Vikings-Ravens preview: Can Minnesota’s revived defense slow Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry?
The Vikings (4-4) return home for the first of two straight at U.S. Bank Stadium after their 27-24 upset of the Lions last Sunday. They’ll head into this one full of energy, and they’ll face a 3-5 Ravens team that’s currently out of the AFC playoff field after going 12-5 a year ago. But Baltimore has won two in a row and got Lamar Jackson back from a hamstring injury last week. “He’s essentially an MVP candidate, year after year after year,” defensive coordinator Brian Flores said of the quarterback who will be playing at U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time.
Here’s a look at the keys to Sunday’s game between the Vikings and Ravens:
Vikings have a chance to get above .500: After losing at home to the Eagles out of the bye and falling 37-10 to the Chargers on a Thursday night, the Vikings went to Detroit as 8½-point underdogs last week. Their first win at Ford Field since 2020 restored some hope to their season, and with a victory Sunday, they’d have a winning record for the first time since their Oct. 5 win over the Browns in London. “Once we hit the plane [in Detroit], it was, ‘Flush it; we got to move on,’” quarterback J.J. McCarthy said. “Because that’s one thing that I took from going from Week 1 to Week 2. For me personally, obviously, it was a big, emotional win [in Chicago]. But you have to turn that page.”
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Vikings offense vs. Ravens defense
Hamilton the catalyst for elite secondary: The Vikings passed on a chance to draft Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton with the 12th pick in 2022, moving back 20 spots in the first round in a deal with Detroit and selecting Georgia safety Lewis Cine with the 32nd pick. Hamilton instead went to Baltimore at No. 14, and has become one of the best safeties in the league, playing strong safety in the Ravens’ base packages and shifting into the slot when they are in nickel. The Ravens took Georgia safety Malaki Starks (another possible Vikings candidate) with their first-round pick this year, and added former Chargers safety Alohi Gilman for their nickel package. “They make the trade for a really talented guy in Gilman, which allows Kyle Hamilton to then play pretty much predominantly the nickel spot,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “They’re playing a lot of nickel defense to basically every grouping. And then that also allows [Marlon] Humphrey to stay where he’s incredibly impactful, at the outside corner spot. They have maybe the best combination of corners in the NFL, and when you throw Hamilton in there as the nickel, it’s an incredible challenge. We feel great about our skill guys, but we’ve got to show up ready for a tough task.”
Ravens blitz plenty, but haven’t gotten home much: Defensive coordinator Zach Orr, who was promoted from inside linebackers coach once Mike Macdonald became the Seahawks’ head coach, leads a team with the NFL’s ninth-highest blitz rate at 25.6%. But the Ravens have pressured QBs just 15% of the time, the third-lowest rate in the NFL. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who’s out for the season with a neck injury, is still tied for the team lead with two sacks despite not playing since Week 2. The Vikings have given up at least two sacks in every game this season; they have a good chance to keep McCarthy clean Sunday.
Vikings defensive coordinator Brain Flores directs his group’s practice on Thursday at TCO Performance Center in Eagan. (Elizabeth Flores/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Vikings defense vs. Ravens offense
After strong day vs. Lions, run defense gets Jackson, Henry: After giving up 207 rushing yards to the Chargers, the Vikings corralled one of the NFL’s best run games in Detroit, holding the Lions to just 65 yards on the ground. Now, they’ll face Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, with 300-pound fullback Patrick Ricard blocking for both of them. The Ravens have the NFL’s sixth-best ground game, and will try to bully the Vikings’ defensive front behind an offensive line with former first-round pick Tyler Linderbaum at center and former Gophers guard Daniel Faalele to his right.
Flowers the top target among diverse receiving group: The Ravens drafted Zay Flowers 22nd overall in 2023, one pick before the Vikings selected Jordan Addison. Had Baltimore not taken Flowers, it’s possible he would’ve been the Vikings’ pick at No. 23. As it is, he’ll play multiple receiver spots for the Ravens, lining up in the slot and splitting out wide on either side of the line. The Vikings will have to be aware of his presence, while dealing with former Gophers receiver Rashod Bateman and a pair of well-seasoned targets: 30-year-old tight end Mark Andrews and five-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins, who’s averaged 19.2 yards on 10 receptions at age 33.
