Baltimore improved to 7-3 and is in a whole lot better position to win the division than the Bengals. But with the way the defense is playing, even Ravens players question how long this can last.
“Wins are getting harder to enjoy based off what we’re doing in the pass defense,” Humphrey said. “You know, I feel like when I was a rookie, first year guy, second year guy, that’s how I looked up to the standard that was there. In the pass defense, we’ve really lost that standard.
“I feel like that falls on me. We’re going to keep chasing at it. We’re going to keep working at it because I’m not really satisfied with what I’ve built in this secondary, where it’s gone. I just don’t think playing like this, we can go far. It’s cool we’re winning. It’s great winning. But I want to go far. I want to go to the end.”
Like he said this week, Humphrey again pointed to a disconnect between how the Ravens are practicing and how they’re playing. He said every player has to look in the mirror and ask themselves why they’re not playing like they’re practicing. Losing Kyle Hamilton to an ankle injury in the first half certainly didn’t help either.
“It’s becoming more of a mental thing, I think,” Humphrey said. “It would be different if we didn’t have any guys that can play.”
Baltimore’s top-ranked offense, led by Lamar Jackson, continues to tear up the rest of the league and rallied from 14 points down to win Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium. But Humphrey wants the defense to carry its share of the weight.
“We’re like the little brothers right now. [Lamar is] carrying us, which is cool. But it’s not. I want to be able to end the game on defense,” Humphrey said.
“The frustration really comes from the lack of just doing your job. It’d be different if we didn’t have the guys. It’d be different if we were confused. It’s just simple. We’re just not playing how we’re practicing. … We’ve got to get it fixed. It’s Week 10.”