Jimmy Smith and Baltimore Ravens cornerbacks are putting on a show
The Baltimore Ravens are seeing Jimmy Smith and company put on a show at the cornerback position:
When I gave out grades for the Baltimore Ravens at the half way point, no position group got a better grade than the cornerbacks. The cornerbacks have put forth an A+ worthy performance this season. It’s a big reason why the Ravens own the fifth best pass defense in the NFL.
In recent years the secondary has been a dumpster fire for the purple and black. Last season the Ravens saw Jimmy Smith struggle to stave off injuries. In his absence the Ravens leaned on a rookie in Tavon Young, Shareece Wright and Jerraud Powers. In 2014 the Ravens secondary was the worst it ever was. Give Ozzie Newsome some credit, he fixed the biggest problem the Ravens had last year. Let’s take a look at the players making a difference in the back-end of the Ravens defense.
Jimmy Smith:
Jimmy Smith is taking receivers out of the game. A.J. Green was handled. Antonio Brown wasn’t the reason the Steelers won in week four. Amari Cooper only had one catch against the Ravens and Jarvis Landry had less than 35 yards receiving. Smith is shutting down the action on his side of the field.
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One of the things I love about what Smith is doing is that he is playing with confidence. He’s good and he knows it. He is baiting quarterbacks to throw passes they absolutely shouldn’t. Smith is playing with perfect technique and he is playing tight coverage without committing penalties. Honestly Smith is putting on a clinic. Smith has two interceptions and he took one of those picks to the end zone. He also has a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Brandon Carr:
Brandon Carr is one of the best offseason acquisitions the Ravens have made in a long time. Carr has three interceptions on the season and he’s made 28 tackles. Carr hasn’t been perfect this season, but he’s showing why he has been a starter for a long-time in the NFL. He puts himself in position to make plays. His experience is showing this season.
Marlon Humphrey:
Marlon Humphrey is getting more and more chances to play on the outside, and he’s thriving. Humphrey looks the part of a first round pick. Many draft analysts (including myself) called the selection of Humphrey a safe pick. The reason it was a safe pick is that the Ravens knew what they were getting. The Ravens have a young, physical cornerback that believes in himself. Humphrey is learning on the job and he is clearly heading in the right direction. The Ravens have Smith and Carr playing well. Every time Humphrey gets to line up on the outside it is affirmation that the team believes in him.
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Lardarius Webb:
Last but not least we have to talk about Lardarius Webb. Webb is having a good season when he is in the nickel cornerback role. When he has to run down field with speedy slot receivers he can get himself into trouble. When he is playing the quick routes he takes them away completely. Webb is being aggressive and is using his football smarts to make plays. Webb has two interceptions on the season.