Tyler Huntley and the Baltimore Ravens had all the momentum and looked as if they’d upset the Cincinnati Bengals even without their dynamic star quarterback Lamar Jackson. But, that’s when his backup Tyler Huntley who played a great game minus one play, which happened to be the deciding score in the Bengals 24-17 wildcard playoff win. Huntley’s leap from the one-yard line was punched out prior to him reaching the goal line, and returned by Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard who showed some elite athleticism on the 98-yard touchdown return. 

The play saved the Bengals from what would’ve been an embarrassing home playoff loss to the undermanned Ravens. Following the game, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh seemed to throw his quarterback under the bus in his postgame presser. 

“You decide whethe you’re going to hand it off in the backfield or whether you want quarterback sneak it,” Harbaugh said of the play call. “We felt we had a good call; it’s a push-sneak play. It wasn’t executed quite the right way. Tyler went over the top; that’s a Burrow play, he’s got to go low on that. That’s the way the play is designed. 

“We felt like it was the best play call, we just didn’t execute it right.”

Harbaugh then gave the reasoning for the play call, with it being third-down they would have two chances to punch it in. 

Huntley Explained His Reasoning For The Lack Of Execution

Following his coach pretty much saying he made the wrong decision, Huntley explained his reasoning for trying to leap over the pile for the would-be go-ahead touchdown.

“I saw everybody packed in, just tried to go over the top. I thought I cleared the line,” Huntley said. They just made a play and just happened to take it all the way back.”

Huntley continued ….

“At the time, I just felt like everybody was packed in, they shot for our lineman’s legs, the backers felt pretty good up at the line. I just tried to make a play,” Huntley said. 

“I’m going to think about that the whole offseason, how just one play, they won the game. It’s going to be hard, but it’s going to motivate me to grind hard, work hard, and be ready for next year.”

Huntley was good in Sunday’s heartbreaking, season-ending loss, going 17-29 for 226 yards and two passing touchdowns. He also toted the mail for another 54 yards on nine carries. 

Was he Lamar good? No but he was good enough for the Ravens to pull the upset and it just didn’t happen.

Ravens all-pro tight end, Mark Andrews told reporters that Huntley, “played his heart out.”

JK Dobbins Wasn’t A Fan Of The Gameplan

Speaking to reporters, a visibly upset Dobbins believes he should’ve gotten the football more after rushing for 62 yards on just 13 carries. 

“He should have never been in that situation,” Dobbins said of Huntley. “I don’t get a single carry. I didn’t get a single carry. He should have never been in that situation. I believe I would have put it in the end zone, again.”

“I’m a guy who feels like I should be on the field all the time,” Dobbins said. It’s the playoffs. Why am I not out there?”

Dobbins does have a gripe, with Jackson being out the former Ohio State running back is easily the Ravens most dynamic offensive weapon. And to his point he should’ve gotten a chance to punch it in after scoring the team’s first touchdown on a catch and lunge early in the second quarter. 

Dobbins also mentioned that with a healthy Lamar Jackson they would’ve won. So in essence he’s taking up for Huntley, but also saying they needed LJ to get the win. 

Gonna be an interesting offseason in “Charm City,” to say the least.