Ravens risers and fallers: How second preseason game changed players’ stock

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MINNEAPOLIS — Ravens head coach Jesse Minter and Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores continued to share the spotlight as their defenses dominated Saturday in Baltimore’s 13-3 preseason victory.

The Ravens and Vikings had two joint practices ahead of the game in which the Ravens’ offense went against the Vikings’ defense on one field and the Vikings’ offense took on the Ravens’ defense on the other. Both defenses won both days, whether it was the starters or backups playing on offense.

That carried over into the preseason game.

The Vikings were the first to find their stride, but quarterback J.J. McCarthy missed two open receivers in the end zone. That allowed the Ravens to score the first points, a 49-yard field goal by Tyler Loop.

Veteran Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz led his team down the field to tie it at 3 just before the half. From there, more backups filtered in and out. Ravens rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano hit wide receiver Lajohntay Wester for the only touchdown, and Loop made another field goal to help the Ravens finish on top.

“I just liked the resolve, especially on defense,” Minter said. “I thought we finished the game a little bit better than last week, which was a goal.”

Here’s who made an impression, for better or worse, in the defensive showdown.

Risers

OLB Ethan Burke: An undrafted rookie, Burke started camp at the bottom of the depth chart. He played hard where he was at, terrorizing the Ravens’ depth quarterbacks. And, every time he was given a chance for more, he took it. He has continued to make the most of his reps. He finished with two quarterback hits, including a sack, two pass defenses and a forced fumble.

LB Dominic DeLuca: The undrafted rookie out of Penn State has had a solid performance through camp, and he made a quick impression Saturday when he sent running back Demond Claiborne stumbling back 3 yards on the second carry of the game. He then read a screen perfectly, although he missed the tackle, and stuffed another run on the 3-yard line to prevent the Vikings from scoring.

P Ryan Eckley: Last week’s punt could be chalked up to nerves. It was Eckley’s first game rep against NFL opponents. It went 27 yards and out of bounds, but he came back with a 40-yard punt in that game. With the Ravens’ impressive offensive performance against the Eagles, he didn’t get much work in. Against the Vikings, Eckley was given many more opportunities. He started with a respectable 40-yard punt before kicking two 59-yarders in a row while backed up deep in his own territory.

TE Josh Cuevas: Last game, fellow rookie tight end Matt Hibner stepped into the conversation. Cuevas had a nice 11-yard catch and said he didn’t begrudge Hibner the spotlight. But Cuevas’ time to shine came in the second preseason game. With the Ravens struggling on offense, Cuevas’ 23-yard catch earned them their first first down. Four plays later, he caught a 19-yard pass, helping the Ravens move into field goal territory for the first score.

“It’s a friendly competition, but we always pull for each other,” Cuevas said of himself and Hibner. “... It was good kind of bouncing off one another and me kind of picking him up today and him picking me up that first preseason game.”

S Keondre Jackson: Jackson’s roster spot seemed secure because of his special teams contributions. But his consistent performances through joint practices and preseason games are making him a legitimate option as a backup safety. On one series alone, he had four tackles, including stopping the Vikings’ returner, sacking Wentz and dropping a running back for a loss.

Jackson said things are slowing down for him and he’s getting better at reading the offense’s formations and communicating with his teammates. He’s also finding a balance to the amount of energy he brings.

“I had a few penalties in games when I first came up, so just going from that and learning I could play fast, play aggressive and take it to the edge but just keep it close right there,” Jackson said.

Interior defensive line: This was formerly a position of concern due to the number of injuries. The performance from the Ravens’ depth pieces quells some of that. After whiffing on a sack, Aeneas Peebles rebounded well to affect the quarterback. Rookie Rayshaun Benny recorded a sack, and international players CJ Okoye and David Olajiga flashed. Veteran Broderick Washington was also disruptive, and the room now seems to be crowded with players vying for the final spots.

“I would say that that’s as tight as any position,” Minter said. “There’s a lot of guys there that made plays, that made impact plays ... so it’s a really deep room, really crowded in that room.”

Fallers

Offensive line: A potential starter made the first big mistake of the game. First-round pick guard Vega Ioane was called for holding, something that hasn’t happened in over two years. He had a decent performance after that, but his teammates along the line also struggled. The quarterbacks were scrambling, and the run game was close to nonexistent. Carson Vinson allowed a sack and almost another, and Emery Jones Jr. was called for a false start. This was consistent with the struggles the line faced through joint practices, and even the starting linemen were not immune.

LB Jamon Johnson: A late free-agent signing, Johnson has had a quiet camp. He had one tackle before he was injured just before halftime. He limped off the field and was later carted to the locker room. He was ruled out with a thumb injury. With depth players DeLuca and Jay Higgins having solid performances and starting linebacker Teddye Buchanan making his return from an ACL injury, Johnson’s chances of making the roster are dropping.

Running back depth: Unlike last week, when the run game picked up speed as play continued, the Ravens struggled on the ground all game. Part of that was on the offensive line, but Elijah Tau-Tolliver had two carries for 5 yards and Dontae McMillan had three for a loss of 1. Fifth-round pick Adam Randall, who started last week, did not play because of a minor injury. And Rasheen Ali is injured. That leaves just two healthy running backs, Derrick Henry and Justice Hill, with secure roster spots.

This article has been updated.