Tyler Huntley’s humility and unselfishness take center stage after a Ravens must-win.
Suppose you woke up on Sunday morning and were still buzzing about the Baltimore Ravens‘ Week 17 performance on Saturday night, fear not. You aren’t alone. The sight they offered, with one of the NFL’s cathedrals as the backdrop, was one to behold. They had so much to play for. So did the Green Bay Packers.
Both teams traded early touchdowns, but the Ravens settled in and dominated for most of the game’s remainder. Momentum carried Baltimore to a 41-24 win to help keep their postseason hopes alive.
One of the more intriguing takeaways from this one was the performance of one Tyler Huntley. He delivered an A-plus effort. We could spend hours breaking that one down, but not if we ask Huntley for his thoughts.
Tyler Huntley shows some remarkable humility.
“When [Derrick Henry] touched that ball, I was like, ‘Yes, they’re not ready. They’re not ready.’ And he ran straight downhill. Our linemen blocked. Our tight ends, receivers, they blocked, and then everybody executed.”
Those were Huntley’s words while speaking with the media shortly after the Ravens’ win. His performance was masterful, one that was only overshadowed by Derrick Henry’s 200-yard, four-touchdown masterclass. Naturally, the leader on offense would rather focus on Henry’s performance than his own.
Huntley’s lone TD pass of the night landed in the Pro Bowler Zay Flowers’ hands. That one helped put the game away. Huntley was equally as complimentary of Flowers as he was of Derrick Henry.
“I had Zay Flowers manned up against whoever their corner was, and I knew once he ran that crisp route, I could just let it rip, and he made the play that he needed to make.”
The Ravens needed this one not only for their own psyche but also for the mental health of an entire fan base and city. Baltimore didn’t just need to win. They needed to win this way: convincingly, with their backs against the wall, and on the national stage.
This one proved to the Ravens and everyone else how good this team could be when it puts everything together. Camaraderie grew in this one. So did respect. Since the game’s conclusion, Huntley has praised everyone from John Harbaugh and his game plan to the other half of his quarterback duel. Malik Willis certainly deserves a ton of credit.
“Yes, he had a great game. We (backup quarterbacks) just have to be ready to play at any time. Then coming down to the end of the year, a lot of dudes are banged up, so you have to be ready to step in, and he had a great game, for sure.”
Regardless of how the season ends, this game is one of those games that can be built upon. It’s nice fuel for the postseason or the right building block for a team that was oh-so-close as they prepare to rebuild again.