Here’s Our Prediction for Vikings at Browns
After the bye in Week 6, the Minnesota Vikings face a possible fatal gauntlet of opponents, so it’s vital for the club to score a win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 6. Our writers believe the team will do precisely that.
In a Week 5 contest across the ocean, the Minnesota Vikings will face the Cleveland Browns, and our staff has formal scores and predictions.
A weekly tradition, we asked our staff to predict the winner and score of Browns-Vikings, and those individuals have formally weighed in for the week.
Vikings at Browns in London | Staff Predictions
Our writers didn’t leave much to mystery, almost unanimously taking the purple team.
Score Picks from VT Writers
It’s the almost dreaded sweep for our panel, which some cynical folks will consider a jinx. Wes Johnson saved it from total hoodoo malarkey.
Dustin Baker: MIN Wins, 27-10
Sean Borman: MIN Wins, 27-24
Janik Eckardt: MIN Wins, 17-14
Josh Frey: MIN Wins, 17-13
Henrique Gucciardi: MIN Wins, 14-9
Wesley Johnson: CLE Wins, 19-17
Kyle Joudry: MIN Wins, 26-13
Adam New: MIN Wins, 9-6
Tony Schultz: MIN Wins, 20-18
Ted Schwerzler: MIN Wins, 28-17
Ali Siddiqui: MIN Wins, 17-13
Cole Smith: MIN Wins, 9-8
In Week 4, Kyle Joudry most accurately predicted the outcome, claiming a week ago that Minnesota would lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers by three — and that’s precisely how it shook down.
Clutch Points‘ Ben Strauss predicted a quiet game for first-time starter Dillon Gabriel and noted, “The Browns will likely plan to give Quinshon Judkins plenty of carries to take some pressure off Gabriel. They may also deploy plenty of screen passes, RPOs, and other plays designed to beat an all-out blitz.”
“If this is indeed how the Browns approach Week 5, the Vikings will easily be able to shut it down. Therefore, I am predicting that Gabriel will throw for no more than 150 passing yards in Week 5. Don’t panic about Gabriel yet, Browns fans! Give him a few more weeks to go up against teams like Miami and New England before calling him a bust.”
Running Standings from Our Predictors
Kyle Joudry: 3-1
Henrique Gucciardi: 2-2
Sean Borman: 2-2
Wes Johnson: 2-2
Ted Schwerzler: 2-2
Cole Smith: 2-2
Janik Eckardt: 2-2
Adam New: 2-2
Ali Siddiqui: 2-2
Dustin Baker: 1-3
Josh Frey: 1-3
Jourdy has separated by a smidgen, mainly because he was one of the few to forecast a Steelers dub in Dublin.
The Score Prediction from the Group
Tallying all winners and scores but with one voice from VT, our panel believes Minnesota will prevail over Cleveland by a score of 19-14.
Minnesota will face the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit Lions, and Baltimore Ravens — all in a row — after the Week 6 bye, so it is of the utmost importance to log a win in England. Otherwise, this season could get messy.
Predictions for NFL Media
Gennaro Filice of NFL.com picked Minnesota to win and explained, “Why Gennaro picked the Vikings: One month into the season, Cleveland could have the best defense in football. The Browns allow the fewest yards per game and yards per play, while ranking second (behind Seattle) in Defensive DVOA. Yet, the team sits in the AFC North cellar at 1-3 because of a woefully inept offense that has more turnovers (eight) than touchdowns (six).”
“Not only has Kevin Stefanski’s toothless attack failed to hold up its end of the bargain, but it’s hanging the defense out to dry by consistently giving opponents short fields. This explains why Cleveland ranks 24th in scoring D, a misleading statistic that could erroneously suggest Jim Schwartz’s group isn’t getting the job done. This also explains why Cleveland is making a change at quarterback, benching 40-year-old Joe Flacco and turning to third-round pick Dillon Gabriel.”
Minnesota and Cleveland met in London during the 2017 season — the Vikings had a 2-2 record then, too — as Mike Zimmer’s club prevailed and wound up travelling all the way to the NFC Championship.
Filice continued, “What does all of this mean for Sunday’s London tilt vs. Minnesota? Well, with the Browns facing an injury-riddled Vikings offensive line, Myles Garrett, Maliek Collins and Co. should wreak havoc once again. However, I anticipate Cleveland will continue to struggle offensively, with a rookie quarterback making his starting debut against Brian Flores’ brain-scrambling defense.”
“Expecting a low-scoring affair on foreign soil, I’ll give an extra edge in the acclimation department to Minnesota, which is playing its second straight game across the pond following last Sunday’s three-point loss to Pittsburgh in Dublin.”
The Vikings have won 11 straight contests against teams led by rookie passers.
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