Summary:
- The Detroit Lions piled up 426 yards, including 224 on the ground, handing the Baltimore Ravens a humbling 38-30 loss.
- Lamar Jackson was sacked seven times, and Derrick Henry’s late fumble sealed the Ravens’ fate.
- Coach John Harbaugh blasted the defense, while safety Kyle Hamilton admitted the run defense was “demoralized.”
The Baltimore Ravens were outmuscled on both sides of the ball Monday Night Football game, falling 38-30 to the Detroit Lions in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score suggested.
Detroit racked up 426 total yards, pounding the Ravens’ defense for 224 yards on the ground. David Montgomery led the charge with 151 rushing yards, while Jahmyr Gibbs added 67 more. For a franchise long known for its stingy run defense, the performance was a gut punch.
Coach John Harbaugh said afterward,
The biggest problem is we didn’t play good defense. There’s nobody in that locker room that thinks that’s good enough. That’s not who we are. It cannot be who we are. It’s not acceptable.
While the Ravens led 21-14 at one point, the game eventually slipped away as the Lions answered with back-to-back long drives, including marches of 95 and 98 yards. Baltimore’s offense sputtered in response, with Lamar Jackson sacked seven times, struggling to escape Detroit’s relentless pass rush.
Derrick Henry’s fumble in the fourth quarter, with the Ravens still within reach, put an end to any hopes of a comeback. Baltimore tacked on a touchdown with just 29 seconds remaining, but by then the Lions had already stretched their lead to 14 points.
For Jackson, the idea that this loss might provide extra motivation rang hollow.
Week 1 was a wake-up call. Last week was a wake-up call. We’ve got to find a way to win.
The Ravens are now 1-2, with their only win coming against a struggling Cleveland squad. Their two losses have both been shootouts, 41-40 and 38-30, pointing to a defense that has been far too porous early in the season.
Safety Kyle Hamilton didn’t mince words.
No excuses can be made at this point. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. We’ve just got to patch it up right now,” he said. He admitted that being gashed on the ground was especially demoralizing: “Our run defense has been pretty good the whole time I’ve been here, but when a team runs the ball like that it demoralizes you. It’s on us as a defense to put that fire out, and we just didn’t do that.
The Ravens have little time to dwell on the loss. Next up is a road matchup with the defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs on a short week.
I don’t think the sky is falling. But we’ve got a big one next week. It’s up to us to be professionals and go out and win.
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