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The Los Angeles Rams offense took the field with 1:16 remaining Sunday, needing a field goal to either tie the Baltimore Ravens or a touchdown to potentially beat them. And on back-to-back plays, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford went right after the Ravens’ most accomplished cornerback, Marlon Humphrey.
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First, Demarcus Robinson outdueled Humphrey to make a 19-yard catch. On the next play, Cooper Kupp ran past Humphrey, opening up a few yards of separation. If Stafford led Kupp, it would have likely been a 56-yard touchdown. Instead, Stafford’s pass hung up a bit and Kupp caught it for a 34-yard gain.
The Ravens wound up winning in overtime, 37-31, on Tylan Wallace’s 76-yard punt return touchdown. Humphrey’s struggles late in the game mostly became an afterthought. However, going forward, the Ravens will need more from their three-time Pro Bowl cornerback who clearly didn’t look like himself and was a step behind for much of Sunday.
GO DEEPER
Ravens' Tylan Wallace has 'once-in-a-lifetime moment' with OT touchdown vs. Rams
According to Pro Football Focus, Humphrey allowed four catches for 92 yards. He was also called for pass interference on a third-and-long, although the penalty was debatable.
“If you watch the whole game, he had numerous really good plays where he was in great coverage and was just pretty dominant. Then, there were some tougher plays out there, but he hasn’t played in a few weeks,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s been kind of on and off with the nagging kind of injury, so to me, I’d kind of attribute it to that.”
Humphrey deserves the benefit of the doubt. He entered the Rams’ game having not played in nearly a month since he strained a calf muscle in a loss to the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 12. He also missed the first four games of the regular season after having mid-training camp foot surgery.
In his first game since returning from the foot injury, Humphrey struggled in a Week 5 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and was beaten for the game-winning touchdown by George Pickens. But he responded and had four strong games before getting hurt again against the Browns.
The Ravens believe Humphrey will be much better now that he has another game under his belt. They badly need him to be. The San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins, who the Ravens play in back-to-back weeks on Dec. 25 and Dec. 31, rank first and second in the league in offensive DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average). The Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore’s opponent on Sunday, rank 16th in DVOA but ninth in the league in points per game.
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“Marlon Humphrey is the least of my concerns,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a great football player, and he’s very conscientious. I know he’s going to play great football for us.”
OBJ again proving his worth
It’s probably not the best example, because Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. ran the wrong route. Yet, when Beckham used a double move to get behind both cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon and safety Jordan Fuller for a 46-yard touchdown in the second quarter Sunday, it was further affirmation of what the Ravens were getting for their money.
They didn’t know how well Beckham could still run after his knee issues. But they knew he still was a precise route runner. They knew he’d still be able to make adjustments to the ball in the air. And they knew he’d catch just about everything that hit his hands. The nifty touchdown catch Sunday displayed all those examples and showed he can still run a little bit, too.
OH MY GOODNESS
LAMAR TO OBJ!!!!!!!
Tune in on FOX! pic.twitter.com/EhczPj5eeM
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 10, 2023
The other thing the Ravens knew? That Beckham loves the stage and can be counted on in big moments. Beckham had four catches for 97 yards on Sunday. The 46-yard touchdown gave the Ravens a 14-10 lead. His three other receptions gave Baltimore first downs. His final catch, a 14-yarder, was on the Ravens’ go-ahead scoring drive late in the fourth quarter.
As I’ve written before, the $15 million the Ravens paid Beckham became money well spent the second they finalized a contract extension for quarterback Lamar Jackson, who told team officials he wanted to play with Beckham. What the Ravens are getting from Beckham — he has 17 catches for 343 yards and three touchdowns in his last five games — despite him getting relatively modest opportunities only enhances the deal.
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10 random thoughts, observations
1. The Ravens probably got the best news they could get Monday when an MRI taken on safety Kyle Hamilton’s left knee revealed a moderate sprain. For now, the Ravens are saying Hamilton is day to day, and Harbaugh didn’t rule him out for Sunday’s game against the Jaguars. This is a huge game — they all are at this point — and so is the following week’s matchup against the 49ers. Having Hamilton on the field to match up with the Jaguars’ Evan Engram, who is second among tight ends with 84 catches, and the 49ers’ George Kittle, one of the best players in the league at his position, would be significant. However, the Ravens and Hamilton have to play the long game and not force the issue. To make a deep playoff run, they need a healthy Hamilton on the field. If that means playing without him for a few weeks, then that’s an easy decision. If you were making a list of the players Baltimore could least afford to lose, it would start with Jackson. Yet, it wouldn’t be too long before you arrived at Hamilton.
2. Harbaugh acknowledged Monday that the team will activate second-year cornerback Damarion Williams to the active roster before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline. Williams could be part of the solution in replacing Hamilton in the nickel role. Arthur Maulet will likely factor in, even though he struggled against the Rams. It’s also worth considering moving Humphrey inside in certain looks. That would allow Ronald Darby to play on the outside. Darby has played well for the Ravens. I’m not convinced that using him and Brandon Stephens on the outside and Humphrey in the slot isn’t the team’s best option if it’s forced to play a couple of games without Hamilton.
3. If you watched wide receiver Nelson Agholor wildly pump his fist and aggressively celebrate Zay Flowers’ late go-ahead 21-yard touchdown catch in regulation, it looked like genuine excitement for a teammate who made a play. Then, after the game, you learned it was even more than that. Cameras caught Jackson and Agholor having a discussion in the huddle before the play. What was said? When Agholor learned of the play call on third-and-17, he told Jackson he was going to run his route a little longer and predicted that he’d be able to engage safety John Johnson III and take him out of the throwing window to Flowers. That’s exactly what happened. Johnson followed Agholor toward the sideline, leaving Fuller alone on Flowers. It was a smart and unselfish approach by Agholor, and it reminded me of general manager Eric DeCosta’s comments before the start of the season about signing the veteran wideout. He felt the Ravens needed to add another unselfish and smart professional to their receiver room. Agholor will finish the season with modest numbers, but he’s been a nice addition.
💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐
Tune in on FOX! pic.twitter.com/YFoxLnozga
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 10, 2023
4. Jackson’s effort on the ensuing two-point conversion shouldn’t be forgotten, either. His first option was to get the ball to Isaiah Likely in the flat. Jackson didn’t pull the trigger to Likely immediately, and Fuller quickly closed on the tight end. Jackson stepped inside a rushing Ernest Jones and delivered a strike to Flowers in the corner of the end zone just as he was getting drilled in the midsection by defensive end Jonah Williams. Just a big-time play for the Ravens quarterback and, as it turned out, a game-saver, too. Had Baltimore not gotten the two-point conversion, Lucas Havrisik’s 36-yard field goal would have been for the win, not just the tie.
5. It seems at least once per game, Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard delivers a highlight-reel block. That moment came in the third quarter on Keaton Mitchell’s 27-yard run. Ricard drove Witherspoon so far out of bounds the Rams cornerback could have taken a seat on the Los Angeles bench.
6. Patrick Mekari subbed in for Ronnie Stanley at left tackle for a couple of drives on Sunday. Daniel Faalele entered at right tackle in place of Morgan Moses for one drive in each half. This wasn’t a performance issue, although Stanley, in particular, has struggled at times this year. This is a way of taking a little of the physical toll off of two players who have been battling injuries, and perhaps increase the chances that Stanley (knee/ankle) and Moses (shoulder) are a bit fresher later in games and later in the season. Plus, you keep Mekari and Faalele engaged, because you never know when you’ll need them to play more significant roles. Giving pass rushers another look so they don’t get too comfortable doesn’t hurt, either.
7. Stanley, by the way, played one of his best games of the year. He allowed one pressure in 44 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s a really strong response from Stanley, whose form was one of Baltimore’s biggest concerns going into the bye week. Stanley will have a far bigger challenge Sunday with Jacksonville’s Josh Allen, who is tied for third in the league with 13.5 sacks.
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8. Harbaugh knows that you can’t challenge scoring plays. Yet, he curiously threw the challenge flag after Robinson’s 5-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter. Why? The main reason was the Ravens didn’t have the correct defensive personnel on the field to defend what was an important two-point conversion. They saw a penalty flag in the back of the end zone and were waiting for the call, yet the flag was picked up and the ball was spotted. Harbaugh essentially acknowledged that he was trying to buy some time and throwing a challenge flag “from 20 yards away” was the easiest way to get a stoppage so the Ravens could get a defensive call in and the right personnel on the field. Still, two questions remain: Why not just call a timeout rather than wasting a challenge, too? And two, why wasn’t the right personnel in the game and the right call communicated? Nobody on the Ravens’ sideline could have possibly been surprised that the Rams were going for two with a five-point lead late in the fourth quarter.
9. Wallace was the special teams star, but Jordan Stout did his part on Sunday. All four of Stout’s punts dropped at the Rams’ 20 or inside it, including one that pinned Los Angeles on its 8-yard line. Consistency remains his biggest issue, but he’s made strides in his second season.
10. Justice Hill leading all Ravens running backs with 30 snaps seems notable because the veteran is perceived as the team’s No. 3 back behind Gus Edwards and Mitchell. However, if you look at the flow of the game, it’s easy to see why it occurred. The Ravens were in their two-minute offense for a 12-play drive late in the second quarter and a 13-play drive late in the fourth. Because of his pass protection and ability out of the backfield, the Ravens like Hill on the field in two-minute situations. This game just happened to be one where they had two extended two-minute drives. Edwards, by the way, has been struggling to gain traction lately. He’s averaged less than 3.5 yards per carry in three of his last four outings. And it still feels like Mitchell needs to see the ball more.
(Photo of Odell Beckham Jr.: Tommy Gilligan / USA Today)
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