Ravens: Top 6 takeaways from Week 9 victory over the Vikings

The Ravens defense didn’t have their best effort versus the Vikings to start

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is undoubtedly one of the best players at the position in the NFL. However, the Ravens defense made things a little too easy for him early in the contest.

In addition to allowing that big play on the ground, the Ravens secondary had a miscommunication that allowed for another big play for Justin Jefferson, that went for a touchdown early.

These two plays contributed to Baltimore’s early hole on Sunday and, moving forward, the defensive communication breakdowns must be addressed. However, there are a few players’ performances that stood out.

Two Ravens linebackers shined

Ravens’ starting middle linebacker Josh Bynes has come a long way. To start the season, he was a player on the team’s practice squad but is now one of the team’s surest tacklers while also being an impact run defender versus the Minnesota Vikings.

Next to Bynes was Tyus Bowser, who had one of the game’s more crucial plays in overtime that allowed his defensive coordinator to dial up this play on the final Vikings offensive snap of the day.

A blitz where Don Martindale sent seven defenders on a third-and-long situation would not have happened if Dalvin Cook had gained any yards on the previous play.

Final takeaways from the Ravens Week 9 victory

Overall, the Baltimore Ravens didn’t play their best football for a large portion of the day. There were turnovers, defensive communication breakdowns, and they even allowed a Vikings kick return touchdown.

However, the moral of the story is that the team is finding consistent ways to win when things aren’t going their way.

Like the Indianapolis Colts game earlier this season, the Ravens offense kicked into high gear when it mattered most. In addition, the defense played complementary football and gathered vital stops late.

Above all, this team may be down, but never out, no matter who the opponent is.