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In his first four seasons since entering the NFL after being drafted in the second round of the 2019 draft out of Ole Miss, standout wide receiver AJ Brown of the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles has gone up against and bested some of the cornerbacks in the league.
Prior to playing in Super Bowl 57 where he recorded 6 catches for 96 receiving yards and a touchdown, he told a reporter during one of his media availabilities on Thursday, February 9, 2023, that Baltimore Ravens All-Pro Marlon Humphrey is the toughest cornerback he’s faced in his career thus far.
AJ Brown tells me the toughest DB he’s played against us @marlon_humphrey
Nothing but respect 🤝
“He’s a physical (defensive back), plays with hands, plays with his feet, he’s aggressive,” Brown said. “He’s always there in the middle of the route so he’s annoying. You got to keep knocking his hand down.”
Not only did he praise Humphrey for his ability in coverage but he also admires and combatively loathes his penchant for forcing fumbles by dislodging the ball from the grasp of pass catchers and ball carriers alike.
“When you catch the ball, you have to be ready for the ‘peanut punch’,” Brown added. “He’s a lot to deal with.”
According to Pro Football Reference, Humphrey has deflected 71 passes and forced 13 fumbles in his career including a league-leading 8 in 2020.
Most coverage snaps without allowing a TD in 2022:
🥇 MARLON HUMPHREY – 626
The next most without allowing a TD played just 423 snaps 😬
Tape Doesn’t Lie & Supports the Claim
The two multi-time Pro Bowlers faced off three different times during Brown’s time with the Tennessee Titans prior to getting traded during last year’s draft so he knows first-hand just how much of a dominant disruptive threat Humphrey presents when he’s on the field.
In those trio of games, two came in the postseason and two resulted in wins for Brown and the Titans but he only scored twice, didn’t eclipse more than 83 receiving yards in any of them nor did he record more than 6 receptions.
Their two playing styles made for excellent 1-on-1 battles when they found themselves lined up against one another with every catch and yard yielded being hard-earned and even harder to come by.
Marlon Humphrey got the best of AJ Brown 👀
(via @thecheckdown)
AJ Brown vs Marlon Humphrey is gonna be a battle all day 🍿 @Brown1arthur @marlon_humphrey
📺 #BALvsTEN on ESPN/ABC
Barring a potential matchup between the Ravens and Eagles in Superbowl 58, Humphrey won, and Brown won’t face off again until the 2024 season in Baltimore.
Ravens to Interview Assistants from Both Super Bowl Teams
Now that the big title game is finally in the books, the team’s quest to find their next offensive coordinator following the resignation of Greg Roman will reportedly include interviews with Eagles quarterback coach Brian Johnson and Kansas City Cheifs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Both coaches are coming off deep playoff runs in which they were instrumental in the development of their respective team’s dynamic young quarterbacks thrive in well-balanced offenses all year long.
Fowler also reported that Johnson would be the most likely candidate to replace current Eagle offensive coordinator Shane Steichen if he were to get hired as the next head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, a job both he and Bieniemy interviewed for. According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, Steichen is the favorite to land the job which would open the door for Johnson to stay put and just get promoted on a staff and in a system he’s already familiar with.
Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen is scheduled to fly to Indianapolis this afternoon, when he is expected to finalize his deal to become the Colts’ next head coach, per source.
The Ravens have had their eye on Bieniemy for weeks after first requesting to interview him on January 29, 2023. Even after they conducted a second round of interviews with their other top candidates in the week leading up to the Super Bowl, they’ve patiently waited to see if they could pry him away from their AFC foe.
Despite the kind and well-deserving shoutout that Cheifs’ head coach Andy Reid gave him for his crucial contributions toward their incredible second-half comeback during the postgame celebration, a lateral move to a place where he can still work with a dynamic young quarterback in Lamar Jackson and will get the credit for drawing up and calling out plays like he would in Baltimore.
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Eagles Star WR Gave Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey High Praise