Marlon Humphrey Sparks Ravens Comeback Over Bengals

Marlon Humphrey had a pivotal turnover for the Baltimore Ravens in their win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) reacts after forcing a fumble during the third quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

When the Baltimore Ravens needed a play late in the fourth quarter to turn things around in their first matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, it was an interception by cornerback Marlon Humphrey that gave his team a chance to tie the game in regulation.

Baltimore found itself in a similarly precarious situation in the third quarter after the Bengals took a 21-7 lead on a 67-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow to Ja'Marr Chase and forced it to punt on the ensuing drive. With Cincinnati having a chance to make it a three-possession game, Humphrey stripped Bengals running back Chase Brown at its 31-yard line.

The Ravens outscored Cincinnati 28-13 from that point forward and won by the slimmest of margins, 35-34, on Thursday Night Football.

"It was a huge spark," Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who had three sacks in the game, said. "We needed a spark. When [Ja'marr] Chase scored that touchdown, it was a lot of quietness on the sideline. I was telling the guys all we needed was a spark and Marlon got that strip and it ignited the whole team. I think that pushed us to keep building momentum and just winning the game."

On second and five with 7:05 remaining in the third quarter, Brown ran for four yards before he was stopped by a group of Baltimore players. With Brown stood up and trying to spin away, Humphrey punched the ball out and linebacker Roquan Smith recovered it. Five plays later, Ravens running back Derrick Henry punched it into the end zone from a yard out.

Humphrey has displayed an ability to punch the ball out throughout his career. In 2020, he led the league with eight forced fumbles and only has six for the rest of his career. Against Cincinnati, Humphrey had five tackles, one pass defended and a quarterback hit.

The mark of a leader and player who can lead a unit is their ability to make plays when it's needed the most. Humphrey has shown a knack for making those kinds of plays in both games against the Bengals, and if the Ravens' defense is going to resolve their issues, they'll likely need the veteran cornerback to continue to make game-changing plays this season.

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