NFL 2025 Week 10: Minnesota Vikings Get Rolled by Ravens in Discouraging 19-27 Loss
After their statement win in Week 9, the Vikings fell flat in Week 10’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.
While the Vikings were underdogs headed into the contest, there was still hope from fans and team personnel that this roster could flip the narrative on their season with a home win in Week 10. Instead, the Vikings buried themselves in a gridiron grave, suffering self-inflicted wounds in their loss to the Ravens. Here’s why the Vikings fell short in their 19-27 failure in Week 10.
McCarthy Showed His Inexperience
If second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy is the engine driving this offense, he was a burnt valve today.
He flashed his high potential when he threw a 62-yard bomb to Jalen Nailor to lead a Vikings drive for a game-opening touchdown. He kept going strong early in the second quarter to help the Vikings jump out to a commanding 10-3 lead. They had all the momentum.
But then came the failures. McCarthy made a bone-headed decision that flipped the script of the entire game. On 3rd and 6, McCarthy stepped up to dodge a collapsing pocket and had space to run for the first down. Instead, he tried to take the hero shot and force a wobbly deep ball downfield to Justin Jefferson. The throw was an easy interception for Ravens safety Malaki Starks. That helped the Ravens drive down for a field goal. Then he threw another interception to start the second half, which was another deep shot to Jefferson. While Jefferson tripped before getting to the ball, the throw was a highly contested catch at best, and the Vikings only needed one yard to convert the third down. Instead, the Ravens found another field goal.
McCarthy should’ve had a third interception in the fourth quarter, but it was ruled incomplete. What looked like a promising performance early on turned into a nightmare. McCarthy forced throws to Jefferson too many times and put the ball in harm’s way. He needs to clean up his decision-making if this team wants to rebound.
Special Teams Gaffe Proved Costly
Coming into this game, undrafted rookie Myles Price was having a solid season handling kickoff and punt returns. This game, though, he cost the Vikings big time, fumbling a kickoff after the Ravens took a 12-10 lead in the third quarter. The mistake was killer: the Ravens scored a touchdown after the miscue and never gave back the lead. Another fumble on the following kickoff (thankfully recovered by the Vikings) only added to Price’s misery. Ball security is a must for him moving forward.
Embarrassing Penalties Ruined Progress
Many teams have complained about how loud U.S. Bank Stadium is. Such a rowdy crowd is sure to cause a false start or two. Usually, that crowd noise is an advantage for the Vikings. Today, something was off.
The Vikings had eight false start penalties, with three of them committed by tackle Brian O’Neill. That’s a number you hardly see in the NFL, let alone from the home team. It was a shot in the foot that stalled several Vikings drives. This team needs to adjust to McCarthy’s cadence quickly.
Vikings Must Keep Fighting
If the Vikings give up now, their offseason moves will be wasted. The rest of the season will be an uphill battle, but next year looks even bleaker than the current 4-5 mood around this roster. A chance to bounce back against the Chicago Bears next Sunday can help the Vikings keep fighting for a playoff spot. They’ve been knocked down, but they can still get back up. Time to see how they respond.