Both the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions started the season 0-1, but there was no sense of panic from either side.

These are two teams that feature too much talent on both sides of the ball to let one game unravel an entire season of expectations, and any concern for both teams was quickly forgotten.

After a humbling loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 1, the Lions took it to the Chicago Bears, scoring 52 points with Jared Goff throwing for 334 yards and five touchdowns to finish with a 156.0 quarterback rating.

The Ravens squandered a 15-point lead in a juggernaut battle against the Buffalo Bills, which once again opened up questions about their ability to close out games. They didn’t need to worry about that against the Cleveland Browns, scoring 21 unanswered points to pick up a decisive win.

Both teams have been labelled as Super Bowl contenders, but neither has been able to get to the big game.

To get you set for the game that will be the finale of Week 3, here’s more on Ravens-Lions and the other big storylines to keep an eye on.

Will Ravens continue dominant streak over Lions?

Baltimore will play host to Monday Night Football for the first time since 2021 and the Ravens will don their all-black look for the game.

The Lions, unfortunately, haven’t fared well against the Ravens, with their last win over Baltimore coming in 2005. Baltimore is 6-1 in the all-time series and surely Detroit will want to avoid a repeat of their last matchup.

Baltimore handed Detroit a 38-6 loss back in 2023 in what was a nightmare night for Goff and company. The Lions quarterback was sacked five times in the game, while Lamar Jackson had three touchdowns and also ran one in on his own.

For the Lions, this is a big game for them to show that they remain capable of going toe-to-toe with the best in the league. Sure, scoring 52 points is impressive, but that was against the Bears.

The Ravens’ physicality on defence will make life tough for the Lions’ offence, and Derrick Henry will be looking to rebound from a tough offensive night against the Browns.

Detroit’s offensive line will need to help establish the run against a stingy Ravens defence led by Roquan Smith, who had 15 tackles against Cleveland.

Jackson will look to continue his hot start as he doesn’t have an interception and owns the league’s highest-rated quarterback (136.6), but Goff is within reach with a 125.1. Safe to say both quarterbacks will be ready to show what they can do.

Life without Burrow begins for Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals have been in this position before, and it’s not going to be easy to move forward without Joe Burrow, who had surgery for turf toe.

Sure, the team is 2-0 and found a way to close out a win against the Jacksonville Jaguars without Burrow. However, Jake Browning also threw three interceptions in the game, and that’s not going to be easy to overcome every week.

However, the team has one of the most explosive offensive players in the league with Ja’Marr Chase, and he led the charge in Week 2 with 14 receptions for 165 yards and a touchdown. Safe to say he’ll be a focal point of opposing defences each and every week, but Chase will remain tough to shut down, considering he had 1,708 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns last season.

If the Bengals are going to be able to try to stay afloat without their Pro Bowl quarterback, they’ll need everyone to step up, especially the defence.

Mahomes, Chiefs look to avoid disastrous start

Last season, it felt like the Kansas City Chiefs had all the luck on their side, which led to them reaching the Super Bowl. However, their shortcomings were exposed against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Through two games this season, the Chiefs haven’t looked like a team that’s primed for another run. Starting the season 0-2 has put the team in an unfamiliar position.

History is not on the Chiefs’ side in their quest to return to the playoffs. Only three teams have found a way to win a Super Bowl after starting a season 0-2.

While the start is concerning, the alarm bells shouldn’t be ringing just yet in Kansas City, as they’ve lost by a combined nine points through the first two games.

Fortunately for the Chiefs, the New York Giants are also looking for their first win of the season after a shootout against the Dallas Cowboys that ended in heartbreak.

Kansas City still has the talent on defence to make life difficult for Russell Wilson, who turned back the clock with 450 passing yards and three touchdowns against the Cowboys.

The real test for the Chiefs will be protecting Mahomes against a tough Giants’ pass rush. Considering the lack of a running game, the Chiefs will need to find a way to avoid having their quarterback scrambling for his life.

Chargers look to prove that they’re for real

Game to watch: Los Angeles Rams vs. Philadelphia Eagles – Sunday 8:20 p.m. ET

The last time these two teams went head-to-head, it was for a spot in the NFC Championship Game. Saquon Barkley burned the Rams defence with two big touchdown runs to kickstart the Philadelphia Eagles’ championship run.

It hasn’t been a pretty start to the season for the Eagles, who haven’t seen Barkley break free for big runs, A.J. Brown hasn’t seen a lot of work and Jalen Hurts hasn’t thrown for over 200 yards in a single game and doesn’t have a passing touchdown.

Despite that, the Eagles have found success on the ground, and Los Angeles will need to show it can stop the run, considering how much Philadelphia leans on its offensive line. There’s a reason it is 2-0.

The Rams faced a lot of questions about Matthew Stafford’s health in training camp, and the 37-year-old has 543 yards, three touchdowns and a 107.1 rating so far.

L.A.’s defence is also set to go up against the tush push for the first time this season, and there is an increased spotlight on the play after the NFL admitted to missing out on a penalty on a third-and-1  late in the third quarter. The league admitted that they want the play to be officiated closely, so it’ll be interesting to see if that ends up happening.

Morassutti’s Favourites (All odds courtesy of BetMGM):

Rams @ Eagles — Pick: Rams +3.5: A sluggish Eagles offence will need to rely on their defence to try and slow down Puka Nacua. If Philadelphia isn’t able to generate much through the air, it’ll put a lot of pressure on their defence and running game and that will likely make this a close game.

Cowboys @ Bears — Pick: Cowboys -125

Defensively, the Dallas Cowboys are a mess, and that tends to happen when you trade away an elite pass rusher. However, the Cowbys’ offence had a highly productive performance against the Giants and the Bears allowed 52 points against the Lions. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson is unlikely to play, along with Kyler Gordon, which should be an appetizing matchup for the Cowboys’ receivers and quarterback Dak Prescott. Dallas might not be a championship contender, but they aren’t worse than Chicago on paper.

Jets @ Buccaneers — Pick: Buccaneers -6.5

The Jets are starting Tyrod Taylor at quarterback, and the Buccaneers are allowing just 19.5 points per game so far. It’s tough to bet on the Jets’ offence even with some of the playmakers they have when they looked abysmal against Buffalo when Justin Fields was knocked out.

Full Week 3 schedule (All times ET)

Buffalo Bills 31, Miami Dolphins 21

Sunday, September 21
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. ET
Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET
Cincinnati Bengals at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. ET
Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots, 1 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. ET
New York Jets at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. ET
Las Vegas Raiders at Washington Commanders, 1 p.m. ET
Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET
New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 p.m. ET
Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears, 4:25 p.m. ET
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET
Kansas City Chiefs at New York Giants, 8:20 p.m. ET

Monday, September 22
Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens, 8:15 p.m. ET