BALTIMORE — Six days before they would travel east to face the Ravens, the Vikings found out defensive end Danielle Hunter would miss the rest of the season because of a torn pectoral muscle. The news came Friday that nose tackle Michael Pierce would miss a fourth consecutive game because of an elbow injury, and after a round of coronavirus retests on Sunday morning, they placed safety Harrison Smith on the COVID-19 reserve list 90 minutes before game time.
The three developments effectively left the Vikings two paths to leave M&T Bank Stadium with a victory: Last 12 rounds with former league MVP Lamar Jackson and the Ravens' run game, or land the haymaker that would take them out early.