DAVIE, Fla. — Brandon Marshall says he keeps a notebook of coach Tony Sparano's aphorisms, even when they require an explanation.
Marshall's favorite is one he heard upon first joining the Miami Dolphins before the 2010 season.
"Coach Sparano told me after I signed, 'Sometimes it's a shot glass, sometimes it's a wheelbarrow.'"
Marshall's response to the Miami Dolphins coach: Huh?
"He said, 'Sometimes you might have 10 catches, sometimes you might have two,'" Marshall said. "He's a wise mind."
The season opener produced a wheelbarrow-size bounty for Marshall, who made seven catches for 139 yards. Miami's passing game provided the silver lining in a 38-24 loss Monday to New England.
While the defense was dismal, the offense showed substantial improvement over last season. Chad Henne threw for a career-high 416 yards, and the Dolphins netted 488, their third-highest total since 1990.
"We definitely threw it around a little bit, and guys made plays," Marshall said. "But we left a lot out there."
Miami went 2 for 14 converting third downs and twice stalled inside the 5. But overall the offense did plenty to build on Sunday against Houston.
Marshall might enjoy another wheelbarrow day against the Texans, who ranked last in the NFL in pass defense in 2010 and are concerned about the matchup.
"He's hard to tackle," Houston safety Glover Quin said. "When he gets the ball in his hands, he's phenomenal after the catch, so we're going to have to make sure we rally and tackle him."
Marshall was a two-time Pro Bowl receiver for Denver, but after being traded to Miami last year, he endured a frustrating season. He surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth season in a row but scored only three touchdowns, sparred with Henne and failed to end his career-long playoff drought.
Marshall has since patched things up with Henne. And thanks to the addition of the explosive Reggie Bush, Marshall expects to encounter more one-on-one coverage this season.
That was the case against the Patriots, who at times were distracted by the threat Bush posed running the ball.
"It's distracting for me, forget the defense," Marshall said with a laugh. "I caught myself out there watching instead of blocking."
When Marshall does find himself in single coverage, he can expect the ball to be thrown his way. He was targeted 13 times in the opener.
"You've got a guy out there that's a playmaker," Henne said. "When you have one-on-one out there, throw the ball in his vicinity, and most of the time he's going to come down with it."
Even so, there will likely be days where Marshall has only two catches, not 10. He realizes now that while he's the Dolphins' best receiver, he's not their only receiver.
"I understand that more this year than last year," he said. "Last year I was a little mad when it was a shot glass. But sometimes those shot glasses are just as effective."