Marlon Humphrey is ready to “welcome” Deshaun Watson to Ravens-Browns rivalry

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey has his eyes on Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson ahead of Week 15’s matchup.

The Ravens will play Deshaun Watson for the first time in 2022 in a game that could come down to defense and special teams, and Humphrey wants to be one of the first to welcome Watson to the league.

Watson signed a mega-contract with the Browns this past offseason and should be a permanent fixture of Cleveland’s offense moving forward, which means he and the Ravens will be seeing a lot of each other.

Watson and the Browns will host the Ravens in Week 15, and currently Cleveland is favored since Baltimore could be shorthanded at the quarterback position.

The Ravens’ defense aims to continue its streak of excellence nonetheless, and Humphrey in particular wants to give Watson a “not-so-soft welcome” to the AFC North rivalry.

Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey is relishing his chance to play against Deshaun Watson

Humphrey was heavily criticized for his performance in Week 14’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers — he gave up two huge chunk plays and was flagged for two penalties inside the end zone.

After suffering a season-ending torn pectoral muscle in 2021, the veteran corner has been playing at an All-Pro level this year, yet he seemed one step behind the likes of Diontae Johnson and George Pickens.

Cleveland has a few speedy and talented wideouts of their own in Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones who could give the Ravens’ secondary some trouble, though the Browns’ passing attack hasn’t exactly been humming in the last two weeks.

Humphrey probably won’t get too many chances to sack Watson given his position, but many other Ravens’ defenders will: Roquan Smith, Calais Campbell, Justin Houston have all enjoyed an uptick in pass-rush production this season and will look to take down Watson on Saturday.

Humphrey, for his part, should bounce back after his poor Week 14 outing, and his performance largely depends on where he plays on the field. So far this season, he’s been more effective as a slot corner, allowing 12 catches for 98 yards, compared to playing as an outside corner when he has allowed 25 catches for 342 yards per Pro Football Focus.

The Ravens could also use a takeaway or two in this matchup which is where Humphrey along with Marcus Peters and Marcus Williams can shine.

Everybody in the league wants to take down Deshaun Watson in 2022, and hopefully the Ravens’ defense will make the most out of every opportunity.