The Baltimore Ravens went from being one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL at the start of the season, with a 1-5 record through their first six games. They seemed on a path toward a lost season, with their slow start and a tie with the Cleveland Browns for last place in the division.
Early Struggles
The AFC North looked lost after Pittsburgh shot out to a 4-1 start, with the next-closest team, the Cincinnati Bengals, 2-4 and playing without star quarterback Joe Burrow, who was on IR.
After starting the season in a shaky place, Lamar Jackson missed two straight games with a hamstring injury. Injuries devastated both the Ravens’ season and their defense, leaving the team in shambles. Through the first four weeks of the season, the Ravens had seven of their 11 starters on defense out with injuries. But just when their season was at the end of the rope, the Ravens managed to find a way to bounce back in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears.
The Ravens made one significant change to kick-start the domino effect that could save their season.
From Rush to Huntley
The dominoes began falling for the Ravens after John Harbaugh decided to make a quarterback change, with Lamar now missing his third straight game and the offense looking stagnant under backup quarterback Cooper Rush. Through two games against the Houston Texans and the LA Rams, he threw four interceptions and no touchdowns. The team also scored a combined 13 points and was blown out in both games.
With Cooper Rush under center, the Ravens went from one of the best offenses with Lamar under center, averaging 32.75 points per game through their first four games, to one of the worst in their next two games, averaging only 6.5 points per game, the offense looking completely dead.
With the offense looking stale and the season in freefall, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh made a bold choice to move on from backup QB Cooper Rush and give the keys to veteran Tyler Huntley. This move was a last-ditch effort by Harbaugh to save their season before Lamar’s return from his injury.
Quarterback Change Saves Season
The Huntley switch showed immediate results, as Baltimore’s offense came alive and dropped 30 points on the Chicago Bears, the first time in three weeks that the Ravens had scored more than 20 points. This was the type of move that might go unnoticed but could ultimately be what pushed the needle to save their season.
After that game, Lamar returned on Thursday Night Football against the Dolphins and secured two consecutive victories, beating Miami 28-6 and Minnesota 27-19. This success brought the Ravens within one game of the 5-4 Steelers, placing them in contention for first place in the AFC North. What seemed like a distant dream for Ravens fans just a month ago is now on the verge of becoming a reality.
While the team is clicking on all cylinders and their defense is playing competent football—not allowing more than 20 points in over a month—the quarterback change was crucial. Without this change, there was a good chance the Ravens would be sitting at a worse record than 4-5, and their season would likely be all but over at this late stage.
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