This is what the rest of the AFC was afraid of.
The Baltimore Ravens rallied from a slow start on Sunday for a 27-19 win over the Minnesota Vikings. And after a 1-5 start that had many writing them out of the postseason, the Ravens have now won three straight to improve to 4-5.
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A Ravens team widely seen as a preseason Super Bowl favorite is very much back in the playoff picture in a muddy AFC with no clear-cut favorite.
The win doesn’t get Baltimore back on the right side of the playoff picture, where a winning record would be required if the postseason started next week. But the Ravens continue to win with Lamar Jackson back at quarterback following a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games.
And a forgiving upcoming schedule with games against the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets in Weeks 11 and 12 is ripe for the Ravens to continue their ascent back into contention after a disastrous start to the season.
Ravens rally from rough start on offense
Sunday’s win was big for those hopes. And the Ravens had to fight for it. With Jackson back for a second straight week, Baltimore’s offense slogged through the first half without a touchdown and needed a break on a late roughing-the-passer penalty to set up a field goal to get within 10-9 at halftime.
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The Ravens then came up with two big turnovers to take control of the game after halftime. Marlon Humphrey intercepted J.J. McCarthy on the fourth play of the third quarter. The Vikings converted that into a field goal for a 12-10 lead.
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Vikings returner Myles Price then fumbled the ensuing kickoff return, and the Ravens recovered near the red zone. Six plays later, Justice Hill ran for Baltimore’s first touchdown of the day for a 19-10 lead.
A touchdown pass from Jackson to Mark Andrews and successful 2-point conversion on the next Ravens possession put Baltimore in control with a 27-13 lead. And the Ravens held on to secure the win after a late Vikings touchdown cut their lead to one possession.
In the end, it was the kind of win that’s expected out of a Ravens team. Baltimore controlled the game on the ground with a 153-120 advantage in rushing yards. It secured a 3-0 advantage in forced turnovers thanks to a pair of interceptions of McCarthy and the recovery of Price’s fumble.
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And the Ravens held off a late Vikings effort to tie the game with a defensive stand when Minnesota took possession with 1:44 remaining. The game ended on a failed fourth-and-4 effort by the Vikings in Minnesota territory.
It wasn’t an overwhelming effort from the Ravens. Jackson finished the day completing 17-of-29 passes for 176 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers. Derrick Henry needed 20 carries to reach 75 yards (3.8 yards per carry).
But the Ravens made the plays they needed to win, which couldn’t have been said of this team even before Jackson’s injury. And they secured a road win over a Vikings team that has shown signs of its own resurgence with McCarthy’s return from injury and last week’s win at the Detroit Lions.
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And with two winnable upcoming games, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Baltimore extend its win streak to five games and get back on the right side of the win-loss column.
