Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns: 3 key matchups to watch
By Joe Schiller
2. Marlon Humphrey vs. Josh Gordon
Dean Pees admitted that Marlon Humphrey should have been shadowing Antonio Brown last week. That was after Brown absolutely torched the Ravens for 213 receiving yards on 11 catches. Let’s hope Pees doesn’t make the same mistake this week. Josh Gordon is back fresh off his suspension and hasn’t seemed to skip a beat. He found the end zone against the Packers last week and will look to continue his stride against the Ravens. Without Jimmy Smith, rookie Marlon Humphrey will be tested even more with a bigger assignment.
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From all accounts, it appears Humphrey is primed to be a starter for the Ravens next season. He’s physical and played a heck of a game against the Steelers last week. He allowed just 37 yards and played Brown with incredible poise as a rookie. It’s not surprising considering Humphrey has played on the biggest stage on every level of his football career. But still, the NFL is a big step and Humphrey is passing every test with flying colors. The test gets even harder as he’ll be matched up against Gordon for most of the game.
The Ravens had constant safety help against Brown last week and I expect the same this week. Gordon is a problem and if he gets hot, that’s an even bigger issue. The secondary can’t afford to play behind again. Gordon is really the only reliable offensive weapon the Browns have and if he’s limited, the Ravens can control this game. The key will be to limit Gordon’s deep play ability. He’s going to get his touches but five-ten yard catches are much better than 30-40 yard bombs.
I think we’ll definitely see a mix of Carr and Humphrey on Gordon the entire game. We saw the turnovers the Ravens forced against the Browns in Week 2 and they can do that again if Gordon is out of the picture.