‘Snoop’ Saves the Season
With Jackson missing his third straight game, Huntley was asked to save the Ravens’ season, and that’s exactly what “Snoop” did.
Huntley, whose third stint with the Ravens began in late August when they signed him to the practice squad after he was released by the Browns, completed 77.3 percent of his passes, threw a touchdown pass, and did not commit a turnover against a Bears defense that entered the game leading the league in takeaways.
He finished with a 116.9 quarterback rating, which was a career-high in his 15 career starts, and also rushed for 53 yards on eight carries.
Press Box’s Bo Smolka: “It’s not hyperbole to say Tyler Huntley saved the season. … One early sequence showed how Huntley was in command against a depleted Bears defense that was missing a couple of starting cornerbacks. The Ravens were already trailing 6-0 and, after a penalty, faced first-and-23 at the Bears’ 45-yard line early in the second quarter. Huntley hit Tylan Wallace on one play, and then connected with Rashod Bateman on the next. On third-and-7, Huntley threw a 7-yard pass to Zay Flowers to move the chains and keep the drive alive. Later, Huntley ran for 2 yards on third-and-2, and two plays later, Derrick Henry scored his first touchdown to give the Ravens the lead for good.”
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley: “How much did this win save the Ravens’ season? The Ravens not only won their first game in 42 days, but they also won their first game without quarterback Lamar Jackson since December 2022. A loss would have dropped Baltimore to 1-6, and only one team in NFL history — the 1970 Bengals — has reached the postseason after a 1-6 start. Tyler Huntley, who filled in for Jackson, created a spark for the Ravens with 239 total yards and one touchdown. It’s the most points that the Ravens have scored without Jackson since they put up 30 against the Packers four years ago.”
NFL’s Eric Edholm: “The Ravens were reeling, and the Bears came in with four straight victories, but Huntley gave Baltimore a steadying force under center, leading the Ravens to six scoring drives in eight possessions and harming the Bears with his legs and arm. It wasn’t a Jackson-level showcase, but Huntley threw on time and on target all game, helped immensely by strong pass protection and a productive ground game.”
The Baltimore Banner’s Kyle Goon: “Short of being Lamar Jackson, the sixth-year backup gave a beleaguered offense everything it could have hoped for on Sunday afternoon. … It was exactly the steady, good-enough performance that the Ravens have needed since Jackson got hurt in Week 4.”
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