NFL defenses beware: the Lamar Jackson leviathan may have woken up

The Baltimore Ravens already had one of the best defenses in the league but their powerhouse offense clicked into place on Sunday against Detroit

At 4-2 heading into their game against the 5-1 Detroit Lions, the Baltimore Ravens hadn’t fully taken flight. They had the league’s second-best defense but were struggling to put together a consistent offense. Unfortunately for the Lions, Baltimore were clicking on both sides of the ball on Sunday, putting together a 28-0 halftime lead and eventually winning 38-6. With the victory, the AFC North leading Ravens made a case for being potential Super Bowl champions while bringing the Lions back down to earth.

The key to the Ravens’ offense remains Lamar Jackson, who was boosted in the offseason by the arrival of receivers Odell Beckham Jr, Nelson Agholor and first-round pick Zay Flowers. Under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Jackson came out flat-footed in his regular-season debut, going without a passing or rushing touchdown in a Week 1 win over the Houston Texans. He regained his rhythm with a four-touchdown game against the Cleveland Browns in Week 4 but his team had red zone struggles as recently as last week’s win against the Tennessee Titans.