The Detroit Lions won the most important game of their season to date on the road against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, with several players stepping up and outperforming their pregame rankings.
The Lions got a Herculean effort from defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad and a game to remember from David Montgomery as they left M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore with a 38–30 win.
Following the game, Pro Football Focus began handing out its grades for the evening, spotlighting a Lions rookie who has recently begun ascending in the rankings.
Ratledge Performs Well in Win Over Ravens
Lions rookie Tate Ratledge came to Detroit as a second-round pick out of Georgia and was immediately thrown from the frying pan into the fire, tasked with replacing departed former Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow.
Ratledge doesn’t play Ragnow’s center position full-time, but he was thrust into the starting lineup with Graham Glasgow moving over from guard to the middle of the Lions’ offense.
Ratledge ranked second-best among the Lions’ five starting offensive linemen against Baltimore, according to Pro Football Focus — just behind starting right tackle Penei Sewell.
The Georgia rookie graded out above 90 and scored significantly higher than fellow guard Christian Mahogany.
Browns D-Line a Stiff Challenge
The Lions’ offensive line will be tested against Mason Graham, Myles Garrett, and the Cleveland Browns this coming Sunday in the Motor City, with Kevin Stefanski’s team coming off a win over the Green Bay Packers.
Cleveland was outgained 230–221 yards against the Packers but only gave up 81 yards on the ground and sacked Jordan Love five times.
The Lions have their work cut out for them against the Browns’ front line, but the improved play of Ratledge and the bookend tackles — Decker and Sewell — should be enough to pave the way for a revitalized David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, who remains one of the NFL’s most electrifying runners.
Detroit is listed as eight-plus point favorites heading into the game, and now the task for coach Dan Campbell will be to remind his team that nothing comes easy in the NFL — especially against a team as well-coached as Cleveland.