News & Notes: Marlon Humphrey Says Todd Monken…

The Ravens know Todd Monken and have no doubt he will be fired up to face Baltimore on Sunday.

Monken has energized the Cleveland Browns (3-2) in his first year as head coach after three seasons as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator. The 60-year-old Monken maintains close relationships with some Ravens players and coaches, but now, he’s an AFC North rival.

Cornerback Marlon Humphrey said Monken will have no problem making that transition.

“He was probably one of my favorite coaches of all time,” Humphrey said. “If I know Todd the way I think I know Todd, he will want to kick our tails.”

Monken comes from a coaching family, something he has in common with Ravens Head Coach Jesse Minter. As the Ravens’ defensive play caller, Minter will match wits with Monken, who is the Browns’ offensive play caller. They’ve known each other for years, and Minter isn’t surprised to see Monken off to a good start in his first NFL head coaching job.

“Todd’s a great offensive play caller, he’s been a successful head coach at the college level, he’s done a really good job the first part of the season. A guy I’ve got a ton of respect for,” Minter said.

“It’s a division opponent, so our players know their players. It’s going to be a really well-coached team. They have a great defense. We’re just excited for the challenge.”

Monken knows the Ravens’ offensive players intimately while Baltimore’s defensive players know what Monken likes too. Does either team have an advantage?

“It’s probably overblown at this point,” Minter said. “I think there are so many of those things where it’s like, ‘Well, they know that we know that they know.’ I don’t put a lot of stock into it.”

Nnamdi Madubuike Thinks He Can Be Better Than Ever

It’s not a coincidence that the Ravens’ three-game winning streak coincides with Nnamdi Madubuike’s return to the lineup.

Madubuike hadn’t played in 12 months before making his season debut in Week 3, but the two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle has made an immediate impact. He’s had nine tackles and three quarterback hits since returning, and he’s played 72% of the defensive snaps – a heavy workload for any defensive tackle.

Putting his neck injury behind him, Madubuike remains a catalyst for the entire defense.

“Every game, every practice I’m feeling better and better,” Madubuike said. “I want to be back to how I was before I left. I want to be the same player, not even that, I want to be a better player than I was before the injury.

“If I play hard, and everybody else as the mentality of playing hard, the whole defense eats plays hard, and we become one of the best defenses in the NFL.”

Madubuike’s 2025 season ended in Week 2 against the Browns, but he won’t be anxious about seeing them again.

“Honestly, no,” Madubuike said. “I’m ready to go, I feel good. I’m just happy to be back with the guys playing football, making plays.”

Minter: AFC North Games Get Extra Credit

Minter is preparing for his first AFC North game as the Ravens’ head coach, and he emphasized their importance during Wednesday’s team meeting.

According to right tackle Roger Rosengarten, Minter told the team that divisional wins count as a “plus one and a half.”

The Ravens went 3-3 in the AFC North last year and would have been the first three-time champs in division history if they beat the Steelers in the regular-season finale.

After finishing in last place in the division last year at 5-12, the Browns have gotten off to a strong start to this season under Monken.

“I’ve always felt like the division games mean a little bit more. I don’t want them to go outside of anything that we’ve been doing, but it’s just really an intent and a focus when you play division teams, and you kind of know the style of football that this division has always had,” Minter said.

“It’s our first crack at that. We haven’t played them before with us, so it’s a new game, but at the same time, we know that these division games mean a lot.”

What If Kyle Hamilton Had Fumbled After His Overtime Interception?

An interesting question that came out of Sunday night’s win in Atlanta was what would have happened had safety Kyle Hamilton fumbled after making his diving overtime interception.

Likely out of instinct, Hamilton got up and started to run after making the catch. Falcons wide receiver Drake London started going for the ball, but inside linebacker Roquan Smith quickly helped Hamilton get back to the safety of the ground.

The game was over at the conclusion of that play because the Ravens scored a touchdown on their first possession of overtime and the Falcons did not. Each team is given at least one opportunity to score.

However, would the Falcons’ drive have continued in overtime drive had the Ravens/Hamilton gained possession and then given it immediately back within the same play?

“I’ve read some conflicting things on that,” Minter said with a smile. “I’m just glad that Roquan tackled him [and] he stayed on the ground. I think Kyle knew that, like, ‘Hey, [an] interception right there ended the game.’ [It was a] great play by him. So, we’ll leave it at that.”

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