The Baltimore Ravens head to Green Bay this week carrying the weight of uncertainty, urgency, and slim postseason hope.
Nothing about the setup is clean. Baltimore is clinging to a mathematical chance at the playoffs, but control is out of their hands. They need help. Pittsburgh has to lose out, and the Ravens must win out. It is the definition of an uphill battle, the kind that only stays alive if you keep stacking results and refuse to blink.
That uncertainty begins, and possibly ends, at quarterback. Lamar Jackson is dealing with a back contusion suffered in the loss to New England and is trending doubtful to play against the Packers. His status has forced Baltimore into contingency mode once again, preparing for a week that could hinge on Tyler Huntley. It is not unfamiliar territory. The Ravens have lived in this space before, where the offense has to balance belief in its system with the reality of missing its most dynamic player.
#Packers HC Matt Lafleur on preparing for Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, and the #Ravens offense.
🎥: @packers pic.twitter.com/fThDE5KRu1
— Chris Cooper (@ChrisCooper_NFL) December 24, 2025
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur made it clear this week that Green Bay is preparing for both quarterbacks.
“Both those guys are extremely athletic,” LaFleur said. “The one thing that’s unique about them versus maybe some other teams is they’re going to run their offense, because both of those guys are capable of beating you with their arm and they can beat you with their legs.” It was a pointed acknowledgment of how Baltimore’s offense functions regardless of who lines up under center, and why the Ravens remain difficult to defend even amid uncertainty.
The irony of the matchup is that Green Bay is dealing with a similar situation of its own. Jordan Love is currently in concussion protocol, leaving his availability in question. If Love cannot go, the Packers would also be forced to rely on a backup quarterback who has shown he can be dangerous in limited opportunities in Malik Willis. Two teams chasing late-season wins, both potentially leaning on depth at the most important position, creates a rare bit of symmetry heading into Sunday.
A Familiar Test For Baltimore’s Depth
If Lamar Jackson cannot play, the Ravens will lean on what they have preached all season: system over circumstance. Huntley has shown he can be efficient, protect the ball, and extend plays when things break down. He does not replicate Jackson’s explosiveness, but he keeps the offense on schedule, and against a Packers defense that must account for quarterback mobility, that alone changes how Green Bay has to defend Baltimore.
The Ravens’ margin for error is slim. This isn’t a week to experiment or ease into anything. Turnovers, pass defense, play-calling, all of it is going to decide if they stay alive. Win, and the door stays cracked open. Lose, and the miracle ends.
This game is already tilted a little against them, which makes self-inflicted mistakes brutal. Against New England, a confusing failed lateral by Mark Andrews just before halftime killed momentum, and a late fumble by Zay Flowers after drifting east west instead of north south ended their final drive and let the Patriots run out the clock. With the season hanging by a thread, all of this only adds heat on John Harbaugh, who could already be on the hot seat as Baltimore heads to Green Bay needing everything to go right.