The Baltimore Ravens were able to come out on top over the Detroit Lions in Week 3, winning 19-17 on a record-breaking 66-yard field goal by kicker Justin Tucker. It was a contest that many expected Baltimore to put away early, but they failed to do so, keeping Detroit in the game. The Lions eventually clawed their way back, even taking the lead with barely any time left on the clock. However, Tucker saved the day for the Ravens, and Baltimore escaped with a victory.
When grading every team’s performance in Week 3, John Breech of CBS Sports gave the Ravens a “B-” for their game against Detroit. When explaining why, Breech talked about how even though Baltimore wasn’t at the top of their game, they were still able to come out with a win.
“Ravens coach John Harbaugh would probably be the first to agree that the Baltimore wasn’t at the top of its game on Sunday, but that didn’t matter, because Justin Tucker was there to save the day. The Ravens kicker drilled a 66-yard field goal on the final play of the game, which won it for Baltimore while also setting an NFL record for longest kick. Tucker’s field goal masked an iffy outing by the Ravens, who saw Marquise Brown drop three passes (including two likely touchdowns). Lamar Jackson also struggled with his accuracy until he hit Sammy Watkins for a 36-yard pass on fourth-and-19 to set up Tucker’s game-winning kick.”
Wide receiver Marquise Brown did struggle with drops, but to say that quarterback Lamar Jackson struggled with accuracy is a stretch. The box score will show that the signal caller completed 16-of-31 passes for 287 yards with one touchdown and one interception, but his performance goes much further than the stat sheet. He was hitting receivers in stride, throwing the ball well, and looked poised for the entire game. It was one of Jackson’s best throwing performances of his career, even though the box score doesn’t say it.
Overall, the Ravens should have probably won by a lot more than they did. However, a win is a win, and although it wasn’t pretty, they still got the job done.