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Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey didn’t hold back after the Week 3 loss to the Detroit Lions, making a shocking confession about the defense. It seems, following his lead, coach John Harbaugh also decided to share some strong words, this time aimed at both offense and defense. And the most common issue seen this season was running back Derrick Henry’s fumbles.

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He made a fourth-quarter fumble. With the Ravens trailing 28-24, Henry lost the ball, allowing Detroit to recover and take it back to Baltimore’s 16-yard line. The Lions capitalized with a field goal to stretch their lead. Speaking of the fumble, Harbaugh said, “I don’t think it will be [the norm] going forward, but we gotta get it fixed,” “That was a blind spot… Still, we just want to protect the football,” he told the reporters about the fumble.

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This was the RB’s third fumble of the season. That’s as many as he had in 2023 and 2024 combined. He had two fourth-quarter fumbles across his last 9 years in the league. So, this season’s record was unexpected.

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Two of the fumbles in this season have been costly turnovers. His first came in Week 1 during Baltimore’s heartbreaking 41-40 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Indeed, this isn’t usually a problem for him, but the recent run of fumbles is definitely concerning.

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Even more so for the Ravens player. “It’s just crazy,” Henry said. “Three fumbles [in three games] straight. I’m trying every day to fix the problem that just keeps occurring. I’m my worst critic, so I’m not going to try to beat myself up too much. But it’s hard not to when it’s consecutive and consistent [instances] of me doing the same thing.

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Apart from some costly mistakes, Henry has been putting up interesting numbers. He’s completed 7 of 10 pass attempts so far, racking up 37 yards, roughly 5.3 yards per completion. He’s making waves, sitting 18th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 11,665 yards and sixth in rushing touchdowns with 109.

So, the RB will look to clean up those mistakes in the next game. And it’s not just the offense under the microscope. The coach also stressed the need for improvement for the defense

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John Harbaugh called out the defense

While the Detroit defense was impressive, the same can’t be said about the Ravens’ defense. Quarterback Jared Goff wasn’t sacked throughout the game. He was hit four times. As Sarah Ellison reported, coach Harbaugh wasn’t pleased. “John Harbaugh on the Ravens defense not getting any sacks on Jared Goff: “We gotta get a better pass rush. There’s no doubt about it. That’s not going to be good enough, ever,”” she wrote on X.

Humphrey had earlier urged the defense to be “mature” after the Week 1 loss. He addressed the issues with the unit this time, too. “We’re just not very good,” Humphrey said as per Cordell Woodland of 105.7 The Fan.

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The Lions racked up five touchdowns, four on the ground, while Goff ran the show, completing 20 of 28 passes for 202 yards and a passing touchdown. Well, the Ravens’ defense was without two players. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) and defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) were out due to their injuries.

However, Baltimore’s mistakes on both offense and defense showed exactly what the team needs to fix as they prepare for the next game. It remains to be seen if the defense can pull itself together like last time, and before it’s too late, and if Henry can turn around.

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Pritha Debroy

3,476 Articles

Pritha Debroy works with the NFL Lifestyle Desk at EssentiallySports, where she explores the league beyond the sidelines and focuses on the cultural nuances of football. Bringing a fresh perspective shaped by her background in basketball lifestyle stories and cross-sport expertise, she highlights how NFL athletes build influence off the field. A graduate of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, our in-house initiative that trains writers under industry experts, Pritha specializes in long-form features and player-driven stories that capture the evolving identity of today’s NFL stars. Pritha combines her passion for storytelling with a thoughtful approach to sports culture and lifestyle. With strong communication skills and an eye for detail, she brings a distinctive voice to NFL journalism, delivering engaging and insightful content that resonates with readers.

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Jyotsna Rai

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