10 major questions emerging from Baltimore Ravens win over the Arizona Cardinals
1. What is the ceiling for Brandon Stephens with the Baltimore Ravens?
As we noted in the last slide, Brandon Stephens is being trusted with everything. With Marlon Humphrey back in the lineup, the Baltimore Ravens now have Ronald Darby and Rock Ya-Sin on the bench, playing no significant snaps. That is a nice spot to be in for this team. It also speaks to the confidence in Stephens.
Stephens is the most targeted cornerback in the NFL, per PFF. However, he is in the top ten in passer rating allowed. That is impressive in many ways. First, he has not allowed a touchdown, and he added a big interception on Sunday. He plays physically, and makes it tough to catch balls on the sidelines against him.
Does this play continue? Can he get better? This is just his second year at cornerback after he played safety as a rookie. He even played safety this spring. Will time make him one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL? How huge is this for the Ravens' ceiling as a team defense? If you consider Stephens to be as good as these numbers indicate, this team is big time.