Baltimore vs Tennessee
Ravens Get a Good Look at QB Tyler Huntley in Preseason-Opening Victory Over Tennessee
After having to fill in for Lamar Jackson at the end of the 2021 season and suffering several close losses that cost Baltimore a playoff berth, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh wanted to see what Tyler Huntley could do in the 2022 preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans.
Harbaugh liked what he saw, as Huntley was an efficient 16-of-18 passing for 109 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers. It was a bright spot in the Ravens’ 23-10 win over Tennessee at M&T Bank Stadium to mark Baltimore’s 21st consecutive win in the preseason.
Tyler [Huntley] played great. His numbers were off the charts and [he] really ran the offense well,” Harbaugh said after the game. “The timing was really good in the passing game. I thought the O-line looked pretty good. [I] can't wait to see the tape tomorrow, and see how the guys did.”
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As is typical for the first preseason game of the year, Jackson and other key players were held out. On the Titans’ side, running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Ryan Tannehill both sat out as well. Rookie QB Malik Willis got the start for Tennessee.
Huntley said it was good to face live competition with last year’s experience under his belt.
"I felt like I got a couple of good games [last year] under my belt, and I played against some good players like Aaron Donald and TJ Watt, so it gave me a little confidence for the future."
A couple rookie Ravens pass-catchers got into the action in this one. Shemar Bridges, undrafted out of Fort Valley State, caught a touchdown pass from Huntley at the end of the first half. Isaiah Likely, a tight end who was a fourth-round pick out of Coastal Carolina, also was featured since Mark Andrews didn’t play. Likely caught all four of his targets for 44 yards, but he did have three holding calls go against him.
Huntley praised the receivers and how they played tonight.
“They showed up,” Huntley explained. “Our receivers showed up, but they’ve been showing up all camp, so I didn’t expect nothing different.”
"It felt amazing – like a little kid on Christmas. You finally get to live that dream that you've been dreaming about since you've been playing football at 'yay high.' So, just living out my dream and being that super hero to the little kids is just always a blessing,” Likely added.
Nine different Ravens players had at least one carry, totaling 130 yards. Mike Davis had a touchdown run among his five carries.
Defensively, the Ravens forced Tennessee into three turnovers. Logan Woodside entered the game for Willis and threw two interceptions (Daryl Worley and Geno Stone), and first-round pick Kyle Hamilton recovered a fumble that set up the Ravens’ first touchdown of the game.
Stone said that he predicted he would have an interception, and his pick triggered a raucous celebration among the defense.
“Before I walked out for the drive, I told them I was going to get a pick, and I said we're going to come celebrate on the sidelines,” Stone said. “I had two opportunities before that; I missed the one on the out, and then I broke the one up in the end zone, and then I finally got that last one. So, it was like the football Gods were just trying to give me a pick so I could go celebrate with my teammates."
Harbaugh was much happier with his team’s performance than Titans coach Mike Vrabel, who pulled Willis after a 17-yard scramble because he said he wanted to see the rookie quarterback throw the ball more.
“It's a humbling game, and we have a lot of work to do,” Vrabel said after the game. “They're off tomorrow. We're still in training camp. We'll go back and go back to work, evaluate the team keys and find out if there are some guys that are trying to earn their way on to this football team."
With the win, Baltimore extended its NFL-record preseason winning streak to 21 games. The last preseason loss for the Ravens came in 2015.
GAME RECAP
After a pair of punts, Kyle Hamilton’s fumble recovery set up the first scoring drive for Baltimore. Mike Davis’ 4-yard run capped the drive and made it 7-0 Baltimore.
In the second quarter, Willis scored on a seven-yard scramble to tie the game, and Randy Bullock kicked a field goal on Tennessee’s next possession to make it 10-7 Titans.
The Ravens added their second and final touchdown on Shemar Bridges’ nice grab from Tyler Huntley’s pass with 35 seconds remaining before halftime, making the score 14-10 Ravens at the break.
In the second half, Baltimore added three field goals from Justin Tucker, who has a chance to become the team’s all-time leading scorer this season. On the heels of the two interceptions, the Ravens shutout the Titans in the second half on their way to the 23-10 victory.
UP NEXT
The Ravens play their only road preseason game next week at Arizona. With only three preseason games now, it’s likely that Jackson and other starters will see their only playing time of the exhibition season before the regular-season opener at the New York Jets.