Coming off of a last minute loss to Cincinnati, Baltimore will be looking to bounce back this Sunday. The problem is the opponent.
Minnesota is one of five undefeated teams left in the NFL. Brett Favre has had a solid season so far and Adrian Peterson is doing what he’s done for the last three years. The Vikings defense is stout led by their defensive line. Jared Allen potentially could drive Michael Oher crazy. The Williams Wall (Pat and Kevin) are excellent run stoppers. Minnesota’s weakness is their pass defense.
Minnesota is 18th in the NFL in pass defense, yielding 224.6 yards per game. Their linebackers will struggle covering Todd Heap and their corners are good, but like the Ravens, small and fast. Darren Sharper, who was the glue at safety for Minnesota, has now moved on to New Orleans, was the Vikings best safety for a few years. If Joe Flacco and the offense get their early-season swagger back it could be a long day for Minnesota.
I expect Baltimore’s defense will be in a foul mood after allowing 100+ yards to Cedric Benson last Sunday. Benson broke the 100-yard mark for the first time in 40 games and it’s just not going to sit well. Peterson is an absolute beast for the Vikings and the Ravens can’t afford to load up eight in the box. However, Peterson fumbles the ball a lot. That could be a plus for Baltimore. The real X-factor is the Ravens running game, though.
The running game has been seemingly abandoned by offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. There’s no reason for that. Ray Rice averages 5.8 yards per carry and seems to make a play every time he touches the ball. Willis McGahee has a ton of touchdowns so he should get touches too. In short-yardage situations Le’Ron McClain hasn’t gotten the ball and that’s a problem. If Baltimore gets back to running the ball at least half the time, they will win Sunday.
Prediction: Baltimore 17, Minnesota 14
Note: There has been a rumor that the Ravens are trying to acquire Dwayne Bowe from the Kansas City Chiefs. If this happens then that’s a great move for the Ravens. Bowe is big, fast and physical. That’s the kind of receiver the Ravens could use going forward.
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