It’s hard to believe that it was just about a week ago that the Detroit Lions towered over their rivals, the Chicago Bears, in their second game of the season. That 52-21 win felt even better because it was against former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears.
Now, the Lions are taking on the mighty Baltimore Ravens on Monday, September 22, and they’ll have a national, and international, audience, because the game will be on Monday Night Football. The Ravens are clear favorites to win this one, and Lamar Jackson is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in the league. But, Goff is also great and perhaps very underrated, so they’ll have a close match on their hands.
Ahead of the game, the Lions are already getting a bit of good news, and it could make the difference between a win and a loss. It’s just what they need going into this high-profile matchup, too.
Baltimore Ravens News is Good for the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions aren’t used to being the healthy team on the field, but that’s pretty much the case on Monday. The big hole in the Lions’ lineup is defensive end Marcus Davenport, but other than they, they’re looking pretty solid.
Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens will be without four starters from the first two weeks, and they’re all solid players.
Ravens’ Kyle Van Noy won’t be on the field due to a hamstring injury, and interior star Nnamdi Madubuike will also be out. Madubuike notched two of the Ravens’ three sacks in their first two weeks, so that should help Goff having him out.
Baltimore will also be taking the field without starting tight end Isaiah Likely and fullback Patrick Ricard. Both of those players have bene out for the team’s first weeks, too. Likely has been Jackson’s main target over the past few seasons, so having him out really stings.
While it would be great to win this game against a healthy Ravens team, it’s the honest reality that playing a banged up team will help the Lions. Look for some standout performances from Goff with less pressure on him from the Ravens’ defense, for certain, and hopefully that will translate into points.
A Bold Detroit Lions vs. Baltimore Ravens Prediction
Yes, the Detroit Loins are underdogs, but they’re used to that label. It doesn’t scare them. But, some in the NFL think they can pull off a win.
“Yes, Detroit was sluggish in the opener, but I believe it is much closer to the club that we saw just drop 52 points in Week 2,” notes Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports in a Thursday, September 18 feature. “The Lions are also equipped to attack what has been a beatable Ravens run defense with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. I certainly like the Lions with the points and see them coming out of Week 3 on top.”