Marlon Humphrey has seen it all. The Baltimore Ravens cornerback is preparing to suit up for his 133rd regular season game this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, making him the most experienced player on the team; he was drafted a year earlier than his teammates Lamar Jackson (117 games) and Mark Andrews (122), with left tackle Ronnie Stanley (121) having missed some time to injuries. The ten-year pro is one of the most respected voices in Baltimore's locker room.
And it'll be Humphrey's job to guard the NFL's leading receiver. Chris Olave set a new career-high with 10 catches for 182 yards in the Saints' season-opening loss to the Detroit Lions, which put a lot of eyes on him. Humphrey was asked by ESPN's Jamison Hensley about the challenge
that comes with defending Olave.
"A really big challenge," Humphrey began. "I think (Chris Olave) is kind of the leader of that group that they have. They are all over the place with kind of how they pass the ball around. Their tight ends can block, but they also run routes really well. So, I think kind of putting a cap on Olave is kind of where it starts. If you can kind of hold him to the lower side of receptions and yards, then you have a good chance, and then you kind of have to deal with everyone else. But, Olave has been — he has kind of been the force. That scramble drill play — probably, I do not know, 50 yards — kind of got them going last week, and then they were able to put up 400 passing yards. So, (it's a) really big challenge, and I think we are looking forward to it."
They crossed paths once before, during the 2022 season when Andy Dalton was starting at quarterback, and Olave finished with six receptions for 71 yards (on nine targets). His longest catch gained 16 yards. Pro Football Focus charting found that Olave was thrown to three times with Humphrey covering him, catching two passes for 22 yards -- converting a first down both times. Humphrey broke up the third pass thrown his way. Humphrey is more experienced now, but the Saints have made a big upgrade at quarterback after going from Dalton to Tyler Shough. Let's see if it makes a difference.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Ravens CB on 'really big challenge' of guarding Saints WR Chris Olave
