Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett breaks down the Detroit Lions‘ 19-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and looks at players who helped and hurt their stock Sunday at Ford Field.
Three up
RB D’Andre Swift: The Lions had nothing cooking on offense until they fed Swift the ball early in the third quarter. Swift caught three passes and had two carries on the Lions’ 11-play touchdown drive, including a 2-yard scoring plunge. He is a nightmare for linebackers in the open field and is now on pace for 108 catches this season. It’s never a bad idea to get him the ball.
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LB Derrick Barnes: Barnes wasn’t spectacular in his starting debut. He finished with four tackles and split time with Jalen Reeves-Maybin at the buck linebacker position. But the rookie fourth-round pick was a key part of the defense that held the Ravens to 116 yards rushing. After last week’s debacle at linebacker, the Lions got better play from Barnes, Reeves-Maybin, Alex Anzalone and the entire unit.
OLB Julian Okwara: Okwara had a quiet day statistically, with no tackles and one quarterback hit, but he was part of an effective pass rush. The second-year linebacker just missed two sacks on Lamar Jackson and earned praise from teammate Charles Harris for his play after the game. “He got a motor on him,” Harris said. “That’s just not on gameday, that’s in practice, working out. All of that.”
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Three down
DB Jerry Jacobs: Jacobs was flagged for the game’s costliest penalty, when he ran out of bounds to avoid a block on a first-half punt. Jason Cabinda forced a fumble on the play that Dean Marlowe recovered, but it was all for naught as the Lions had to kick again. The Ravens scored their lone touchdown on the ensuing series, after Jacobs got a consoling talk from special teams coordinator Dave Fipp on the sideline.
LG Jonah Jackson: Jackson has been one of the Lions’ best run blockers this season, but he had a bad series in the second quarter Sunday when he drew a holding penalty that wiped out an 8-yard run and a personal foul in the span of three plays. Jackson is an important part of the Lions’ best unit, but given how small the Lions’ margin for error is, he cannot afford to have those kind of drive-killing slip-ups.
Fourth down offense: The Lions lined up to go for fourth-and-1s twice Sunday, and twice they got backed up by false start penalties. Tight end Darren Fells moved early on a first-quarter play from the Ravens’ 38, when the Lions were just out of field goal range. Penei Sewell jumped later in the first half, when the Lions may or may not have been trying to draw the Ravens offside while still in their own territory. Dan Campbell continues to be aggressive as a head coach, which is good to see. Now his players have to stop committing maddening penalties on those important plays.
Contact Dave Birkett at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
