Two Defenders Leading Ravens Rookie Class

For the second game in a row, the once much-maligned first-round safety showcased the elite ball skills and instincts that the Ravens and countless pundits raved about when he was coming out after starring as an All American at the University of Georgia. A week after making his first career interception, making a play deep down the middle of the field, he repeated the feat in even more impressive fashion as his second pick came after he ripped it away from All Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

"I was really on the other hash, and I was focusing on that side, and then I kind of just saw [J.J. McCarthy] look [to the] opposite [direction]," Starks said. "Then once his shoulder turned, I knew the ball was going to Justin, but he just threw it kind of late. I got there in time and just high-pointed it and came down with it."

Starks was not only the Ravens' highest-graded defender and overall player in this game according to Pro Football Focus, earning a grade of 91. He is also the league's highest-graded defender overall the past two weeks, with a 92.7. During that stretch, he allowed only 2 receptions for 10 receiving yards and held opponents to a 16.7 passer rating, along with his turnovers. He finished with a pass breakup and 4 total tackles, tied for the third-most on the team. His most impressive play came when he fought through blockers to bring down Jefferson for a short gain on a screen that looked like it could have gone for a big play.

"I think he's starting to get a sense back there," head coach John Harbaugh said. "Processing the game, inside the game, when you're a player is so much about just feel. You call it feel, [or] you can call it what you want, but all the awareness of being able to calculate all the different crazy things that can happen inside of a play – at the level of the NFL; I think you can only know and understand that if you've played in the NFL – which I haven't – to know how fast it is in the inside of a play in the National Football League."

OLB Mike Green

Even though he didn't extend his consecutive games with a sack streak to three in a row, the second-round edge defender had his best and most all-around disruptive game to date, as he also continues to peak at the right time. Green was breathing down McCarthy's neck and in his face all game long, and blew up — or at least threw off — the timing of plays in the backfield. His tackle for loss of running back Aaron Jones, 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage, was just as valuable as a sack because it was such a huge negative play for the Vikings' offense.

As a pass rusher, Green gave Minnesota franchise left tackle Christian Darrisaw all he could handle and then some when lined up on the blindside. He utilized several different pass rush moves with much success. Green either forced McCarthy to step up in the pocket or get flushed from it entirely, and still managed to record his second tackle on a short scramble. He tied for the second-most pressures on the team with 4 and tied for the lead in quarterback hits with 3. The last couple of quarterback hits occurred on the Vikings' final two possessions of the game. The first resulted in an errant pass that was initially ruled an interception but was questionably overturned. The second was on McCarthy's last pass attempt, which fell incomplete well short of the line to gain.

LB Teddye Buchanan

After being named the AFC Defensive Rookie of the Month in October, the fourth-round rookie opened November with one of his strongest performances to date. Despite playing his fewest defensive snaps (38) since Week 1 in his eighth straight start, Buchanan was still able to have a notable impact on the game as a consistent disruptor and made plays on special teams as well. He tied his All Pro partner in the middle of the defense, Roquan Smith, for the second-most total tackles on the team with 6, got the initial penetration into the backfield on defensive tackle Travis Jones' tackle for loss and generated the initial pressure that led to his sack.

Buchanan's 21 special teams snaps tied for the third-most on the team and made his presence felt in that phase of the game as well by making a pair of tackles, causing his first career turnover. His first tackle was a solo takedown of Vikings returner Myles Price on the opening kickoff of the second half, and the second came on the third when he forced a second straight fumble by the coverage unit, although they weren't able to recover it. Buchanan's overall PFF grade of 77.7 wasn't just the third-highest among all Ravens defenders but on the entire team.

"Things have slowed down for him tremendously,” Smith said. "He's just going to to continue growing as a player, really smart player, really good dude so I'm just excited for everything that is in store for him."

OT Carson Vinson

The fifth-round rookie was active for just the second time this season and saw the first regular snaps of his career. Although all five of them came on special teams, the fact that the Ravens had him dress for the game and serve as swing tackle over experienced veteran Joseph Noteboom speaks volumes about how the small-school prospect, who was the only player drafted from a Historically Black College, has come in his development.

"He really hadn't been ready up until the last week or two, maybe, probably two weeks," Harbaugh said. "We felt like he was in the conversation, and then we just decided to do it, see if he could handle field goal protection, and then he would've had to be the backup [at tackle] if something had happened."

K Tyler Loop

After not attempting a single field goal last week as a result of the Ravens' offense making the most of their red zone opportunities, the sixth-round rookie was much busier in this game because the opposite came to fruition. Loop made both of his extra points and was called upon for a trio of chip shots after the offense stalled out in the red zone. He also made a 44-yarder and missed wide left from 56 yards to fall to 1-of-3 from 50-plus this season through nine games.

WR LaJohntay Wester

For the sixth time this season, the sixth-round rookie saw action in multiple phases of the game, with 6 coming on special teams and one on offense. He picked up 19 yards on his lone punt return opportunity, and with second-year running back Rasheen Ali inactive as a healthy scratch, the Ravens gave Wester his first shot as a kick returner at the pro level. He ripped off a 30-yard return on his first, 29 on his second and just 20 on his third that also resulted in his first career fumble, but thankfully the ball went out of bounds.

CB Keyon Martin

Although the Ravens came into this game with all of their starters in the secondary healthy and ended the same way, the undrafted free agent out of Louisiana-Lafayette still got to see some limited action on defense after being relegated to playing predominantly on special teams in recent weeks. Martin made impressive plays in both phases of the game as he finished with a trio of solo tackles in the open field.

The first came the Ravens' third punt of the game when flew down the field and brought down Price for no gain on a maintain all 49 yards of Jordan Stout's boot and pin Minnesota at their own 16-yard line. He only saw 8 snaps on defense, all of which came on the Vikings' last drive of the game when they were trying to drive to force overtime. With no timeouts, their players were trying hard to get out of bounds to stop the clock, but Martin made a pair of clutch tackles on tight end T.J. Hockenson and then McCarthy to keep it rolling and prevent them from picking up first downs.

"Everything he's done, he's done really well," Harbaugh said. "He had an opportunity to start a game or two there. I thought that was a great learning experience for him, and he was out there making plays. … He'll have an opportunity – it looks like – to do some things in this game."

DB Keondre Jackson

In his first game as a full-time member of the 53-man roster, the undrafted out of Illinois State still played with the high energy and intensity of someone trying to fight their way off the practice squad and balled out on special teams yet again. During his 21 snaps, which tied Buchanan for the second-most on the team, he recorded an assisted tackle and forced his first career fumble and fumble recovery on the same play. Both came while covering the Ravens' second kickoff of the third quarter, right after they had taken their first lead of the game on the prior possession. He joined forces with third-year inside linebacker Trenton Simpson to bring down Price and was able to not only punch the ball out but recover it for another timely turnover.

"He's a big rangy, fast, explosive athlete who is certainly not afraid to throw it in there and mix it up, which he does at a high level," Harbaugh said. "I think he's a football player, and he proves that. [He has an] infectious personality and high energy. To see it show up on the field the way it has is a great thing to see, and he's building a resume, but now the standard keeps going up for him, and he's raising the bar for himself, which is awesome."

ILB Jay Higgins

The undrafted free agent out of Iowa played exclusively on special teams for the ninth game in a row, with his 15 snaps in the third phase of the game being just the fifth-most on the team, but that didn't stop him from having nearly as big an impact as Jackson. He recorded a single-game career-high 2 total tackles, both of which were solos, and he was part of the swarm that helped Buchanan force the loose ball on kickoff. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury that will cause him to miss a few weeks but, thankfully, it isn't season-ending, according to Harbaugh.