The Minnesota Vikings beat the Cleveland Browns 33-16 on Sunday morning (Oct. 29), bringing an end to the London games on the NFL schedule this year. A report by ESPN stated that 74,237 fans showed up to watch the teams battle it out, which will likely be the last crowd of that size to watch NFL action in England. The games next year move to a new stadium in Tottenham which holds only 61,559 fans.
Case Keenum was the quarterback for the Vikings, completing 27-of-43 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown. He also threw one interception but was continuously able to move the ball against the Browns defense.
On the ground, Jerick McKinnon never really got going, rushing for 50 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Latavius Murray also struggled, posting only 39 rushing yards on 19 carries.
Browns continue to struggle
With this loss, the Cleveland Browns fall to 0-8 on the season and take a step closer to the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Despite all the negatives for the team this season, the Browns are still presenting a stout defense against the run. The Vikings ran for 88 yards on 34 carries, working out to a paltry average of just 2.6 yards per carry. That’s something any defensive coordinator in the league would love to see from his line.
Fans looking to take a “positive” away from this game will have to settle for the Browns having a bye week.
The team will take the field again on Nov. 12 against the Detroit Lions to begin a run toward the end of the regular season. There are a number of games that could be winnable for the Browns down the stretch, but it’s also possible that this is a roster that could be staring at a 0-16 record if they don’t find better quarterback play.
Viking looking good in NFL playoff standings
Coming into the weekend, the Minnesota Vikings held the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff standings. The team has now improved to 6-2 and certainly has a shot to catch up to the Philadelphia Eagles (6-1). The Eagles play against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, though, suggesting the team is about to move to 7-1 and hold on to that top spot.
Getting the No. 2 seed does mean a first-round postseason bye, which would be a good goal for the Vikings. The Vikings also head into a bye week before playing the Washington Redskins on Nov. 12.
More interesting news from the NFC North comes from the Detroit Lions, as some Calvin Johnson trade rumors have surfaced. Teams are reportedly trying to get Johnson to come back from his retirement to play during the 2017 NFL season. That could be a very interesting wrinkle, especially if Johnson joined a team like the New England Patriots down the stretch.
