With Lamar Jackson sidelined with a lower-body injury, the Baltimore Ravens turned to backup quarterback Tyler Huntley to make his second NFL start.
Huntley, in turn, turned to tight end Mark Andrews in the passing game.
The Ravens have built a 14-7 lead over the visiting Green Bay Packers, thanks in large part to the connection between backup quarterback and tight end. At this point Huntley has completed 15 of 20 passes for 137 yards and a pair of touchdowns, both of them coming with Andrews on the other end of the throw.
The game’s first big play came on this catch-and-run from Andrews:
Mark Andrews breaks away for 45 yards! #RavensFlock
📺: #GBvsBAL on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/9PX07KB2mz— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2021
Andrews runs the shallow route working from right-to-left, and Huntley hits him with a throw between a pair of defenders. The tight end then races upfield, picking up a gain of 45 yards on Baltimore’s opening drive.
While the Ravens would be denied a touchdown on a fourth-down attempt, they would not be kept out of the end zone later in the first quarter. Again, Huntley to Andrews was the notation in the box score:
The Huntley and Andrews connection is STRONG. #RavensFlock
📺: #GBvsBAL on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/Nj0eHMED7Y— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2021
The QB buys time by rolling to his right before firing towards his TE in the back of the end zone. Andrews goes with the full extension to finish the play, giving Baltimore the lead.
After the Packers knotted the game at seven, Baltimore put together another storing drive. On this touchdown strike, the TE runs a corner route aiming for the back corner of the end zone, and rewards the trust from his quarterback by beating a pair of defenders to the football:
Mark Andrews AGAIN.
Huntley is dealing to his TE. #RavensFlock
📺: #GBvsBAL on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/PO0xZSK6T5— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2021
With halftime approaching, Andrews has six catches for 95 yards and the two scores. If his second half is anything like his first, the tight end and the Ravens are going to be in good shape come the end of the game.