The 3-4 Las Vegas Raiders are the Detroit Lions next opponent at Ford Field.
The Detroit Lions were handed a significant dose of humility yesterday afternoon as they were soundly defeated 38-6 by the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. The silver lining is that the Lions still maintain a commanding lead in the NFC North Division with a record of 5-2. They are now shifting their focus to the upcoming game against the 3-4 Las Vegas Raiders, which will take place next Sunday afternoon at their home turf.
The Raiders are coming off a loss to the Bears
Losing to the Chicago Bears is a rare occurrence for teams in 2023, but unfortunately, it was the Raiders’ turn yesterday afternoon at Soldier Field. They were already without quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo thanks to a back injury, and his replacement, Brian Hoyer, struggled with just 129 passing yards and two interceptions. Meanwhile, Jakobi Meyers was the standout in the receiving department, amassing 50 yards on seven receptions, including a touchdown.
Josh Jacobs was the leader of the Vegas ground attack, carrying the ball 11 times for 35 yards, while Robert Spillane led all defenders with a total of eight tackles.
As far as the Las Vegas offense is concerned, they’ve managed to score 13 points or fewer in the first half of each of their games in 2023, while they’ve still yet to score over 20 points in a game. However, their defense has kept them in most games.
The aforementioned Jacobs has been able to manage only 2.9 yards per carry so far this year, and has himself a total of 347 rushing yards on 118 carries in the seven games he’s played. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen which quarterback the Lions will face this Sunday, as Hoyer would find himself being benched for Aidan O’Connell against the Bears.
The Lions were dealt a big loss against the Ravens
Not much of anything went right for the Lions yesterday, who could not “get out of our own way“, according to head coach Dan Campbell. Quarterback Jared Goff went 33-of-53 for 284 yards and an interception, while Jahmyr Gibbs led the ground attack with 11 carries for 68 yards and the lone touchdown of the day.
Additionally, Mohamed Ibrahim was carted off the field in the third quarter with a devastating hip injury that required him to immediately receive surgery at a nearby hospital.
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- The Detroit Lions had their momentum abruptly halted by yesterday’s humbling loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
- The Detroit Lions next opponent is the Las Vegas Raiders, who also suffered a defeat against the Chicago Bears yesterday.
- Despite the setback, the Lions continue to maintain a strong grip on the NFC North Division, boasting a 5-2 record after seven games into the 2023 season.
Bottom Line: The Lions hope to rebound at home
The Lions were not expected to maintain an undefeated record for the entirety of the 2023 season. However, the nature of their loss yesterday was undeniably surprising, especially given their prior success this season.
The disappointment from yesterday’s game can be turned around with a strong performance in front of their home fans at Ford Field this coming Sunday afternoon against the Raiders.
