By Nick Brinkerhoff
I’m sorry Ravens fans, but this story had to be written. However, for both your sake and mine, let’s hope this particular breakdown will not be necessary at any point in the 2022 season. Would I rather see this piece explode while watching the site traffic continue a never-ending climb? Absolutely. But not at the cost it would be to you, Ravens fans.
That’s just the type of good deed you can expect from your friendly neighborhood BetBasics writer. Either way, here is your “break in case of emergency” backup breakdown for 2022.
Who is the Ravens backup quarterback?
For most teams in the league, this can be a difficult question to answer. Luckily for my sake, in this case, the entire 2021 season serves as a crash course in Ravens backup players. Talk about a content making machine.
Buckle up, because some really ugly numbers are coming your way.
Ravens players totaled 343 games missed in 2021, second most in the league to only the Giants who finished with 356. Baltimore beat the Giants in the quality of player department though, with by far the most impactful injuries out of any team. They finished the season with 20 players on injured reserve, with those players adding up to 26.52% of the salary cap. An ugly truth to say the least.
Luckily, or unfortunately, the Ravens they have gotten used to seeing backup quarterback Tyler Huntley over the last two years. The positive for head coach John Harbaugh’s team is that Huntley has been able to mirror top quarterback Lamar Jackson’s role in the offense.
The downside for Harbaugh, of course, is that Huntley is nowhere near the player Jackson is. But, for the sake of discussion, Huntley’s legs played a major part in his four starts in relief of Jackson last season, finishing as the team’s fourth leading rusher, which should give you some insight into the injury woes this team faced. Huntley had 47 carries for 294 yards and two touchdowns.
By comparison, Jackson finished with 133 carries for 767 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 12 starts.
Facing longshot odds to make the playoffs in Week 18, Huntley was once again given the start for Baltimore, this time against the rival Steelers. Huntley, who finished with a 1-3 record as a starter and 1-4 in games in which he played at least 85% of snaps, struggled all day trying to break down the Steelers defense, tossing two interceptions while completing only 16 of 31 passing attempts. Advanced stats showed that 19.4% of Huntley passes were considered “bad throws” in the must win game.
Huntley has proven himself to be a worthy backup to Jackson despite the lack of efficiency throughout his career. In his case, like most other backups, Huntley more than likely will not be the reason the team wins, but he also will not always lose games for the team either.
It’s making the best of a bad situation while also trying to maintain some offensive consistency, should Jackson miss time. Then again, who am I to judge? The Ravens coaching staff has proven year after year that their ability to adjust is top notch. Harbaugh and his staff will always put the team in the best position to win, no matter the players on the field.
Considering they finished 8-9 last season with all those injuries, I wouldn’t count the Ravens out this season, even if on paper the offense looks a little weaker. I’m also not sure if I’m willing to bet on them at this stage either, especially if Huntley becomes the starter again.
Let’s just for everyone’s sake that the injury bug decided to move out of Baltimore.