Lions vs. Ravens Report Card: Detroit falls on record-breaking kick
By Zach Payne
Coming into this game no one really expected the Detroit Lions to be able to pull off the upset against the Baltimore Ravens.
With just 26 seconds left the Lions had the Ravens on the ropes with a 4th and 19, and a 17-16 lead. Then in the most Detroit ending imaginable, the Ravens converted that play, and Justin Tucker hit an NFL record 66-yard field goal to win the game.
There’s not much to say, the Lions played about as well as they could have defensively, and good enough offensively to give Detroit a chance to win. And they blew it in the most heartbreaking fashion imaginable.
Offense- 3/5 Stars
After lying dormant for the entire first half, the Detroit offense roared to life in the second half scoring 17 points to give the Lions a late lead.
This is personified in Jared Goff, as his play drastically improved in the second half. In the first half, he struggled to pass the ball to anyone, and he was frantic under pressure.
Coming out of the locker room in the second half Goff looked a lot more composed, and he was able to calmly make his reads and complete throws. And the coaching staff helped him by drawing up more plays for:
Best offensive player: D’andre Swift
With all due respect to Jamaal Williams, Swift needs more touches, this dude is as dynamic as they come.
Swift routinely would shake off would-be tacklers and consistently gained extra yards as he was being dragged to the ground.
🙌 @DAndreSwift #BALvsDET | 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/4VXhVzEg6K
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) September 26, 2021
Swift racked up 107 total yards on 21 touches to pair with that score. The formula is simple, when you get Swift the ball in open space, great things happen.
Worst offensive player: T.J Hockenson
We all know how spectacular Hockenson was, but the Ravens completely shut him down. Just a pair of catches for 10 yards, that’s going to happen when you are double-teamed all game.
The interesting thing to track going forward is how Hockenson adjusts, the Ravens certainly won’t be the last team to give him this much attention. He needs to find more ways to get open going forward.