There may be no team under a bigger Super Bowl spotlight in 2025 than the Baltimore Ravens. You’ve got Lamar Jackson doing Lamar Jackson things, a defense that can punch you in the mouth, and playmakers all over the field. On paper? They look like a Super Bowl favorite. But while everyone’s talking about MVP odds and championship windows, there is one daunting question that could make or break their Lombardi hopes.
Is this Ravens defense really built to win it all? They have the best attack in the league (maybe by a big margin), but does this defence have what it takes to bring home that Super Bowl trophy? Marlon Humphrey didn’t shy away from that question.
Humphrey is already feeling the pressure. How could he not? His $19.5M AAV (5-year $97M contract running through 2026) underlines his status as one of the leaders of that defensive unit. But he isn’t letting those expectations get to him just yet. “I usually try to stay away from expectations. I don’t think you can predict what will happen in the NFL. I just try to put my head down and work. It doesn’t phase us, he said.”
Fair point. But then? He got a little…blunt. “I feel teams used to fear us. We’re trying to get that back. But I don’t think the Bengals or Steelers fear our defense.” This is a statement that won’t sit too well with the Ravens fans. But after these last few seasons, can you really blame him?
December 25, 2024, Houston, Texas, U.S: Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey 44 warms up prior to the game between the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX on December 25, 2024. Houston U.S – ZUMAw137 20241225_aap_w137_012 Copyright: xErikxWilliamsx
These words simply echo what the numbers told us last season. Sure, they were decent, ranking 10th overall and giving up 324.2 yards per game last season. But come on, this is a far cry from a championship-winning defence. They did crank out 54 sacks (second-most in the league), which definitely turned heads, but only came away with 17 takeaways (20th in the league).
What really sticks with fans is how Baltimore held up (or didn’t) in the AFC North. That Week 10 win over the Steelers? Yeah, it clinched the division, but the defense didn’t force a single turnover and only got to the quarterback four times. Not exactly dominant.
And in Week 11 versus the Bengals? Sure, the Ravens pulled off a wild 35–34 win, but they gave up a jaw-dropping 470 yards. Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase were doing their thing, slicing through the secondary like it was 7-on-7. It makes you wonder: For how long can this Ravens offense keep dragging them to wins? It’s time the defense steps up.
The Steelers and Bengals aren’t slouches; they’ve got firepower and they know how to use it. Pittsburgh’s defense? Top three in the league in PFF grades for pass rush and third-down stops. Meanwhile, Joe Burrow and the Bengals? They lit up the AFC through the air, leading the conference in passing yards. So when Marlon Humphrey sounds the alarm? He’s just keeping it real. But he didn’t just hit us with a reality check. Because this season? We might see a different Ravens defense.
Marlon Humphrey’s defense blueprint for this season
There is a light at the end of the tunnel for this defense, and when you listen to Humphrey’s words? We might have reached there. “Guys are really running to the ball like it means something. I try to use an analogy… if there’s a brick wall behind you, you shouldn’t look at it, you should just run directly into it.”
If nine guys are doing it? You’ve got a good unit. But if all eleven defenders buy in and treat every snap like they’re charging off a cliff? That’s when it becomes a nightmare for opposing offenses. And Humphrey believes this is what can become of the Ravens defense this season. And if it does, then those Super Bowl expectations might actually come to life.
You can feel the energy shift in Baltimore this year. With Zach Orr getting used to life as Defensive Coordinator, there’s more urgency. Physical pieces like Malaki Starks and experienced stars like Jaire Alexander bolster an already strong unit. It’s not just talk, either. Players are showing up early for lift sessions, committing to the so-called “Breakfast Club,” and drilling the basics with intensity. No gimmicks. No fluff. Just pure football, built around discipline and grit. This mentality is something the Ravens have missed in the last few years.
Still, it means nothing without turnovers. “Turnovers are the biggest thing… we had zero yesterday,” he said bluntly. “If you don’t force a turnover, everything else falls flat,” Marlon Humphrey added. And those 17 turnovers last season? Yeah, you can tell why this concerns him so much.
To go all the way, the Ravens will have to blend that turnover-hungry aggression with their old-school, rush-first DNA. If they can do that? They might just tap back into the kind of suffocating defense that used to make every AFC North quarterback lose sleep.
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