After a tough loss to Baltimore Ravens 38-6 in 2023, Sam LaPorta is now setting the tone to ensure the Detroit Lions don’t repeat the same mistakes.

This Week 3 is about showing the league that Detroit is no longer the team that crumbled two years ago. “I think a lot of guys took a great jump from week one to week two. Starting with the offensive line, they played outstanding last week,” LaPorta said in a recent media conference.

The 24-year-old tight end praised the offensive line and stressed that everyone on the field must block. “We expect everybody to block that’s out there touching the field.” Not only that, LaPorta believes they can exploit the Ravens.

LaPorta points to Week 1 as proof. The Buffalo Bills stormed back late to hand Baltimore a shocking loss, despite Lamar Jackson’s hot start. “That just shows it can be done. And we’ve got the guys to do it,” he said.

Confidence is high, and Detroit sees the blueprint and believe they have the personnel to make it work.

By 2025, the Lions’ offense has transformed. Jared Goff is in peak form, Amon-Ra St. Brown is a top-tier receiver, and rising talent like Isaac TeSlaa is making big plays. With rhythm, depth, and firepower, Detroit is now built to handle Baltimore’s chaos.

Head coach Dan Campbell’s squad has built its identity on resilience, and LaPorta embodies that mindset. “It’s a chance to prove how far we’ve come,” he said. However, LaPorta wants the Lions to be cautious this time.

Sam LaPorta warns Lions teammates not to repeat crucial mistake

After blowing out the Chicago Bears in Week 2, the Motor City team is riding some momentum. However, Lions tight end Sam LaPorta is thinking beyond hype and potential Super Bowl chatter.

“We have to be careful not to repeat the past,” he implied, recalling the last meeting with Baltimore, which ended in a lopsided 38-6 loss. LaPorta’s focus is sharp, he wants his team to handle the Ravens differently this time around.

During his media session on Thursday, he reminded teammates of the trap Detroit fell into back in 2023, when they found themselves down 21 points after running only six offensive plays. While he acknowledges that comebacks are possible, especially against a team that gave up a late lead in Week 1, LaPorta emphasized the importance of a quicker start this time.

“We have to start faster. I don’t want to say that we hit the panic button too early. We definitely were a little frantic, but we know that we’re a great team. We were a good team back then as well,” LaPorta said, as per ESPN.

He added perspective, noting, “A 21-point deficit isn’t the end of the world. You saw the Bills come back from what was it, like, 15 points in 10 minutes the other day against them? Obviously, different year and everything, but it can be done against great teams. We know we can do that if we find ourselves in that position again.”

One practical way to ensure a faster start is keeping Jared Goff upright. In 2023, Baltimore sacked Goff five times and held Detroit to just 5/16 on third down. Fans saw in the 2025 opener that allowing consistent pressure is a losing formula.

However, since that game, Detroit has improved. And LaPorta is doing his part to make sure the Lions’ story ends differently this Monday night.