Mike Preston's report card after the Ravens' 44-20 win over the Lions

Quarterback: For the first time this season Joe Flacco finished with a quarterback rating above 100 (105). In 36 attempts, he threw just two poor passes. He moved well in and out of the pocket and threw some sharp passes over the middle. It was his best game of the year. Flacco threw for two touchdowns. Grade: A

Running backs: Alex Collins averaged 5 yards a carry on 15 carries and had some really tough runs up the middle and on cutbacks. He also ran for two touchdowns. Buck Allen had just seven attempts but ran hard in short-yardage situations. Danny Woodhead came in on passing situations but was more of a weapon running draw plays than as a receiver. He was a good decoy and the Ravens got away from a tendency. Grade: B

Receivers: The Ravens dropped a few passes early but got better as the game went on. Mike Wallace led the team with five catches for 116 yards, all in the first half. Flacco got a lot of receivers involved as Jeremy Maclin had four catches and Chris Moore had three. Tight end Ben Watson also had three for 24 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown catch. This group actually acted like it was interested in playing Sunday. Grade: B

Offensive line: The Ravens had good balance on offense because this group dominated up front. The Ravens had 27 runs and 36 passing attempts and they didn't allow a sack. In the first half, Flacco has a lot of time to throw. Flacco was hit just twice during the game. Tackles Ronnie Stanley and Austin Howard were dominant and the Ravens also got push inside. Grade: A

Defensive line: Detroit came into the game with very little running game and the Lions left with just 78 yards rushing on 24 carries. The Ravens controlled the line of scrimmage, especially tackles Michael Pierce and Brandon Williams. Pierce finished with six tackles while end/tackle Carl Davis had three. Willie Henry had two tackles but he has a knack for being around the ball. Grade: B+

Linebackers: Patrick Onwuasor and C.J. Mosley each had six tackles and outside linebacker Terrell Suggs had five tackles. There were several times he slowed Detroit's running game by just running through the tight end and crashing down on the play. The Ravens got nice drops on pass coverage early in the game, but the Lions took advantage by throwing underneath. The Ravens made adjustments in the second half. Grade: B

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Ravens' Javorius Allen (#37), right, is caught by Lions' Jeremiah Ledbetter in the second quarter at M & T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam / Baltimore Sun)

Secondary: The Ravens shut down the Lions in the first half, but rookie cornerback Marlon Humphrey struggled in the final two quarters matching up with receiver Marvin Jones. Fellow cornerback Brandon Carr had a strong performance and so did safety Tony Jefferson. Safety Eric Weddle’s sack was a big play in Sunday's game. In the last couple of games there appears to be less breakdowns on the back end. Grade: C+

Special teams: Sam Koch averaged 41.8 yards on five punts, including a long of 52 yards. He also placed two inside the 20. Justin Tucker is automatic in field goals converting on 38, 46 and 51 yards. The Ravens won the field position game. Detroit's average possession started on its own 23, while the Ravens started on their own 37. Onwuasor continues to be one of the unit’s top performers. Grade: A

Coaching: Despite a short week the Ravens were mentally sharp from the opening quarter. Coordinator Marty Morrnhinweg started to get a little conservative in the third period but opened it back up by midway in the quarter. Detroit never figured out where the Ravens were going to bring the pressure from and had trouble protecting Matthew Stafford. It was a statement game because the Ravens finally beat a Top 10 QB. Grade: A-