Coming off their big win against the Lions, the Minnesota Vikings get an opportunity to gain some momentum with a home matchup against the Ravens. Despite their 3-5 record, the Ravens are not to be taken lightly with a high-powered offense and a defense that seems to be clicking at just the right time. If Minnesota wants to emerge victorious, Kevin O’Connell will have to show up with a solid game plan to contain the Ravens’ offense and continue to move the ball with McCarthy. Here are a few things the team can focus on to pull off its second consecutive upset win.
Tackling
Even in the win against the Lions, there were still some good teaching points for both sides of the ball. You might recall a play in which Jared Goff slipped out of a Jonathan Greenard sack and zipped the ball out to David Montgomery for a quick first down. Tackling has been an issue for this defense most of the season, and it’s shown up as even more of a flaw in the losses. With Lamar Jackson still being the most mobile quarterback in the NFL and Derrick Henry being one of the hardest running backs to bring down on first contact, this defense has their work cut out for them. Still, if they can emphasize tackling and avoid letting up big plays via missed tackles, the defense should be able to pressure Lamar and keep Derrick Henry in check.
Establishing the Run
Another common thread in the Vikings’ wins this season has been the ability to run the ball. Aaron Jones provided an early spark for the offense last week against the Lions, and that allowed J.J. McCarthy to make some big-time plays in the passing game. While he’s entering the game with an injury, Jones seems optimistic that he’ll be back on Sunday, which is a huge boost to the Vikings’ running game. The one-two punch of Jones and Mason is essential to controlling the pace of the game, and while the Ravens defense has been better as of late, they still have vulnerabilities in the run game that the Vikings will need to exploit.
Keeping J.J. McCarthy Upright
J.J. McCarthy made big plays all over the field last week, but he still faced a lot of pressure and was sacked five times on top of that. Although I mentioned that the Ravens offense can hypothetically be contained earlier, there is still a high chance that they put up a lot of points in this matchup. For the Vikings to keep up, they’ll have to protect McCarthy and give him time to make smart decisions down the field. This offensive line is still learning how to play together as a unit due to the numerous injuries they’ve faced throughout the season, but this would be a great time for them to pull together and grind out a victory against a tough defensive line.
