What We Saw: Week 4

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Browns @ Vikings

Final Score: Browns 14, Vikings 7

Writer: Ryan Radel (@RadelFF on Twitter)

Considering this game had a Vegas over/under of 51.5 points, I was anticipating having way more to write about with Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski’s return to Minnesota, where he spent 15 seasons before taking the gig in Cleveland. If the score didn’t give it away, the passing game wasn’t working for either team this week. Neither team netted over 200 passing yards, and there was only a single score through the air in a game that has the lowest point total on the week as of this writing. A combination of poor quarterbacking and good defense kept this game close from whistle to whistle, but the Browns used their ferocious run game to eventually overwhelm the Vikings.

Cleveland Browns

Quarterback

Baker Mayfield: 15/33, 155 yards, 3 Sacks | 2 rushes, 11 yards

Coming into this game with a completion rate just a hair under 74%, you wouldn’t expect to see Baker finish this game with a 45% completion rate. In general, he simply looked off. There were not many errant throws that made you question what Baker was thinking. He just missed – over and over – and he knew it. Thankfully most of his misses were in spots where no one was going to catch it, displaying some poise in the face of frustration by not making risky throws and letting his team carry him to victory. There was one especially bad miss where Baker extended the play to the right, drawing coverage away from Kareem Hunt, but badly overthrew him. I think the shoulder injury Baker sustained earlier this season hasn’t fully healed and might be nagging. Or, Baker simply wasn’t up to the task of facing down Minnesota’s tough defense.

Running Back

Nick Chubb: 21 rushes, 100 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards

Kareem Hunt: 14 rushes, 69 yards, TD | 4 targets, 2 receptions, 17 yards

Demetric Felton: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 12 yards

I said it last week, and I will say it again: Kareem Hunt runs violently.

Kareem ripping off 33 yards!

📺: #CLEvsMIN on CBS
📲: Browns mobile app pic.twitter.com/AHpIBH6JV2

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 3, 2021

Not only was that a 33-yard rumble, but it was third down with 20 yards to go, and only 35 seconds on the clock before the half. Not only does Kareem convert the 3rd and long, but he also gets his team in field goal range and stops the clock. Quite simply he is the playmaker out of the backfield when they need one. The trend seems to be to tire the opposing team out with Chubb before Kareem strikes big. Once you adjust to Kareem’s style of running, Chubb is back in to run it down your throat. In general, this continues to be a run-first offense, even in a game with a 51.5 over/under, which is a great trend for Chubb and Hunt. They continue to be the best backfield in football. Stefanski also continues to draw up a couple of plays a game for Demetric Felton, who looks like a big play waiting to happen every time he touches the ball.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Rashard Higgins: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 63 yards

Odell Beckham Jr: 7 targets, 2 receptions, 27 yards | 1 rush, 4 yards

David Njoku: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 17 yards

Austin Hooper: 5 targets, 1 reception, 11 yards

Harrison Bryant: 2 targets, 1 reception, 3 yards

Anthony Schwartz: 1 target

Not a lot of action from this group as Baker Mayfield really struggled throughout the entire game. Baker was able to connect with Rashard Higgins on a couple of key third downs, which ended up being invaluable in a one-score game:

Hollywood making plays today.

📺: #CLEvsMIN on CBS
📲: Browns mobile app pic.twitter.com/7UmtvnWsnV

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 3, 2021

Otherwise, with how rough of a day Baker had, not a lot to write about from this group. Odell Beckham Jr was smothered the entire game and didn’t make much out of his seven targets, although not many of them were truly catchable. I do not think he has what it takes to be an NFL team’s premier wideout at this point, but he’s going to get the targets of one until Jarvis Landry returns. The tight end group continues to get peppered with targets, totally nine on the day, but until those targets are consolidated to a single player, there isn’t going to be a lot of fantasy value.

The Browns defense looked stellar today both on the ground and through the air, even though they were missing first-round pick Greg Newsome. Holding the Vikings to seven points is not an easy task, even with a hobbled Dalvin Cook.

Minnesota Vikings

Quarterback

Kirk Cousins: 20/38, 203 yards, TD, INT, 2 Sacks | 2 carries

Kirk Cousins got off to a good start, racking up 59 yards during a 14 play, 74 yard drive that culminated in a dart to Justin Jefferson in the front of the end zone:

Hot start for @kirkcousins8 and @Jjettas2

📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/vUC8ew3Evk

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 3, 2021

After that, the Vikings’ offense failed to continue the momentum as they were blanked for the rest of the game. The offense badly missed the presence of Dalvin Cook, as the Browns came out in nickel and dime packages, challenging the Vikings to beat them on the ground (which they couldn’t really do.) Kirk showed excellent pocket presence in the face of a Myles Garrett-lead pass rush, which is something I hope I never have to experience, but ultimately wasn’t able to make the big throws when it mattered. Multiple balls were either thrown away to avoid the rush, batted at the line, or tipped away by defenders. I would use the word “frustrating” to describe this offense in Week 4.

Running Back

Dalvin Cook: 9 carries, 34 yards

Alexander Mattison: 10 carries, 20 yards

C.J. Ham: 1 carry, 1 yard

Ameer Abdullah: 1 target, 1 reception, 2 yards

After missing Week 3, Dalvin Cook suited up this week, but you could’ve thought otherwise if you watched the game. He exited the game in the second quarter after coming down awkwardly during a gang tackle and did not return until the fourth quarter. The offense couldn’t get Alexander Mattison going on 10 touches against a tough defensive front and seemed to be stripped of their identity without a running game. If Dalvin ends up missing time to heal, I would keep an eye on the passing game of the Vikings, as their offense became rather predictable once Dalvin went out.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Justin Jefferson: 7 targets, 6 receptions, 84 yards, TD

Adam Thielen: 8 targets, 3 receptions, 46 yards

K.J. Osborn: 7 targets, 3 receptions, 26 yards

Tyler Conklin: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 18 yards

Dede Westbrook: 1 target, 1 reception, 17 yards

Outside of Justin Jefferson’s early score, the Vikings’ pass-catchers were not able to make much happen with the abundance of targets they received while playing from behind. The Vikings’ offensive line didn’t provide a lot of time for routes to develop. When they did give Kirk enough time, he didn’t seem to be setting his receivers up for success. There were a ton of contested balls, as well as a few that were batted as the line of scrimmage – you never know what those could’ve become in the hands of Thielen or Jefferson. Seeing seven and six targets go to K. J. Osborn and Tyler Conklin, respectively, is something to keep an eye on as well, as they are two lesser-rostered players in fantasy but bring value to your roster due to their target share.