ExtremeRavens Posted October 1 Posted October 1 In April, during his pre-draft news conference, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta made note of a nearly 20-year-old football game that feels eerily prescient this week. He had just revealed that cornerback would be a position of the need in the NFL draft, an uncharacteristic admission for the tight-lipped decision maker. That was the one position DeCosta would show his hand. Why? A “Monday Night Football” game versus Pittsburgh in November 2007. He was flying out to Los Angeles that night, and by the time the plane touched down, Baltimore already trailed, 24-0. “If you look at our corners that game,” DeCosta said at the time, “not to besmirch anyone, but they were all guys that were playing because other guys got hurt.” In the same answer, he compared cornerbacks with Bugattis because “they just break down and you’ve got to have them in reserve.” On Sunday, the Ravens felt the brunt of it. This weekend might feel like 2007. Injuries knocked out starting cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey (hamstring) and Nate Wiggins (elbow) in a loss to Kansas City. That’s on top of Jaire Alexander (knee) having been a healthy scratch for a third straight game. On Wednesday, Chidobe Awuzie missed practice, listed with a hamstring injury. Don’t forget, the Ravens also lost two rookie cornerbacks to season-ending injuries before the season even started. Humphrey could miss a couple of weeks, according to reports. Coach John Harbaugh declined to comment on Wiggins’ injury timeline when asked Wednesday. It’s a decimated room, one that was already in the cellar of the league by most metrics. Now, they’ll have to reach down the depth chart for a must-win game on Sunday against Houston — a long way from the band senior secondary coach Chuck Pagano deemed “as good a group as I’ve been around” over 19 years coaching in the NFL. Through four games, the Ravens sit 31st out of 32 teams in passing defense, last in points per game, tied for 28th in red zone defense and 27th in fourth-down defense. They’re also fourth worst in interception percentage, despite a confounding amount of on-paper talent. Baltimore is losing experience as much as it is talent. Wiggins played 276 defensive snaps. Awuzie is at 251. Humphrey is at 225. Alexander saw 33 in the season opener but Harbaugh didn’t speak definitively about whether he might get a second try at a debut on Sunday. The lion’s share of reps against the Texans might fall to two guys with a combined 106 defensive snaps of experience, 59 of which came in replacement roles against Kansas City. Sophomore cornerback and special teamer T.J. Tampa Jr. figures to start against the Texans. And even if Keyon Martin doesn’t start, the undrafted rookie will surely get a chunk of the reps. They’ve both come a long way. Tampa was a fourth-round draft pick in 2024 who redshirted his rookie year because of an ankle injury. He said it was a slog getting through rehab, wearing on him both mentally and physically on days where it was tough to see the light at the end of the tunnel. “Being able to play now,” he said, “is a great feeling.” “Of course it’s sad not seeing everybody be able to play,” Tampa said. “But of course, my time is now and I’m ready to show what I got.” Martin seems to have scaled the depth chart the furthest and quickest of anyone. Commanders wide receiver Chris Moore is unable to catch a pass as Ravens cornerback T.J. Tampa Jr. defends during the preseason. Tampa is expected to play a key role for the Ravens on Sunday vs. the Texans because of secondary injuries. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP) In late August, he met with the Ravens press corps to divulge his experience climbing from minicamp tryout guy to earning the final spot of the team’s initial 53-man roster. He wore the same expression a child would at their own birthday party, unable to contain his excitement reliving the story of a shoulder tap he was convinced meant the end of the line. Five weeks later, having traded the toothy smile for a more businesslike demeanor, Martin spoke of a confidence knowing his chance would come — even if it looked like a long shot only a month ago. Tampa called him “relentless” and someone who showed up with an urgency “making sure everybody knows who he is.” The Ravens reportedly beefed up the downtrodden group by bringing in four defensive backs for tryouts: Michael Davis, Kemon Hall, Keenan Isaac and Amani Oruwariye. Oruwariye, who has been in the NFL since 2019 and has 40 career starts, was added to the practice squad. “If everybody on the team prepares like they’re the starter even though they’re not the starter,” Martin said, “when they get out there on the field, they don’t even blink. It still looks like the ones are out there.” DeCosta can only hope this year’s replacement level players don’t have the Ravens down four scores by the end of the first quarter. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article Quote
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