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The Detroit Lions came into Baltimore looking to make a statement against the division-leading Ravens, but instead fell flat and got a stern warning from head coach Dan Campbell after their 38-6 loss.
The Lions trailed by 28 points at halftime and struggled to move the ball against the Ravens’ defense, but the game was well in control by the first quarter as the Ravens built a 14-o lead before the Lions had run 10 offensive plays.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Campbell warned that the team would not have much success going forward with such a slow start.
“I’ll be the first to say, when you go three-and-out your first two series and they gain 14 points, that’s a hard recipe early in the game,” Campbell said, via The Associated Press. “You feel like you get put in a pretty tough spot in both areas.”
Dan Campbell: ‘Hard to Overcome’
The Lions struggled on both sides of the ball against the Ravens, allowing touchdowns on Baltimore’s first four possessions and not registering a first down until they were already trailing 28-0.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson carved up Detroit’s defense, going 21-for-27 for 357 yards with three passing touchdowns. He added another 36 rushing yards with a touchdown on the ground.
After the game, Campbell said his defense was not able to generate pressure on the former MVP.
“Lamar gave us problems,” Campbell said. “The combination of not getting very much pressure and having to cover a long time, we didn’t handle it well.”
Campbell still did strike an optimistic note, pointing out that the Lions have looked strong through most of the season and built a lead in the NFC North. He seemed confident that they would continue to have success if they avoided the mistakes of Sunday.
“It takes every one of us to do it right,” Campbell said. “When we do it, we’re pretty good. When we don’t, it’s hard to overcome some of these things. We’re not that kind of a group.”
Lions Still in Control in NFC North
Despite the blowout loss, the Lions still held control of the division and lost no ground after the Green Bay Packers were upset by the Denver Broncos. The Packers fell to 2-4, tied with the Minnesota Vikings for second place behind the 5-2 Lions.
Quarterback Jared Goff joined Campbell in keeping an optimistic outlook on the season, noting that the Lions were still in better shape than in past years.
“We’ve been through a whole lot worse than this,” Goff said, via The Associated Press. “We got our butts kicked, but this group has had a lot of adversity. This is kind of our first taste of getting kicked in the teeth this year, and we have to respond the right way.”
The Lions were doomed last season by a slow start, losing six of their first seven games before finishing the season on an 8-2 tear but ending just short of the playoffs at 9-8. Sunday’s loss to the Ravens was the first blowout loss for the Lions, whose only other defeat came in overtime against the Seattle Seahawks.
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