Facing a team coming off two 40-plus point performances in a row, the Detroit Lions were in for a tough one against the Baltimore Ravens. It would be a difficult task to contain Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and the rest of the Ravens’ offense, perhaps the most difficult game for the Lions in a year full of formidable foes.
Down they go.
The Lions defeated the Ravens in stunning fashion on “Monday Night Football,” bringing the team to a 2-1 record with the Cleveland Browns on deck. The highlights of
the game were the run offense, totaling 0ver 200 yards on the ground, and the defense, harassing Jackson to the tune of seven sacks. In a proverbial heavyweight tilt, the Lions took their blows and delivered a clean knockout.
Ice it up boys, you deserve it.
Winners
Al-Quaddin Muhammad, DE
The loss of Marcus Davenport loomed large for a depleted Lions defensive line, but it appears as though they have one in-house solution.
In a pivotal primetime game against an elusive Jackson, Muhammad showed up. The journeyman edge racked up two-and-a-half sacks on the night, mixing in elusiveness with strength and motor to wrap up the scrambling quarterback. He also tallied a third-down stop late in the fourth quarter that was effectively a drive killer. Muhammad has played a fraction of defensive snaps, but he has already amassed 3.5 sacks on the year. Detroit is limiting him to almost exclusively pass-rushing snaps, so the question is not whether he should get an expanded pass rushing role, but whether he can stand out enough as a run defender.
The Lions needed a partner in crime for Aidan Hutchinson, and Muhammad has staked his claim to that title.
Kelvin Sheppard, DC
John Morton got his flowers last week, it is only fair that Sheppard gets them this week.
Against arguably the toughest opponent that Detroit could face this season, the defense was humming. The Lions sacked Jackson a whopping seven times, a staggering number given how elusive the former MVP can be. It is rare to make Jackson look rattled, but Sheppard’s front seven did the trick. The pocket was collapsing on nearly every down, forcing Jackson to scramble. Sometimes, that resulted in a large run. Yet, more often than not, it resulted in a negative play.
The aforementioned Muhammad had a multitude of pressures. Hutchinson added a sack and a beautiful forced fumble on a Peanut punch. The linebacking trio of Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, and Alex Anzalone were quick and decisive when attacking the quarterback, recording a sack each. Even Trevor Nowaske, playing his first game of the season, managed to sack Jackson in the open field one-on-one. The pressure was relentless.
The onslaught from the defensive line and linebackers helped offset some of the coverage struggles. The Lions still have some work to do, but it was a net positive for the unit—it’s rare that a defense looks this impressive while allowing 30 points.
David Montgomery, RB
It’s about time Monty had his time in the spotlight.
Montgomery had a solid outing last week against the Bears with 11 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown, but he truly made his mark on Monday night. Thanks to a massive 72-yard rumble, Montgomery paced the Lions running backs with 151 yards and two touchdowns. Whereas Jahmyr Gibbs dominated the carries (22 carries in total to Montgomery’s 12), it was Montgomery leading in efficiency (an average of 12.6 yards per carry).
Gibbs had some negative plays in which he was struggling to run vertically, so the Lions pivoted to their other weapon out of the backfield. Montgomery slotted in and the tide began to change for Detroit. The power run game suited the offense, as Montgomery started punching his way through the Ravens front seven. That opened up this for the passing attack, as well as Gibbs.
Gibbs may be the more explosive back, but Montgomery showcased why he needs to be a major part of the offense. A change of pace is exactly what the Lions need.
Jared Goff, QB
Look, I’ll finally acknowledge Goff!
After failing to list him as a “winner” last week, I had to correct that mistake in Week 3. Goff did not reach his totals from the previous beatdown of the Chicago Bears, but Goff was just as clutch. He went 20-for-28 on the night for 202 yards and a touchdown, but the numbers do not tell the whole story. Against an aggressive Ravens’ defense, Goff was making decisive and crisp throws. There were little-to-no turnover worthy plays from him: of his incompletions, perhaps one or two of them were considered errant. There were multiple third downs in which Goff delivered an on-target ball beyond the sticks or with enough open field for his man to saunter for a first.
With the game on the line, Goff delivered a picture-perfect touch pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown on fourth down, a drive that wound up sealing the game for the Lions. That play highlights what Goff can do for the offense: he has ice in his veins.
Sam LaPorta, TE
LaPorta’s game isn’t sexy—he won’t blow the top off a defense, he won’t make the most acrobatic catches on the planet. What he is brings is consistency, and for the Lions offense full of stars, that it an asset in of itself.
Week in, week out, LaPorta is the safety valve for the offense. He is phenomenal at finding space downfield and giving Jared Goff an open target to push the ball downfield. LaPorta converted three third-down attempts, two of which came on third-and long. When the Lions need sure-fire yardage, LaPorta is the guy for the job.
Equally impressive was LaPorta’s blocking. He had two pivotal blocks on carries by Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, among others. The Ravens linebackers and safeties were committed to stopping the run, but LaPorta held his own when called upon to block. For a player known more for his receiving game, he is quietly one of the most well-rounded tight ends in the league.
Oh, and he recovered a crucial onside kick. Brownie points for you, Sam.
Losers
Terrion Arnold, CB
Is it too early to hit the panic button on Arnold? After making great strides down the stretch in his rookie season, Arnold has reverted to his early rookie self—inadequate coverage and a handful of penalties. Arnold was victimized on many of Baltimore’s biggest plays. He lost Devontez Walker on a 34-yard deep shot. He drew a poor pass interference penalty against DeAndre Hopkins to set up a goal line opportunity. He was beat by Rashod Bateman on the Ravens’ first touchdown pass, the very next play after the penalty.
Through two games, Arnold’s PFF grade was 52.4, a number that will likely drop following this poor outing. He is in contention for the worst starting corner in the league—simply unacceptable for a player with his talent. With D.J. Reed not emerging as a lockdown cornerback either, the Lions are suddenly facing a glaring weakness in the secondary. Do the Lions turn to Amik Robertson to move outside and shift Arnold inside or to the reserves? There is a clear problem with his game, the question is whether the problem is caused by scheme or execution.
Detroit needed Arnold to take a step forward in 2025. So far, the only steps have been backwards.
Kalif Raymond, PR
Raymond made a bigger impact on special teams than offense. Unfortunately, that impact was largely negative.
The former All-Pro had a rough night as a punt returner against the Ravens. On his first return of the game, he fielded a deep punt that likely would have bounced into the end zone. Instead, he danced around and wound up gaining zero yards to pin Detroit deep—a special teams penalty pinned them even deeper to the 2 yard line. The Lions turned that into a massive 18-play touchdown drive, but the point stands: Raymond put them in a tough spot.
Perhaps learning from the previous mistake, Raymond let his next return bounce. Unfortunately for him, it was a favorable bounce that stopped short of the goal line. Once again, the Lions found themselves pinned deep, this time at the four yard line. Despite all odds, the offense again turned this into a touchdown drive, this time marching 96 yards for the score—this offense is something else.
Through three games, Raymond has been largely invisible as a returner. He has mustered just 38 yards on six attempts, well below his career standard. I would not proclaim Raymond as washed, nor has he lost his elite speed, but there needs to be some kind shake up to get the return game back to where it should be—would that mean shaking up the blocking, or perhaps even the returner himself? Dominic Lovett profiles as Raymond’s heir apparent, but I am not ready to bench a former All-Pro quite yet. I will defer to Dave Fipp on how to best fix the return game.
