Huntley and Henry face Atlanta’s NFL-leading run defense on Sunday night

Tyler Huntley gets a full week of preparation and a difficult first assignment as Baltimore’s starter: Atlanta’s NFL-leading run defense. The Ravens visit the Falcons on Sunday night at 8:20 p.m. Eastern, with NBC and Peacock carrying the game from Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Baltimore is 3-1 and Atlanta is 2-2. Both teams have won their last two games, but Lamar Jackson’s ankle injury changes how the Ravens approach their third road trip. Jesse Minter ruled Jackson out Friday, along with pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, who has a finger injury.

Baltimore’s Friday game-status report confirmed both were out.

Huntley told reporters Friday that taking more practice repetitions had helped him get comfortable. He learned officially that day that he would start. His own assessment of Atlanta’s defense was straightforward: it is well coached and gets multiple defenders to the ball. Watch his Friday media session on YouTube.

Derrick Henry’s workload is the matchup to follow. Atlanta has allowed 48.3 rushing yards per game through four weeks, according to 92.9 The Game’s report. That gives Huntley less room to rely on easy yards from the ground game.

Henry has a useful precedent with this quarterback. In Huntley’s most recent start, against Green Bay last December, Henry rushed for 216 yards and four touchdowns. Baltimore’s official preview notes that he has not topped 100 rushing yards since this season’s opener. Those two facts explain both the possibility and the challenge of another Henry-heavy game plan.

The Ravens’ offensive line remains unsettled. Newly acquired center Cam Jurgens is in concussion protocol and is not slated to debut until next week. Guard Andrew Vorhees is questionable with a foot injury. Zay Flowers and Marlon Humphrey also carried questionable designations on Baltimore’s Friday report; those listings should not be mistaken for Sunday’s inactive decisions.

Atlanta can create the same pressure in the other direction. Bijan Robinson has rushed for 349 yards and four touchdowns over the Falcons’ past two games, according to Baltimore’s preview. Keeping him from turning an ordinary carry into a long gain is a tackling and pursuit assignment for the Ravens, with Kyle Hamilton among the defenders involved.

A productive Henry night would help Baltimore keep Robinson off the field. If Atlanta controls early downs instead, Huntley will have to finish more possessions with his arm against a defense that has made the running game hard to sustain.

Sources

Ravens: Friday game status and injuries · Ravens: Sunday night game preview · 92.9 The Game: Atlanta faces a heavy dose of Henry