Sportsnaut
For nearly 57 minutes, it looked like the Browns had finally found their formula. A poised rookie quarterback. A 100-yard rusher. A defense that looked every bit elite again. Then, in the space of one drive, all of it unraveled.
Cleveland’s 21-17 loss to the Vikings in London was not about Dillon Gabriel’s first start. It was about everything around him collapsing at the worst possible moment. The Browns had the lead, the ball, and the game in their hands, and they let it slip away.
For most of the afternoon, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz’s defense looked like it would carry Cleveland to its second win. The front sacked Carson Wentz four times, forced two turnovers, and dominated the line of scrimmage against a depleted Minnesota offensive front. But when the Vikings got the ball back with 3:05 remaining, the Browns’ top-ranked defense could not finish the job.
Wentz, who had completed just 16 passes to that point, went 9-for-10 on the final drive. Tight end T. J. Hockenson converted a 14-yard catch right after the two-minute warning. Justin Jefferson followed with a 21-yard grab to the Cleveland 27, setting up Jordan Addison’s 12-yard game-winning touchdown catch over Denzel Ward with 25 seconds left.
The defense looked drained and out of rhythm. Cleveland used all three timeouts trying to stop the clock, but that only gave Minnesota time to reset. For a team that prides itself on closing games with defense, the finish was crushing.
Gabriel was not the problem. The rookie was composed and efficient, completing 19 of 33 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover. His 9-yard strike to tight end David Njoku gave Cleveland a 17-14 lead midway through the third quarter, and his poise kept the offense organized.
But the Browns’ long-standing issues on offense resurfaced. They went 3-for-15 on third down, committed 10 penalties for 78 yards, and stalled completely in the fourth quarter. Running back Quinshon Judkins rushed for 110 yards on 23 carries, yet the Browns failed to lean on him when it mattered most.
On their final full possession, Cleveland ran twice into stacked boxes, then threw incomplete on third-and-11, a call that stopped the clock and forced a punt after just 11 seconds of game time.
The fourth quarter was filled with missed opportunities. A 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on defensive tackle Shelby Harris flipped field position, and the Browns’ offensive line faltered under late pressure. Cleveland’s conservative play-calling and lack of execution kept the door open for Minnesota’s comeback.
The Browns have now gone 10 straight games scoring 17 points or fewer, their longest such streak in franchise history and the league’s longest since 2007. They controlled most of this game, led in turnovers and rushing yards, and still found a way to lose late.
Gabriel showed promise, but the Browns’ defense faltered when it mattered most. Head coach Kevin [Stefanski...
