Lamar Jackson Out Again, Tyler Huntley Starts at Browns

Lamar Jackson is inactive again, and Tyler Huntley is starting for the Ravens in Cleveland. Jackson's sprained left ankle keeps him out for a second straight game, so the 4-1 Ravens hand the ball to Huntley against the 3-2 Browns on Sunday at Huntington Bank Field.

The stakes are simple. Baltimore holds a one-game lead atop the AFC North, and this is a division game. Coach Jesse Minter ruled Jackson out on Friday after the two-time MVP missed all three practices this week.

Lamar Jackson's ankle and the "realistic chance" that wasn't

Jackson hurt the ankle on his final play of the first half in the Ravens' Week 4 win over the Titans on Oct. 4. Earlier this week, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Jackson had a realistic chance of returning against Cleveland. He never got on the practice field.

Minter pushed back on any idea that the injury is worse than first thought. "I think it's just a decision for his best interest," he said, per ESPN. "And that's really what every decision's always going to be about."

Per NFL.com, this guarantees Jackson misses multiple games in a season for the second straight year and the fourth time in six seasons.

Why the Ravens are not panicking with Snoop

Huntley has won his last three starts as Jackson's fill-in, against the Bears, Rams and Falcons, with four touchdown passes and no interceptions in that stretch, per ESPN. Last Sunday night in Atlanta he looked shaky for a while, then finished 24 of 32 for 201 yards with two touchdown passes and scored the overtime winner on a 1-yard sneak in a 30-23 win.

"We won't bat an eye with Snoop being in there," Minter said.

Derrick Henry put it the way the locker room sees it. "Our job is just to hold it down until he gets back. Snoop's doing a heck of a job."

This is Huntley's 13th start for Baltimore, and he was 6-6 over the first dozen. There is a little extra spice, too. Huntley has been on the Browns twice without ever playing a game for them, and Cleveland's first-year head coach Todd Monken spent the previous three seasons as the Ravens' offensive coordinator. He knows exactly what Huntley does well.

Who else is out in Ravens at Browns

Baltimore also ruled out center Cam Jurgens (concussion) and tight end Matthew Hibner (hand), so first-round pick Olaivavega Ioane makes his third straight start at center. On the Cleveland side, defensive tackle Mason Graham and running back Quinshon Judkins are both inactive, per CBS Sports.

If you started Huntley in a superflex league off last week's comeback, the Browns run defense without Graham is not the scariest matchup.

Next up is Week 7, when the Bengals visit M&T Bank Stadium on Oct. 25. For now it is Snoop's offense, and a road win in Cleveland would put real distance between Baltimore and the rest of the division.