BALTIMORE — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley flashed a pearly white smile as his coach, John Harbaugh, heaped praise on him following Sunday’s 30-16 win over the Chicago Bears.
There was plenty to beam about as the Ravens snapped a four-game losing streak in Huntley’s first start of the season.
The journeyman backup’s eye-catching grin helped inspire an offense that had struggled without two-time MVP Lamar Jackson under center. The Ravens’ franchise quarterback has missed three consecutive games with a lingering hamstring issue.
Harbaugh turned to Huntley on Sunday to rally the troops after starting Cooper Rush for two weeks.
“He’s just got a great smile,” tight end Charlie Kolar said of Huntley. “We didn’t play well enough for Coop. They made the change; we roll with it. [Huntley] did a great job stepping in.”
After running just three plays in the first quarter — including a fumble by Huntley — Baltimore’s offense found its rhythm in the final three frames.
Huntley wasn’t explosive, but he was efficient. The former Pro Bowler completed 17 of 22 pass attempts for 186 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He added another 53 yards as a runner.
It was exactly what Harbaugh envisioned when he called Huntley during training camp.
“He’s a talented player. He can make throws, he can do things with his legs. He was a great spark for us,” the coach said. “Tyler was the answer for today’s game. It just wasn’t a hard decision.”
The pair had discussed the opportunity for months, even before Jackson suffered his hamstring injury. After becoming a free agent during the offseason, Huntley cold-called Harbaugh after a solo workout and left a message.
“I was just like, ‘Man, I want to play for the best team in the National Football League again,’” said Huntley, who started nine games for the Ravens during his first stint with the team from 2020 to 2023. “[Harbaugh] called me right back.”
The Ravens signed Huntley to the practice squad at the end of August. He joined the active roster earlier this week and was named the starter on Saturday night.
“I’m just blessed and thank God I’m with the Ravens,” the Utah product said.
The defense gave Huntley a boost in the first quarter. Despite the rough start, Baltimore trailed by just six entering the second frame thanks to a pair of red-zone stands from the defense.
“That was massive,” Harbaugh said. “That gave us life.”
With Huntley under center, the Ravens offense marched down the field with a robotic efficiency. A second-quarter touchdown by running back Derrick Henry, the 111th of his career, gave Baltimore a 7-6 lead.
They never looked back.
The Ravens outscored the Bears 30-10 over the final three quarters, thanks to mistake-free quarterbacking by Huntley, three field goals by rookie kicker Tyler Loop and a second rushing score by Henry.
With Sunday’s tally, Henry passed Bears Hall of Famer Walter Payton for sole possession of fifth all-time in rushing touchdowns. He trails Adrian Peterson, who has the fourth-most rushing touchdowns, by eight.
Henry carried the ball 21 times for 71 yards in the win.
On the other sideline, Williams struggled to push the ball downfield against a stout Baltimore defense. He threw for 285 yards on 25-of-38 passing with a lone heartbreaking interception.
Down by 3 in the fourth quarter, Williams looked to make a splash as he targeted receiver Rome Odunze in Baltimore’s secodary. Instead, he found Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins, who returned the ball to the Chicago 10-yard line.
Huntley tossed a touchdown to Kolar two plays later to help seal the win.
The importance of the victory wasn’t lost on veterans like Henry, Kolar and linebacker Roquan Smith. A fifth-straight loss — and the associated 1-6 record — could’ve been a death sentence for a squad that had Super Bowl aspirations when the season began.
“I couldn’t decide if it was a must-win or a can’t-lose,” Kolar said. “It was one of them, maybe both.”
After the final defensive stop, Smith embraced Harbaugh on the sideline and breathed a sigh of relief.
“At the end of the day, it’s about getting a [win] and getting a [win] is very hard in this league,” said Smith, who missed the last two games with a hamstring strain. “Just talking about that and embracing each other and knowing that the last month’s been tough.”
The following locker-room celebration was “joyous,” according to Harbaugh. It was his job to balance that jubilation with a reality check. The Ravens are still 2-5 — out of the playoff picture — and have a matchup against the Dolphins in Miami on Thursday night.
“By no means does this mean things are over. By no means have we accomplished anything close to what we want to accomplish,” the coach said. “But this is a really important game for our team.”
The Bears, now 4-3, travel to Cincinnati to play the 3-5 Bengals next Sunday.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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