Ravens Get Look at Vikings in Joint Practice Before Saturday Game vs. Vikings

The Baltimore Ravens entered their joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings looking for competition, evaluation and an opportunity to measure themselves against one of the NFL's talented teams. After two days of work, the biggest takeaway was clear: Jesse Minter's defense is beginning to establish a new standard in Baltimore.

The Ravens' defense nearly pitched a shutout in their preseason debut, and that momentum carried directly into the joint practices against a Minnesota offense coached by Kevin O'Connell and filled with playmakers.

Minter liked what he saw.

"I thought on defense, [I] really liked the way we played at the line of scrimmage," Minter said. "I thought we were all over the place, just doing a good job of being physical, getting to our run fits, playing well in coverage."

That combination of physicality, pressure and coverage was on display throughout the two days.

But the practices also exposed areas Baltimore needs to improve, particularly along the offensive line. Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores repeatedly attacked the Ravens with exotic blitzes and pressure packages, forcing Lamar Jackson and Baltimore's offense to find answers.

The result was exactly what joint practices are supposed to provide: competition, adversity and an opportunity to discover what still needs work before the regular season.

Minter's Defense Sets the Tone

The most encouraging development for Baltimore was the performance of the defense.

Minter has made it clear that he wants his defense to be aggressive, physical and disciplined. During the Vikings practices, those qualities were evident.

The Ravens' secondary consistently challenged Minnesota's receivers at the line of scrimmage, while the defensive front created problems for the Vikings' offensive line.

The matchup was particularly intriguing because Minnesota has one of the league's most talented receiving groups, led by Justin Jefferson.

Jefferson is the kind of receiver who can change a game with one play.

Yet Baltimore repeatedly made him work for every opportunity.

Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins were at the center of that effort.

Humphrey delivered pass breakups, recorded a sack on a delayed blitz and nearly intercepted another pass. Wiggins was arguably the best player on the field during portions of the practice, breaking up deep throws intended for Jefferson and Jordan Addison.

The Ravens were not simply surviving against Minnesota's passing attack.

They were competing.

Nate Wiggins Makes a Statement

Wiggins may have been the defensive standout of the first day.

The young cornerback went against Jefferson, Addison and other talented Minnesota receivers and repeatedly showed the ability to stay attached downfield.

One of his best plays came when he recovered after Jefferson made an impressive catch earlier in the practice. Wiggins immediately responded by breaking up another deep shot intended for Addison.

He also broke up a long pass intended for Jefferson.

On Thursday, Wiggins continued the strong performance.

During red-zone work, he clamped down on a shallow route by Jefferson and forced an incompletion.

That is the type of competition Baltimore needs from its young cornerback.

If Wiggins can consistently play at that level during the regular season, the Ravens could have one of the league's more dangerous cornerback combinations.

Marlon Humphrey Looks Like Himself Again

Humphrey's performance may have been even more important.

The veteran cornerback has been candid about Baltimore's defensive standards in recent seasons. Despite having elite talent, the Ravens defense has not always played with the consistency or physicality expected from the group.

That appears to be changing.

Humphrey said the first day of joint practice was one of the most electric practices he has experienced.

"I have just really never been a part of a practice as electric as we had yesterday," Humphrey said.

That statement carries weight because Humphrey has been around the Ravens for years.

He knows what a championship-level defense looks like.

He also knows when something feels different.

The early signs suggest Minter has gotten his players to buy into his philosophy.

Justin Jefferson vs. Baltimore's Secondary

The matchup everyone wanted to see was Jefferson against the Ravens' secondary.

Jefferson still made spectacular plays.

One of his best came when he reached over Nate Wiggins to make a difficult catch on a deep throw.

That's what great receivers do.

But Baltimore answered with its own plays.

Humphrey broke up a pass intended for Jefferson.

Wiggins broke up another.

During red-zone work, Humphrey disrupted Jefferson's opportunities repeatedly.

At one point, Humphrey played Jefferson so aggressively that the Vikings receiver did not even attempt to make a catch on the play.

That is a major accomplishment against one of the best receivers in football.

The Ravens did not shut Jefferson down completely.

They didn't need to.

The important thing was showing they could compete physically with him.

Trey Hendrickson Creates Problems

The Ravens' pass rush also had an impressive two days.

Trey Hendrickson was one of the biggest winners.

The veteran pass rusher recorded two sacks Thursday, including one against a Vikings offense featuring talented left tackle Christian Darrisaw.

Hendrickson's ability to consistently pressure the quarterback is one of the reasons Baltimore brought him in.

The Ravens have needed a consistent edge presence capable of winning without requiring exotic blitz packages.

Hendrickson showed exactly why he can become that player.

He was not simply beating backup offensive linemen.

He was creating problems for one of Minnesota's best offensive linemen.

That is the type of competition that matters.

The Defensive Front Was Physical

Minter emphasized the Ravens' work at the line of scrimmage, and the film backed him up.

Aeneas Peebles got into the backfield for a sack.

Broderick Washington made a play behind the line of scrimmage.

Rookie outside linebacker Zion Young showed strong pass-rush ability.

Travis Jones shed his blocker and made a tackle on a run.

Trenton Simpson also delivered a physical play by defeating a block and making a solo tackle in the gap.

The Ravens' front seven consistently played downhill.

That is exactly what Minter wants.

The Vikings' Offense Had Its Moments

It would be unfair to suggest Baltimore dominated every snap.

The Vikings had their moments.

In fact, Minnesota won the two-minute periods on both days.

On Wednesday, Kyler Murray connected with Jefferson for a long touchdown while Marlon Humphrey trailed and Malaki Starks arrived slightly too late to the corner of the end zone.

The second touchdown came from J.J. McCarthy to Myles Price.

Thursday brought another strong Minnesota finish.

A deep shot to Jauan Jennings helped set up a field goal for the first-team offense.

A questionable pass interference call against T.J. Tampa helped put Minnesota's second-team offense in position to score a game-winning touchdown.

Those moments are important because they show Baltimore still has work to do.

A great defense cannot simply dominate most of practice.

It has to finish.

Minter acknowledged that mindset.

"I want to just continue to chase that mindset, chase that mentality of being a dominant unit every snap, every play," Minter said.

That is the challenge.

Brian Flores Gives Baltimore's Offense a Test

While Baltimore's defense was making headlines, the offense was dealing with its own challenge.

Brian Flores brought pressure.

A lot of it.

Minter knows exactly how difficult Flores' system can be.

"Nobody probably pressures more in the league than 'Flo,'" Minter said. "He does a phenomenal job. He is one of the best coordinators in the league."

For the Ravens, that meant Lamar Jackson was constantly dealing with pressure, simulated pressure and exotic blitz looks.

It was uncomfortable.

But that is why these practices matter.

Baltimore will face aggressive defenses throughout the regular season.

The offense has to learn how to identify pressure and respond before the games count.

Lamar Jackson Still Made Plays

Even while under pressure, Jackson showed why he remains one of the NFL's most dangerous quarterbacks.

One of his best throws came on a roughly 20-yard completion to Zay Flowers.

Jackson recognized the pressure, got the ball out quickly and delivered an accurate pass after a three-step drop.

He also found Mark Andrews twice with sidearm throws to avoid incoming defenders.

On one play, Jackson rolled left, bought time and whipped a sidearm pass across the middle to Andrews.

Those are the kinds of plays that only a quarterback with Jackson's athletic ability and arm talent can consistently make.

But the Vikings also got to him.

Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner generated pressure, while Minnesota's defensive line repeatedly collapsed the pocket.

The Ravens offense struggled to generate explosive plays against the pressure.

That is an area Baltimore must improve.

Danny Pinter Injury Changes Center Competition

The biggest negative development from the practices was the injury to center Danny Pinter.

Pinter appeared to get rolled up during an 11-on-11 play and was eventually carted off the field.

His teammates gathered around him for several minutes as he remained on the ground.

Minter did not have an immediate update after practice.

The injury could have a major impact on Baltimore's center competition.

Jovaughn Gwyn stepped into the first-team role afterward and performed well.

In fact, on the very next play after Pinter went down, Gwyn opened a massive hole in the middle of the defense and helped create what would have been a big run for Derrick Henry.

Gwyn also performed well in one-on-one work Thursday and appeared comfortable working alongside rookie guard Vega Ioane.

That is encouraging.

But losing Pinter, who had been competing for a starting role, could significantly alter the Ravens' plans.

Vega Ioane Continues to Impress

One of the brighter offensive-line developments was the performance of rookie guard Vega Ioane.

Ioane was stout in pass-protection drills and repeatedly held his ground against Minnesota's defensive linemen.

While Baltimore's offensive line as a whole struggled against Flores' pressure packages, the pressure did not appear to be consistently coming through Ioane's side.

That is an encouraging sign for the rookie.

The Ravens need young offensive linemen to develop quickly.

Ioane's progress could become especially important if the center position is forced to undergo another change.

Ravens Receivers Make Plays

The offense wasn't completely shut down.

Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt both had strong one-on-one victories.

Lane made another impressive deep catch down the sideline.

Sarratt created separation from his defender and made an easy catch.

Rashod Bateman was another offensive standout.

He made multiple catches early, including a contested reception during seven-on-seven work.

He later caught another pass, spun away from the defender and turned it into a significant gain.

Zay Flowers also continued to show why he is such an important piece of the offense.

His roughly 20-yard reception from Jackson was arguably the offense's best play of the day.

LaJohntay Wester also found space against pressure and turned a short opportunity into a long catch-and-run.

The Ravens showed they can beat pressure with quick throws.

The challenge now is finding ways to create explosive plays when defenses refuse to give Jackson time.

Special Teams Competition

Special teams also received significant attention.

Keyon Martin was at the center of one of the day's biggest confrontations after getting tangled up with Vikings cornerback De'Vawn Armstead during a punt-return drill.

Armstead stood over Martin as he tried to get up, and Martin took exception.

The situation was quickly broken up.

Safety Keondre Jackson also got involved in a separate confrontation after delivering a hard hit on a Vikings special-teamer.

Despite those moments, both teams generally kept the intensity under control.

Kicker Tyler Loop also had a productive day Thursday, making all six of his field-goal attempts from 33, 33, 38, 43, 43 and 53 yards.

That type of consistency is encouraging as Baltimore evaluates its special-teams units.

The Bigger Picture

The Ravens left Minnesota with plenty of positives.

The defense looked faster.

It looked more physical.

The secondary competed at a high level against one of the NFL's best receiving groups.

The pass rush created pressure.

Trey Hendrickson looked dangerous.

Nate Wiggins continued his development.

Marlon Humphrey looked energized.

And most importantly, the players appeared to be embracing Minter's philosophy.

Humphrey summed up the biggest takeaway perfectly.

"All the guys have really just bought in," he said.

That may be the most important development of all.

Final Takeaway

The Ravens-Vikings joint practices were a valuable measuring stick for Baltimore.

Jesse Minter's defense looked like a unit with an identity.

The secondary competed.

The defensive line played physically.

The pass rush created problems.

And the Ravens consistently challenged Justin Jefferson and Minnesota's talented receivers.

At the same time, Brian Flores exposed weaknesses on Baltimore's offense.

The Ravens struggled against pressure.

The offensive line has work to do.

The center competition has been shaken up by Danny Pinter's injury.

And Baltimore's offense must become better at handling exotic blitzes.

That is not necessarily bad news.

In fact, it is exactly why joint practices exist.

The Ravens didn't need to win every snap.

They needed to discover what they do well and what they need to fix.

After two days against the Vikings, the answer appears to be clear.

Baltimore's defense is ahead of the offense right now.

And that could be a very good sign for Jesse Minter's first season in Baltimore.

The Ravens have talent everywhere on defense.

Now they appear to have a coach determined to make that talent play with a standard that matches its potential.

There is still a long way to go before the regular season.

But after two intense days against Minnesota, one thing is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore:

The Jesse Minter era is starting to look very real—and the Ravens defense may be ready to make some noise.