The Baltimore Ravens appear to be waking up from a nightmarish start to the season. The Ravens appeared to be buried when they started the season with five losses in their first six games, but they have responded by winning their most recent two games against the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins. Now they get the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings appeared to be on the road to a disappointing season when they lost consecutive games to the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Chargers and fell to 3-4. They faced a major challenge in their Week 9 meeting with the powerful Detroit Lions at Ford Field, but the Vikings played their best game of the season and earned a 27-24 triumph.
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J.J. McCarthy played a key role in the upset victory over the Lions and he has recovered from the early-season high ankle sprain that caused him to miss five games. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell expects McCarthy to pick up where he left off this week when the Vikings host the Ravens. If the Vikings are going to make a run at a spot in the playoffs, they can't let a home game against the Ravens slip through their grasp.
McCarthy will lead offense to 4 TD drives
Nevertheless, the Ravens are 4-point favorites for the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. They have Lamar Jackson back in the lineup as well as power running back Derrick Henry. These are two of the best players at their positions in the NFL, and they are clearly a dangerous team when healthy. However, the Ravens defense has fallen badly this season, and the Vikings have the weapons to take advantage of the 28th-ranked pass defense in the league.
It begins with McCarthy and he should have a high level of confidence after his winning performance against the Lions in Week 9.
The Vikings are motivated to build a winning record and get back in the NFC playoff structure. McCarthy can spread the ball around to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, tight end T.J. Hockenson and running back Aaron Jones. Those are his primary playmakers, and that does not include Jalen Nailor, who made the game-clinching catch in the win over the Lions.
Additionally, McCarthy has shown he can escape the pass rush and make big plays with his running ability. He scored on a 9-yard TD run in his return against the Lions, and the Vikings have the semblance of a running attack with Jones and Jordan Mason.
So, defending the Vikings appears to be a major challenge for a defense that has struggled so much this season. The first priority will be slowing down the McCarthy to Jefferson combination. Jefferson is among the best receivers in the league and he is motivated to have a huge game. So far he has been functional with 47 receptions for 649 yards and 2 touchdowns, but he has not had a monster game with 125-plus yards and multiple touchdowns. This could turn out to be that game.
Vikings have multiple weapons to attack Ravens defense
Addison's speed and skill allows him to partner with Jefferson in a complementary manner, and Hockenson figures to have McCarthy's attention on key third-down plays and when the Vikings are in the red zone.
Jones left last week's game against the Lions with a shoulder injury, but not before he had 9 carries for 78 yards and 2 receptions for 20 yards. He suffered a sprained A/C joint, but he has a good chance to play against the Ravens.
The versatility of the Vikings offense is likely to cause huge problems for Ravens defensive coordinator Zachary Orr. The Ravens defensive unit has not shown it can slow down a highly functioning offensive unit.
Vikings defense is healthy and Henry will be held to 60 yards
The Vikings will have a major challenge in trying to slow down Jackson and Henry.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores' defense played an impressive game against the Lions, stopping Detroit's dangerous running attack and preventing Amon-Ra St. Brown from torching the secondary. The Vikings had four series against the Lions in which they forced three-and-outs, and another series in which they forced a fumble on the third play of Detroit's possession. That performance bodes well for this game against the Ravens.
Earlier in the year, Blake Cashman, Andrew Van Ginkel and Harrison Smith were all out with injuries. All are healthy again and the trio made multiple key plays against the Lions. Cashman is one of the most dependable tacklers in the league and he had a team-leading 14 tackles against Detroit.
Van Ginkel is capable of creating big plays with his ability to pressure the quarterback and create turnovers. He has only played three games this season, but he has 2.0 sacks, 2 passes defensed and 10 tackles. Smith is like a coach on the field and he excels at diagnosing the upcoming play before the ball is snapped. He has 24 tackles, 3 passes defensed, 1 fumble recovery and 1 tackles for loss.
The Vikings will slow Henry down and keep him from running for more than 60 yards.
