Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown put in one of the best performances of his career on Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts, catching nine passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime.
THIS PLAY.
THIS GAME.
THIS TEAM.
WALKOFF TOUCHDOWN HOLLYWOOD BROWN 🎬
But that wasn’t enough for former All-Pro linebacker Bart Scott, who made waves on Monday when he asserted that Brown “wouldn’t start” for other top teams in the NFL, including the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers.
Scott spent seven seasons in Baltimore, earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 2006 after stepping in for an injured Ray Lewis.
Scott again downplayed Brown’s superb start to the season this morning, saying “even though he’s had some good games, he wouldn’t be your one or two on most of the teams that have MVP-caliber quarterbacks.”
It’s difficult to reconcile the former Raven’s assessment of Marquise Brown with the young wideout’s performance this season.
He’s eighth among all players with 451 receiving yards, and his five receiving touchdowns are the second-highest total in the NFL. Though his production is still just behind the Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill and the Packers’ Davante Adams, Brown still far outpaces those team’s second starting receivers.
In fact, he’s performed even better than the Bills’ top receiver, Stefon Diggs, who has only 374 yards and one touchdown on 28 receptions, the same number as Brown this season.
Hollywood has emerged as an elite receiving threat for quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has a 130.6 passer rating when targeting Brown this season. The pair have combined for several highlight plays, including a filthy double move from Brown that led to a 42-yard touchdown that kicked off the Ravens’ comeback against the Colts.
Hollywood Brown cooked him 😳
(🎥 @NFL)
Overall, Brown is on pace for 95 receptions, 1,500 yards and 17 touchdowns this season, all of which would be career-high marks for the former Oklahoma Sooner. That kind of production would certainly place him among the top wideouts in the NFL.
Hollywood Brown Responds to Criticism
Brown had plenty of thoughts about Scott’s comments, and didn’t hold back when asked about them last night.
“That was pretty disrespectful, I’m not gonna lie. I don’t usually respond to people but if I see Bart in person, we got words,” said the third-year receiver, according to Mark Viviano of WJZ Baltimore.
Scott’s criticism came up again today, with Brown calling it “foolishness,” adding “I don’t care what he says,” per Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun.
Yesterday, immediately after the clip made rounds on social media, Brown shook off the criticism, poking fun at Scott’s first name rather than allow himself to be drawn into a debate on Twitter.
Quarterback-turned-ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III responded to Brown’s comeback, laughing at his former teammate’s handling of the situation.
Houston Texans running back Phillip Lindsay replied as well, calling Scott’s comments “crazy.”
Scott Puts Lamar Jackson Over Patrick Mahomes
Though Scott did earn the ire of Ravens fans with his criticism of Brown, he did have some high praise for Lamar Jackson.
.@BartScott57 no longer believes Patrick Mahomes is the best QB in the NFL 👀
“The best QB in the league is Lamar Jackson.”
“Right now, the best show and the best quarterback in the league is Lamar Jackson,” said Scott, putting Jackson above fellow AFC quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.
Scott doubled down on his comments this morning, saying that Jackson is not only “the best QB in the league right now…he’s the best player, period!”
“[Lamar Jackson is] the best QB in the league right now. … He’s the best player, period!”
While Ravens fans will certainly agree with Scott’s recognition of Jackson’s talent and leadership of his team, they definitely will continue to take issue with his somewhat unfounded criticism of Hollywood Brown.
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Former All-Pro Puts Ravens’ Hollywood Brown on Blast: ‘He Wouldn’t Start’