The Baltimore Ravens’ defensive struggles were obvious on Monday Night Football in Week 3. They lost to the Detroit Lions 38-30, as the defense once again folded after another strong offensive showing.
While in Week 1 the secondary was the lead culprit, and in Week 2 it was the run defense, Week 3 was disastrous in every way imaginable. They failed to record a sack in a game for the first time in 57 contests, could not stop the duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery on the ground, and were thwarted by Jared Goff and Detroit’s passing attack.
The Lions finished with 426 total yards, including 202 passing yards and 224 rushing yards. Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr came into the game without an answer for the NFL’s second-highest scoring offense and failed to make adjustments throughout the matchup.
One player who had a disappointing showing was All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Detroit wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had Humphrey in a blender, beating him for an 18-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. Later, he got him again on a 20-yard catch on a critical fourth down that led to a 31-yard touchdown run by Montgomery, which proved to be the dagger.
Following the game, Humphrey spoke on the Ravens’ early defensive struggles.
“We’re not very good,” Humphrey said. “The organization, the fans, they’ve seen greatness…Anything other than [great] is below the standard. Right now, we got guys who want to compete and get the job done. I feel like we are close, but we have to all come together. We have to finish those third downs. I feel like that was the biggest key for tonight.”
Marlon Humphrey exposed the harsh truth about the Ravens' defense
Detroit was 7-for-14 on third downs, and even when Baltimore did get stops on third down, the Lions were a perfect three-for-three on fourth downs. The Lions offense had the defense’s number all night, and the Ravens could not make that one game-changing stop to tip the scales in their favor.
The Ravens also failed to force a turnover once again. While the unit tallied an interception and fumble recovery that resulted in a score against the Cleveland Browns, they fail to come up clutch against the fiercest of opponents. They could not get a takeaway against the Buffalo Bills in the season opener, and they could not in the back-and-forth matchup in Week 3. In both games, the defense eventually faltered late.
Humphrey is capable of so much more, and so is the rest of the defense. The unit has several stars who have racked up countless accolades throughout their illustrious careers, and even more young, talented players who are just scratching the surface of what they could become. A bounce back needs to occur in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs.