The Ravens improved to 7-5, beating the Detroit Lions by a score of 44-20 in Week 13. RSR staff react to the win here:
Derek Arnold
Can’t we ever just enjoy a win? A largely dominating performance was overshadowed by the loss of yet another key player, this time CB Jimmy Smith to a season-ending Achilles tear (confirmed by John Harbaugh after the game). Smith had been nursing the injury all year, and finally the tendon just gave out.
Without Smith, the Ravens are still relatively well-manned at corner, but as we saw after his exit, the secondary becomes much more vulnerable. Marlon Humphrey will really need to step up (as he did eventually, after being picked on by Matt Stafford for much of the third quarter). Smith was out, sure, but the Ravens were still thoroughly out-coached at the start of the third quarter, when they had to call a timeout after being caught with nine men on the field. Would Jimmy have made a difference in being surprised the Lions were going hurry-up?
Eric Weddle had a huge day, with a sack-forced fumble (recovered by Willie Henry) and a late pick-six to put the icing on the cake. Give Terrell Suggs credit for speaking up and reviving the defense after they had been gashed to start the second half.
It was great to see some creativity and big plays from the offense. Joe Flacco‘s deep ball to Mike Wallace was his best such throw this season – stepping into it, leading Wallace away from the coverage – and perhaps for about two years. His numbers could have been even better if not for a couple drops. Alex Collins continues to amaze, and I still can’t believe this guy was just sitting there on the street.
Some big tests loom, especially without Jimmy. But it’s hard to complain about the performance we saw today.
Todd Karpovich
— The Ravens could be heating up at the right time for an impressive playoff run.
— The play calling was much more creative and would have been even more efficient if not for several drops by the receivers.
— When Joe Flacco does not turn the ball over, the Ravens will be in every game against any opponent.
— The defense showed some weaknesses in the second half but responded in a big way after a Terrell Suggs pep talk on the sideline.
— All round, it was an encouraging performance.
Ryan Jones
I’ve been one of the biggest critics of the Ravens offense this season. They’ve been lethargic, disinterested and predictable, but that changed against the Lions. Joe Flacco took some shots downfield and Marty Mornhinweg kept his foot on the pedal when the Lions gained some momentum.
Defensively, the Ravens looked like two different teams in the first and second half. But even when they struggled as the Lions mounted a comeback they were able to make enough plays when it counted. The loss of Jimmy Smith is a big one but that’s exactly why the Ravens invested so heavily in their secondary. He’s a tough player to lose, especially with Pittsburgh looming, but the Ravens have the depth to minimize the damage.
Joe Polek
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Before we say “the offense is back,” we need to see it in consecutive games, but man, this was the best offensive game of the year.
The 3rd quarter was not good for the defense, but the other three quarters showed the Ravens have one of the best D’s in the league.
With the best special teams in the NFL, and maybe the best defense in the league, if the offense can play more like this consistently, the Ravens could make their December/January run to the playoffs.
Tyler Lombardi
Their best all-around performance of the year. The shots downfield finally paid off. Both running backs ran hard and effectively.
The defense dominated the Lions offense for the entire first half. There was a noticeable difference, however, once Jimmy Smith left the game. If there was one defensive player the Ravens needed the rest of the way, it was him.
It will be interesting to watch the adjustments this team makes to deal with his loss. They face a huge test next week against the best receiving corps in the league.
