OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Tyler Huntley and the Baltimore Ravens could breathe a little easier after finally snapping their four-game losing streak.
They had no idea how good their day would eventually get.
While Huntley was stepping in for injured quarterback Lamar Jackson and leading Baltimore past Chicago 30-16 on Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals were blowing a big lead in a loss to the previously winless Jets — and Cleveland was being routed by New
England. Then, hours later, Pittsburgh fell apart in the second half and lost to Green Bay at home.
A win for the Ravens, losses for the rest of the AFC North.
The best day Baltimore has had, probably all season.
The Ravens (2-5) are now just two games behind the division-leading Steelers (4-3) after Pittsburgh's second straight loss. On Monday, BetMGM Sportsbook had Baltimore (-125) favored to win the AFC North in spite of everything that has already gone wrong.
Now the Ravens have to prove the worst of their struggles are behind them. Their next five opponents are currently a combined 11-28, and a run through that part of the schedule could put them in a decent spot before they face Pittsburgh twice.
But the last thing Baltimore needs to do is get too far ahead of itself. The Ravens face a quick turnaround before taking on Miami in a Thursday night road game — no simple task regardless of the opponent. Jackson could be back for that game, although nobody should put 100% stock in anything you hear about him until he's actually back on the field.
“I don’t think it’s a sigh of relief. It’s just what we expect to do on Sundays. We didn’t just win the Super Bowl or anything," safety Kyle Hamilton said. “We just won a regular-season game against a good team. All three phases did some good things, and we have some stuff to improve on.”
That's now two games in a row the Ravens held opponents under 20 points after allowing an average of 35.4 through the first five weeks. There are still questions about the pass rush and the defensive line, but the secondary is healthy now, and the addition of safety Alohi Gilman has helped.
“We knew that if we just did what we were supposed to do, that we would end up winning this game," said rookie linebacker Mike Green, who had the team's lone sack. "So, not so much of a weight getting lifted off our shoulders, but more so just acknowledging what we have and where we can go from here.”
The Ravens continue to be hurt by the season-ending injury to defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike, and the big question is whether they can add some help to the defensive front via a trade. Chicago's Caleb Williams had too much time to throw in general.
The obvious answer here is Huntley, who threw for 186 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 53 yards without turning the ball over. He seems to have solidified himself as the backup quarterback whenever Jackson comes back, making Cooper Rush's spot on the team increasingly tenuous.
Also, Keaton Mitchell ran for 43 yards on four carries and broke a 39-yard kickoff return.
“One of the many things we looked at was, we said, ‘We have to tag plays for Keaton,'" coach John Harbaugh said. “We just said, ‘We have to do it.’ You want to make sure Derrick (Henry) gets his reps, and Justice (Hill) is effective, but we just said, ‘We have got to tag plays for Keaton Mitchell and make sure we get him the ball.’”
Better health throughout the defense left cornerback Jaire Alexander inactive for the fourth time this season.
The Ravens held a walk-through Monday and listed Jackson as a full participant on their estimate afterward.
“I feel very confident about it,” Harbaugh said Monday. “We'll expect him to be out there Thursday night.”
Tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle) and cornerback Nate Wiggins (groin) were limited, along with linebacker Teddye Buchanan (calf) and cornerback T.J. Tampa (shoulder).
Huntley's 116.9 passer rating against the Bears was a career best.
The Ravens face a Miami team that is coming off its second win of the season, 34-10 at Atlanta.
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