Brandon Stephens was solid but Ravens' fans are happy he's stepping
BALTIMORE, MD - NOVEMBER 07: Brandon Stephens #21 of the Baltimore Ravens lines up before the snap during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium on November 7, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by)
Stephens is a quality No. 3 defensive back. Still, with Ravens defensive back Marlon Humphrey deployed on the inside often, Stephens spent a lot of snaps on the outside against the more physical wide receivers in the NFL. When the going got tough, Stephens was frequently outmatched. Ravens defensive coordinator benched Stephens in the AFC Divisional Round and put in Tre'Davious White when Stephens gave up a crucial reception in the first-half loss. Gardner and Reed will handle the island work for Stephens in New York, allowing him to use his physicality against shifty slot targets and backs coming out of the backfield.
Stephens did feature 70 total tackles last season, but with only 10 pass deflections, the Ravens need a defensive back with skills more suited to defending the air game. Time will tell how things unfold for the defense in the future and whether or not General Manager Eric Decosta drafts at this position. For now, Stephens will enjoy his new team alongside all-pro defensive teammates.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Brandon Stephens was solid but Ravens' fans are happy he's stepping
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
George Kittle's Wife's Outfit for 49ers-Broncos Is Worth Seeing
George Kittle's Wife's Outfit for 49ers-Broncos Is Worth Seeing originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The San Francisco 49ers' preseason did not get off to the best start on Saturday. They hosted the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium for their first game, which turned out to be a disappointing performance for the home Jarrett Stidham led the charge for the Broncos, completing 14-of-15 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns. The sixth-year QB led the charge for Denver, en route to a dominant 30-9 head coach Kyle Shanahan opted not to play multiple key players in the game. The likes of Brock Purdy, Fred Warner and Christian McCaffrey, among others, did not take part in the preseason opener. Six-time Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle was also held out. Kittle's wife, Claire Kittle, however, still attended the game despite the absence of her better half from the matchup. The 30-year-old took to Instagram on Sunday to show off her first game-day outfit of the season. Claire Kittle went for a sporty, laid-back look for the preseason opener. She wore a white cropped tank, which she paired with bright red athletic shorts. The prominent NFL WAG (wives and girlfriends) also added a link for her shorts. It's a The Put Your Name on It Chubbies shorts which had the word 'Kittle' printed across the front in bold white letters. It retails for $69.50 on the Chubbies website. Claire Kittle capped off her look with clean white Louis Vuitton sneakers that featured red accents. Her accessories, a red-and-white baseball cap and small white handbag, were perfectly coordinated with her color scheme for the Kittle has established herself as a fashion icon on the sidelines, and based on her eye-catching fit on Day 1, it appears that she's intent on maintaining her status for the upcoming season. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
12 minutes ago
- USA Today
NFL preseason grades for Abdul Carter and Tyler Warren following debuts
The first batch of preseason games in the NFL are in the books, which means a few former Penn State players finally got their first little taste of the speed of the NFL. Among the rookies in action during the first week of the NFL's preseason was Abdul Carter, the third overall pick of the New York Giants. Carter put together a solid showing in his first preseason experience and received a very positive grade from the NFL community. Carter was one of four first-round draft picks to receive an A+ grade on their NFL preseason debuts from CBS Sports. Carter was credited with three pressures in his debut against the Buffalo Bills. Considering the rookie was going up against a Pro Bowl player, Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins, that is a great first impression to leave on those watching and a promising sign of things to come. Yes, it was just a small sample size, but Carter will have high expectations of him given he was the third overall pick in the draft. The Giants are hoping the former Nittany Lion standout develops into one of the great all-time defensive players in Giants history, and there are some great names in franchise history he may one day join in the upper ranks of the franchise. The good news for the Giants is first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart also received an A+ grade. Not bad for the Giants, it would seem. Penn State's other first-round draft pick, tight end Tyler Warren, also received a solid grade from his preseason debut. Warren was given a B+ grade from CBS Sports. Warren caught three passes for 40 yards for the Colts in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Carter and the Giants will be back in action Saturday, Aug. 16, against the New York Jets. Warren and the Colts will face the Green Bay Packers on the same day.
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Odell Beckham Jr. Responds to Viral Retirement Rumor
NEED TO KNOW Odell Beckham Jr. is currently a free agent after being waived by the Miami Dolphins in December A parody account went viral after it posted that the athlete was retiring He has since addressed the rumors in a series of X posts on Tuesday, Aug. 12Odell Beckham Jr. isn't hanging up his cleats just yet. The football player, 32, responded to an account on X, posing as NFL insider Adam Schefter, 58, after it claimed that Beckham Jr. was retiring. The back and forth began on Tuesday, Aug. 12, after the parody account shared a picture previously posted by Beckham Jr. on Instagram of him and his son, Zydn Beckham, sitting outside MetLife Stadium. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! The athlete spent five seasons with the New York Giants from 2014 to 2019. He later played with the Cleveland Browns for three seasons from 2019 to 2021. From 2021 to 2022, he played one season with the Los Angeles Rams, and from 2023 to 2024, he played one season with the Baltimore Ravens. Last season, Beckham Jr. played for the Miami Dolphins. He is currently a free agent after being waived by the team in December. The account wrote, "After 10 seasons in the NFL, Odell Beckham Jr. has decided to retire. Beckham Jr. played for the Giants, Browns, Rams, Ravens, and Dolphins. He announced Tuesday." The tweet instantly went viral, gathering over 2.7 million views within 11 hours. Beckham Jr. responded five hours after the post started gathering attention, writing, "LOL WTF… when was that announced and by who? That's funny , appreciate the concerns but this Shxt ain't over yet." He later shared a separate tweet reemphasizing his point, writing, "Not done yet… thanks for hr concerns and have a blessed day," which garnered 1.4 million views. "😭Learn somethin new everyday?" he shared in a follow-up post, to which a fan replied, "Omg this MF got us 😭😭." "He definitely did!" Beckham Jr. responded to the fan. The football star ended his series of posts on Tuesday by sending a reminder to fans. "No seriously. Plz stop reading everything on the internet, and stop texting me happy retirement b4 u piss me off 😭😭😭. That will get no response. I promise u the day I'm done I will let u kno. Again if u text me happy retirement im just gon have to block u 😭😭. Thanks," he wrote. When Beckham Jr. spoke with PEOPLE in February, he said his focus remains on being present in every moment. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'My biggest focus of my life right now is being present, being able to be present, be where my feet are at, enjoy the moments — because I know that more are coming. There's going to be good days, there's going to be bad days. So just being able to be where I'm at right now, and that's the most important thing,' Beckham Jr. said. Read the original article on People
