Ravens' Marlon Humphrey: Chiefs are NFL version of Alabama Crimson Tide
To be the man, you gotta beat the man.
Cornerback Marlon Humphrey and the Baltimore Ravens boast one of the NFL's elite defenses, but they have to get past Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday's AFC Championship Game (3 p.m. ET). The Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl champions and have won two of the last four Super Bowls.
Humphrey likened the aura that surrounds the Chiefs to that of his alma mater, Alabama.
"I don't know why I was thinking about this on the field, but I feel like the Chiefs — over the years — are the [professional] football version of Alabama," Humphrey said at his Thursday media availability. "It's like, every year in, year out, they might be like, 'Oh they're not looking that good. They're not this.' They're still 'that team.' They're still the team to beat. Whether they're losing, [or] whether they're winning, they're still the Chiefs, and they're the team to beat. They're Super Bowl champs, and for us to beat them, it's going to take everybody firing on all cylinders. [Patrick] Mahomes, I think him and Lamar [Jackson] ... I think those two quarterbacks are ... It's those two quarterbacks and then everybody else.
"So, we're playing one or two of the best quarterbacks ... The two best quarterbacks in all the world are going to be on the same field, and so, we're facing one, and they're facing the other. I think it will be a really good matchup."
Alabama previously won six national championships under now-retired head coach Nick Saban from 2007-23. Humphrey was part of Alabama's 2015 championship team and went on to become a first-round draft selection of the Ravens in 2017.
Humphrey, a three-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro selection, was limited to 10 games in the regular season due to injury. Across said playing time, he totaled one interception and 26 combined tackles. He has been inactive for Baltimore's last two games.
Humphrey was part of a Ravens defense that surrendered just 301.4 total yards (sixth in the NFL) and 16.5 points (first) per game in the regular season. Last week, Baltimore's defense surrendered just three points against the Houston Texans in the AFC divisional round, with Houston's lone touchdown coming off a punt return.
Baltimore cruised its way to the No. 1 seed in the AFC, going 13-4 and putting together standout wins against the San Francisco 49ers (33-19), Detroit Lions (38-6) and Miami Dolphins (56-19), while sweeping the season series with the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals.
On the other hand, Kansas City, which went 11-6 in the regular season, is in the midst of a roller-coaster season that saw it lose five of eight games down the stretch and squeak out the AFC West division title. That said, Kansas City handled Miami in the wild-card round, 26-7, and eked out a 27-24 win on the road against the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round.
[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]
-
'We can't lose the good': Kellen Moore's job is to make Eagles' 'stale' offense work
John Harbaugh family launches the Harbaugh Coaching Academy
Cowboys 'all-in' on bargain bin? 5 free agents who could help Dallas in 2024
-
2024 New NFL uniforms: Giants unveil alternate uniform to celebrate 100th season
2025 Super Bowl LIX odds: Arizona Cardinals on the move after schedule release
2024 NFL Schedule Release: Date, when does the season start?
-
Could Dak Prescott and Bill Belichick team up in 2025 — on the Giants?
Pittsburgh to host 2026 NFL Draft
Why has Tua Tagovailoa lost weight this offseason? We explain Dolphins' reasoning
-
'We can't lose the good': Kellen Moore's job is to make Eagles' 'stale' offense work
John Harbaugh family launches the Harbaugh Coaching Academy
Cowboys 'all-in' on bargain bin? 5 free agents who could help Dallas in 2024
-
2024 New NFL uniforms: Giants unveil alternate uniform to celebrate 100th season
2025 Super Bowl LIX odds: Arizona Cardinals on the move after schedule release
2024 NFL Schedule Release: Date, when does the season start?
-
Could Dak Prescott and Bill Belichick team up in 2025 — on the Giants?
Pittsburgh to host 2026 NFL Draft
Why has Tua Tagovailoa lost weight this offseason? We explain Dolphins' reasoning