Sportsnaut
The NFL returns to London this weekend with two teams trying to hold their seasons together. The Minnesota Vikings arrive with three starters out along the offensive line and former starter J.J. McCarthy sidelined by a high ankle sprain. Veteran Carson Wentz makes his third start under center, facing a Cleveland Browns defense that ranks among the league’s best. The Browns, meanwhile, turn to rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel for his first NFL start, hoping to ride Quinshon Judkins and their defensive front to a win.
Both teams are wounded, both are desperate, and both are entering a matchup that may come down to who survives the trenches. Here are five bold predictions for what happens at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Browns’ front four enters as the single biggest mismatch on the field. Myles Garrett, the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, already has four sacks in as many games and is on pace for his fifth straight season of 14 or more. Facing him will be a Vikings offensive line missing center Ryan Kelly (concussion), right tackle Brian O’Neill (knee), and left guard Donovan Jackson (wrist). Cleveland ranks first in yards per play allowed (3.9), first in first downs allowed per game (14.2), and third in sack rate (11.4%).
The patchwork replacements only magnify the problem. Blake Brandel, starting at center, has never played a game at the position in college or the NFL. Undrafted rookie Joe Huber starts at guard, while journeyman Justin Skule fills in at tackle. The Steelers posted six sacks against this line last week. The Browns are deeper and more versatile, meaning Garrett and rookie Mason Graham should generate pressure with only four, forcing Wentz into rushed reads.
Cleveland can’t saddle a rookie quarterback with 40 throws in his debut, so the offense leans on its emerging rookie running back. Judkins has carried 39 times in the past two weeks, showing both power and explosiveness. Minnesota presents a favorable matchup: the Vikings rank 24th against the run, allowing 131 rushing yards per game. Much of that weakness shows up in the C and D gaps, where counter and duo runs have gashed them.
Judkins is built to exploit those lanes. His 221-pound frame gives him finishing power, while his vision allows him to bounce runs outside when fronts collapse. Against Pittsburgh, Minnesota allowed 5.2 yards per carry, with most of the damage done outside the tackles. Expect head coach Kevin Stefanski to test the edges repeatedly, feeding Judkins until the Vikings prove they can stop it. That usage should push him past 100 total yards.
Few defenses generate turnovers like Cleveland’s. The Browns have already produced seven takeaways this season, tied for top-five in the league. Wentz, meanwhile, has four touchdowns and two interceptions through two starts, but he’s also fumbled three times under pressure. In his career, Wentz has...
