Mother Nature did her best to make this one a snoozer, but no dice.
The Ravens and Vikings combined for 35 points over the final 2:07 minutes of play in a wild affair that wasn't over until quarterback Joe Flacco's 9-yard scoring strike to rookie wide receiver Marlon Brown sealed Baltimore's 29-26 win over Minnesota.
The victory keeps the Ravens (7-6) very much alive for the AFC's sixth playoff seed and -- if the Bengals tumble hard down the stretch -- maybe more.
Here's what else we learned:
- Weather was a major factor all afternoon in a game that saw four lead changes inside the two-minute warning. This one looked to be over after running back Toby Gerhart's 41-yard touchdown run gave the Vikings the lead with 1:45 to go. It wasn't. It looked over after Ravens return man Jacoby Jones took the subsequent kickoff 77 yards to the house with 1:27 on the clock. It wasn't. It definitely looked over after wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson -- with 1:01 left -- breezed in for a 79-yard Vikings score. It wasn't. The Ravens never gave up.
- Joe Flacco played the hero going away, but the rugged conditions were a factor in his otherwise sloppy afternoon. After opening 4-of-14 passing, the Ravens quarterback threw two uglyinterceptions down the stretch. Flacco's third-quarter pick set up a Vikings touchdown before his fourth-quarter interception snuffed out a Ravens drive in Vikings' territory. Still, Flacco was money when it mattered most.
- Vikings running back Adrian Petersonleft the game with what NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport labeled a right mid-foot sprain. In his absence, Gerhart -- despite being victimized by a questionable call on a fumble -- showed well, rambling for 89 yards on the day at 5.9 yards per carry.
- Patterson continues to impress for the Vikings. The rookie is more involved in Minnesota's passing game than ever before and showed speed and a knack for getting open between Baltimore defenders. His 141 receiving yards more than doubled his single-game best on the season.
- It's impossible to ignore Baltimore. Coming off an electric win over the Steelers, the Ravens fought for their lives Sunday and look like a good bet for January. Still, facing the Detroit Lions, New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals won't make for an easy stretch run.
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