BEREA ― Quarterback is only the most important position on the field. So, it would stand to reason, it would be really important to know who the opponent's starting quarterback is going to be as you prepare for them.
The Browns, however, are preparing for the Baltimore Ravens without knowing for certain whether it will be Lamar Jackson or Tyler "Snoop" Huntley under center. Jackson misssed the last game-and-a-half due to an ankle injury.
So what's a team supposed to do in that situation?
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“I think you prepare for the Ravens," Monken on Oct. 14. "I mean, that’s what you’re going to prepare for. They’ve got a really good coaching staff, and I’ve been there before where we played Snoop, and Snoop’s a really good football player and won a bunch of games as the starter. So, we’ll prepare for the Ravens.”
Jackson, who sustained the injury during the first half of the Ravens' Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans, was not on the field Oct. 14 for the portion of practice open to Baltimore area reporters. After practice, Ravens coach Jesse Minter addressed the status of the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player.
"It’s definitely day to day," Minter told Baltimore reporters. "A lot of times those things, right when they happen, you’re not sure. As you gather info, you look at stuff, but again, to Lamar’s credit, he’s working his butt off, he’s doing everything he can to be out here. When he’s able to be, he will."
Jackson remains the NFL's leader in passer rating (119.6) and average yards per pass attempt (10.1) despite only playing in three-and-a-half games. He's thrown for 967 yards, six touchdowns and one interception while completing 70.8% of his passes, while adding a 7.6 yards per carry average and a touchdown on 19 rushing attempt.
That ability to run is Jackson's superpower, not because he can run, but because there's no one who can run quite like him. It's not just running to gain yards, but it's the way he extends plays like no other quarterback, which leads to big plays in the passing game.
Monken doesn't need the scouting report on Jackson, because he spent the last three seasons coaching Jackson as the Ravens' offensive coordinator. That experience, though, only goes so far for him.
“I mean, it gets offset by us," Monken said, "what we do on offense, I guess, a little bit. I’ve got a lot of respect for their players, and I think what you see is what you get from them in terms of schematically and how they play.”
The benefit for the Browns if it's Huntley instead of Jackson is, for a career backup with just 17 career starts, they have a lot of familiarity with him. Not just as an opponent, but also as a teammate.
Huntley spent the offseason and training camp in 2024 with the Browns, then spent most of training camp in 2025 with them as well. However, he's been with the Ravens, either on the active roster or practice squad, for at least part of every season since 2020.
"Yeah, definitely familiar with him," Browns cornerback Denzel Ward said of Huntley. "Like I say, he's a good quarterback as well and does a few different things than Lamar sometimes. But they still got the same system pretty much."
Huntley has played in 32 games in his career, all but five of those with the Ravens. He started five games for the Miami Dolphins in the 2024 season, including one at Cleveland in Week 17 where he completed 22-of-28 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing seven times for 52 yards and a touchdown.
The former undrafted free agent out of the University of Utah has made four appearances against the Browns, including two starts. He's completed 70.8% of his passes for 633 yards with two touchdowns, one pick and a 913 passer rating, plus 10 sacks, while rushing 21 times for 120 yards and a touchdown.
“Very confident player," Monken He has a belief in himself to make plays, and he’s really a gamer. I know it sounds really overused, but the moment never gets too big for him. He loves to play football, and he gets in the game and he’s able to make plays with his arms and his legs, and he gets rid of the ball and knows where to get the ball out when under duress. And he works awfully hard. He’s very diligent in preparing as the backup. So, when his time is called, he’s able to play at a high level.”
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ. Sign up for Browns Insider newsletter at https://profile.beaconjournal.com/newsletters/browns-insider/
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Lamar Jackson or Tyler Huntley? Browns plan for who'll be Ravens QB
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