Put your gloves on and ring the bell — the trash-talk between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots has officially started.
The two teams are set to meet up in the AFC Championship game for the second time in three years, and a few Denver defensive players — part of the league's No. 1 unit — had no problem starting the week with some haymakers directed at the Pats' top performers.
First up was linebacker Brandon Marshall on why tight end Rob Gronkowski is difficult to cover:
"I say ’cause he pushes off," Marshall said via ProFootballTalk.com. "I mean, he pushes off and he gets away with it about 98 percent of the time."
Then came defensive lineman Antonio Smith on whether Tom Brady is a crybaby:
He went on to compliment Brady's competitiveness, which you can read here via WEEI.com.
Then Tuesday, Denver defensive end Malik Jackson called Brady a "whiner" and said he "throws temper tantrums."
Then Tuesday, Denver defensive end Malik Jackson called Brady a "whiner" and said he "throws temper tantrums."
If history is any indication, don't expect much from the Pats in terms of retaliation through the media — a topic Mike Reiss touched on Tuesday.
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