Justin Robertson
Fifteen days ago, the Ravens were staring at a 1-5 record, tied for the worst start in franchise history. Now, they are one of the hottest teams in the league.
Spurred by three takeaways, Baltimore defeated the Vikings, 27-19, on the road in a tough environment on Sunday.
Here's how the Ravens' third straight victory happened:
Turning Point
The Ravens stayed on the takeaway train for the third straight game. After taking a 12-10 lead in the third quarter, safety Keondre Jackson forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff return. Jackson, an undrafted rookie who has excelled on special teams, pried the ball loose and recovered it. Justice Hill scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown six plays later. Hill's score marked 16 unanswered points by Baltimore and gave the Ravens a 19-10 lead.
Top Play
For the second consecutive game, Malaki Starks took the ball away. Midway through the second quarter, Starks picked off Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy on a heave into double coverage on third down for his second career interception. The takeaway set up Tyler Loop's second field goal of the afternoon and helped Baltimore regain momentum after trailing 10-3.
Scoring Summary
Statistical Breakdown
Offensive Stats
Defensive Stats
Team Stats
Stock Watch
Secondary
Facing arguably the top receiving corps in the league, the Ravens' secondary was glued to the Vikings' weapons all day. Minnesota hit on a couple of big plays on its opening drive, but Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey, Alohi Gilman, Chidobe Awuzie, and Starks held Jefferson and Jordan Addison to 72 combined yards on seven receptions. Even though he was targeted 12 times, Jefferson's 37 yards marked his lowest single-game total of the season, and his lowest since Week 12 of last season.
TE Mark Andrews
Andrews has back-to-back games with touchdown catches, this time hauling in a 2-yard pass from Jackson in the fourth quarter to take a commanding 14-point lead. Andrews finished with three catches for 14 yards. The All-Pro tight end is now four yards short of breaking the franchise's all-time receiving record.
Interior Defensive Line
The Ravens received strong play from the interior of their defensive line, which batted down several passes and put pressure on McCarthy up the middle. Travis Jones had two deflections, a sack, and three quarterback hits, and C.J. Okoye and John Jenkins each had one deflection.
Up Next
The Ravens will wrap up their three-game road stretch in Cleveland against the Browns on Nov. 16 at 4:25 p.m.
