SCORING

Team		1	2	3	4	OT	Total
VISITOR:	Baltimore Ravens	0	10	0	7	0	17
HOME:	Detroit Lions	14	0	7	14	0	35

Scoring Plays

Scoring Plays
Team	Qtr	Time	Play Description (Extra Point) (Drive Info)	Visitor	Home
Lions	1	9:40	K.Jones 14 yd. run (J.Hanson kick) (4-25, 1:59)	0	7
Lions	1	4:40	K.Jones 1 yd. run (J.Hanson kick) (9-61, 3:18)	0	14
Ravens	2	8:14	J.Lewis 15 yd. pass from A.Wright (M.Stover kick) (6-51, 2:57)	7	14
Ravens	2	0:00	M.Stover 46 yd. Field Goal (5-34, 1:18)	10	14
Lions	3	1:35	A.Pinner 1 yd. run (J.Hanson kick) (18-73, 9:38)	10	21
Lions	4	14:55	C.Fitzsimmons 2 yd. pass from J.Harrington (J.Hanson kick) (2-9, 0:22)	10	28
Ravens	4	8:59	T.Heap 6 yd. pass from A.Wright (M.Stover kick) (11-89, 5:56)	17	28
Lions	4	7:05	S.Bryson 77 yd. run (J.Hanson kick) (3-82, 1:54)	17	35

Paid Attendance: 61,201

Game Length: 3:22

Baltimore Ravens vs Detroit Lions 10/9/2005 at Ford Field

Final Individual Statistics

Baltimore Ravens		Detroit Lions

RUSHING ATT YDS AVG LG TD J.Lewis 19 95 5.0 12 0 C.Taylor 9 46 5.1 14 0 A.Wright 2 18 9.0 11 0   Total 30 159 5.3 14 0		RUSHING ATT YDS AVG LG TD S.Bryson 1 77 77.0 77 1 K.Jones 26 58 2.2 14 2 A.Pinner 9 32 3.6 7 1 J.Harrington 1 2 2.0 2 0   Total 37 169 4.6 77 4

PASSING ATT CMP YDS SK/YD TD LG IN RT A.Wright 37 20 230 1/2 2 48 2 68.5   Total 37 20 230 1/2 2 48 2 68.5		PASSING ATT CMP YDS SK/YD TD LG IN RT J.Harrington 23 10 97 1/0 1 18 2 34.1   Total 23 10 97 1/0 1 18 2 34.1

PASS RECEIVING NO YDS AVG LG TD D.Mason 6 65 10.8 21 0 C.Taylor 4 24 6.0 18 0 M.Clayton 3 21 7.0 11 0 T.Heap 2 54 27.0 48 1 J.Lewis 2 17 8.5 15 1 C.Moore 1 23 23.0 23 0 R.Hymes 1 21 21.0 21 0 O.Mughelli 1 5 5.0 5 0   Total 20 230 11.5 48 2		PASS RECEIVING NO YDS AVG LG TD K.Johnson 3 25 8.3 10 0 R.Williams 2 24 12.0 12 0 S.Bryson 1 18 18.0 18 0 P.Smith 1 11 11.0 11 0 S.Vines 1 10 10.0 10 0 M.Williams 1 7 7.0 7 0 C.Fitzsimmons 1 2 2.0 2 1   Total 10 97 9.7 18 1

INTERCEPTIONS NO YDS AVG LG TD T.Suggs 1 38 38.0 38 0 C.McAlister 1 0 0.0 0 0   Total 2 38 19.0 38 0		INTERCEPTIONS NO YDS AVG LG TD D.Bly 2 17 8.5 9 0 T.Lehman 0 4 0.0 4 0   Total 2 21 10.5 9 0

PUNTING NO YDS AVG TB IN20 LG D.Zastudil 4 164 41.0 0 0 53   Total 4 164 41.0 0 0 53		PUNTING NO YDS AVG TB IN20 LG N.Harris 4 185 46.3 0 1 52   Total 4 185 46.3 0 1 52

PUNT RETURNS NO YDS AVG FC LG TD B.Sams 3 24 8.0 0 10 0 [OUT OF BOUNDS] 1 0 0.0 0 0 0   Returns 3 24 8.0 0 10 0		PUNT RETURNS NO YDS AVG FC LG TD R.McQuarters 4 75 18.8 0 49 0   Returns 4 75 18.8 0 49 0

KICKOFF RETURNS NO YDS AVG FC LG TD B.Sams 5 96 19.2 0 28 0 [TOUCHBACK] 1 0 0.0 0 0 0   Returns 5 96 19.2 0 28 0		KICKOFF RETURNS NO YDS AVG FC LG TD R.McQuarters 1 19 19.0 0 19 0 E.Drummond 1 15 15.0 0 15 0 K.Johnson 1 14 14.0 0 14 0   Returns 3 48 16.0 0 19 0

Baltimore Ravens FUMBLES FUM OWN-REC YDS TD FORCED OPP-REC YDS TD OUT-BDS D.Mason 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 O.Mughelli 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Detroit Lions FUMBLES FUM OWN-REC YDS TD FORCED OPP-REC YDS TD OUT-BDS J.Harrington 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 K.Jones 0 1 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 D.Bly 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 E.Holmes 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 C.Redding 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Total 1 1 23 0 2 2 0 0 0

Baltimore Ravens vs Detroit Lions 10/9/2005 at Ford Field

Final Team Statistics

	Visitor Ravens	Home Lions
TOTAL FIRST DOWNS	26	22
By Rushing	10	8
By Passing	12	6
By Penalty	4	8
THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY	3-11-27%	8-14-57%
FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY	1-2-50%	0-0-0%
TOTAL NET YARDS	387	266
Total Offensive Plays (inc. times thrown passing)	68	61
Average gain per offensive play	5.7	4.4
NET YARDS RUSHING	159	169
Total Rushing Plays	30	37
Average gain per rushing play	5.3	4.6
Tackles for a loss-number and yards	4-9	2-5
NET YARDS PASSING	228	97
Times thrown - yards lost attempting to pass	1-2	1-0
Gross yards passing	230	97
PASS ATTEMPTS-COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED	37-20-2	23-10-2
Avg gain per pass play (inc.# thrown passing)	6.0	4.0
KICKOFFS Number-In End Zone-Touchbacks	3-1-0	6-1-1
PUNTS Number and Average	4-41.0	4-46.3
Had Blocked	0	0
FGs - PATs Had Blocked	0-0	0-0
Net Punting Average	22.3	40.3
TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (Not Including Kickoffs)	62	96
No. and Yards Punt Returns	3-24	4-75
No. and Yards Kickoff Returns	5-96	3-48
No. and Yards Interception Returns	2-38	2-21
PENALTIES Number and Yards	21-147	7-46
FUMBLES Number and Lost	2-2	1-0
TOUCHDOWNS	2	5
Rushing	0	4
Passing	2	1
EXTRA POINTS Made-Attempts	2-2	5-5
Kicking Made-Attempts	2-2	5-5
FIELD GOALS Made-Attempts	1-1	0-0
RED ZONE EFFICIENCY	2-4-50%	4-4-100%
GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY	1-3-33%	3-3-100%
SAFETIES	0	0
FINAL SCORE	17	35
TIME OF POSSESSION	29:46	30:14

Baltimore Ravens vs Detroit Lions 10/9/2005 at Ford Field

Ball Possession And Drive Chart

Baltimore Ravens

#	Time Recd	Time Lost	Time Poss	How Ball Obtained	Drive Began	# Play	Yds Gain	Yds Pen	Net Yds	1st Down	Last Scrm	How Given Up
1	13:19	11:39	1:40	Punt	BLT 32	2	0	-5	-5	0	BLT 27	Interception
2	9:40	7:58	1:42	Kickoff	BLT 27	3	5	0	5	0	BLT 32	Punt
3	4:40	1:57	2:43	Kickoff	BLT 34	5	36	0	36	2	DET 35	Fumble
4	14:45	12:40	2:05	Interception	DET 19	4	16	0	16	1	*DET 3	Interception
5	11:11	8:14	2:57	Punt	BLT 49	6	51	0	51	3	*DET 15	Touchdown
6	3:34	1:50	1:44	Interception	BLT 6	3	12	-3	9	0	BLT 15	Punt
7	1:18	0:00	1:18	Punt	BLT 38	5	34	0	34	3	DET 28	Field Goal
8	15:00	11:13	3:47	Kickoff	BLT 30	7	37	0	37	3	DET 33	Punt
9	1:35	0:17	1:18	Kickoff	BLT 20	3	-2	0	-2	0	BLT 18	Punt
10	14:55	8:59	5:56	Kickoff	BLT 11	11	112	-23	89	6	*DET 6	Touchdown
11	7:05	5:52	1:13	Kickoff	BLT 34	6	20	0	20	1	BLT 45	Fumble
12	3:23	0:00	3:23	Punt	BLT 4	14	66	21	87	7	*DET 9	Downs
				(366) Average BLT 30

Detroit Lions

#	Time Recd	Time Lost	Time Poss	How Ball Obtained	Drive Began	# Play	Yds Gain	Yds Pen	Net Yds	1st Down	Last Scrm	How Given Up
1	15:00	13:19	1:41	Kickoff	DET 19	3	7	0	7	0	DET 26	Punt
2	11:39	9:40	1:59	Interception	BLT 25	4	25	0	25	2	*BLT 14	Touchdown
3	7:58	4:40	3:18	Punt	DET 39	9	61	0	61	4	*BLT 1	Touchdown
4	1:57	14:45	2:12	Fumble	DET 30	4	9	15	24	1	BLT 46	Interception
5	12:40	11:11	1:29	Interception	DET 4	3	4	0	4	0	DET 8	Punt
6	8:14	3:34	4:40	Kickoff	DET 19	9	24	15	39	4	BLT 42	Interception
7	1:50	1:18	0:32	Punt	DET 32	3	1	0	1	0	DET 33	Punt
8	11:13	1:35	9:38	Punt	DET 27	18	58	15	73	9	*BLT 1	Touchdown
9	0:17	14:55	0:22	Punt	BLT 9	2	9	0	9	1	*BLT 2	Touchdown
10	8:59	7:05	1:54	Kickoff	DET 18	3	82	0	82	1	DET 23	Touchdown
11	5:52	3:23	2:29	Fumble	DET 40	3	9	0	9	0	DET 49	Punt
				(394) Average DET 36

* inside opponent's 20

Time of Possession by Quarter	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	OT	Total
Visitor  Baltimore Ravens	6:05	8:04	5:05	10:32		29:46
Home  Detroit Lions	8:55	6:56	9:55	4:28		30:14

Kickoff Drive No. - Start Average

Ravens: 6 - BLT 26

Lions: 3 - DET 19

Baltimore Ravens vs Detroit Lions 10/9/2005 at Ford Field

Final Defensive Statistics

Baltimore Ravens	Regular Defensive Plays									Special Teams						Misc
	TKL	AST	COMB	SACK /	YRDS	IN	PD	FF	FR		TKL	AST	FF	FR	BL		TKL	AST	FF	FR
W.Demps	7	1	8	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
R.Lewis	6	2	8	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
A.Thomas	4	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
K.Gregg	2	2	4	0	0	0	1	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
T.Suggs	2	2	4	0	0	1	1	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
B.Scott	1	3	4	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
T.Polley	3	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
E.Reed	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
D.Edwards	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
D.Sanders	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
S.Rolle	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
C.McAlister	1	0	1	0	0	1	1	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
B.Ward	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
A.Franklin	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
D.Carter	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
M.Kemoeatu	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
J.Johnson	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
D.Dinkins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		2	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
C.Taylor	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		2	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
D.Wilcox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
J.Green	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
D.Mason	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		2	0	0	0
K.Vincent	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	0
R.Hymes	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	0
Team Sacks	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
Total	36	12	48	1	0	2	5	0	0		7	0	0	0	0		4	0	0	0

	TKL / TK = Tackle	AST / AS = Assist	COMB = Combined	IN = Interception
	PD = Pass Defense	FF = Forced Fumble	FR = Fumble Recovery	BL = Blocked

Detroit Lions	Regular Defensive Plays									Special Teams						Misc
	TKL	AST	COMB	SACK /	YRDS	IN	PD	FF	FR		TKL	AST	FF	FR	BL		TKL	AST	FF	FR
K.Kennedy	6	2	8	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
E.Holmes	4	4	8	0	0	0	0	1	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
T.Holt	4	4	8	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
K.Edwards	4	2	6	1	2	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
D.Bly	4	1	5	0	0	2	2	1	1		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
B.Bailey	4	1	5	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
T.Lehman	3	1	4	0	0	0	1	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
B.Walker	2	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	0		1	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
A.Goodman	2	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
R.McQuarters	1	1	2	0	0	0	1	0	0		2	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
J.Davis	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
D.Wilkinson	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
M.Bell	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
J.DeVries	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
S.Rogers	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
S.Cody	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
C.Redding	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
C.Fitzsimmons	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		2	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
D.Curry	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
S.Bryson	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
K.Smith	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
J.Harrington	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	0
K.Johnson	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	0
K.Jones	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	1
Total	38	21	59	1	2	2	7	2	2		8	0	0	0	0		2	0	0	1

News: 10/10/05

Kevin Jones beamed a Cheshire grin, smirking like the cat that swallowed the canary -- or, in this instance, the Lion that devoured the Raven.

The Lions should smile. They got away with robbery Sunday afternoon with the game officials driving the getaway car.

The NFL might issue an official apology for this one.

"Let's just say that it's nice that some of the breaks finally went our way," Jones said.

The Lions got a year's worth of breaks in one afternoon against Baltimore, but questionable officiating still can't fully conceal the ugly offensive blemishes.

The Lions remain an anomaly. They scored 35 points against one of the league's premier defenses, yet their execution regresses. They're 2-2, but they're in first place in a division whose inevitable champion is more deserving of a Ford Field date in the Motor City Bowl rather than the NFL playoffs.

And the cheers that greeted Joey Harrington as he jogged off the field were delusional in its intent, providing nothing more than a temporary stay of execution.

Even in victory, Harrington didn't have it, taking another step toward an unceremonious exit out of town. He needed the full protection of the striped shirts. His most effective play was an incomplete pass in the first quarter that the officials somehow justified as a fumble.

Jones innocently picked up the ball and was ready to toss it back to the referee until he heard someone scream from the sidelines "RUN! RUN!" He weaved through a confused Ravens defense for 27 yards to the Baltimore 2.

Replays confirmed the referees' Joey blindness. It's as though they wanted to help a guy when he's down, but all they accomplished was momentarily sprinkle a little illusionary magic dust through Ford Field.

All isn't right even if the scoreboard showed 35 points.

How do you score 35 points yet only throw for 97 yards?

Harrington graded his own performance as average, but he was charitable. There remains little, if any, confidence in his leadership capacity. And his teammates don't even try hiding their anger.

Dré Bly confronted Harrington when the quarterback walked back to the sideline after throwing his second interception in his last three possessions.

Harrington locked his sights on Kevin Johnson down the far sideline but underthrew the ball. Cornerback Chris McAllister intercepted the pass.

Bly got in Harrington's grill, pointing to how Mike Williams was alone down the near sideline. Harrington heatedly pointed right back at Bly.

"That's just the emotion of the moment," Harrington said afterward. "We're all competitors."

Harrington defended his decision, saying that throwing to Johnson was the correct read.

Harrington has become an overprogrammed robot. A backward-leaning coaching philosophy has sapped any creativity that might have survived through four rocky seasons. The best thing for Harrington's career would be a continued slide into the abyss this year, resulting in his inevitable emancipation from this quarterbacking purgatory.

He probably will be a fine NFL quarterback -- just somewhere else.

But back to this game ...

"This was a good win for us," Harrington said. The Ravens "are the kind of team that likes to try and intimidate you, but we didn't let them shake us."

The Ravens unraveled for 21 penalties, one shy of the NFL record. That means that in the Lions' two victories, they've benefited from 37 penalties, proving that they're awfully hard to beat when the opposition averages 18 penalties.

"I know it was ugly," Harrington said, "but it's still a win."

But why then do the Lions still resemble a team bent more toward self-destruction than self-preservation?

Sunday's victory concluded one of the worst weeks of the Matt Millen era -- and that's really saying something.

There was a perfect opportunity for the Lions to maintain a low profile, if only for a blink. The Tigers hired a new manager, barely seconds after they sentenced their previous one to the guillotine. The Pistons opened training camp and the Red Wings returned after an 18-month hiatus.

Yet the Lions tried to steal the top headline with Charles Rogers' drug suspension.

But what's most alarming is that Rogers' abominably stupid and selfish conduct leaves a rolling paper trail back three years that the Lions conveniently ignored for the sake of transparently appeasing fans and selling expensive seats at Ford Field.

A 2-2 record doesn't disguise the likely embarrassment of a franchise now blowing the third overall and second overall selections in successive drafts.

Nobody's demanding brilliance from Harrington, but even scoring 35 points doesn't dismiss concerns regarding basic competence.

RECAP

The Baltimore Ravens lost control and the Detroit Lions took advantage.

Kevin Jones scored two first-quarter touchdowns and Detroit went on to beat Baltimore 35-17 Sunday, helped in part by the Ravens' 21 penalties - one short of the NFL record - and two ejections.

''It was outrageous - and it cost them,'' said Dre' Bly, who had two interceptions and recovered a fumble.

The Lions (2-2) lost their previous game at Tampa Bay when a TD catch by Lions tight end Marcus Pollard was reversed by replay with 13 seconds left, but Jones said the officiating this week didn't make up for that heartbreaking setback.

''They were calling the penalties that were there,'' Jones said.

The Ravens didn't see it that way.

Baltimore (1-3) lost defensive end/linebacker Terrell Suggs and safety B.J. Ward because of ejections late in the third quarter in a game in which officials seemed quick to flag the visitors.

''I think the refs just let their feelings get into it a lot,'' Ravens receiver Derrick Mason said. ''They crossed the line.''

With Detroit's win and Chicago's loss, the Lions are alone atop the NFC North.

''We can't get too excited,'' Bly said.

The Lions never trailed, but turned the game into a rout by outscoring the Ravens 21-7 in the second half.

Detroit's first TD in the third quarter capped an 18-play drive that took 9:38 and included six plays from Baltimore's 1.

Just when the Ravens thought they made a pivotal, goal-line stand on a third-and-goal from the 1, Detroit got a new set of downs because defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for making an obscene gesture to the crowd, referee Mike Carey said.

Three plays later, Artose Pinner had a 1-yard TD run - on a delayed call. The play was reviewed, but the pile of players made it impossible to determine if Pinner scored.

''I still don't think he scored,'' Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said. ''God himself was going to have to come down and tell me he got in the end zone, no one else.''

The Ravens had legitimate reasons to gripe throughout the game, but lost their composure.

''Passion, emotion and intensity are good, but they've always got to be under control,'' Baltimore coach Brian Billick said.

The Ravens were a call away from tying the NFL record for penalties shared by three teams, most recently San Francisco in 1998.

Suggs was ejected by Carey after he was flagged for roughing the passer and argued the call. Suggs' facemask might have made contact with the bill of Carey's cap, but it wasn't clear from television replays.

''He bumped me with malice in his heart and he was gone,'' Carey said.

After Pinner's TD and the ensuing extra point, Ward was ejected for making contact with an official. The contact seemed to be incidental as Ward was trying to separate teammate Ed Reed from Detroit's Casey FitzSimmons after Reed pointed a finger in FitzSimmons' face, apparently upset about a cut block.

''I know I didn't make contact,'' Ward said.

Detroit's Joey Harrington was 10-of-23 for just 97 yards with a TD and two interceptions. Jones had 26 carries for 58 yards and two scores while Shawn Bryson's only carry was a 77-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter that gave the Lions a 35-17 lead.

The Lions lost receiver Roy Williams to a left quadriceps injury, leaving them with just three receivers because Charles Rogers is suspended for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Baltimore's Anthony Wright was 20-of-37 for 230 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Jamal Lewis ran for 95 yards and caught a 15-yard pass for a score.

The offensively challenged Ravens got off to a rough start.

Bly made a play - as promised earlier in the week - when Baltimore tried to get Mason involved. Wright's first throw missed Mason by a few yards and Bly intercepted it at Baltimore's 37, setting up Jones' 14-yard TD that gave Detroit a 7-0 lead.

The Lions appeared to catch their first of many breaks - on a review - later in the first quarter.

Officials ruled Harrington fumbled - when it clearly looked like he was passing - and a review upheld the call, allowing Jones to pick up the ball and advance it 27 yards to the Ravens 2.

''The ball was loose in the quarterback's hands before his hand came forward,'' Carey explained.

Scott's Game Commentary:

Looks like the zebras knew they stole a victory from the honolulu blue and silver last week - that could be one of the reasons Baltimore picked up the second most penalties in NFL histroy - 21. The mental breakdowns of the Ravens coupled with four turnovers helped the Lions reach the .500 mark and with Chicago's loss now find themselves alone in the NFC North. It was more of the same story as last week as the Defense made the big plays and the Offense struggled to score. It took SIX tries from the one yard line to get a touchdown - if it was a touchdown. The injury bug had a field day taking out Eddie Drummond, Roy Williams and Kevin Jones. The Lions were down to their fifth string WR - Scottie Vines! Joey Harrington continued his miserable play and couldn't even break the 100 yard mark. It is quite obvious now that once Garcia can play, Harrington will see the bench. Still, it was nice for once to watch another team self destruct and shoot themselves in the foot. This was a badly needed win for the Lions but until the Lions have a QB that knows how to throw the ball, it will be a struggle all year to stay near .500.

Grades:

Offense: --- C. The Defense and Special Teams setup most of the Lions scoring opportunities as the Offense stuggled once again to get into any rhythm. It was almost comical watching them try and try to get in from the one. Thanks to a generous touchdown call, the Lions took control of the game and never looked back. Shaun Bryson had a 77 yard touchdown run that put the game out of hand. But the cold hard truth is the Offense is going to have to get their act together - far too many times Kevin Jones had a minimal gain up the middle and then there is Joey - how about a 34% passer rating! Still, it was nice to see the offense put touchdowns on the board instead of field goals, which was the case last week in Tampa Bay.

Defense: --- A-. With the exception of the Bears game, the Defense has been the main reason why the Lions are at .500 right now. Dre Bly had two interceptions, one in which he ran out of the endzone to the three yard line (in better terms a mental break down) and with another four turnover effort, the Defense set the tone of the game. Jamal Lewis had some good runs, but for the most part the Defense held check. The pass rush was effective again and if things continue, the Defense should definitely help make up for the Offense's woes.

Special Teams: --- B. After Eddie Drummond went out on the first play of the game, RW McQuarters stepped up and had some great returns - which Drummond has lacked this year. Hanson seems to be kicking the ball better, which is a good sign his hamstring injury is getting better.

Coaching: --- D. I am getting quite tired of the typical "run up the middle" call - far too many times this resulted in one to three yard gains. The only reason Maricucci's staff runs that is to keep Harrington from making a bone headed play. After Baltimore committed two penalties which allowed the Lions to kickoff from the Baltimore 40, Mariciucci elected to kick the ball away instead of going for an onside kick - his excuse was he didn't want Hanson to hurt his leg - sorry Mooch, when you have a chance for a "free" onside kick, you take a stab at it.

Overall: --- B+. The Lions needed a win over Baltimore to erase the bitter memories of getting a game stolen from them last week in Tampa Bay. It was funny how the officiating seemed to favor the Lions for a change. At 2-2 the Lions are in great shape to keep their momentum going. Carolina will be a tough matchup, but they are definitely beatable. The Lions then head to Cleveland to play a bad Browns team. The honolulu blue and silver have a golden opportunity to take advantage of a five beatable teams coming up and at worst should be 6-3. For that to happen, they have to get healthier and the Offense must some how get out of its season long slump.

Click HERE to go back to my LIONS page!!