The Ravens are bracing for life without Lamar Jackson, at least for now, and that means a familiar Baltimore offense is about to look different in a hurry.
Jackson’s ankle situation has the team preparing as if he will miss the next two weeks, even though a Week 6 return against the Browns would obviously change the picture. The thinking, though, is straightforward: a quarterback who left the game and did not return, then went for an MRI, is not the kind of player a team with Super Bowl ambitions rushes back in early October.
That leaves Snoop Huntley in line to run the offense, and the Ravens are already dealing with enough upheaval elsewhere. Ronnie Stanley and Zay Flowers have both been in and out of games with injuries, the offensive line is headed for yet another new look Sunday night in Atlanta, and rookie guard Vega Ioane should probably just stay put as the starting center instead of adding more moving parts. On top of that, premier blocking tight end Durham Smythe is done for the season.
Huntley is not Jackson, and Baltimore knows it. Jackson is sitting atop the NFL at 10.1 yards per attempt; Huntley has never been close to that in his career, and that gap matters even more with a makeshift line and a run game that is already struggling. The Ravens can’t afford to keep chasing deep shots if the protection and efficiency aren’t there.
What Huntley does bring is a little more comfort in the short game, especially on screens. That should put more of the offense on YAC, with Flowers the only regular pass catcher consistently producing it so far this season.
Even Derrick Henry, who is not usually part of the passing conversation, is second on the team in yards after the catch. That tells you where Baltimore may need to live.
Atlanta’s defense is going to force the issue. The Falcons are expected to blitz more than Baltimore has seen, and with QB2 behind a line still coming together, quick answers will matter. Sharp screens, fast throws, and getting to the hot read before the pressure lands should be central to the plan.
The ground game will also have to get creative. Atlanta is allowing just 2.7 yards per rush, and its 72% success rate against the run is absurd. Baltimore may need to manufacture carries in ways that don’t look traditional, whether that means Flowers working out of the backfield, Rashod Bateman or Devontez Walker catching balls behind the line of scrimmage, or even end-arounds.
Henry still has to be a centerpiece, though. The Ravens need him to help bleed the clock and shorten the game, especially if Atlanta is bringing pressure.
Justice Hill may see more work if the blitzing gets heavy, and Baltimore could also lean into pony packages with both backs on the field. Those looks have been used sparingly in the past, and Huntley has not yet tried them in this offense.
Henry’s role in the passing game is already trending upward. He has caught all seven of his targets for 44 yards this season, after finishing last season with 15 catches for 150 yards and 13 for 193 in 2024. If Atlanta plays the way Baltimore expects, that usage may keep climbing.
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Ravens Made A Desperate Fix That Still Leaves One Big Problem
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Jurgens does give the Ravens a possible answer once he is cleared, but his status also keeps the situation from being fully solved. He is in the NFLs concussion protocol after a severe head injury, and he cannot practice or play until independent neurological doctors give him the green light, leaving Baltimore with an immediate fix that still comes with a very real wait attached. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Pass Rusher Ethan Burke Almost Took A Very Different Maryland Path
Ethan Burkes road to the Ravens nearly ran through a very different Maryland program. Before he was chasing quarterbacks, Burke was a highly regarded lacrosse recruit who committed early to the University of Maryland, and even then the path was already being shaped by football. Maryland coach John Tillman saw enough in Burkes athletic upside to advise him to delay signing his lacrosse letter of intent, sensing a football scholarship might be waiting if Burke kept progressing on the gridiron.
Burke ultimately listened to the pull of football, a choice helped along by the reality of limited lacrosse scholarships and his growing prospects on the other side of the ball. It is a reminder of how narrow the margins can be for multi-sport talents, and how a different college decision might have sent Burke somewhere else entirely. Instead, the pass rusher made his way to Baltimore after going undrafted, giving the Ravens a player whose athletic path could easily have unfolded in a completely different Maryland uniform. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens May Have Found A Pass Rush Option They Can't Ignore
Ethan Burke got his first meaningful taste of defensive work in Week 4 against the Titans, and the undrafted rookie made sure it stood out. With Trey Hendrickson sidelined, Burke stepped into the rotation for the first 16 snaps of his career on defense and finished with his first sack, the Ravens only one in the game.
For a Baltimore outside linebacker group that is already battling for snaps, that kind of production is hard to ignore. The Ravens have been searching for more consistent pressure off the edge, and Burkes debut gave them something they have not had enough of lately - a fresh option who turned limited opportunity into a real impact play. [Read more 🡒]