During his rookie season with the Giants, Marshall struggled initially with weight problems, drawing the ire of the coaching staff.Litsky, Frank (July 31, 1983). "Heaviest Giant Is Making Slow Progress", The New York Times, accessed May 9, 2007. After trimming down, Marshall made an impact and played strongly against the run but was unable to mount much of a pass rush and finished with only 0.5 sacks on the season. He improved significantly in 1984 however, recording 6.5 sacks. He also made several key tackles to help the Giants preserve a 16–13 win over the Los Angeles Rams during the wild-card round of the playoffs.Anderson, Dave (December 24, 1984). "Giants halt late Rams' rally to win, 16–13; Big Leonard's Big Tackles", The New York Times, accessed May 9, 2007.
