OWINGS MILLS — Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey had some obvious rust after returning from a calf injury that sidelined him for the past two weeks.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford expected as much and targeted Humprhey several times in the Ravens’ 37-31 victory in Week 14.
Los Angeles wide receiver Demarcus Robinson beat Humphrey for a 19-yard gain late in the fourth quarter. On the next snap, fellow wide receiver Cooper Kupp had a 34-yard reception lining up against Humphrey, who was also penalized for pass interference earlier in the game.
Humphrey also had a shot at a game-clinching interception, but he could not come down with what would have been an acrobatic catch in the corner of the end zone.
Overall, Humphrey was targeted eight times and allowed 92 yards over 77 snaps, according to data compiled by Pro Football Focus.
Still, coach John Harbaugh was encouraged by the performance and expects Humphrey to get better once he gets more playing time.
“If you watch the whole game, which I did, [Humphrey] had numerous really good plays where he was in great coverage and was just pretty dominant,” Harbaugh said. “Then, there were some tougher plays out there, but he hasn’t played in a few weeks. He’s been kind of on and off with the nagging kind of injury, so to me, I’d kind of attribute it to that. The more he plays, the more he practices [and] gets his technique right.”
Besides the calf injury, Humphrey also missed the first four games of the regular season with a foot injury. Humphrey is a proven player who has been named to three Pro Bowls and has been a leader in the Ravens’ secondary since being selected in the first round (16th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.
“Marlon Humphrey is the least of my concerns,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a great football player, and he’s very conscientious. I know he’s going to play great football for us.”
