Steelers' Unique Game Plan Had Ravens' Marlon Humphrey Questioning His Postseason Opponent

The Pittsburgh Steelers did not end the 2024 regular season on a great note. The group struggled as they ended the year on a four-game losing streak, which included a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18. Had Pittsburgh been able to beat the Bengals, they would have been playing the Houston Texans in the first round of the playoffs, but instead, they will have to take on the Baltimore Ravens. A big reason Pittsburgh fell to the Bengals was that Joe Burrow got hot early against the unreliable defense of the Steelers.

While the offense is mostly to blame for the loss to Cincinnati in Week 18, the defense also came out flat. Pittsburgh's defenders allowed Burrow to come out and complete his first 12 passes, and the Bengals drove down the field with ease on their opening possession for a touchdown. This was the only touchdown the defense gave up all game, but Burrow still had his way with the secondary. Ravens' Marlon Humphrey spoke about the game on the most recent episode of his podcast, Punch Line Podcast With Marlon Humphrey, where he was baffled by Pittsburgh's decision to have Cory Trice Jr. covering Ja'Marr Chase.

"I'll just say this," Humphrey said. "Whoever the backup corner was, who was that? Is he a rookie? He's a rookie? I just feel like I don't know how much playing experience he's got. I'm not saying he's a bad player, I know nothing about his game. I just felt as though he was one-on-one with Chase quite a bit. I feel like there was no safety help."

Humphrey obviously was not familiar with Trice at all, as he thought he was a rookie. Trice probably has even less experience than a rookie would, as he missed the entire 2023 season and the game against Cincinnati was just the fourth of his career. Trice certainly got thrown into the fire on Saturday night as he got his first start against the best passing attack in the league.

Trice was forced to play due to an injury to Donte Jackson. He filled in for Jackson during the second half of the Week 17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and was then tasked with covering Chase the next week. Chase is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL, and he became just the fifth player since the merger to capture the receiving triple crown for his performance during the 2024 season. Humphrey spoke about what the coaching staff in Pittsburgh must think of Trice to trust him with that matchup.

"I was quite surprised at that game plan," Humphrey said. "And actually, being that they did not give up 450 yards like we did it seemed like it worked decently well. But, they got a lot of confidence in that kid. Because I was like, 'Are they trying to win? Or are they trying to lose?' But it seemed to work out pretty well. He gave up a touchdown, but in cover zero, so."

Based off of Cincinnati's first drive of the game, it seemed like it would be a long game for Trice and Pittsburgh's defense, but the group found a way to hold the Bengals to just field goals the rest of the way. Humphrey doesn't necessarily fault Trice for Chase's touchdown as the defense was in cover zero, which is a man-to-man strategy that implores a heavy pass rush and little-to-no deep safety help.

Steelers' Cory Trice Jr. Has Impressed During His Second Season

Trice has looked good when he has been available to play for Pittsburgh. Obviously, it is a small sample size, but it is obvious why the coaching staff would trust him with a matchup like Chase. He recorded an interception in Week 2, and he has been a good tackler in the run game. Once he begins to refine his skills and can stay healthy, he has the opportunity to be a serious contributor for Pittsburgh's defense.

What do you think about Humphrey's analysis on Pittsburgh's game plan? Let us know in the comments below!

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