The Detroit Lions are about to embark on another journey away from home to face with a Super Bowl contender. This time, they're squaring off with the NFC-defiant Baltimore Ravens, who have a 20-4 record against the conference since 2020. Lamar Jackson looks as good as ever, and their defense is, on paper, one of the best in the league.
On the flip side, Detroit is coming off an emphatic win against the Chicago Bears, in which the team thoroughly embarrassed former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson in his debut as head coach of the NFC North rival. While it's "just the Bears," it was a much-needed confidence booster for the Lions on both sides of the field.
Detroit is facing a ton of matchup nightmares against Baltimore in Week 3, but it's nothing they can't handle, ultimately. There are four specific matchups that are worth the watch during primetime on Monday night.
4 matchups to watch for between Lions and Ravens in Week 3
Aidan Hutchinson vs. Ronnie Stanley
Hutchinson finally got on the board in Week 2 with a sack on Caleb Williams against a woeful offensive line performance by the Bears. In Week 3, he's going to be matched up against veteran tackle Ronnie Stanley. Stanley has allowed five total pressures through two games this season, and zero quarterback hits.
Hutchinson can keep taking advantage of a slower pass blocking start from Stanley in this contest, which should force Jackson out of the pocket and allow for other defensive tackles to make a play on him. He's an excellent scrambler, and the secondary has struggled to keep tight against elusive quarterback play, but pressure is ultimately what this Lions defense needs to generate to force bad decisions out of Jackson.
Amon-Ra St. Brown vs. Ravens' safety room
Marlon Humphrey, Malaki Starks, and Kyle Hamilton are all pests. They help to contain receivers like St. Brown, who prefer to get their work done with tight route running and shorter initial gains. St. Brown is coming off the best scoring game of his career with three touchdowns in one contest in Week 2, coupled with 115 total yards receiving.
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Baltimore's safety room is going to have their hands full between St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, Jameson Williams, and Kalif Raymond. St. Brown could definitely leverage the skillset of the rest of the receiver room holstered by Detroit to get work done against this Ravens secondary, but it could be a long night if he's draped by Hamilton (two passes defended through two games).
Tate Ratledge vs. Mike Green
With news that Green will be getting a ton more playing time in Kyle Van Noy's absence during Monday Night Football, a nice rookie battle is now set. Ratledge had a much improved contest against the Bears, with Jared Goff telling reporters after that game that the pass protection from him and Christian Mahogany was some of the best he's had.
Green was an absolute legend in his final season with Marshall, recording 17 sacks prior to getting picked by Baltimore 59th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. He has big shoes to fill, while Ratledge has the chance to prevent a breakout game from the rookie.
Jared Goff vs. Lamar Jackson
Who doesn't love an elite quarterback duel?
Jackson and Goff couldn't be more different as signal callers. Goff is not comfortable running or scrambling, and is much happier to get his passing yards on short gain routes and the occassional deep ball to Williams. Jackson is happy to run from danger in the pocket, and can really kill opposing defenses with his legs. And, he's an excellent passer, to boot.
On the year so far, Jackson is sitting at 434 passing yards, six touchdowns, and zero giveaways. Goff has one interception from his abysmal showing against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1, but he also has six scores and 559 passing yards so far on the year. The two accurate passers will be squaring off against impressive defenses, and should put on quite the show in primetime.