Pride of Detroit
Last time the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens faced off in 2023, they were outmatched in every way. Current Lions receivers coach Scottie Montgomery said they got outphysicaled in that game.
Detroit did not make that mistake twice. On Monday night, the Lions won the battle in the trenches, and it’s a big reason why they were able to come out with a decisive 38-30 win against the Ravens.
Let’s hand out some grades for the performance.
Jared Goff finished with a modest 20-for-28 for 202 yards and a touchdown, as the Lions leaned heavily on their run game. That said, Goff was mostly very accurate with his passes, and he came up with a few big-time throws in big moments. None were more important than his 20-yard shot play to Amon-Ra St. Brown on fourth-and-2 late in the fourth quarter.
And while a ton of credit goes to the offensive line for keeping Goff clean, give some credit to the quarterback for, again, navigating the pocket well and finding escape lanes to buy more time.
Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery combined for 34 carries, 218 yards (6.4 YPC), and four touchdowns. Montgomery had the best statistical game of his career, setting career highs in both rushing yards (151) and yards per carry (12.6). He showed patience and vision all night, while also finishing with his trademarked power.
While Gibbs wasn’t as explosive, he still found the end zone twice and added five catches for 32 yards.
Sam LaPorta was essential on third down against the Ravens. The third-year tight end caught all four of his targets for 33 yards, three of which earned the Lions a new set of downs. He also caught the game-sealing onside kick.
“Sam is incredible,” Goff said after the game. “He is doing great. He doesn’t get enough attention. Being able to use him on third down is awesome. Every down is awesome with him, and I thought he was incredible today. He had a couple [catches] that were kind of not what we were expecting defensively, and he made it work, and I was able to get it to him.”
At times, it felt like a quiet day for St. Brown, yet he still finished the day with seven catches for 77 yards and a touchdown (on only eight targets). And don’t overlook his well-timed pitch on one of Gibbs’ touchdowns. Jameson Williams added a couple of explosive plays on the team’s first drive (two catches for 43 yards).
While it wasn’t a huge statistical game for the receiving crew, they made the most of their opportunities.
What a difference a couple of weeks makes. The Lions’ offensive line kept Goff clean for the second straight week, but they also exploded in the run game, really for the first time all season. While Montgomery deserves a ton of credit, the Lions’ back gave it...
