The Baltimore Ravens had twice as many victories in their previous four games than the New York Jets had won all season when the teams squared off on Sunday.
But halfway through the fourth quarter, the Jets were trying to make a game of it. Trailing by 10 points, New York had moved to the Baltimore 12-yard line thanks to a 40-yard catch-and-run by running back Breece Hall.
Now, Hall had the football again. Then, at the 10-yard line, he didn’t.
Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey pulled the football away from the New York running back, and Baltimore safety Alohi Gilman recovered the 17th fumble forced by Humphrey during his career.
The Ravens went on to a 23-10 victory.
“Marlon, to get that ball out, I don’t know how he did it,” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said. “We were reeling a little bit. They had us on our heels. They were running the ball. They had made some plays, and we’d missed some tackles. And then he comes up just huge.
“To me, that’s the lion spike right there. That’s the lion spike of the game right there.”
The Ravens present a symbolic lion-spike trophy to the player who makes the game-winning play.
“Honestly, I was thinking about the missed tackle I had just had a play or two before,” Humphrey said. “We talk about the more shots you take on the ball, the better the odds you have to get one out, and I took a shot there, and I was able to get it out. …
“Some of the players and the coaches were like, ‘Boy, that was major.’ It would’ve been a one-score game. It could have given them some hope. They already kind of had a little bit of success, so it was major to make that play in that moment.”
A former Hoover High School and Alabama standout, Humphrey made a return to the field on Sunday. The four-time Pro Bowler missed Baltimore’s 23-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 16 after having surgery for a finger injury.
Sunday’s victory gave the Ravens a five-game winning streak, and Baltimore has caught the Pittsburgh Steelers at the top of the AFC North standings after losing five of its first six games.
“The most interesting thing, I think — I might’ve said it this week to somebody – is the approach to how we’ve gone about things,” Humphrey said. “We were 1-5, and now that we’re (6)-5, it’s still the same. That’s something that’s been really encouraging. There hasn’t been a lot of finger-pointing. Early in the season, the defense, we were the worst in the league. The offense wasn’t finger-pointing at us. I think this team is really starting to come together, and it’s really just is good.
“It’s a pleasure to be on this team. It’s a pleasure to get coached by the coaches. It’s good vibes, it’s good energy in the building, and it just seems like we’re all working towards something. Even when something’s not right — when special teams isn’t right, defense isn’t right, offense isn’t right — we’re still building with one another, and so it’s really encouraging.”
The Ravens play the Cincinnati Bengals at 7:20 p.m. CST Thursday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore in an AFC North game. NBC will televise the game.
Baltimore has played twice previously on Thanksgiving – defeating the San Francisco 49ers 16-6 in 2011 and the Steelers 22-20 in 2023.
“I want to have the best Thanksgiving of my life,” Humphrey said, “and it’d be great if Joe Burrow just waited another week. But even if he is out there, it’ll be great to get the best of the Bengals with Joe being out there. I know the type of competitor he is. He’s a really cool guy. In the offseason, we see him at the Pro Bowl and different things, but on the field, he flips that switch on, and you know you’re going to get his best, so it’ll be a good Thanksgiving matchup.”
The Bengals plan to have Burrow back at quarterback on Thursday night. Burrow hasn’t played since sustaining a toe injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 14.
Cincinnati won both the games started by Burrow. The Bengals had one win in their nine games without him.