In an interesting turn of events, the Baltimore Ravens appear primed to roll out both their quarterbacks in the Wild Card game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night.
Head coach John Harbaugh recently said Tyler Huntley was “on schedule” to start against the Bengals, and so far that statement holds true. Huntley sat out of Week 18 and has been dealing with shoulder and wrist injuries, yet the backup quarterback logged his first full practice of the week on Friday.
Barring any setbacks, Huntley seems set to start Sunday night’s game with undrafted rookie Anthony Brown as his backup. However, both quarterbacks could be in line to play an equal number of snaps per Ian Rapoport’s sources.
NFL’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Ravens will opt for a dual-quarterback room on Sunday night against the Bengals:
"Sources say the Ravens plan to play both quarterbacks against the Bengals: Tyler “Snoop” Huntley and Anthony Brown. That’s one reason why an announced starter might not matter as much — who plays could depend on the package Baltimore uses."
Ravens plan to play both Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown against the Bengals
Brett Hundley was not elevated from the practice squad, which suggests Huntley is indeed healthy enough to play on Sunday.
Huntley has more experience of the two and should get the start, though if Cincinnati pushes ahead for an early lead, Baltimore may be inclined to rotate in Anthony Brown to take some more downfield shots.
Huntley’s strengths lie in his legs and his ability to scramble out of pressure; Brown, on the other hand, showed great composure in the pocket despite one terrible interception in Week 18 and can make tough throws when necessary.
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman hasn’t been shy about reaching into vault and digging out more creative plays this season, especially with Lamar Jackson’s extended absence, and a two-quarterback system could present more of a challenge to the Bengals’ defense.
This is the first time this season that the Ravens are rolling out with two rotational quarterbacks, but given their scoring struggles in the last few months, it’s hard to imagine the offense getting any worse.