Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season was a week defined by blocked field goals and upset wins, the 1-1 Detroit Lions were set to play the 1-1 Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. A matchup that was many fans pick for a potential Super Bowl this season, as Lamar Jackson is in his prime, and Derrick Henry seems to have staved away father time for another year. The Lions meanwhile, had a great showing week 2 after a crushing 27-13 loss to their division rival, the Green Bay Packers. Tensions were high at kickoff, as Lions fans wanted a sign that their team still had a chance to go all the way, and Ravens fans were anxious to see if concerns over their questionable defense were valid or not.
The game was a very close affair.Through until halftime, the game was level. Sitting at 14-14 when both teams went into the locker rooms. And it looked to stay that way for the time being. Detroit opened the second half with a score after a career long 72 yard run by David Montgomery. Then Baltimore marches down the field and kicks a field goal. Followed by another Lions touchdown to make the score 28-24.Detroit was forced to punt after a questionable decision by starting Quarterback Jared Goff. Back up on their own 20 yard line, Baltimore hands it to Derrick Henry- largely regarded as one of the safest moves you could make in that situation, until Lions star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson forced a fumble and gave the offense the ball on the 16. They got held to a field goal after a penalty, and the score sat 31-24.
The Ravens got stumped on their next drive, with Lamar Jackson being sacked not once, but twice. The Lions started with great position and quickly drove down the field for David Montgomery’s second touchdown of the night. The Ravens managed to score much thanks to a huge run by Justice Hill, and a great catch by Rashod Bateman. But after a failed 2-point conversion attempt and a failed onside kick, it was too little, too late. Detroit managed to leave Baltimore with a win, 38-30. Beating out the favorites on prime time.
What caused this upset? For starters, many fans at the game were complaining about the Ravens offense line play during the game. Lamar Jackson, a quarterback renowned for his ability to scramble and make plays with his legs happen, was sacked 7 times. Their offensive line as a unit was an issue discussed many times last year by fans and commentators alike, but most of those issues were supposedly solved by the season opener against the Bills. On Monday however, they were anything but helpful. Al-Quadin Muhammad, a Lions linebacker known for his pass rushing ability, racked up 2.5 sacks, and 4 total tackles. Could Lamar Jackson then be the issue? No. Jackson, despite this, threw no interceptions and 3 touchdowns for a 148.1 passer rating. A very good performance which makes it nigh impossible to blame the loss on him.
Another reason for the loss could be attributed to the Ravens Defense, who allowed 24 first downs, 7 of which came on third down, and 3 of which came on 4th. Not to mention allowing 426 yards of offense and 5 scores (5 on the ground and 1 through the air.) An overall poor showing by the Ravens defense as a whole. On top of that poor performance mainly by the secondary, the pass rush left much to be desired as well. 0 sacks throughout the entire game.
This does not mean however, that the Ravens beat themselves. In fact, the skill players on offense had a genuinely solid game aside from the Derrick Henry fumble in the fourth quarter. Mark Andrews, who had been relatively quiet so far this season, exploded with 6 receptions for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns. Despite that, the Lions offense and defense worked like a well oiled machine. David Montgomery more than anybody was a pleasant surprise to see go ballistic for once. 151 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on only 12 carries. Meaning he averaged 12.6 yards per carry. While Detroit relied heavily on the run, Jared Goff still left the game 20/28 for 202 yards and 1 touchdown, and Amon-Ra St.Brown with 7 receptions, 1 touchdown and 77 yards.
So what’s next? The Lions, now 2-1, head back to Michigan to face the 1-2 Cleveland Browns coming off a massive upset 13-10 win over the Green Bay Packers. While this game should be entirely Detroit’s to win, if Cleveland’s win over Green Bay wasn’t a fluke, then Detroit need to do their due diligence and take this game seriously. No messing around. Baltimore goes on the road to play the 1-2 Kansas City Chiefs. While they may be Super Bowl runner ups, the Chiefs have just been missing offensive rhythm all season despite how hard Patrick Mahomes might try. It presents a good opportunity for the Ravens defense to get back on track as a unit.
