ExtremeRavens Posted Sunday at 11:40 PM Posted Sunday at 11:40 PM MINNEAPOLIS — Here’s how the Ravens graded out at every position after a 27-19 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in Minneapolis: Quarterback Lamar Jackson completed 17 of 29 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown and finished with a passer rating of 87.7, but he seemed out of sync with his receivers. Maybe it was because he was sacked and hurried frequently, but his game was off-kilter. It didn’t help that the Ravens dropped several passes, some of which would have resulted in first downs. But Jackson did rush nine times for 36 yards and became a complement to running back Derrick Henry in the second half. Jackson’s lone touchdown pass came with just under 11 minutes left in the game, a 2-yard strike to tight end Mark Andrews. Grade: B- Running backs Henry took over in the second half and finished with 75 rushing yards on 20 carries. He dominated the Vikings and wore them down in the second half as he had 11 carries for 42 yards in the last two quarters. At one point, Henry had seven carries on eight plays in the Ravens’ final scoring drive, which resulted in Jackson’s touchdown pass to Andrews. The Ravens need to remember that as Henry goes, so do the Ravens. They also gave the ball to backup Keaton Mitchell for 31 yards on four carries and caught Minnesota crashing down the line of scrimmage a couple of times. It was a nice changeup from the Ravens. Grade: B Offensive line The Ravens pounded the Vikings with this group in the second half, and they got some nice runs by Henry and Mitchell as Baltimore had 152 yards rushing on 36 carries. The Ravens had 321 yards of total offense. They still struggle in pass protection, though. Maybe, just maybe, this was a turning point for the running game, but the Ravens need to get better at run blocking inside the red zone, which was a weakness in the first half. Center Tyler Linderbaum has improved in recent weeks, but the Ravens failed to pick up a lot of blitzes up the gut, which doesn’t help Jackson. Grade: C+ Receivers I ask this question every week: Did they play? Andrews had three catches for 14 yards and a touchdown, but others made minor contributions — except Zay Flowers, who had four catches for 75 yards, which is OK as long as Henry dominates. Few receivers can impact a game like Flowers, and he is just as good on the outside as well as inside. Few receivers can cut and move like Flowers, especially when running at full speed. Grade: C+ Defensive line The Ravens had a sound strategy up front. If they couldn’t get consistent pressure in the middle, they at least got their hands up and knocked down four J.J. McCarthy passes. A lot of his looks were quick throws, but at least they got in his line of sight. Minnesota had 365 yards of total offense, rushing for 120 on 18 carries, but McCarthy did a lot of damage late in the game, rushing five times for 48 yards. The Ravens got strong games from inside players John Jenkins, Travis Jones and C.J. Okoye, who, incidentally, learned how to play the game on YouTube. His progress had been remarkable, but aside for a couple of Minnesota runs, this group has held up well without two injured starters in Nnamdi Madubuike and Broderick Washington. Grade: B+ Linebackers Middle linebacker Roquan Smith finished with six tackles and was all over the field, including putting pressure on McCarthy. That’s a key for this team, which has had problems producing consistent pressure. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy and David Ojabo weren’t major factors with no hurries on the quarterback, but the Ravens did get some consistency from outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones, acquired last week at the trade deadline. Jones finished with no tackles, but did have two hurries, and it has to be a relief for him going from one of the worst teams in Tennessee to playing for a consistent contender like the Ravens. Rookie outside linebacker Mike Green had two tackles and three hurries, but was enough of a factor to make the Vikings offensive tackles move early for false start penalties during the game. Head games are just as much a part of the game as the physical impact. Grade: B Secondary The Ravens have gotten better, but can still look so unorganized. In the first half, they had problems in both run and pass defense. They either shrugged or pointed at each other because the cornerbacks had no clue at times. They did give up some big chunk plays at the end of the game, but they were great plays by the Minnesota receivers. The Ravens got away with mugging the Vikings quite a bit in the game, but if the referees allow it, keep doing it. Safety Kyle Hamilton knocked down two passes at the line of scrimmage, and cornerback Nate Wiggins played a smart game, knowing when to press receiver Justin Jefferson or back off. Wiggins finished with seven tackles. Rookie safety Malaki Starks had an interception and is playing a great center field. Nickel cornerback Marlon Humphrey missed a lot of tackles in the first half, but got better in the second and finished with four. He also had an interception. In both cases, Jefferson didn’t run hard for the ball and failed to even track either Starks or Humphrey after the interception was made. Grade C+ Special teams Rookie kicker Tyler Loop bailed the Ravens out in the first half, converting on field goals of 44, 28 and 30 yards. He also had a 22-yarder in the third quarter before a 56-yard attempt went wide left. The Ravens allowed 102 yards on two kickoff returns but did force two fumbles, which helped turn the momentum in their favor. Jordan Stout had five punts for 49.6 yards, and dropped three inside the 20, but he also shanked one at the beginning of the second quarter. But when a rookie delivers in must-win situations, it’s a good thing — and Loop was just about perfect. The Ravens also forced two fumbles on kickoff returns, one of which led to a Loop field goal in the third. Grade: A- Coaching The Ravens were prepared for the loud noise in the stadium and didn’t get penalized once for a delay of game. They matched up with the Vikings physically on both sides of the line of scrimmage and wore Minnesota down in the second half with a lot of Henry. I hope the Ravens remember how they won, but that has been a problem with this team in the past two postseasons. Offensively, they struggled inside the red zone, especially in the first half, because they couldn’t run the ball. It’s that simple. There is less field and not that much room to operate. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr mixed up his game plan well enough to frustrate McCarthy, or at least get pressure on him. Overall, the Ravens are 4-5 and have won three straight, which most of us expected. Because the AFC North is so weak, they will be in contention until the final game of the regular season. The subpar play at least has made the season interesting. Stay tuned. Grade: B Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. Tyler Loop made four field goals in the Ravens' win over the Vikings on Sunday. (Abbie Parr/AP) View the full article Quote
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