Daily Norseman
We’re through the first quarter at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, and your Minnesota Vikings are tied with the Cleveland Browns at 7-7.
The Vikings, as they did last week, won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, giving the Browns and rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel the football first. Will Reichard’s attempt at a knuckleball kickoff landed short of the landing zone, giving the Browns the ball at their own 40-yard line for their first possession. The Browns proceeded to go three-and-out, giving Carson Wentz and the Vikings’ makeshift offensive line the ball at their own 7-yard line after the punt.
Jordan Mason got the drive started with a pair of carries for 14 yards, and Carson Wentz then completed passes to T.J. Hockenson and Justin Jefferson to move the chains again. With the Vikings approaching midfield, Mason took another handoff and had the ball knocked loose by Alex Wright, with Grant Delpit recovering for the Browns for a turnover that gave the Browns the ball in Minnesota territory.
The Browns quickly found themselves in the red zone thanks to a big run from rookie Quinshon Judkins, and after converting on a fourth down, Gabriel threw his first NFL touchdown pass to another rookie, tight end Harold Fannin Jr., for a 1-yard score to put the Browns ahead 7-0 with less than seven minutes left in the first quarter.
The Vikings responded with an outstanding drive against the league’s #1 defense, and ended with a bit of trickery. Cam Akers lined up at quarterback in the shotgun, took the snap, sprinted to his right, and then completed a pass to Josh Oliver. Oliver handled the rest, coasting in for a 32-yard touchdown to make it 7-7 with two and a half minutes left in the first quarter.
As we move to the second quarter of play, the Browns have the football and they’re looking at a 2nd-and-15 from their own 39-yard line after what would have been a 56-yard touchdown run for Quinshon Judkins was wiped off the board because of a penalty call.
We’ve made it through the first quarter in London, and your Minnesota Vikings are tied with the Cleveland Browns at 7-7. Come in and join us for the second quarter of play!
