Marlon Humphrey voices frustration with Ravens’ pass defense after win over Bengals
The Baltimore Ravens entered Week 10, allowing the most passing yards in the league, and things only got worse against the Cincinnati Bengals. Quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 428 yards and four touchdowns, with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase catching 11 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns against the Ravens’ secondary.
Luckily for Baltimore, the offense led by MVP frontrunner Lamar Jackson has been good enough to overcome the poor play of the defense in most games this season, but that does not mean that these issues are not a threat to keep the team from reaching their ultimate goal of a Super Bowl.
Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey did not mince words about the secondary’s performance following the thrilling 35-34 victory over the Bengals.
“These wins are getting harder to enjoy based off of what we’re doing in the pass defense,” Humphrey said. “It’s not cool to win a game, and you look up and a team has 300 passing [yards on you] every week. It’d be different if we didn’t have [any] guys that could play. I haven’t once heard anybody say, ‘We don’t have the guys; we don’t have the players; we don’t have the skill.’ We’re not doing it in practice. It’s clear that it’s something from … When we do that last preparation to the game, what is happening in that span? We’ve got to figure it out. It’s pretty simple.”
It is hard to imagine Baltimore’s defense becoming a top unit this far into the season, but as Humphrey said, they have the players to be a much better unit than they have been over the first 10 weeks. Rookie defensive coordinator Zach Orr has been heavily scrutinized in his first season, taking the reigns from now-Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, who was the mastermind of one of the best defenses in franchise history last season with most of the same players. With several extra days before their next game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Orr and the rest of the coaching staff need to hammer down the basics to hopefully begin turning things around on defense.
Good morning, family! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate you here.
Shoutout to Bengals fans out there. I know today is a bit of a rough day for you. It isn’t every day that your quarterback puts up nearly 500 passing yards and four touchdowns and your receiver catches 11 balls for 264 yards and three touchdowns and you somehow lose the game.
In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything quite like this.
Personally? I blame Zac Taylor. I think you have to. That two-point conversion attempt? Come on, man. What are we doing here?
Look, I get it. You’re trying to end the game. After the Ravens put up 35 points on your defense, you probably don’t trust the unit to get the stop at that point in the game.
I also understand that the officials completely botched this one, too. Two key calls were missed on the attempt — roughing the passer and defensive holding. The gamble Taylor took here probably should’ve paid off with a score or, at the very least, another attempt a bit closer to the goal line.
Instead, the Ravens win. And Taylor’s Bengals — despite all-world performances from his stars — are 4-6. That’s thanks to his late-game decision-making.
Maybe this is just a bit too much Friday morning quarterbacking from me, but shouldn’t you just kick the extra point there? You’ve got to do everything you can to give Burrow and company a chance to win the game without completely risking it. Taylor reversed that and risked everything for a chance to win. Considering where Cincinnati is in its season, that’s far too risky.
Taylor made things way harder than they needed to be. The playoff race isn’t over for the Bengals, but it’s entirely possible the team’s hopes just collapsed along with that two-point conversion.
That may have cost Cincinnati its season. It’ll also probably cost Taylor his job.
The Bucks finally won again
Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
After a six-game losing streak following a season-opening win, Milwaukee has finally won again.
That’s probably more about the team the Bucks played and less about the Bucks — the Jazz are all in for Cooper Flagg now. But whatever! Take the wins where you can get them, Milwaukee.
Doc Rivers finally shook things up a bit and played Milwaukee’s young guys more. They started Andre Jackson Jr. and played AJ Green a bit more and — whaddaya know! — they were pretty good!
Yesterday, the Milwaukee Bucks were a +19 in Andre Jackson Jr.'s minutes and a +13 in AJ Green's 18.5 minutes.
It's almost like…they are better when they play their young guys!
A win against the lowly Utah Jazz isn’t enough to quell the Giannis trade rumors that have been bubbling up. Legitimate concerns remain about whether Milwaukee can bounce back from its slow start.
But a win is a win. And it’s been a while since the Bucks had one of these. So they’ll certainly take it and run.
Candace Parker is spot on
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
In a world where women’s sports is bubbling up in a way we haven’t seen it before, many people are wondering why we’re just beginning to see this explosion. Why didn’t this happen before?
Candace Parker has the answers. It’s because it was buried and the networks that play it now had much to do with it.
Candace Parker criticizes networks for burying women's sports for many years. (via @bbgoriginals)
"The first time they put the Women's NCAA game on ABC was the first year that Caitlin Clark made the championship game. Are you surprised that the viewership was up? Are you… pic.twitter.com/Mt4AiI8tuZ
“The first time they put the Women’s NCAA game on ABC was the first year that Caitlin Clark made the championship game. Are you surprised that the viewership was up? Are you surprised that people actually saw the product? It was buried for so long on ESPN.
…
The NBA doesn’t want to clash with NFL playoffs or NFL opening week. So why would we then put the WNBA? I don’t care if that’s the time slot that they’re giving you. Let’s fight for another one or let’s find something else.”
Couldn’t have said it any better.
Photo Friday: It’s a bird … It’s a plane … No! It’s Spiderman!
(Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Macy’s)
OK. This isn’t sports. But I know I can’t be the only one excited to see this awesome Spiderman float in the Thanksgiving Day parade. This looks fantastic.
Quick hits: CFB Spread Picks … The worst of the NFL … and more
Good morning, Winners. Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate you giving us a bit of your time.
Bengals fans, you might want to turn away this morning. I won’t mind if you close this window.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals came into this season as a popular Super Bowl pick. Today, they’re 0-3 and at the bottom of the AFC North after losing to the Commanders and their college offense.
Those Super Bowl picks? Trash ’em. It’s probably not going to happen this year. Not only are the Bengals no longer a solid Super Bowl contender, but Cincinnati might not even sniff the playoffs this season.
Since 1990, 162 teams have started their season 0-3. Only four of those teams have made the playoffs, according to Underdog Sports’ James Palmer.
Now, with that, there’s a bit of additional context that our NFL expert Christian D’Andrea says needs to be included in this conversation.
He pointed out that there’s a bigger playoff field with the addition of an extra Wild Card team. There’s also an extra 17th game that most of those teams didn’t have. Both the Rams and Packers started the season 3-6 after nine games last year and still made the playoffs.
“It’s bad, but it’s not as bad as history suggests,” D’Andrea says.
That’s a fair and astute point that should be considered as Cincy moves forward this season. There’s no guarantee the Bengals will turn things around, but the team has a better chance to do it than their 0-3 predecessors.
With that said it does feel like Cincinnati might already be too deep in the whole here.
The AFC North is tough. The Steelers are 3-0 with an elite defensive front and a steady hand from Justin Fields so far. The Ravens are 1-2 but should probably be 2-1. The Ravens are a bit better than their record suggests. Plus, Baltimore has Lamar Jackson, so I’m more inclined to trust that team than not. Cleveland is, well, uh, Cleveland. The Browns are not very good, but they’re still 1-2. When Deshaun Watson is finally benched, the team might be decent.
Even with an elite quarterback like Joe Burrow, that’s a lot for a team to overcome. It’s not impossible, but it does seem improbable at this point.
It all starts with getting one win, though. And the Bengals have a perfect opportunity to do that against the Panthers next week.
It’s go-time, Cincinnati.
Josh Allen looks like the MVP
Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Monday Night Football coin, Josh Allen and the Bills had their way with the Jaguars in a 47-10 thrashing.
It’s way too early to talk about MVP at this point, but I’m going to do it anyway. Josh Allen looks like the NFL’s MVP right now.
He completed 23 of 30 passes for 263 yards and four touchdowns against the Jaguars. He also led the Bills in rushing yards with 44 on six attempts. It was simply an incredible performance from an incredible player. For those counting, that’s nine total touchdowns for Allen on the season without a single interception. That’s beyond impressive.
We’re still in small sample-size territory here after three games, obviously, but it’s hard not to think about MVP for Allen right now with how instrumental he’s been to the Bills’ incredible start. He’s been the best QB in the NFL so far and it’s not that close.
There’s still a lot more season to play so we’ll see where things go. But, Bills fans, you should be over the moon.
The Mountain West is being dismantled
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
My, my. How quickly things can change.
Just under a year ago now, the Mountain West and Pac-12 (or Pac-2?) agreed to a scheduling deal that would allow Washington State and Oregon State to schedule Mountain West teams for the 2024 season in order to keep the conference afloat.
Now, here we are months later, and the Pac-12 has broken the Mountain West apart.
Utah State has reportedly agreed to become the 7th member of the Pac-12, according to the latest from ESPN. The school will join Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Colorado State in making the jump.
This move leaves the Mountain West with just seven teams, meaning it’ll need to add another team to maintain its standing as an official NCAA conference.
That’s just for now. Things could get worse for the MWC pretty quickly here. UNLV is reconsidering its position in the conference after Utah State reportedly bailed out. This is all happening after the conference attempted to orchestrate a new deal to get its members to stay. Now, that deal is no longer viable and the conference is falling apart.
This is how conference realignment works, folks. One conference’s problems become another’s. The Pac-12 was on the brink of destruction but was saved twice by the Mountain West — once by the agreement and then by coaxing its members away.
Now, the Mountain West is in the position the Pac-12 once held as a conference on the brink.
This will be a lesson learned for other conferences moving forward into the future. If a conference is about to disappear, just let it. Otherwise, you may be next.
Quick hits: NFL Power Rankings … CFB Winners and Losers … and more
LOOK: Former Wisconsin linebackers swap jerseys at Arrowhead Stadium
Former Wisconsin linebackers Leo Chenal and Maema Njongmeta swapped jerseys at Arrowhead Stadium after the Kansas City Chiefs win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon.
Chenal’s Chiefs outdueled Njongmeta’s Bengals 26-25 on a last-second field goal. Nonetheless, the two shared a moment of Badger brotherhood on the field shortly after the game ended.
Chenal, who registered seven tackles, one tackle for loss and two pass deflections against Lamar Jackson’s Ravens in Week 1, notched six tackles and one forced fumble this week against the Bengals. Njongmeta did not record a defensive statistic, but appeared on a few special teams sequences.
Despite differing graduation years, the two spent three seasons together at Wisconsin from 2019-2021. Chenal accounted for 180 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in 29 games during that span.
Njongmeta played in six games during Chenal’s final year in Madison (2021) before leading UW with 95 tackles in 2022. He then started for the Badgers again in 2023 in the first year under new coach Luke Fickell.
Chenal will continue to serve as one of the Chiefs’ most valuable defensive assets during the team’s quest for a third consecutive Super Bowl.
Njongmeta, on the other hand, earned his spot on the Bengals’ 53-man roster towards the tail of August after a stellar preseason. He tallied 29 tackles in three games, including 18 solo tackles, and added two pass deflections.
Two notable former Badgers pictured together at NFL preseason joint practice:
Wisconsin Badgers football alumni Jonathan Taylor and Maema Njongmeta linked up for a picture at an NFL preseason joint training camp practice on Tuesday.
Staged at Cincinnati’s Kettering Health Practice Fields, the practice was the final of Indianapolis’ offseason agenda before the Colts and Bengals square off in their final preseason match on Thursday night.
Taylor, a star running back for the Indianapolis Colts, and Njongmeta, a promising linebacker prospect for the Cincinnati Bengals, came together with Wisconsin’s No. 3 all-time leading tackler Tim Krumrie during Tuesday’s action.
Krumrie played four seasons at Wisconsin before transitioning to a successful 12-year NFL career with the Bengals from 1983-94. Krumrie was a 1999 inductee into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame and served as a defensive line coach for the Bengals, Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs from 1995-2009.
While Njongmeta’s career doesn’t quite align with Taylor’s Wisconsin timeline, both represented the Badgers in 2019. Njongmeta redshirted that year while Taylor, who rushed for over 1,800 yards in 2021, pocketed his second-consecutive Doak Walker Award, registered another 2,000-yard season and led the nation with 26 total touchdowns.
Despite encountering a few injury setbacks, Taylor enters this season as one of the NFL’s premier all-purpose running backs. Njongmeta, on the other hand, is fighting for a spot on Cincinnati’s final 53-man roster for the 2024 slate.
Luckily for him, his 17 tackles, two passes deflections, one tackle for loss and one special teams tackle in two preseason games with the Bengals has driven his defensive stock up considerably.
Regardless of what transpires with the roster, both players appear to connect over their collegiate bonds.
Former Wisconsin linebacker among PFF’s highest-graded rookies from NFL preseason Week 1
Former Wisconsin linebacker Maema Njongmeta was the third-highest graded rookie from Week 1 of the 2024 NFL preseason, according to ProFootballFocus.
Njongmeta recorded a 91.5 overall grade during the Cincinnati Bengals’ 17-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 10. Only Indianapolis Colts’ cornerback Micah Abraham (92.2) and New Orleans Saints cornerback Rico Payton (91.7) graded higher.
The undrafted free-agent linebacker and former third-team All-Big Ten member registered 10 tackles, a quarterback hurry and a batted pass in the losing effort.
Njongmeta’s performance could serve as a sign for things to come for the former Badger during his first season in NFL threads. Although he currently slots behind Logan Wilson, Joe Bachie and Shaka Hayward on Cincinnati’s middle linebacker depth chart, he still has two weeks to earn a position on the Bengals’ 53-man depth chart.
Another head-turning performance against the Chicago Bears on Aug. 17 could vault him into contention for a final roster spot.
Former Ravens safety Geno Stone may be in for another historic season with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Former Ravens safety Geno Stone may be in for another historic season with the Cincinnati Bengals. Expect defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo to polish Stone and build a scheme that favors his ball-hawking tendencies.
Last season, the Bengals were inhibited by two key shortcomings. First, they lost all-pro safety Jesse Bates III to the Atlanta Falcons, and then their starting quarterback Joe Burrow went down in the middle of the season with a hand injury. Still, the Bengals finished the season with a 9-8 record and defensive end Trey Henderson ranked No. 2 in the NFL in total sacks.
Anarumo understands that Stone likes to play aggressively, and so does he. The Bengals had 26 takeaways last season, ranking No. 7 in the NFL. The Bengals are looking to build a secondary behind defensive tackle B.J Hill and Hendrickson. With Stone and the return of safety Vance Bell, defensive back Mike Hilton may see more opportunities to blitz as defensive backs Cam Taylor Britt and Dax Hill work outside.
The Bengals were just a few victories away from the Super Bowl in 2022 and 2023. With Stone, they want to build on the identity that helped turn their franchise around. As an AFC North powerhouse, the Ravens need to be aware of their rivals’ moves to dethrone them in 2024.
Former Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins is the top-ranked offensive free agent who isn’t a quarterback.
Clemson repped the moniker wide receiver U for some time, producing some of the top wide receivers in college football and the NFL.
A player that epitomizes the moniker is NFL star and former Tiger Tee Higgins, who went from being one of the best wide receivers in college football to one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Higgins is a fantastic talent and could even be considered underrated by some.
Higgins dealt with injuries and the absence of Joe Burrow this past season, but we have seen that he has the capability to be a No. 1 or No. 2 option in a really good passing game. He only recently turned 25 years old so he likely hasn’t even hit his prime years yet.
Injuries were a big part of Higgins’ season, with the star wide receiver having career lows with 42 receptions, 656 yards, and five touchdowns. He only appeared in 12 games, another career low for the former Tiger.
While it wasn’t Higgins’s best season, it’s difficult to argue against the talent and what we’ve seen from him when he was healthy. In his short NFL career, Higgins has recorded 257 receptions for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns. He will be one of the hottest names in free agency, with wide receiver needs being drastic for multiple teams and the Bengals possibly not being able to pay Higgins the contract he’s earned.
Could we see Trevor Lawrence and Tee Higgins back together soon?
While it sounds like a stretch, there is a possibility we will see former Clemson stars Trevor Lawrence and Tee Higgins reunite in the NFL.
Lawrence was asked about this possibility during Super Bowl week. Like many, he doesn’t see the Cincinnati Bengals letting Tee Higgins slip through his fingers, but he would love to be back on the same offense as Higgins.
“I would be very surprised if Cincinnati lets him go. I don’t think that’s going to happen. But if there was an opportunity, it would be great to play with Tee,” Lawrence said. “You know, we’ve texted a little bit back and forth. And the league is funny. You just never know how things are going to work out. So many factors are at play.
“But of course that’s a guy that I played with that we have a great chemistry. Great player. I would not be upset at all if he came to Jacksonville.”
Even with the doubt, it’s a situation to monitor. The Bengals have a lot of mouths to feed and new contracts to be made. If they can’t afford Higgins, the Jaguars should have a real shot.
The Patriots might have hinted at their offensive direction with their latest offensive coordinator candidate
The New England Patriots are expected to continue their round of offensive coordinator interviews this week with Cincinnati Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher slated as next on the list.
Per the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Patriots are expected to interview with Pitcher via Zoom on Tuesday.
It’s important to note that Pitcher is the third offensive coordinator on the Patriots’ growing list of candidates, and so far, all three have west coast offensive ties to the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree. Along with Pitcher, the team has also interviewed Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson and Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley.
There’s a chance the Patriots could be hinting at their offensive direction with the current candidates on their list.
Of course, there are stronger odds that Pitcher ends up back in Cincy with the Tennessee Titans hiring Brian Callahan as their new head coach on Monday. The Bengals will be looking for a new offensive coordinator to fill that role, and Pitcher should be a possible in-house replacement.
The #Bengals have an in-house replacement for Callahan as OC in QBs coach Dan Pitcher, but he has a full docket of OC interviews this week. Sources say he has a zoom with the #Patriots tomorrow, then flies to Las Vegas for the #Raiders at night. He has the #Saints on Thursday. https://t.co/UKJ7BnPIxb
The Patriots could be looking to shake things up drastically on the offensive side of the ball after finishing amongst the worst units in the NFL in the last two straight seasons.
Some of that Shanahan offensive magic could go a long way in the bittering cold for a rebuilding team like the Patriots.
