Lamar Jackson will not play when the Ravens visit the Atlanta Falcons on “Sunday Night Football,” head coach Jesse Minter announced Friday, and backup Tyler Huntley will make his 12th start for Baltimore. For Ravens fans, the question now is whether a team that is 3-1 can keep its strong start going with Huntley, a short-handed offensive line and two other key players sidelined.
Jackson sprained his ankle in the second quarter of the Ravens’ 24-18 win over the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 4 and did not practice all week, The Baltimore Banner reported. We covered his week-long uncertainty in our earlier look at whether Jackson would play.
Who is Tyler Huntley, and how has he done as a starter?
Huntley, nicknamed “Snoop,” is in his sixth season with the Ravens. He played in Baltimore from 2020 to 2023, spent 2024 with the Miami Dolphins and returned to the Ravens in 2025, according to NFL.com. He beat out Cooper Rush for the No. 2 job last season; Rush is now a reserve quarterback for the Falcons, the Banner reported.
His career record as a starter is 7-9: 5-6 with the Ravens and 2-3 with Miami. One of those wins came in Week 8 last season, a 30-16 victory over the Chicago Bears. That game carries extra meaning this week: Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle was Chicago’s coordinator at the time and has praised how Huntley played against his old team.
Against Tennessee last Sunday, Huntley relieved Jackson and completed 8 of 9 passes for 63 yards and ran four times for 16 yards. The Ravens did not score in the second half.
“We’ve got a ton of confidence in Snoop.”
Ravens head coach Jesse Minter, via The Baltimore Banner
How have the Ravens fared without Jackson?
The gap is large. Jackson has a 79-32 record as a starter since taking over in Week 11 of the 2018 season, while Baltimore is 6-11 in games he has missed, according to NFL.com. He missed four games last season, when the Ravens failed to make the playoffs.
The encouraging sign for Baltimore is the timeline. Minter said Jackson and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson “both feel really good,” suggesting both could be back after this week, the Banner reported. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported earlier in the week that Jackson’s injury is not considered long-term.
Who else is out for the Ravens vs. Falcons?
| Player | Position | Injury | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar Jackson | QB | Ankle | Out |
| Trey Hendrickson | Edge | Finger | Out |
| Cam Jurgens | C | Concussion | Out |
| Marlon Humphrey | CB | Hamstring/calf | Questionable |
| Zay Flowers | WR | Foot | Questionable |
| Andrew Vorhees | G | Foot | Questionable |
Hendrickson is still recovering from surgery on a finger he broke in the season opener. Jurgens, acquired in a trade with Philadelphia (see our breakdown of the Cam Jurgens trade), arrived in the concussion protocol, so rookie guard Vega Ioane is expected to make his second career start at center in a loud road stadium. Flowers practiced on a limited basis all week, while Humphrey was limited only on Friday.
What makes the Falcons dangerous?
Atlanta is 2-2 but has won its past two games by a combined 80-38, according to the Banner. The Falcons have the NFL’s top run defense, allowing 48.3 yards per game and 2.7 yards per carry, a tough matchup for Derrick Henry and a Ravens offense that may lean on the run with a backup quarterback.
Running back Bijan Robinson, a first-team All-Pro last season, has been especially effective on outside-zone runs, a play type the Ravens have struggled to stop. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. recently returned from a knee injury and has been efficient on play-action throws to Drake London.
What time is Ravens vs. Falcons, and how can I watch in Baltimore?
Kickoff is 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday in Atlanta. The game airs on NBC as “Sunday Night Football,” which in the Baltimore market is WBAL-TV 11, and streams on Peacock. The Ravens enter as underdogs.
The game will be played under a roof, but fans at home and at watch parties should plan around a stormy Sunday in Maryland as the remnants of Isaias move through; see our forecast on Sunday’s rain and tornado risk. For travel notes on the team’s trip south, read how Isaias affected the Ravens’ Atlanta plans.
Featured image: The Ravens offense lines up against the Kansas City Chiefs at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Sept. 19, 2021. Photo: Steve Kwak and Joe Andrucyk / Maryland GovPics via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.