Lamar Jackson has often delivered magic on Monday night, but he's not counting on past success as the Ravens prepare to face the Detroit Lions.
Jackson has a 7-2 record in Monday night games he has started, with 22 touchdown passes and no interceptions.
There are other reasons to expect that Jackson will shine against Detroit on Monday night. He has a 24-2 record against teams from the NFC, and when Jackson last faced the Lions in 2023, he sparkled (357 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions) as the Ravens prevailed, 38-6.
However, when those facts are repeated to Jackson, he takes nothing for granted.
"If anything, I try to keep it going if I am playing well," Jackson said. "I don't pay attention to it."
Jackson was asked why he's often been sizzling hot on Monday nights.
"Probably that extra rest day, extra film, getting a good feel about who we're playing against," Jackson said. "Go from there."
Jackson is stoked about the Ravens playing at home on Monday night for the first time since 2021. But he's stoked to play anytime.
"Any given day, I'll be ready," Jackson said. "Whenever I come out of the tunnel, not just Monday night, I'm ready to play."
Jackson continues to put up dazzling statistics as a passer and his penchant for taking care of the football while also attacking the end zone is now unmatched.
"He's smart player. You start with that. He sees the field really well," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "I think he's a disciplined player in the sense that he just doesn't throw the ball blindly into areas. He wants to see what he has. That's what I think; probably, that's the main thing.
"He sees the field well, and he processes the game really well, and so he doesn't get fooled too often. He is not throwing it right into people too often – that's tough. It happens all of the time, but you don't see it happen too often with Lamar. So, [that's] just part of being a really good quarterback."
Dan Campbell Remembers 32-Point Loss to Ravens
Some coaches and players claim not to remember certain defeats, especially from two years ago. But Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell didn't take that approach when asked about losing 38-6 on his last visit to Baltimore.
"You don't forget those," Campbell said via the Lions’ website. "We didn't give ourselves a chance. By the end of the first quarter, we were in a bad way.
"The environment, the opponent, most of our guys have seen them up close, real-time. If you didn't have an idea, you have a real good idea now what you're going into."
Campbell sees similarities between the culture he has developed with the Lions and the Ravens' culture.
"Rugged team, tough, disciplined, really good players," Campbell said. "We respect what they're about. We're looking forward to this, going out to their place on Monday night. This is going to be fun. This is one of those, this is why you do it."
Lions' Wide Receivers Pose Layered Threat
Led by Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, the Lions have one of the most talented wide receiver groups the Ravens will face this season.
St. Brown is coming off a game in which he scored three touchdowns. Only five players in the NFL have more receiving yards than St. Brown's 5,011 since he entered the league in 2021.
Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton still remembers playing against St. Brown during his freshman year at Notre Dame. He was impressed with just how hard St. Brown worked on the field.
"It's his toughness, his motor, blocking, route-running, yards after catch – he goes 100% at it," Hamilton said. "That's not something you can teach. Along with the talent, it makes sense why he's top of the league in all these stat categories. Props to him and the way he plays because I think it's kind of rare at the receiver position to approach the game the way he does."
Williams is one of the league's top speedy big-play threats. He had two catches for 108 yards last week against the Chicago Bears.
"You watch him on film, he just picks up speed as he goes. It seems like he's accelerating all the way up until he catches the ball," Hamilton said.
"It's tough because you have a guy like Amon-Ra who can do damage underneath and then a guy like him who can do damage over the top. They've got good tight ends, good backs. At all three levels, they're affecting the game."
Hamilton Says Nate Wiggins May Be Ravens' Most Talented Defensive Back
Nate Wiggins wasn't on the practice field Thursday due to a groin injury, and the Ravens are hoping they have him against the Lions' talented wide receivers.
Wiggins had a crucial interception against the Cleveland Browns Sunday and surrendered just four catches for 15 yards on nine targets, according to Pro Football Focus.
"I think he's one of the most talented guys, if not the most talented guy, in our DB room," Hamilton said. "I think for him, it's just consistency every week. He has the ability to go shut down guys every single week. He just turned 22 and he's already a great player in this league. I'm just excited for what he does in the future."
Hamilton did get in a playful jab at his teammate, however, about getting stopped short of the end zone on his interception return by an offensive lineman.
