The Baltimore Ravens have one of the NFL’s most exciting quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson, but Tyler Huntley was the main attraction on Saturday night against the Washington Football Team, racking up 299 total yards and five touchdowns.
The former Utah Ute dazzled after taking over for Jackson in the first quarter, making plays with his arm and his legs and earning comparisons to the 2019 MVP in the process.
Tyler Huntley = Lamar Jackson 2.0
#NFLPreseason #RavensFlock 🖤💜
Huntley played well enough against the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers in the Ravens’ first two preseason games to win the backup quarterback job, but inconsistent offensive line play limited his ability to shine.
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But behind better protection on Saturday, Huntley balled out, playing with poise and confidence throughout the game. He scored the game’s first touchdown with a first quarter scramble, catching the Washington defense flat-footed and reaching the end zone untouched.
Huntley showed off his powerful arm and excellent vision with a second-quarter strike to tight end Eric Tomlinson. Huntley rolled to his right to escape pressure before finding Tomlinson in traffic with an impressive cross-body throw.
Tyler Huntley is Lamar Jackson 1.5 at this point, forget 2.0. This throw was absolutely ridiculous. #RavensFlock
While Huntley was already know for having a strong arm, he showed off his touch with a pair of beautifully-thrown balls to James Proche and Binjimen Victor before capping off his night with a TD pass to rookie Tylan Wallace. Again rolling to his right, Huntley fit the ball in a tight window to connect with Wallace, who scored his first career preseason touchdown on the play.
Tyler Huntley has FIVE total TDs today
🎯🎯🎯
Huntley Earns High Praise From Teammates
Huntley’s superb play at quarterback drew compliments from his teammates, including Lamar Jackson, who has long been Huntley’s number one fan on the Ravens.
“I’m glad he ain’t playin’ against us,” said Jackson with a laugh. “I was cheering like a cheerleader, I just didn’t have the pom-poms,” he added.
“It just shows how deep we are,” said Proche, who caught all four of his targets from Huntley.
“If he had an eight [Jackson’s number] on the back of his jersey, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference,” Proche continued, joining those who compared Huntley to his superstar teammate.
“He went bananas. He lost his mind.” 😂
Ravens’ Receivers Make Final Roster Push
Proche had a strong game himself, finishing with four receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown after failing to make an impression during the Ravens’ first two preseason games.
His training camp highlights featured his impressive body control and hand strength at the catch point, and he brought that contested-catch ability against Washington on Saturday, Mossing his defender to reel in a well-placed ball from Huntley.
Proche said GIMME THAT.
Huntley’s fourth total TD of the game! #BALvsWAS
The SMU product was widely projected to make the roster before Saturday’s game due to injuries in the Ravens’ wide receiver corps, but may have earned more early-season snaps after imposing his will on Washington cornerback Darryl Roberts.
Binjimen Victor, who went undrafted in 2020 after four years at Ohio State, made an excellent leaping catch off a perfectly-weighted throw from Huntley to put an exclamation mark on a five catch, 85 yard day.
Victor could have earned himself a temporary roster spot if Miles Boykin or Marquise Brown are expected to miss time in the regular season. At the very least, he’s a strong candidate to be retained on the Ravens’ practice squad in case the team’s wideouts fail to stay healthy.
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‘Lamar Jackson 2.0’: Twitter Reacts to Tyler Huntley’s Breakout Performance