The Baltimore Ravens hosted the Detroit Lions in Week 7 in what was one of the bigger matchups of the 2023 regular season to date. It was expected to be a measuring stick game for Baltimore, as Detroit entered with a 5-1 record, tied for best in the NFL.
Not only did the Ravens answer the call, they went above and beyond. They pounced on the Lions early and in the blink of an eye, the game was a blowout. Detroit didn’t secure a first down until they were down multiple touchdowns as Baltimore played a near-flawless game on both sides of the ball.
Leading the way offensively in the 38-6 romp was quarterback Lamar Jackson. He completed 21-of-27 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns and zero interceptions. On the ground, he added 36 yards on nine rushes with another score.
“I don’t even think he’s that happy with the game,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “When I see him in the locker room right now, it’s not like he’s all giddy in there. He’s thinking about the plays that he could have had. He’s thinking about the plays he wants to get better at. That’s how all our guys are thinking right now. That’s how they should be thinking.”
It was a truly incredible performance by Jackson, as his 155.8 passer rating was just short of the perfect score of 158.3. But, you couldn’t even tell if he had won or lost based on his reaction after the game.
He was even-keel and composed, happy the Ravens came away with a convincing win over a good team. But, he knows there is plenty of work that remains.
“I believe, when you’re playing regular-season games, you should be OK,” Jackson said. “We’re winning. I’m alright with winning, but still it’s [the] regular season. We made strides for improvement last week [in a 24-16 win over the Titans] and earlier in the season. I believe we did, but it’s just one regular-season game.”
That is the correct mindset to have. Jackson and the Ravens don’t want to get too high after one win and lose focus on the tasks ahead. They are now 5-2 on the season, in first place in the AFC North.
In Week 8, they will be heading on the road to face off against the Arizona Cardinals, who are 1-6 on the season. This is a classic letdown trap game, as the Ravens are coming off the high of beating a 5-1 team to face a rebuilding Cardinals team.
Looking to avoid being upset on Sunday afternoon is exactly why Jackson didn’t show much emotion after such a great performance against the Lions in Week 7.
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