ATLANTA — Ravens longtime backup quarterback Tyler Huntley said last week that starting for the first time this season, replacing the injured Lamar Jackson on Sunday night, would be like riding a bike.
It turned out to be a thrilling ride.
With Baltimore trailing 23-15 and just over two minutes remaining Sunday night against the Falcons, Huntley drove the Ravens 71 yards in 81 plays, connecting with Devontez Walker on a back-shoulder throw for a 7-yard touchdown. Then Derrick Henry took a direct snap and ran in a 2-point conversion to tie the game with 44 seconds remaining.
In overtime, Huntley capped a 14-play, 68-yard touchdown drive with a 1-yard quarterback sneak to put Baltimore ahead for good.
Safety Kyle Hamilton intercepted backup quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after the Ravens knocked Michael Penix Jr. out of the game late in the fourth quarter on their next possession, sealing the 30-23 win and setting off a celebratory sprint into the tunnel.
The Ravens improved to 4-1, while the Falcons fell to 2-3.
Huntley finished 24-of-32 passing for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Henry also rushed for 102 yards on 24 carries.
It was a stark contrast to the first 30 minutes of the game.
For two quarters, the Ravens mostly had their way with the Falcons’ top-ranked run defense but struggled to finish drives.
Baltimore rolled up 197 yards in the first two quarters. That included 111 on the ground and 5.8 per carry against a defense that came into the night allowing just 48.3 rushing yards per game.
If the ground game was Jekyll, the passing game was Hyde.
Huntley completed 11 of 18 passes for 97 yards in the first half, and he didn’t throw and complete a pass more than 5 yards downfield until late in the second quarter. The offense was conservative, and early in the game, at least, Huntley looked uncomfortable and hesitant.
The Falcons also pressured him on more than 42% of his drop-backs in the first half, per Sumer Sports.
Consequently, all Baltimore could muster were three Loop field goals, from 21, 51 and 51 yards, with Baltimore crossing into the red zone just once.
The Falcons’ offense was even worse early on.
Their first score came after a fumble by Mark Andrews that safety Jessie Bates returned 36 yards for a touchdown in the opening quarter, after the Ravens took a 3-0 lead.
Through its first four possessions, Atlanta managed just 37 yards and one first down. Eventually, Penix got things rolling.
Midway through the second quarter, he drove the Falcons down the field on a nine-play, 78-yard touchdown drive. He hit tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. for 13 yards. One play later, he found wide receiver Drake London for 25 yards.
Three plays after that, on third-and-6 from the Ravens’ 42, receiver Jahan Dotson got behind cornerbacks Chandler Rivers and Nate Wiggins for a 36-yard gain. A few plays later, the Ravens’ defense didn’t look prepared for a quick snap, and Pitts got inside Wiggins across the back of the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown to give Atlanta a 14-6 lead.
The Ravens and Huntley responded, though, marching 47 yards in 11 plays, with Loop capping the drive with his third field goal of the game.
The night also marked Huntley’s third straight victory leading the Ravens while filling in for Jackson, including two last season.
It turned out to be like riding a bike.
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