Vikings Must Follow Up With Dominant Showing In Week 10 Vs. Ravens

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Legitimacy and credibility. The Vikings are playing for it when they take the field against the Baltimore Ravens at U.S. Bank Field on Sunday. The Vikings rolled up their sleeves and did their best work during the Kevin O’Connell era when they beat the Detroit Lions on the road in Week 9.

If they are going to make any kind of statement this season, they have to establish consistency. Following up on the win over the Lions by defending their homefield against Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry would tell the rest of the league that the Vikings are going to have full respect every time they take the field in their remaining eight games.

The Ravens appear to have returned to respectability themselves. Due to injuries and shockingly poor play, John Harbaugh’s team lost five of their first six games and buried themselves in the standings. The most important injury was to Jackson, and the offense was stuck in the mud without him. The defense was among the worst in the league as the Ravens gave up 37 points or more in four of their first five games.

However, that unit appears to have come back to life, as the defense has allowed just 13.0 points per game in its last three games.

That has to send a message to O’Connell, quarterback J.J. McCarthy and wide receiver Justin Jefferson. The Ravens have the best safety in the league in Kyle Hamilton. He can play anywhere on the field and cause huge problems with his football instincts.

He is among the team’s leading tacklers with 49 stops and he also has 2 tackles for loss, 2 passes defensed and 1 forced fumble. When Jackson is at his best, he will diagnose what the quarterback is going to do and shut down his plans with authority.

Van Ginkel has game-changing ability

The Vikings have their own version of a game-wrecker in linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. He returned to action from his neck injury against the Lions and he had 3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 1 key hit on Lions quarterback Jared Goff. More than his stats in that game, Van Ginkel was an instant away from making a game-changing play with his ability to read the quarterback and make a flashy interception. He has done that in the past.

Blake Cashman is Van Ginkel’s partner in crime. When the Vikings were spanked by the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8, the Vikings defense was torn apart and was softer than an overripe banana. Cashman took that personally and had an eye-catching 14 tackles against the Lions. He was a man on a mission in that game and must continue it against Jackson and the Ravens.

Slowing down Jackson has to be defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ biggest priority in this game. He tore up the Dolphins defense last Thursday night as he completed 18 of 23 passes for 204 yards with 4 touchdowns and keeping it clean on the interception side of the ledger. Jackson is also a dynamic runner, but he didn’t have to do any of that because Henry ran for 119 yards on 19 carries.

The Vikings are not the Dolphins, so they have a chance to do much better than that pitiful team on the defensive side of the ball.

Continued growth from McCarthy is needed when the Vikings attack on offense. McCarthy made the plays when the game was on the line against a Lions team that had won five straight games against the Vikings and had established some level of dominance in the series.

McCarthy came into the locker room whooping and hollering after the victory, and his teammates roared their approval.

The quarterback completed 14 of 25 passes for 143 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. His game-changing plays were his touchdown passes to Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson, his touchdown run and his game-clinching pass to Jalen Nailor in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.

He must build off that game if the Vikings are going to announce their presence with powerful authority as a legitimate NFC contender this season.



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