Baltimore beat Minnesota 13-3 Saturday as rookie backup quarterback Joe Fagnano completed 15 of 20 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown to pace the Ravens' offense in a preseason win.
Fagnano, the former UConn and Maine quarterback, posted a 106.9 passer rating and connected with LaJohntay Wester five times for 24 yards and a score. Kicker Tyler Loop converted both of his field goal attempts, including a 49-yarder, to account for the rest of Baltimore's scoring. Minnesota's lone points came on Will Reichard's 52-yard field goal.
The Ravens outscored the Vikings 10-0 in the second half.
"I just liked the resolve," Ravens head coach Jesse Minter said. "Especially on defense, I thought we finished the game a little bit better than last week, which was a goal. Offensively, I thought Joe came in again — second week in a row — and just kind of managed the offense really well. [He] got us down there a few times, made some really key plays throwing the ball, guys made some nice catches for him. I just liked the way we played in the second half with where the game was at halftime.”
Baltimore's defense harassed three Vikings quarterbacks all afternoon, sacking them a combined five times for 37 yards in losses. Linebacker Keondre Jackson led the unit with eight tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss, while outside linebacker Ethan Burke added three solo stops, a sack, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble.
“I think we just continued to improve throughout the week," Burke, an undrafted rookie from Texas, said. "[We] faced them twice in practice and had a better idea of what we were going up against this week. We just continued to go out and execute today and come out of there with a win.”
Cornerback Silas Walters contributed an interception and forced a fumble by Jeshaun Jones that Baltimore recovered.
Tyler Huntley also took snaps for Baltimore, completing 5 of 8 passes for 63 yards. The Ravens, who improved to 2-0 in the preseason, face the Washington Commanders in one more tuneup on Friday before opening the regular season on September 13 on the road at Indianapolis.
No comment on Bateman
After the game, Minter declined to address the situation with wide receiver Rashod Bateman -- who is facing three separate charges stemming from an arrest in Georgia this summer -- other than to point to the Ravens' official statement made on Friday. Asked if he was concerned about Bateman possibly missing playing time, due to NFL's conduct policy, the Ravens coach said, "No comment."