The Baltimore Ravens fall to 1-2 following a poor performance against the Detroit Lions. Both teams were going blow-for-blow throughout the first three quarters until several mistakes allowed the Lions to gain momentum. While the Ravens showed moments of brilliance, they also showed an equal amount to be concerned about, leaving fans worried about what the future holds.
Baltimore Ravens’ Ongoing Mistakes Lead to Another Tough Loss
Offensive line
The Ravens’ offensive line struggled against the Lions, allowing seven sacks and failing to create space for the run game. Lamar Jackson faced constant pressure, leading to hurried passes that ultimately stalled any chance of the Ravens pulling away with a lead. Jackson is considered the greatest mobile quarterback of all time, and he was still unable to escape the constant pressure from Detroit’s defensive front. Similarly, defenders consistently stopped Henry in the backfield, limiting him to just 50 yards after 12 carries.
Defensive line
Perhaps the most significant reason the Ravens lost was their lackluster defensive line. Detroit’s running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs tore through the middle, rushing for 218 yards and four touchdowns collectively. Montgomery was the main problem as he rushed for 151 yards on 12 carries and effectively ended the game with a 31-yard rushing touchdown with less than two minutes left in the game.
Head coach John Harbaugh believes that the run defense was a significant problem.
“The biggest problem is that we didn’t play good run defense, … we didn’t do it, and that’s not going to be good enough. There is nobody in that locker room that thinks that’s good enough, that’s disappointing, that’s bad run defense, and that’s not who we are, it cannot be who we are.”
Pass Rush
The Ravens’ pass rush was practically nonexistent against the Lions, and it is a significant reason for the loss. While the defensive front went without star players Nnamdi Madubuike and Kyle Van Noy, having zero sacks is unacceptable and will be a recipe for disaster every time. Without any pressure, Lions quarterback Jared Goff had time to read the secondary and complete most of his passes as he went 20 of 28 for 202 yards and a touchdown.
Harbaugh also pointed to the pass rush as another area of concern
“We’ll go back and look at the calls. We sent several five-man rushes and a couple of six-man rushes. We got to get better at pass rush, there’s no doubt about it, that’s not going to be good enough ever, so we got to figure it out and have an answer for that.”
Up Next
The Ravens will head to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Kansas City Chiefs next week in what promises to be a challenging game against an incredibly skilled opponent. However, it provides the Ravens an opportunity to demonstrate that they have addressed the shortcomings that emerged during the Lions game, and a win against the Chiefs will go a long way in restoring fans’ confidence in the team.
Main Photo: Junfu Han-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The post Baltimore Ravens’ Ongoing Mistakes Lead to Another Tough Loss appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.