Huntley Steps Up, Keeping the Ravens’ Season Alive

The Offense Comes to Life

It’s been an underwhelming couple of weeks for the Ravens, following Lamar Jackson’s hamstring injury in Week 4 against the Chiefs. Entering Week 8 at a disappointing 1-5, it was clear the Ravens needed to pick up a must-win over the Bears, who came to town winners of four straight. Following a weird couple of days regarding Jackson’s injury status for yesterday’s game, Tyler “Snoop” Huntley ultimately got the nod as QB1.

The Ravens offense showed some signs of life when Snoop entered in Week 6 against the Rams, possibly giving him the upper hand over Cooper Rush, who had started the previous two games. Huntley did exactly what he needed to lift the Ravens to the win: lean on the run game, protect the football, and take what the defense gives you.

Huntley finished 17/22 for 186 yards and a touchdown through the air, shining in the play-action game, finishing 7/8 for 95 yards, and the lone touchdown. According to NFL Pro, it’s his second-most passing yards on such plays and highest such passer rating in his career(155.7). Huntley also showed his ability to take off on the ground, totaling 53 yards on eight carries, including 42 yards from three scrambles.  There was never an expectation for Huntley to start yesterday and put on a Lamar Jackson-like performance. But the ability to lean on Derrick Henry, who has begun to find his rhythm, allows Snoop the opportunities to show his skills on the ground. Keaton Mitchell was also a key factor in the Ravens ability to move the chains yesterday, picking up 43 yards on four carries, including an impressive 25-yard carry.

The hope is to see Jackson return to the field Thursday, when the Ravens head to Miami for a primetime matchup with the Dolphins. It’s a stretch of games ahead that truly favors the Ravens.

Getting their franchise quarterback on the field will play a large role in their ability to begin stacking wins.

Look Around the AFC North

Joe Flacco has continued to put up more than impressive numbers on the stat sheet, but Cindy giving the Jets their first win of the season is the obvious eye-opener in this one. After leading 31-16 entering the fourth quarter, the Bengals offense was held to just seven points, as they watched New York walk away with a 39-38 win. All the blame, however, can’t be placed on Flacco, who had yet another efficient day from the pocket. The veteran finished 21/34 for 223 yards and 2 touchdowns, to go along with 14 rushing yards and a score on the ground. Flacco’s ability to get the ball out quickly gave the Jets less time to get pressure in the backfield. According to NFL Pro, Flacco averaged a throw time of 2.59 seconds, leading to just eight pressures, and a lone sack for the Jets defense. The Bengals will look to turn things around next week, when Chicago comes to town following their loss to the Ravens.

It wasn’t the best performance for Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, ultimately spoiling a historic performance from Myles Garrett in the team’s loss to the Patriots Sunday. The third-round pick hasn’t had many eye-popping performances after being named the starter in Week 5, and Sunday’s contest may have been the most underwhelming. Gabriel and the Browns struggled to get into a real rhythm, picking up just 213 total yards of offense, while going just 2-11 on third downs. The rookie quarterback finished 21/35 for 156 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, bringing his season total to 683 yards, four touchdowns, and two INTs through four starts. The Browns have put themselves in a situation that seems almost impossible to win, as you’d have to imagine the calls for Shadeur Sanders will become louder as the weeks continue. It’s Cleveland’s fourth loss in the last five games, moving them to 2-5 as they enter the bye next week.

The team is young and has leaned on the talent of a really solid rookie class, but if the losses continue, how much longer will they wait to see what Sanders brings to the offense?

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