Lamar Jackson Ruled Out vs Falcons, Huntley Starts

Lamar Jackson has been ruled out of Sunday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons. Head coach Jesse Minter announced Friday that Jackson (ankle) and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson (finger) will both sit, which hands the Baltimore offense to Tyler Huntley in Atlanta, the Ravens' official site reported.

The timing hurts. Baltimore is 3-1, Atlanta is 2-2, and both teams ride two-game win streaks into the Ravens' first primetime game of the season. Jackson has been rolling, too. The team's Late for Work roundup noted PFF named him its MVP of the season's first quarter. Now the Ravens have to steal a road win without him.

How the ankle got here

Jackson hurt the ankle in the Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans and missed the second half of that game, with Huntley finishing it. He did not practice at all this week, and Friday made it official.

Hendrickson is in the same boat. He had a procedure on the finger last week and still is not practicing, so the pass rush loses a big piece on the same night the offense loses its MVP candidate.

Snoop gets the keys

Huntley has been here before. The Ravens won both of his starts last season, and Minter sounded completely at ease about it Friday.

"Again, we've got a ton of confidence in 'Snoop,'" Minter said. "He can play really well. I think everybody on the team is excited to see that."

Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle and the locker room have been backing Huntley all week, per the team site. Fan take for fantasy players: a backup quarterback game usually means more Derrick Henry, so Henry managers can breathe a little easier than Zay Flowers managers this week.

The rest of the injury picture

There is some good news. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey (hamstring/calf) returned to practice Friday, which gives him a real shot to play in Atlanta. New center Cam Jurgens is still in the concussion protocol and will not make his Ravens debut until next week. Defensive lineman Calais Campbell had a rest day earlier in the week.

The defensive assignment does not get easier. Bijan Robinson has been stellar in primetime, and even Henry gave him props this week as the best running back in the league right now, according to the Ravens site. The Falcons are favored, per the team site's game picks roundup.

So here is the deal. Huntley and Henry grind it out in a loud building, the defense keeps Bijan in check, and Baltimore walks out 4-1 while Lamar gets another week to heal. Win that one and nobody in Baltimore will be panicking about an ankle.