Lions vs. Ravens: Three must-know storylines for Monday's Week 3 prime-time game

Week 3 ends with a doozy of a matchup.

The upcoming iteration of Monday Night Football features the Lions traveling to face the Ravens in a potential Super Bowl preview.

Both teams are two seasons removed from an appearance in their respective conference's championship game and ended the 2024 campaign with heartbreak in the Divisional Round.

No one doubts either squad's ability to overcome those disappointments for a Super Bowl berth this time around, but the big game is still a long way off.

For now, the Lions and Ravens are both simply looking to inch above .500 for the first time on the young season, set for just their eighth ever matchup against each other.

Three must-know storylines

1) Goff has track record to overcome versus Jackson.

The scales of history point toward both Baltimore and Lamar Jackson in this one. The Ravens are 6-1 all time against the Lions, with Detroit's lone win over the franchise coming 20 years ago and last victory in Baltimore taking place in 1977 against the Colts, per NFL Research. As for Jared Goff and Jackson going head-to-head, the two-time Most Valuable Player is 3-0, with a 134.2 passer rating that isn't far off from doubling Goff's (72.7) in their matchups. It's obviously not all on him, but Jackson' Ravens hold a whopping 73-point differential when he's been under center against Goff. That's not to say Goff won't like his chances anyway. He's scorching hot with five touchdown passes in his last game to bring him to six on the year, tied only with Jackson for most TD passes heading into Week 3. Can he and the Lions finally reverse their fortunes against Jackson and the Ravens as they've done in so many other respects the past couple years?

2) Henry is seeking rebound in difficult matchup.

What a difference a week makes. Derrick Henry looked unstoppable in Baltimore's season opener versus the Bills, gashing Buffalo for multiple long gainers on the way to 169 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 2? Not so much -- Henry had only 23 yards on 11 carries, his fewest rushing and scrimmage yards in any game as a Raven. The Browns front seven that limited him to such a shocking degree is incredibly stout, but the Lions' run defense can be described the same way. Although Detroit did allow 177 rushing yards to the Bears last week, it looked fierce against the Packers while only giving up 46, and since 2023 has allowed the fewest rushing yards per game (94.3). Only one running back (James Cook) has eclipsed 100 rushing yards against the Lions in a game during the span. Henry doesn't need to pass the century mark on the ground to dismiss last week's effort as a blip, but Baltimore would certainly benefit from a large uptick in effectiveness against such a fearsome foe.

3) Lions, Ravens look to prove sustainability.

Week 1 was a gut punch for both teams, albeit for different reasons. The Lions looked toothless against the Packers and came away facing questions about how far the drop-off might be in 2025 after losing two coordinators. The Ravens were in complete control against the Bills, only to blow a late lead, a startling trend for John Harbaugh's squads. Baltimore then went on to eviscerate the Browns while scoring in the 40s for a second straight week, while Detroit put up a 50-burger (52-21) against old friend Ben Johnson and the Bears. Both results must have been a sigh of relief, but such dominance should also be expected from teams of this caliber. Monday night is the real test of who can keep it going versus a fellow Super Bowl contender. How do the Lions look on both sides of the ball against a far tougher opponent? Can the Ravens stand tall if things come down to the wire? Neither of these squads will even think about the panic button if handed a loss to fall to 1-2, but the NFL is hard enough without having to climb out of a hole -- however small it may be.

Lions' Week 3 injury report

Ravens' Week 3 injury report