Ravens cornerback Chykie Brown says he deserves any blame he’s getting for the 77-yard touchdown pass the Ravens’ defense allowed Bengals receiver A.J. Green to score late in the fourth quarter today.
Brown says he allowed Green to get past him, and that makes the play his fault.
“I blame it on me. I put that on me,” Brown told ESPN. “I was looking for the deep ball, but I have to play better technique. I have to stay on top of the man and that didn’t happen.”
Ravens coach John Harbaugh, however, was more forgiving. Harbaugh noted that Brown was close enough on the play to get a hand on the ball, and unfortunately Green just made a great play to catch it after Brown tipped it.
“The coverage was there,” Harbaugh added. “It’s a matter of a great player that got a step behind us and made a great play. Chykie got a hand in the air; he was beat by a step, though. He should stay on top there and he knows that.”
Today’s game marked the second straight season that Green scored a late touchdown off a Ravens deflection. When the Ravens and Bengals meet again in Week Eight, the Ravens’ defensive backs would be wise to knock passes down, not tip them up into the air.