NFL
By: Joey MacDonald
After having 10 days off between games, the Baltimore Ravens played an all-around great football game against the Minnesota Vikings, excelling in all three phases of offense, defense, and even special teams, which made some plays. They went on the road in a challenging environment, forcing three turnovers on defense. At the same time, Lamar Jackson and the offense played a mistake-free game, which ended in a 27-19 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis.
Coming into this game, the Ravens are coming off two consecutive wins against both Chicago and Miami, and have secured their first 3-game winning streak of the season after defeating the Minnesota Vikings 27-19 in Minneapolis. This was a game that the Ravens played flawlessly on the offensive side of the ball, as Lamar Jackson and the offense didn’t make any mistakes. Lamar Jackson didn’t have his typical offensive performance on the day, as he threw for only 176 yards on 17 of 29 attempts. Derrick Henry had his usual day running the ball by rushing for 75 yards on 20 carries. Zay Flowers had another strong game, catching four receptions for 75 yards. And TE Mark Andrews caught the only passing touchdown from Lamar Jackson on a 2-yard touchdown pass in the 4th quarter that turned out to be the score that sealed the Ravens’ win against the Vikings. Even though it was a typical Ravens offensive performance, it counts as a win regardless.
Not only did the Ravens play well, but their defense also played excellent football from start to finish. The Ravens’ defense forced three turnovers in their victory against the Minnesota Vikings, and 2 of them were by intercepting Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy, one by CB Marlon Humphrey, and the other by the 1st round Rookie safety Malaki Starks, who now has two interceptions in consecutive games, as he gotten his 1st interception last game against the Dolphins now has two on the season. One thing the Ravens were able to contain during this game was holding the Vikings’ superstar wide receiver, Justin Jefferson, to only four catches for 37 yards, which is impressive for a pass defense ranked 27th overall. Come into the game; the only way the Ravens can win is by holding down Justin Jefferson and ensuring he doesn’t catch the ball thrown his way. And, doing that against the best wide receiver in the game, that’s a win-win for the defense.
The Minnesota Vikings are a team that is good one week, but then plays poorly the next. After coming off a win against their division rival, the Detroit Lions, they came back down to earth against the Baltimore Ravens. As quarterback JJ McCarthy had a struggling day on the field, as threw two interceptions that did the Minnesota Vikings in their loss to the Ravens. Wide Receiver Jalen Nailor had himself a big day as he went five receptions for 124 yards on a day where Justin Jefferson was shut down by the Ravens’ secondary. He picked up most of the offensive yards for the Vikings. The Vikings made it close in the 4th quarter by cutting the Ravens’ lead to one score, but the Ravens, with one minute left, made the stop to halt the Vikings’ comeback, ultimately falling to 4-5 on the season. Now the Vikings have their divisional rival, the Chicago Bears, coming in for an NFC North matchup in Week 11.
Now the Ravens have won 3 consecutive games after starting their season 1-5. The entire Baltimore Ravens team is getting healthier as the season moves into late November and into December. Plus, with the weather colder and the season getting crunch time, the Ravens continue to play like a team that was the favorite at the beginning of the season to win the AFC North. When looking at their schedule, the Ravens have a great path to win the AFC North for 3rd straight year. However, the Ravens have more ambitious goals than just winning the division; their primary objective is to win a Super Bowl. In Week 11, the Ravens head to Cleveland for an AFC North matchup with their rivals, the Cleveland Browns, at 4:25 pm.
