Isaiah Likely, Tyler Huntley Shine For Baltimore Ravens In Preseason

The NFL preseason is a great way for both fans and teams to assess their strengths and weaknesses ahead of the season while also finetuning their gameplans.

For the Baltimore Ravens, it gave them a much better look at two players: backup quarterback Tyler Huntley and 2022 fourth-round draft pick Isaiah Likely.

With both Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews ruled out for their against the Arizona Cardinals, the Ravens gave their youngsters extended time on the field on Sunday, August 21 to help extend their preseason winning streak to 22 games with a 24-17 win.

Likely was a massive revelation against the Cardinals after he put up 100 yards with a perfect eight receptions on eight targets plus a touchdown.

What was more impressive in this specific game was his ability to break tackles and continued to rack up the yards after catching the ball, like how Andrews would fight through contact.

"Everybody wants to be able to catch the ball, but it's really what you can do after the catch. That's something I've preached whether it's in game or even in practice. Having that in-game feel so when I get in-game, that's not the first time I've ever done it. It's repetition, it's consistency." Likely said in the postgame presser.

The Ravens have continuously proven that they can find diamonds in the rough deep in the draft, and Likely could join that list very soon.

Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis tallied Likely's production through two preseason games, and his numbers certainly point to a star in the making.

Being a run-heavy offense did not deter the Ravens from being a bit bolder in their play-calling as Huntley had a great game of his own with 13 completions out of 14 pass attempts, which were good for 129 yards plus a touchdown for a quarterback rating of 128.9.

"Snoop" has proven to be a valuable commodity for the Ravens thus far after starting for Jackson when he went down with an injury last season and even more this time around.

In his lone touchdown of the night, Huntley found a wide-open Likely about two-and-a-half yards away from the endzone in the middle of the Cardinals' defense for the first touchdown of the game.

Seeing Huntley, who went undrafted in 2020, build chemistry with Likely and their other receivers was nothing short of spectacular as the Ravens have sneakily built a potential Super Bowl contender with hidden gems.

While many have been quick to criticize Baltimore for not throwing to receivers so often, their offense is mainly powered by their tight ends and smart quarterback play with those on the wings serving a tertiary role.

With Likely on the field alongside Andrews, those in the AFC North would be smart to watch preseason film and find a way to stop the two tight ends.

Likely and Huntley are set to have another field day in their final preseason game against the Washington Commanders on Saturday, August 27.