Image credit: ClutchPoints

Marlon Humphrey hits Ravens with Bengals, Steelers harsh reality

Originally posted on NFL on ClutchPoints
By Jackson Stone | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 5:34 PM ET

The Baltimore Ravens are currently taking part in training camp and gearing up for the upcoming 2025 NFL Season. The Ravens are coming off another playoff heartbreak, this time to the Buffalo Bills, but have added to their roster this offseason, including bringing in star defensive back Jaire Alexander from the Green Bay Packers.

The Ravens are hoping that the acquisition will help out a defensive unit that underperformed severely to start the 2024 NFL season but eventually turned things around down the stretch to once again become one of the better units.

Recently, Ravens star Marlon Humphrey got 100% candid on how Baltimore’s reputation as a fearsome defensive unit has taken a hit due to their performance last season.

“When I first got here, I think teams feared our defense. We want to get back to that. I don’t think the Bengals fear our defense. I don’t think the Steelers fear our defense,” Humphrey said, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic on X, formerly Twitter.

Indeed, the Bengals in particular sliced up the Ravens’ defense during one early-season game last year between the two teams in Cincinnati, which Baltimore ended up winning.

The Ravens will want to ensure that that unit gets off to a much better start in 2025.

Is this the year for the Ravens?

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) celebrates with wide receiver Nelson Agholor (15) and quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) after scoring a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third quarter in an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The Ravens have been knocking on the door of legitimate championship aspirations for quite some time now but haven’t been able to get past the AFC Championship thanks in large part to the presence of their good friends, the Kansas City Chiefs.

Lamar Jackson is a two-time MVP who very nearly won his third a season ago before losing out to Josh Allen, but the Ravens unfortunately have made a habit of botching routine plays in the biggest moments in recent years, including Mark Andrews’ late-game blunder vs the Bills in last year’s playoff matchup.

On paper, there might not be a team more talented in the league than this iteration of the Ravens–in fact, ESPN recently ranked Baltimore as the number one starting lineup in the entire NFL heading into next season.

However, when it comes to this Ravens group winning a championship, fans will have to see it to believe it.

This article first appeared on NFL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: