A fast start, a three-score lead, but then a defensive let-down allowed Baltimore to climb back in to the game, which was eventually decided by a missed field goal. I don’t know why Minnesota’s defence looked so out-of synch in the second half, but the Ravens took everything they could while the Vikings were struggling.
Even worse, for the Vikings were late injuries to Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin . . . Peterson did return, but Harvin was out after being hurt on a kick return. Sidney Rice had a huge game, including the 58-yard reception that set up the winning field goal. From the AP summary of the game:
The Vikings took a 14-0 lead in the first 9 minutes and led 27-10 when Visanthe Shiancoe(notes) caught his second TD of the game with 10:08 to play. But Flacco was just getting started.
He threw a 32-yard TD to Mark Clayton(notes). After a field goal by Longwell, Flacco capped a 49-second drive with a 12-yard TD to Derrick Mason(notes), and it was 30-24.
Ray Lewis(notes) and the Ravens’ proud defense came up with their first big stop all day, and Ray Rice’s(notes) 33-yard run gave Baltimore its first lead 7 seconds after it got the ball back.
Stunned and reeling, the Vikings turned to Favre—this was just the situation they signed him for two weeks into training camp. He pump-faked and unloaded to Rice, who beat Frank Walker(notes) for the 58-yard catch.
But coach Brad Childress played it conservative with three straight runs, and Longwell’s 31-yard field goal gave Flacco one more chance with 1:49 to go.
A late mention that Antoine Winfield left the game in the 2nd quarter may indicate why the defensive effort was so much less impressive from that point onwards. Karl Paymah’s name came up a lot in the colour commentary . . . and not in a uniformly positive way.
Update, 19 October: The stats bear it out . . . that was a terrible quarter of football for the Vikings.
As much as the Vikings would like to focus on the things they did right Sunday in handing the Ravens a third consecutive loss — touchdowns on their first two drives gave the Vikings a 14-0 lead, the Ravens rushed for 13 yards in the first half — they are going to have to take a good long look at the fourth quarter.
It isn’t going to be pretty.
The Ravens accumulated 222 of their 448 yards in the final 15 minutes, including 196 passing yards by quarterback Joe Flacco. The Ravens’ yardage total was a season-high against the Vikings and marked the third game in a row they have surrendered 400 or more yards. Flacco finished with 385 yards passing, 1 more than the total Aaron Rodgers had in Week 4 when the Packers put together a fourth-quarter rally.
Some of Sunday’s meltdown had to do with the fact that with Winfield not on the field, Flacco went at his replacement, Karl Paymah, on a regular basis. The Ravens trailed 27-10 with 10 minutes, 8 seconds left and by 13 with 6:01 to go but managed to take a 31-30 lead when running back Ray Rice sliced through the defense for a 33-yard touchdown with 3:37 remaining.
