Quarterback: C+
Lamar Jackson’s second game back in action was less eventful than his debut return last week. It wasn’t his finest statistical showing, as he completed under 60% of his 29 pass attempts
and threw only one touchdown with 176 passing yards. It didn’t help that his pass-catchers dropped a few passes that would have led to more yardage and possibly more points, too. Jackson did scamper for 36 yards on the ground and picked up a key third down conversion in the red zone late in the game. He handled Minnesota’s pass rush pretty well and took only one recorded sack on the day. Jackson and the offense continue to work through some in-game kinks and can do a better job converting third downs consistently (6-of-15) and punting less; the Ravens punted five times in this game after punting six times in Week 9.
Running Back: B
The Ravens finished with 152 rushing yards overall, but the running back trio accounted for 107 of that total via 25 carries. Derrick Henry grinded out 75 yards on 20 carries, adding three catches well. Henry’s longest rush went for 14 yards and he has only one game with a 15+ yard run since Week 3. Keaton Mitchell played the primary backup role again and turned four carries into 31 yards, with a long scamper of 22 yards. Mitchell has clearly usurped Justice Hill in the rushing pecking order behind Henry, but Hill did make the most of his two touches by scoring a one-yard touchdown and gaining 12 receiving yards.
Wide Receiver: C+
Zay Flowers once again led the Ravens in targets (six) and receiving yards (75). He caught only four passes but gained chunk yardage highlighted by a 27-yard reception. Flowers still has not scored a touchdown since the first game of the season but has been consistent with catches and yards. No other wide receiver made a significant imprint as a pass-catcher. Deandre Hopkins caught two passes for 16 yards, and Rashod Bateman caught one of two targets for 10 yards. Bateman has 15 or less receiving yards in all but two games this year, including both of the past matchups with Jackson back under center. He has not been nearly as involved in the passing attack as he was last year, when he had a career-best season.
Tight End: C
The Ravens’ tight end trio were involved frequently, combining for 12 targets total out of Jackson’s 29 pass attempts. Their production across the board was pretty minimal again, though. Charlie Kolar caught one pass for a long gain of 23 yards, but Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews combined for 29 receiving yards despite each seeing five targets. Andrews did catch the lone touchdown pass of the day on a high-point grab in the end zone. Early in the game, though, Andrews and Likely had drops on back-to-back plays that stalled what could have been a touchdown drive and instead ended in a field goal. Pat Ricard was a mixed bag as a blocker again while picking up a key third down conversion on a fullback handoff attempt.
Offensive Line: B-
The Ravens only surrendered one sack and four quarterback hits against Brian Flores’ blitz happy defensive front, which is a commendable feat. Jackson had several passes deflected or batted down at the line of scrimmage, at least one of which ended a drive on third down. The offensive line had a decent run blocking performance but big rushing lanes were hard to come by for Derrick Henry. There are still too many instances of plays getting blown up in the middle of the front.
Defensive Line: B+
Travis Jones had his best game of the season and wreaked some havoc on the defensive front, racking up a sack, tackle for loss, three quarterback hits, and two pass breakups at the line of scrimmage. The rest of the defensive line displayed active hands as well — both C.J. Okoye and John Jenkins each batted down passes themselves. Okoye also had a tackle for loss and Taven Bryant got in the action with a quarterback hit, one of the Ravens’ 12 total as a team. The Vikings were able to find some rushing lanes and both of their running backs averaged over 5.2 yards per carry, though, so the Ravens’ front seven was more effective against the pass than the run.
Edge Rusher: B–
In his debut after being acquired earlier in the week, Dre’Mont Jones had two quarterback hits. He wasn’t able to finish some possible sacks but was active and made an impact. Mike Green had a career-high three quarterback hits and a tackle for loss, too, where he stuffed Aaron Jones in the backfield for a five-yard deficit. Kyle Van Noy was also part of the pass breakup party at the line of scrimmage as well with one of his own. No edge rusher was able to get home and bring J.J. McCarthy to the turf, but they did combine for five of the defense’s 12 quarterback hits. The pressure was an improvement over many games earlier this season. McCarthy was able to escape the pocket and scramble a decent bit (five rushes for 48 yards) and the Vikings had some successful runs towards the edges.
Linebacker: B+
Roquan Smith had another busy performance and continues to round into form since returning from injury a few weeks ago. Smith only had six tackles but recorded a pass breakup and quarterback hit. Although he was flagged twice for pass interference, he snagged an impressive interception in the fourth quarter that was questionably overturned — and it would have iced the game completely if it stood. Teddye Buchanan had six tackles too and five were solo. Trenton Simpson and Jay Higgins IV each had a pair of tackles themselves. The Ravens weren’t stellar against the run but the pass coverage over the middle of the field was solid. Vikings’ tight end T.J. Hockenson had only two catches for eight yards on the day.
Cornerback: B+
It wasn’t a perfect day for the Ravens’ cornerbacks, but they did a good job overall against a young quarterback and were active in coverage. Although he did draw one long pass interference penalty late in the game, the Ravens held Justin Jefferson in check as he caught four passes for 37 yards on 12 targets. It was No. 3 wide receiver Jalen Nailor who actually gave the Ravens trouble, as he caught five passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. Nailor beat Marlon Humphrey in one-on-one coverage for a 61-yard catch on the Vikings’ opening drive and then beat Wiggins in the fourth quarter for a fourth-down touchdown grab. Humphrey, Wiggins, and Chidobe Awuzie all had pass breakups and Humphrey reeled in an interception as well. Awuzie had some nice moments in man coverage and recorded a quarterback hit, too.
Safety: A-
Kyle Hamilton strangely only finished the game with one tackle, despite seemingly being everywhere around the line of scrimmage and disruptive again. Hamilton had two pass breakups and a quarterback hit on J.J. McCarthy early in the game. Alohi Gilman also had a notable pass breakup against Jefferson in the end zone on a pass that would have given the Vikings a crucial touchdown if caught. Malaki Starks snagged an interception for the second straight week and made solid tackles in space, as the rookie continues to come on strong in the middle of the season. Since acquiring Gilman, this three-safety tandem has helped stabilized the Ravens’ defense as a whole and resulted in more impact plays.
Special Teams: A
Across the board, the Ravens had a strong special teams day. Their five kickoff returns between LaJontay Wester, Justice Hill, and Keaton Mitchell combined for 131 yards, good for an average of 26.2. Wester’s lone punt return was taken for 19 yards. Jordan Stout averaged just about 50 yards per punt return on five attempts. Tyler Loop nailed a career-high four field goals and, despite narrowly missing another long 56-yard try, made his extra point try as well — accounting for 13 points total. The Ravens’ kickoff return coverage was also solid and came up with a key forced fumble in the third quarter, courtesy of Keondre Jackson and Trenton Simpson. That led to a touchdown six plays later that put the Ravens up 19-10.
