The Minnesota Vikings know they will have to do their best to slow down Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens this weekend.
Not good. Not above average. At their best.
“There’s a reason he’s an MVP-caliber player,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “It’s not just his skills that cause so many problems athletically. He’s an elite thrower in the football. We’re going to have to be as good as we’ve been all season.”
Baltimore (3-5) will try to earn its third straight victory when it faces the Vikings (4-4) Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis. The Ravens started the season with five losses in their first six games, but found their footing, thanks in large part to the return of their star quarterback.
Jackson returned from injury last week to complete 18 of 23 passes for 204 yards and four touchdowns in a 28-6 win over the Miami Dolphins. Derrick Henry added 19 carries for 119 yards for the Ravens, who believe they can make a second-half run toward the playoffs.
A hostile environment against a pesky Vikings team will pose the toughest obstacle on this path thus far.
Minnesota is coming off a 27-24 road victory over the division rival Detroit Lions. The Vikings are looking to post back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
The Vikings are also hoping to make a run now that they have their No. 1 quarterback on the field again. JJ McCarthy returned last week from a sprained ankle and passed for two touchdowns while rushing for one more to lead his team to the upset victory.
This will be McCarthy’s fourth career start, but he said he has already noticed improvement.
“I feel like I’m growing,” McCarthy said. “That’s the No. 1 metric I really focus on is growth. Was I better today than I was yesterday? And there’s a lot of room to go, a lot more growth to be had at 22.”
Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson hopes to find the end zone more frequently with McCarthy at quarterback. Jefferson caught his second touchdown pass of the season last week during McCarthy’s return and has 47 catches for 649 yards this season.
On defense, Vikings passer Andrew Van Ginkel will also look to take another step forward after returning from injury last week. He has 13 1/2 sacks in 20 games since joining the Vikings before the start of last season.
On the other side of the field, Ravens tight end Mark Andrews will try to make history on Sunday. He needs 18 receiving yards to become the franchise’s all-time receiving yards leader, surpassing Derrick Mason and his 5,777 career receiving yards.
Andrews said he knew about the impending record, but didn’t spend time focusing on it.
“Nothing has been said and nothing needs to be said,” Andrews said. “Obviously, it’s a very important game for this organization, for us, and we have to win this game. That’s the most important thing. It’s kind of just icing on the cake.”
Nate Wiggins leads the Ravens defense with two interceptions this season. Tavius Robinson and Nnamdi Madubuike share the team lead with two sacks each.
The Ravens had no injuries to report Wednesday, but safety Theo Jackson (concussion), running back Aaron Jones Sr. (shoulder, toe), cornerback Jeff Okudah (concussion) and tight end Josh Oliver (foot) did not practice for the Vikings. Minnesota guard Will Fries (calf), guard CJ Ham (hand), safety Josh Metellus (foot) and defensive lineman Jalen Redmond (shin) were limited.
-Field level media
