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Marlon Humphrey is key to the Ravens beating the Texans

By Chris Schisler

BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 13: Marlon Humphrey #44 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates with teammates after making an interception against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 13: Marlon Humphrey #44 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates with teammates after making an interception against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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The Houston Texans have DeAndre Hopkins. The Baltimore Ravens have Marlon Humphrey. This is the battle of the game:

The Baltimore Ravens match up with the Houston Texans is intriguing and it’s not only because of the Lamar Jackson vs. Deshaun Watson battle. The best battle in this game is between two players who actually will play against each other. Marlon Humphrey might be the best cornerback in football and DeAndre Hopkins is arguably the best wide receiver. This battle will be epic.

Hopkins has had no fewer than five receptions in a game this season. He hasn’t had the explosive numbers of a Michael Thomas or Mike Evans, but he is the lifeblood of the Texans passing game. Hopkins has 68 receptions. Will Fuller is second on the Texans with 34 receptions, No other Texans receiving target has more than 24 grabs this year.

Hopkins has only had three games this season where he’s reached over 100 yards. A big reason for that is that teams are committed to not letting Hopkins beat them. Most teams have to send two defenders Hopkins way to have a chance at stopping him. The Ravens have a cornerback who may be able to shut him down mostly by himself.

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The Ravens have a secondary equipped to handle what the Texans bring to the table. If Humphrey wins the battle, the Ravens don’t have to spend an extra player or two accounting for Hopkins.

This means that Hopkins won’t open up opportunities for his teammates the way that he normally does. The Ravens can use a lot of man coverage, they can play the Texans straight up and this will allow Don Martindale to do his thing with the front seven.

Hopkins is a receiver that can have a huge impact on the game. In his last three games he had 28 receptions. He may not be having a monster stat line every week yet he is clearly the Texans’ go to weapon in the passing game.

He’s the main ingredient for Watson in the passing attack. If the Ravens stop the run, and limit Hopkins, the Texans could be in for a rough day.

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Humphrey is the best player on the defense. Humphrey is the player that will allow the Ravens to execute their desired game plan by holding Hopkins in check. If Hopkins wins the battle the Texans have a shot to win. If Humphrey gets the better of Hopkins, the advantage goes to Baltimore. NFL football is all about match ups and the Ravens and Texans have two Pro Bowl worthy players that will be lined up against each other on Sunday.

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