The Ravens notched their third straight preseason win. They had successful returns from quarterback Joe Flacco and outside linebacker Terrell Suggs.
But Saturday's 30-9 home victory over the Detroit Lions couldn't be fully enjoyed because of two injuries.
The season-ending Achilles injury suffered by tight end Benjamin Watson and knee sprain for promising rookie running back Kenneth Dixon put a damper on an otherwise sterling night.
The Ravens dominated the Lions throughout the game despite leaving their first-teamers in for less action. Baltimore pulled away in the second quarter and tacked on more in the second half as players fought for jobs on the 53-man roster.
Flacco went 11-for-16 for 94 yards in his first game since tearing his ACL more than nine months ago. He missed on a couple of deep attempts to free-agent addition Mike Wallace, but hit the veteran wide receiver three other times. Flacco led a 10-play field-goal drive in one of his two first-quarter drives.
In his first game back from a torn Achilles, Suggs stuffed a running play coming to his side to begin the game and the first-team defense held quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Lions' starting offense to six points in the first half.
Go down on the field with the Ravens as they battle the Colts in the third game of the 2016 preseason.
After a 5-11 season last year, the Ravens wanted to get the taste of winning back in their mouths this preseason. They've done just that through three weeks, sending their starters off on a high note before a Week 1 showdown with the Buffalo Bills at M&T Bank Stadium.
Impact Plays
- Flacco connected on two long passes on his first drive, the first for 15 yards to wide receiver Kamar Aiken and the second to Wallace for 20 yards to put the Ravens in range for a 40-yard field goal by kicker Justin Tucker to open the scoring.
- Second-string quarterback Ryan Mallett kept the momentum rolling with three straight scoring drives in the second quarter. He led the Ravens on a field-goal drive on his first possession, connected with wide receiver Jeremy Butler on a beautiful 25-yard pass for the touchdown on his second drive, then plunged into the end zone himself on his third possession, giving the Ravens a 20-3 lead.
- Linebacker Anthony Levine set up Mallett's 1-yard touchdown plunge by picking off Stafford. Levine made an impressive leaping grab in front of former Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin and returned it 20 yards.
- Defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan jumped on Stafford's back after he had gone down, resulting in a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty. That put the Lions in range for a 60-yard field goal by kicker Matt Prater to cut the Ravens' halftime lead to 20-6.
- Rookie outside linebacker Matthew Judon made his presence felt once again as he notched his third sack in three weeks (four if counting two-point conversion stats). After dominating mostly second- and third-team offensive linemen, Judon this time beat starting Detroit right tackle, and 2012 first-round pick, Riley Reiff. Judon's sack/strip kept the momentum going Baltimore's way in the second half.
Standout Performer
LB Anthony Levine
The converted linebacker gets the nod again. He won the Ravens' second game with an interception return on the Colts' two-point conversion, and his interception return early in the third quarter started the rout. Mallett's touchdown throw and 1-yard plunge earns him an honorable mention as well.
On The Horizon
The Ravens will wrap up the preseason in New Orleans Thursday night. Most of the starters will get the night off as the backups competing for the final roster spots will get their chance to prove themselves.
