Akron Beacon Journal

Browns vs Vikings: Cleveland falls to Minnesota in NFL preseason action; injuries hit hard

By Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal,

16 hours ago

CLEVELAND — After the Browns hosted the Minnesota Vikings for two joint practices this week, the most important sessions of training camp this summer in Berea, the two teams continued to use each other for tune-ups and auditions Saturday evening in the second 2024 preseason game for both sides.

Backups were in the spotlight at Cleveland Browns Stadium while Browns starters rested during exhibition game No. 2.

Those reserve Browns players did not fare as well as their Vikings counterparts. The Browns lost 27-12.

Starting quarterback Deshaun Watson and backup Jameis Winston were among the dozens of notable Cleveland players who sat out. They received a substantial amount of work in the joint practices Wednesday and Thursday.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson started at QB for the Browns and played the entire first half. Tyler Huntley relieved him to start the third quarter.

One of the main goals of NFL teams during the preseason is to stay as healthy as possible. Unfortunately for the Browns, they were hit hard by injuries Saturday, especially to their already-thin group of offensive tackles .

Kickoff occurred at 4:25 p.m. Saturday. Here are our updates as they unfolded throughout the game .

Browns lose 27-12 to Vikings in second preseason game

The Browns stumbled to 0-2 in meaningless preseason games, otherwise known as glorified practices. They lost 23-10 to the visiting Green Bay Packers on Aug. 10 before falling to the Vikings.

Cleveland Browns news: D'Onta Foreman debuts with Browns 16 days after scary injury and his first helicopter ride

How did Cleveland Browns quarterbacks DTR and Tyler Huntley play?

Thompson-Robinson went 13-of-17 passing (76.5%) for 126 yards without a touchdown pass and with an interception. His passer rating was 72.2. He took one sack.

Huntley went 14-of-20 passing (70%) for 135 yards without a touchdown pass and with two interceptions. His passer rating was 49. He rushed four times for 19 yards and took two sacks.

Tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden leaves field with injury late in fourth quarter

Browns tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden left the field with 1:02 left in the fourth quarter after suffering an injury on a catch.

Browns defensive tackle Chris Williams records safety late in fourth quarter

Defensive tackle Chris Williams provided the Browns with two points by strip-sacking Vikings quarterback Matt Corral for a safety with 1:54 left in the fourth quarter. Corral fumbled in the back of the end zone, and the ball went out of bounds.

The safety trimmed the Browns' deficit to 27-12. It was Williams' second sack of the game.

Vikings build 27-10 lead vs Browns in fourth quarter

Browns rookie seventh-round draft pick Myles Harden excelled in joint practices against the Vikings, but he surrendered a touchdown with 10:20 left in the fourth quarter.

Vikings quarterback Jaren Hall lofted pass over Harden and into the hands of wide receiver Jeshaun Jones for a 71-yard touchdown. Minnesota's completion of a five-play, 94-yard TD drive put the Browns in a 27-10 hole.

After the Vikings scored, rain began to fall on Cleveland's lakefront, driving many fans from the stands.

Cleveland Browns behind Vikings 20-10 at end of third quarter

The Browns faced a 20-10 deficit at the end of the third quarter.

The Browns held a 245-215 advantage in total net yards, but they also had two turnovers, and the Vikings had none through three quarters.

Cleveland Browns trail Minnesota Vikings 20-10 after Cade York field goal

With 2:08 left in the third quarter, Cade York made a 33-yard field goal to trim the Browns' deficit to 20-10. The kick ended a 13-play, 55-yard drive.

Tyler Huntley interception leads to Hakeem Adeniji injury, a Vikings touchdown and a 20-7 Browns deficit. Germain Ifedi also hurt

Huntley began the second half by leading the Cleveland offense to the Minnesota 11-yard line. But on second-and-goal at the 11, he threw too high for tight end Treyton Welch, and Vikings cornerback Dwight McGlothern intercepted the pass.

McGlothern then returned the interception 90 yards. Huntley and offensive tackle Hakeem Adeniji combined to cause McGlothern to go out of bounds instead of produce a pick six. But Adeniji suffered a knee injury in the act with 10:58 left in the third quarter and went to the locker room with medical personnel. The Browns listed him as out for the remainder of the game.

Two plays later, wide receiver Malik Knowles caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Hall. The Vikings went ahead 20-7 with 10:14 left in the third quarter.

Making matters worse for the Browns, especially at offensive tackle, Germain Ifedi also left early in the third quarter with a hand injury. He was initially listed as questionable to return before the Browns downgraded him to out for the rest of the game.

The Browns turned to undrafted rookie Lorenzo Thompson at left tackle and Roy Mbaeteka at right tackle.

Browns trail Vikings 13-7 at halftime after DTR's interception

In two-minute mode, the Browns offense advanced to the Vikings 34-yard line, where Cleveland faced second-and-10 with 31 seconds left in the second quarter.

Thompson-Robinson threw behind rookie Jamari Thrash, the ball deflected off Thrash and Vikings safety Lewis Cine intercepted it with 20 seconds remaining.

The Vikings led 13-7 at halftime.

At halftime, the Vikings held a 198-122 advantage in total net yards.

Browns fullback Giovanni Ricci grabs left leg, limps off field after catch late in the first half

Browns fullback Giovanni Ricci caught a 17-yard pass from DTR during the two-minute drill, but Ricci then grabbed his left leg with about 1:30 left in the second quarter and limped off the field. The Browns announced Ricci suffered a knee injury and wouldn't return to the game.

Browns offensive lineman James Hudson III injured late in first half

With 1:48 left in the second quarter, Browns offensive tackle James Hudson II suffered an ankle injury and walked to the sideline and then to the locker room with medical personnel. The Browns announced he wouldn't return to the game.

With Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin out of action coming off knee surgeries last year, Hudson has been practicing as the first-team left tackle for most of training camp. Hudson started at right tackle Saturday and later moved back to the left side.

Browns pressure getting consistent pressure on Nick Mullens

The Browns tallied their third sack of the game when Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens escaped defensive end Isaiah McGuire, only to fall with Williams bearing down on him a split second later.

The sequence occurred on third-and-6 at the Browns 40-yard line, and it led the Vikings to punt after the two-minute warning in the second quarter.

Browns offense struggles with DTR at quarterback

After the Browns scored a touchdown on their first possession, they went three-and-out on three consecutive series with Thompson-Robinson at the controls.

Vikings extend lead to 13-7 vs Browns with another Will Reichard field goal

Rookie Will Reichard made a 38-yard field goal with 7:41 left in the second quarter as the Vikings extended their lead to 13-7 against the Browns.

The Vikings faced third-and-6 at the Cleveland 14-yard line during the previous play. Defensive end Jeremiah Martin thwarted the threat by sacking Mullens, compelling the Vikings to resort to Reichard.

Browns' Isaiah Thomas sacks Nick Mullens to end a Vikings drive

On the first play of the second quarter, Browns defensive end Isaiah Thomas sacked Mullens for a 9-yard loss on third-and-2 at the Minnesota 42-yard line. The Vikings then punted, and the Browns took over at their 16.

The Browns didn't do anything with the possession, though. Thompson-Robinson took a sack for a 14-yard loss on first down, and the Browns went three-and-out.

Vikings lead Browns 10-7 at end of first quarter

The Vikings led the Browns 10-7 at the end of the opening quarter. The Browns were outgained 135-57 in the first quarter. They were edge in first downs 7-4.

Vikings go ahead 10-7 vs Browns with 41-yard field goal

Reichard made a 41-yard field goal at the end of a nine-play, 47-yard drive, giving the Vikings a 10-7 lead over the Browns with 4:26 left in the first quarter.

On the previous play, defensive tackle Shelby Harris registered a quarterback hit on Mullens, formerly of the Browns. The play was initially ruled a strip-sack, and the Browns recovered the fumble. It was a bad call, though, and the officials correctly changed it to an incomplete pass after a replay review.

Then the Vikings summoned their kicker.

Browns tie score 7-7 with D'Onta Foreman's 1-yard rushing touchdown vs. Vikings

Running back D'Onta Foreman finished an eight-play, 69-yard scoring drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown on second-and-goal, allowing the Browns to tie the score 7-7 with 7:18 remaining in the first quarter.

A 28-yard penalty on the Vikings set up the TD. On first-and-10 at the Minnesota 29, Thompson-Robinson rolled to his right and took a shot at the end zone, where Vikings safety Bobby McCain committed a pass interference penalty while covering fullback Giovanni Ricci. The penalty advanced the Browns to the 1, and they scored two plays later.

Each team scored on its first possession.

Vikings take 7-0 lead vs Browns with Nick Mullens' 14-yard touchdown pass to Trishton Jackson

On the game's opening drive, the Vikings took a 7-0 lead with an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive.

Mullens' 14-yard touchdown pass to receiver Trishton Jackson capped the march with 11:45 left in the first quarter. Jackson beat the coverage of Browns cornerback Tony Brown II to haul in the TD pass in the front left corner of the end zone.

On the Vikings' second possession, which ended with a field goal, Brown was called for a 15-yard tripping penalty.

Vikings receive opening kickoff from Browns

The Vikings won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff from the Browns.

Cleveland Browns column: Everything to know about Deshaun Watson's performances in joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings

Here is some pregame information:.

It's DTR vs. Tyler Huntley for No. 3 quarterback on Cleveland Browns depth chart

Let the battle for the Browns No. 3 quarterback job begin. Well, it has already started, so let it intensify!

The offseason signing of Huntley came as a surprise, but back in March when the move was made, Thompson-Robinson was recovering from a serious hip injury. And, let's face it, he didn't play well as a fifth-round rookie draft pick last season.

In this training camp, however, Thompson-Robinson has excelled, and he'll enter preseason game No. 2 in the driver's seat to secure the third spot on the quarterback depth chart.

In the Browns' 23-10 preseason-opening loss to the visiting Green Bay Packers on Aug. 10, Thompson-Robinson provided a bright spot for Cleveland. He finished 14-of-18 passing for 134 yards without a touchdown or interception, posting a passer rating of 97.7. He rushed once for 2 yards, picking up a first down on fourth-and-1 during the Browns' only TD drive. He took one sack.

Huntley actually entered the preseason opener before Thompson-Robinson, substituting for Winston after the veteran started and played just one series, which resulted in a 55-yard field goal by York .

Huntley went 6-of-9 passing for 41 yards without a TD or interception and produced a passer rating of 76.6. He rushed twice for 13 yards and took one sack.

Who will play for the Cleveland Browns vs Minnesota Vikings ? Who will sit out in second preseason game?

On Thursday, Stefanski said all Browns starters would sit out in the preseason game against the Vikings.

The reason is Browns first- and second-string players were at the forefront of the joint practices with the Vikings on Wednesday and Thursday.

Stefanski has twice said he plans to play Watson in the preseason finale Aug. 24 at the Seattle Seahawks , meaning other Browns starters would appear in the last exhibition game, too.

Cleveland Browns players who are expected to sit out preseason game vs Minnesota Vikings

The Browns announced the following players are not expected to play against the Vikings:

CB Greg Newsome II
S Juan Thornhill
WR Amari Cooper
WR Jerry Jeudy
QB Deshaun Watson
LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
K Dustin Hopkins
WR Elijah Moore
S Grant Delpit
S Rodney McLeod
WR David Bell
WR Cedric Tillman
CB Denzel Ward
RB Nyheim Hines
CB Martin Emerson Jr.
RB Nick Chubb
S Ronnie Hickman
RB Jerome Ford
S D’Anthony Bell
LB Nathaniel Watson
LS Charley Hughlett
LB Tony Fields II
DE Ogbo Okoronkwo
C Ethan Pocic
C Luke Wypler
LB Jordan Hicks
G Michael Dunn
OT Jedrick Wills Jr.
DT Quinton Jefferson
G Joel Bitonio
G Wyatt Teller
OT Jack Conklin
OT Dawand Jones
TE David Njoku
DT Maurice Hurst II
DE Alex Wright
DT Dalvin Tomlinson
DE Myles Garrett
DE Za’Darius Smith

What are the Browns injuries to know?

Stefanski and the Browns have been coy about injuries in training camp partly because NFL rules do not force teams to submit injury reports until the regular season.

With the aforementioned information in mind, here is a list of injured Browns players:

WR Amari Cooper (left practice Thursday; Stefanski said he was "sore")
TE David Njoku (stopped participating in team drills Thursday; Stefanski said he was "sore")
DT Maurice Hurst II (left practice Thursday with apparent leg injury)
DT Mike Hall Jr. (suffered stinger Wednesday, the day after his arrest on a domestic violence charge ; he's playing Saturday )
S Rodney McLeod (didn't practice Thursday; another "sore" guy, per Stefanski; has had sleeve on leg)
CB Denzel Ward (concussion protocol)
CB Greg Newsome II (rehabilitating from hamstring surgery)
DT Dalvin Tomlinson (rehabilitating from knee surgery)
OT Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee surgery last year)
OT Jack Conklin (knee surgery last year)
RB Nick Chubb (two knee surgeries last year)
RB Nyheim Hines (knee surgery last year)
S D'Anthony Bell (shin)
S Ronnie Hickman (back)
C Luke Wypler (suffered broken ankle in preseason opener; injury required surgery)
LB Jordan Hicks (undisclosed)
LB Tony Fields II (undisclosed lower-body injury)
DT Shelby Harris (undisclosed; he's playing Saturday)
LB Nathaniel Watson (quadriceps)
WR David Bell (quadriceps)
OL Michael Dunn (undisclosed)
WR Jaelon Darden (undisclosed; he's dressed to play and warming up in pregame Saturday)
LS Charley Hughlett (undisclosed)

More Cleveland Browns news: Rookie Mike Hall Jr. plays in NFL preseason less than week after arrest

How to watch the Cleveland Browns vs. Minnesota Vikings preseason game on TV, stream

TV channel: ABC WEWS-TV (Channel 5)
Stream: ClevelandBrowns.com , NFL+ and Cleveland Browns mobile app
Announcers: Chris Rose (play-by-play), Nathan Zegura (analyst) and Aditi Kinkhabwala (sideline reporter).

How to listen to the Browns-Vikings preseason game on the radio, stream

The Cleveland Browns Radio Network will carry the game, with Jim Donovan (play-by-play), Je'Rod Cherry (analyst) and Ken Carman (sideline reporter) on the call. Among the affiliates in the Akron-Canton area are WAKR-AM 1590, WONE-FM 97.5, WHBC-AM 1480, WQKT-FM 104.5, WKRK-FM 92.3, WKNR-AM 850 and WNCX-FM 98.5.
The Cleveland Browns Radio Network's call can also be streamed at ClevelandBrowns.com, as well as the Browns' mobile app. It's also available on Sirius XM radio , with channel 225 carrying the Browns' feed.
The Browns also have a Spanish-language broadcast, with Rafael “Rafa” Hernández-Brito (play-by-play) and Octavio Sequera (analyst) on the call. Games will be streamed on La Mega Cleveland , as well as heard on WNZN-FM 89.1 in Lorain and WVKO-FM 103.1 in Columbus.

Cleveland Browns news: Coach Kevin Stefanski reveals 'plan' is for Deshaun Watson to play in preseason finale at Seattle Seahawks

Cleveland Browns vs Minnesota Vikings history

The most recent preseason meeting between the Browns and Vikings was in 2002. They last clashed in the regular season in 2021, when Cleveland prevailed 14-7 in Minnesota . The Browns have a record of 4-11 in their regular-season series with the Vikings.

News from Browns and Vikings joint practices

Check out more of our coverage from the joint practices between the Browns and Vikings.

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns vs Vikings: Cleveland falls to Minnesota in NFL preseason action; injuries hit hard