Marlon Humphrey defends Zach Orr; ‘Let go of small details’ echoed by 3 other players

On By Littum

The Ravens’ defense this season has taken a bigger step back than traditional regression, with the pass defense ranked last, allowing 280.9 yards per carry. match. Many have been quick to point to new defensive coordinator Zach Orr as the problem after the team was one of the NFL’s best in 2023. But cornerback Marlon Humphrey strongly disagreed.

“For me as a player, knowing what’s going on, I hate to see coaches scrutinized when it’s the players’ fault,” Humphrey said. “I hate it, just because sometimes it’s your fault why someone is being investigated. That’s never a good thing.”

According to Humphrey, the Ravens defense executed well, except for minor mistakes by one player on any given play. And overwhelmingly, their opponent has taken advantage of the mistakes, while other teams are lucky enough to go unpunished.

“So many times this year, just one guy isn’t exactly where he’s supposed to be, and that’s where it’s been hit. It’s been hitting 90 percent,” Humphrey said. “When you watch other teams, you see people out wide gap here (or) wide open here (and) it doesn’t get hit, but for us it’s really made us get so detailed because it seems like every time a guy is supposed to be two yards off the hash , and you are not two yards outside the hash, the ball goes there.”

The “small details” have been echoed by several players this year as Ravens defenders “sharpen up” on the flaws in their game.

“We just have to continue to hone in on the little details, communicate and we’ll be good.” outside linebacker Odafe Oweh said. “If we panic, that’s when things start to mess up. But we believe we’re talented and now it’s (about) being disciplined and doing what we’re told.”

“(We’ve) just got to capitalize, hone in on the details even more and then every single guy just has to look in the mirror before they go out there, knowing that you’re going to put your best foot forward starting during the week and for sure on Sunday,” Roquan Smith said.

“We’re able to do it every single week, just (by) addressing the little details because we still didn’t have a perfect game,” Ar’Darius Washington said after their performance against Denver Broncos.