The Baltimore Ravens will visit the Cleveland Browns in Week 8 for a crucial AFC North divisional matchup. Prior to the matchup, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh dropped an eye-opening Marlon Humphrey injury update, via the team’s X, formerly Twitter account.
“I think we’ll find out as we get closer to Sunday,” Harbaugh said.
Humphrey is coming off a concerning knee tweak that he picked up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past Monday night. The Ravens received very fortunate news on the star cornerback earlier this week that the injury wasn’t anything serious.
Still, Humphrey is a major potential loss for a Ravens’ defense that gave up 370 passing yards against the Bucs. Riding a five-game winning streak after a shocking 0-2 start, every game for Baltimore will be crucial going forward as they compete with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the NFC North crown.
The two storied franchises are tied atop the division at 5-2 and have yet to play each other this year. Their first matchup is set to take place on November 17 at Heinz Field.
Marlon Humphrey having best season of career
A first round pick out of Alabama, Humphrey has been a mainstay for John Harbaugh and company on defense since he was drafted in 2017. The Hoover, Alabama native has made three Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team so far in his career. Despite these accolades, going into 2024, Humphrey has gotten off to his best start by far this season.
The Ravens cornerback is second in the NFL in interceptions with four. This includes a crucial one he had in the end zone against the Buccaneers. Humphrey has already reached his career-high in INTs in a season and is also on track to set a personal best in passes defended.
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Going forward, the star cornerback’s return will be vital for a Ravens’ defense has struggled mightily this season. The team ranks 24th overall is yards given up per game. The main reason for that shocking stat due to the struggles in the secondary.
So far, Baltimore’s pass defense has let up more passing yards than any other team in the NFL. At 287.1 yards per game, the Ravens are in last place by more than 14 yards in this metric.
The Cleveland Browns are a team with their own major issues on the offensive side of things. The biggest adversity being QB Deshaun Watson’s season-ending Achilles’ tear. Still, getting Humphrey back as soon as possible is crucial for Baltimore’s long-term goals.
All-Pro quarterback Lamar Jackson is in the midst of another MVP campaign and in the middle of his prime. The Ravens’ run game has been even better than their passing offense with star running back Derrick Henry having a potentially record-breaking season. This franchise is squarely in Super Bowl or bust territory, and Marlon Humphrey’s health status going forward will have a large effect on that outcome.