The Ravens will not have cornerback Jimmy Smith in the secondary for Sunday’s game and that means rookie Marlon Humphrey is going to be playing a major role against the Steelers.
It will be a major role in terms of playing time alone and Humphrey expects to be squarely in the middle of the action as well. The Lions threw at him a lot after he replaced Smith last Sunday and the first-round pick expects the Steelrs to take a similar approach when they have the ball this week.
“I’m sure if there’s a weak link they have to pick out, it would definitely be me,” Humphrey said, via the team’s website. “Ben likes to throw it up, he’s a great quarterback, so I’m sure if he has to take those shots, it will probably be at me.”
Smith’s coverage ability was a big plus for the Ravens defense and they’ll need Humphrey, Brandon Carr and the other cornerbacks still on the active roster to pick up the slack to keep the unit playing at a high level as their playoff push continues.