Brandon Marshall wants Fireman Ed back for good

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Fireman Ed made his return on Sunday, twice appearing on the big screens at MetLife Stadium to lead the “J-E-T-S” chant. And his presence made the impression on one New York Jet, who was making his debut in green and white in what was the Jets 31-10 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Brandon Marshall played his first game as a Jet after being acquired this past offseason in a trade. He finished with six catches for 62 yards and a touchdown, also creating a fumble after quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw aninterceptionin the second quarter.

But for Marshall, it was all about Fireman Ed and his return after two years away from leading the chant.

“There was a lot of energy out there, something that I didn’t think we had in preseason and that was Fireman Ed getting us started. I know he’s been gone for a little bit and we need him so I hope he’s listening to this because there’s a lot of talk that he’s trying to pass the torch to someone else but you can’t duplicate that,” Marshall said.

“We need him to get us going. It’s not just offense, defense and special teams, we need the 12th man and it starts with Fireman Ed. So Fireman Ed, don’t pass the torch.”

Fireman Ed, born Ed Anzalone, stepped down from the role of leading the chant in 2012 after being physically threatened by fans at the stadium during what was a very bad season for the Jets. He led the first chants on Sunday, prior to kickoff, then two other fans led the chant on the big screen for the rest of the game.

Marshall attempted to give Anzalone his game ball following the Jets win.