No team had a bigger turnaround from week one to week two than the Detroit Lions. After a lackluster performance against Green Bay, Detroit bounced back against the Chicago Bears they and looked like themselves.
This week, the Lions had to travel to Baltimore to play one of the top teams in the AFC, the Ravens, and do so in primetime on “Monday Night Football”. This game could have been a possible Super Bowl preview matchup, and it’s even who I predicted playing in the game in February.
This was an offensive shootout with each team trading scores, with neither team ever having a lead more than a touchdown until Detroit scored a touchdown with less than two minutes left to go. The Lions’ defensive line came up huge, sacking Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson seven times, tied for the most he’s ever been sacked in a game before. The Lions’ offense kept their quarterback, Jared Goff, clean, and the ground game was the way Detroit won this game.
Lots to digest and go over, so let me break it down for you as I give you my six takeaways from the Lions’ 38-30 win over the Ravens.
Lions bully ball is back
If you listened to Morgan, Meko, and me on the “Before the Roar” podcast, one thing I mentioned was that the Lions needed to control the time of possession and rely on running back David Montgomery to plow through the Ravens’ defense. On the Lions’ second touchdown drive, they went 98 and a half yards on 18 plays in 10 minutes and 48 seconds. 13 of those plays were running plays that got Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, and even Goff involved.
Of the 13 runs, seven were by Montgomery, who was physical up the gut and also made a few people miss with his moves. Montgomery even got involved in the passing game as he caught a pass, and with tight end Sam LaPorta’s help, Montgomery turned and ran his way to a 13-yard gain. Overall, the drive reminded me of the overtime drive the Lions did against the Los Angeles Rams to start the season last year. While it wasn’t all running, the Lions still were just more physical than the Ravens and overcame the adversity with their backs against the wall near their own end zone.
Later in the game, the ground game continued to work for Detroit. Montgomery had a monster 72-yard run in the third quarter, and it would set up the touchdown by Gibbs to start the fourth quarter. Then, when the Lions went for it on fourth down and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown made a clutch 20-yard catch, the next play Montgomery ran for a 31-yard touchdown run to ice the game and put the Lions up 38-24 with just under two minutes to play. Overall, Detroit finished with 38 carries for 224 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 5.9 yards per carry.
Grant Stuard project is over, thankfully
I was never a fan of linebacker Grant Stuard returning kicks, even in the preseason. When I saw it against the Los Angeles Chargers, I figured it was a trick play, and then Stuard fumbled on the opening play of the preseason. I figured, no way they will continue to give him chances, and they did, even into the regular season. They let him return kicks for the first two weeks, and now, with the return of running back Sione Vaki, it appears that project is now over.
Against the Ravens, Vaki was back there with fellow running back Jacob Saylors. While I don’t prefer Saylors being back there either, he is a better option than Stuard. Stuard can block well, but returning the ball was risky due to his ball-carrying skills, and he didn’t appear to ever try to find a hole to run through; he just wanted to run into someone. Additionally, when Vaki was injured and unable to return to play, the Lions turned to Kalif Raymond, not Stuard, likely putting the Stuard project to bed.
Dropped interceptions made score look closer than it was
Earlier this week, I made a bold prediction that the Lions would get Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson to throw multiple interceptions, something he hasn’t done since 2023. In the opening drive of the third quarter, Lions defensive backs Brian Branch and D.J. Reed each dropped a pick that would’ve changed the momentum in the game. Branch’s attempt was easier than Reed’s, as he jumped the route and it hit him right in the hands, but he couldn’t come down with it.
The Ravens attempted a trick play where running back Derrick Henry threw a pass in the end zone, and Detroit defended it well. He should have thrown the ball away or taken the sack, but instead he threw it into coverage, and Reed was interfered with but nearly came down with the ball. It was a missed call by the officials, as Reed could have gotten it if he hadn’t been interfered with.
If the Lions come up with one of those two dropped interceptions, the Ravens don’t score a touchdown, and the final score is bigger than what it was in the end. The missed opportunities by the defense didn’t last long, but in a game like this, you can’t strike out on those chances.
Hutchinson reintroduces himself as Defensive Player of the Year
Last week, Lions EDGE Aidan Hutchinson got his first sack of the season, and his first since returning from injury last year. Hutchinson has been chipped and blocked low to slow him down and take him out of games. Against the Ravens, Hutchinson wasn’t doing much to start, but as the game progressed and the Ravens’ offensive line began to struggle, Hutchinson stepped up in the clutch.
In the fourth quarter, up by four, the Lions needed a stop to try and hold onto the victory, and Hutchinson punched the ball out of Henry’s arms, with Reed securing the fumble. The Lions would score a field goal on their drive and make it 31-24. On the following drive, with the Ravens needing to score to tie the game, Hutchinson sacked Jackson on the first play of the drive, which took them back six yards, and the Ravens would go three and out. Hutchinson might not be getting the sack numbers he got last year, but he is impacting games even when he isn’t getting sacks, as that fumble was a huge momentum shift in the game.
Special Teams struggles are noticeable
The 67-yard field goal miss by kicker Jake Bates was the only special teams mistake that was acceptable on Monday night. Bates was also a hero as he made a touchdown-saving tackle on a kickoff that ended up turning seven points into zero for Baltimore as they got stopped inside the red zone. Bates wasn’t perfect, though, as he did kick one ball out of bounds, giving Baltimore a short field that the defense luckily stopped.
It wasn’t just Bates making the plays, good or bad; when it came to the punting unit, there were mistakes on both sides. On a return for Raymond Reed got called for holding, and when Detroit was punting, Stuard was called for a hold—though that was a questionable penalty, in his defense.
The Lions also allowed 105 return yards on four kick returns, with the longest being 43, which was stopped by Bates. The Lions need to clean up their special teams overall, as if the Ravens had scored on that kick return, we might be talking about a Lions loss.
No Davenport, no problem
The Lions announced on Monday night that EDGE Marcus Davenport would be placed on IR due to a pec strain, knocking him out for the next four games. The Lions didn’t elevate anybody from the practice squad, leaving them with just four EDGE players in Hutchinson, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Pat O’Connor, and Tyrus Wheat. Out of the three, the one that stood out the most was Muhammad, as he had four tackles, two and a half sacks, and two tackles for loss.
It sucks losing Davenport for at least four weeks, but with how Muhammad played last season, and how he has improved and become a contributor even with others joining the team or returning from injury, it’s a nice thing to see. The Lions might not be buyers for a trade for an EDGE rusher or aiming to sign one in free agency, with Muhammad’s performances. It certainly wouldn’t hurt if the Lions got some more help, but for now, it appears to be plenty for them to impact the opponent.
