BALTIMORE – The Detroit Lions' defense relentlessly hounded Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson all game Monday night, limiting his playmaking outside the pocket and sacking him seven times to tie the most sacks ever allowed in a single game by a Ravens offense. Detroit hit Jackson another seven times.
Detroit had to replace starting edge rusher Marcus Davenport, who the team put on IR Monday afternoon before the game with a chest injury.
His replacement, Al-Quadin Muhammad, recorded a career-high 2.5 sacks to go along with three quarterback hits and two tackles for loss. He was terrific and now leads Detroit with 3.5 sacks on the season.
Aidan Hutchinson, Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes and Trevor Nowaske also recorded sacks in Detroit's 38-30 win on the road against a really good Baltimore team.
"Very proud," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of the defensive effort from the front seven Monday night. "A number of guys stepped up."
The Lions signed wide receiver Malik Cunningham to their practice squad this week and he played the Jackson role in practice. To say Cunningham had a good day of practice on Wednesday would be a bit of an understatement, per Campbell.
The defense was better Thursday and even better Friday, and Campbell said after Friday's practice he felt pretty good about the front seven's ability to corral Jackson.
"I felt really good about what we were going to be able to do," Campbell said. "The rest is just wait until Monday night to see it in action."
Hutchinson credited the secondary with playing sticky coverage throughout the night to allow the pass rush to get home. He said Monday's contest was a great example of what this defense is capable of when they marry the rush and cover as well as they did in Baltimore.
The Lions now have 11 sacks over the last two weeks. It's the first time they've recorded at least 11 sacks through the first three games of the season since 2010.
KNUCKLES GOES OFF
Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery form arguably the best running back duo in the NFL and Monday was another great example of how on any given gameday either player can go off for Detroit.
Monday in Baltimore, it was Montgomery, who rushed for a career-high 151 yards on just 12 carries for a 12.6-yard average per rush. He ripped off a 72-yarder that led to a touchdown and put the game away in the fourth quarter with a 31-yard touchdown.
"It starts upfront," Montgomery said. "Those guys don't get enough credit. We've got the best group upfront in the league."
Monday was Montgomery's 13th career 100-yard rushing performance and his fifth as a Lion.
Gibbs had 67 yards on the ground and also rushed for two touchdowns. The only other time Detroit has had two players rush for two touchdowns in the same game was in 1936 (Dutch Clark & Ernie Caddel).
FOURTH DOWN TRUST
Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown have spent countless hours on the practice field building up reps and trust.
So when Lions offensive coordinator John Morton dialed up a throw down the field to St. Brown on a critical 4th & 2 play from midfield late in the fourth quarter, Goff had zero reservations letting it fly to St. Brown for a 20-yard completion.
Montgomery iced the game for Detroit with a 31-yard touchdown run on the next play.
"That's one we wanted throughout the game and I was kind of waiting for it to get called," Goff said of the play. "Perfect moment for it. He's open put it up to him."
St. Brown finished with seven receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown.
EXTRA POINTS
- Detroit has topped 900 total net yards and 90 points over their last two games. The only other time they've produced 900-plus net yards and 90-plus points over any two-game span was in 1950.
- Campbell is now 12-2 as head coach of the Lions in primetime games and he's won four straight on Monday Night Football.
