Jesse Minter wants the Baltimore Ravens to "be at our best when our best is needed," but one All-Pro starter is becoming a symbol of how some players are making a "mockery" of the rookie head coach's mantra.
That's the tough take from The Baltimore Sun's Josh Tolentino. He took the team to task in an article written after the 35-13 collapse against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7, but Tolentino made a point of name-dropping veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey on social media.
Tolentino posted on 'X' how "As the Bengals piled up five straight touchdowns, Marlon Humphrey couldn't be bothered to get off his knees and attempt to finish the play after a missed tackle."
Humphrey's perceived lack of effort follows Minter's own comments about the absence of hustle defensively during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. Comments that prompted an All-Pro up front to hit back .
There were many culprits during the Bengals' comeback, but Tolentino focused his ire on a high-profile secondary. He noted that "Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton led the Ravens with three missed tackles each. Hamilton, last year's Media Good Guy Award recipient, had already left when the locker room opened. The usually outspoken Humphrey headed for the exit as reporters entered."
The decline of Humphrey is proof for Tolentino "The Ravens made a mockery of Jesse Minter's standard" to "Be at your best when your best is needed," by wasting another double-digit halftime lead against an AFC North rival.
Humphrey's form is far from the only problem, but his increasingly erratic performances sum up what's fatally undermining these Ravens.
He was once accomplished enough to earn four Pro Bowl nods and two first-team All-Pro designations, but Humphrey's decline has been swift since 2024. The 30-year-old's allowed 313 receiving yards in coverage, including an NFL-worst 176 yards in the fourth quarter, according to Next Gen Stats , this season, per Tolentino .
Issues in coverage have become increasingly common for Humphrey against Bengals' wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins . So much so, Humphrey even revealed he didn't want another matchup against Chase this week.
That's hardly the mindset Minter wants from a senior player occupying a key role. What Minter wants is for veteran leaders to step up , but too many like Humphrey simply aren't delivering.
The problem's most obvious at the supposed strength of the Ravens' defense.
Minter and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver's unit should be strongest on the back end. That's where credentialed ball hawks like Humphrey and Hamilton live.
The secondary is also where two other first-round draft picks reside. Unfortunately, neither safety Malaki Starks , nor corner Nate Wiggins are playing up to standard.
Chase and Higgins got behind this faltering group too easily and too often on Sunday, October 25. The duo combined for 11 catches, 210 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Higgins reeled in one of those scores beyond a helplessly trailing Humphrey.
The Ravens and their No. 44 appeared confused about how to play the Bengals' bunch formation. That confusion is a sign of poor communication between defensive coaches and players, but the problem runs deeper.
Too many of general manager Eric DeCosta's draft picks aren't living up to their billing. Wiggins has never justified his demands to match up with an opponent's best receiver.
Chase called out Wiggins' struggles in one-on-one coverage after torching the 30th pick in the 2024 NFL draft for this touchdown reception .
Wiggins' issues have been mirrored by Starks. The 2025 first-rounder needed to be defended by Minter after dropping a disaster-class performance earlier this season.
DeCosta has invested enough draft resources and money for the Ravens to field one of the elite defensive backfields in the league. The problem is not enough of his top picks have hit, while the GM's failed to get a return on the hefty contracts he's handed to players like Humphrey.
Both failings are undermining this Ravens' roster at crucial spots. That's why the team's current weakness goes beyond Humphrey to something deeper and systemic.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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