Tyler Huntley turned a long night into a winning one for the Baltimore Ravens, leading a 30-23 overtime comeback against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday after Lamar Jackson was out with a sprained left ankle.
The victory came in Huntley's third straight game as a fill-in starter, and it gave Baltimore another example of why the team has continued to trust him. As Jesse Minter put it on Saturday night, there was not an NFL locker room with more confidence in its backup quarterback than the Ravens had in Huntley.
How the comeback came together
Huntley was at his best when the pressure peaked. He tied the game with 40 seconds left on a 7-yard touchdown pass to Devontez Walker, then Derrick Henry converted the 2-point conversion to pull Baltimore even. Later, Huntley finished the job in overtime with a 1-yard quarterback sneak after a 14-play series that kept the Ravens moving when they needed one last scoring drive.
It was the kind of finish that showed why Baltimore has repeatedly leaned on Huntley in past games. He completed 11 straight passes for 80 yards on the final two drives and ended the game 16-of-20 for 107 passing yards overall. The Ravens did not need flash as much as composure, and Huntley supplied both.
What it meant for Baltimore
The win pushed the Ravens to 4-1 and gave them a one-game lead in the AFC North. Just as important, it showed Baltimore can still win when Jackson is unavailable. That matters in a long season, especially for a team trying to stay on top of the division while managing injuries at quarterback.
Jesse Minter described Huntley as one of the coolest people in the building and said he does not get rattled. That was on display again Sunday, when the game tightened and the moments got bigger. He stayed composed, kept the offense moving, and helped the Ravens finish a comeback that had been eight years in the making for him in one respect: it was a reminder that backup quarterbacks can decide games, not just survive them.
Rashod Bateman said it is hard to back up a player like Lamar Jackson, but he also made clear what Huntley brings in those situations. For Baltimore, that value was on display in a 30-23 win that could matter again later in the season.
