The Baltimore Ravens are not done talking about the fight between corner Marlon Humphrey and Cleveland Browns star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. that occurred during Sunday’s game.
Humphrey and Beckham got tangled up in a scrap during the Browns’ 40-25 victory, which ended with the Ravens defender on top of Beckham appearing to choke him.
The Ravens official Twitter account went to bat for Humphrey on Tuesday, saying that was not the case, posting ultra slow-motion video disputing the incident.
“There’s been a lot of talk about the play between Marlon Humphrey and Odell Beckham Jr.,” the tweet reads. “Close-up video shows exactly what happened, and that Humphrey didn’t choke him.”
The post linked to a story on the Ravens’ official site, which further went to the extreme to defend Humphrey. Here’s an excerpt from Ryan Mink’s post:
Odell Beckham Jr. definitely punched Marlon Humphrey – also grabbing the cornerback’s facemask, attempting a sweeping leg kick and pulling him to the ground.
Humphrey definitely did not choke Beckham.
Instead, Humphrey did what he’s coached to do: protect himself, all while holding on to Beckham’s jersey the entire time.
The fight didn’t result in an ejection of either player but drew multiple personal foul flags on both squads. What the video makes clear is that both players were clearly in the wrong during the dust-up, but they seemingly moved past it when Humphrey apologized to OBJ following the game.
“I ran into him after the game and apologized. It’s not really the brand of football I want to represent,” Humphrey told reporters. “The whistle [blew]. It has to be over with.”
Well, it appears it’s not over with just yet.
Freddie Kitchens Vocal in Defense of Odell Beckham
From the minute the game ended, Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens has been vocal with his displeasure with the officiating on the play. After the game he said, “They get away with that because it’s Odell.”
Kitchens expanded on that further during Monday’s press conference, which is likely what prompted the strong response from the Ravens.
“Here’s my big deal with that: I just want to have consistency on how we’re going to deal with things, OK?” Kitchens said. “I don’t like seeing our player on the field and someone’s hands around his throat. I don’t like that. I don’t think that needs to be in our game, and I would be the first to say that if it was our guy doing it.”
Kitchens was asked about the post by the Ravens’ post. All he said was: “Did you see the video? That’s my response”
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has been a little less vocal on the situation and appears ready to move on.
“I just try to focus on what I’m going to say to our player in that situation, because you can’t control the way the officials see it,” Harbaugh said Monday. “I’m not exactly sure why [Humphrey] got the foul, but I’m sure they’ll tell us what they thought they saw. Based on the close up, the footage that we had, [Humphrey] pinned him [Beckham] on the ground after about three or four things happened.”
Browns Praise Odell Beckham for Unselfish Play
GettyBrowns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Beckham didn’t have a memorable stat line in the game, coming away with just two catches for 20 yards. However, he did the little things to help the team win, including throwing some big blocks for his buddy Jarvis Landry, who notched eight catches for 167 yards before exiting in with a concussion.
“If you want to judge Odell Beckham, everybody knows about his skill level and his skill set,” Kitchens said. “But if you want to know about Odell Beckham, put on those plays where Jarvis Landry is down the field 40 and 50 yards. Look who’s down there with him trying to get him into the end zone. Look who’s down there making their block. Look who’s blocking 44 (Humphrey) before he gets punched in the throat. So if you want to tell about Odell Beckham as a football player and as a person, look at those plays.”
The Browns and Ravens meet again on Dec. 22 which could end up being a very important game when it comes to sorting out the division.
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Odell Beckham Blasted by Ravens in Bizarre Post [WATCH]