Another week, another NFL game in Europe.
This time it was a tight battle in London, with the Minnesota Vikings defeating the Cleveland Browns 21-17 on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Carson Wentz fought through injury to lead Minnesota to the last-minute victory, improving to 3-2 on the season while Cleveland fell to 1-4.
Here are three takeaways from the Vikings-Browns game:
1. The Vikings miraculously find a way
Injuries, fatigue and nearly four quarters of lifeless offense didn’t matter for Minnesota on the last drive.
Wentz put together his best possession of the game, leading the Vikings on a 10-play, 80-yard drive capped off by a Jordan Addison touchdown with 25 seconds to play. The former first-round pick went 9 for 9 on the drive, capping off his day going 25 of 34 for 236 yards, a touchdown and no turnovers.
There was a brief injury concern late in the first half, when Wentz went to the locker room with a shoulder injury and was questionable to return. He returned after the break and third-string rookie Max Brosmer didn’t play, outside of a kneel down to close the first half.
This victory was critical for the Vikings’ playoff hopes given their upcoming schedule. Now 3-2, Minnesota heads into the bye week hoping to get healthy on the O-line and at quarterback. After a week off, the Vikings will host the Eagles in Week 7, then hit the road to face the Chargers and Lions before coming back home to play the Ravens. The upcoming schedule is among the most difficult in the league.
2. Dillon Gabriel’s solid debut
After being named the starter for Joe Flacco during the week, many questioned if it was wise to have a rookie third-rounder debut overseas against a Brian Flores-coached defense.
Well, Dillon Gabriel quieted those doubters with a steady first impression. The Oregon alum went 19 of 33 for 190 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers — no small feat against the turnover-forcing Vikings unit.
Flacco and Gabriel now have the same amount of passing touchdowns on the season, despite the veteran starting the first four games before clearing the way for the rookie. If nothing else, the Browns can fly back to the U.S. knowing that they made the right decision at quarterback.
There will be ups and downs for Gabriel over the rest of the season, but a rebuilding team like Cleveland needs to see what it has in the young QB. Fellow rookies Quinshon Judkins (110 rushing yards), Harold Fannin Jr. (receiving touchdown) and Carson Schwesinger (12 total tackles) were even more impressive.
The Browns visit the Steelers in Pittsburgh next Sunday before Gabriel can make his home debut in Week 7 against the Dolphins.
3. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are an elite WR duo
It’s easy to forget just how good the duo of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are.
Everyone knows about Jefferson, the four-time All-Pro. But Addison is among the top second options in the league, and Sunday proved it. He sat out the first quarter due to a “coaches decision” for missing a walk-through this week, then returned with five receptions for 41 yards and the game-winning touchdown in the second half.
Addison, who was suspended for the first three games of the season due to off-the-field infractions, had 114 yards in his season debut last week.
If the Vikings can figure things out at quarterback and get their offensive line healthy again — and those are two massive “ifs” — there’s no reason this team shouldn’t be in the mix for a wild-card spot. That fact is largely due to this impressive pairing, which was on full display in Europe these past two weeks.