OWINGS MILLS — Ravens backup quarterback Tyler Huntley appeared confident and relaxed when he talked about facing the Steelers in Week 18.
Huntley is no stranger to stepping in for starter Lamar Jackson, who will get to rest because the Ravens have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.
This time, Huntley could be playing for something, as well. He is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, so he could set the stage for a starting opportunity elsewhere.
For now, Huntley is focused on beating the Steelers.
“[This is an] opportunity to get out there and play some ball and get another win for the Ravens. I’m just going to seize the moment and do what I do. I’ll just say, going into this game, it’s going to be a little bit of personnel difference.
“In the past here, we’ve been down a lot of people, and the situation was way different. But now we’ve got a good group in there, and we’re just going to take it from there.”
Huntley has gone 3-5 as a starter in his four seasons with the Ravens.
Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley (2) is met by Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt (57) on a run in the second quarter during an NFL wild-card game.
His biggest start came last season in the AFC wild-card game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Huntley largely outplayed Joe Burrow, but he fumbled on the goal line for the potential go-ahead score. The ball popped into the hands of Cincinnati defensive end Sam Hubbard, who ran for a 98-yard touchdown, and the Bengals escaped with a 24-17 victory.
Three of Huntley’s career starts have come against the Steelers, and he has gone 1-2 with 359 yards passing with one touchdown and three interceptions.
“[The Steelers] are a physical team, and it’s always a good game,” Huntley said. “We’ve just got to score points, and our defense is going to handle the rest.”