Getty Marcus Peters jumps in front of a pass in Texas in 2020.
The Baltimore Ravens have a pair of defensive players who have opened eyes in circles the last few years, and while those guys are elite on one side of the ball, they might also be the best of the best in the league as a whole.
Duos have become a thing of the past in the NFL, with players changing zip codes constantly, but there are a few folks in the league that have played well with each other and have staying power with their teams. Such players deserve credit for being a solid duo.
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Looking ahead to 2021, NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks took a look at identifying some of these duos, and the Ravens had one of the top ones on the list in the league in the form of cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters. The duo placed third on the list.
As for why, Brooks wrote:
“Playing great defense in today’s NFL is all about forcing turnovers. With that in mind, the Ravens’ defense will always rank among the game’s best units as long as Peters and Humphrey are leading the way as ball magnets in the secondary. Peters is a turnover machine with 31 career interceptions and nine forced fumbles in six seasons. Although he will give up an occasional play as a fearless gambler, the veteran routinely makes up for his mistakes with a timely interception that changes the momentum of the game. Humphrey is the best ball puncher on the perimeter since Charles “Peanut” Tillman helped the Bears’ defense wreak havoc on the league years ago. The All-Pro finished 2020 with a league-high eight forced fumbles and 2.5 sacks as a slot/outside corner with superb instincts and awareness. These two former first-round picks give the Ravens the league’s best turnover producers in a defensive backfield.”
Obviously, Brooks would know elite defensive play given he was a cornerback in the league that played five years and went on to be a scout and a member of the media. What he sees is a solid indication of how far this duo has made it and how good they actually are.
Peters, Humphrey Already Called Top NFL Corner Duo
Long one of the most accurate and solid cornerback groups in the league, the Ravens once again have the look of an elite tandem heading into 2021, and that’s what the experts are seeing as well just ahead of a new season on the field.
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Recently, Bleacher Report took a look at picking out the top 5 cornerback tandems in the league, and not surprisingly, the Ravens’ group was high on the list. In fact, Maurice Moton ranked them the top team overall in the league at the position.
He wrote:
“The Baltimore Ravens can also rely on Humphrey to make tackles in the open field and force turnovers upon contact. In 2020, he led the league in forced fumbles (eight), an impressive feat for a cornerback. Humphrey also recorded a team-leading 70 solo tackles with four for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Peters isn’t a reliable tackler in open space, but he’s arguably the top ball hawk in the NFL. The two-time All-Pro has the most interceptions (31) since 2015. In 2019 and 2020, he allowed a passer rating below 79.
Humphrey fills in the physical gaps where Peters isn’t at his best, but they’re both top-tier cornerbacks who can impact the game with takeaways via forced fumbles and interceptions.
The Patriots’ tandem and the Ravens’ duo are separated by a thin margin, but the latter pair has no concerns about a potential drop-off in production with the accolades to take the top spot.
With Humphrey and Peters healthy in the prime of their careers, we don’t have to worry about whether either cornerback will trend downhill because of age or condition. That isn’t clear for soon-to-be 31-year-old Stephon Gilmore coming off a quad injury.”
The Ravens have one of the best defenses in the league and a big reason why is this defense and cornerback group. Once again, they look elite coming into a new season paired up together.
Ravens Cornerbacks Solid Statistically
Both Humphrey and Peters have been amongst the most elite options in the league at their positions, as the numbers have shown through the years. Just last season, Peters had 4 interceptions and 52 tackles. Humphrey had 82 tackles and 1 interception. That’s pretty good production for the group as a pair of players. Obviously, the Ravens would probably like to see a little more of that next season, but the production and ability to lock wideouts down is impressive enough to make them the best in the league according to this piece.
Heading toward a new season, this duo continues to get tons of love. It isn’t a stretch to say that they are amongst the best in the NFL.
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Ravens’ ‘Batman and Robin’ Defensive Duo Named Third-Best in NFL