The Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens went at it during a high-profile game on Monday, September 22, for Monday Night Football, and it was the only Monday evening game on the roster, so there was extra excitement about what was going on in Baltimore. In the end, the Lions towered over the Ravens, 38-20 on the road.
What’s great is that no matter who won on Monday, the Detroit Lions already had something to celebrate before the game even started. That’s because their chances at ruling the NFL North got better after last weekend’s round of games.
Detroit Lions Get a Break in the NFC North
After the Lions’ opening game of the season against the Green Bay Packers, some immediately thought the Packers were going to be at the top of the NFC North this season instead of the Lions. But, the Lions came roaring back in their second game of the season against NFC North rivals the Chicago Bears.
Then, last weekend, the Packers suffered a major loss to the Cleveland Browns. It was an unexpected loss, and it certainly helped the Lions.
“For the Packers, this is hopefully a part of a slide; if you can lose to the Browns, there isn’t any question you can lose to any roster,” notes Nick Halden of Detroit Jock City in a Sunday, September 21 feature. “While this appeared to simply be a game where the Packers took their eye off the ball against what they deemed to be an inferior team, the Lions have to hope that it speaks to deeper issues that will open the door further.”
Halden also notes that the Bears and Vikings have their own issues, and that could leave the Lions at the top, again. The team was the king in the NFC North last season, of course.
“Chicago and Minnesota both appear to have issues at quarterback and defensive concerns,” Halen adds. “Unless things change drastically in the next weeks of the season, this is a two-team race, making even a Week 3 game against the Browns incredibly important in the big picture.”
So, that’s the cherry on the top of the Lions sundae after the Ravens win. Now, the Lions are in an even better position.
Detroit Lions Have Respect in the NFL
Ahead of the season, ESPN named the Detroit Lions the No. 4 team in the league. They also ranked the Ravens No. 1. Can we change that, please?
“Though Jared Goff ranks second in the NFL in QBR when he has a clean pocket, he ranks 23rd when he’s under pressure,” they added noting ESPN research. “Goff had the second-largest QBR decline in the league in 2024 when he was pressured compared with when he had a clean pocket, ahead of only Daniel Jones.”
Walder also made the bold prediction that, “Aidan Hutchinson will record at least 100 pass rush wins, something that has happened only twice since the metric was created in 2017 (Micah Parsons in 2023 and Aaron Donald in 2018).”
So, the Detroit Lions are looking amazing for the 2025-26 season, especially after the Ravens victory. Bring on that next matchup against the Browns.
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