The Minnesota Vikings are now 5-0 in London after defeating the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, 21-17. The Vikings spent the majority of this game trailing, but Carson Wentz led a 10-play, 80-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, finding Jordan Addison in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.
Wentz injured his left shoulder in the second quarter and was listed as questionable, but he remained in the game. The former No. 2 overall pick showed some grit, completing 25 of 34 passes for 236 yards and the one touchdown. Justin Jefferson came up big with seven catches for 123 yards, while Addison caught five passes for 41 yards and the game-winning score after being benched in the first quarter.
As for the Browns, rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel completed 19 of 33 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns in his first NFL start. His two passing touchdowns went to his trusty tight ends, David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr. Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins again looked like an emerging star, as he rushed 23 times for 110 yards.
Gabriel had a chance to lead a game-winning drive with 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, but he had zero timeouts to work with. The Browns got the ball to the Vikings' 27-yard line before they ran out of time.
Let's examine what went down in this matchup:
Dillon Gabriel
Let's start with the headliner: How did Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel look in his first NFL start?
Gabriel played alright, and completed 19 of 33 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. The Oregon product didn't make any tragic errors and ran the offense how Kevin Stefanski wanted him to, but he did miss some easy throws while the Browns went a putrid 3 of 15 on third downs.
Overall, the stage wasn't too big for him -- even while facing an aggressive defensive coordinator like Brian Flores. We know that Gabriel is unlikely to morph into Josh Allen, but he is in theory a quick processor that can bring some consistency to an offense.
Browns' first-year players
Through five weeks, it appears the Browns have one of the best draft classes/rookie classes in the NFL. Entering this matchup, their first-year players had registered 988 snaps, which ranked most in the NFL.
Gabriel is the new starting quarterback, No. 5 overall pick Mason Graham has been a Day 1 starter, linebacker Carson Schwesinger is the team's leading tackler, notching another 12 takedowns on Sunday, Quinshon Judkins looks like a star in the making and recorded his first 100-yard outing vs. the Vikings, Harold Fannin Jr. caught a touchdown Sunday and undrafted wide receiver Isaiah Bond is receiving legitimate snaps as well.
Maybe the Browns aren't Super Bowl contenders, but it's easy to be excited about their young core.
Carson Wentz creating QB controversy
Wentz is now 2-1 as the Vikings starter with J.J. McCarthy sidelined. How long will Kevin O'Connell keep him as QB1?
It was impressive that Wentz injured his left shoulder on a second-quarter scramble, yet only missed one snap. He returned to the lineup in the second half and led two scoring drives -- including the game-winning drive -- while sporting a shoulder harness. The veteran showed some incredible toughness on Sunday, and without a doubt has been the better Vikings quarterback this year.
Vikings offense by starting QB
(Via NFL Network)
|
Points per game | 16.5 | 30.0 |
Total yards per game | 226.0 | 357.7 |
Big plays per game | 4.5 | 7.0 |
Passing yards per game | 127.0 | 245.7 |
Jordan Addison
Addison did not play in the first quarter on Sunday because he missed a walkthrough during the week. That led O'Connell to make the decision he did, but Addison rebounded and caught five passes for 41 yards all in the second half, and the game-winning touchdown.
"Those types of things aren't in alignment with our standards and (I) wanted to make sure he was held accountable for that. But at the same time he knows that," O'Connell said after the game. "I thought he handled it professionally. He spoke with the team to let them know that whenever I gave him the opportunity to go in the game, they could count on him, and he makes the game-winning catch."
Addison made his first appearance of the season last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Ireland after being suspended for the first three games of the season, and he caught four of eight targets for 114 yards. He's definitely off to a hot start.
What's next
The Vikings get a well-earned bye after two weeks overseas. As for the Browns, they will travel to face Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers next Sunday.
