After a frustrating loss, the Cleveland Browns will look to get back into the win column this weekend. What’s the difference this time? The team will be in a different country, traveling across the pond to play another NFC North opponent in the Minnesota Vikings.
Oh yeah, and Dillon Gabriel is now the Browns starting QB.
It will be the second time the Browns are playing in London, the last time being in 2017 (against the same opponent). The game will take place in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, home of
the English Premier League team, Tottenham Hotspur. The game will kick off at 9:30 AM. NFL Network will broadcast the game, but people in the Cleveland area can catch the game on WEWS (Channel 5). Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma will be on the call. Here are the 2 players and a coach to watch for.
WR Justin Jefferson
Obviously. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson is one of the best receivers in the league, and probably the most well rounded. Despite the Vikings QB situation, he has found ways to make an impact. Jefferson is one of the best route runners in the league, good hands and great speed makes him truly one of one.
Jefferson eclipsed 100 yards last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers and he will look to do the same against a rugged Browns secondary. Look for the Vikings to put Jefferson in favorable matchups, but CB Denzel Ward will likely travel with him for the entire game.
The Browns has done a good job in limiting star WR’s this season (Bengals WR’s Ja’Marr Chase & Tee Higgins are the noticeable ones), but Sunday doesn’t get easier.
DE Jonathan Greenard
Greenard might not be a household name but he is someone that can cause havoc for Minnesota’s defensive line. With LB Andrew Van Ginkel potentially out this Sunday, Greenard is someone who can create opportunities for the rest of his team.
Greenard is a stout run defender and he’s effective as a pass rusher as well. For the Browns, the job has to be to contain the star defender and not let him disrupt the offense.
With a rookie QB under center in Gabriel, it’s imperative that the Browns contain Greenard and don’t let him take the game over and whoever is starting at either tackle spot has to be ready as well as the team giving said tackles chip help.
DC Brian Flores
Let’s read off some numbers first before discussing defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
-1st in Defensive EPA/per play & 1st in Defensive Dropback EPA
-13th in Defensive Success Rate
-9th in Dropback success rate
Those are pretty good numbers.
In terms of the best defensive coordinators in the league, Flores is one of them. His ability to disguise his coverages pre and post-snap is something to behold. You could get something at first that seems like it’s recognizable, but it later turns into something else. It could be Cover 2, then it shifts into something else.
Shifting coverages or simulated pressures, Flores can do it. Whether Flores gets another head coaching job is another topic for another day (I’m guessing not).
Gabriel will not have an easy day against this Vikings defense. Cleveland’s defense is elite, but in terms of scheme and sim pressures, it’s not nearly the same as Minnesota’s. Last week against the Steelers, Minnesota’s defense struggled in some areas with Flores playing a ton of soft coverage, which allowed the Steelers to take advantage of it. Minnesota’s run defense has been a bit shaky (mainly due to not having Van Ginkel in the lineup), so look for the Browns to try to establish the run early and often. It will be a chess match on Sunday morning across the pond.
