In Lamar Jackson’s phrases, the Ravens confirmed a “glimpse” of what they’re able to doing.
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell put it one other manner.
“They kicked our [butts],” Campbell stated. “Lamar beat us. He hammered us with his arm. He threw the ball extremely well. He ran when he needed to, and we did not handle it well.”
It was additionally what Baltimore has been anticipated to do since signing Jackson to a five-year, $260 million contract extension, overhauling the vast receiver group and implementing what was imagined to be a extra explosive scheme underneath offensive coordinator Todd Monken. The Ravens (5-2) spent more cash on offense than any group within the NFL this offseason, and Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, it lastly paid off.
The Lions (5-2) got here into Baltimore with only one loss and with one of the crucial explosive offenses within the NFL, averaging 28 factors and 383.7 yards per sport and having scored a minimum of 20 factors in 15 straight relationship to final season.
They left it on the enterprise finish of a 38-6 thumping in what was the third-largest margin of victory towards a group with the NFL’s greatest document getting into Week 7 or later, in line with Elias Sports.
“We just knew they haven’t faced a defense this year like ours,” Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith stated. “The way I look at it, from top to bottom, the D-line, linebackers, secondary, I don’t really see any weaknesses. If we’re all on our game, it’s very hard to move the ball on us, especially score.”
The Ravens, in the meantime, had no drawback scoring with Jackson main the way in which.
The 2019 NFL Most Valuable Player performed his greatest sport of the season towards the most effective group the Ravens have performed thus far, finishing 21 of 27 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns whereas dashing for 36 yards and one other rating. Unlike final week in London, the place the Ravens had been simply 1-for-6 scoring touchdowns from the pink zone, Baltimore had little hassle ending off one drive after one other.
“That’s what we expected,” Jackson stated. “That’s what we expect out of each other [for] our offense to be moving the ball down the field [with] no problem and putting points on the board. But, we need to just keep being consistent.”
The Ravens got here into the sport having outscored opponents 41-6 within the first quarter this season and didn’t waste any time including to that.
On the opening possession of the sport, they marched 75 yards in seven performs, with Jackson hitting a wide-open Zay Flowers over the center of the Lions’ zone protection for a 46-yard achieve that moved the ball to Detroit’s 16-yard line. Three performs later and dealing with a fourth-and-1 from the Lions’ 7, Jackson faked a handoff to Gus Edwards up the center and waltzed across the left aspect untouched for a simple landing, with left deal with Ronnie Stanley serving to prepared the ground.
“I knew Lamar was behind me and I know my boy [former Ravens guard] Marshal Yanda was here and I was saying what would Marshal do in this situation,” Stanley stated. “I attempted to channel my internal Marshal Yanda on that.
“It was a huge deal, especially being our first drive of the game. To cap that off with the touchdown gave us a great start. That was something we really got to build on throughout the game.”
That was additionally solely the start.
On the Ravens’ subsequent possession, Jackson linked with receiver Rashod Bateman on back-to-back passes for 16 and 20 yards and later scrambled to a primary down on third-and-3 from the Lions’ 22. After having already juked his option to a primary down on a third-and-3, Jackson, confronted with the identical situation from the Lions’ 12, scrambled and ducked and dodged defenders earlier than discovering Nelson Agholor at the back of the tip zone. His time to throw of 9.24 seconds was the longest on a landing go since Week 14, 2018, and the third-longest within the Next Gen Stats period (since 2016).
Following one other three-and-out by the Lions and a 61-yard punt by Jack Fox, the Ravens wanted simply eight performs to go 92 yards for his or her subsequent landing, with Jackson discovering Odell Beckham Jr. for 20 yards, Flowers for 22 and fullback Patrick Ricard for 28 alongside the way in which. He capped the drive with a brief go to tight finish Mark Andrews, who took it 11 yards for the rating.
“He was slinging it, man,” Andrews stated. “He was on the money all day, money Lamar. At times [he was] extending drives when he had to, but ball placement was incredible.”
The similar might stated for the Ravens offense with Baltimore up 21-0 simply two minutes into the second quarter.
Unlike earlier video games after they’d taken a double-digit lead, although, there was no trying again this time. Baltimore took its subsequent possession 80 yards in six performs, sparked by a 20-yard run by Edwards and a 27-yard burst by Justice Hill. Edwards took it the ultimate 2 yards for a landing.
The Ravens’ 28-point halftime lead matched the biggest in a house sport in franchise historical past, and it tied for the third-biggest halftime lead total in group historical past, with Jackson doing a lot of the harm.
“Every time we have a win my dad texts me and says that was your best win ever,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh stated. “So I’d say that was [Jackson’s] greatest sport ever.
“He played a great game. There’s just been so many great games. Lamar got the lion’s spike along with all the guys making plays. It was wall-to-wall from the beginning to the end.”
And the tip got here rapidly for the Lions, who recorded simply 97 whole yards within the first half.
Quarterback Jared Goff was 11 of 18 passing for 99 yards within the opening half-hour however was sacked thrice, whereas rookie working again Jahmyr Gibbs, who took the majority of the carries with David Montgomery out with a rib damage, had simply 9 yards on three carries. Detroit didn’t get a primary down till 7:32 left within the first half.
Things didn’t go a lot better within the second half, both.
After the Lions marched to the Ravens’ 6 on the primary possession of the third quarter, Goff’s go to receiver Josh Reynolds at the back of the tip zone on fourth-and-goal was damaged up by Smith. The Ravens then went 94 yards in simply 4 performs, highlighted by a play-action pretend to Edwards adopted by a brief drop-off as he launched out of the backfield. He raced 80 yards up the proper sideline, and two performs later Jackson hit Andrews at the back of the tip zone for an 8-yard rating.
“The offense, we played the best we played all season,” stated Edwards, who additionally had 14 carries for 64 yards. “I knew once I got open I knew there was gonna be nobody there. I wish I would’ve scored on that one.”
The Lions, in the meantime, lastly did rating, however not till the opening minute of the fourth quarter when Gibbs completed a 21-yard run. Goff’s 2-point strive fell incomplete, and the Ravens tacked on a 32-yard discipline aim by Justin Tucker on their subsequent possession for the sport’s remaining factors.
It was maybe becoming, provided that the final time the groups performed two years in the past, it was Tucker who made an NFL-record 66-yard discipline aim within the remaining seconds to carry the Ravens to a dramatic win.
This one by no means had a second of drama.
Detroit entered the sport having surrendered an NFL-low 64.7 yards dashing per sport however had been gashed by the Ravens, who tallied 146 yards on the bottom. Meanwhile, Andrews and Flowers completed with six catches apiece for 63 and 75 yards, respectively.
The Ravens had additionally come into the sport having struggled with drops and miscommunication on offense, resulting in a gut-wrenching loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and a closer-than-necessary win over the Tennessee Titans. Sunday, they didn’t even given up a sack.
“It was efficient ball, it was consistent ball,” Andrews stated. “Guys made plays left and right.”
That included on protection, with the Ravens sacking Goff 5 occasions and with security Geno Stone nabbing his NFL-leading fourth interception.
Said Andrews: “It’s time to separate and become the type of team you want to be.”
Week 8
Ravens at Cardinals
Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
TV: CBS
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com