Monday Night Football didn’t disappoint on September 22, 2025—a high-stakes showdown between two teams with big expectations ended with the Detroit Lions pulling off a gritty 38-30 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Here are the highlights, takeaways, and what the losing side needs to fix to get back on track.
Detroit Win – Lose-Tie Coffee Mug
🔥 Game Highlights
- Detroit dominated the run game. David Montgomery torched Baltimore for a career-high 151 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, and Jahmyr Gibbs added another score on the ground. The Lions piled up 224 rushing yards total, wearing down the Ravens’ front.
- Pass rush wrecked Lamar Jackson. Detroit sacked Jackson 7 times, bringing pressure from multiple fronts and generating big plays.
- Jared Goff kept things clean. He managed the offense well: 20 of 28 passing, no turnovers, key completions—and a touchdown to Amon-Ra St. Brown.
- Baltimore made it interesting late. Lamar Jackson threw for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns, Mark Andrews had 91 receiving yards and two scores. But a late fumble by Derrick Henry and failure on the onside kick helped seal the deal for Detroit.
⚠️ What Baltimore Did Wrong
- Turnovers at the worst time. Derrick Henry’s late-game fumble on Baltimore’s side shifted momentum. Mistakes like that hurt a team trying to stay in a shootout.
- Struggled to stop the run. Missing players up front (Nnamdi Madubuike, Kyle Van Noy, etc.) played a role, but giving up nearly 100-yard touchdown drives (two of them, 96 & 98 yards) is inexcusable for a defense that expects to contend. NFL.com+2FOX Sports+2
- Pass protection & situational defense breakdowns. Jackson was under pressure too often. When it mattered—third downs, late in the 4th, critical stops—Baltimore came up short.
💪 What Detroit Got Right
- Balanced offense: grind it on the ground when needed, use the pass to keep things honest.
- Clutch plays in big moments: converting on fourth down, strong red-zone execution.
- Defensive swarming: high pressure, forcing mistakes, making life miserable for opposing QB.
🔍 What Baltimore Needs to Do To Bounce Back
- Fix turnover issues. The big plays are nice, but you lose games when giveaways happen in crunch time.
- Get healthy up front. Personnel in the defensive line and edge rush has to step up. Missed assignments or injuries there expose you to big runs and long drives.
- Improve pass protection. Jackson needs clean pockets—not just to make splash plays, but to manage the clock and protect leads or stay in games.
- Finish strong. Situational football—fourth downs, red-zone defense, recovery on onside-kicks—will decide tight games. They haven’t closed out well so far.
✅ Final Thoughts
This was one of those Monday games that reminds you why you keep watching: high drama, big plays, heart. Detroit proved they’re not just a flash in the pan—they belong in the mix. Baltimore, with all their talent, has to address the little things that become big things late in games.