FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter told local reporters Friday that starting quarterback Lamar Jackson would not play on Sunday night against the Atlanta Falcons.

The two-time MVP injured his ankle in Week 4 against the Tennessee Titans, but early reports suggested there was an outside chance he could suit up against the Falcons. That notion has officially been taken off the table, which means Atlanta's defense will face backup quarterback Tyler Huntley in this game. While Huntley presents his own set of challenges, Jackson has been playing at a high level in his first season working with offensive coordinator Declan Doyle and is one of the most dynamic athletes in the NFL.

His 119.6 passer rating this season is second only to Brock Purdy. He's thrown six touchdowns to only one interception while leading the league with 10.1 air yards per attempt and creating explosive pass plays at the second-highest rate of any quarterback. As good as his numbers have been through the air this season, Jackson's elite running ability makes him a matchup unlike any other. He leads all quarterbacks with 144 rushing yards and seven explosive runs—carries that gain at least 12 yards.

Huntley will make his 17th career start on Sunday night. He signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2020 following a standout career for the University of Utah and has thrown for 3,275 yards with 13 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions in his NFL career. He's also run for 811 yards, averaging nearly 5 yards per carry, and five touchdowns in his seven seasons, showing he's no slouch in the athleticism department either.

Earlier in the week, Minter explained to reporters that he did not feel the offense would look much different with Huntley behind center.

"I think the system of our offense and what we do does not have to change a whole lot," he said. "A lot of the plays, especially whether it's when we are under center and running a lot of those types of things, he can do all that. He can make a lot of those same plays. Obviously, Lamar's magic is what it is. He is the best quarterback in the league for a reason. But we have a lot of confidence in 'Snoop' [Tyler Huntley] if that is the way it goes to be able to really run our offense, to get the ball to our playmakers, move those guys around, find ways to get them the ball, find ways to create angles and space in the run game, and I think our offense has proven that we will be able to do that."

Defensively, the Falcons are off to a strong start. They boast the league's No. 1 run defense, allowing just 48.3 yards per game, and have held opponents to 23 points on average. Baltimore's offense presents one of the biggest tests of the early season for Atlanta, though, even without Jackson in the lineup.

"The offense is going to be similar either way; the way the offense is structured, how they'll feature either quarterback," Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. "They do have a similar skill set. They're both very athletic; both have the ability to make every throw. They can play off-schedule; they can extend plays; they can beat you with their arm and their legs."

Like Atlanta's own offense, Baltimore has some key weapons that Huntley can lean on Sunday night. At the top of that list is running back Derrick Henry, a physically imposing runner who also has the speed to take any carry the distance. Henry has 374 rushing yards this season, fifth among running backs, and his seven rushing touchdowns are more than any other player at the position. On the outside, wide receiver Zay Flowers has emerged as the star pass-catcher in Doyle's offense. He has caught 19 passes for 372 yards—the eighth-best total through four weeks—and two touchdowns.

"This is a great challenge," Ulbrich said. "We've had some success. Not saying it's been perfect by any means, but we've had some success versus the run so far this season. A long way to go, a lot to be determined, but what a great challenge. You want to be the best. You want to play the best. So from that perspective, it's going to be an amazing challenge."