FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — It was second-and-goal, and the Jets had the ball at the 1-yard line. Lined up to the outside was their hulking new receiver, Brandon Marshall, who feinted right and then broke inside, beating his defender. Quarterback Geno Smith rifled a quick slant, and Marshall grabbed the ball in the end zone.
This scene played out on the Jets’ practice field Thursday.
They expect to watch it repeated, again and again, in far larger venues this fall.
Of the many reasons the Jets traded for Marshall in March, perhaps none are greater than his proficiency in the red zone, where Marshall, 31, can best put his talents and bountiful physical gifts — size, leaping ability, catching radius — to use.