Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell talks to fans before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Vikings claimed their first preseason win in nearly five years last weekend when they defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 24-23.
This weekend, preseason play continues as the Vikings head to Cleveland and take on the Browns on the road. The game comes following a week of joint practices alongside these Browns. Here is a look at everything Vikings fans need to know heading into this preseason game.
This weekend’s game against the Cleveland Browns takes place on Saturday, August 17th. Kickoff is slated for 3:25 PM CDT with the game being broadcast on FOX locally in Minnesota while it can also be streamed on NFL+ in the NFL app.
Of course, this preseason matchup won’t have any impact in terms of overall head-to-head records, but the Browns and Vikings have faced off a total of 17 times over the course of the two franchises’ histories, including an NFL Championship Game matchup during the 1969 season which the Vikings won 27-7.
In all, the Vikings have a 12-5 record against their AFC foe, but Cleveland won the most recent matchup which took place back in 2021, 14-7.
Gabriel Murphy did not play a single snap in Minnesota’s preseason opener due to injury, thus opening the door for Bo Richter, another undrafted free agent, to take on more of a role at the outside linebacker spot. Richter made the most of his opportunity with a pair of tackles for loss and a sack.
Now, Murphy’s chance to respond is this weekend. We’ll see what the UCLA product has in store on Saturday against Cleveland’s offensive line.
The Browns just inked one of their linebackers, Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah, to a new contract extension this week. However, another linebacker, Mohamoud Diabate, is attempting to simply capture a role on the depth chart this fall after playing just 27 defensive snaps during his rookie season.
Diabate is a high-flying LB who thrived around the line of scrimmage during his collegiate career. The Vikings will be tasked with attempting to stop the Florida/Utah product which should be a good test for their interior offensive line and running backs in pass protection.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.