catches since the start of last season. Jeffery is eighth in the league with 429 receiving yards, including a Bears-record 218 in Week 5 against the Saints, prompting Marshall to gush the second-year pro “could be the best to ever do it.”
“They’re big guys. Cutler does a great job of throwing it up there and allowing them to make plays,’’ said Thomas. “But at the same time, it gives us an opportunity as DBs to make plays on the ball as well.’’
That might well be the Giants’ best chance to stop the Bears’ duo: intercept the delivery system. Cutler has proven turnover-prone in the past, and when he gives the Giant corners chances to make plays on the ball, they’ll have to seize their opportunities Thursday in Soldier Field.
“For sure. I think that’s going to be huge for us,’’ said Amukamara. “There’s times where he tries to squeeze the ball into tiny pockets and it’s our job to make them pay for those. We’ve seen that on film where there’s times that it’s gone his way and he has made big plays by doing that.’’
