Marlon Humphrey on Ja’Marr Chase: 'I Lost That Matchup'

Rookie outclasses the veteran.

BALTIMORE — Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey knew that Bengals rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was going to be a tough matchup.

However, Chase completely dominated Baltimore's secondary in Cincinnati's 41-17 victory. Chase finished with 8 catches for 201 yards with a long touchdown.

"We do have to play better in the secondary, for sure," Humphrey said. "Going into this week, the biggest assignment was on me to kind of stop their top guy, and I lost that matchup. So, a lot of it, kind of, is on me. I’ve just got to play better, especially when the gameplan is for me to have a big day. The coaches put the trust in me to kind of lead the defense, lead the gameplan, [and] I've just got to execute better.”

Humphrey and safety Chuck Clark whiffed on a tackle that allowed an 82-yard touchdown to wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. That play gave the Bengals a 27-17 lead and the Ravens never recovered. 

The Bengals then put the game away with a 21-yard touchdown run by Joe Mixon that boosted the lead to 34-17. Cincinnati running back Samaje Perine also had a 46-yard touchdown scamper on the next drive, Both times, the Ravens missed several tackles, a problem that has resurfaced numerous times. 

“I guess I’ll look at the film and kind of figure it out," Humphrey said. "I think things just didn’t go our way early. So, as “Wink” [defensive coordinator Don Martindale] says, it’s not as bad as it seems; but right now, it seems pretty bad. So, I’ll look at the film and kind of figure it out.”

Despite his dominance, Chase was humble after the game. He knows it was just the first of many battles with the Ravens.

After the game, the two players maintained their sportsmanship throughout the game. 

“Yes, he was just like, ‘Good job. Keep working.’ I was like, ‘Same thing to you,’ and we just kept playing,” Chase said.