The Baltimore Ravens handed the Detroit Lions what is likely the beatdown of the week, as Lamar Jackson and Co. coasted to a 38-6 victory. This was a one-sided affair from beginning to end, as the Ravens jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead and never looked back.
The Ravens worked primarily through the air on Sunday, and it worked. Lamar Jackson completed 21 of 27 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns, and added 36 yards and another score on the ground. Mark Andrews had a nice National Tight End Day as he caught four passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns.
As for the Lions, their offense was nowhere to be found on Sunday. Jared Goff completed 33 of 53 passes for 284 yards and one interception, while rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs recorded 124 yards from scrimmage and his first career touchdown. Amon-Ra St. Brown was Detroit's leading receiver with 13 receptions for 102 yards.
Here's a look at our biggest takeaways from the clash of division leaders:
Why the Ravens won
This was the breakout game for the Todd Monken offense. Baltimore came out passing the ball as opposed to running, and found great success doing so against this depleted Detroit secondary. The Ravens scored touchdowns on each of their first four possessions, and that was basically a wrap.
The Baltimore defense deserves credit as well, as this unit kept Detroit off the scoreboard until garbage time in the fourth quarter. The Ravens have the most underrated defense in the league, and they put the NFL on notice with this dominant victory.
Why the Lions lost
The Lions entered with just one loss, but they were terrible on both sides of the ball this week. Detroit went three and out on its first three possessions, while the Ravens quickly jumped out to a 28-0 lead. The secondary surrendered a whopping 355 yards of total offense in just the first half.
This is undoubtedly a throwaway game for the Lions, but this kind of performance will have everyone second-guessing where they stand as legitimate contenders.
Turning point
When the Ravens scored their fourth straight touchdown to open the game while the Lions had recorded just 13 total yards, it felt like this contest was virtually over. After jumping out to a 14-0 lead, the Ravens went 92 yards on eight plays -- a possession that was capped by Andrews' first touchdown -- and then 80 yards on six plays for another score after Detroit went three-and-out yet again.
Play of the game
Gus Edwards was the Ravens' leading receiver on Sunday -- and he caught just one pass!
What's next
The Lions return to Detroit next week, where they will host the Las Vegas Raiders on "Monday Night Football." As for the Ravens, they hit the road to take on the Arizona Cardinals.