NFL Odds: Three things we learned from Lions vs. Ravens on MNF
Two teams desperate to get over the hump and into the Super Bowl met in Baltimore on Monday night, and the matchup did not disappoint.
The Detroit Lions’ running back tandem of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs scored two touchdowns each, and the team’s defence sacked Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson seven times in a 38-30 victory.
Derrick Henry fumbled for the third straight game and turned the ball over in the fourth quarter for the second time in a loss this season. Jackson threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns, but was hampered by Detroit’s defence all night. It was a rare loss in primetime for coach John Harbaugh, who fell to 22-4 in such matchups with Baltimore.
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The demise of the Lions is premature
Following a Week 1, 27-13 defeat to the Green Bay Packers, where the offence looked bland and unimaginative, there were plenty of whispers that much of the team’s innovation on that side of the ball had left the building.
Two weeks, two wins, and 90 points later, and those whispers have dissipated. Detroit out-rushed Baltimore 224-85. Montgomery rushed for 151 yards. Gibbs tallied 99 all-purpose yards. The team went for it on fourth down three times. They converted three times, including a go-ahead touchdown and the clinching conversion just inside the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter to seal the game.
Doubt Dan Campbell at your own peril.
Take the over with Baltimore right now
The Ravens are the only team to play to the over all three games this season. Sure, the offence, under Jackson’s guidance, is as explosive as ever. But the defence has surrendered 79 points in two defeats. Yes, the team was without Nnamdi Madubuike and Kyle Van Noy last night, but the Lions looked unstoppable, especially on prolonged 98-and-96-yard touchdown drives.
Nobody is expecting the Ray Lewis-Ed Reed-Terrell Suggs iconic defences, and the offence hasn’t helped out at times. However, the team needs to make way more critical stops and impose their will. That it doesn’t stand out in any way, especially on an evening where their counterparts sacked Jackson seven times, is not a good look.
What’s up with Henry?
The fumbles are expected to be an aberration. According to ESPN, before this season, Henry had fumbled the ball away twice in 136 games the past nine seasons. That shouldn’t be a problem long-term. The fact that he only had 50 rushing yards on 12 carries is. Especially a week after he only had 23 yards rushing on 11 carries in a 41-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns. The Ravens didn’t need him that day. They did last night, especially as Jackson was under threat each snap.
The five-time Pro-Bowler had 169 yards and two touchdowns, and averaged 9.4 yards per carry against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, so like the Lions’ impending demise, let’s just take a breath for a minute. However, it is worth paying attention to as an ongoing development over the next few weeks.