Rod Woodson Criticises Ex-Ravens Defensive Staff

The big talk from last year was that Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey had one of the worst seasons of his career.

Humphrey was able to nab four interceptions on the season, but there was more to the story than what that stat shows. He got burned multiple times, and a hand injury caused him to wear a cast, which further affected his play.

But while Ravens Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson appeared on the Ravens Vault podcast, he defended Humphrey and criticized the former defensive staff under coordinator Zach Orr.

"I know this past year they went back to the old school way of playing him on the low hip, which I'm not a fan of. We got quite a few deep balls thrown against us because of that... I think Humphrey has a lot still left in his tank. I just think asking him to play on the low hip put him in a bad spot," Woodson said. "Especially when you don't have the same foot speed as you had four or five years ago... That's a defensive coaching adjustment. A technical adjustment. ... It didn't benefit the group. Marlon had, probably, the worst part of it because his foot speed was not the same as it was a couple years ago, which is natural."

Rod Woodson points the finger at Orr's staff for Humphrey's struggles

While in coverage this season, Humphrey allowed 68.7% completion percentage and a passer rating of 91.3, according to Pro Football Focus. He allowed 920 receiving yards from 68 receptions, the most of his eight-year NFL career.

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey | Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

It wasn't just Humphery, though. It was also a bad year for the Ravens' defense as a unit. They finished 24th in total defense and 18th in points allowed for the 2025 campaign.

There is a fair argument to pin some of it on the defensive scheme, as the Ravens struggled in every aspect of defense. The pass defense ranked 30th in yards allowed, and the defensive front recorded only 30 sacks in 17 games.

Humphrey's drop from being a Pro Bowler and All-Pro in 2024 to what 2025 came out to be was as drastic as it has ever been seen in Baltimore in a long time. Ravens fans know that Humphrey can play at a high level, but a lot was going on in 2025 that made the season tough for him and other defenders.

If new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter can give Humphrey a second chance to prove himself instead of taking some expert's advice on trading him in the offseason, the 2026 season could be a much different story with a new coaching staff in place.