It's no secret that the Baltimore Ravens' defense has struggled this season. Through four games, the Ravens are giving up 406.8 yards per game, a number that ranks 31st. This is paired with the Ravens' first 1-3 start in a decade. Unfortunately, these problems seem likely to persist as Nnamdi Madubuike was ruled out for the season earlier this week. Furthermore, Marlon Humphrey (calf) and Roquan Smith (hamstring) are set to miss multiple weeks.
Nate Wiggins also left Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs with an elbow injury. As a result, the Ravens could be down two of their starting cornerbacks ahead of a pivotal Week 5 showdown against the Houston Texans. On the other side of the ball, Lamar Jackson's status is up in the air for Sunday.
The defensive injuries leave undrafted rookie Keyon Martin poised for a bigger role. Despite being undrafted and the team struggling overall, Martin has made the most of his opportunities so far. Undoubtedly, Martin's play will be a key swing factor for the Ravens this Sunday.
Keyon Martin's play will be vital against the Texans
Notably, Martin has recorded 11 solo tackles, including five in Week 4. Furthermore, he has recorded a PFF grade of 60.9, which far exceeds Humphrey's abysmal 36.2 grade. Martin was on the field for 55 percent of the Ravens' snaps on Sunday, which nearly doubled his previous career high of 30 percent.
After Humphrey went out with an injury, Martin earned a lot of snaps, proving that John Harbaugh trusts him. T.J. Tampa is another guy whom the Ravens could turn to amid injury problems. However, Martin was on the field for 27 percent more snaps than Tampa against the Chiefs.
Jaire Alexander has been inactive for the past three weeks as he works his way back into game shape following a knee injury. Perhaps Alexander is active against the Texans, but he struggled mightily in Week 1, and Martin clearly seems to be ahead of him in the pecking order.
While Martin has been solid thus far, it's still a lot of pressure on an undrafted rookie. The Texans will certainly look to target him on Sunday. Houston is just the 29th-ranked scoring offense. Regardless, with Nico Collins, Christian Kirk, Dalton Schultz, and Jayden Higgins, the Texans have plenty of weapons to make life challenging for a struggling Ravens' secondary.
It's possible Martin gives the Ravens a nice spark and the defense builds some momentum against the Texans. Conversely, Martin could look like an undrafted rookie, and the Ravens' struggles could continue. Somewhere in the middle is, of course, possible as well. The point is that Martin will be a key piece of the Ravens' defense in the coming weeks.