Kevin O’Connell Outsmarts Browns on Winning Drive
As the Vikings started their final drive from their own 20 with 3:05 remaining, it appeared they were in serious jeopardy of going winless on the unprecedented two-game international road trip and falling to 2-3 on the season.
Vikings QB Carson Wentz had four backup offensive linemen in the game — center Blake Brandel (in his first-ever game at center), guard Joe Huber, and tackles Justin Skule and Walter Rouse after Christian Darrisaw was out of the game in the fourth quarter on a pitch count.
Kevin O’Connell’s late-game adjustments lifted the Vikings past the Browns in London, sealing a clutch win with Carson Wentz leading the drive.
After the makeshift line had kept Cleveland’s No. 1 defense sackless in the first half with Wentz mainly throwing quick passes, the Browns had sacked Wentz three times in the second half.
But in a tremendous combination of play calling by Kevin O’Connell with more quick throws, accuracy by Wentz, playmaking from Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and Jordan Addison, and solid blocking up front, the Vikings drove 80 yards in 10 plays to win a game they had to have to improve to 3-2 at their bye.
I thought O’Connell outsmarted Browns DC Jim Schwartz, who believed his corners could cover Jefferson and Addison man-to-man on too many snaps. O’Connell called quick throws, and Wentz was on target to Jefferson for 21 yards as he beat Pro Bowl corner Denzel Ward on a 50/50 ball (something he did several times in the game, and Wentz and J.J. McCarthy need to give Jefferson more of these 50/50 shots as he’ll win that battle most of the time for big plays.
Kevin O’Connell Takes Down Cleveland on Final Drive in London
Addison made a critical 3rd-and-4 reception against Myles Harden, and then with 30 seconds left, Wentz threw a perfect touchdown strike to Addison, who beat Ward and a safety late in helping out.
Wentz completed all nine of his passes for 71 yards on the last drive. The line didn’t allow immediate penetration as Wentz got the ball out quickly. T.J. Hockenson contributed two catches for 20 yards on the game-winning drive. Throughout the game, Hockenson and fellow tight end Josh Oliver were a big part of pass protection to help the makeshift O-line. Oliver played 45% of the offensive snaps, which is more than he has in recent weeks.
The Vikings are now 5-0 in London regular season games and hit the much-needed bye, hoping that the week off heals many of the injured players who are needed for the upcoming difficult stretch beginning on October 19 at home against the Super Bowl champion Eagles, who had their 10-game winning streak snapped in a 21-17 home loss to Denver.
The Vikings need the return of OLB Andrew Van Ginkel (neck, missed the last two games), ILB Blake Cashman (hamstring, eligible to return from I.R.), RT Brian O’Neill (knee), LG Donovan Jackson (wrist), and safety Harrison Smith to get back to full duty compared to his limited snaps. Aaron Jones’ hamstring should be healed for him to return from I.R. for the Chargers game on October 23.
As for McCarthy and his sprained ankle, he should be ready to go in two weeks, but O’Connell likely will have him be the backup to Wentz, who deserves to start against the Eagles (his original NFL team that drafted him second overall in 2016). After that, it remains to be seen.
Here are my other reactions to the Vikings’ 21-17 victory in London
1. Blake Brandel deserves great credit for his center play. He had no miscues on the center-QB exchange, did well enough in run blocking and pass protection, and apparently handled the line calls effectively. He did have a holding penalty that nullified a long pass play to Jalen Nailor.
With Ryan Kelly’s concussion problem landing him on I.R. for at least the next four games, I think Brandel should remain the starting center ahead of Michael Jurgens, who missed the Browns game with a hamstring injury and was shaky against the Steelers.
Even as several O-line starters return from injury, it will help the Vikings over the course of the season to have young linemen Joe Huber at guard and Walter Rouse at tackle, along with Jurgens gaining valuable play time early this season.
And tackle Justin Skule should gain confidence from doing well when he was matched up against all-pro DE Myles Garrett (he allowed a sack by Alex Wright but not Garrett, and on the game-winning pass to Addison, Skule and Huber successfully double-teamed Garrett).
As for Darrisaw being on a pitch count, the Vikings hope it won’t be needed in two more weeks. And if he needs a break, how about resting him in the first or second quarter instead of the fourth quarter and final drive with the game on the line, as was the case on Sunday?
2. I think O’Connell should’ve fined Addison (and probably did) for missing the walk-through last week, but I didn’t like holding the Vikings’ second-best receiver out for the entire first quarter, which hurt the offense. I understand the coach wanting to make a strong point to a young player who has had his share of off-field issues, but I think one series would have sufficed instead of the two series in that quarter.
3. Other than the two costly fumbles (by Jordan Mason and Zavier Scott), the run game did enough with 97 yards on the ground against the league’s top run defense to help balance the offense that had 349 yards gained overall, the most this season against Cleveland’s D.
4. The Vikings’ run defense had another rough outing, with 140 yards given up, including 110 yards to an OK young back in Quinshon Judkins. There were too many missed tackles by players such as Theo Jackson, Ivan Pace, and Josh Metellus, and Dallas Turner has to be more consistent on outside contain.
The run defense was better late in the game, with two run stops of Judkins on their late fourth-quarter drive that went 3-and-out, giving the Vikings offense the ball back. Jonathan Greenard and Eric Wilson made the first stop, and Javon Hargrave and Dallas Turner were credited with the second stop.
The Vikings’ defense was excellent in shutting the Browns out in the fourth quarter. The Browns were held to 3 of 15 on third down, but they did convert all three of their fourth down plays.
Van Ginkel, Cashman, and a full-time Smith are much needed with Saquon Barkley and the Eagles sure to attack heavily on the ground (although Philly has been much less effective this season—ranking 25th in rushing compared to second last year and Barkley has only 267 rushing yards with a 3.2 yard average after last season with 2,005 yards and 5.8 per carry).
Still, the Eagles will try hard to run on the Vikings, especially after Jalen Hurts was sacked six times in Sunday’s loss to the Broncos.
5. This was the second straight game the Vikings lost the turnover battle 2-0 with no takeaways. That has to change for a team that was plus 12 last year in turnover ratio (third-best) and led the league with 33 takeaways. The Vikings currently are minus 2 in the ratio.
6. O’Connell and the offensive coaches showed great creativity against a tough defense with misdirection run plays, quick passes, including lots of screens, Akers’ wildcat pass for the TD, and scheming Jefferson and Addison open under the shell coverages.
7. I thought Browns rookie QB Dillon Gabriel played well in his first start with two TD passes, no turnovers, and he moved well (Harrison Smith had a great tackle on a Dillon third-down scramble to stop him short of the first down in the second quarter).
8. The play of young DTs Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, and Tyrion Ingram Dawkins was impressive in the Browns game. They contributed a tipped pass (Redmond), six tackles, including a tackle-for-loss by Drake Rodriguez and a sack plus a tackle-for-loss by Ingram-Dawkins. They are proving to be valuable players in the rotation with starters Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
9. Ryan Wright is having an excellent season. His 77-yard third-quarter punt changed field position, and after a 3-and-out forced by the defense, the offense had great field position that was spoiled by Scott’s fumble early in the fourth quarter. Wright averaged 57.2 yards per punt on Sunday. His season gross average of 49.1 yards ranks ninth, and his 45.5 net average is third-best.
Will Reichard missed his first kick this season on the 51-yard attempt in the third quarter. There was speculation that it hit a camera wire, causing it to veer off course, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
10. The penalties continue to be a problem, with six in the first half, but it was better with only one in the second half, for a total of seven for 50 yards. The Vikings lead the NFL in penalties thus far, and they were fortunate that the Browns were worse, with 10 penalties for 78 yards, including several that extended drives.
Around the NFL Observations from Week 5
1. The Lions rolled over the Bengals 37-24 with Jared Goff throwing three TD passes and the Lions D intercepting Jake Browning three times. Detroit leads the NFC North at 4-1, ahead of the 3-2 Vikings, the Packers at 2-1-1, and the Bears at 2-2. Green Bay and Chicago just had their bye week.
Detroit is at Kansas City in a big Sunday night game this week. The Packers host the reeling Bengals, and the Bears have a tough matchup at 3-2 Washington.
2. No unbeaten teams: Philly and Buffalo both were upset at home. In the Eagles’ loss to the Broncos, Jalen Hurts was sacked six times and Philly had only 45 rushing yards. Denver had 10 more minutes in time of possession.
It was an impressive game for Pats’ second-year QB Drake Maye, who passed for 273 yards with no turnovers. Stefon Diggs had 10 catches for 146 yards. Andres Borregales’ 52-yard field goal with 15 seconds left won it. New coach Mike Vrabel has done a great job in New England, leading a team that was 4-13 last season to a 3-2 record.
3. It was an exciting game in Seattle as the Bucs beat the Seahawks 38-35. Sam Darnold had 341 passing yards and four TDs, but he had a pass bounce off a helmet into a costly late pick that led to the winning field goal for Tampa Bay. Baker Mayfield was terrific for the now 4-1 Bucs (379 passing yards, 87.9% completions, and two TDs).
Houston crushed reeling 1-4 Baltimore with Lamar Jackson out with a hamstring injury. The Chargers lost 27-10 at home to the Commanders as injuries piled up on the Chargers’ O-line, along with top back Omarion Hampton spraining his ankle (and he’s headed to I.R.).
It’s good news for the Vikings that the Chargers are struggling with two losses after a 3-0 start and are having trouble protecting Justin Herbert, who had only 166 passing yards with one interception and four sacks taken. The Vikings face the Chargers in L.A. on Thursday night, October 23, after the Philly game.
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