No Lamar Jackson. No Trey Hendrickson. No newly acquired Cam Jurgens. Not ideal folks! Keep in mind though, the last time the Ravens played the Falcons was 2022 and guess who started? You got it, Tyler Huntley led the Ravens to a 17-9 victory at M&T Bank Stadium.
Baltimore has struggled to win games without its franchise quarterback, going just 6–11 since 2019 when Jackson doesn’t play. Take away the meaningless Week 17 win against Pittsburgh in 2019, and that record drops to 5–11. History hasn’t been particularly kind to the Ravens when they’ve had to turn to a backup.
That puts Snoop Huntley back in the driver’s seat, and while he’s shown he can keep this offense competitive, there’s a pretty big difference between keeping things close and actually winning football games. Baltimore will need to lean on Derrick Henry, stay ahead of the chains and avoid putting Huntley in situations where he’s being asked to carry the offense, which is a concern because the reality is that this offensive line is who is carrying the biggest load.
Defensively, losing Hendrickson is another tough blow. Mike Green is coming off one of his better performances, but the Ravens need more than one guy getting after the quarterback. With Jackson and Hendrickson both out, this is going to be a game where Baltimore needs contributions across the roster. They aren’t going to have Lamar to bail them out when things break down, and they can’t count on Hendrickson to wreck a drive with a timely sack.
Let’s get into it.
Gameday Details
Tennessee Titans at Baltimore Ravens
Sunday, October 11
Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. ET
Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: NBC (Good god, not Cris Collingsworth)
Streaming: Peacock
Head Referee: Brad Allen
Gameday Weather
The weather shouldn’t be much of a factor for Sunday night’s game in Atlanta. Temperatures are expected to be around 67°F (19°C) at kickoff, with partly cloudy skies, winds between 5–10 mph and very little chance of rain.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium features a retractable roof, so the Falcons have the option of keeping the elements out entirely. Whether the roof is open or closed, conditions should be pretty favourable for both offenses, with neither team having to worry much about wind or rain impacting the passing game.
This is also favourable for Tyler Loop, as he’s had more success indoors than outdoors in his career.
Betting Lines
Spread: Falcons -3.5
Moneyline: Ravens +150 to +155 / Falcons -170 to -178
Over/Under: 43–43.5
What a difference a week makes. Baltimore was an 11.5-point favourite against Tennessee last Sunday, and now they’re heading to Atlanta as 3.5-point underdogs. Obviously, losing Lamar Jackson is a big part of that, with Tyler Huntley taking over at quarterback. The total has also dropped from around 48.5 to 43.5, so oddsmakers aren’t exactly expecting an offensive shootout.
The big question this week is what Baltimore’s offense looks like with Huntley under centre, and naturally, a lot of the betting conversation starts with Derrick Henry.
Henry has 374 rushing yards and seven touchdowns through four games, and you’d think the Ravens would want to feed him with Lamar sidelined. The problem? Atlanta has been outstanding against the run, allowing just 2.7 yards per carry through four games.
Henry’s rushing line is sitting around 84.5 yards, and there’s actually been some interest in taking the under. His longest rush is another interesting one, with some analysts targeting under 16.5 yards given how well Atlanta has limited explosive runs.
I actually find the volume more interesting than the yardage. Baltimore isn’t going to want Huntley dropping back 35 times, and if this game stays close, I’d expect a healthy dose of Henry. Whether that translates into 85-plus yards against this Falcons front is another question.
Another one getting attention is Zay Flowers under 69.5 receiving yards (-110).
Flowers has been excellent to start the season, with 352 yards on just 18 catches, but there’s obviously a difference between catching passes from Lamar and Huntley. Zay has also been dealing with a foot injury, which makes the under a little more appealing.
A couple other Ravens props worth watching:
Derrick Henry 70+ rushing yards — If you don’t love the matchup enough to take his regular rushing line, this is a more conservative way to play Henry’s expected workload.
Derrick Henry under 16.5 yards on his longest rush — Atlanta hasn’t given up much on the ground, particularly explosive runs. Henry might get his touches, but finding room to break a big one could be tough.
For me, the biggest thing to watch is how many carries Henry gets. If Baltimore can avoid falling behind early, I’d expect them to keep putting the ball in his hands. But if Atlanta jumps out to a lead and forces Huntley to throw, that changes things pretty quickly.
Tune back in for Spenny & the Bets for gameday best bets.
Injury Report
Ravens Injury Report
The Ravens head to Atlanta without Lamar Jackson and Trey Hendrickson, and there are a few other injuries worth keeping an eye on.
OUT
QB Lamar Jackson — Ankle
OLB Trey Hendrickson — Finger
C Cam Jurgens — Concussion
QUESTIONABLE
WR Zay Flowers — Foot
CB Marlon Humphrey — Hamstring/Calf
G Andrew Vorhees — Foot
The big one is obviously Lamar Jackson, who didn’t practice all week after injuring his ankle against Tennessee. Jesse Minter ruled him out Friday, meaning Snoop Huntley gets the start.
Trey Hendrickson will miss his second straight game after having a procedure on his broken finger. Mike Green is coming off an excellent performance against Tennessee and will get another opportunity to lead the pass rush.
The offensive line is still a bit of a mess.
Cam Jurgens, who Baltimore just acquired via trade, remains in concussion protocol and won’t make his debut this week. Vega Ioane should get another start at center, while Andrew Vorhees is questionable with a foot injury.
The good news? Ronnie Stanley is off the injury report.
Zay Flowers is questionable with a foot injury after being limited in practice all week. Baltimore could really use him with Huntley starting, so that’s one to watch when the inactives come out.
Defensively, Marlon Humphrey is questionable after missing Wednesday and Thursday with hamstring and calf injuries. He returned Friday on a limited basis, but his status is still up in the air.
With Drake London and Darnell Mooney on the other side, the Ravens could really use Marlon.
Faclons Injury Report
Atlanta has a few injuries of its own, particularly on defense.
OUT
LB Yasir Abdullah — Hamstring
QUESTIONABLE
LT Jake Matthews — Groin
DE Za’Darius Smith — Concussion/Neck
DE Samson Ebukam — Hamstring
LB Divine Deablo — Hamstring
Jake Matthews is the big name to watch. He injured his groin against New Orleans on Monday night and missed practice Wednesday before working his way back to full participation Friday.
Matthews has started 200 straight games for Atlanta, so it’ll be interesting to see whether that streak continues.
The Falcons also have some concerns along their defensive front.
Za’Darius Smith is questionable with concussion and neck injuries after missing the first two practices of the week. He returned Friday on a limited basis.
Samson Ebukam and Divine Deablo are also questionable with hamstring injuries.
That’s three defensive contributors who could be limited or unavailable against a Ravens team that’s almost certainly going to lean heavily on Derrick Henry.
Atlanta has been excellent against the run this season, but missing a few bodies up front certainly wouldn’t hurt Baltimore’s chances of getting something going on the ground.
The other matchup I’m watching is Mike Green against Atlanta’s offensive tackles.
If Matthews is limited by that groin injury, Green could have an opportunity to build on his performance against Tennessee.
With Hendrickson out again, Baltimore needs somebody to step up and get after Michael Penix Jr.
