ExtremeRavens Posted September 23 Posted September 23 Marlon Humphrey stayed down, his helmet pressed into the M&T Bank Stadium grass, long after the play was over. Detroit had just lined up for a fourth-and-2 near midfield with less than two minutes left, daring the Ravens to make the one stop that could salvage a night of frustration. Instead of another dose of their punishing ground game, the Lions went for the kill shot. Amon-Ra St. Brown burst off the line and drew a defensive holding penalty on Humphrey. That alone would have ended Baltimore’s last hope. But St. Brown kept running anyway, wiggling free down the right sideline to haul in Jared Goff’s arcing throw. Humphrey’s desperate dive came up empty. He stayed there, flat on the grass, as the Lions celebrated a dagger that sealed a prime-time victory and dropped the Ravens to 1-2. As Humphrey eventually rose from the field, St. Brown flexed his right arm, helping exert the last of Detroit’s all-around dominance. That image captured just about everything from an evening when the little things once again became the big problem for Baltimore. Humphrey acknowledged what the lasting scene already told everyone. “We’re just not very good,” he said. “The biggest thing with playing on the Ravens’ defense is the organization and fans have seen greatness. So being bad, being good is not the standard. Anything other than great is below the standard. We do have guys that want to compete. I feel like we are close. But we’ve got to all come together. “I know we got Lamar Jackson — but we can’t, we just can’t expect them to score 28 points every game, 30. It’s putting unfair expectations, I think, on the offense, so we got to do our part.” The Ravens’ defense, which was hyped all summer both internally and externally, felt nonexistent against this NFC heavyweight. For the second time in three weeks, the Ravens failed to force a single turnover. And en route to their 38-30 victory, the Lions carved some bad history for the home team. Detroit recorded an 18-play drive that spanned a whopping 98 yards and devoured 10:48 in the first half. It marked the first time that Baltimore allowed a 95-yard TD drive at home since 2001. Ravens vs. Lions, September 22, 2025 | PHOTOS The Ravens couldn’t stop David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, who became just the third running back duo in franchise history to record multiple rushing touchdowns in a single game. Any semblance of a run defense from the home team appeared to be missing. If it ever made an appearance in front of a sold-out crowd, it was brief and especially soft. Coach John Harbaugh offered his blunt assessment of the run defense: “That’s not who we are. That cannot be who we are. It has to be better.” With Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) and Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) sidelined, Baltimore’s pass rush, too, was nonexistent. Goff, who completed 20 of 28 passes for 202 yards, was never sacked and hit only five times compared with Jackson, who absorbed a disturbing seven sacks. Rookie Mike Green, a second-round draft pick who led college football with 17 sacks last season, served as Van Noy’s primary reserve but looked more like a bystander. Through three games, Green has yet to record his first career sack, while his pass-rush win rate sits at just 3.1%, according to TruMedia. The veterans don’t get a pass, either. Linebacker Roquan Smith and safety Kyle Hamilton, a pair of defensive leaders with $100 million salaries, didn’t make any of those game-changing plays that you’d expect from your two highest-paid players behind Jackson. Instead, the Lions impressively converted all three of their fourth-down attempts and went 4 of 5 in the red zone. Lions running back David Montgomery, left, breaks away from Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter Monday night. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) When Jackson and company had a chance to match Detroit’s high-powered offense, it fell short. Baltimore countered by failing its only fourth-down attempt and finished just 2-for-4 in the most critical part of the field. Running back Derrick Henry coughed up his third fumble in as many games. His latest turnover, with the Ravens trailing by four late in the fourth quarter, felt like an uppercut to the chin in a heavyweight match. Last season, the four-time All-Pro running back lost the ball only three times. He’s already matched that total and is the only NFL running back to fumble in every game this season. “[Need to] be more cautious and try to hold it as tight as you can,” Henry said. “I didn’t see [Aidan Hutchinson] coming from behind. I’ve just got to hold on to the ball. I don’t know, I’ve just got to keep working. It sucks right now. I’m trying every day to fix the problem that keeps occurring. I’m my worst critic.” Failure to execute in minute spots stretched to the coaching staff in all three phases. In addition to Zach Orr’s woes, offensive coordinator Todd Monken got in his own way. When the Ravens reached the Lions’ doorstep, for whatever reason, they turned routine into mystery. From the 1-yard line, they bypassed their best options (see: Mark Andrews’ tush push sneak) and were stuffed on consecutive rushes by Henry. And on fourth-and-goal from the 2, Detroit snuffed out a roll-out call and strip-sacked Jackson. Later in the second half, Monken dialed up a Henry jump-pass trick play that nearly resulted in an end zone interception. Special teams only added to the misery. Rookie kicker Tyler Loop committed his fifth kickoff penalty of the season by failing to drop a kick inside the designated landing zone, gifting Detroit the ball at its own 40. Seven plays later, the Lions scored one of their five touchdowns. Coincidentally, Lions kicker Jake Bates committed the same penalty on the ensuing kickoff. Instead of taking advantage, though, the Ravens plummeted with a three-and-out. Remember the little details? It’s still a young season, but Baltimore already has been outmatched twice under the lights, both times against true contenders. Buffalo and Detroit sit atop their respective divisions with a combined record of 5-1. Meanwhile, the Ravens, a storied franchise that built its name and logo on defensive greatness, now find themselves at a crossroads as they chase that elusive third title. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. View the full article Quote
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