Three Storylines for Ravens' Must-Win Matchup vs. Packers

The Baltimore Ravens suffered their most damaging loss of the season last week, which cost them control of their own destiny to get into the postseason in their final home game. They will begin their two-week road stint to close out the season in Week 17 when they travel to historic Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers in another primetime showdown.

There are several intriguing storylines surrounding another massively important matchup for the Ravens, who currently sit two games back in the AFC North standings. Here are the top three.

Will Ravens do their part to keep playoff hopes alive?

Before temporarily becoming Cleveland Browns fans for a day with hopes of Myles Garrett having a monster outing and rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders earning the signature win of his young career, the Ravens have to take care of business the night before to have a chance to force a division championship bout in Week 18 at Acrisure Stadium. If they don't prevail over the Packers, what happens in Ohio the following afternoon won't matter, and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be able to celebrate being crowned AFC champions before they even take the field next.

The Ravens and their fans waited with bated breath to see if the Detroit Lions could give them an early Christmas gift by beating the Steelers before their primetime bout against the New England Patriots kicked off last week. Instead, they were sorely disappointed. Then, they went on to blow a record-breaking 17th second-half lead under head coach John Harbaugh.

As a result, they now need help from the team that currently holds the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to upset the surging Steelers. The Steelers have continued to find ways to win games by coming up clutch and getting some big help from road officiating crews in two of their last three games.

Can Tyler Huntley lead Ravens to another season-saving victory?

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley (2) scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers. — Dec 19, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley (2) scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

With franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson unlikely to play in this game after not practicing all week and being listed as doubtful on the final injury report with a back contusion he suffered in Week 16, the Ravens be looking to their Pro Bowl backup to help keep their season alive for at least one more day. Although they will be leaning heavily on their rushing attack that ranks first in yards per carry (5.2) and third in yards gained on the ground (2,218), there will inevitably be times when they will need Huntley to make some clutch throws on third and long and other obvious passing situations.

This wouldn't be the first time in his career or this season, for that matter, where he has stepped in for Jackson in a big game with the team's playoff lives hanging in the balance. Huntley was the Ravens starter in Week 8 when they put together their second-most-complete win of the season and the only one over a winning team at home over the Chicago Bears. The sixth-year veteran played more than admirably when he came in for Jackson in last week's game and even led a pair of touchdown drives to put the Ravens up by double figures. He finished the 9-of-10 for 65 passing yards and a passer rating of 93.8.

During his second year in the league and with the team in 2021, Huntley made his second career start against the Packers after making his first against the Bears earlier that season. That is ironically the same position he finds himself in now under similar circumstances with a playoff spot on the line. He played exceptionally well in that game, totally 288 yards and four touchdowns between passing and rushing combined and is confident he can get the job done once again after receiving a full week's work of reps.

"I've been thrown in there a couple of times," Huntley said. "[I am always] just preparing myself during the week. That's why I think I've gained the most confidence, just trying to down the playbook and then just be ready for it."

Defense needs to rebound in a big way

Aug 15, 2019; Baltimore, MD, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jake Kumerow (16) catches a pass in front of Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) in the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-Imagn Images | Evan Habeeb-Imagn Images

While the Ravens offense deserved more than its fair share of blame for their most recent late-game debacle, once again, it was ultimately the defense that allowed the opposing team to not only mount and complete a comeback but do so with relative ease and in a hurry with big plays through the air and on the ground that led to quick scoring drives.

Defensive coordinator Zach Orr's unit has failed to generate consistent pressure against quality opponents, especially late in games. The coverage unit has failed to make or prevent the plays needed to get off the field when they have forced opposing offenses into third-and-long and fourth-down situations. They've been good at stopping the run over the last month, holding three of their last five opponents to under 100 yards rushing, but have given up too many big plays through the air, having allowed 110-plus yard receivers in four straight games, three of which have been losses.

The Ravens have four starting defenders making over $13 million annually on their roster, including a trio of All Pros and multi-time Pro Bowlers. It's time for the likes of Kyle Hamilton, Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey and Travis Jones to make some game-changing plays late in games against playoff-caliber teams because if they manage to get, that's all they'll be facing come January.

"I think it was a combination of when we covered the guys well, the [pass] rush wasn't getting there in time. When we were hitting them early and quickly and making them get the ball to his hands, he made some good throws, and the receivers made some good catches," Orr said about last week's late letdown. "It just comes down to execution. We just have to find a way to get off the field. As a defense, with the fourth-quarter lead, you dream about those situations and ending the game, and it's unfortunate we weren't able to do that. So, that's something we have to definitely learn from and correct this week."

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