Detroit defeats Baltimore: runs and sacks, the Lions' recipe knocks out Jackson

The Lions are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The verdict comes from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, where Detroit defeated the home team 38-30 on Monday night, closing out the third NFL game. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs galloped for a combined 218 yards and four touchdowns, two each. Lamar Jackson's seven sacks thwarted any comeback attempts by Coach Harbaugh's team, which lost the line showdown, football's signature battle of the trenches.

They improve to a 2-1 record, doubling their win over Chicago. This is all the more significant because it was achieved against a top-notch team, and it didn't falter in the final minutes. The offensive line creates gaps for the two extraordinary running backs, the defense hunts down the opposing quarterback, and Aiden Hutchinson and Muhammad make excellent plays. And Jared Goff, besides being his usual masterclass, this time throws precisely to Amon Ra St Brown, his security blanket. Coach Campbell, as usual, pushes hard on fourth down: the gamble pays off.

They also lost at home, after having already fallen in Buffalo. They paid the price for the injury-related absence of Nnamdi Madubuike, their best defender, as well as for the fumbles of Jackson and Henry. Overall, compared to the recent past, they seem less intimidating on both ends of the field. The bright spot is tight end Mark Andrews, with 6 catches, 91 yards, and 2 touchdowns: the decisive mistake of last year's playoffs is now a thing of the past. He's back to being Mr. Reliability.

Detroit's first drive scored seven points thanks to Gibbs's short run. Baltimore responded with a 28-yard run by Henry. The score was 7-7 at the end of the first quarter. A nearly 11-minute Lions drive, starting from two yards out, culminated in Montgomery's run to make it 14-7. Baltimore responded by getting within a yard of the opponent's end zone, but on fourth down, Lamar fumbled. The Ravens tied the game with Jackson's pass to Rashod Bateman. The score was tied at halftime. Brian Branch, abysmal, missed an interception early in the second half, and DJ Reed followed suit on a reckless throw from Henry. Jackson punished the Ravens by feeding Andrews in the end zone to make it 21-14. Detroit responded with Goff's pass to St. Bown, and the score was tied at 21 at the end of the third quarter. Montgomery hits the jackpot: a 72-yard run, Gibbs capitalizes, making it 28-21 early in the fourth quarter. The Ravens close the gap to 24-28, even though Loop's kick appears to have missed the posts for everyone except the officials. Hutchinson forces Henry's fumble, stretching the Lions' lead to 31-24, then Goff completes a fourth-down pass at midfield for St. Brown, and Montgomery seals the game by running into the end zone. Jackson finally closes the gap by setting up Andrews for the final touchdown, but it's too little, too late. The Lions win.