BOLD PREDICTIONS: Taming The Big Cats

After playing three straight road games (2-1 record), including an international contest in London last Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens (4-2) return home Sunday to face the Detroit Lions (5-1) for an inter-conference battle at M&T Bank Stadium (1 p.m. kickoff).

Under head coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens are 40-22 vs. NFC teams, including a 24-7 mark at The Bank. With QB Lamar Jackson as its starter, Baltimore is 15-1 against the NFC, including a 7-0 mark at home.

The Ravens lead the all-time series vs. Detroit, 5-1, winning four straight contests, including a 19-17 thriller in 2021, when K Justin Tucker made an NFL-record 66-yard FG as time expired to clinch the victory at Ford Field. Under Coach Harbaugh, Baltimore is 4-0 against the Lions. Can they make it 5-0? The Ravens are currently listed as 3-point favorites, the over/under is set at 42.

Bowser Blues

Tony Lombardi

The Lions bring the league’s 3rd best offense and 7th best defense to M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday. On average the Honolulu Blue-clad squad has scored 28 points per game while yielding 18.8. Detroit’s defense is the league’s most stifling run defense and therein lies a problem.

• Lamar Jackson will throw for over 225 yards and 2 scores. Unfortunately, there will be a key turnover in the 4th quarter attributed to Lamar that will be the difference in the game.

• The Lions will throttle the Ravens running attack, holding the hosts to less than 3.5 yards per carry. That will force the Ravens into undesirable 2nd and 3rd down situations enabling Detroit to unleash Aidan Hutchinson who will post 2 ½ sacks on the day. David Ojabo will be shown on the sideline with a stoic look while observing his former Wolverine teammate thinking, “That should be me!” One of Hutchinson’s sacks will be the game’s turning point.

• Kyle Van Noy and Jadeveon Clowney combine for 3 sacks.

• Patrick Queen gets the Ravens only turnover, a pick following a tipped pass by Justin Madubuike.

• Mark Andrews leads the Ravens receivers with 75 yards and a score. OBJ collects the other TD on a fade down the right sideline from 20+ yards out.

The game will be a thriller that ultimately result in a happy ending for the visitors.

Lions 24 Ravens 23

Rob Shields

The Ravens are coming off back-to-back tough rivalry games and a trip from London on top of that. This week they play a team who some think is the best team in the NFC.

The Lions are playing at a high level on both offense and defense. They are a tough offense to slow down, although the injuries they have (especially their RBs, although Gibbs should be back) makes things a little easier.

Prior to last week, all 11 teams returning from overseas without a bye had been tied or trailing at some point in 4Q.

JAX bucked this trend. BUF did not, trailing 6-0 entering the 4th.

So 12/13 such teams have tied/trailed 4Q. Ravens have their work cut out.

— Russell St. Report (@RussellStReport) October 17, 2023

In other words, the Ravens are playing a very good team at a bad time.

On top of that, the Ravens are only 4-9 at home, since 2020, against teams that have made the playoffs in that season.

All of this screams that this is going to be a tough game.

The Ravens should be undefeated. They have clearly been the best team on the field in every game they have played but they have beaten themselves and allowed teams to stay in games instead of blowing them out.

Outside of the Cinci game (and Joe Burrow was hurt), the Ravens haven’t played an offense that could really make them pay for this inconsistent play. Well, they are this week and until the Ravens start showing more consistency, it’s going to be tough to say they are going to beat a very good team, especially coming off the trip they just had.

No Marcus Williams could also affect them this week although Geno Stone is playing lights out.

I’m taking the Lions this week.

Lions 27 Ravens 20

Darin McCann

Well, things are going to get interesting this Sunday as an explosive, efficient Detroit Lions team comes to the Bank for what appears to be a heavyweight battle. Here are a few bold predictions:

• Lamar Jackson has a big game through the air. Detroit has been stingy not he ground this year, ranking first in rush yards allowed per game. But they are a little more vulnerable through the air. Jackson throws for more than 300 yards and two touchdowns.
• Roquan Smith fills the box score — 10 tackles, a sack and a turnover.
• Justin Madubuike finds another sack from a pinched-in pocket.
• Rashod Bateman has a big play! He gets a TD of more than 60 yards.

Lions 20 Ravens 18

Kevin McNelis

This has all the makings of a really good contest. Detroit is one of the better teams in the NFC at the moment, but a road game at The Bank isn’t an enviable situation. The Lions also come into this contest with a few key players banged up, and with David Montgomery expected to be ruled out. Here’s how I think it plays out:

— Both squads are pretty stout defensively. Each team is top 5 in pressures, and Detroit has allowed the fewest rush yards of any team this season. The outcome of the game is going to come down to a big turnover forced late. If it comes from the Lions, it’ll be Aidan Hutchinson on a strip sack. If Baltimore forces the turnover, it’ll be a forced fumble and recovery from Jadeveon Clowney.

— Zay Flowers continues to build confidence and scores another TD this week. Unfortunately for Baltimore, Amon-Ra St. Brown also continues to build on an impressive 2023 campaign, and he counters with a long TD catch of his own.

— Jahmyr Gibbs gets stuffed in the run game, but his availability as a pass-catcher sees him put up 60+ all-purpose yards on the day.

With T-Sizzle in the house to be inducted into the Ring of Honor, I think both sides show off their defensive chops. It’s going to be a rough day for the QBs.

Lions 23 Ravens 20

Brennan Stewart

A tough yet even matchup at M&T Bank this week.

Detroit heads into the game tied for third with most rushing touchdowns scored across six weeks (9), but as of now the team is expected to be without RB1 David Montgomery. This leaves rookie Jahmyr Gibbs and veteran Craig Reynolds to handle the workload, but both have been limited in practice so far this week. Baltimore’s rush defense should have the upper hand here.

But looking at Detroit’s passing game, it’s never looked better in recent years. The Lions are tied for fifth-most passing touchdowns among offenses (11), as is Jared Goff among quarterbacks. Goff’s passer rating has not fallen below 85 so far this season, so I expect there to be an emphasis on the air attack this week. Keep in mind, Baltimore has allowed only four passing touchdowns this season, which ties it for fewest-allowed alongside the Bills, Browns, Rams and Texans. Baltimore is also tied with Buffalo for most sacks this season (24), which should present problems for Goff.

In terms of what Baltimore’s offense will do, the o-line will need to step up big time against Aidan Hutchinson and the rest of Detroit’s talented defensive front. Baltimore’s offense is weaker than its defense, but that’s where the Justin Tucker factor comes into play. In 2021 against Detroit, Tucker set the NFL record for the longest-recorded field goal, making a 66-yarder to seal the game.

Here are some bold predictions:

• Nelson Agholor receiving touchdown, at least 35 yards.
• All of Detroit’s touchdowns will come through the air.
• Hutchinson comes up big with two sacks on Lamar Jackson.
• Baltimore’s defense accounts for at least three sacks.
• Justin Tucker has another clutch fourth quarter field goal to put Baltimore ahead.
• The lead switches between teams in every quarter.

This game is giving off the vibe of when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, but Baltimore’s defense will play a huge factor in keeping the game low-scoring as the offense works out early kinks.

Ravens 24 Lions 21

Jared Pinder

No matter who comes out on top, this has the feeling of a good game of football. The Lions are one of the most well-coached teams in the league. They might not be the most talented team but they don’t make mistakes. It almost seems like the opposite of the Ravens sometimes, where they are talented but constantly make mistakes like fumbles and drops. The Lions don’t make those mistakes so it will be a battle of wills on Sunday.

— Lamar continues his great stretch and tosses for three-plus touchdowns.

— The Lions defense takes advantage of an O-Line still adapting and they pressure Lamar all games leading to some of those mistakes.

— The Ravens defense plays well but a confident Goff gets them for two plus touchdowns

This will be a feisty, nasty game with some scoring, but the mistakes come back to bite the Ravens and they lose.

Lions 27 Ravens 21

Tanner George

This is the type of game that makes the early losses to bad teams sting—a lot.

Returning to the Bank for the first time in nearly a month, the Ravens will look to take down the smoking-hot Detroit Lions (5-1) and advance to an impressive 5-2 start. Harbaugh’s squad is coming off a decent win over a shaky Titans team in London, but it’s clear that the players aren’t satisfied.

In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

The offense has struggled significantly over the last few weeks, starting off with two or three strong drives before pulling a Houdini-caliber vanishing act afterwards. This simply can’t happen against a team as good as the Lions, who have been as consistent as anyone in the league. More importantly, however, the red zone offense is in absolutely dire need of a tune-up if the Ravens have any chance of coming away with a win on Sunday. After starting the year by leading the NFL with an 80% red zone touchdown rate, production inside the 20-yard line has dipped to about a 20% TD rate in recent weeks. Field goals won’t do it against Detroit. In the words of Lamar, the Ravens need to “punch it in!”

Mike McDonald’s stingy defense will be the ones keeping the Ravens in this game. Remember the preseason, where some (including myself) thought the team had a huge hole in the pass rush game? Well, the Ravens have done nothing but put up a league-leading 24 sacks. Look to see Roquan Smith and the defense frustrate Jared Goff and the Lions.

This being said, I just don’t like the Ravens’ prospects of winning on Sunday, and it doesn’t help that they have jet lag working against them…

Lions 24 Ravens 20

Chad Racine

When the NFL schedule came out I doubt many Ravens fans had this game as one expected to be this competitive on paper. Well here we are in Week 7 and the Detroit Lions are one of the hottest teams in football. I give credit to my friend Rob for predicting this the last couple of years. I would just normally shrug it off and laugh at him. The Lions will present problems on both sides of the ball and the Ravens red zone issues make this week’s game quite the challenge.

— Amon-Ra St. Brown is the type of slot receiver that might be a very difficult match-up problem. It would be interesting to see how Mike MacDonald chooses to address him. I think St. Brown will score a touchdown on 5 catches for 60 yards.

— Jared Goff is not the same player this year and when he was first traded to Detroit when it felt like he was shipped there for his career to die. He’s in the MVP conversation for some people and certainly in the top 5 or so. He will pass for 225 yards and one touchdown.

— Justin Madubuike will continue his best Aaron Donald impersonation with another sack bringing his total to 5.5 for an interior defensive lineman.

— Patrick Queen will have an interception.

— Lamar will pass for 200 yards and rush for another 50 with one touchdown pass.

— Odell Beckham Jr. will be the recipient of the only touchdown pass.

— Justin Tucker will remind Detroit of why he’s so dangerous with three field goals including two over 50 yards. Unfortunately he won’t get the game winner this time.

Lions 19 Ravens 16

Chris Schisler

This is a game that should worry the Ravens Flock. The Ravens have been making mental errors and have not been trustworthy with a lead. This is their biggest challenge yet, a red hot Detroit Lions team. The Ravens have a defense that can slow down Detroit. They can make it ugly and give the Baltimore offense a chance to win this game. I think it will be close and one or two of the Ravens usually mistakes will cost them.

I think you’re going to get more of the same from the Ravens. You’ll get a fast start, a slow down and a late game panic attack. Winning this game would make trusting the Ravens a lot easier. This would be a statement. I just don’t see it.

Bold Predictions

— Lamar Jackson has 100 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns in the air.

— Justin Tucker makes a field goal from 59 yards out.

— Justin Madubuike has two sacks.

— Amon Ra St. Brown will have 88 yards and two touchdowns for the Lions.

— Stafford had 300 yards because of a couple of big plays yet nickels and dimes the Ravens for most of the game.

Lions 20 Ravens 17

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