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Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey had one of the worst games of his career on Sunday, getting absolutely torched by Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase during the Ravens’ crushing 41-17 loss.
“Going into this week, the big assignment was on me to stop their top guy. I lost that matchup,” said Humphrey after Chase racked up 201 receiving yards and a touchdown against a porous Baltimore defense.
“We do have to play better in the secondary,” continued Humphrey, who noted that the improvements needed to start with him after surrendering 409 passing yards to Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow —the first time in NFL history a quarterback has thrown for over 400 yards and at last three touchdowns against the Ravens defense in Baltimore, according to NFL on CBS.
“I have to play better, especially when the gameplan is for me to have a big day. Coaches put trust in me. I have to execute better,” said the 2019 All-Pro corner.
“It will be a group effort to get it fixed,” he concluded.
Many observers hyped the Humphrey-Chase matchup as a must-watch showdown between the Ravens’ All-Pro cornerback and the Bengals’ Rookie of the Year frontrunner. It turned out to be a one-sided affair, as Chase frequently burned Humphrey after the catch, including this 82-yard touchdown in the third.
The 82-yard score kicked off a 21-point run by the Bengals that put the game so far out of reach for the Ravens that backup quarterback Tyler Huntley relieved Lamar Jackson in the fourth quarter.
Humphrey did manage to secure the Ravens’ lone turnover of the game, boxing out Chase in the end zone to secure a jump ball from Burrow for his first interception of the season.
The pick was the lone highlight for Humphrey and the Ravens’ defense, who struggled with missed tackles and blown coverages all game.
It was a remarkably disappointing performance from Humphrey, as Ravens fans are used to seeing him dominate opposing wideouts like he did against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6.
Humphrey put the clamps on Mike Williams in that matchup, but clearly, Chase is a different beast.
The former Alabama corner will be determined to put the rough performance behind him before he faces Chase and the Bengals again in Week 16.
Chase Reacts to Historic Game
Despite preseason concerns about drops, Chase has taken the NFL by storm as a rookie, racking up 754 yards so far this season, the most by any player in NFL history in the first seven games of their career.
He talked about his matchup with Humphrey after the game, telling media, “Humphrey did a great job of not letting me go over the top of him,” per Ryan Mink of the Ravens.
That forced Chase, Burrow, and Bengals head coach Zac Taylor to adjust offensively.
“We just started going to back-shoulders, stop routes, slants, quick pitches and stuff like that. After the catches come the YAC, breaking the tackle, making guys miss, and heading to the end zone,” explained Chase, who has done most of his damage on deep balls this season.
Chase and Humphrey exchanged some words in the fourth quarter, but the rookie wideout revealed that it was all respect between him and his AFC North opponent.
Ravens Fans Missing Marcus Peters
The monstrous performance from Chase has Ravens fans wondering what might have been if All-Pro cornerback Marcus Peters hadn’t suffered a torn ACL in the preseason.
The two-time All-Pro arrived in Baltimore in 2019 and immediately upgraded the Ravens’ secondary into one of the best in the league. He earned an 85.5 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus during his first year as a Raven, leading the team with five interceptions and establishing one of the NFL’s premier cornerback duos with Humphrey.
Despite a step back last season, Peters appeared poised for a solid 2021 season behind an improved pass rush and with a healthy secondary. But a brutal day at practice ended the seasons of both Peters and starting running back Gus Edwards, who are both aiming to return to the field in 2022.
With Peters out and the rest of the secondary struggling, the Ravens might be in the market for a cornerback before the NFL’s November 2 trade deadline.
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