Detroit (1-1) at Baltimore (1-1)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, ESPN.
BetMGM NFL odds: Ravens by 5.
Against the spread: Lions 1-1, Ravens 1-1.
Series record: Ravens lead 6-1.
Last meeting: Ravens beat Lions 38-6 on Oct. 22, 2023, in Baltimore.
Last week: Lions beat Bears 52-21; Ravens beat Browns 41-17.
Lions offense: overall (5), rush (15), pass (5), scoring (3).
Lions defense: overall (T10), rush (T15), pass (12), scoring (21).
Ravens offense: overall (T2), rush (1), pass (17), scoring (2).
Ravens defense: overall (11), rush (5), pass (T23), scoring (1).
Turnover differential: Lions plus-1, Ravens plus-1.
Lions player to watch
QB Jared Goff. He won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award for a fourth time. Goff and Tom Brady are the only players in league history to complete at least three-fourths of their passes in four straight games with a minimum of 25 attempts in each game. To upset the Ravens, he may need to outplay two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.
Ravens player to watch
S Kyle Hamilton. With CB Marlon Humphrey nursing an injured groin, Baltimore’s secondary could be vulnerable, and it may fall to Hamilton to help keep the damage by Detroit’s passing game to a minimum.
Key matchup
Baltimore’s running game vs. Detroit’s defensive front. Although they beat Chicago soundly, the Lions allowed 134 yards rushing in that game on 27 carries. Now they face an even more imposing running game when they take on Derrick Henry, Jackson and the Ravens.
Key injuries
Lions: Oft-injured DE Marcus Davenport had a relatively significant shoulder injury and an ankle ailment last week. Third-string TE Shane Zylstra (ankle) was put on IR.
Ravens: TE Isaiah Likely (foot) and FB Patrick Ricard (calf) have not played yet this season. LB Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) and Humphrey were injured last weekend.
Series notes
Detroit’s lone win in the series was in 2005. Since then, the Ravens have won five in a row — three in blowouts and two on late kicks by Justin Tucker. … Tucker made the longest field goal in NFL history when he kicked a 66-yarder to beat the Lions in 2021. … The Ravens rolled up 503 yards when they beat Detroit in 2023.
Stats and stuff
Detroit had more than 500 yards with five passing TDs and two TDs on the ground for the first time in franchise history, and averaged a team-record 8.8 yards per play against the Bears. … Goff took advantage of time to throw against Chicago, completing 23 of 28 passes for 334 yards and five TDs. … WR Amon-Ra St. Brown had nine catches for 115 yards and a career-high three TDs. … RBs Jahymr Gibbs and David Montgomery combined for 151 yards and two TDs on the ground, a week after the Lions had just 47 yards rushing without a score on the ground in their season-opening loss at Green Bay. … Brian Branch of the Lions and Ravens Hall of Famer Ed Reed are the two NFL DBs since 1999 to have 30 passes defended, 15 tackles for loss, three sacks and three forced fumbles two games into a third season in the league. … Baltimore is 22-3 in prime-time home games under coach John Harbaugh. The Ravens have won five straight Monday night games. … Baltimore has a league-high six touchdowns of at least 20 yards through two games. … Jackson has played in nine Monday night games, throwing 22 TD passes and no INTs. … The Ravens have at least one sack in 57 straight games, the league’s longest active streak. … Jackson can become the fourth quarterback with a passer rating of 125 or higher in each of his team’s first three games of a season, joining John Hadl (1973), Patrick Mahomes (2019) and Russell Wilson (2020). … Jackson can become the sixth quarterback in NFL history to produce at least two TD passes and a passer rating of 90 or higher in 11 consecutive games, including playoffs. He would join Aaron Rodgers (14 games), Philip Rivers (13), Peyton Manning (13), Tom Brady (12 games) and Mahomes (11).
Fantasy tip
DeAndre Hopkins only has four catches in two games after joining the Ravens in the offseason, but two of those receptions were for touchdowns, and the veteran receiver has given Jackson good reason to trust him.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
The Associated Press
