According to Ian Rapoport, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson only has an outside chance to play Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons after suffering an ankle injury last Sunday. Originally, the injury was reported as day-to-day. While the Ravens were lucky to avoid a long-term injury, there's a possibility that Jackson misses multiple games.
As such, the Ravens might have to turn to Tyler Huntley to sustain success without Jackson on Sunday and perhaps beyond. Obviously, there's quite the drop-off between the two players, particularly given how elite Lamar is.
Regardless, Huntley has a lot of experience filling in as a starter, and he's helped the Ravens pick up some big wins. Overall, he's 5-6 as a starter with the Ravens. Last season, he filled in a big spot during Baltimore's Week 17 game against the Green Bay Packers. The Ravens' season would've been over if they lost, but Huntley helped lead them to a 41-24 win, keeping their playoff hopes alive. Huntley completed 16 of 20 passes and threw for a touchdown in that matchup.
While the Ravens lost the following week, ending their playoff hopes, Huntley was a hero for a week, and this highlights that he's a solid backup. The stakes aren't nearly as high this time in Week 5. Still, the Ravens have some real momentum at 3-1, and every game counts, especially in a competitive AFC North division. Hopefully, Huntley can deliver again.
Tyler Huntley needs to have a big game on Sunday if Lamar Jackson is out
Despite Huntley being a rock-solid backup, there are some fair concerns about his ability to perform on Sunday. When he took over for Lamar in Week 4, the Ravens went scoreless in the second half and punted on their first four drives.
Now, had Tyler Loop not missed a field goal, they would've gotten on the scoreboard. Nevertheless, there's no denying that the Ravens' offense lost a lot of juice with Huntley under center.
Declan Doyle understandably simplified his playbook when Huntley took over. Expect a lot of running plays and short passes on Sunday if Huntley is starting. With Derrick Henry, Huntley's ability to generate big plays on the ground, and Zay Flowers' ability to generate yards after the catch, this could be a profitable gameplan.
The issue is that the Falcons' offense has been a wagon after Michael Penix's Week 3 return. They've scored 35 and 44 points in the past two weeks, and Bijan Robinson is an unstoppable running back. With the Ravens' defense showing some clear flaws thus far, things could get dicey.
Considering this, the pressure could be on Huntley to have a big game. Look, the offense won't be as detailed as it has been with Jackson. However, they'll likely need him to put together a strong game to keep up with the Falcons' offense. He can't simply be accurate on short passes—he'll need to generate some big plays at some point. Whether that's on the ground or in the air, explosive plays are needed to maximize their chances of winning.
Frankly, if things continue to trend this way, the Ravens will be asking a lot of their backup QB. Huntley has risen to the occasion before, but it's still a tall task.
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