Cleveland Browns Matchup With Minnesota Vikings Has Added Meaning

Not only does the matchup mark a return to Minnesota for Kevin Stefanski, it is a tough road matchup for a team like the Browns who hope to contend.

The Cleveland Browns have finished the month of September 2-1 with wins over the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans. The month of October is when teams really show just how good they are as the next month becomes tougher sledding.

Gone are the preseason issues and in-game jitters for the young players. October is when the gauntlet really starts and teams start to really assert themselves. Cleveland will have the chance to show that they are a real contender over the course of the next month. That starts on Sunday when the Browns kick October off with a trip to Minnesota.

This game will have added meaning to Kevin Stefanski. Cleveland’s head coach spent a decade with the Vikings organization and that is the franchise that prepared him to be a head coach. Minnesota is a solid team that is 1-2 with a close loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and the undefeated Arizona Cardinals.

You can call Kirk Cousins a game manager if you want, some do. But, Cousins is off to a blistering start of over 900 passing yards and 8 touchdowns to zero interceptions. The Vikings offense will be an interesting matchup for the Browns defense who is coming off of a big week. Stopping the wide receiver duo of Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen will be no easy task. K.J. Osborn is another player who has proven to be a threat for the Vikings. Cleveland’s rookie cornerback Greg Newsome ll is currently nursing a calf injury, if he misses time it will be up to Greedy Williams to step up.

The Vikings defense is allowing 26 points per game and that is a bad stat since coming to town is a Browns offense who has plenty of their own firepower. Sunday’s matchup looks to be a high scoring affair on paper perhaps. Then again, it could be a throwback grind-it-out game if Cleveland plays like it did in the firs

The Vikings defense does have their fair share of really good talent. Eric Kendricks is a solid linebacker that is leading the team in tackles and has a sack as well. Danielle Hunter is very good off the edge and already has four sacks on the season. Dalvin Tomlinson can be a problem in the middle and there certainly is talent in the secondary with Harrison Smith and Xavier Woods. The Vikings added Patrick Peterson and have Mackensie Alexander in the defensive backfield as well.

Nick Chubb was held in check for the most part against the Chicago Bears, Browns will need to get him going. Main reason being is to keep the offensive play makers that the Vikings can deploy - off the field. Kareem Hunt had potentially his best game as a member of the Browns and just maybe the team plans to use him that way going forward simply because it worked.

Odell Beckham Jr. played a ton against Chicago in his first game back. Many, including myself thought that 13 would be on a snap count. There was no sign of such thing. Beckham said after the game he was exhausted, that could play a role this week. Another week of practice could benefit Beckham Jr. with his conditioning. He will be an important part of any Browns success in Minnesota.

If Cleveland can pick up a very nice road win early in the season it could say a lot. It would not only be nice for coach Stefanski, but some momentum heading into this tough stretch. 

Brandon Little is a writer for Sports Illustrated’s Browns Digest website and you can follow him on Twitter here. You can follow Browns Digest on Twitter as well here.