Pundit Says Don't Underestimate What Win over Bears Means for Ravens' Playoff Hopes
Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears was essentially a must-win for the Ravens to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Led by backup quarterback Tyler Huntley, who started in place of Lamar Jackson (hamstring), and a bend-but-don't-break defense, the Ravens ended their four-game skid, 30-16.
But the good news didn't end there.
While the Ravens were putting away the Bears at M&T Bank Stadium, the Cincinnati Bengals were stunned at home by the winless New York Jets, 39-38, and the Cleveland Browns were blown out by the Patriots at New England, 32-13. The day ended with the Pittsburgh Steelers suffering a 35-25 loss to the Green Bay Packers at home on "Sunday Night Football."
And just like that, the Ravens (2-5) are out of last place in the AFC North and within two games of the first-place Steelers (4-3).
Baltimore's next five games are against losing teams and they still play the Steelers and Bengals twice.
The Ravens still have plenty of work to do, but the AFC North race is far from over.
Here's a look at what some national pundits said about the Ravens' postseason chances after the victory:
Sporting News’ Adam Schultz: "After snapping their horror losing streak, the Ravens will look forward to hopefully having Lamar Jackson back next week, and the charge back towards the postseason can begin. Yes, it's a long way, but it starts with a single step, and one that was taken against Chicago."
NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha: "We all knew this team would look different once it got healthier (along with Jackson's hamstring strain, an assortment of injuries has weakened the defense). The real question about the Ravens always has revolved around time. How many losses could they take on before they were finished? They've avoided the worst-case scenario, and now there's hope Jackson will be starting this Thursday night against Miami … It would be overstating to say Baltimore is in control of its own destiny. It also would be wrong to underestimate what that win over Chicago meant to the Ravens' dreams of resuscitating their season."
ESPN’s Dan Graziano: "The Steelers, Patriots and Packers are the only teams left on the Ravens' schedule that currently have winning records. The Ravens get another mini-bye after Thursday night, when Jackson is supposed to be coming back to help them beat the 2-6 Dolphins in Miami. The 2025 AFC North might be a division that only requires nine victories to win it, and if the Ravens can play anything like the team we thought they were before the season started, there's no reason they can't get there."
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer: "The Ravens are 2–5 and in better shape than you think. If they beat the Dolphins on Thursday, they'll have the mini-bye to get Lamar Jackson and everyone else healthier, then they'll play the Vikings, Browns and Jets. The Minnesota matchup is thorny. The other two, less so. So the idea of running off four straight isn't out of line here, and that would put Baltimore at 6–5 heading into the Thanksgiving-night game against the Bengals. And if the Ravens can just sneak into the bracket, with the talent they have …"
'Snoop' Saves the Season
With Jackson missing his third straight game, Huntley was asked to save the Ravens' season, and that's exactly what "Snoop" did.
Huntley, whose third stint with the Ravens began in late August when they signed him to the practice squad after he was released by the Browns, completed 77.3 percent of his passes, threw a touchdown pass, and did not commit a turnover against a Bears defense that entered the game leading the league in takeaways.
He finished with a 116.9 quarterback rating, which was a career-high in his 15 career starts, and also rushed for 53 yards on eight carries.
Press Box’s Bo Smolka: "It's not hyperbole to say Tyler Huntley saved the season. … One early sequence showed how Huntley was in command against a depleted Bears defense that was missing a couple of starting cornerbacks. The Ravens were already trailing 6-0 and, after a penalty, faced first-and-23 at the Bears' 45-yard line early in the second quarter. Huntley hit Tylan Wallace on one play, and then connected with Rashod Bateman on the next. On third-and-7, Huntley threw a 7-yard pass to Zay Flowers to move the chains and keep the drive alive. Later, Huntley ran for 2 yards on third-and-2, and two plays later, Derrick Henry scored his first touchdown to give the Ravens the lead for good."
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley: "How much did this win save the Ravens' season? The Ravens not only won their first game in 42 days, but they also won their first game without quarterback Lamar Jackson since December 2022. A loss would have dropped Baltimore to 1-6, and only one team in NFL history -- the 1970 Bengals -- has reached the postseason after a 1-6 start. Tyler Huntley, who filled in for Jackson, created a spark for the Ravens with 239 total yards and one touchdown. It's the most points that the Ravens have scored without Jackson since they put up 30 against the Packers four years ago."
NFL’s Eric Edholm: "The Ravens were reeling, and the Bears came in with four straight victories, but Huntley gave Baltimore a steadying force under center, leading the Ravens to six scoring drives in eight possessions and harming the Bears with his legs and arm. It wasn't a Jackson-level showcase, but Huntley threw on time and on target all game, helped immensely by strong pass protection and a productive ground game."
The Baltimore Banner’s Kyle Goon: "Short of being Lamar Jackson, the sixth-year backup gave a beleaguered offense everything it could have hoped for on Sunday afternoon. … It was exactly the steady, good-enough performance that the Ravens have needed since Jackson got hurt in Week 4."
Defense Takes Another Step Forward
The defense made significant strides in Week 6, holding an explosive Los Angeles Rams offense to a season-low 17 points. The unit, which saw the return of All-Pro inside linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) Sunday and is healthier than it's been all season, was even stingier against the Bears, limiting them to 16 points.
"Baltimore's defense bent a little early, allowing the Bears to string together two long drives to open the game," Edholm wrote. "But the Ravens held the Bears to field goals on each and clamped down on Chicago until the fourth quarter and helped usher a much-needed victory. Roquan Smith was everywhere against his former team, keeping the Bears' run game in neutral after a few early successful runs. A pair of rookies also stood out: Mike Green had his first NFL sack and Teddye Buchanan played arguably his best game as a Raven."
After totaling two takeaways in their first five games, the Ravens forced a turnover for the second game in a row. Cornerback Nate Wiggins' interception against the Bears was the turning point of the game Sunday.
"With Baltimore up 16-13 in the fourth quarter, Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins stepped in front of Bears receiver Rome Odunze and picked off Caleb Williams at the Chicago 18-yard line," Hensley wrote. "This marked Baltimore's first pick in the fourth quarter since nose tackle Michael Pierce's interception in Week 18 of last season. Two plays later, Huntley connected with tight end Charlie Kolar for a 10-yard touchdown."
The Ravens have squandered leads in the second half before, but that wasn't the case this time.
"The Bears had one final gasp after the defense gave up a long completion on the ensuing drive to wide receiver DJ Moore," The Baltimore Sun’s Josh Tolentino wrote. "Chicago ran four offensive plays inside Baltimore's 3-yard line with under two minutes left that resulted in four big-time stops by Baltimore. As part of the sequence, Smith and fellow linebacker Teddye Buchanan crashed the interior to stonewall Caleb Williams' quarterback sneak."
Coaching Staff Gets Its Flowers
Coaches of any team that gets off to a 1-5 start will receive criticism, especially those on a team that was a preseason Super Bowl favorite.
Winning changes everything, though. Harbaugh gave Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken and Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr kudos in the celebratory postgame locker room, and pundits praised the coaching staff for its performance against the Bears.
"On offense, coordinator Todd Monken kept Tyler Huntley out of obvious passing situations, helped him pick on favorable matchups in coverage and finally sprinkled in some touches for Keaton Mitchell," The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer wrote. "On defense, coordinator Zach Orr helped create just enough pressure up front to end a few Bears drives. And on special teams, Harbaugh and coordinator Chris Horton trusted Jordan Stout to drop a laser-guided punt in the fourth quarter, which helped set up Nate Wiggins' crucial interception."
Baltimore Beatdown’s Nikhil Meta wrote: "John Harbaugh and Zach Orr outcoached [Bears Head Coach and offensive play-caller] Ben Johnson; Todd Monken and Tyler Huntley led the offense to 30 points; and the Ravens took advantage of some great special teams play. That does not sound like the football team that has been causing headaches and heartaches in Baltimore all season, but it is the one that showed up against the Bears on Sunday."
News Flash: Mitchell Is Still Fast
As Shaffer mentioned, Mitchell was more involved in the offense, something pundits such as former Raven Rod Woodson and Ravens fans have been clamoring for.
Mitchell, who was a healthy scratch for the first four games of the season, received a season-high seven snaps on offense, and he made the most of his opportunity.
The third-year running back rushed four times for 43 yards (10.8 yards per carry) and showed the burst he displayed as a rookie in 2023 before suffering a torn ACL. He also averaged 33 yards on two kickoff returns.
"Look what happens when you let an explosive player such as Mitchell touch the ball," Russell Street Report’s Chad Racine wrote.
Harbaugh said after the game that getting touches for Mitchell was discussed during the bye week.
