Ravens are on a losing streak and without Lamar Jackson, their best player; the playoffs slip away …
Lamar Jackson was ruled out for the third game in a row, meaning Tyler Huntley will be the quarterback for Sunday’s crucial game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Jackson was kind of questionable after missing the last two practices of the week due to a right ankle injury. He hasn’t played since he injured his ankle on Dec. 12, when Baltimore lost at Cleveland 24-22.
Huntley will seek to help Ravens (8-7) and end their four-game losing streak, which has put them out of the playoffs. If Baltimore wins, its postseason chances increase to 59%, according to the Football Power Index de ESPN. If the Ravens lose, their chances drop to 8%.
Not selected in the Utah draft in 2020, Huntley has proven to be a more than capable replacement for Jackson., playing better than his 1-1 record indicates. He led a winning series in the fourth quarter in his first start (a 16-13 win at Chicago on Nov. 21) and nearly recovered Baltimore from a 21-point deficit after replacing Jackson early in the second quarter at Cleveland, three weeks ago.
In his last appearance, a 31-30 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 19, Huntley became the first Ravens player to record multiple TD passes and TDs in one game. He was scheduled to start last Sunday’s game in Cincinnati, but tested positive for COVID-19 the day before.
After being activated from the reserve / COVID-19 list on Thursday, Huntley took first-team replays for Baltimore. in the last two practices of the week. Huntley’s backup will be 35-year-old Josh Johnson who threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns in last Sunday’s 41-21 loss at Cincinnati.
“It’s football at the end of the day,” Huntley said of being pushed into pressure-filled situations. “We can never lose sight of that, and we can’t put too much pressure on ourselves because we’re just humans playing a toddler’s game. So I don’t give too much importance to it. I’m just trying to do my job, and I think that’s what’s going well for me.” .
The Ravens have made the playoffs in each of Lamar Jackson’s first three seasons. and they were hopeful that the 2019 NFL MVP would return this week. But Jackson limped a lot during practice Wednesday, his first field job in 17 days, and was out Thursday and Friday.
Jackson, who was selected to this year’s Pro Bowl, has been out for four games this season after missing just two of his first 37 starts between 2018 and 2020.
The Ravens are currently the eighth seed in the seven-team AFC playoff field. Baltimore can control its own destiny in the playoffs heading into the final week of the regular season if it defeats the Rams and the Miami Dolphins lose to the Tennessee Titans.
There is a possibility that Baltimore will be eliminated just five weeks after having the best record in the AFC. The Ravens can be eliminated from the playoffs with one loss and three teams winning: Raiders, Chargers and Dolphins.
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