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Lions answer questions about offensive line, pass rush and new coordinators in road win over Ravens

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions have answered any lingering questions about their offensive line, pass rush and new coordinators.

In one of the most impressive wins of the Dan Campbell era, the Lions beat the Baltimore Ravens 38-30 on Monday night with a mix of brute strength, dazzling skill and gutsy coaching.

Detroit's reshaped offensive line, which was put in flux when four-time Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow retired, did not let Jared Goff get sacked for the second straight game and opened huge holes for running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.

“The past two weeks have been fantastic,” Gibbs said. “They’ve really stepped up to the challenge.”

The Lions sacked Lamar Jackson seven times, a week after sacking Chicago's Caleb Williams three times, addressing concerns outside from outside the organization about their ability to affect quarterbacks.

“We know what we’ve got here," Campbell said. “We don’t need anybody telling us what we do or don’t have.”

Detroit doesn't have its offensive and defensive coordinators from last season because Ben Johnson left to lead Chicago and Aaron Glenn became the New York Jets' coach. Their replacements, John Morton and Kelvin Sheppard, have proven they're more than capable or calling plays and devising game plans.

“I thought (Morton's) third downs were probably the best part of everything we did, and everything was great,” Goff said.

The Lions were perfect on fourth down, converting on all three attempts, including one with 2 yards to go from midfield late in the game, when Goff lofted a 20-yard pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown that helped to seal the win.

What’s working

The Lions look like they did on offense last year, when they averaged a league-high 33.1 points per game. They're scoring 34.3 points this season, trailing only Baltimore.

Detroit has gained more than 900 yards and scored 90-plus points in a two-game span for the first time since 1950.

What needs help

Kalif Raymond had a rough day returning punts. He fielded a punt at the 3-yard line, instead of letting the ball go in the end zone, and chose not to catch a punt that bounced to the 4.

Stock up

Al-Quadin Muhammad, a 30-year-old edge rusher, had a career-high 2 1/2 sacks at Baltimore. He was out of the NFL at the beginning of last season.

“I want to thank every player, every coach, everybody that's in this organization because about a year ago, I was home. I was on the couch,” Muhammad said in Detroit's locker room after Campbell gave him a game ball. “When you get an opportunity, you make sure you take advantage of it.”

Muhammad made the most of increased opportunities with Marcus Davenport on injured reserve. The former Miami Hurricane was out of work after Dallas released him on Aug. 28, 2024, until Detroit added him to its practice squad last October.

Stock down

The Ravens looked like they were picking on cornerback Terrion Arnold, who struggled to stay with multiple receivers. Arnold allowed four catches, on six passes thrown to the receiver he was trying to cover, for 61 yards with a touchdown. He was also called for pass interference.

Injuries

Special teams contributor Sione Vaki left the game with a groin injury, and Campbell didn't have an update on his condition.

Key numbers

Campbell is an NFL-best 12-2 in prime time, including a franchise-record four in a row on Monday night, since he became Detroit's coach in 2021.

The Lions have four more night games scheduled: at Kansas City on Oct. 12, hosting Tampa Bay on Oct. 20, at Philadelphia on Nov. 16 and hosting Dallas on Dec. 4.

Next steps

Detroit will prepare to host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Cleveland is coming off a 13-10 win over Green Bay.

“This defense is outstanding in Cleveland,” Campbell said. “We’re going to have our hands full.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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