-
Jamison Hensley
-
Eric Woodyard
Shut
Eric Woodyard
ESPN
- Eric Woodyard covers the Detroit Lions for ESPN. He joined ESPN in September 2019 as an NBA reporter devoted to the Midwest area earlier than switching to his present position in April 2021. The Flint, Mich. native is a graduate of Western Michigan College and has authored/co-authored three books: “Wasted,” “Ethan’s Expertise Search” and “All In: The Kelvin Torbert Story”. He’s a proud mother or father of 1 son, Ethan.
BALTIMORE — The Detroit Lions used a revitalized move rush and a punishing dashing assault to defeat the Baltimore Ravens 38-30 at M&T Financial institution Stadium on Monday evening.
David Montgomery ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns for the Lions (2-1), who rushed for 224 yards. Detroit additionally had two landing drives of a minimum of 96 yards and sacked Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson seven occasions.
Jackson threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns for the Ravens (1-2), who noticed veteran operating again Derrick Henry have one other expensive fumble.
Listed here are crucial issues to know from Monday evening for each groups:
Of their 4 earlier journeys to Baltimore, most not too long ago in 2023, the Lions had by no means received — or come inside 9 factors of victory. However that modified Monday, because the Lions’ offense began shortly, spearheaded by veteran QB Jared Goff, and Detroit’s playmakers placed on a present.
Operating backs Jahmyr Gibbs and Montgomery, together with All-Professional WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, every had touchdowns. It marked the tenth recreation wherein they every recorded a minimum of one scrimmage TD, probably the most such video games by any trio of teammates in NFL historical past, per ESPN Analysis.
After dropping their Week 1 recreation in Inexperienced Bay, Detroit has received its previous two video games impressively.
Most stunning efficiency: DE Al-Quadin Muhammad. Hours earlier than kickoff, the Lions positioned beginning defensive finish Marcus Davenport on injured reserve due to a chest harm. Muhammad stepped up towards the Ravens with 2.5 sacks, boosting a Detroit move rush that registered a league-low 19.2% move rush win charge within the first two weeks. Muhammad, 30, is on his fifth NFL group and in his second season with the Lions after working his manner up from the follow squad in 2024.
Pattern to observe: The Lions have allowed an opening-drive landing in all three video games this season underneath new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard. Henry ran for a 28-yard TD with 5:47 left within the first quarter. Per ESPN Analysis, that is the primary time Detroit has allowed an opening-drive TD in three consecutive video games underneath coach Dan Campbell, courting to 2021. It additionally marked the primary time prior to now 25 years that the Lions allowed an opening-drive landing within the first three video games of a season. The protection regrouped after the opening-drive rating, sacking Jackson a career-high seven occasions.
Stat to know: When Montgomery capped a 98-yard scoring drive with a goal-line landing at 5:57 within the second quarter, he and Gibbs every recorded a landing in the identical recreation for the eleventh time, breaking a tie with the Packers’ Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor and the 49ers’ Hugh McElhenny and Joe Perry for probably the most such video games by any operating again tandem. — Eric Woodyard
Subsequent recreation: vs. Cleveland Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Henry’s uncharacteristic poor ball safety value the Ravens once more. Henry fumbled halfway by means of the fourth quarter, which proved to be greatest mistake within the Ravens’ loss to the Lions. He confirmed his frustration by slamming his helmet into the bench. Henry has misplaced the ball within the fourth quarter in each of Baltimore’s losses this season. This has been not like Henry, who had misplaced two dashing fumbles within the fourth quarter or additional time in his earlier 9 seasons.
Defensively, the Ravens allowed landing drives of 98 and 96 yards to the Lions, however this is not the primary time Baltimore has given up most of these marathon drives. The final group to permit a number of 95-yard landing drives on Monday Evening Soccer was the Ravens, who did so towards the Texans in 2010, in keeping with ESPN Analysis.
Baltimore has a shedding report after three video games for simply the third time in coach John Harbaugh’s 18 seasons as head coach. The Ravens, whose 111 factors are probably the most within the first three video games for a group with a shedding report in NFL historical past, now head to play at Kansas Metropolis (1-2), the place they’ve by no means crushed Patrick Mahomes. Since 2008, Baltimore is 0-3 at Arrowhead Stadium, permitting a mean of 29 factors per recreation.
Pattern to observe: Lamar Jackson’s landing passes of three yards to vast receiver Rashod Bateman and 14 to tight finish Mark Andrews helped the quarterback set a group report. This marked Jackson’s ninth straight recreation with two or extra landing passes, which surpasses Vinny Testaverde’s streak of eight in 1996. It is also the longest lively streak of a number of touchdown-pass video games within the league.
Most stunning efficiency: Andrews regarded like Jackson’s favourite goal once more after the slowest begin to a season in his eight-year profession. Andrews caught six passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns. It had been a wrestle this season for Andrews, who totaled two receptions for seven yards within the first two video games. That sluggish begin adopted the playoff loss in Buffalo, the place he dropped a late 2-point conversion move that might have tied the sport.
Stat to know: Jackson had little room to scramble and acquired sacked seven occasions, probably the most of his profession. Baltimore has misplaced three of the 4 video games wherein Jackson has been sacked a minimum of 5 occasions. — Jamison Hensley
Subsequent recreation: at Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)