The Good, The Bad, The Ugly from the Vikings' 21-17 win over the Browns

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Oct 6, 2025 - 08:00
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The Good, The Bad, The Ugly from the Vikings' 21-17 win over the Browns

The Minnesota Vikings needed a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to defeat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. As is usually the case, the game-winning drive was necessary due to miscues throughout the game.

Although it wasn't a perfect game, the 21-17 victory demonstrated that the Vikings are starting to find some rhythm on offense. Injuries and untimely penalties are still hindering the unit's overall consistency, but it's starting to resemble a Kevin O'Connell offense.

Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Vikings' win.

The Good: The offense is coming together

The Vikings entered Sunday's game knowing they'd be without three starting offensive linemen. Even backup center Michael Jurgens would be out, forcing Minnesota to start backup guard Blake Brandel at center, a position he had never played in a game. Complicating matters was that the depleted line would be facing the Browns' defensive line, the strength behind the league's top-ranked defense.

Yet the Vikings gained 349 yards on 61 plays, a 5.7 yards-per-play average. Wentz was still sacked three times, but a quick passing game early on got the ball out of his hands.

Later, the Vikings began attacking downfield more. Justin Jefferson had three receptions of 20-plus yards, totaling 123 yards on seven receptions. Jordan Addison did most of his damage underneath, catching five passes for 41 yards. But he caught the final three passes on the final drive, including a 12-yarder to give the Vikings the lead.

The running game wasn't spectacular, but they ran 23 times for 97 yards. It was an impressive performance from a unit that could have been overwhelmed by the Browns' defense. With a week to rest, the Vikings will hope to get some of their linemen back and continue to build upon an offense that has struggled to stay consistent through five weeks.

The Bad: Self-inflicted wounds

The offensive attack could have looked even better had the Vikings not shot themselves in the foot twice. Two penalties erased explosive plays. A 47-yard completion to Jalen Nailor was called back after a holding penalty. In the fourth quarter, a 19-yard run by Jordan Mason was negated by another hold.

Penalties weren't the only thing that plagued the offense. Fumbles by Mason and backup running back Zavier Scott ended promising drives by the Vikings. The Browns had a 47-yard touchdown drive after the Mason fumble to give themselves an early 7-0 lead. The Scott fumble came at the Browns' 42-yard line.

The Ugly: The run defense

Some could say this, and the "bad" category could be switched. But the Browns entered Week 5 with the third-fewest rushing yards in the league. On Sunday, they ran 32 times for 140 yards and a touchdown.

It's a troubling trend for the Vikings, who allowed the Falcons to run for 218 yards in Week 2, and the Steelers, who have the 31st-ranked rushing attack, to run for 129 yards last week. This allowed Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel to operate a balanced offense that got the ball out of his hands quickly. He was 19-of-33 passing for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

If the Vikings want to compete with the best teams in the NFC and allow Brian Flores to call his exotic blitz looks on 3rd-and-long, the run defense has to improve soon. Perhaps the early bye week is the perfect time for it. Fortunately, Blake Cashman is eligible to return following the bye week. Andrew Van Ginkel, who hasn't played the past two weeks, could return, too.

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly from the Vikings' win over the Browns

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