The week’s “Monday Night Football” matchup is a tantalizing one. It features the Detroit Lions visiting the Baltimore Ravens, and it could be a preview of this winter’s Super Bowl.
Both teams are 1-1 and are looking to establish themselves as the class of their respective divisions. Detroit and Baltimore play in arguably the two toughest divisions in the NFL — the Lions have to deal with the revitalized Green Bay Packers and the talented Minnesota Vikings, while Baltimore has to be concerned about the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North.
Job one when playing the Ravens is containing quarterback Lamar Jackson, which is a little bit like trying to carry water in one’s hand. Detroit cornerback Terrion Arnold expanded on why Jackson is such a tough cover in an interview with SportsBoom.
“His best trait is, the guy is just a competitor,” says Arnold in a one-on-one interview.
“With Lamar, anytime he steps on the field, he’s effective. He can literally impact the game in more ways than one.”
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Jackson has raised his game over the past couple of seasons, and last year, he narrowly missed out on winning his third league MVP award. He threw for 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns while posting a 119.67 passer rating, and all three of those figures were new career highs.
In the first two games of 2025, he has registered 434 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, 83 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. At age 28, he’s in the prime of his career, and he’s hungry for his first Vince Lombardi Trophy.
“He can attack you in the air,” Arnold added. “He can attack you on the ground. Even just his decision making, he’s precise. His best attribute is he’s a competitor, like he’s one of those guys when he steps in there, like he’s delivered for blood.”
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens warms up prior to the game against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium on September 14, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by…
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens warms up prior to the game against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium on September 14, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
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Ishika Samant/Getty Images
Jackson and the Ravens likely have more weapons in the passing game this year than ever before. Third-year wide receiver Zay Flowers seems poised to take another step forward in his production, but veteran and potential future Hall of Famer DeAndre Hopkins has given them another option. Hopkins has tallied four catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns in two games.
Tight end Isaiah Likely will again be out for Monday’s game, and tight end Mark Andrews’ production this year has been very scant so far. But Baltimore is also getting big numbers once again from running back Derrick Henry, who has turned 29 carries into 192 yards and two touchdowns to start this season.
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Meanwhile, the Lions recovered from their 14-point loss in Week 1 to the Packers by destroying the Bears 52-21 last weekend. Their offense is humming, but their defense, which made major strides last year, needs plenty of improvement. Jackson is hoping to take advantage of that lackluster Detroit defense.
The last time these two teams faced off was in Week 7 of the 2023 season. In that contest, Jackson completed 21 of 27 pass attempts and finished with 357 passing yards, three touchdown passes, no interceptions and one rushing touchdown in a 38-6 rout.
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