Pride of Detroit
The Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens have a limited history, having faced each other only seven times since the Ravens’ inception in 1996. Unfortunately for the Lions, in the four times they’ve played the Ravens in Baltimore, they’ve never secured a win. If Detroit wants that to change this Monday, they’ll need to follow the keys to victory laid out in this week’s Honolulu Blueprint.
“It’ll be a good challenge, but I’ll tell you, we’re excited for this challenge,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said earlier this week. “We recognize this opponent, we respect what they’re about, and we’re looking forward to this. Going out there at their place on Monday night, so this is going to be fun, man. This is one of those, this is why you do it.”
For a detailed look at the opposing scheme, make sure you check out our complementary breakdown piece: Lions Week 3 Preview: Breaking down Ravens’ offensive and defensive schemes.
While the Lions’ offensive line has taken some time to refine their communication methods, statistically, they’ve been one of the best pass-blocking units in the NFL. Here are a few of the advanced statistics that they’ve excelled in through two weeks:
They’ll face a stout front on Monday night, and while the Ravens will likely be without their reigning sack leader from 2024, Kyle Van Noy, they still have plenty of talent. As a unit, they’ve found ways to pressure opposing quarterbacks, but the pressure takes a long time to arrive, and their success rate is among the bottom-10 teams in the NFL, and they only have three sacks on the season. Here’s a look at how they compare to the Lions’ offensive line:
If the Lions can meet their statistical average in this matchup, they’ll have an advantage in the trenches, and Jared Goff has been lethal when kept clean in the pocket. Here’s a look at what he’s been able to accomplish with the time afforded to him by his offensive line:
“It was impressive, just all phases, man,” Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said of the offense’s performance in Week 2. “The line coming off the surge, the guys running routes, Jared (Goff) throwing the ball. I mean, he’s been over 80 percent the last two weeks. You don’t see that. Yeah, it was fun, but...
