ALLEN PARK — The last time the Detroit Lions went into Baltimore, they got run off the field by the Ravens in an absolute blowout from start to finish.
It was the most embarrassing loss since the franchise started to turn the corner in 2022. And they haven’t forgotten that feeling.
Now, that game was two years ago, and both teams have changed in a number of ways. The Lions have two new coordinators and a ton of new faces. Baltimore has a new defensive coordinator and upgraded its backfield by adding Derrick Henry.
And as Lions quarterback Jared Goff said when asked about it, “That game was two years ago, that’s question No. 5.”
“Yeah, they kicked our butt,” Goff said of his memories from that game. “They got after us early and often and, yeah, we certainly remember that.”
That 2023 season was Detroit’s first of two NFC North championships, as they finished 12-5 and made it all the way to the NFC title game.
Heading into Week 7 in Baltimore that year, the Lions were 5-1 with an overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks as their only blemish.
The Ravens were 4-2, getting used to life with their then-first-year offensive coordinator, Todd Monken. Zach Orr has since taken over as defensive coordinator, with Mike Macdonald now serving as coach for the Seahawks, another major change.
Goff said there are some new wrinkles in Baltimore’s defense, but also some new layers to account for, such as the rise of Raven safety Kyle Hamilton.
So, these were not the fully rebuilding Lions in 2023, more of a work in progress on their way to being what they are today.
But is there anything to learn from that 38-6 loss that got away from them in the blink of an eye?
“We had a lot of guys that went out there,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “You don’t forget those because it was — we didn’t give ourselves a chance. By the end of the first quarter, it was — we were in a bad way. I think the environment, the opponent. Most of our guys have seen them up-close, real time. If you didn’t have an idea, you’ve got a really good idea now (of) what you’re going into.
“Which is always good, the experience is good of that. We know it’s going to be a challenge, but I’m telling you, we’re looking forward to it. I mean, these are fun, man. These are as good as it gets.”
The Lions went into halftime in a 28-0 hole. They scored a touchdown — the first of running back Jahmyr Gibbs’ career — in garbage time to avoid the shutout. But other than that, there was nothing positive to take away from that experience.
When Campbell was asked if he thought this was a revenge game, the Lions coach said it’s all about going into Baltimore and giving themselves a chance, unlike last time.
“I want to go to this place and know that we can continue to get better against a really good team, at their place, knowing what kind of team they are and what their identity is,” Campbell said. “Because I know our identity. That’s going to — let’s give ourselves a chance at the end of the day to win this one. That’s the whole point, man. And it’s going to take all three units being on top.”
Goff said the main thing that’s changed for the Lions is that they’ve matured, with another two seasons and two trips to the playoffs under their belts since.
The Ravens got to Goff five times that day, forcing Detroit’s offense into a five-of-16 day on third down. Goff and the offense were forced into a predictable pass-happy day, with the quarterback going 33-of-53 for 284 yards with no scores and one interception. Goff fumbled twice that game, but the Lions happened to recover both of those.
It’s been two years, which is an eternity in the NFL. But it’s the last time the Lions got wiped off the field to that degree, and the Ravens have seemingly only gotten better. So, the questions are worth asking, especially for a team like the Lions, who have made responding to losses like this or in general part of their identity.
“They’re a different team. We’re a different team,” Goff said. “I don’t know if that game speaks much to this game other than maybe it provides a little bit of extra juice for us. But I don’t think there is much other than that to carry over.
“I’ve played these guys a couple of times now. I played them in LA, and I think it was a very similar type of game where they were up on us early. They can do that. With Lamar (Jackson) and the offense they’ve got, they can start out fast and get hot. Our defense, we’re relying on them to play well, and then we’ve got to play well on our part offensively, too.”
Alex Anzalone was part of the defense that day, calling the shots in the middle. The veteran linebacker said the main lesson learned in blowout losses like that is the mentality of playing a team as good as the Ravens are every year.
“I think it’s more that you just understand, when you don’t play a team that frequently, you understand their mentality and their culture, and we learned it the hard way,” Anzalone said.
Jackson threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns in that game, rushing for 36 yards and adding another score on the ground.
When asked if playing quarterbacks Jordan Love and Caleb Williams through the first two weeks helps them prepare for a mobile quarterback, Anzalone laughed and said:
“Nothing really prepares you for Lamar Jackson, to be honest.”