Detroit Lions Jan 8, 2023; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; A Detroit Lions helmet sits on the field during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
By Qwame Skinner on

The Detroit Lions defeated the Baltimore Ravens 38-30 on Monday night, propelling Detroit to its second straight win and sending the Ravens to 1-2 on the season. Jackson has won multiple league MVPs thanks in large part to his ability to elude pressure with his legs.

However, on Monday night, the Ravens’ quarterback was sacked one time in the first half and a whopping six times in the second half.

After the game, Lions’ star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson spoke about what changed for Detroit at the half in how they approached getting to the electric Jackson.

“At first, we were trying … I think we’re running too many games, and he (Jackson) was cutting up those games a little bit that we were running,” Hutchinson said, according to mlive.com. “And I think we kind of went to, ‘Let’s just run straight and let’s go win.’ And that’s what we did.

“Big shoutout for the coverage. That’s what happens when good coverage marries good rush — you get sacks, and that’s the name of the game. Today was that. We didn’t even start out that hot with the sacks; it was something that just kept picking up steam as we went.

“So, I’m really happy and proud of everyone. ‘Quan’ (Muhammad) with 2.5 (sacks), I think. I’m so happy for him and everyone else who had one. But it was a really, really good defensive second half.”

Head coach Dan Campbell made sure to praise defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard for his role in the shift in approach.

“You coach it up; you tweak a couple of things. Shep (Sheppard) and those guys come out Thursday, and it’s better, but we’re still like, ‘Man, this guy’s running around, and we can’t get him contained,” the Lions coach said. “Then, by Friday, you’re pretty good. So, I felt really good about what we were going to be able to do. The rest is just waiting until Monday night to see it in action.

“Those guys were very disciplined; they played off each other. They casted the net. They closed the net. We didn’t have anybody jumping up in the air or ill-advised diving. They all bottled (Jackson) up. They were disciplined. Guys made huge plays, and he had nowhere to go. That’s the key. That takes an enormous amount of discipline for your guys. They did that. Across the board. All of them.”

About Qwame Skinner

Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.

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