50 Words or Less: Ravens Got Mileage From Trip to…

A lasting image from the Ravens’ road trip to Minnesota is Head Coach Jesse Minter spitting Eminem bars at a team dinner.

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell even praised Minter for his performance following Baltimore’s 13-3 victory in Saturday’s preseason game.

However, finding their rhythm on the field remains the Ravens’ primary concern. Their road trip to Minnesota that included two joint practices before the preseason game was another step in the right direction.

The starters got valuable reps during the joint practices with the Vikings. While the offense struggled at times against Minnesota’s blitz packages, it provided valuable lessons. Meanwhile, Baltimore’s defense looked on point. The biggest downer was the unfortunate injury to center Danny Pinter. That makes this an important week for Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic as they battle to win the starting job.

The Ravens still have plenty to work on, but they have fewer questions to answer in August than many NFL teams. Here are other thoughts on the Ravens as they enter the final week of the preseason, heading into another joint practice and Friday’s game against the Washington Commanders at M&T Bank Stadium:

• If Gwyn wins the center competition, it will be a defining moment for his career. The 27-year-old has never started an NFL game. His goal is to convince the coaching staff that he’s ready to be the guy snapping the ball to Lamar Jackson Week 1 in Indianapolis.

• Gwyn and new Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach Dwayne Ledford worked together for three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. That’s important to remember as the center competition unfolds. “He really understands how we want to play, which is great,” Minter said. “He has been in a similar system.”

• It will be interesting to see how much Pocic plays against Washington. He saw extensive action Saturday, replacing Gwyn after the first four series and playing into the fourth quarter. Coming off an Achilles injury last year, Pocic needs to show he’s ready to handle a starter’s workload.

• No matter who starts at center, Ronnie Stanley came away from the Minnesota joint practices feeling the offensive line needs to work on its protection against blitz packages. Both guards and the center will be different than last season. The revamped line needs to build chemistry quickly.

• Stanley has seen Jackson win two MVP awards and knows how critical it is for the Ravens to protect their quarterback. The way Jackson is throwing the football this summer, if his pocket is clean, Baltimore’s passing attack will cook.

• The presence of Trey Hendrickson should clearly help Baltimore close out games. Hendrickson was a problem for Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw during joint practices. Hendrickson’s had four seasons with 10 or more sacks. I’m expecting 2026 to be his fifth.

• The Ravens also hope to get more coverage sacks if Minter’s defensive schemes work as designed. They had five sacks against Minnesota on Saturday. If opposing quarterbacks are more indecisive in the pocket, the pass rush will have more time to get home.

• Nate Wiggins hasn’t missed a beat since returning from his injury early in training camp. He and Marlon Humphrey were standouts during joint practices and were obviously pumped up to face Vikings standout receivers like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Wiggins and Humphrey look Week 1 ready.

• Humphrey and Wiggins aren’t the only corners playing well. Fifth-round rookie Chandler Rivers continued his impressive summer with a solid performance in Saturday’s game. The Ravens have a deep corner group, but Rivers is showing he’s ready to contribute if called upon.

• The entire defense leveled up against the Vikings both in joint practices and during Saturday’s game. Humphrey called Wednesday’s practice “electric.” That’s what the Ravens want from their defensive unit this season – play with electricity and turn out the lights in the fourth quarter.

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