BALTIMORE – John Harbaugh’s coaching journey and special teams expertise earn respect
Detroit Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp shared his admiration for John Harbaugh, noting his rise from special teams coach to head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
“He’s done an incredible job as a football coach and I would say as a special teams coach and as a head coach,” said Fipp.
Fipp praised Harbaugh’s adaptability, highlighting how he has won with different quarterbacks and defensive schemes over many years.
“He’s done it with a drop-back quarterback. He’s done it with a mobile quarterback. He’s had to adjust and evolve, and adapt his systems throughout the course of his career there,” Fipp said.
Special teams excellence is a hallmark of Harbaugh’s teams.
“His special teams groups are always hard to play against. They’re always long, physical, and very sound,” Fipp said, emphasizing the challenge they present in punt rush, kick coverage, and pressure on returners.
Lions’ special teams and kicking game: progress and challenges
Fipp recognizes the difficulty of long field goals and the importance of consistency. ”
We know 55-yarders aren’t the same as 45. That being said, we expect to go out there and make the kick, so does he,” Fipp said about kicker Jake Bates.
Fipp also expressed disappointment not just in missed kicks but in missed opportunities to capitalize on defensive stops.
“To come out of that whole series without scoring points to me was disappointing,” Fipp said.
Regarding kick returns, Fipp values a balance between explosive plays and avoiding negative returns.
“You do want the explosive plays. You also don’t want the real negative plays, too,” Fipp explained, noting the volatility of the current kick return game.
Player spotlights: Khalif Raymond, Jacob Saylors, and Pat O’Connor
Kalif Raymond‘s competitiveness and resilience stand out.
“He’s a fighter. He doesn’t quit. He keeps competing, and he’s got a chip on his shoulder,” Fipp said, praising Raymond’s journey from a smaller college to NFL success.
Jacob Saylors impressed after joining mid-training camp, contributing to coverage and special teams.
“He’s quick, he’s fast, he’s got some strength, he’s played well in coverage,” Fipp noted about Saylors.
Pat O’Connor brings physicality and versatility, playing multiple special teams phases.
“He’s a man’s man. He does a great job pushing guys and getting vertical,” Fipp said, highlighting O’Connor’s energy and attitude.
Defensive improvements and key player development
Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said the defense showed growth from week one to week two, particularly in pressure and tackling.
“We only got close to the quarterback in Week 1 twice. I hope you guys were pleased with the uptick there and the pressure,” said Sheppard.
Cornerbacks’ run support is crucial as the Lions travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson.
“The identity of your defense, the toughness of your defense, lies in how your DBs, specifically your corners, show up in the run game,” Sheppard said.
Young players like Tyleik Williams are growing into their roles, learning to impact the game within the scheme.
“He’s showing up, and the more it goes, I think he’s going to start to show up more and more on the stat sheet,” Sheppard said.
Sheppard has his hands full as the Ravens have a plethora of weapons, including Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, DeAndre Hopkins, Mark Andrews, and Isaiah Likely, to name a few.
Detroit will need Aidan Hutchinson to step up alongside Al-Quadin Muhammad to get to Jackson to interrupt the explosive passing attack.
“I told you guys in Week 1, Muhammad was slated to get more snaps. He played 47 snaps, and in the last game, he played 70. He was right there in the target range, where we saw him in having a role. He’s done what I saw him do since day one in training camp. He’s come in here with nothing promised to him. He didn’t know if he was making the team. He’s an eight-nine-year vet playing in the preseason. As we move forward, on and on in the season, no matter whose available, if you’re available for the game and you show us you’ve earned the right to be out there and get a role, we’re going to find that role for you. The better you do, the more that role will uptick for you. He’s been phenomenal.”
Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard
Offensive line communication and game planning for noise
Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said he is preparing his side of the ball for loud environments by practicing communication in noise ahead of Monday Night Football.
“You practice in the noise, you make it hard, you make it loud, and I think that helps,” said Morton.
Morton emphasized playing fast and building on foundations laid in previous games.
“We want to do what they’re good at, so they play fast,” Morton said.
Quarterback Jared Goff’s preparation and chemistry with receivers
Morton praised Jared Goff‘s intelligence and communication.
“He just makes my job a lot easier because I want what he wants,” Morton said.
Speaking on the emergence of rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, Morton said, “I’d like to see him use better technique on his release so when he catches the ball, he scores as opposed to doing these one-hand catches. You can’t live every day like that. But he gets better every day.”
Morton also highlighted the chemistry between receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Goff, noting that their routes and timing have developed over the years.
“We ran that play in training camp almost every day,” Morton said.
Looking ahead to Monday Night Football against Baltimore
Morton expressed excitement for the Monday Night Football matchup.
“It’s the biggest stage in the world. And to go watch these players play, man, it’s exciting,” Morton said.
Morton acknowledged the challenge of facing a well-coached, disciplined Ravens defense.
“They’re tough. They tackle. They do a good job. They create turnovers,” Morton said.
History
The MNF matchup will be the eighth time that the Lions and Ravens have faced each other, with Baltimore holding a 6-1 lead all-time.
The lone Lions victory came on Oct. 9, 2005, inside Ford Field, as the Joey Harrington-led Lions defeated the Ravens, led by Deion Sanders, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Terrell Suggs, 35-17.
In recent history, the Lions got boat-raced 38-6 on the road inside M&T Bank Stadium, but they suffered a real heartbreak when former kicker Justin Tucker set an NFL record 66-yard field goal that bounced off the crossbar as time expired inside Ford Field in 2021, falling 19-17.
Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, inside M&T Stadium.