Right now, with MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson still out, the last thing the Baltimore Ravens can afford is to feel sorry for themselves. But that seems to be exactly the problem after the Ravens took not one but two straight AFC North losses on the chin to the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. Head coach Jesse Minter's postgame comments about the Ravens letting their 35-13 blowout loss to the Bengals (Cincinnati outscored Baltimore 35-0 in the second half) "snowball" on them say it all. Derrick Henry's review of Baltimore's middling running game lately was pretty interesting, too.
We probably should've seen this coming, though, based on some interesting pregame commentary from Ravens star cornerback Marlon Humphrey. When asked about getting
the chance to match up with a superstar playmaker like Cincinnati's Ja'Marr Chase during the week, Humphrey actually said out loud that he wished he'd guard Chase less than he does, with both players residing in the same division.
For a supposed top-flight competitor and former All-Pro, it didn't seem like Humphrey was joking, either:
Marlon Humphrey on Ja’Marr Chase, via @sportswcoleman:
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 22, 2026
"It would be cool if I didn’t match up with him so much."pic.twitter.com/7FBE0dBfSd
Look, even if what Humphrey said has merit to it — covering an elite receiver like Chase one-on-one can't be fun for a defensive back — why is that the sort of energy he felt the need to project ahead of a big divisional game? It wasn't even Chase who hurt the Ravens the most in their loss on Sunday. That honor belongs to Tee Higgins, who torched Baltimore for six catches, 148 yards, and a touchdown.
Humphrey is supposed to be one of the Ravens' leaders, one of their bona fide tone-setters. I'm not surprised to see how the Ravens seemingly kind of just gave up after seeing this sort of commentary from one of their long-time veterans. The Ravens played like they were feeling sorry for themselves without their best player, and it sure appears that one of their defensive leaders helped guide them to that mentality.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Marlon Humphrey's pregame comments about covering Ja'Marr Chase epitomize Ravens' issues
