Minnesota Vikings Lose To Baltimore Ravens 29-26 In Close Fourth Quarter Game

The first three and a half quarters between the Minnesota Vikings (3-9-1) and Baltimore Ravens (7-6) game was snowy, slow and uneventful. But from the final 2:00 minute warning, 2:01 to be exact, the two teams brought their A game today.

Dec 8, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jerome Simpson (81) is congratulated after his touchdown catch thrown by quarterback Matt Cassel against the Baltimore Ravens at M

Between Minnesota and Baltimore they had 5 TD’s and scored 42 points in the 4^th quarter, but unfortunately for Minnesota it wasn’t enough. With four seconds left in the game Marlon Brown hit a 9-yard touchdown reception from Joe Flacco and sealed the Vikings fate for this game and any playoff hopes– the Vikings lost 29-26.

With this win the Ravens won for the fourth time in five games to remain in contention in the AFC wild card race.

Cordarrelle Patterson’s 79-yard catch and run gave the Vikings a 26-22 lead. But the Raven’s Jacoby Jones’ answered that with a 77-yard kickoff return and score, and that put Baltimore up 22-19 with 1:16 remaining.

But that touchdown was countered by Toby Gerhart and a 41-yard touchdown run, which gave the Vikings a 19-15 lead.

This after Joe Flacco’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Dennis Pitta, plus a two-point conversion, gave the Ravens their first lead at 15-12.

Matt Cassel was 17 out of 38 with 265 yards and two touchdowns.

Jerome Simpson had 48 yards and hauled in very first 8-yard touchdown pass in his 25 games with the Vikings, early in the fourth.

And Adrian Peterson was helped off the field with 11:27 remaining in the second quarter after suffering a right ankle injury when he was twisted up by linebacker Arthur Brown. The NFL’s leading rusher was taken to a local hospital for an MRI exam after running for 13 yards on seven carries. He later came back to the game but was sidelined.