MINNEAPOLIS — All season, Baltimore Ravens coaches and players have preached turnovers. Finally, they’re beginning to see that mantra come to life.

On Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, rookie safety Malaki Starks had his second interception in as many games, cornerback Marlon Humphrey added another and undrafted rookie free agent safety Keondre Jackson helped force a fumble on a kick return and recovered it to help propel Baltimore to its third straight victory, 27-19, at a raucous U.S. Bank Stadium that drew a little quieter with each one.

The win moves the Ravens (4-5) within a game of .500 after beginning the season with five losses in their first six games. More importantly, a defense that had been maligned over the first five weeks of the season seems to be turning the corner and recapturing its swagger.

Three of the turnovers that Baltimore caused led to two of Tyler Loop’s four field goals on the day and a 1-yard Justice Hill touchdown run early in the third quarter. Then the defense, along with Derrick Henry (75 yards on 20 carries) and Lamar Jackson (17-of-29 passing for 176 yards and one touchdown; 36 yards rushing on nine carries), helped salt the game away.

But no turnovers were more critical than the two that came in back-to-back possessions to open the second half.

With Minnesota (4-5) clinging to a 10-9 lead on its opening possession of the third quarter and facing a third-and-1 from midfield, quarterback J.J. McCarthy aired it out for Justin Jefferson, but the All-Pro wide receiver fell down. Humphrey settled under the ball like a center fielder and easily hauled it in. One play later, Harrison Smith was flagged for pass interference on tight end Isaiah Likely, resulting in a 22-yard gain and an eventual 22-yard field goal by Loop.

That gave Baltimore its first lead of the day, one it would not relinquish.

On the ensuing kickoff, undrafted rookie free agent returner Myles Price was stripped by linebacker Trenton Simpson and Keondre Jackson with Jackson recovering the ball at Minnesota’s 23. That helped set up the Ravens’ first touchdown six plays later with Hill scoring from a yard out.

Once the Ravens had a cushion, the defense began to zero in, and the offense finally got rolling just enough, too.

On the Vikings’ next possession, McCarthy’s pass intended for Jordan Addison on fourth-and-2 from Baltimore’s 46 fell incomplete. That eventually led to a Loop 56-yard field goal attempt, but the kick sailed wide left.

Will Reichart added a 43-yard field goal on Minnesota’s next series to cut the deficit to 19-13 at the 2:20 mark of the third quarter, but that’s as close as it would be the rest of the way.

When Baltimore got the ball back, it leaned on its ground game to grind valuable time off the clock and wear the Vikings down. Henry carried the ball six times for 39 yards, and Jackson completed all three pass attempts, including to Mark Andrews for a 2-yard touchdown that was followed by a 2-point conversion to Rashod Bateman to push the lead to two scores.

Still, the Vikings chipped away.

McCarthy led a nine-play, 65-yard drive that was aided by a replay assist that overturned an interception by linebacker Roquan Smith and capped by a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Nailor in the back of the end zone with cornerback Nate Wiggins thinking the receiver was already out of bounds. That pulled Minnesota within eight points, but a 2-point conversion attempt — a pass to Nailor — went incomplete.

Faced with a fourth-and-4 with 21 seconds remaining, McCarthy’s pass to running back Aaron Jones fell incomplete.

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