Three takeaways from the Browns loss to Vikings in London

It was a disappointing Sunday in London for the Cleveland Browns. The Browns looked to be comfortably in the lead all day long until the Minnesota Vikings threw a touchdown in the final 30 seconds to take the lead.

The Browns fell 21-17, dropping to 1-4 on the season. Rookie Dillon Gabriel made his first career start headlining the day.

Here are three key takeaways from the Browns’ loss.

1. Dillon Gabriel looked like a rookie

Dillon Gabriel certainly looked like a rookie who was forced to make his first start in a different country.

He certainly didn’t look bad, tossing a pair of touchdowns to his tight ends. He gave David Njoku his best game of the season, catching six passes for 67 yards.

He finished the day 19-33 for 190 yards. 15 of those passes went to tight ends and running backs.

He struggled to get any of the Browns’ wide receivers involved in the game. Most of the game plan was centered around checkdowns and quick throws for him. Oftentimes the offense looked stagnant, just like it did with Joe Flacco.

It was especially bad in the fourth quarter when the Browns had a chance to win the game.

His worst area was his ability to push the ball down field. It was clear his accuracy decreased a lot when he threw over 10 yards. He had several arrant throws to nobody.

The biggest improvement over Flacco was his mobility. The Browns were able to use bootlegs and evade several sacks. The Browns need to build the offense off of that, allowing him to throw on the run and escape away from the pocket.

He also kept the ball secured, as the offense didn’t have a turnover for the first time this season.

Gabriel showed enough potential to keep the starting job for a few weeks, but hopefully he’ll begin to develop and really lead an offense.

2. Quinshon Judkins is getting better every game

This was Quinshon Judkins first game over the 100 yard mark. He carried the ball 23 times for 110 yards.

He looked very Nick Chubb-esque, turning runs that looked like small gains into chuck play.

It was the first time the offense felt like it ran through Judkins, and it worked. The Browns were able to move the football and take some of the pressure of Gabriel. Judkins was a run after contact machine all day long.

Judkins could have had an even bigger day, but a potential long touchdown run was called back after two holding penalties.

It’s clear the Browns got one of the best, if not the best, running back from this class in the second round.

Remember he didn’t practice during the offseason with a contract holdout. He’s still learning the offense. It’s impressive how good he has looked this early on.

3. The defense couldn’t hang on forever

All season long the defense has carried this team to keep them in games. That was the case through most of this game once again.

The defense forced two turnovers, recovering a pair of fumbles forced by the defensive line. Throughout the fourth quarter it felt like the Browns offense kept wasting opportunities, but the defense was there to bail them out.

It wasn’t until the final drive of the game that didn’t hold true. The offense wasted a chance to seal the game, punting the ball away with over three minutes left.

Then it was all Carson Wentz. He dissected the Browns zone defense, easily cruising the ball down field to finish off the drive with a touchdown to Jordan Addison.

The defense struggled to generate pressure, and the secondary had weak coverage. The Browns’ defense had a similar situation in their win against the Green Bay Packers, playing well all day then letting the offense drive near the end. Luckily for Cleveland, that one ended in a blocked field goal.

If this defense truly wants to be an all time great, they need to step up in the biggest moments. This team is built around winning games behind the defense, and they couldn’t do it this week.