Mike Tomlin expects to see 'much better' play if Steelers face Ravens backup QB Tyler Huntley

The last time Tyler Huntley started an NFL game, he faced the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final week of the 2021 season.

Huntley will draw the same opponent but at a different venue when he is expected to replace former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

Jackson is expected to miss the game at Acrisure Stadium with a ligament sprain that could keep him out for one to three weeks, according to national reports.

Coach Mike Tomlin said if the Steelers expect to see the same quarterback who had a 37.2 passer rating while throwing no touchdowns and two interceptions in that January matchup in Baltimore, they probably are in for a rude awakening.

“We’re preparing to see a much better guy,” Tomlin said, “a more experienced guy, a guy who has learned from that exposure.”

Huntley, a third-year former undrafted free agent from Utah, will be tasked with keeping the Ravens (8-4) perched atop the AFC North and prevent the Steelers (5-7) from increasing their winning streak to three games.

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While the Steelers were winning their second game in a row Sunday with a 19-16 victory at Atlanta, Huntley was rescuing the Ravens from a six-point deficit against the three-win Denver Broncos. He led the Ravens on a 91-yard touchdown drive and scored on a 2-yard run with 28 seconds left to help provide a 10-9 victory.

Now, Huntley is poised to start against the Steelers, who haven’t faced the Ravens since getting an overtime victory in Week 18 last year that helped them earn the AFC’s seventh playoff seed.

With Jackson out with an ankle injury, Huntley completed just 16 of 31 passes for 141 yards in his fourth NFL start. His fifth likely comes Sunday.

“I imagine last year’s experience really narrowed his focus as he went into the offseason,” Tomlin said. “He was able to identify tangible areas of his game he needed to improve. We’re not going to seek comfort or find comfort that we’ve been in a stadium with him before. Last year’s exposure for him, more than anything else, tells us we’ve got to be prepared for a guy that’s significantly better. … He’s no longer speculating what it’s like to be in a stadium with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has that experience in his hip pocket, so we better assume he’s going to be significantly better.”

Like Jackson, the NFL’s second-leading rusher among quarterbacks, Huntley isn’t afraid to tuck the ball and take off if needed. His 10 carries against the Broncos were the most for any Ravens player, as were his 41 rushing yards.

Against the Steelers last season, Huntley chipped in 72 of the Ravens’ 249 rushing yards.

“They are one of the few teams that have major quarterback mobility that have done a consistent job of making sure that mobility isn’t lost when their starter goes down,” Tomlin said. “They always have quality backups that are capable of delivering the schematics they choose to employ. Quarterback mobility is going to be an issue in this game regardless of who is playing.”

The matchup against the Ravens is the first of two meetings within a three-week span. They also play New Year’s Day in Baltimore. It also begins a stretch of three divisional games for the Steelers among their final five of the season.

“There is a lot of weight on them,” Tomlin said. “There is a lot of weight on this one.”

The Steelers have won four in a row against the Ravens since losing the finale of the 2019 season when “Duck” Hodges was at quarterback. Jackson started just two of those games. And the Steelers enter this matchup on the heels of back-to-back road wins against the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons to remain in postseason contention.

“That is a significant step,” Tomlin said. “Hopefully it’s a springboard for us as we move forward. Absolutely, we need it to be. The sand is running through the hourglass in terms of us stating a case for ourselves.”