Vikings' coach 'personally embarrassed' by penalty debacle against Ravens

After eight false start penalties in a 27-19 loss at home to the Ravens, Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said Tuesday that he is "embarrassed" by the performance.

"I just wanted to address that right off the bat," said Phillips at the outset of his press conference. "Obviously, something we can't have. That's losing football. To lose the turnover battle, pre-snap penalties, that's not winning football. I personally am embarrassed by it. We got the unit together, we have a plan going forward to make sure none of that happens again."

Of the eight false starts, five of them happened on first down to back the Vikings into a difficult situation. One came on fourth down, and two others happened on third downs. In six of the eight instances, the Vikings failed to pick up a first down or touchdown in the plays following the penalty.

Here's what happened after every false start:

1. Blake Brandel: On Minnesota's third drive, Brandel's penalty put Minnesota in a 3rd-and-13 instead of a 3rd-and-8. They failed on third down and settled for a field goal.

2. Brian O'Neill: It happened on first down, putting the Vikings in a 1st-and-15 midway through the second quarter. Two plays later, on a 3rd-and-6, McCarthy threw a deep ball that was intercepted.

3. Ben Yurosek: It came on first down midway through the third quarter, with the Vikings trailing 19-10. It put the offense behind the changes, and a 1st-and-15 eventually became 4th-and-2, and the Vikings couldn't convert.

4. Christian Darrisaw: It came late in the third quarter with the Vikings in Baltimore territory, and backed Minnesota into a 1st-and-15 at the 25-yard line. Three incomplete passes followed, forcing the Vikings to kick a field goal.

5. Justin Jefferson: Trailing 27-13 in the fourth quarter, Jefferson flinched and backed the Vikings into a 1st-and-15. His penalty was bailed out of a Ravens pass interference penalty on the next play.

6. J.J. McCarthy: After forcing a punt, this false start put Minnesota in a 1st-and-15 while trailing by two touchdowns with under six minutes to go in the game.

7. Brian O'Neill: This one came on 4th-and-5 with the Vikings at the Baltimore 5-yard line with 3:28 to play. That made it 4th-and-goal from the 10, and McCarthy somehow completed a pass to Jalen Nailor for a touchdown.

8. Brian O'Neill: With 47 seconds left and the Vikings trailing 27-19, this one backed the Vikings into a 3rd-and-11. The Vikings turned the ball over on downs two plays later.

"Each one is kind of its individual story, but regardless of where it's coming from, what it's doing, we've implemented some things that we think can help that going forward," Phillips said. "I'm not going to get into granular detail, but I feel confident going forward that we've got the right group of guys."

We'll see if the plan works Sunday when Minnesota hosts Chicago in a pivotal NFC North matchup.

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