6 winners (and 3 losers) from Ravens preseason win over Vikings

The Baltimore Ravens had another impressive preseason showing, taking home a 13-3 win against the Minnesota Vikings. It's only preseason, but there's plenty to be excited about, especially regarding Jesse Minter's new-look defense. Still, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for the Ravens on Saturday afternoon. 

With that in mind, let's dive into some winners and losers of this game. 

Winner: Keondre Jackson

As mentioned earlier, Baltimore's defense was a story of this win, as they allowed just three points and forced two turnovers. Make no mistake: Keondre Jackson set the tone for the team with his contagious energy and several big plays.

The second-year safety was doing his best Kyle Hamilton impression, moving around the field and wreaking havoc. He finished with a team-high eight total tackles, including this sack off a great play call from Minter. 

If Jackson keeps it up, he could earn some real snaps for the Ravens' defense this year, especially given Minter's affinity for dime packages. 

Winner: Ethan Burke

Undrafted free agent Ethan Burke is facing an uphill battle to make the Ravens' final roster. However, Burke has had an impressive training camp, and after the preseason game he just put forward, he's making a compelling case. 

The outside linebacker made two highlight plays, a forced fumble and a sack. While the Ravens have a deep linebacker room, Burke's ability to make big plays could force them to make some unexpected decisions.

Winner: Mike Green

Second-year edge rusher Mike Green felt like an obvious breakout player, heading into camp. Yet, he didn't do much in his first preseason game and has had a fairly quiet camp. 

Thankfully, Green stood out on Saturday; he had an exceptional sack on J.J. McCarthy, which was immediately followed by disrupting McCarthy's next throw. Green, who led the FBS in sacks two years ago, could be a game-changing pass-rusher for the Ravens this season, and this game underscores his upside. 

Winner: Chandler Rivers

Fifth-round pick Chandler Rivers has had a fairly quiet offseason. Regardless, there's a path for him to carve out a role as a slot corner in Minter's defense. 

With stout coverage against the Vikings' defense, including a sick pass breakup, Rivers boosted his chances. Rivers' emergence could be especially impactful since the Ravens' cornerback room has a fair bit of uncertainty attached to it, with Marlon Humphrey aging and no major additions. 

Loser: Vega Ioane

While it was a superb showing from the defense, the Ravens' offense struggled, not getting into the red zone until the second half. The main reason why? Poor offensive line play. Unfortunately, that's all too familiar a problem for the Ravens. And to make matters worse, it wasn't just the reserves. Hyped up first-round pick Vega Ioane wasn't on his A-Game. 

Ioane picked up a holding penalty early in the game and allowed some pressure during his reps. The good news is that Ioane was a blue-chip guard prospect who looked the part in Week 1 of preseason. Furthermore, he won't be worse than Daniel Faalele or Andrew Vorhees. However, he has more responsibilities than a typical rookie guard, given how shaky the Ravens' interior line has been in recent years. Sadly, this game is a reason to pump the brakes on him. 

Loser: Gerad Lichtenhan

Gerad Lichtenhan is another offensive lineman who wasn't up to par on Saturday. He committed three holding penalties and didn't hold up too well in pass protection. 

As a backup tackle, Lichtenhan's struggles aren't that concerning. Depth is important, though, and it's unclear if the Ravens have ample tackle depth if injuries pile up (Carson Vinson also didn't impress). 

Loser: Elijah Sarratt

Heading into training camp, it didn't seem out of the realm of possibilities that fourth-round pick Elijah Sarratt could earn a role with the wide receiver-needy Ravens. With Lane breaking out at camp, Sarratt's opportunities already felt limited; now they feel nonexistent. 

On Saturday, Sarratt didn't see the field until the late third quarter, after Ja'Kobi Lane, Devontez Walker, LaJohntay Wester, Xavier Guillory and Chris Moore. When he was on the field, Sarratt was only targeted once (catching it for three yards). I still think Sarratt has a solid future, but all signs point to him not having a role as a rookie. 

Winner: Josh Cuevas

During last week's preseason game, rookie tight end Matthew Hibner was a standout. This time it was Josh Cuevas' turn to shine, who led the team with 46 receiving yards, including a big-time 23-yard pickup.

The Ravens tight end room was much maligned earlier in training camp, but they've clearly cleaned up some of these issues. Whether it's Cuevas or Hibner, it's vital that one of these tight ends emerges, given the NFL's shift to multiple tight end looks, and that Mark Andrews is aging.

Winner: Joe Fagnano

Tyler Huntley's struggles were largely on the o-line, but Joe Fagnano looked like the best Ravens' QB on Saturday. He completed 15 of 20 passes, displaying a ton of poise and comfort in the pocket. Likewise, he reads defenses well and processes things quickly.

Saturday's game marks a second strong preseason showing for Fagnano. While he will likely remain on the practice squad as an emergency quarterback, Fagnano is proving his worth to the Ravens. 

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