Baltimore Ravens defensive back Marlon Humphrey probably had the play of the day in Saturday’s 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Early in the fourth quarter, Humphrey intercepted Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown. It was the first pick-six of his NFL career and the first defensive touchdown of the season for Baltimore.
It was also a major momentum mover, and one could even argue that it iced the game for the Ravens. But beyond all that, it was also a brilliant reading of the opposing quarterback’s eyes and a display of elite athleticism.
It was “showboating” at a hall-of-fame level. The way Humphrey extended his arm out to hold the ball away from his body and pretend it was accessible to the Steelers offensive players in pursuit was epic.
And Humphrey did all this before he was even in the end zone! It was taunting at a legendary level, especially if you happened to be Steelers tight end MyCole Pruitt or wide receiver Calvin Austin.
Humphrey made taunting/showboating an art form here, as it resembled something from the 1999 film Any Given Sunday or the early 2000 ESPN series Playmakers.
It was funny, entertaining, and controversial. Humphrey and the Ravens were lucky that they were not flagged afterward.
