Tag: Marlon Humphrey

Steelers OC Arthur Smith failed to ‘burn the boats’ with Justin Fields

Arthur Smith vowed to use every offensive weapon in the playoffs, but Fields’ limited role and Steelers’ struggles tell a different story.

Remember during the build-up to the Wild-Card matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, when Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith claimed that Pittsburgh would “burn the boats” against Baltimore due to the playoffs being single-game elimination?

“No stone left unturned,” Smith had said, but Saturday’s Wild-Card loss showcased the same old Steelers, with the ever-athletic Justin Fields used as a benchwarmer in favor of the aging Russell Wilson.

Smith claimed the offense would use everything at its disposal, referring to the idea of the Fields package seeing more usage in the playoffs. With that in mind, why on Earth did Justin Fields only see two snaps on offense—an offense that failed to score more than 14 points?

Fields’ time on the field saw the quarterback attempt zero rushes and act more as a decoy than anything else. His lone pass attempt fell incomplete under pressure from Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey.

Fans are understandably calling for HC Mike Tomlin’s job, but perhaps Arthur Smith deserves equal criticism for the offense’s late-season collapse in 2024.

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Ravens advance to AFC Divisional Round with 28-14 win over Steelers

Baltimore Ravens advance to AFC Divisional Round with 28-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Wild Card game

The journey isn’t complete, but the Ravens avoided embarrassment and moved onto the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs with a convincing 28-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday night.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson was 16-21 passing for 175 yards, two touchdowns, and a 132.0 rating. Jackson rushed 15 times for 81 yards, while Derrick Henry carried the night, logging 186 yards on 26 rushing attempts and two touchdowns.

Baltimore’s defense held Pittsburgh to 280 yards of offense, with just 29 yards rushing on the ground. Najee Harris finished with six carries for 17 yards, and Jaylen Warren had two for six yards on the night. The Steelers had the football for just 20:27.

Baltimore will now wait for the conclusion of the Buffalo Bills matchup against the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon.

If the Bills win on Sunday, the Ravens will travel to Buffalo, while a Broncos win will see John Harbaugh’s team host the Houston Texans next week.

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Sights and sounds from first half as Ravens hold a 21-0 lead over Steelers in AFC Wild Card game

Sights and sounds from first half as Ravens hold a 21-0 lead over Steelers in AFC Wild Card game

Like a Samantha Pollino Broadway Performance, the Ravens were flawless in the first half and looked like a Super Bowl favorite, jumping out to an early 14-0 lead.

After holding Pittsburgh to a three and out, Baltimore navigated a 13-play, 95-yard drive that ate almost 8 minutes of clock to put the Ravens on the board, 7-0. The Ravens dominated offensively and ended the first half with a 21-0 lead.

Here are sights and sounds from the first half.

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Ravens LB Roquan Smith made NFL History by reaching 1,000 career tackles

At age 27, Baltimore Ravens LB Roquan Smith has entered his prime of and wants to end the season with the glory of winning Super Bowl LIX.

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith recently became the youngest player in NFL History to reach 1,000 tackles. In 2024, 81 times opponents were clobbered by Smith on the gridiron, and he finished the regular season ranked No. 11 in solo tackles.

At age 27, Smith has entered the prime of his NFL career and wants just as severely as his teammates to make a run for Super Bowl LIX. Smith totaled 12.5 stuffs this season and will be looking to stuff Pittsburgh Steelers running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in the AFC Wild Card.

There’s a reason the Ravens rank No. 1 in opponent rush yards per game, and it’s heavily because Smith can diagnose runs before they even get to the line of scrimmage. Insightfulness, tenacity, and determination led Smith to perform at extremely high levels. His impact on the defensive side of the ball continues to excite defensive coordinator Zach Orr whenever he’s on the field.

Ravens have four players make PFF’s All-Pro Team

Ravens have four players make PFF’s All-Pro Team

With the 2024 regular season over, PFF released its All-Pro Team for the year. Four Ravens landed on the team.

Lamar Jackson being selected as the first-team quarterback should be no surprise to anyone who has watched the two-time MVP put together his best season to date.

“Lamar Jackson delivered the best regular season of his career in 2024, earning an impressive 94.3 PFF grade—the sixth-best mark by a quarterback over the past decade,” PFF’s Gordon McGuinness wrote. “He paired elite playmaking with exceptional ball security, finishing with a 6.0% big-time throw rate and a position-best 1.4% turnover-worthy play rate.”

Jackson’s running mate, Derrick Henry, was chosen as the first-team running back, ahead of Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles. The now 31-year-old back defied father time and exceeded all expectations in his first season in Baltimore, finishing with the second-most rushing yards in his career and the second-most in the NFL.

“Henry topped the position with an astonishing 1,137 rushing yards after contact, marking the fourth time in his career he’s surpassed 1,000 yards after contact in a single season,” McGuinness wrote. “His physical running style was on full display as he forced a league-high 80 missed tackles on 325 carries. Henry’s performance earned him a 93.1 PFF rushing grade, the best among all running backs.”

Kyle Hamilton is the next Raven on the team, one of two safeties chosen. Through his first three seasons, Hamilton has proven to be one of the best defenders in the NFL. The versatile defensive back saved Baltimore’s defense this season by moving to the backend and replacing the struggling veteran safety Marcus Williams.

“At the three-quarter mark of the season, Hamilton was our choice in the flex spot on defense, having spent the first half of the year in the box and the slot for the Ravens,” McGuinness wrote. “In Week 11, the Ravens moved him into a deeper role, completely transforming their defensive success. He finished the regular season with an 89.4 PFF run-defense grade, an 89.0 PFF pass-rushing grade and an 87.9 PFF coverage grade.”

The final Raven to make the team was cornerback Marlon Humphrey. After a down year in 2023, Humphrey rebounded in 2024 with perhaps his best season to date as a pro. The veteran cornerback made several game-changing plays in big games for Baltimore this season, including both wins over the Cincinnati Bengals and leading the team in interceptions with six.

“In his eighth season out of Alabama, Humphrey delivered the best performance of his career, earning an 81.0 PFF grade,” McGuinness wrote. “Targeted 83 times in coverage, he allowed 51 receptions for 518 yards while recording 16 combined pass breakups and interceptions.”

The Ravens will need these four players to continue their excellent play into the postseason as they look to make a run at the Super Bowl.

 

 

Nate Wiggins & Marlon Humphrey must excel in Ravens Playoff run

Baltimore Ravens rookie DB Nate Wiggins is becoming the exact compliment all-pro Marlon Humphrey needed. Now, It’s time for the AFC playoffs

Baltimore Ravens defensive backs Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey better hit the weight room hard this upcoming week at practice. The toughest wide receivers to cover in the entire NFL await them. 

Of course, the Ravens are expected to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers this upcoming Wild Card weekend, but that’s not where the most prominent and boldest enemies await. The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills both have household names as wide receivers, including De’Andre Hopkins, Amari Cooper, Keon Coleman, and tight-ends Dalton Kincaid, plus all-pro Travis Kelce. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr has to have his thinking cap on to scheme up the correct man and zone coverages versus each opponent in the post-season because Steelers Russell Wilson, Chiefs Patrick Mahomes, and Bills Josh Allen all can move in the pocket.

Furthermore, for the Ravens to make a difference versus the pass, they may want to use bracket techniques and press coverage to rush opponents in the passing game. Wiggins and Humphrey are both handsy defenders, so jamming wide receivers at the line of scrimmage and forcing opposing quarterbacks to throw into tight windows and toward the sideline.

Fans saw Wiggins grab an epic interception inside a flat zone scheme Orr drew up versus the Cleveland Browns last weekend. Hopefully, Humphrey and his journeyman Wiggins can make more miracles in the upcoming playoffs.

Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey must sustain the Ravens’ pass defense

Baltimore Ravens DB’s Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey need to be anchors in the pass defense to propel the franchise in the NFL Playoffs.

Numbers never lie, and the Baltimore Ravens’ pass defense has been the only consistent weakness in 2024. However, over the last three games, they’ve allowed just 177.3 passing yards per game. Will star defensive backs Marlon Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton continue to build on this momentum as the NFL playoffs approach?

In hindsight, the Ravens’ last three opponents, the Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New York Giants, don’t nearly compare to the offensive powerhouses they will face if they catch stride in the NFL playoffs. However, like every other NFL team, the Ravens only play the teams the league puts on their schedule.

Humphrey and Hamilton are both polished veterans with credible experience who can be vocal leaders on the Ravens’ back end. Defensive back Brandon Stephen has held his own, and rookie Nate Wiggins is second behind Humphrey with 12 pass deflections on the season. Humphrey and defensive coordinator Zach Orr might want to increase interception drills in practice to sow up some of the bleeding and prepare their unit for upcoming turnover opportunities.

Ultimately, with the front seven or six producing sacks at a top-tier level, perhaps Hamilton and Humphrey should encourage their supporting cast to play a little ball-hawking on the back end.

Several Ravens could hit contract incentives in Week 18 vs. Browns

The Baltimore Ravens enter their Week 18 showdown against the Cleveland Browns with a chance to win the AFC North and cement their place as the three-seed in the AFC with a wild-card home game entering the playoffs. Beyond that, several individual …

The Baltimore Ravens enter their Week 18 showdown against the Cleveland Browns with a chance to win the AFC North and cement their place as the three-seed in the AFC with a wild-card home game entering the playoffs. Beyond that, several individual players will be playing to hit contract incentives within reach.

Veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy is one player who could hit a contract incentive against the Browns. The 33-year-old edge rusher currently leads the team with 11.5 sacks on the season. Van Noy can earn another $250,000 if he hits 12 sacks for the year and another $250,000 if he can reach 14.

Running back Justice Hill can earn another $500,000 with either eight receptions or 117 receiving yards against Cleveland. Both seem unlikely to happen, but Hill could see extensive playing time if the Ravens can pull away on the scoreboard and rest starting running back Derrick Henry ahead of the playoffs.

Left tackle Ronnie Stanley could earn a sizable amount if he is selected to a Pro Bowl or named an All-Pro for the season. A combination of 95% of the snaps played this season and a Pro Bowl selection would earn Stanley an extra $8 million, while 95% of snaps and a First-Team All-Pro selection would earn him $10 million. Stanley has currently played 98% of the team’s offensive snaps.

By making the Pro Bowl, Cornerback Marlon Humphrey will earn an extra $250,000. Humphrey has had his best season since being named an All-Pro in 2019. His six interceptions this season rank third in the NFL.

Marlon Humphrey fined for taunting in win over Steelers

Only Marlon Humphrey can say for sure whether or not the fine was worth it.

Marlon Humphrey will pay the price for his pick-6 celebration in the win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 21. It was the first interception return for a touchdown of Humphrey’s career, and he concluded it by doing some epic, next-level taunting (as is somewhat commonplace in heated rivalry games) of the Steelers in pursuit of him.

And doing so netted him a fine of $11,255 from the league for “unsportsmanlike conduct.”

Only Humphrey can say for sure whether it was worth it. But to hear Humphrey tell it, it was not even taunting.

He claims that he was looking to lateral the ball.

“I want to make this pretty clear: When I was running with the football, I saw David Ojabo, a really great teammate of mine, and I was trying to pitch him the football,” Humphrey said to the media that in day in postgame.

“Some people brought up to me that it looked like taunting or something, but I was trying to pitch him the football, and there’s no taunting there at all; I just want to make that very clear.

“Ojabo is a great guy. I wanted to pitch it to him. Then I got in the end zone, and it was good.”

It certainly looked like taunting to almost every outside observer, but hey, this is his story, and he’s sticking to it.

Ojabo has endured many hardships in his career, so if the opportunity to give him a major moment of glory were present, it’s understandable why you would try to make that happen for him.

Tre’Davious White praises Bills QB Josh Allen: ‘Josh is a G’ (video)

Tre’Davious White praises Bills QB Josh Allen: ‘Josh is a G’ (video)

Former Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White joined the “Punch Line Podcast” recently and discussed his former quarterback, Josh Allen.

White had great things to say about his former signal caller, praising Allen’s competitiveness and calling him a “great guy” who would invite his teammates to his house.

“Josh is a G,” White said.

Currently a member of the Baltimore Ravens, there’s always a chance that White and the Bills cross paths in the upcoming postseason. White was slated to play his former team as he was previously a member of the Los Angeles Rams but things did not go well for him there post-injury and he eventually ended up with the Ravens.

Watch the full clip of White below:

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