The Baltimore Ravens had a 53-man healthy roster, which forced them to scratch six players for their Week 10-matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

Aeneas peebles, a rookie defensive tackle, was deactivated from the Ravens’ game day plans for the fourth consecutive match in favor of Taven Bryan. Peebles, despite a few limited reps at the start of the season, has been dropped from the Ravens game plans.

Zach Orr, the defensive coordinator for Baltimore’s defense, said that they needed “bigger bodies,” when asked this week about Peebles. This was presumably in order to improve a run defence which had been unusually porous at the start of the season. Baltimore allowed 146.5 yards of rushing per game in their first five games. In the last three games, this number dropped to 85.7. It seems that “bigger bodies’ are working.

The Ravens’ improved run defense can be attributed in part to the return of Roquan, Smith and Hamilton from their hamstring injuries. Hamilton was also deployed as a nickel/star closer to the line. The defensive tackle Travis Jones had a great performance in Miami and the rookie linebacker Teddye Buchanan showed a lot of growth over the past month.

Peebles is a big and fast player, which would seem to fit well in Orr’s new pressure package. However, it’s difficult to dispute the results of his unit over the past three games. Dre’Mont, the newly acquired edge rusher, can also line up on the interior. This allows him to play multiple roles, unlike Peebles who is restricted to obvious passing situations. The team needs to exploit every edge possible, even if it means sacrificing the development of young players.

The Ravens inactive roster is here:

The two notable exclusions are offensive tackle Joseph Noteboom and running back Rasheen Al.

Ali is the first healthy scratch for the season. The Ravens chose to play Keaton Mitchell on offense over his special teams contributions at the start of the season. Both players have been able to play in recent weeks due to injuries, but on Sunday, the Ravens were forced to make a decision. The Ravens chose Mitchell for the first time.

Noteboom has been deactivated and replaced by rookie offensive lineman Carson Vinson. Although the Ravens have not yet seen him play, they must believe he is ready. Ronnie Stanley, the Ravens’ starting left tackle, seems to have recovered from his ankle injury. However, he could be injured at any time.

Noteboom’s performance is so bad that he should be replaced. His 91.1 pass-blocking efficiency is the lowest among offensive tackles. This year, 100 snaps. The Ravens prefer experienced players to rookies, particularly along the offensive lines.

All three players are expected to be absent: offensive lineman Emery Jones and wide receiver Devontez Walker. Jones is being cautious after a long recovery following shoulder surgery. Walker has been blocked in the depth chart for wide receivers. Tyler Huntley has replaced Rush as the Ravens’ backup quarterback.

The Vikings are without their starting safety Theo Jackson on Sunday, as well as tight end Josh Oliver. Oliver, an ex-Raven, was a great run blocker in Baltimore, and he earned a good contract in Minnesota. Oliver will not be able to play in his revenge game, though it is hard to imagine that there were any hard feelings between the two sides. This gives the Ravens the best chance at slowing down the Vikings’ middling running attack.

The Vikings inactive roster is here: