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October 17, 11:47 AMMinnesota Vikings ExaminerJoseph Oberle

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Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed (20) tackles Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson (32).

(AP Photo/Gail Burton)

The Minnesota Vikings will face their sternest test of the season on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, and they will be ready. Since the first game of the season, the Purple and Gold squad (as opposed to the mockingbird Ravens' purple and black) has steadily improved their play in every facet of the game. Vikings quarterback Brett Favre has becoming increasingly comfortable with the offense and the offensive personnel (namely his receivers), and shaky early season performances have turned into solid and convincing victories. The Ravens, losers of their past two games, will be hungry, but they will not be fed this week in the Metrodome.

The Vikings’ schedule has really worked out to their advantage this season. The late arriving Favre needed a few weeks to acclimate at the beginning of the season and Cleveland and Detroit provided that opportunity. Both games the Vikings started out slow and came on in the second half to put away teams they should have had no trouble with. Week 3, the Niners came to town with a 2-0 record and a fired up coach, but the Vikings started strong and finished strong (albeit, almost too late) to win the game in dramatic fashion. Week 4 required an inspired performance to defeat divisional rival Green Bay, and Favre and the defense provided it by actually dominating the Packers until prevent time.

Last week's game against the St. Louis Rams served as a nice tune-up for this week, as the Vikings created turnovers (and received others) and were able to dominate the game and rest some starters before it was over. The struggling Rams never really tested Minnesota, and now the Vikings should be ready for war.

The next three games will arguably be the toughest stretch of the schedule (Baltimore, in Pittsburgh and in Green Bay), but the Vikings have shown periods of great play in all phases of the game this season, just not all at the same time. They should be ready to, and need to be firing on all cylinders against the Ravens on Sunday.

The Ravens will bring their usual tough defense and a good offense to town. Baltimore is as tough against the run as Minnesota, not having given up a 100-yard rusher in a long string of games until surrendering 120 to Cincinnati Bengals rusher Cedric Benson last week. But their pass defense has shown some holes of late and may provide the opportunity for Favre to exploit it. Some have blamed the loss of Rex Ryan (now head coach of the new York Jets) as defensive coordinator for the troubles, but there are also some players who have been around for some time, as well (Ray Lewis, 34, and Ed Reed, 31). They are still performing but may becoming a little long in the tooth.

The Ravens’ offensive line sets up a couple interesting matchups as former Viking center and Minnesota native Matt Birk returns for first time since leaving as a free agent. The multiple-time pro bowler will have the pleasure of blocking one Pat Williams, who has spent the past few years blocking in practice, and Williams, for one, is tired of hearing about it.

"Everyone's trying to make it a Birk thing, a Pat thing. But I don't care," Williams said to the Pioneer Press. "We don't miss him around here. We don't care about no [expletive] Baltimore or nothing. We're on a mission. We're worried about the Minnesota Vikings. That's it."

In addition, left tackle Jared Gaither is doubtful for the game and that means his replacement rookie Michael Oher will have the pleasure of stopping Vikes defensive end Jared Allen, who has collected 6.5 sacks this season. Oher, who shut down Antwan Odom last weekend, is the University of Mississippi grad who many draft-niks had slated for the Vikings to select at number 22 in this past draft, but instead, the Vikings passed on him and picked up Percy Harvin. The Vikings picked up their offensive lineman in the second round, Phil Loadholt, and if memory serves, Oher wasn’t too happy about sliding when the Vikings made their pick. Oher will have his hands full with Allen on Sunday, but look for him to bring something a little extra to the game.

Speaking of Harvin, he will be a game time decision for the Vikings, due to a bum shoulder and Loadholt is listed as questionable for the game. If Harvin can’t play he will be missed with his ability to give the Ravens pass defense something else to think about when Favre drops back to pass.

This game against the Ravens will be a tough battle for the Vikings—they will not have faced this formidable of an opponent thus far, and with two losses in the rearview mirror, Baltimore will be playing with a real sense of urgency. With two good defenses on the field, the score will be lower than what the Vikings fans have become accustomed to this season, and it will not be decided early this week.

In the end, I see Adrian Peterson getting loose for at least 100 yards and Favre doing just enough to keep the Vikes on top. If the Minnesota defense shuts down quarterback Joe Flacco (who is on pass to double his stats of his fantastic rookie season last year), and the run stoppers in the middle will stuff Willis McGahee and the Baltimore rushing attach, the Vikings can reach a record of 6-0. I believe they will. I see a close game with the original Purple team winning at home. Minnesota 17-Baltimore 14.