Four Storylines for Ravens' Matchup vs. Vikings

Despite being on the road last week, Miami felt like a home game for the Ravens, given how many of their fans made the trip to South Beach, and it served as a homecoming for several players on the roster who grew up in Southern Florida. That won't be the case in Minnesota, as Vikings fan show up and show out to home games at U.S. Bank Stadium and bring immense amounts of energy for the home team and noise for opposing offenses to deal with.

In anticipation of this eventuality, the Ravens spent part of the week of practice getting accustomed to sounds they will hear on game day, such as the Vikings' signature Gjallarhorn that blares whenever someone on their team comes up with a big play or the iconic 'Skol' chants from the crowd.

"I think at home, that's something that they really play into – the idea that the [opposing] offense is going to have a tough time communicating and see if they can get the offense on their heels and get them discombobulated," head coach Jon Harbaugh said. "We're going to work really hard to not allow that to happen."

The Ravens will likely use some form of silent count early on in the game, but the best way to silence a rowdy home crowd is by jumping out to a big lead or just constantly mounting sustained drives that demoralize both the defense and the fiery spirit of the fans.

Ravens' revamped pass rush

Through the first nine weeks of the season, Baltimore is tied for the second-fewest sacks in the league with 11, but their much-maligned pass rush will be getting a boost this week with a pair of veteran pass rushers who are slated to make their respective debuts in this game. Harbaugh already announced that Dre'Mont Jones, who was acquired via trade from the Tennessee Titans a day before the deadline, will play, and Carl Lawson is expected to be elevated from the practice squad after being signed following the Ravens' bye.

The Ravens were razor-thin at outside linebacker in their last two games, with just three healthy players at the position after losing Tavius Robinson to a broken foot. It forced them to rely on manufactured pressures and play elite Swiss army knife safety Kyle Hamilton on the edge during those wins to much success. Having these two proven veterans as part of the rotation will unlock him further to be deployed anywhere on a given snap and ease some of the workload of rookie Mike Green, who has 1.5 sacks in the last two weeks, and Pro Bowl veteran Kyle Van Noy, who has just one sack in six games.

Will it be another thriller?

The Ravens narrowly lead the all-time series between these two teams 4-3, dating back to their first-ever matchup in 1998. When they face off every four years, it almost always goes down to the wire and ends in dramatic fashion with just the last five of the seven being decided by a single possession.

Their last meeting took place in Baltimore and resulted in a 34-31 overtime win for the home team in Jackson's first career start against the Vikings. With both teams coming off impressive wins, possessing talent on both sides of the ball and looking to build momentum, it could be another tightly-contested showdown.