Discussion: Are you more concerned about Ravens’ pass or run game?

The Baltimore Ravens are just two games into their 2025 season, but their offense has already instilled fear in defenses across the league—will the Detroit Lions be one of those teams?

Despite sitting with a 1-1 record, the Ravens have scored 40 and 41 points in their first two games of the year: a shootout loss to the Buffalo Bills and a walloping of the Cleveland Browns. Next on the docket for Baltimore is Detroit. The Lions have an offense also coming off a beatdown, a 52-point stomping of the Chicago Bears. With two offenses capable of blowing up a scoreboard, will we be in line for a barnburner on “Monday Night Football”?

Pressure will undoubtedly be on the Lions’ offense to play at their peak, but the defense will have a significant part to play as well. It will be a difficult task to silence the Ravens’ offense, but containing them is certainly feasible. Yet with a multifaceted offense capable of scoring through the air or on the ground, which aspect of their offense is most threatening to the Lions?

Today’s Question of the Day is:

Are you more concerned about the Baltimore Ravens’ passing game or run game?

My answer: The passing game.

I fully expect the Lions to commit everything to stopping Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson on the ground. As Jeremy pointed out in a previous Question of the Day, contain will likely be prioritized over pressure on Monday night. If the Lions attempt to collapse the pocket, Jackson has the agility to bounce outside and the speed to outrun most players on defense. Keeping him in check, along with stuffing the interior to slow Henry, seems like the go-to choice for Detroit.

However, I keep coming back to their 2023 loss to the Ravens, a one-sided 38-6 trouncing. Jackson, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill combined for 146 rushing yards against the Lions—sure, the latter two running backs are far from Henry’s caliber, but it was still a quieter performance for a run offense that could eclipse 180 yards on a regular basis. The Lions entered that game with a focus on stopping the run, much like they have in 2025. The focus on the run, unfortunately, left a major weakness in the passing game.

The Ravens exploded for 357 passing yards, their most of the 2023 season. I am somewhat fearful that the 2025 Lions could face a similar result on Monday. Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed have been below average in coverage thus far, with PFF grades of 52.4 and 54.2, respectively. Grades do not tell the whole story, but they hint at a lack of lockdown coverage from the Lions thus far. If the Lions are to focus on stopping the run, it will add extra pressure on the secondary to cover for an extra second or two. The Lions will need a standout game from their cornerbacks with a tall task ahead of them.

The Monday night tilt with the Ravens could prove to be Detroit’s toughest challenge this season. No part of that offense will be easy to stop. If the defense cannot hinder Baltimore’s torrid pace, the offense may have to shoulder the load in a shootout.