Lions Roar Past Ravens Behind Dominant Ground Game and Relentless Pass Rush

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The Detroit Lions shook off years of road futility in Baltimore with a powerful performance Monday night, toppling the Ravens 38-30 thanks to a bruising rushing attack and a suddenly ferocious pass rush. Detroit, which had never won in Baltimore in four previous trips, leaned heavily on running back David Montgomery, who bulldozed his way to 151 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions (2-1) piled up 224 yards on the ground, grinding out long drives and keeping the Ravens’ defense on its heels throughout. Quarterback Jared Goff efficiently guided the offense, engineering two touchdown drives of at least 96 yards, while dynamic playmakers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs each found the end zone. Monday marked the 10th time Montgomery, Gibbs, and St. Brown all scored in the same game — the most ever by a trio in NFL history, according to ESPN Research. “That's a physical, gritty win on the road,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said. “We ran the ball, we got after the quarterback — that’s our formula.”

Muhammad Sparks Pass Rush Revival

With starting defensive end Marcus Davenport placed on injured reserve just hours before kickoff, veteran Al-Quadin Muhammad stepped up in a major way. The journeyman defensive end notched 2.5 of Detroit’s seven sacks on Lamar Jackson — the most times the Ravens star has ever been taken down in a game. Detroit entered Week 3 with the NFL’s lowest pass rush win rate (19.2%), but flipped the script under the prime-time lights, harassing Jackson into hurried throws and broken plays.

Concerning Trends Continue for Ravens

For Baltimore (1-2), the loss raised troubling questions on both sides of the ball. The defense allowed two 95-plus-yard touchdown drives — something no team had done on Monday Night Football since the Ravens themselves did it in 2010. Offensively, quarterback Lamar Jackson posted solid numbers (288 yards, 3 TDs), but struggled to find rhythm under constant pressure. Tight end Mark Andrews bounced back with six catches for 91 yards and two scores, but it wasn’t enough to offset costly mistakes. The biggest miscue came from veteran running back Derrick Henry, who fumbled in the fourth quarter for the second time this season. Baltimore trailed by just one score at the time, and the turnover effectively sealed their fate. “It’s on me,” Henry said after the game, visibly frustrated after slamming his helmet on the sideline. “That can’t happen in that moment.” Henry now has as many fourth-quarter fumbles this season (2) as he did in his previous nine seasons combined.

Historic Note for Jackson, But Problems Persist

Despite the loss, Jackson set a franchise record with his ninth consecutive game of multiple touchdown passes, passing Vinny Testaverde’s 1996 mark. Still, Baltimore’s inability to protect him — and slow down opposing run games — leaves them with a losing record after three games for just the third time in John Harbaugh’s 18 seasons. The Ravens’ 111 points through three games are the most ever by a team with a losing record, per ESPN.

Looking Ahead

Detroit now looks to keep rolling when they host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. With back-to-back wins and a surging defense, the Lions seem to have found their early-season identity. Baltimore, meanwhile, faces a daunting trip to Kansas City. The Ravens are 0-3 at Arrowhead Stadium since 2008 and have never beaten Patrick Mahomes.

“We’ve got to regroup,” Harbaugh said. “There’s a lot of football left, but we need to clean up the details — fast.”