The roller coaster continues for the Vikings.
After looking as if they had turned a corner last weekend in a 27-24 win over the Detroit Lions on the road, the Vikings couldn’t build on that momentum this weekend in a 27-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at home.
The performance on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium left something to be desired across the board. Let’s just say the issues for the Vikings went much deeper than the growing pains of young quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Here are some takeaways from the game:
J.J. McCarthy got more inaccurate with time
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) pass the ball in the second quarter of a NFL game against the Baltimore Ravens at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
After an impressive start in the early stages, McCarthy’s play steadily declined as time wore on. He was excellent on the opening drive while working with a scripted set of plays. He was hit star receiver Justin Jefferson with a strike to the sideline, then found speedy receiver Jalen Nailor with a perfectly placed ball over the top. There was a noticeable decisiveness that McCarthy displayed on both throws. The ball came out of time in the rhythm and timing of the offense. There wasn’t the same level of execution from McCarthy down the stretch. He was wildly inaccurate for prolonged stretches with many passes sailing on him. The inability to string together completions made life difficult for the Vikings against Ravens. His final stat line featured him completing 20 of 42 passes for 248 yards, a touchdown, and a pair of interceptions. This is becoming a trend for McCarthy. He will play well at the start of the game before his slowly losing steam. There needs to be marked improvement with his consistency moving forward.
The rushing attack didn’t get enough run
There numbers are pretty damning in hindsight when considering that veteran running back Aaron Jones averaged 5.2 yards per carry while fellow running back Jordan Mason averaged 6.3 yards per carry. As effective as Jones and Mason proved to be, they only combined for 13 carries in the game. Not feeding them with more regularity was an oversight by head coach Kevin O’Connell that he will likely regret when he goes over the film. Though the Vikings eventually had to abandon the run completely as they tried to mount a comeback against the Ravens, they didn’t stick to it nearly enough when the game was still hanging in the balance. A microcosm of that miscalculation came shortly after halftime as O’Connell decided to throw on third down despite only needing a yard to move the chains. The play resulted in McCarthy throwing an interception after Jefferson fell down while trying to gain separation. That ball probably should have been handed off to either Jones or Mason.
Justin Jefferson lacked his usual juice
A calling card for Jefferson throughout his career has been the amount of joy he plays with whenever he puts on the pads. He almost always carries himself the same way regardless of how he’s playing in a game. That’s why his demeanor stood out while the Vikings were struggling against the Ravens. It wasn’t so much that Jefferson was going through the motions out there. He just lacked his usual juice. Whether it was stumbling with a chance to make a play in single coverage, or failing to come up with a contested catch near the goal line, Jefferson seemed a little bit off. He took accountability for his actions after the game and made it clear that he has to be better.
The defense did everything it could
The name of the game for the Vikings against the Ravens was stopping superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson. That’s exactly what they did as Jackson finished with less than 200 yards through the air and less than 50 yards on the ground. Never mind that the unit led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores didn’t force any turnovers in the game. The defense did everything it could to keep Jackson off balance while also limiting running back Derrick Henry to 75 yards on the ground. That should’ve been enough for the Vikings to walk away with the win. The offense simply didn’t pull its weight on the other end.
Myles Price changed the game with his fumble
After garnering some attention for his prowess as a kick returner, rookie receiver Myles Price learned a hard lesson midway through the game. In an effort to provide a spark after halftime, Price fought tooth and nail for a few extra yards while being brought down. Unfortunately for Price, the ball ended up being punched out in the process, which put the Vikings in a tough spot after the Ravens recovered. That fumble changed the tenor of the game. The teaching point point for Price is obvious. As much as he might want to gain as many yards as possible, he has to make securing the ball his top priority when he’s being tackled. It was nearly an even worse showing for Price as he also coughed it up on the next kick return. That proved to be less costly because rookie tight end Ben Yurosek recovered the ball.
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