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The first time the Ravens saw the run concept that would ruin their Monday night, they had an answer for the Detroit Lions.

The play was “duo,” a downhill run scheme often described as power without a puller. Duo usually calls for two double teams at the point of attack, with the blockers climbing to the defense’s second level. The running back waits for his blocks, reads the track of the middle linebacker and hits a hole. Duo is unglamorous, smashmouth football.

And early in the first quarter Monday, the Ravens stopped it. Outside linebacker Odafe Oweh shed a block from Lions tight end Brock Wright along the line of scrimmage, squared up running back Jahmyr Gibbs in the backfield and corralled him for a 3-yard loss.

But by the end of the Ravens’ 38-30 loss, Detroit had all but run them off the field with the concept. According to Sports Info Solutions, the Lions finished with 165 rushing yards (11 per carry) on duo schemes, by far the most any defense has allowed in a game since at least 2019. Running back David Montgomery’s 72-yard run and 31-yard score both came on duo calls, and both were longer than any Detroit duo run over the previous six seasons.

“We just need to get better,” Ravens defensive lineman John Jenkins said. “We put a lot of work day-in and day-out. We’re both professional teams, so we just need to get to the lab and figure this out.”

The Ravens entered the season as unlikely candidates for a downhill pummeling. In 2024, when their run defense ranked among the NFL’s best, they allowed just 58 yards (3.4 per carry) on 17 duo runs, finishing with more tackles for loss (three) than first downs allowed (two).

But cracks started to show in Week 2. The Cleveland Browns had five duo runs for 47 yards and three first downs. A 31-yard carry by rookie running back Quinshon Judkins accounted for most of the yardage, however, and it came late in the Ravens’ blowout win, after inside linebacker Roquan Smith had headed to the bench.

The Lions arrived in Baltimore having only dabbled in duo: one carry for 3 yards against the Green Bay Packers, another for 5 yards against the Chicago Bears. But as Detroit’s snap count on offense ticked up Monday with each long drive, the Lions started chipping away at a Ravens front missing defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike and outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy. Despite Oweh’s early tackle for loss, they entered halftime with four carries for 19 yards on duo runs, packaged with a mix of formations and personnel.

In the third quarter, Detroit dared the Ravens to stop the run. The Lions picked up 9 yards and 2 yards (and a first down) on duo concepts on their first touchdown drive of the second half. They picked up 11 yards, 72 yards, 5 yards and 2 yards on their next touchdown drive. Their production slowed somewhat in the fourth quarter, with just 14 yards on their first four duo runs. Then Montgomery broke free on his late put-away score, another unexpectedly explosive run for a more conservative run call.

The Ravens’ struggles were widespread. Defensive lineman Travis Jones, one of the NFL’s most double-teamed nose tackles, struggled to hold up inside, seemingly limited by a lower-body injury. Their outside linebackers couldn’t defeat blocks by tight ends. Smith, coming off one of the best run-stopping performances of his career against Cleveland, was slow to fill gaps inside and unable to slip blocks. Rookie safety Malaki Starks missed an open-field tackle on Montgomery’s 72-yarder, and cornerback Marlon Humphrey missed on Montgomery’s 31-yarder.

“The biggest problem was, we didn’t play good run defense,” coach John Harbaugh said after the Ravens allowed 224 rushing yards overall, the third most in franchise history. “We didn’t do it, and that’s not going to be good enough. There’s nobody in that locker room that thinks that’s good enough. That’s disappointing. That’s bad run defense, and that’s not who we are. It cannot be who we are. It’s not going to be good enough. It’s not going to be acceptable, and it’s got to be better.”

One of the final indignities came on a drop-back. With Detroit going for it on fourth-and-2 with 1:56 remaining and a 31-24 lead, the Ravens steeled themselves for another inside run. And indeed, the Lions blocked for a duo concept up front — but quarterback Jared Goff never gave the ball to Montgomery. Instead, he faked an under-center handoff, dropped back and floated a pass to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 20-yard gain to the Ravens’ 31.

One play later, Montgomery scored on — what else? — duo.

Protection problems

Jackson was sacked seven times Monday, tying a career high. Afterward, Harbaugh didn’t have an easy explanation for the Ravens’ troubles.

“I don’t think you could just put it in one category,” he said. “He made some on-time throws, tried to move around in the pocket and make some plays. They got us on some sacks when you’re trying to throw the ball like that at the end of the game, too.”

According to Pro Football Focus, Jackson was responsible for a pressure on five of the sacks. He was guilty at times of running into trouble, trying to slip past a Lions “spy” who was hovering near the line of scrimmage and waiting for Jackson to take off. Other times, Jackson held on to the ball too long, unwilling to throw it away or settle for a check-down.

But Detroit had a few fast, clean wins up front, too, and without many quick-hitting routes available underneath, Jackson could do only so much.

“Big shout-out for the coverage,” Detroit defensive end Aidan Hutchinson said. “That’s what happens when good coverage marries good rush, is 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.”