Entering M&T Bank Stadium on Monday evening, the Detroit Lions left with one of their most believable triumphs in recent history. It was a 38–30 win over the Baltimore Ravens that highlighted their developing physical, opportunistic, and strategic football identity.
Detroit was in command throughout most of the night, driven by a strong run game. From beginning to end, the Lions gave Baltimore its second loss of the season and scored an unusual victory against an AFC powerhouse by pass-rushing and harassing Lamar Jackson. The ground game shapes the mood; early on, Detroit’s offensive line opened broad running lanes for running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, therefore setting the tone. Montgomery completed with two touchdowns and 151 rushing yards; Gibbs added 67 yards and another two touchdowns.
Together, they kept Baltimore’s defense off balance and kept time of possession under check as they helped the Lions gain over 220 rushing yards. Quarterback Jared Goff didn’t require a lot of risk-taking, but when asked, he came through. With seven catches for 77 yards, Amon-Ra St. Brown topped all receivers; he finished 20 of 28 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown. Both of the two marathon scoring drives the Lions designed, 98 and 96 yards respectively, ended in touchdowns. These long possessions kept Jackson and Baltimore’s offense on the sidelines, in addition to degrading the struggling defense of Ravens.
A Defining Win for Detroit
This was the first-ever victory of the Detroit Lions in Baltimore after Frank Ragnow’s retirement, which was a long-awaited success in a competition formerly favored by the Ravens. Detroit’s victory raised them to 2-1 and signaled strongly: they are not only candidates; they can bring down anybody, anywhere. Meanwhile, the Ravens fall to 1-2 and urgently need answers on either side of the ball going into a crucial part of the season.