Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey could have had an interception on Monday night. He should have had an interception on Monday night.
The play happened with 25 seconds left in the first quarter. The Raiders had the ball, third and 10 from their own 28. Quarterback Derek Carr threw a pass to tight end Darren Waller. The ball arrived at the 40. Humphrey prevented the reception.
He didn’t realize he had an interception in his hands.
Look at the two angles of the play. The ball never struck the ground. Humphrey got up, bringing the ball with him. Although Raiders receiver Hunter Renfrow made a head’s-up move to cover the ball after it fell to the ground as if Humphrey had caught the ball and fumbled it, Humphrey didn’t have the ball in his hands long enough to amount to possession.
He could have. He should have. It would have given Baltimore, who led 7-0 at the time, a short field. Instead, the Raiders punted, the Ravens started the next drive from their own 20, and they punted after three plays.
Sure, the Ravens eventually went up 14-0 anyway before the Raiders came to life. A turnover in that spot followed by a score could have changed everything. Could have. Should have. Didn’t, because Humphrey didn’t realize he had the ball in his hands.